MOTHER MAGPIE’S KINDERGARTEN

Did you ever notice how different are the nests which the birds build in springtime, in tree or bush or sandy bank or hidden in the grass?  Some are wonderfully wrought, pretty little homes for birdikins.  But others are clumsy, and carelessly fastened to the bough, most unsafe cradles for the feathered baby on the treetop.  Sometimes after a heavy wind you find on the ground under the nest poor little broken eggs which rolled out and lost their chance of turning into birds with safe, safe wings of their own.  Now such sad things as this happen because in their youth the lazy father and mother birds did not learn their lesson when Mother Magpie had her class in nest-making.  The clumsiest nest of all is that which the Wood-Pigeon tries to build.  Indeed, it is not a nest at all, only the beginning of one.  And there is an old story about this, which I shall tell you.

In the early springtime of the world, when birds were first made, none of them—­except Mother Magpie—­knew how to build a nest.  In that lovely garden where they lived the birds went fluttering about trying their new wings, so interested in this wonderful game of flying that they forgot all about preparing a home for the baby birds who were to come.  When the time came to lay their eggs the parents knew not what to do.  There was no place safe from the four-legged creatures who cannot fly, and they began to twitter helplessly:  “Oh, how I wish I had a nice warm nest for my eggs!” “Oh, what shall we do for a home?” “Dear me!  I don’t know anything about housekeeping.”  And the poor silly things ruffled up their feathers and looked miserable as only a little bird can look when it is unhappy.

All except Mother Magpie!  She was not the best—­oh, no!—­but she was the cleverest and wisest of all the birds; it seemed as if she knew everything that a bird could know.  Already she had found out a way, and was busily building a famous nest for herself.  She was indeed a clever bird!  She gathered turf and sticks, and with clay bound them firmly together in a stout elm tree.  About her house she built a fence of thorns to keep away the burglar birds who had already begun mischief among their peaceful neighbors.  Thus she had a snug and cosy dwelling finished before the others even suspected what she was doing.  She popped into her new house and sat there comfortably, peering out through the window-slits with her sharp little eyes.  And she saw the other birds hopping about and twittering helplessly.

“What silly birds they are!” she croaked.  “Ha, ha!  What would they not give for a nest like mine!”

But presently a sharp-eyed Sparrow spied Mother Magpie sitting in her nest.

“Oho!  Look there!” he cried.  “Mother Magpie has found a way.  Let us ask her to teach us.”

Then all the other birds chirped eagerly, “Yes, yes!  Let us ask her to teach us!”