Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-09-09

Brier Patch, and late this afternoon
I'll come over there and tell you about
my nest just as l have promised. 1
don't want the other birds to hear. for
| it is none of their business"
| That will be fine" replied Peter.
Old Brier Patch but Mrs. Peter, and of
! course you won't mind her"
Not at ALL" replied Sooty. Now run
along and I'll see you later"
| So Peter scampered back to the dear
Old Brier Patch and told Mrs. Peter
| all that he had learned about Sooty
| the Swift, which wasn't a great deal,
and how Sooty had promised to come
over to the dear Old Brier Patch
late that afternoon to tell them about
his home in the chimney of Farmer
Browns house and how he builds 1t
| there Peter dozed away the day while
little Mrs. Peter looked after the children.
In the coel of the afternoon Peter was
Weakened from a nap by voice just
| overhead
"Chitter chitter chitter chit chit"
cried the voice, and Peters eyes popped
I wide open. Sooty the Swift had proved
| true to his word. and had come as he
| had promised he would. At once Peter
| called Mrs. Peter, and they hurried out
! to the edge of the dear Old Brier Patch,
! where they could watch Sooty without
any twigs or branches to interfere.
| Sooty saw them at once and came
| racing over them as only he can.
| ter-chitter- chit-chit" he shouted
as his short, narrow, odd-shaped wings
beat the air SO rapidly that Peter
couldn't for the life of him tell whether
he used both wings together like other
birds or first one and then the other, as
some people say he does. Then he held
them spread and sailed in a little circle
right over Peter and Mrs. Peter It'll
have to do all my talking while I am
flying" he shouted
Why" asked Peter. why don't you
rest in one of these little trees here in
the dear Old Brier Patch?'
Cant" shouted Sooty as he once
more sailed over them. II never alight
in trees, at least not on the branches of
trees. My feet are not made for perch
ing like those of other birds. They are
made for clinging with the help of my
tail to the inside of a hollow tree or
chimney. l prefer chimney because
it is easier to get in and out of. So
couldn't sit on one of the branches of
these trees if I wanted to, and good.
ness knows ] don't want to: want to
be in the air
I've told Mrs. Peter how 1 saw you
go down Farmer Browns chimney and
thought you had fallen. I wish-S
Peter stopped.
What do you WISH" cried Sooty.
Il wish" replied Peter the next time
Sooty sailed over head, that you would
show us how you do it. Will you?"
Sooty chuckled. "Of course" replied
he. TN show you what real flying is
like. l don't want to boast, but 1 can
do things that no other birds can do.
That is one reason the other birds have
never seen my nest and really know
nothing about it. Now watchw
Sooty raced through the air and cir
cled higher and higher while Peter and
Mrs Peter sat with their heads tipped
back so far that 1t was a wonder thew
didn't tumble over backward. Round
and round went Sooty, making his
circles smaller and smaller. Then with
a queer fluttering of his wings he came
straight down, not on a slant Won
know, but straight, as if he were drop-
ping. Down, down, down he came until
he was nearly to the ground and then
swept off in a circle In moment he
was back and then he went straight up
just as he had come straight down
THAT is the way l go up and down
chimney" he explained, land it in
something no other bird can do. That
is why none of them ever sees my nest.
Now I'll tell you about that and how
I build it,