Part 1

Chapter 14,014 wordsPublic domain

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DADDY'S BEDTIME BIRD STORIES

MARY GRAHAM BONNER

With four illustrations in color by Florence Choate and Elizabeth Curtis

New York Frederick A. Stokes Company Publishers

TO "E. E. E."

CONTENTS

PAGE

OLD MR. OWL WRITES A BOOK 1

THE WOODPECKERS START A BIRD BAND 4

THE CARDINAL BIRD AND THE ROBIN 7

THE WINTER WRENS' DEW-DROP BATHS 10

THE SEAGULLS MOVE TO BLUEY COVE 13

HOW THE LITTLE REDBIRD BECAME RED 16

POOR OLD MR. OWL'S TOOTHACHE 19

THE SOLOIST OF THE BIRD CONCERT 22

THE ROBINS OPEN A SPRING SHOP 25

THE RACE BETWEEN THE SECRETARY BIRDS 28

THE QUARREL BETWEEN NAUGHTY LITTLE SPARROWS 31

THE SUCCESSFUL CONCERT OF THE CHICKADEES 34

THE COLONY OF STARLINGS GIVE A BALL 37

ROBIN REDBREAST'S AND MISS ROBIN'S WEDDING 40

THE TAME CANARY BIRD AND HIS MISTRESS 43

THE PET BIRD OF THE WARD 46

THE EAGLE'S PRIDE AS THE BIRD OF FREEDOM 49

WHAT THE BIRDS THOUGHT OF THE FOURTH OF JULY 52

MR. NIGHTINGALE'S NEW FRIEND MR. BLACKBIRD 55

MR. PLAIN SPARROW CALLS ON DUCKS 58

FARMER'S SCARECROW PROTECTS A CORN-FIELD 61

THE BRAVE BROWN SPARROWS IN WINTER 64

WHAT THE RAINBOW THINKS OF THE WORLD 67

EAGLES AND RAVENS 70

THE EAGLES WHO WERE ALWAYS STILL 73

THE BOBOLINKS HAVE A TEA PARTY 76

A HAPPY DAY IN BIRDLAND 79

THE ROBINS' SPRING CONCERT 82

THE CROWS AT THE FAIRIES' BALL 85

THE NAUGHTY LITTLE SICK SNOWBIRDS 88

A SPARROW CALLS ON A HIPPOPOTAMUS 91

THE ROBINS COME TO THE RESCUE 94

MR. AND MRS. OWL'S STOREROOM 97

POLLY WAS THE HEROINE OF THE FIRE 100

THE WINTER HOME FOR THE WREN FAMILY 103

THE VAIN GOLDFINCH LEARNS A LESSON 106

THE BATS HAVE A JOLLIFICATION 109

THE REPENTANCE OF LITTLE JIM CROW 112

THE RESCUE OF THE CANARY BIRD 115

SMALL FIRE DEPARTMENT RESCUES BIRDS 118

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

"Mr. Owl awakened the fairies and told them to listen to his book" _Frontispiece_

FACING PAGE

"In the afternoons Elizabeth lets him out of his cage" 44

"'We've been on this chair so long,' said the fourth eagle" 74

"The mother humming-bird hurried back" 96

_These stories first appeared in the American Press Association Service and the Western Newspaper Union._

_Many of the sketches in this volume are the work of Rebecca McCann, creator of the "Cheerful Cherub," etc._

OLD MR. OWL WRITES A BOOK

"Old Mr. Owl wanted to write a book and he asked the fairies how to set about doing it," commenced daddy.

"'Well,' said the fairy queen, 'it makes a good deal of difference, old Mr. Owl, what you want to write about.'

"'What nonsense!' he said. 'It's just that I want to know how to start off with my book. Just think what a marvelous book it will be--as for as long as folks can remember I've been called the Wise Bird--the bird who's awake at night and whose eyes are so very bright!'

"'Before I started saying what a fine book it would be, if I were you, I'd write it and give other people the chance to say so,' said the fairy queen.

"Mr. Owl began to write with his pen, made out of one of Mr. Turkey Gobbler's best feathers, on a large, flat stone, which he put in the hollow of his tree. Very late in the night, he awakened the fairies who had been sleeping, and told them to listen to his book. Then he called all the owls from the neighborhood with a loud hoot-hoot. But before he began to read, he said:

"'I've not enough light. I will hurt my eyes--my beautiful, wise, big eyes.'

"You see he had made a special arrangement to have his own lights, and when he said that he hadn't enough, from all over came countless little fireflies. They sparkled and gave the most beautiful light all over the woods, and Mr. Owl put his spectacles on his nose, and said:

"'Now I see to perfection--which means quite all right.' And Mr. Owl commenced reading his book.

"It told about the parties, balls, and picnics in fairyland, and of the wild adventures and happenings in the woods. The fairies were absolutely delighted that a book had been written with so much about them in it.

"And the fairy queen was more than happy, for the last chapter was all about her.

"'Well,' said Mr. Owl, 'you made me ashamed of myself for boasting about my book before I had written it, and so the only thing I could do was to write a wise chapter all about you.'

"And the fairy queen smiled with pleasure and also with amusement--for Mr. Owl had certainly thought he could write a wise book--though the next time, perhaps, he wouldn't say so before he had written it.

"The fireflies had been sparkling and flashing lights all this time, and finally they whispered:

"'Have a dance, all of you; we'll give you the light and dance too. It is not well to read books all the time--you must dance.'

