The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1926-02-04
A MocKiNeRlRD
Biography Of the Little Fairy Of the
Woodland.

first saw him. He arrived suddenly,
unexpectedly, just at shutdown. He
was the biggest kind Of q surprise; in
fact, the idea Of a mocking bird being
anywhere around was the last thought
in my mind when a shrill squak salote
the quiet land he was iiere! ~
Five minutes ago had been care
free listening to the cali Of the robins.
ia the garden. and then-he arrived
without any warning, present from
little maid who had gone back to
school In the south.
put my hand into the cage to draw
him out. when suddenly there was a
transformation. His ruffled majesty,
Tapping his two little wings, hoped
toward my hand with his mouth wide
open and shrek that was a regular
wing knife.
What do mockingbirds eat? Surely
not seed! carried him around to the
kitchen to consult with our colored
COOK
Yes, she knew all about mockiag-
birds Thank goodnessi
While he sat on my forefinger with
his claws clasped tightly around it he
opened his mouth again and limited
broadly that we'd better hurry ur: he
was most uncommonly, vociferous.
squawking hungry!
Mercy!
AS fast as possible we stuffed bits
of strawberry down his gaping throat.
Piece by piece they went down, and
stir he cried for more. Then ul-
expectedly he refused to eat any
more, shut his black eyes and started
to take a nap as nonchalently rs
doormouse.
After dinner the cook aud lahared
further in his behalf, and he showed
such great Partially for Ida, the cook,
that when he uttered his first little
confiding note of gratitude and recog-
milton to her became distinctly
jealous, l confess.
| put him to bed on a bit of bloom
ing apple bough. and in the darkness
he was quiet.
But bright and early next morning
he began to issue his regal COM
mands. rubbed my eyes and soush;
the garden to dig for worms They
had to be dropped adroitly down his
throat at just the proper angle. The
process required art and twig. The
worm, balanced on the end of
the twig, fell into tho squawll,
ing throat if dexterously managed:
otherwise there was terrible hubbub
with much Tapping of wings.
Really, never saw such greedy!
/ think he could have kept it up for
ever if hadn't gathered him up out
of the grass and put him back into
his new abode, large canary cage.
l look back with horror at the
thought of those first days of his adj
vent. He did make such a racket!
If ventured so much as out of the
garden gate to the postbox, one
suuawk louder and flercer than all pre-
cooing squawks that had ever been,
sent me scurrying home at the rate of
a hook and ladder company on the
way to a fire.
CHUCK, chuck" he remarked in a
fattering little voice when she saw
me. "Of course you will kindly get me
two dozen nice curly little black gar
den worms this Instant"
Oh, dea- me, it was terrible!
AS these strenuous days wore on
we decided that so marked an indi-
viduality should have name. ALI
kinds of names were suggested. We
named him after the little maid who
had sent him; we named him after
her school, He was called Squawk,
and other more fattering names; but
suddenly he became known to every
one as Peter Pan! and Peter Pan he
remained.
There could not have been more
fitting name. Peter and l spent most
O. our time in tree top house in the
orchard. 1t was far enough away from
the house to take some of the edge
off OF Peters voice culture squawks.
Cant you stop him?" the family
cried. ooh. take him away from the
house or make him stop!"
Sc Peter and l camped in the
orchard, meekly kept him company
lost some hungry cat from the
neighbors should be allured by Peters
megaphone. siren voice.
/ don't know what might have hap
pened, If l had not suddenly decided
to go on strike. Peter must learn to
put those worms into his mouth for
himself-he must! Moreover, he
must learn TO eat out Of a dish, tool
l did not propose to spend summer
tied to Peter, all rights reserved. !
stuffed my ears with cotton and put a
dish in his cage, froze my feelings.
took book and went off and hid.
From this time on Peters squawks
moderated Ii / could keep safely out
of sight all was peace and quiet; but
il appeared anywhere in sight the
- ,.<,,A {v,cfc4ap% obriolyo FIR