26 OUR FRIENDS, THE BIRDS. 
his tones querulous, as though he had a bad temper. 
Perhaps some one had told him how ugly he was. 
The whole family remained about the yard all 
summer, and in a few weeks grew so much like the old 
ones that I could not distinguish one from another 
except poor “Baldy,” as I called him. His head and 
his voice marked him from all other Jays. 
Some Sparrows were in the habit of coming down 
every morning for the crumbs that were thrown to 
them. Sometimes one of them would catch up a large 
crumb and fly up to the roof or the grape arbor to 
enjoy it all alone; but no sooner did he alight than 
“Baldy” was beside him and snatched it away before 
he could take a mouthful. 
The others were all well-behaved birds, worked for 
their living, and attended strictly to their business, 
which was helping everybody in the neighborhood to 
keep Poor Richard’s maxim: “The early bird catches 
the worm.” 
The pupils recited in concert the following lines 
by Isabella W. McConike : 
The prettiest picture that I ever have seen 
Is a beautiful snow-crowned evergreen; 
While in and out the branches all day 
Idly flitteth the brilliantly robed Blue Jay; 
His plumage as blue as violets in May, 
But his heart, like the charmer’s, cruel and gay. 
Miss Sweet read Eben Pearson Dorr’s poem on: 
