ash] THE ORIOLE 387 



nestling. She even enters the cage and hovering over her birdling, 

 coaxes with a loving mother note "te-de-de," she pleads, " te-de-de- 

 did-did," she insists, but Tee Dee, remembering her plight of the 

 morning, will not risk another fall "te-de-de-did-didn't" and at 

 length completely discouraged the mother flies away. 



She is content in her new home and swings in her cage; many 

 birds sing in the trees which grow in the big yard and she chirps 

 cheerily to them ; here comes robin from the rose hedge, a visitor, 



'Churr, cheerily, cheer' 



Where did you come from dear? 

 From a nest of string and down and reed, 



'Te-de, did-did-did,' indeed. 



A blue-bird chances to fly by, 

 'Du-o, beauty, who-o, who-o'. 



The oriole gives back reply, 

 'Te-de, pit-uo-o, two-o'. 



The vireo above them all sings : 



'Now-here, where, a-wha-ae?' 

 I wanted much to try my wings, 



The tree was tall and I had a fall, that's all, 

 Te-de, pet-o, pet-oo-a. 



You are welcome to become a member of the family, but do 

 let Miss Mary know more about yourself; what few feathers 

 you have are on your wings, so you cannot be over two weeks old, 

 and that crown of down that you wear on your head places you 

 in a high order of birds, and besides, gives you a look of importance 

 far beyond your weeks, your soft grey down dress is very becoming 

 too. I see from the color of your feet and legs that you belong 

 to the "true blue stocking" tribe. 



How she does eat and sleep and grow! A loud, "te-de, peto," 

 Tee Dee wants her breakfast, awakens the household early in 

 the morning. During the first week food is dropped into her mouth 

 by hand and afterward a feeding-stick is used until she is able to 

 feed herself, she lives chiefly on bread soaked in milk and raw 

 minced meat. To see her open her bill at the mere sight of food 

 leaves no doubt in the mind that her first purpose in life is to eat ; 

 if the slice of bread is as large as the side of her cage or the apple 

 bigger and rounder than her whole body, what of that ! Her perch 

 is grasped only the more firmly and her mouth opened the wider 

 as if to say, "I am willing." The way she fills her crop is astonish- 

 ing! On several occasions she imposed on that organ such an 



