Peter Discovers Two Old Friends 



These were the only ones Peter really had ex- 

 pected to find in the Old Orchard, and so you can 

 guess how pleased he was as he hopped over the old 

 stone wall to hear the voice of one whom he had 

 almost forgotten. It was the voice of Yank- Yank 

 the Nuthatch, and while it was far from being 

 sweet there was in it something of good cheer and 

 contentment. At once Peter hurried in the direc- 

 tion from which it came. 



On the trunk of an apple-tree he caught sight of a 

 gray and black and white bird about the size of 

 Downy the Woodpecker. The top of his head and 

 upper part of his back were shining black. The 

 rest of his back was bluish-gray. The sides of his 

 head and his breast were white. The outer feath- 

 ers of his tail were black with white patches near 

 their tips. 



But Peter didn't need to see how Yank- Yank was 

 dressed in order to recognize him. Peter would 

 have known him if he had been so far away that 

 the colors of his coat did not show at all. You see, 

 Yank-Yank was doing a most surprising thing, 

 something no other bird can do. He was walking 

 head first down the trunk of that tree, picking tiny 

 eggs of insects from the bark and seemingly quite as 

 much at home and quite as unconcerned in that 

 queer position as if he were right side up. 



As Peter approached, Yank- Yank lifted his head 

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