g the woods. They had come to drink, 

 evidently, but not from the brook. A 

 ofAeOrBeecfi sweeter draught than that was waiting for 

 \^a'frJd^e their coming. The dew was still clinging to 

 jfc^^ the grass blades ; here and there a drop hung 



from a leaf point, flashing like a diamond in 

 the early light. And the little partridges, 

 gliding, cheeping, whistling among the droop- 

 ing stems, would raise their little bills for 

 each shining dewdrop that attracted them, 

 and drink it down and run with glad little 

 pipings and gurglings to the next drop that 

 flashed an invitation from its bending grass 

 blade. The old mother walked sedately in 

 the midst of them, now fussing over a lag- 

 gard, now clucking them all together in an 

 eager, chirping, jumping little crowd, each 

 one struggling to be first in at the death of 

 a fat slug she had discovered on the under- 

 side of a leaf ; and anon reaching herself 

 for a dewdrop that hung too high for their 

 drinking. So they passed by, within a few 

 yards, a shy, wild, happy little family, and 

 disappeared into the shadow of the big 

 woods. 



