REYNOLDS] A BOY AND A BROOK 17 



One of the pine trees had two tops and sister told me how it 

 happened because I noticed that pine trees generally have only 

 one top. You see, 150 years ago, when this tree was young a 

 hungry insect that liked the tip twig to eat and thought it would 

 be a good place for its eggs, so the young tree had to lift up two 

 branches to take its place. That's interesting — ^wish I could see 

 the insect who did it. 



While we were looking at the tree we heard an awful squawking 

 and what do you think happened? A red-winged black-bird with 

 his red shoulder straps standing up on end was bothering a Mrs. 

 Robin on her nest in the tree. Soon Mr. Robin came along. 

 Then there was more squawking and Mr. Red-wing had to leave 

 double quick. We left Mr. Robin to grumble away on a fence- 

 post and went on down the meadow. There were a lot of trees I 

 didn't know about at all. Some of thier names were pretty and 

 some were only queer. You will see them on a map I am going 

 to make soon of the whole brook. 



There were a lot of things in the way of the brook. My, but 

 it had to work hard and run fast here. In one place the ground 

 was so hard that the water had to make a wide curve like a half- 

 moon. We named the piece of land Half-Moon Cape. Further 

 along some dead willow trees were stopping up the brook and laid 

 right across it. Sis said their roots looked as though the brook 

 had helped to wash them out when it had its extra supply of spring 

 rain water. We had a good look at a red-headed woodpecker 

 across the brook in a patch of wood just beyond the fence. His 

 head was very red and he was so black and white you could have 

 seen him 'most anywhere. We also heard the liveliest chirping 

 sound — ^just like "witchity — ^wichity — ^wichity" and over in the 

 thick bushes was a little yellow bird with black cheeks. You'll 

 always find him in thick bushes He's a Maryland Yellowthroat. 



Our brook disappears under the fence here and flows into a great 

 pipe under the golf-links. It must come out somewhere so we are 

 going to try to find it again on the day that brightest and hottest 

 because if it's bright all of the brook's friends will be out for inspec- 

 tion. Gee, this is almost better than six ball games! I'm going 

 to see where Mr. Brook ends up if I have to walk a week — guess 

 it won't take that long. 



