NESTLINGS OF FOREST AND MARSH 
A young bird learning to perch is an odd 
sight. At first he seems to pitch forward 
most alarmingly, then, when he has righted 
himself, a gust of wind or an incautious 
movement carries the centre of gravity too 
far back, and he hangs over like a trick- 
performer on a horizontal bar. Sometimes 
he over-reaches and tumbles ignominiously 
to the friendly arms of the next branch, or 
even to the ground. No such fate befell 
the young oriole. His feathers were all in 
trim, and but for down on the sides of his 
head and the shortness of his tail he was the 
image of his mother. No sooner had he 
taken his position outside the parental roof 
than the world looked so big that he was 
frightened and began to call for help. 
Instantly both parents were beside him, 
feeding and comforting him. This he en- 
joyed so much that the moment they left he 
cried again, and so piteously that they were 
forced to return. After that, like a naughty 
child who has discovered that crying brings 
the desired result, that young oriole raised his 
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