126 WINTER SUNSHINE 



the birds of the deeper forest find occasion to visit 

 it during the season. The cuckoo comes for the 

 tent-caterpillar, the jay for frozen apples, the ruffed 

 grouse for buds, the crow foraging for birds' eggs, 

 the woodpecker and chickadees for their food, and 

 the high-hole for ants. The redbird comes, too, if 

 only to see what a friendly covert its branches form ; 

 and the wood thrush now and then comes out of the 

 grove near by, and nests alongside of its cousin, the 

 robin. The smaller hawks know that this is a 

 most likely spot for their prey, and in spring the 

 shy northern warblers jnay be studied as they pause 

 to feed on the fine insects amid its branches. The 

 mice love to dwell here also, and hither come from 

 the near woods the squirrel and the rabbit. The 

 latter will put his head through the boy's slipper- 

 noose any time for a taste of the sweet apple, and 

 the red squirrel and chipmunk esteem its seeds a 

 great rarity. 



All the domestic animals love the apple, but none 

 so much so as the cow. The taste of it wakes her 

 up as few other things do, and bars and fences must 

 be well looked after. No need to assort them or 

 pick out the ripe ones for her. An apple is an 

 apple, and there is no best about it. I heard of a 

 quick-witted old cow that learned to shake them 

 down from the tree. While rubbing herself she 

 had observed that an apple sometimes fell. This 

 stimulated her to rub a little harder, when more 

 apples fell. She then took the hint and rubbed her 

 shoulder with such vigor that the farmer had to 



