LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

                                        PAGE
MR. STORK AND MISS HERON (page 178)
                                Frontispiece

“NEXT YOU MUST LAY A FEATHER” 10

SUCH A GORGEOUS COAT! 16

“BLESS ME!” HE EXCLAIMED, “WHOM HAVE
WE HERE?” 64

HERE ARE SOME NICE FAT WIGGLY WORMS 106

HE MANAGED TO FLUTTER OUT OF REACH 126

“O BROTHER, DON’T!” 148

PUTRI BALAN BEGAN TO LAUGH 160

The Curious Book of Birds

    “Not you alone, proud truths of the world,
    Not you alone, ye facts of modern science,
    But myths and fables of eld, Asia’s, Africa’s fables.”

Whitman.

The Curious Book of Birds

THE DISOBEDIENT WOODPECKER

Long, long ago, at the beginning of things, they say that the Lord made the world smooth and round like an apple.  There were no hills nor mountains:  nor were there any hollows or valleys to hold the seas and rivers, fountains and pools, which the world of men would need.  It must, indeed, have been a stupid and ugly earth in those days, with no chance for swimming or sailing, rowing or fishing.  But as yet there was no one to think anything about it, no one who would long to swim, sail, row, and fish.  For this was long before men were created.

The Lord looked about Him at the flocks of newly made birds, who were preening their wings and wondering at their own bright feathers, and said to Himself,—­

“I will make these pretty creatures useful, from the very beginning, so that in after time men shall love them dearly.  Come, my birds,” He cried, “come hither to me, and with the beaks which I have given you hollow me out here, and here, and here, basins for the lakes and pools which I intend to fill with water for men and for you, their friends.  Come, little brothers, busy yourselves as you would wish to be happy hereafter.”

Then there was a twittering and fluttering as the good birds set to work with a will, singing happily over the work which their dear Lord had given them to do.  They pecked and they pecked with their sharp little bills; they scratched and they scratched with their sharp little claws, till in the proper places they had hollowed out great basins and valleys and long river beds, and little holes in the ground.

Then the Lord sent great rains upon the earth until the hollows which the birds had made were filled with water, and so became rivers and lakes, little brooks and fountains, just as we see them to-day.  Now it was a beautiful, beautiful world, and the good birds sang happily and rejoiced in the work which they had helped, and in the sparkling water which was sweet to their taste.