Mr. Thrush was a most interesting father for the children to observe, for he fought off any bird who ventured too near Mrs. Thrush’s nest. For birds there are who are too lazy to build their own nests, and boldly take possession of any nest they can. Father Thrush knowing this, was ever on the defensive and ready to fight to protect his “wife” and little ones. He watched when she went for food—and when at sundown she went to the stream to bathe, he also watched. The Thrushes seemed to do most of their love-making at sundown in song. The song consists of four notes, which the children interpreted as saying, “Do you love me?” And the answer came in three notes, “I love you.” If singing meant happiness, Father Thrush was certainly very happy these days. For he seemed to sing more than any of the other birds, except, perhaps, Father Song-Sparrow, who, too, was overjoyed at the arrival of four youngsters. Mother Thrush never answered Father Thrush’s musical song while she was waiting for the eggs to hatch—she was very still then always—but he must have taken her love for granted, for he sang on just the same. One day some time later when the children took their usual place under the tree, the air was rent with shrieks and cries from both birds, who flew at them and scolded so shrilly that the children decided it was best to go away, but on watching from a distance they saw Mrs. Thrush bring food in her mouth, and three tiny heads, with open bills, stretch themselves above the nest. They knew now why Mr. and Mrs. Thrush objected to their going so near the nest that day. The children were so excited that it was difficult to keep them from going to the nest to see. But when they were reminded of the great care Mr. and Mrs. Thrush had given the eggs, so that they might hatch into little birds, and were told that it would trouble them greatly and excite them to have any one touch the nest, they decided to wait for a better opportunity. It did not come for several days, for Mr. Thrush was a most watchful father. But these Thrush youngsters were developing so fast and had such husky appetites it took both Mr. and Mrs. Thrush busy to keep them fed. So when the parents were off on their hunt for food the children carefully looked into the nest. There they were, three featherless, fearless, funny things, with only knowledge enough to stretch their necks for food. The day that Mrs. Thrush first hurriedly told Mr. Thrush that one scrawny “imp” had come out of its shell, he seemed overjoyed, for he sang all day long—even into the night. This was, perhaps, the most vivid example of a father’s joy the children saw. But another case came to their notice of a father bird’s devotion—and that was when Mrs. Sparrow deserted her little ones. There was an old apple tree at the back of the house, and in the trunk of this tree Mr. and Mrs. Sparrow had made a home for their children.