96 BIRDS THROUGH AN OPERA-GLASS. 



foot of the tree and stand open-mouthed while the 

 oldest child tells of a long ant procession she saw 

 there when each tiny worker came to the door to 

 drop its borings from its jaws. How big their 

 eyes get at the story ! If the woodpecker could 

 only give his cousin the yellow hammer's tragic 

 sequel to it ! 



But soon they have found a new delight. A 

 stem of basswood seeds whirls through the air to 

 their feet. They all scramble for it". What a 

 pity they have no string ! The last stem they 

 found was a kite and a spinning air-top for a day's 

 play. But this never mind there it goes up 

 in the air dancing and whirling like a gay young 

 fairy treading the mazes with the wind. 



" Just see this piece of moss ! How pretty ! " 

 And so they go through the woods, till the brown 

 beech leaves shake with their laughter, and the 

 gray squirrels look out of their oriel tree trunk 

 windows to see who goes by, and the absorbed 

 magician who can tell how much fun he steals 

 from his lofty observation post to make him con- 

 tent with his stub ! 



Why should he fly south when every day brings 

 him some secret of the woods, or some scene like 

 this that his philosopher's stone can turn to happi- 

 ness ? Let us proclaim him the sage of the birds ! 



If he could speak ! The children would gather 

 about him for tales of the woodsprites ; the stu- 

 dent of trees would learn facts and figures enough 



