The Burgess Bird Book for ChildrenBurgess, Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo)
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The Burgess Bird Book for Children
Burgess, Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo)
Birds -- Juvenile literature
“I guess he must do some good,” admitted Jenny Wren rather grudgingly.
“I've seen him picking up worms and grubs, but he likes grain, and I
have a suspicion that if his family becomes very numerous, and I suspect
it will, they will eat more of Farmer Brown's grain than they will pay
for by the worms and bugs they destroy. Hello! There's Dandy the Waxwing
and his friends.”
A flock of modestly dressed yet rather distinguished looking feathered
folks had alighted in a cherry-tree and promptly began to help
themselves to Farmer Brown's cherries. They were about the size of
Winsome Bluebird, but did not look in the least like him, for they were
dressed almost wholly in beautiful, rich, soft grayish-brown. Across the
end of each tail was a yellow band. On each, the forehead, chin and
a line through each eye was velvety-black. Each wore a very stylish
pointed cap, and on the wings of most of them were little spots of
red which looked like sealing-wax, and from which they get the name of
Waxwings. They were slim and trim and quite dandified, and in a quiet
way were really beautiful.
As Peter watched them he began to wonder if Farmer Brown would have
any cherries left. Peter himself can do pretty well in the matter of
stuffing his stomach, but even he marvelled at the way those birds put
the cherries out of sight. It was quite clear to him why they are often
called Cherrybirds.
“If they stay long, Farmer Brown won't have any cherries left,” remarked
Peter.
“Don't worry,” replied Jenny Wren. “They won't stay long. I don't
know anybody equal to them for roaming about. Here are most of us with
families on our hands and Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird with a second family and
Mr. and Mrs. Robin with a second set of eggs, while those gadabouts up
there haven't even begun to think about housekeeping yet. They certainly
do like those cherries, but I guess Farmer Brown can stand the loss of
what they eat. He may have fewer cherries, but he'll have more apples
because of them.”
“Bow's that?” demanded Peter.
“Oh,” replied Jenny Wren, “they were over here a while ago when those
little green cankerworms threatened to eat up the whole orchard,
and they stuffed themselves on those worms just the same as they are
stuffing themselves on cherries now. They are very fond of small fruits
but most of those they eat are the wild kind which are of no use at all
to Farmer Brown or anybody else. Now just look at that performance, will
you?”
There were five of the Waxwings and they were now seated side by side
on a branch of the cherry tree. One of them had a plump cherry which
he passed to the next one. This one passed it on to the next, and so it
went to the end of the row and halfway back before it was finally eaten.
Peter laughed right out. “Never in my life have I seen such politeness,”
said he.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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