Friends in Feathers and Fur, and Other Neighbors: For Young Folks Part 7

11. Her mate took good care of her. He got her into a safe place in a tree, brought her worms and insects, and cheered her with his music.

12. In the course of three or four days she got better; and one day, when he came with her dinner, she flew a little way to meet him, and in a short time they went off together, each singing a joyous song.

LESSON XVI.

_THE BLACKBIRD AND THE CAT._

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1. The English blackbird is about the size of our robin. It is a cousin to the thrush, and sings a sweet little song.

2. It builds its nest in trees and hedges near houses, and all day long you can hear its song as it goes about busy in taking care of its family.

3. One spring, a couple of blackbirds built their nest on a tree that stood by the garden fence, near a cottage. All went well with them until the eggs were hatched, and four little birds filled the nest.

4. But the old cat had been on the watch, and had found out where the nest was. One morning, while the mother bird was out after worms, the cat thought it a good time to make her breakfast on young birds. So she climbed to the top of the fence, and crept along on its narrow edge until she came almost in reach of the nest.

5. But Mr. Blackbird, who had been watching her for some time, with a loud cry of rage now made a dash at her and hit her square in the face.

6. The cat tried to strike him with her claw; but she had to hold on to the fence to keep from falling, and so could not spring upon him.

7. After hitting her several times, the bird lit upon her back, and struck her with his wings, and pecked her with all his might.

8. The cat tried to turn and get at him, but lost her hold and rolled off the fence. But the bird kept flying at her until she ran away.

Then he perched on a rail and sang a joyous song.

9. The next day the cat came creeping along again toward the nest; but the blackbird was ready for her, and gave her another good drubbing until she again fell off the fence and ran away.

10. Afterward, the bird took to hunting the cat every time she came about, until he finally drove her entirely out of the garden.

LESSON XVII.

_HOW CANARIES LIVE AND SING._

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1. Canary-birds were first found in a warm region, and they can not live out-of-doors in our country. They have lived so long in cages, and been taken care of, that now they have lost the power to get their own living, and, if turned out, would soon starve to death.

2. The canary is one of the sweetest of all the bird singers, and it is so pretty in its ways, and so clean, that it is more often made a pet than any other bird. It has a sweet song of its own, but it is easily taught to sing a great many new notes. The songs of the canary, as we hear them, are very different from its song when wild.

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3. A canary will often become so tame that it will fly about the room, come when called, perch on its mistress's finger, and eat out of her mouth.

4. The canary lays from four to six eggs, and hatches them in about two weeks. Both father and mother bird take care of the young.

5. In a large cage with two parts, two finches were in one end and two canaries in the other. The finches hatched out their eggs, but did not feed their young ones enough. The father canary, hearing their hungry cries, forced himself between the bars into their part of the cage, and fed them. This he did every day, till the finches were shamed into feeding the little ones themselves.

LESSON XVIII.

_A SONG OF SUMMER._

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A cuckoo sat on a tree and sang, "Summer is coming, coming"; And a bee crept out from the hive and began Lazily humming, humming.

The frogs, from out the rushes and reeds, Into the water went splas.h.i.+ng; And the dragon-fly, with his body of green, Through the flags went flas.h.i.+ng, flas.h.i.+ng.

The dormouse put out her head and said, "Really the sun s.h.i.+nes brighter"; But the b.u.t.terfly answered, "Not yet, not yet,"

And folded his wings up tighter.

But the thrush and the blackbird began to sing Ever sweeter and sweeter, And the gra.s.shopper chirped, and hopped, and skipped Ever fleeter and fleeter.

The gnats and the chafers began to buzz; And the swallows began to chatter: "We have come from abroad with the summer at last.

How lazy you are! what's the matter?"

Then the dormouse said, "Summer's really here, Since the swallows are homeward coming"; And the b.u.t.terfly spread out his wings, and the bee Went louder and louder humming.

And suddenly brighter the sun shone out, And the clouds away went sailing, And the sheep nibbled peacefully at the gra.s.s, And the cow looked over the paling.

Yes, summer had come, and the cuckoo sang His song through woodland and hollow: "The summer is come; if you don't believe me, You have only to ask the swallow."

LESSON XIX.

_HOW PARROTS LOOK AND TALK._

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1. Next to the canary, the parrot is the pet bird of the house-hold.

It is kept for its bright colors, its curious ways, and its power to talk.

2. The parrot is about the size of the dove. In color, those that we see most often are green or gray. Some parrots are of a bright red, and others are gay with bright green, red, and yellow.

3. The parrot has a thick, strong, and hooked bill. It is so strong that it can take hold of the branch of a tree and hold itself up, and with it it can crack the hardest nuts.