*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 47293 ***

The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.

Bird Children
The Little Playmates
of the Flower Children

Bird
Children

The Little Playmates
of the Flower Children

By

Elizabeth Gordon

Drawings by

M.T.Ross

Published by
P.F.Volland & Company
Chicago

To all children who love Birds and Flowers, and especially to my little friend Dorothy Virginia, this book is lovingly dedicated.

FOREWORD

IRDS are only another expression of God’s love, and we are told that not even a sparrow shall fall to the ground without the notice of the Father.

Birds are poetry come to life and set to music. If you should stand at the edge of a forest at sundown and hear the birds singing their good-night songs, hear the sleepy little notes grow fainter and fainter until the silence came,—then when the dusk had deepened, you should hear the night birds begin their plaintive songs, you would realize what a different place our beautiful world would be without birds.

Even in great cities we have always some birds. The saucy little sparrow, who comes so boldly begging crumbs at your window, likes the cities best.

Only very thoughtless people, or those who do not understand, would harm or frighten a bird.

They are real little people, and I am sure that when you have come to know them you will love them as much as you have learned to love the Flower Children.

The publishers and the author have received so many letters from parents commending Flower Children for its instructive features, and from children, demanding “more” delightful play-mates, that they offer “Bird Brothers and Sisters,” believing that “The little playmates of the Flower Children” will prove as welcome visitors as “The Little Cousins of the Fields and Garden.”

The author and the artist wish to thank the children for their many expressions of interest and for their loyal support.

ELIZABETH GORDON
M. T. ROSSBETH GORDON

BIRD CHILDREN

SIR ROOSTER is a noisy chap,
He wakes you from your morning nap;
He sleeps but little all night through,
Crows at eleven, one and two.

MRS. HEN, the kind old dame,
Always dresses just the same;
She talks all day about her joys
And lays nice eggs for girls and boys.

SAID GUINEA HEN: “I like to eat
Three-cornered grains of nice buckwheat;
I only want good, simple food
To feed my Huffy little brood.”

DEAR little, downy GOSLING said:
“I can’t get learning through my head;
I really don’t see what’s the use—
When I grow up I’ll be a goose.”

SAID FATHER GOOSE: “I think I ’ll take
A stroll this morning to the lake.”
MOTHER GOOSE said: "Then I ’ll go, too,
And maybe take a swim with you.”

SAID YELLOW DUCKLING to his brother:
“Come on, let’s hide away from mother,”
But he replied: “Oh, dear me, No!
We’d better not, she’d worry so.”

“HONK-HONK, Honk-honk,” old SNOW GOOSE said,
“I think tonight we ’ll go to bed
A hundred miles due south from here,—
The snow is on the way, I fear.”

IN SHALLOW water MALLARD DUCK
At fishing sometimes tries his luck;
At other times he thinks it’s nice
To nibble at the sweet wild rice.

MADAM SWAN’S a graceful lady,
Likes to float where banks are shady;
When Father Swan goes out to swim
He takes the cygnets out with him.

GOLDEN PHEASANT took a notion
To take a trip across the ocean,
Got a nice room at the zoo
And said he’d stay a year or two.

TAKING his family for a walk
We see old Mr. TURKEY COCK;
He dresses up in colors gay,—
His wife wears quiet tones of gray.

OLD DOCTOR STORK, the kind old bird,
Brings the new babies, I have heard;
If you should ask him, he may bring
You one to keep, beneath his wing.

SIR ROOK is English, don’t you know?
Says: “Do not confound me with the Crow.”
His family tree is large and old,
Which makes his manner proud and cold.

PARADISE BIRD, in her new clothes,
Said: “They’re expensive, goodness knows!
I ’spose, because they were so dear,
I ’ll have to wear them all this year.”
(Red Paradise Bird)

PEACOCK’S a bird of much renown
And wears a lovely cap and gown;
They say he’s very, very vain
And likes to show his sweeping train.

SAID NIGHTINGALE: “It’s not my way
To practice singing in the day,
But wait till all the rest are through
And I will gladly sing for you.”

CANARY-BIRD said to his mother:
“Is that bird in the tree my brother?”
Mama Canary said: “Oh, no!
He’s just a cousin—wild, you know.”

