The Jasper weekly courier., 1922-06-16
PHOEBE BIRDS

Il do not believe In making IL hard
for people to become acquainted"
said Mrs. Phoebe Bird There are
some creatures who don't care 10 let
folks know who they are, but not
the Phoebe Birds"
Certainly not the Phoebe Birds"
agreed Mr.. Phoebe Bird.
I'VE let everyone know who we
are. And we let them know our name"
They can see, II they see us at
all, chirped Mrs. Phoebe Bird, that
we are gray with a grayish white
front and with touches of gray white
TO our wings.
"But even If they saw us they might
not be quite sure which family OF
birds we belonged TO because Of the
number of bird families there are.
"And so TO make sure that they
know us we call out:
Phoebe, Phoebe over aud over
again
I'VE do that instead of calling out
a Hello or anything like that. IL
Is our way Of making friends with
the people.
1--WE feel that they might be confused
with the names OF the different birds,
so many of them are SO much alike In
size and In color.
$50 we make IL easy for them to
know us by saying our family name
over and over again.
ut is our song, our little chirpy bit
OF melody. We have our own way of
pronouncing our name. We say the
first part more quietly than the last
part We jerk out the last part and
say the be very much more loudly
than the 'phoe.'
I'VE jerk our tails. too, for we're
fond of Jerking We jerk out our
names and our tails and we jerk about
as we SIT on the branches waiting for
Insects and bugs to pass our way.
They usually pass our way, and
II isa nice way Of doing the market
ing If one isn't very anxious to do a
lot.
'-The market just passes by, which
makes II very convenient, very con-
venient indeed
"Ah, dear Mr.. Phoebe, isn't our old
home lovelyr
YES" said Mr.. Phoebe, at is such
a cozy home. The mud is so cool
and pleasant and the moss is so soft
and honey looking
II am glad that we kept our old
nest" Mr.. Phoebe continued. 81 had
had some thoughts that we might
build q new one"
II know you had" said Mrs. Phoe-
be, land next year perhaps we will.
But l felt this old nest would do with
a little extra work we might do In fix
Ing II up.
1T was such a lovely old nest and
this old bridge Is such a pleasant
neighborhood.
"The people in the house nearby are
fond OF u.s. and they know US for when
we say, Phoebe, Phoebe they say II
after us, which lets us know that they
know us.
II don't believe I'd ever want TO
live In another place besides this
bridge. 1t is such q nice bridge and
the brooklet is so cool and refreshing.
Its all part Of this big house
| believe"
"Well." said Mr. Phoebe, 81 don't
suppose one would say that the bridge
and the brook were part of the house
but they all are part OF the place
which belongs To the house
I'VE like 10 come back to the same
I'D place yenr after year We don't
rtaHge our lin = all the time II we
Ike place we're pleased. Eveai
hOugh we seem 50 rest.eSs and jerk
.uI tails and jerk ett our lii!e songs
Ne NE faiIlui ~ The p..ire- wr care
'nr even 80 an oil ne-l many times 80
And you always rar- to. your ~
le r..te" said Mr. Phoebe, "Iiuw
many wears II it since ysu asked me
m bp Ms I'itot. O.; ~hs ns,.cA
i d,r't eza q! seu.Titer.- said
Mr. Ihcehe ',ai lho. IhS tnu.Ii-
that ihe yeu:s haven't been ItarIy
.ong enough and i!.aI ! hop we'll
have lots u.urp i".ei.;s.r far YOU arc
the deareSi little i'I5v,e IN lie whole
bird world"
And - are y'u.~ said Airs. phoebe
softly.
"pho he r., .rac Phoebe, they both
'ang happily.