The Detroit times., 1916-08-24
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.
copyright. 1916. by 7. ". BurgessD


No one has much Of anything TO
do with Rattles the KinFhsher He
and Mrs. Rattles live their /scs
quite by themselves others of the
little feathered people are very so.
clal. and you often find them TO.
gelher. Many %: them are close
neighbors In the Old Orchard, and
when the time comes fer the lons
journey TO the far away sunny
southland a great many OF them
take the journey together. and the
same Thing is true when they come
back in the spring. But the Rattles
family IL not social. Mr.. and Mrs.
Rattles ALWAYS are found by them
selves, and II the truth must be
told. they seen, To prefer II that
way.
Now | suspect that II is partly
because they want TO be alone and
partly because the other birds will
have nothing to do with them. And
the reason that they will have moth.
ing 10 do with Rattles Is because
they do not understand him In the
first place he isn't at all like other
birds save that he wears n feather
cd coat and flies. lie perches in
trees, but never walks or hops about
on the ground. Yet he makes his
home In the ground. a thing that no
self-respecting bird does save one
9TH IN nP GLr i'm. h,
Swallow.
Pert little Jenny Wren, the Cos
sip OF the Old Orchard, happened TO
hear his harsh rattle as he few
over The Old Orchard one day, and
IL set her gossipy little tongue 10
going as only II can 20. There isn't
any tongue that can wag faster than
that Of Jenny Wren.
Just hear thai noisy fellow" said
she. II don't wonder h and Mrs.
Rattles want to live by themselves.
II ! had a voice like that | would
want 10 do the same thing Did youc
ever hear such voice? Isn't II aw-
full? He can't sing a single note,
and I've heard say iha- whoN he
makes love TO Mrs. Rattles he
doesn't have single soft note.
Blacky the Grow has a harsh enough
voice, goodness knows, Lut he can
soften il when he wants to The
same Thing IL true of Sammy Jay,
He screams mos. OF the time, but
sometimes his voice Is really beau
tiful There must be something
wrong with any one whose voice Is
always as hard as that OF Rattles
And then. too. mis- head is too big
for his body rever could bear
people with big heads
But YOU will have 10 admit that
Rattlcs has a handsome coat even
if he hasn't a fpa voice" spoke up
Welcome Robin with a sly wink 20
Goldie The Oriolc. You know Jenny
Wren has very cher coat, a plain
little brown coat"
Jenny tossed her bead and jerkel
her tail Fine clothes never make
fine people" she snapped II would
rather lave a fns voice than q fine
coat. Rattles has rather good look
ing coat, though don't know as
would call It handsome. lie needs
something good. I'm told his homo
smells something awful. But what
could YOU eXpec' Of any one WIN
lives in a hole in the ground and
eats nothing but fish,
II liYe in a hole in the ground. and
I know good many others who do
the same thing. and lot me tell Won
that our houses are rs neat and
clean and sweet rs those Of people
who live in holes in trees" spok"
up Johnny Chuck who had been
listening. For my part think Rat
ties the Kingfshcr has more sense
than some people could mention.
IL it is true that he makes his home
in hole in the ground"
"That IL all right for YOU folks
who cannot n.y." retorted Jenny
Wren sharply. but for hird-Ba
II gives me the feeling that he IL
only half bird. And they say that
he makes his nest OF fish homes,
Did YOU ever hear OF anything like
that" No self-respccting bird will
have anything TO do with another