38 More Tales of the Birds 



we were in France ; and then there came a 

 pleasant morning with a gentle breeze, in which 

 we crossed the sea to this dear home of yours 

 and ours, where no one wants to catch and 

 kill us ; and then we felt as happy as you fancy 

 we always are. It was mid- April, and your fields 

 looked so fresh and green, we had not seen such 

 a green for nearly a whole year. The sun shone 

 into the grass and lit it up, and forced the 

 celandines and marigolds to open their blossoms 

 all along the valley as we made our way to our 

 old home here. Every now and then a delicious 

 shower would come sweeping down from the 

 west, and the labouring men would get under a 

 tree, and throw old sacks over their shoulders to 

 keep them dry ; and the gentlefolk out walking in 

 the roads would put up their umbrellas and run 

 for it. But we, ah ! how we did enjoy those 

 showers after the long weary journey ! We 

 coursed about and chatted to each other, and 

 greeted our friends the Sand Martins by the 

 river bank, knowing that the sun would be out 

 again in a few minutes, and would bring all 

 sorts of juicy insects out of the moistened grass. 



