The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-06-22
NUMBER 26.
gor pau'1g NleaAsrs.
WISE MRS. SWALLOW.

Mrs. SWALLOW had just finished her
nest, and fastened it snugly on one side
Of the chimney, when along came the
North Wind in Il terrible passion.
He had had quarrel with some Of his
relations in Greenland, and had rushed
out, like the silly, bad-tempered old fellow
he was, to wreak his spite on whatever
came in his way.
So, growing and shrieking and whist
ling and groaning, he blew off any num-
Der of hats, scared hundreds of young
blossoms from the cherry trees and left
them to die on the road, rocked all the
little wooden houses like so many cradles,
and then flew from the streets to the
chimneys.
Away went brick here and there, and,
alas! at the second great puff, away went
| Mrs. Swallows nest too.
She had built it SO carefully and Won
derfully, carrying up wisps Of hay and
bits of straw from the tan yard, and lin
ing it with some of Gray Hens softcst
breast feathers!
And now where was it? "Ha! hal harr
laughed the spiteful old Wind, "wouldnt
you like to know"
Then he spied Mr. Swallow hurrying
home with a fine worm he had found, and
he FASTENED to get behind him and drive
him along so fast that he came bump up
against Mrs. Swallow, nearly knocking
her from her perch, and at the same
time dropped the worm he had carried so
far.
"Wheww said Mr.. Swallow, when he
got his breath again. "This is a blow"
cts an ill wind that blows nobody
good" muttered the worm, as it crawled
quickly away.
"But what's the matter, my dear?"
continued Mr.. Swallow. "Why do you
look so serious? And-bless my heart
where's our nest ?"
"That horrid old North Wind snatched
it from the chimney, first tumbling me
out and rumpling all my feathers" an
swered Mrs. Swallow, with tears in her
round, black eyes. "And now what are
we to do?"
Cheer up, my own wee birdie,n CHR |
ruped her husband. 81 can't bear to see
you cry. Well get just inside the chin
ney until We are quite sure hes gone, |
and then We'll call on Madam Owl and |
ask her advice. They say she has become |
so wise through studying the stars night |
after night, and night after night that |
she knows everything and so, of course,
she will be able to tell us what to do"
but, Swally," said Mrs. Swallow,
"our family don't like Madum Owl, and
have never been friends with her. Only |
the other day, when she was doing, l
pulled feather out of her head myself" |
HTf~- - H"uShty, ~ uear,"
Salo DIR. swallow, looking as though bpI ,
"o"ght 1t rather cunning, "but [ d,I't
believe she'll remember it if we are very
polite to her and pay her some compli-
mentS. Ana noW you'd better take lit
tie nap, for MADAM, Owl only receives
al night, ana -. ocn,id ,,
can't stay awake when it becohoa 5,DI,
unless you do"
So Mrs. Swallow, like an obedicnt wife,
took a nap, and Mr.. Swallow did, too, for
that matter, although he said. when Mrs.
Swallow woke him, "Hc'd only been
AS soon as evening came, away they
flew to the old oak-tree where Madam
Owl lived.
She had just supped off a plump young
field-mouse and was very good-natured,
and listened with the utmost patience un-
til they had told their story. Then she
said:
" Tu-whit-tu-w -whoo! oh! all! yesm
Wasn't it too bad of the Wind :"
asked Mrs. Swallow.
-whittu-whoo! oh! all! yesp' an
3wered the Owl.
az Gan, YOU. tell us, what. .do1'Losl-"d
aour-looked at the stars half an hour
looked at nothing half an hour-and then
said very slowly, "Tu-whit-tu-whoo! Oh!
al! n-o-O-O."
GOOD night" twittered the angry
swallows, and flew quickly back to their
again.
Much gOOu II uIu us SolHS " -h''
Owl" said Mrs. Swallow, with pout' as
soon as they reached home. 81 never
did believe those stories about her know
ing so much. Why, if ! said as little
and had as big eyes as Madam Owl, no
doubt all the birds would call me wise,
too. And now I'll tell you, my love, what
I think we'd better do. Get up with the
sun TO morrow morning-make another
nest, and fasten it on the other side OF the |
chimney"
Upon my word, my DEAR" said MIR.
Swallow, you're an ex-tra-or-di-na-ry
birdp' and being very tired, he tucked his
head under his wing and went to sleep
1forooret Eutinne in ST. Nicholas.