TWO LITTLE BIRDS 153 



another. On the fifth day after its completion the 

 nursery contained the full clutch of four eggs. 



Most carefully did the birds watch over their priceless 

 treasures. Never for a moment did they leave them 

 unguarded ; one of the pair invariably remained sitting 

 on the nest, while the other went to look for food and 

 dissipate its exuberant energy in song or motion. Dur- 

 ing the day the cock and hen shared equally the duties 

 of incubation, but the hen sat throughout the night 

 while the cock roosted in a tree hard by. So healthy 

 were the little birds and so comfortably weary with the 

 labours of the day that they slept uninterruptedly all the 

 night through ; nor did they wake up when a human 

 being came with a lantern and inspected the nest. Thus 

 some ten days passed. But these were not days of 

 weariness, because the hearts of the little flycatchers were 

 full of joy. 



Then a young bird emerged from one of the eggs. It 

 was an unlovely, naked creature all mouth and stomach. 

 But its parents did not think it ugly. Its advent only 

 served to increase their happiness. They were now able 

 to spend their large surplus of energy in seeking food 

 for it. 



Ere long its brethen came out of their shells, and there 

 were then four mouths to feed ; so that the father and 

 mother had plenty to do, but they still found time in 

 which to sing. 



Thus far everything had gone as merrily as a marriage 

 bell. The happiness of those lovely little airy fairy 

 creatures was without alloy. It is true that they some- 

 times had their worries and anxieties, as when a human 



