38 WESTERN SERIES OF READERS. 



way of " saving something for a rainy day," which 

 other people would do well to imitate. One kind 

 of woodpecker, called the " flicker," was seen to 

 drop acorns into a hole in the roof of an old barn. 

 As often as he dropped the nut in, he peeped down 

 to see it, but it was out of sight. Usually, he can 



THE FLICKER. 



see what he is hiding, and judge if it is properly 

 done. Not seeing his acorn, he went on dropping 

 more into the hole, as if he were bent on filling it 

 to the brim. But it was more of an undertaking 

 than he supposed. He gave it up after a few days. 

 It would have taken more acorns than a hundred 

 woodpeckers could find to fill that empty old 

 barn. That was a good joke! 



Woodpeckers make their nests at the end of 



