46 The Story of Scraggles 



to sit on the very sheet upon which I am en- 

 gaged, and for five or ten minutes such per- 

 formances ! With first one foot, then the 

 other, she scratches her head with inconceiv- 

 able rapidity. Then, getting a little oil from 

 her receptacle, she begins to preen; under 

 the left wing, down each feather, occasionally 

 darting her bill like lightning upon some 

 other feather that appears to her to need 

 attention. Such screwing of the neck, twist- 

 ing of the body, standing on tiptoes to get to 

 the feathers on her body, such stretching to 

 reach the tips ! After it is done to her content, 

 she gives herself several little shakes-down all 

 over, quick flutterings and flappings of her 

 wings, and settles down for awhile only to 

 begin again and go through the whole per- 

 formance once more if something suggests it 

 ought to be done." 



Fessor also thought the way I 

 stretched myself was very funny, though 

 I could see nothing funny in it; so I will 

 let you read what he wrote about that: 



