Patsy Ann was a quiet child, who never romped with other children, but loved to roam around her own garden looking at the flowers and birds. Even as a tiny child, her nurse had noticed how readily she made friends with the little robins and bluebirds that lived in their beautiful gardens in the spring and summer. At the age of seven Patsy Ann had lost none of her fondness for birds. She spent hours going about with crumbs, calling to them in her sweet little voice, and smiling with happiness when they fluttered down to eat out of her hand. _She_ never found it necessary to carry salt to sprinkle on their tails in order to catch them, but was so gentle and kind that the birds were always glad to fly to her. One day, when Patsy Ann was out walking with her nurse, they passed by a dense forest. Her nurse explained that it was supposed to be enchanted, because of strange sounds that could be heard coming from its depths, and that no one ever walked through it. The bright eyes of little Patsy Ann grew big with wonder as she listened, and when Nursie stopped to chat with a friend she stood staring curiously in among the big trees. Then Nursie started off down the road, thinking Patsy Ann was walking by her side. After a while she turned to speak to the child and lo! she was nowhere to be found. The poor nurse was frightened, and started frantically to call, “Patsy Ann! Patsy Ann!” All this time Patsy Ann had been standing just where Nursie had left her, staring into the forest. Hearing her name called, she turned to look for Nurse, but could see her nowhere. The cries of “Patsy Ann” grew louder, and seemed to be issuing from the very heart of the woods. “O what fun!” she thought, “Nursie has gone into the forest, and now I can follow her!” [Illustration: _A Queer Bird Flew Close to Patsy Ann_] As she went up the path between the big trees the calls of “Patsy Ann” came nearer and nearer, and she was thinking that her nurse must be close by, when she came upon an enormous, brilliantly-colored parrot, and she burst into laughter as she realized that it was the big bird that had been calling her. “O Polly!” said Patsy Ann, “have you seen my nurse? I thought it was she who was calling me!” The parrot had heard the calls of the nurse, and had been mimicking them, so he only blinked very wisely and told Patsy Ann that her nurse was searching for her, up and down the road, very much worried because she could not find her. He went on to say, “Of course, you must obey your nurse, but I know you love birds, and this forest is full of the strangest ones you ever saw. We can send a note to Nursie by the Carrier Pigeon, asking her please to wait while I show you Birdland.”