dently was intent on mischief, and drive 

 it out of the tree in which they had their 

 nest. Both birds acted with the greatest 

 courage and dashed at it repeatedly with 

 fury, the squirrel beating a hasty retreat 

 from the combined attack. The young 

 are large enough to leave the nest in about 



two weeks and are diligently guarded and 

 cared for by both parents until able to 

 provide for themselves. 



Charles Bendire. 

 From "Life Histories of North Ameri- 

 can Birds." 



AN AFTERNOON IN THE CORNFIELD. 



Uncle Philip was 16 years old, tall and 

 strong, with merry dark eyes, red cheeks 

 and thick, soft, wavy, brown hair. Every- 

 day except Saturday he was in school. 

 Sometimes on Saturdays he went in the 

 woods botanizing or he rowed his pretty 

 boat, "The Lorelei," upon the lake. But 

 often he went to his sister's, Mamma 

 Bryant's, to spend the day and work 

 upon the farm. His little nephew, Lei- 

 cester, was always glad when he came, 

 for Uncle Philip took him with him to 

 the field or barn, told him funny stories 

 and taught him to take notice of all the 

 things he saw or heard. One beautiful 

 day in October, after the corn had been 

 all cut and was standing in big yellow 

 stooks, making long rows through the 

 stubble, Uncle Philip arrived early in 

 the morning at Leicester's home. Leices- 

 ter was still in bed when Uncle Philip 

 came, and Mamma Bryant said to her- 

 self, "I must go and see if he is awake." 

 But just as she was about to open the 

 door, out came Leicester in his white 

 pajamas, rubbing his eyes and looking a 

 little bit sleepy. 



"Come, Leicester," said his mamma, "I 

 will help you dress and then you can have 

 your breakfast. Uncle Philip has been 

 here and he has gone to the cornfield 

 south of the meadow. He hitched up 

 Blotter and Little Gray on the new wagon 

 and will drive back to dinner. Come with 

 me and get ready for breakfast. After 

 breakfast I want you to take little sister 

 Keren with you and hunt for the eggs. 



If you are a good, pleasant boy this 

 morning you may go this afternoon with 

 uncle, and I will make some cookies for 

 you to take in your lunch basket." 



Leicester, who was generally a very 

 good boy, promised to do as his mother 

 desired. 



Before dinner time Aunt Dorothy 

 came, and it was decided that she, too, 

 should go to the cornfield and take Keren 

 with her. 



By one o'clock dinner was over. Mam- 

 ma Bryant had decided that Leicester's 

 lunch basket was too small, so she had 

 taken a peach basket, into which she put, 

 among other good things to eat, some 

 large red apples and ever so many fresh 

 baked cookies. 



Uncle Philip had driven up the road- 

 way and was standing in the new wagon 

 waiting for his passengers. Corn husk- 

 ers never take a seat on their wagons, 

 but Uncle Philip had laid a board across 

 the wagon-box and on that Aunt Doro- 

 thy seated herself. 



It was a warm, bright day and the 

 wagon ride to the cornfield was delight- 

 ful. Blotter and Little Gray were not a 

 very handsome team, but they were good 

 gentle horses and the children loved 

 them. Blotter was a white horse with 

 black spots on him, which made him look 

 as if he had been used for a pen-wiper. 



On the way to the cornfield a little 

 rabbit ran out of the bushes by the road- 

 side, but quickly hid himself again. The 

 chipmunks stood on their hind feet in 



s 



