link THREE CHICKADEE FRIENDS 



None of our books n<>r of our more experienced bird-loving friends 

 had spoken of such an amazing feat. Could it have been a mis- 

 take? They who had not seen it, were inclined t< thai 

 it was. As we waited at the window, back came a Chick 



turned his tail at a sharp angle, pressed his breast again st the board 

 and grasped his walnut with both feet; he lias even been known 

 to turn and to lie on his side while picking out crumbs of nut 

 from the shell. Once he stood on one foot and steadied himself 

 by clinging with a cold little claw to the finger of a friend, who was 

 trying to help him hold his nut. 



All day they came and went, and soon became so tame, that 

 we could open the windows without disturbing them. They 

 ate from our hands without haste, or fear, and once, when a 

 hand was placed too high to be reached conveniently while the 

 bird stood on the table he spread his wings, flew up a few inches, 

 and dropping down as gently as the snow flakes which surrounded 

 him he stood with cold little feet on the waiting hand. 



In the early days of our acquaintance we spoke of them as 

 the Chickadees, but as we became more intimate with the per- 

 sonality of each, they seemed to us as unlike in character and 

 appearance as three children, and names became a necessity : 

 so we called them Jimmy, Sammy, and Fluffy. 



Jimmy was an energetic, athletic, chickadee person, with 

 surprising strength of bill and claw. When especially vigorous 

 strokes were heard through closed windows, we knew that it was 

 he who was opening his sunflower seeds. He was handsome, 

 slender, and extremely neat. He never appeared in public 

 with a single feather displaced. His bearing was confident 

 and fearless at all times. His disposition, however, was less 

 pleasing than his appearance, and we regretfully admitted that 

 he was not generous in his treatment of his two companions: 

 still with all his obvious faults, he was most lovable and winsoms. 



Sammy was interesting rather than handsome. He was 

 slightly larger than • Jimmy, less self-assertive, and far more 

 indifferent about his appearance. Perhaps his coat was more 

 difficult to keep in good condition. He never looked well groomed, 

 and one of his long tail feathers was broken at the end : we hoped 

 that Jimmy was not in any way responsible for this mishap. 

 Sammy was reserved, and silent, seeming to expect little com- 

 panionship from the other chickadees. In repose, he looked 



