The father and mother work very hard until the nest is finished.  Often the mother will line it with some of her own feathers, so that it will be soft and warm.  After the nest is ready the mother bird lays the tiny eggs in it.  Then she must sit on them to keep them warm for many days, for the eggs, like the seeds, cannot grow unless they are kept good and warm.  If we look at the eggs from day to day we will not be able to see any change in them, but the change is inside the shell where we cannot see it.  Every day there is an alteration taking place, and the egg gradually is being transformed into the little bird.  After a while, when the right time comes, the birdie will peck a tiny hole in the shell.  This will keep growing larger and larger until it is large enough for the birdie to come through, then out it comes!

* * * * *

  A sweet, new blossom of Humanity,
  Fresh fallen from God’s own home to flower on earth.

  Gerald Massey.

* * * * *

CHAPTER IV

MOTHER’S BABY

There is another wonderful secret that I have to tell you.  I wonder if you can guess what this is!  No, it is not about a flower, nor a bird—­but, yes, you have guessed it right, for it is about a girl just like you!

Is it not queer how much alike the flowers and birds and little girls are, after all, even if they do not look at all alike?

You have lungs just the same as the bird, and breathe as it does.  You have two feet, but instead of wings you have arms and hands.  You have a sign language, as the flowers have, and you have a language of sounds that is even better than the bird language.  When you are happy, I can tell it by the smiles on your face, and sometimes when you are a wee bit cross, I know it by a tiny frown that mars the beauty of your face.  But, of course, that does not happen very often, because, you know, as we grow older, our faces do not change their expressions as easily as they do when we are young.  And would it not be dreadful, if when you grew up, you always had a frown on your face and were not nice looking at all?  You know the frown wrinkles try to stay, and every time we let them come out they leave a tiny mark.

When the flower took in the fresh air it made green coloring matter, but when you take in the fresh air it makes red coloring matter.  So if you want to have red cheeks and red lips you must have plenty of fresh air.  I know you get a great deal in the daytime when you are playing, but you must be sure to get it at night, too, or you will lose all your pretty color.  Be sure that your window is open every night.

You remember, the leaves not only had to breathe but they had to digest the food for the plant, too, but the bird had a stomach to perform that work.