“Of course you cannot,” said the Doctor; “but by and by you can copy it out neatly in a clean book, and it will give you something to do on rainy days, for there are some things that we always remember better if we have once written them down.”  Presently Rap said, “It must be because you never have let any birds be killed here that there are more kinds than I ever see anywhere else—­some of every guild, I think.  I’ve often wondered how it was.”

“There are four Robins’ nests in this one tree,” said Olive, “and the old birds have been flying to and fro while we talked, and never dreamed of being afraid.”

“Yes, children, Orchard Farm always has protected its Bird Citizens, and it always will, in my time.”

“And in mine, too,” said Olive.  “You see if each person would care for the birds on his own land, the Battle of the Bugs would soon become less terrible.”

Then the children laughed to think how funny a real battle would be, with an army of little bugs drawn up on one side of a field and big House People with guns and cannons on the other.

“But even against cannon,” said Olive, “the bugs would have the best of it, because they can fly or hop, and the worms can crawl into the ground.”

Then the Doctor finished this lesson by saying, quite seriously:  “Every time you children deny yourselves the pleasure of taking an egg from a nest, or think to spread a little food for hungry birds, when cold and snow almost force them to starve, you are adding to the food-supply of your country.  To be sure, it may be only a few grains of wheat here and an ear of corn there, but it all means bread-food of some sort, and the bread of a nation is its life.  So we must learn to love and protect this feathered neighbor of ours, who works for his own living as well as ours, pays his rent and taxes, and gives, besides, free concerts to the public, daily.  He certainly deserves the name of Citizen Bird.  His patriotism, which is simply his love of the country where he was born, leads him to return to it whenever he thinks of settling down in life and making a nest-home, no matter how far he may have wandered away at any other time; and this patriotism makes him one of the greatest travellers on the face of the earth.”

CHAPTER VI

THE BIRD AS A TRAVELLER

Rap went up to Orchard Farm one morning very early to take Nat for a walk through the fields, down to the river, to see some birds that had arrived in the night.

It was only five o’clock, but Dr. Hunter was walking to and fro in the garden, listening to the burst of bird-music as eagerly as if it were for the first time in his life.  That is one of the best parts of our friendship with Bird People; they never weary us by talking too much, and every spring after winter’s silence their music is as new as ever.

“Please, Uncle Roy, can I go with Rap?” pleaded Nat.  “I will wear my rubber boots.”