38 STORIES OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS 



then a fine blue bird, with a pointed cap and black 

 collar, flew near, crying in a harsh voice, " Jay, 

 Jay ! " as if anxious to tell his name, and dropped 

 on the branch close to Rattle, who was beginning 

 to eat a fresh bunch of apple blossoms. 



" Egg sucker ! " screamed the Jay. 



44 Nut thief ! " chattered the Squirrel, humping 

 his back with rage. 



" Where are my four fine fresh eggs ? " shrieked 

 the bird. 



44 Where are my first quality beech nuts?" 

 squeaked the Squirrel. And without more ado 

 they began to fight desperately. 



44 Stop, you horrid things ! " called Tommy-Anne, 

 resolutely. 44 You are both wrong. Father says 

 people mostly are when they fight, and that they 

 do it because they can't make excuses even to 

 themselves. 



44 Stop this minute, or I will tell the butcher- 

 boy where you live, and he will hunt you away. 

 He can find anything, even a Hummingbird's 

 nest." 



This dreadful threat ended the quarrel, and the 

 fighters began very meekly to explain ; but an- 

 other voice coming from the grass said, 44 The 

 Jay did not steal the nuts ; he gathered them him- 

 self from the top of the great Beech tree on the 