ORIOLE, flashing wings of flame,
In the spring like sunshine came,
Hung his nest away up high
So his babes could see the sky.
(Orchard Oriole)

BALTIMORE ORIOLE, pretty thing,
Builds his nest of bits of string;
He’s sociable and likes to stay
Where people live and children play.

MEADOW LARK has a flute-like voice,
Sings a song that’s very choice;
Builds his nest low, near the ground,
With woven grasses arched around.

BLACK, solemn-looking Mr. CROW
Steals the good farmer’s corn, you know;
If you ask why he breaks the laws,
He answers, wisely: “Caws, caws, caws.”

FRIENDLY little CHICKADEE
Is just as cunning as can be;
Upon your window-sill he ’ll come
And thank you kindly for a crumb.

CARDINAL BIRD wears vivid red,
He’s very amiable, ’tis said;
He likes fresh fruits and seeds to eat
And has a song that’s very sweet.

MAGPIE’S a gossip—that’s the truth—
A naughty, disobedient youth;
We must not judge him, but suppose
He does the very best he knows.

GREAT BLUE HERON likes to fly,
And so he builds his house up high,
Way in the tops of tallest trees
Where he lives, happy as you please.

BOB-O-LINK, among the clover,
Tells his name over and over;
He doesn’t stay North very long
And when he goes we miss his song.

INDIGO BUNTING comes in May,
Saying cheerfully: “I’m here to stay.”
He’s a nice, friendly little thing,
Willing at any time to sing.

EAGLE has piercing yellow eyes,
He’s very strong and very wise;
He’s king and master over all
The other birds, both great and small.
(Golden Eagle)

TURKEY BUZZARD, on the wing,
Is a most graceful-looking thing;
Like scavengers, who come each day,
He does much good in his own way.

VERMILION FLYCATCHER’S a beauty,
You’ll always find him right on duty;
Searches for food early and late,
Bringing it to his pink-clothed mate.

YELLOW WARBLER comes to stay
Along about the first of May;
He likes to live by pond or rill
And builds his nest with care and skill.

CURLEW runs along the shore,
To him, perhaps, it’s like a floor;
Whistle, and he will answer you
Something like this: “Kerloo, Kerloo.”
(Long-Billed Curlew)

SIR PARTRIDGE is a drummer bold,
You’ll hear him drum when days are cold.
He says the nicest things to eat
Are red thorn apples, ripe and sweet.
(Ruffed Grouse)

THE SNOWY HERON’S used to be
A very fine, large family;
I tell you this with great regret:
Men hunt the birds their plumes to get.

SAID KING-FISHER: "The choicest dish
I know of is a fresh caught fish;
I love to fish, and, if you’ll wait,
I’ll get you some—I need no bait.”

BROWN THRASHER is a cheerful bird,
His sweet, clear carol may be heard
All through the pleasant summer day;
We’re sorry when he goes away.

SAID GOLDFINCH: “I believe in weeds;
I live all winter on the seeds;
In my snug coat of black and gold
I really do not feel the cold.”

“CHEER UP, cheer up, it’s going to rain,”
Sang plump SIR ROBIN, “but ’tis plain
We need some moisture for the ground,
So dinners may be better found.”

FLITTING ’round the swimming pool,
Where the air is nice and cool,
Red-winged BLACK-BIRD sings in glee:
“Gloogle-ee, Gloogle-ee-e.”

QUAIL sings a song of sheer delight:
“Bob White, Bob White, Bob-Bob-Bob White.”
I wonder who Bob White may be
To whom he calls so merrily.

KING-BIRD, like some other boys,
Likes to make a lot of noise;
He’s a bit boisterous in play
And sometimes quarrelsome, they say.

CATBIRD is good at imitations,
He mimics all his small relations;
And, safely perched upon a bough,
He imitates the cat’s “Me-ow.”

SAID PURPLE MARTIN to his lady:
“Here’s a house all cool and shady;
I surely am a lucky swallow—
This beats my building plans all hollow.”

“CHE-WEE, che-wee, che-wee-che-wee,”
Said REDSTART, “Will you look at me?
I do not sing so well by note
But see my black and orange coat!”
(American Redstart)

WITH a flash of bright-hued wing,
BLUEBIRD comes to say it’s spring;
Sets about to build his nest
Upon the tree which suits him best.

