"Hark! the shy little brooklet is humming a song As it breaks loose from winter, and dances along. How happy we'll be through the blithe summer hours,-- The children, the sunbeams, the birds, and the flowers! Tu-ra-la, tu-ra-lee: How busy we'll be, My sweet mate and I, in the old apple-tree!" RUTH REVERE. [Illustration: Music] THE BIRD'S RETURN. Words by GEO. COOPER. Music by D. B. MOODY. 1 "Where have you been, little birdie, Where have you been so long?" "Warbling in glee, Far o'er the sea, And learning for you a new song. My sweet, Learning for you a new song." 2 "Why did you go, little birdie, Why did you go from me?" "Winter was here, Leafless and drear, And so I flew over the sea. My sweet, And so I flew over the sea." 3 "What did you see, little birdie, What did you see each day?" "Sunshine and flowers, Blossoms and bowers, And pretty white lambkins at play. My sweet, Pretty white lambkins at play." 4 "Who kept you safe, little birdie; Who kept you safe from harm?" "The Father of all, Of great and of small: He sheltered me under his arm. My sweet, Under his dear, loving arm." * * * * * Transcriber's Notes: Obvious punctuation errors repaired. The original text for the January issue had a table of contents that spanned six issues. This was divided amongst those issues. Additionally, only the January issue had a title page. This page was copied for the remaining five issues. Each issue had the number added on the title page after the Volume number. Page 106, the final line of the first stanza of "Going to School" was indented to follow the pattern of the remaining stanzas. End of Project Gutenberg's The Nursery, April 1881, Vol. XXIX, by Various