The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-08-22

Give it to me first!" "Give it to me, l
sayw 1 could not hear anything that
sounded like Thank you" and please"
Sometimes it is nearly an hour before
those good parents get the little ones
sufficient breakfast. When they have
eaten enough, then it is all quiet until
they are hungry again.
A few days since young bird fell out
OF the nest. Long before the little ones
came we had heard the woodpeckers
building that nest. They did not work
more than eight hours day, but the
rapid strokes of their bills, sounding like
a hammer, rang in our ears far into the
night. They tunnelled a hole in the
trunk of the tree, where they made their
nest. 1t was to the door of this nest the
little one ventured that day, and liking
the pretty garden surrounding the trees,
he stepped too far out on the threshold
and fell to the ground. He did not know
how to fly back, and the mother started
the most doleful cries and calls to him.
The children saw him in the grass and
they said, ooh, what sweet little bird!"
Then they ran and shut the cat and the
dog up where they could not get out,
and hid behind the bushes themselves,
to see how the mother bird would get
it's little fedgling back home again.
1t was wonderful to see her try to
show the little bird how to get up on the
trunk of the tree. 1t coaxed and coaxed
in mild tones. and then it scolded the
little fellow very hard. But finally it
succeeded in getting it into the nest,
where we hope it will remember the les
son it learned not to venture out into
the great world until it's mother shows
it where and how to go.
Many little birds are determined to
try to fly like the older birds, before the
mother thinks it is the right time for
them to use their wings, and so many of
them never get home any more. Some
cruel fate, like the coming of dog, or
cat. or wicked boy, destroys their life.
The woodpecker has piteous cry when
it is frightened or troubled. The natur-
alist, Wilson, tell this story Of wood
pecker:
He had, without intent. wounded it in
the wing, and he picked it up and put it
cry like that of young child. When he
took the bird out and showed the by
ISLANDERS. they we're astonished.
II took him to my room, say Mr.. Will
son. land locked him up. In less than an
hour returned, and on my opening the
door, he set up the same distressing
shout, which now appeared to proceed
from grief that he had been discovered
in his attempts to escape, He had
mounted along the eide Of the window
nearly as high as the ceiling. little be.
low which he had begun to break
through. The bed was covered with
large pieces Of plaster; the lath was ex.
posed for at least fifteen inches square,
and hole large enough to admit the
fist opened to the weather boards, 30
that in less than another hour he would
certainly have succeeded in making his
way through. l wished to preserve his
life, and had gone off in search of suit
able food for him. When | returned
found, to my modification, that he had
almost ruined the mahogany table in the
room. He displayed such an uncon-
querable spirit and had so much cour-
age and mettle that returned him to
his native woods"
am sure, dear children, you are glad
the woodpecker got back again to his
proper place; He was not made to be
kept in a room, and knew no better than
to follow his occupation. hunting for in
sect life in the nice furniture in that
room OF the hotel just as he hammered
on the tree, back in the woods. to get his
daily bread. Susan Teal Perry. in
Evangelist.