Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-02-14
| -DADVY'SEV9NING'
| I gA|g TALE
scIssoR-TAlLED FLYcATcHER.
s. hApN GpMIAljblIlNeR

"Far south, south Of the United
States during the winter" said Daddy,
''there Is a bird known as the Scissor
Tailed Flycatcher."
1--WE haven't heard Of n 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 a name be-
cause he has a very long tail which is
very much the shape of pair of scis-
sors. In fact his tail is like two tails
which open and shut as one would
open and close a 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 it is silly to do both"
"He wouldn't believe it sensible to
be a man and ride in an airplane, eh?"
asked Nick.
II don't suppose he would" said
Daddy. "Well, 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 flying for them between meals just
as ladies go marketing.
Instead of saying to a shopkeeper,
How much is that piece of meatT he
says, 4 will 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.
'His home is a very large nest, and
II 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 a big tree or n little
tree or whether 1t is high, high above
the ground or just a little above the
ground In fact, he il very good
natured.
"Mrs. Scissor-Talled Flycatcher has
a happy time with such a pleasant
mate and she is pleasant herself which
makes them both happy.
"The event of her life is Matching
time. When she Is sitting on four
whitish brown eggs which will soon be
little scissor-tailed flycatchers she is
rs happy us a bird can be, and that is
pretty happy, as you can imagine.
"I am going to tell you now about
MIR. Scissor-Tailed Flyeatcher and his
talk to an insect.
Little insect said Mr.. Scissor
Tailed Flycatcher, 4 am very well
named. am called n flycatcher and
catch flies. But / don't only catch
aes. / catch insects as we'll The lit
tie insect moved wing but it was cap
tured by Mr.. Flycatcher and couldn't
do anything.
al wouldn't admire myself If l could
only catch flies, said Mr.. Flycatcher,
any more than l would admire chill
dren who learned how to read but not
TO write. So catch insects too.
al don't need to be told that the
insect whispered.
avery WE'LL said the Flycatcher,
will take up another subject. only
told you in case you didn't know. But
1t is nice to go on to another lesson
Children go on from reading and writ
ing to arithmetic and then on to some
thing known as algebra
YOU'RE very much interested IL
children, said the insect.
"'Yes,,' said the Flycatcher, I am
Childgen enjoy good things to eat. Tha
is sensible Of them
"The insect shivered again. 1t knew
That soon, soon it would be eaten.
II have secret to tell you next,
said the Flycatcher. I don't go on th'
ground as it would be very uneomfort
able for me. l try it once in u Will,
but my long tail makes it hard for m'
TO get along.
"'I am at my best when flying. Thel
my tail spreads out and closes.
"'And another thing, little insect,
live here In the winters because 1t
cold further north. but even in tn
summers I live far, far South, for
Ike heat and not mere warmth.
"Tn little while now 1 will b
moving to my summer home-but
will be few months still and in tn
meantime / will enjoy the scener
around these parts--and the insect
as well.
"'Ah, I'm wise bird. didn't es
you when had had enough thoug
still could eat more. / waited until
had worked up an appetite once NOR
have had Il good talk. Now / al
hungry. Now will enjoy a dish {
afternoon insect, though won't botht
whether 1t Is afternoon or not-for
believe. truly, it is still morning. Bl
will enjoy you, little insect
"And the insect heard no more fl
he had been swallowed by the FL
catcher"