24 



THE GREEDY PELICAN. 



water. The pelican uses it as a basket, in which to carry to his 

 mate and young their dinner of fish, which he catches by diving 

 down into the water with his mouth open. 



It is fortunate that nature has fitted him to catch fish so easily. 

 He is so greedy that for dinner he will eat as many fish as would 

 satisfy half-a-dozen persons. 



Once a pelican, which was kept in a large cage with other curious 

 birds, acted very much like the "dog in the manger." When corn 

 was put in the cage for the other birds to eat, the pelican stood over 

 it, and would not permit any of the birds to get even a kernel. 

 When a hungry little duck, or pigeon, would approach, the pelican 

 would open his immense mouth, and make a hissing noise, which 

 made him seem quite terrible. He looked as though he would have 

 said, if he could have spoken, " I can't eat corn, and so you shall 

 not eat it either. If I can't have some fish nobody shall have 



corn. 



Finally his fish was brought, and while he was swallowing it the 

 other birds ate up the corn. 



