Mexico Missouri message., 1916-10-12
A woODCRAFT STORY FOR
LITTLE CHILDREN.
The Quail Family-Why He Quits
Calling Ob-White-Early Risers
Regular In Habits-Dust Baths,
Etc.
BY l.. Roy Ferris.

win brown carpet, ike Jne one
Johnnie watkins mother had
bought with her chicken and turkey
money. Johnnie was as proud of the
carpet as was his mother. For
hadn't he stood guard to see where
Mother Turkey had hidden her nest,
while Mother Turkey acted as tho she
was in no hurry and had the whole
morning before her?
But any boy is proud when he
helps his mother.
When Father and Mother Quail
decided to go to housekeeping, and
raise a great big family of children,
each one no larger at first than Tom
mie Tomkins' thumb, they selected
a nice place in the orchard close to
lJohnnie's house. Johnnie could hear
Father Quail as he sat on the fence
post whistle, "Bob-White," Bob
White" But now his song has
changed, for you know the quail has
a spring as we'll as winter song. He
is a different sort of a fellow in the
winter from what he is in the
spring. He knows that the sports
man with his dog that can smell
lquail from one end of the orchard to
: the other will soon be around. His
call changes from "Bob-White" to a
very careful and anxious call, like
, mother has when little sister goes
e too near the open we'll or cistern.
t t4'he quail has lots of trouble keeping
1.-THE little fellows from harm.
First, it is Brother Hawk that
Iswoops down, and when Mother
[ IQuail calls the roll that night there
= is one little chirp that fails to an
3 swer.
Brother Fox is always meddling
around, too, for he likes young
, iquail as we'll as Johnnie likes pie.
, Right here is a chance for any lit,
tie boy to learn a lesson from the
quail. They are regular in their hab,
it's as the old clock that stands in
i the corner, which grandfather
: brought with him when he settled
on the farm years ago. At six in
u the morning, while Johnnie sits be
. hind the stove on the woodboX in
D. the kitchen watching mother gel
!. breakfast, the quail family is JUS
n starting to breakfast 20 the nearby
- corn field At S:3G, as Johnnie il
: carrying sisters books and basket tC
d school-fOr every good boy il
thoughtful of sister-Mother Quai
n is giving her flock dust-bath. Ant
" they don't fuss and kick, like tn
:, little boy that visited Johnnie. wheI
in they take a bath. At IL o'clock a
ly Johnnie sits on the stileblocks, eat
D. ing his dinner and dividing his pi
~ with the little boy that hardly eve
:, has pie, the quail family has reaches
Sc the old tree-lap and are takin
ds their noon-day nap while-lik
ar grandmother as she sits in the cor
u ner and mods with a half-tinishe
yarn mitten for Johnnie-,only yo
ed can't slip up on the quail family, TO
an some little fellow always has an ey
at open and gives the alarm, and tn
," whirring OF wings sounds so lOudl
no it almost scares a fellow.
n AZ wonder where the quail famil
re roost at night?" asks Brother Re
TX Fox of his wife as they lay out O
. their front porch, which was nothin
nd more than the old pond-dam.
Ith don't know. honey" replies Moth'
er, Fox, "but l have scheme. We wi
er- trail them to their roost."
y" So that evening just as Johnnie
.d- father was milking old Bossy Co
les Father and Mother Red Fox le
rse their three little babies, after tellil
be them not to go over to the naugh
~" coon children's home, and stru
the trail of the quail covey and (,