A SPARROW MOB. 41 



Matters were going on thus prosperously, 

 when a party of English sparrows, newly 

 fledged, came to haunt the wood in a small flock 

 of eighteen or twenty; to meddle, in sparrow 

 style, with everybody's business; and to pro- 

 fane the sweet stillness of the place with harsh 

 squawks. The mistress of the little home in the 

 oak, who had conducted her domestic affairs so 

 discreetly, one day found herself the centre of a 

 mob ; for these birds early learn the power of 

 combination. She came to her nest followed by 

 the impertinent sparrows, who flew as close as 

 possible, none of them more than a foot from 

 her. They alighted as near as they could find 

 perches, crowded nearer, stretched up, flew over, 

 and tried in every way, with an air of the deep- 

 est interest, to see what she could be doing in 

 that hole. When she left, which she did 

 soon, for she was annoyed, the crowd did not 

 go with her; they were bound to explore the 

 mystery of that opening. They flew past it; 

 they hovered before it;" they craned their necks 

 to peer in; they perched on a bare twig that 

 grew over it, as many as could get footing, and 

 leaned far over to see within. The young flicker 

 retired before his inquisitive visitors, and was 

 seen no more till the mother came again; and 

 then she had to go in out of sight to find him. 



As the days went on, the babe in the wood 