LITTLE SIR SCREECH OWL and his wife
Live such a cheerful, useful life;
They nest among the apple trees,
Saying: “May we eat the bugs here, please?”

“WHO, WHO, who, who?” asks SIR BARN OWL,
When he comes out at dusk to prowl;
He has great shiny yellow eyes,
And looks so very, very wise.

OSTRICH’S cousin, CASSOWARY,
Wears a coat peculiar, very;
It’s half like feathers, half like hair,—
There’s not one like it anywhere.

OSTRICH grows to be immense
But has so very little sense,
For when an enemy’s at hand
He covers up his head with sand.

SAID PENGUIN, pensively, one day:
“Come, fishie dear, come out and play,”
But fishie answered, in a fright:
“I ’ve heard about your appetite.”

ALBATROSS has wings so strong
That he could fly the whole day long;
But if he’s tired, he can float
Upon the waves, just like a boat.

THE dainty MISSES PARRAKEET
A Dress all in green and look so sweet;
From South America they came
And “Love Bird” is their other name.
(Red-Faced Lovebirds)

HUMMING BIRD, the dainty thing,
Has no voice and cannot sing,
He lives daintily, and sips
Honey from the flowers’ lips.
(Ruby Throated Humming Bird)

HERE’s a good joke about SPOONBILL:
Never had hair and never will;
His head is absolutely bare,—
He’s happy though—he doesn’t care.
(Roseate Spoonbill)

MADAME IBIS, stately bird,
Stands and thinks without a word;
She can’t forget that long ago
She was a sort of queen, you know.
(Scarlet Ibis)

SANDPIPER lives beside the water
With her little son and daughter;
Shows the cunning little brood
Exactly where to look for food.
(Least Sandpiper)

SAID STORMY PETREL: “This is fine!
I do enjoy the gale called ‘line’;
No matter how the storm may thicken
It just suits ‘Mother Carey’s Chicken.’”

SAID fussy MADAM COCKATOO:
“I always find enough to do;
I’m such a busy, useful dame,
I know these folks are glad I came.”

PARROT’S a very wise old bird,
She can speak English well, I’ve heard;
Laughs and says in manner jolly:
“Have you a cracker for Miss Polly? ”
(Gray Parrot)

A DREADFUL thief is old BLUE JAY,
He robs the other birds, they say;
He wears a handsome suit of blue,
And calls a gay “Good-day” to you.

SPARROW’S an Englishman, I’m told,
His manners are both rude and bold;
Other birds wish he’d go away,
But he says: “No, I’ve come to stay.”

AT EVENING, when the world is still,
Mournfully sings the WHIP-POOR-WILL
In his brown suit, all trimmed with white,
He slips so softly through the night.

EAVE SWALLOW, in his nest of clay,
Always has lots of things to say;
He and his brothers often race,
Catching the insects ’round the place.

SEA DOVE, sometimes called “Little Auk,”
Flies very little, likes to walk;
He wears a coat of feathers warm
And doesn’t seem to mind the storm.

LOON is a fearless diver bold,
He does n’t mind the heat or cold;
He dives and swims—oh, very far,
And then bobs up and laughs “Ha-Ha!”

MOCKING BIRD is very clever,
Uses her own notes hardly ever,
But saucily sings bits of song
Which to the other birds belong.

“O DEAR, dear me!” WOOD-PECKER said,
“The birds all shout at me, ‘Redhead’;
It makes me feel so very sad,
No wonder that my temper’s bad!”

TO SAVE his little home from harm,
CRESTED FLYCATCHER has a charm:
He finds and places in his nest
A piece of Mr. Snake’s old vest.

IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER SAID: “Dear me!
They’re cutting down my family tree;
Where can I live, I’d like to know,
If men will spoil the forest so?”

NIGHT HAWK is lazy, sleeps all day,
And then comes out at night to play;
He always wears his evening clothes
And when it’s daylight, home he goes.

BARN SWALLOW is a graceful thing,
Catches his food upon the wing;
Perhaps that’s why he is so fond
Of skimming lightly o ’er the pond.

