The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-02-17
DADl75(g1lk|
AIRY Tale
scissoR.TAlLEp FLYcATcnER.
8 WY 0AI|l1e1l0

SuutH, souiu VI the OHlkCo
States during the winter" said Daddy.
there is a bird known as the Scissor
Tailed Flycatcher."
ave haven't heard of new bird
or new animal in ever so long" said
Nancy. do tell us about this one,
Daddy
"Yes. do" urged Nick.
He is known by such maine be-
cause he has a very long tail which is
very much the shape of a pair of scis-
sors: In fact his tail is like two tails
which open and shut as one would
open and close pair of scissors
HE is. very graceful and beautiful
and he loves the air and not the
ground He very seldom cares about
coming to the ground, for he thinks
that the ground is for creatures who
walk and the air. for creatures who
| fly and that 1t is silly to do both"
HE. wouldn't believe ii sensible TO
| be a man and ride in an airpiane, Ell:
asked Nick. s.s~-e
81 don't suppose he would" said
Daddy "weil. to continue about his
ways and habits and looks. He loves
the woods and the best meals, he
thinks, are meals Of insects. He goes
off fiving for them between meals just
as ladies go marketing.
Instead Of saying to a shopkeeper.
How much is that piece of meatF he
says, 4 win catch YOU, Miss Insect. and
, you'll be my dinner, you will
"He opens and closes his scissor
like tail when he does his marketing
just as ladies would open and close
their purses after they had bought
something. 60
II His home is very large nest, and
\ it is made of anything at all-grass
and bits of cloth and strings and bits
\ of twigs. He doesn't care whether
his nest is in big tree or a little
tree or whether 1t is high. high above
J the ground or just little above the
ground. In fact, he is very good
4 natured.
. "Mrs. Scissor-Tailed Fiycatcher has
e happy time with such pleasant
3 mate and she is pleasant herself which
.e makes them both happy.
u 1.-The event of her life is Matching
= time When she is sitting on four
4 whitish brown eggs which viii soon be
4 little scissor-tailed fycatehers she is
as happy as bird can be, and that is
lg pretty happy, as you can imagine.
lg Il am going to tell you now about
St Mr.. Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher- and his
! talk to an insect.
Little insect said Mr.. Scissor
81 Tailed Flycatcher. i am very well
Y named. am called a fsycatcher and l
ne catch flies. But l don't only catch
at flies. / catch insects as we'll The lit
tie insect moved wing but it was cap
sc tured by Mr.. Flycatcher and couldn't
=. do anything.
AL at wouldn't admire myself il | could
he only catch flies said Mr.. Flycatcher.
10 any more than l would admire chill
dren who learned how TO read hut not
IT TO write. So l catch insects too
10 II don't. need to be told that the
70 insect whispered.
=, - Very WE'LL said the Flycatcher, i
will take up another subject. l only
on told you in case YOU didn't know. But
it 1t is nice to go on TO another lesson.
les Children go on from reading and writ
de ing to arithmetic and then on TO some
ey thing known as algebra
nj You're very much interested in
'p' Children said the insect.
- Yes said the Fiycatcher. ] am
of Children enjoy good things to eat. Thai
is sensible of them
Ike The insect shiyered again. II knew
les that soon, soon II would be eaten.
&c. 81 have secret to tell you next.
said the Flycatcher. L don't 60 on til,
ground as Ii would be very uncomfort
y. able for me. try il once in a while
ng but my long tail makes it hard for m'
to get along.
II 81 am at my best when flying. Thel
my tail spreads out and closes.
lu land another thing. little insect,
live here in the winters because Ii il
'Ie cold further north. but even in thu
summers Live far, far South, for
~ like heat and not mere warmth.
I'm a little while now I will b,
ne moving to. my summer home-but j
us will be a few months still and in tn
meantime l will enjoy the scener.
gil arn,,na ths.o narts-sna the ,nsae,
ay ,,
"'Ah. I'm a wise bird. / didn't ca
,ao you when-I had had enough thougl
still could eat more / waited until
GRO had worked up an appetite once more
ar ! have had a good talk. Now an
hungry. Now I will enjoy dish o
ow afternoon. insect. though won't bottle
as whether it is afternoon or MOTOR
believe. truly, it is still morning. Blu
IN will enjoy you. little insect
It'll And the insect heard no more 10
he had been swallowed by the III!
of catcher"