76 JVays of Wood Folk. 



bits of worsted and ribbon, and scattered them on 

 the grass. The birds soon found them and used 

 them in completing their nest. For a while a gayer 

 little dwelling was never seen in a tree. The bright 

 bits of color in the soft gray of the walls gave the 

 nest always a holiday appearance, in good keeping 

 with the high spirits of the orioles. But by the time 

 the young had chipped the shell, and the joyousness 

 of nest-building had given place to the constant duties 

 of filling hungry little mouths, the rains and the 

 sun of summer had bleached the bright colors to a 

 uniform sober gray. 



That was a happy family from beginning to end. 

 No accident ever befell it ; no enemy disturbed its 

 peace. And when the young birds had flown away 

 to the South, I took down the nest which I had helped 

 to build, and hung it in my study as a souvenir of 

 my bright little neighbors. 



