homes and familiar places. Others who 

 were touched with a desire to join the 

 rovers were unwilling to forsake their 

 old friends when skies were so dark and 

 days so dreary. 



Finally they agreed to call a mass 

 meeting to see if they could agree to all 

 go or to all stay together. 



Then arose the question of how to get 

 word to all the birds. Although he knew 

 that he was out of tune, cheerful yellow- 

 breasted Mr. Meadowlark said that he 

 would do his best at whistling through 

 the meadows for the purpose of letting 

 his neighbors know of the meeting. Mr. 

 Bob White agreed that instead of always 

 calling his own name, he would go 

 through the fields and along the edges of 

 the timber where he was best known, 

 calling his comrades. 



Mr. Blue Jay, Mr. Black Crow and 

 Mr. Black-Capped Chickadee, who are 

 always in voice, were urged to help. Mr. 

 Crow was asked if he could not call 

 "come" as easily as "caw." Upon mak- 

 ing a trial he found that he could. Since 

 he has no fear either in the fields or near 

 the towns, he was sent to scour the coun- 

 try roundabout. Mr. Chickadee, who 

 keeps a summer cottage in the thick 

 woods, was asked to see that all the tim- 

 ber birds were called. 



As the season was daily growing more 

 cheerless, and as it was feared that some 

 birds might not promptly obey the sum- 

 mons, the fearless, fighting Mr. Jay was 

 told to arrest all heedless or laggard 

 birds. As this command just suited Offi- 

 * cer Jay, he started off in high spirits. 

 Having no patrol wagon at his call, he 

 took along Mr. Chickenhawk to help 

 him manage those who must be brought 

 by force. 



Although they said that they were 

 anxious to have all the birds present, the 

 Woodpecker Brothers and their partner, 

 Mr. Nuthatch, said that they could not 

 drop their work to roam over the state, 

 but that they would help by pecking and 

 pounding as noisily as they could so that 

 the gathering birds might know in just 

 which timber to alight. 



At last the day for the meeting came. 

 The sky was sunny, but the air was chill. 

 It was about the middle of November 

 and the days were growing shorter and 



shorter. You would be surprised to know 

 how many different birds were present. 



The great strong Mr. Bald Eagle was 

 chosen to conduct the meeting. This he 

 did in good style. He told the object of 

 the meeting in a little speech : "Neigh- 

 bors, friends and relations," he. said, "we 

 have come together to discuss a very 

 important matter. Spring came with all 

 its beauties, fresh promises of life and 

 new chances. Warmed with renewed 

 vigor, we began our year's work with 

 great vim. You all know how hard 

 every one of us has worked in building a 

 home and rearing a family. Summer, 

 with its plenty, has passed and our chil- 

 dren are grown. Shall we join those of 

 our old neighbors who have already left 

 for other homes in the sunny southland? 

 Or, shall we face the winter's storm and 

 cold here? Let us hear from every one 

 present. Which shall we do?" 



As everyone waited for someone else 

 to speak first, it was as quiet as Quaker 

 meeting. After waiting a while, as jolly 

 Mr. Robin is so well known and liked, 

 Chairman Eagle called upon him. Robin 

 replied : "My summer in Illinois has 

 been a pleasant one. Here are many 

 fond ties. Wife and I have had a cosy 

 home in which we have raised four of our 

 five children. They are now happily fly- 

 ing about. We have but one sorrow. A 

 cruel stone from a sling-shot killed our 

 other baby." Here Mrs. Robin cried so 

 that he could not go on until he had 

 pulled out his handkerchief and wiped 

 his eyes. Her cousins, Mrs. Thrush and 

 Mrs. Bluebird, tried to quiet Mrs. Robin 

 by fanning her and holding some smell- 

 ing salts to her nose. Choking back a 

 lump in his throat, Mr. Robin went on 

 talking. "We have found strawberries, 

 mulberries, cherries and other fruits in 

 plenty, and have never lacked for insects 

 that are our reliance for food. But win- 

 ter with ice and snow T is coming. Jack 

 Frost has already been here and has 

 driven away most of our bugs and 

 worms. Our bills are. not strong enough 

 to crack nuts. Wild berries which we 

 can eat are almost gone. Unless the kind 

 children scatter us plenty of crumbs, if 

 it freezes so hard that we can get no 

 more insects, sorrv as we are to leave, 

 we must go to a wanner country. But 



15;) 



