Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-07-21
A CUNNING LITTLE MOTHER.


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A CUNNING LITTLE MOTHER.
Two little birds sat in a tree-top talk
ing very earnestly about the nest they
were going to build, for they had been
married several days, and, having
taken a bridal trip through the
neighboring woods, and having spent a
whole day down by the beautiful little
brook that danced 50 gayly along I'M
der the trees, they began to think it
was time for them to begin ~housekeep-
ing and settle down to sober family
cares as well as pleasures. They were
very pretty little birds-blondes we
might call them-for their bills and
eyelMs were blue, and their heads of a
beautiful golden yellow, so that they
looked as if they had blue eyes and
golden hair. Their breasts, too, being
Of the same bright color, they looked
like living sunbeams as they flew back
and forth. Well, there is one good
thing about the birdies-when they
make up their minds that a thing ought
to be done, they go to work and do it
without any putting off till tomorrow
So now our little blondes flew from one
tree or bush to another till they found
q spot just to their minds, low down in
a thick bush, where there were plenty
of briers to prick the fingers of bird
nesting boys. Having decided that this
was just the spot for them, they at once
flew off for materials, and a buster, hap
pier couple than they it would be hard
to find, as they flew back and forth
hrS n orirp hsfc Nf f3nv n,,l +1-y n,J lDn,,
hair. The little wife did most of the
architectural work, but that was not be-
cause her husband was lazy or "shirk-
ing" No, indeed! she would have
pecked youreyes out had you suggested
such an idea; but she was more skillful
in such work than he, and he did his
share by bringing materials for her to
use.
When the outside or framework of
the nest vas finished, both brides flew
off to a field or pasture where there
were always cows to be found; it was
not the cows that they wanted, how
ever. They flew straight to the trees
against which their sharp eye had
often seen the COWS rub themselves, and
there on the rough bark they found
plenty of loose hairs that the COWS had
rubbed off. These hairs were just what
they wanted now, so they carried off as
many as they could take in their bills,
and the little wife wove them in with
downy hair from fern stems, and thus
madea #, warm lining for a new
home. You must not suppose, how
ever. that our brides worked right
along without a pause or a rest.
No, indeed! they were too wise
for that; they would stop every now and
then to chase each other through the
wood, 0 r to pick up the flies and bugs
that were crawling around them, or per-
haps they would fly down to the little
brook and drink or battle in its clear,
cold water. Such happy little birds
they were! Well, at last the nest was
finished, and I believe they were almost
sorry, for they had had such grand fun
building it; soon there were four tiny
eggs nestled together on the soft lining,
and then the little bird-wife chased no
more bugs or caterpillars, but sat on the
nest all day, and her husband caught
bugs or caterpillars for her, and brought
them to her squirming like cells, and
while she ate them he would stand be-
side her and sing aloud the JOY and love
of his happy little heart. =.
But one day, as the little wife sat
thinking of the wee brides in the eggs
under her wings, a party of boys came
through the fields, beating bushes and
climbing trees in search of birds nests
and eggs. Oh, how the little creatures
heart throbbed with fear and anxiety!
not for herself-oh, no! she did not once
think of herself, but only how she could
save her home and her babies; for her
mate was away just then. Suddenly a
bright idea popped into her bright little
head. Slipping softly from the nest,
she crept silently and rapidly through
the bushes till she was several wards
from the nest, and then, flying up into
a tall tree, she began to chirp and twit-
ter, so as to attract the attention of the
boys. They 500 saw her, and with
whoops and yells started for the tree,
while she dropped her tail, stretched out
her neck and trailed her wings along the
branches, as if she were very lame and
feeble. That was enough for the boys,
who one and all began to climb the tree
after her. No sooner were they all in
the tree than the cunning little hypo-
cilIe dropped 10 the ground, n re-
peated her maneuvres, taking care,
however, always to go away from the
bush where the nest was. Down came
the boys like overgrown squirrels from
the tree, where she sat, pretending all
the time to be just ready t otumble from
weakness. So she kept on leading them
farther and farther away, till she
thought there was no danger of their
finding her treasures, when she spread
her wings and flew home by a round
about way, leaving the boys half
amused at her cunning, and more than
half vexed at having been so %cleveriy
"sold." This wise and cunning little
mother is one of our American birds.
and her name is Sylvia citrinella, or the
blue-eyed yellow warbler.-IHe ID
Ca2ce.