CONTENTS 



PAGE 



INTRODUCTION 



THE HAPPY VILLAGE i 



JANUARY 



A MIDLAND BELFRY 27 



THREE BIRDS - - - - - - - 30 



FAVOURITE FOODS - 33 



THE MAKING OF RIME 36 



THE PERSUASION OF FROST - - - - 39 



To EAT OR TO SLEEP 43 



WINTER LARDERS 47 



THE NEW FARM 50 



ICE --------- 54 



FEBRUARY 



LAMB, SHEPHERD AND Fox - - - - 58 



THE MILL WHEEL TURNS 63 



SIGNALS OF SPRING 67 



KINDLY SNOW- 70 



THE BRIDGE OF WINTER 74 



A GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN 77 



DYKE AND DELL-HOLE 81 



MARCH 



A STORY OF MIGRATION 85 



MEDITERRANEAN SPRINGS 88 



DROUGHT 91 



ENGLISH SKIES - 94 



PRECOCIOUS SPRING ------ 96 



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