The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1919-09-26
DADDY.)EV[N|NQH
FAIRY TALE fl
BY Nary drahagta! B. 6o I.!.ss Aa
FOUR wooppEcKER COUSINS.

The early autumn had come and Mr..
Hairy Woodpecker was hard at work,
making a neat winter home for him
self In n tree in the bog woods. Mrs.
Woodpecker had found an old hole for
herself, for she knew perfectly well
that during the autumn and winter
Mr.. Hairy Woodpecker didn't care
much about her.
He wore a handsome suit of black
and white and very beautiful collar
Of red. Mrs. Hairy Woodpecker's
dress was more simple. She didn't
wear red, and there was more brown
In her feathers.
"Why, there's my cousin. Mr.. Red
Headed Woodpecker, with his wife,
said Mr.. Hairy Woodpecker.
Hello, drum. drum hello" said Mr..
Red Headed Woodpecker.
Hello" said Mr.. Hairy Woodpeck-
er. "what are you two doing, may
ask p
They looked ut each other and then
at Mr.. Hairy Woodpecker and they
smiled such beautiful woodpecker
smiles as though to say that they would
gladly tell what they were doing, ana
that Mr.. Hairy Woodpecker had the
! perfect right to ask.
The Red-Headed Woodpeckers were
both handsomely dressed and they
wore good deal of red, which color
| they were very fond of, for their head,
neck and throat were of gay and DASH
ing crimson.
Were going to find an old tree"
SAID Mr. Red-Headed WOodpecker,
land then we're going to take turns
following it out. When Mrs. Wood
pecker works I'll have nice meal OF
grubs and bugs and when she is
through work then she'll have meal
| and rest"
"We1l save some nuts, too, for the
| hard, cold days are coming" said Mrs.
| WOodpecker.
"Ha, ha," laughed Mr.. Red-Headed
Woodpecker, isn't she the fine little
wife now. Always thinking of the flu
ture? Always planning to save some
| thing so we won't ever Starve?'
at will be all right unless the squr-
rels find out where we live" she said.
Mrs. Hairy Woodpecker looked at
Mr. Hairy Woodpecker sadly, for they
weren't such friends during the autumn
and winter months. When the birdlings
were young Mr.. Hairy was devoted
| mate but at other times he only cared
| to look after himself.
"Well," he said ats nice for YOU
| two to be such friends, but somehow
| it's hard to change ones ways. Now
| children go in swimming in the summer
| time but never in the winter time. They
| don't change their habits just because
they may hear that the polar bears
| 20 in the ley water at any time at all.
$50 can't change my ways because
you are different, Mr.. Red-Headed
| Woodpecker."
Mrs Hairy Woodpecker now smiled
| a regular woodpecker's smile but Mrs.
Red-Headed Woodpecker drummed on
| a piece of bark and SAID to herself:
"That's joke! AS though Mr..
Hairy Woodpecker thought he could
make an excuse like that and have ii
sound sensible. The very idea of chill
dren swimming through the ice be-
cause the polar bears do! A little far
fetched, little far-fetched, l will
say"
But Just then along came Mr..
Downy Woodpecker with his family
! l,,.. lot, - n &c 1xrint at.
friends, the nuthatches and chicka-
dees.
"Hello, cousins" he called. He was
much smaller than his cousins; he
wore black suit striped with white
with white bands over and under his
eyes. He, too, cared for red for he
wore patch of 1t on the upper side
of his neck.
| "Im going to drum and tattoo and
! play in the band-or on the tree, and
I'm going to get insects, | am. All, but
cousins, none of you know how to
drum as do. For l can make love
drumming, l can keep cheerful drum
ming | can make my home and get
my meals doing the same thing.
"There are few creatures like that.
When children say they love their sis
| tiers and brothers they have to use
words; when mothers see about the
meals they have to use stoves and
groceries, and when grown-ups build
their homes they have to get carpen-
ters And as for keeping cheerful,
they have to dance or play or sing
and we can just drum, drum, drum,
drum, drum"
"Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, drum, drum"
said the Yellow-Bellied Woodpecker,
known as the Sapsucker; I'm looking
forward to the spring days when the
sap will come from the trees, but in
the meantime I'll have a worm or two.
But | won't stay in this cold climate
all winter, won't"