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The Thrush’s Nest
Otherbirds,saidSolomon,omittedtolinetheirnestswithmud,andasaresulttheydidnotholdwater.Herehecockedhisheadasifhehadusedanunanswerableargument;but,unfortunately,aMrs.Finchhadcometothemeetinguninvited,andshesqueakedout,’Wedon’tbuildneststoholdwater,buttoholdeggs,’andthenthethrushesstoppedcheering,andSolomonwassoperplexedthathetookseveralsipsofwater.
’Consider,’hesaidatlast,’howwarmthemudmakesthenest.’
’Consider,’criedMrs.Finch,’thatwhenwatergetsintothenestitremainsthereandyourlittleonesaredrowned.’
ThethrushesbeggedSolomonwithalooktosaysomethingcrushinginreplytothis,butagainhewasperplexed.
’Tryanotherdrink,’suggestedMrs.Finchpertly.Katewashername,andallKatesaresaucy.
Solomondidtryanotherdrink,anditinspiredhim.’If,’saidhe,’afinch’snestisplacedontheSerpentineitfillsandbreakstopieces,butathrush’snestisstillasdryasthecupofaswan’sback.’
Howthethrushesapplauded!Nowtheyknewwhytheylinedtheirnestswithmud,andwhenMrs.Finchcalledout,’Wedon’tplaceournestsontheSerpentine,’theydidwhattheyshouldhavedoneatfirst—chasedherfromthemeeting.Afterthisitwasmostorderly.Whattheyhadbeenbroughttogethertohear,saidSolomon,wasthis:theiryoungfriend,PeterPan,astheywellknew,wantedverymuchtobeabletocrosstotheGardens,andhenowproposed,withtheirhelp,tobuildaboat.
Atthisthethrushesbegantofidget,whichmadePetertrembleforhisscheme.