LAUGHING GULL seems free from care,
He’s always laughing everywhere;
He never tells what it’s about
And no one yet has found it out.

STARLING’S a pretty little dear,
He lives in Europe, too, we hear;
The folks in Ireland, so we’re told,
Think that he’s worth his weight in gold.

SAID busy little JENNY WREN:
“I like to live where there are men;
I come each year to the same place
So I can see some friendly face.”

MOURNING DOVE is very sweet,
She likes nice grains and seeds to eat;
In her soft voice she calls: “Coo, coo,”
Which means in Dove talk, “I love you.”

RED-SHAFTED FLICKER hops around,
Eating the ants upon the ground;
He builds in any hollow tree
Where he’s as snug as snug can be.

GREEN JAY lives in Rio Grande,
A member of a robber band;
He’s very beautiful, but oh!
We wish he would n’t plunder so!

COW-BIRD is lazy, sad to say,
She lives in quite a selfish way;
She’s neither pretty nor polite
And never tries to do what’s right.

CUCKOO’S a quiet, useful bird,
He eats the naughty worms, I’ve heard,
And from the woods he calls to you
His simple song:—“ Cuckoo, cuckoo.”

THE SNOW BIRD said: “Let’s have some fun,
The storm is over—there’s the sun.”
He rolled and tumbled in the snow,
Like other little ones you know.
(Snow-Flake)

UNDER a bridge, where all day long
The brooklet sings its happy song,
PHOEBE BIRD builds her nest of clay
To which she comes each year to stay.

SCARLET FLAMINGO said: “Just think!
I really thought this gown was pink,
But when you see it in this light,
It’s red—I fear it’s rather bright.”

HERE is old MR. PELICAN,
He is a famous fisherman;
Said he: “I do not mind wet feet
If I catch fish enough to eat.”

PUFFIN walks better than he flies,
He has red feet and queer white eyes;
He’s such a funny little fellow
With his great beak of red and yellow.
 (Sea Parrot)

LYRE BIRD’S an Australian child,
She lives in lonely places wild,
And builds upon the rocky ground
The queerest nest which can be found.

INDEX

Albatross 61	Magpie 34
American Redstart 54	Mallard Duck 18
Baltimore Oriole 29	Meadow Lark 30
Barn Owl 57	Mocking Bird 76
Barn Swallow 81	Mourning Dove 85
Black-Bird 49	Night Hawk 80
Blue Heron 35	Nightingale 26
Blue Jay 70	Orchard Oriole 28
Bluebird 55	Ostrich 59
Bob-o-Link 36	Parrakeet (Red Faced Love Bird) 62
Brown Thrasher 46	Partridge (Ruffed Grouse) 43
Canary Bird 27	Peacock 25
Cardinal Bird 33	Pelican 93
Cassowary 58	Penguin 60
Catbird 52	Phoebe Bird 91
Chickadee 32	Puffin 94
Cockatoo 68	Purple Martin 53
Cow-Bird 88	Quail 50
Crested Flycatcher 78	Red Paradise Bird 24
Crow 31	Red-Shafted Flicker 86
Cuckoo 89	Robin 48
Duckling 16	Rook 23
Eave Swallow 73	Rooster 11
Golden Eagle 38	Roseate Spoonbill 64
Golden Pheasant 20	Ruby-Throated Humming Bird 63
Goldfinch 47	Scarlet Flamingo 92
Goose 15	Scarlet Ibis 65
Gosling 14	Screech Owl 56
Gray Parrot 69	Sea Dove 74
Green Jay 87	Snow Bird (Snow Flake) 90
Guinea Hen 13	Snow Goose 17
Hen 12	Snowy Heron 44
Indigo Bunting 37	Sparrow 71
Ivory-Billed Woodpecker 79	Starling 83
Jenny Wren 84	Stork 22
King Bird 51	Stormy Petrel 67
King Fisher 45	Swan 19
Laughing Gull 82	Turkey 21
Least Sandpiper 66	Turkey Buzzard 39
Long-Billed Curlew 42	Vermilion Flycatcher 40
Loon 75	Whip-Poor-Will 72
Lyre Bird 95	Wood-Pecker 77
	Yellow Warbler 41

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 47293 ***