12 WESTERN SERIES OF READERS. 



sort of material we give them, and invite us to 

 watch how they do it. They bring all the other 

 birds to the grounds, so we have as many as 

 thirty-five varieties in the garden in the course of 

 a few weeks. 



Don't they eat our fruit? Of course they do. 

 They are welcome to their share. And we can 

 truthfully say they take no more than their own 

 share. We have little tricks we play for them. 

 We sow them a lettuce-bed, plant berry-vines, 

 place cull oranges cut in halves about the garden, 

 and always have the table set for them. And 

 they do not eat us out of house and home! Lin- 

 nets make so much noise about their meals, peo- 

 ple think they eat more than they really do. If 

 they would keep still, the farmer would not know 

 they are in his fruit-trees, nor would he miss 

 what they take. It is their constant chatter that 

 gives them away. But we like their chatter! It 

 would be a dreary place for us without the linnets. 

 There are plenty of birds and other people who 

 do not sing. These are always sad or cross. 

 They do not cheer the world any. Did you ever 

 notice that the people who hate linnets are cross 

 people? They turn sour, like wilted peaches. 



If you would be happy as linnets the whole 

 time, be comrades of the linnets. Learn what 