"So they all ended off with a fine dance, and old Mr. Owl, with his book under his wing, danced with the rest of the owls and fairies. But before the evening was over he presented to the fairy queen a copy of his book, which said on the cover, 'A BOOK, by Wise Mr. Owl.'"

THE WOODPECKERS START A BIRD BAND

The Woodpecker family were around on various trees drumming, drumming on the bark. Mr. Hairy Woodpecker, Mr. Downy Woodpecker, and Mr. Red-Headed Woodpecker were hard at work.

"Let's start a band," suggested Mr. Hairy Woodpecker.

"What's that you say?" asked Mr. Red-Headed Woodpecker, who had been so busy at work that he had not heard what Mr. Hairy Woodpecker had been suggesting.

"A band," repeated Mr. Hairy Woodpecker.

"What sort of a band?" asked Mr. Red-Headed Woodpecker.

"In the first place," continued Mr. Hairy Woodpecker, "our bills are not only fine tools for the work we have to do getting the insects from the trees, and burrowing for our nests, but they would be splendid to use in beating the drums in a band."

"Where would we get the drums?" asked Mr. Red-Headed Woodpecker.

"The trees, of course, you silly!" said Mr. Hairy Woodpecker.

"Oh yes, yes," agreed Mr. Red-Headed Woodpecker.

And Mr. Downy Woodpecker said, "Of course, of course. The trees will be our drums."

"We'll get the other birds," said Mr. Hairy Woodpecker, "to help us. We need something in a band besides the drums. We will ask the goldfinches, the mocking-birds, the bobolinks, the phoebe and chickadee families, all of the warbler and vireo families, and the robins of course. Then I think we'll ask the orioles, the whippoorwills, the thrush family, and the song sparrows."

"Oh," said Mr. Downy Woodpecker, "that will make a perfect band. We'd better get started right away." And the woodpeckers began to practise. They made such a noise that the birds came from far and near to see what they were doing. Mr. Sapsucker, Mr. Crested Woodpecker, and Mr. Flicker Woodpecker had all joined in beating the drums too!

"Why are you making so much noise?" asked the birds as they flew around to the nearby trees to talk to the woodpeckers.

"Oh," said Mr. Hairy Woodpecker, "we were just going to ask you all to join our band. We will beat the drums."

"And just what do you want us to do?" asked Mr. Robin Redbreast, who was always eager to help.

"You must all sing."

"But we all sing differently," chirped a song sparrow. "We know different tunes and different songs."

"Oh," said Mr. Hairy Woodpecker, "I never thought about that. But never mind, you can have little parts to sing alone, and other choruses where you will all sing together. I'm sure it will be a very fine band after we have practised." And they began pounding the drums again.

"Well," said Mr. Robin Redbreast, "if the bird band isn't to be the finest in the land, at least we'll make a cheerful noise!"

THE CARDINAL BIRD AND THE ROBIN

"The cardinal bird," said daddy, "is a very superior bird and will not come down to the ground. The lowest he will come is to a bush, but he never hops along the woods or lawns, no, not he!

"One day Robin Redbreast was walking on a green lawn. He stopped several times to pick up a worm from the ground, swallow it whole and then walk along. In a tree nearby he spied the cardinal bird.

"'Hello,' he said cheerily. 'Won't you come and have a worm with me? There are a number in this lawn, and the good rain we had last night has made the ground so nice and soft. Do join me,' he ended with a bright chirp.

"'No, thank you,' said the cardinal bird. 'I wouldn't soil my feet on that ground. I hate the ground, absolutely hate it.' And the cardinal bird looked very haughty and proud.

"'Come now,' said Robin Redbreast, 'you won't get your feet dirty. And if you do,' he whispered knowingly, 'I can lead you to the nicest brook where you can wash them off with fresh rain water. Do come!'

"'I cannot,' said the cardinal bird. 'I do not like the earth. I want to be flying in the air, or sitting on the branches of trees. Sometimes I will perch for a little while on a laurel bush--but come any lower? Dear me, no, I couldn't.'

"'It's a great shame,' said Robin Redbreast. 'Of course there is no accounting for taste.'

"'Thank you for inviting me,' added the cardinal bird politely. For he prided himself on his good manners.

"Pretty soon some people came along. At once they noticed the beautiful cardinal bird. He wore his best red suit which he wears all the time--except in the winter, when he adds gray to his wings. His collar and tie were of black and his feathers stuck up on top of his head so as to make him look very stylish and fine.

"'Oh, what a wonderful bird!' said the people. Mr. Cardinal Bird knew they were admiring him, of course--and so did Robin Redbreast. No one had noticed _him_, but he didn't care, for he knew Mr. Cardinal Bird was by far the more beautiful, and a robin hasn't a mean disposition.

"Well, when the cardinal bird heard the praise he began to sing--a glorious high voice he had, and he sounded his clear notes over and over again. Then suddenly he stopped, cocked his head on one side, as though to say,

"'And what do you think of me now?'

"From down on the ground Robin Redbreast had been listening. 'Oh, that was wonderful, wonderful!' he trilled.

"'Listen to that dear little robin,' said one of the people. 'I must get him some bread crumbs.'

"When the bread crumbs were scattered over the ground, Robin Redbreast invited the cardinal bird down again thinking they were for him! But the beautiful, proud bird would not come down, and the people were saying, 'After all there is nothing quite so nice as a dear little robin.'"

THE WINTER WRENS' DEW-DROP BATHS

"The winter wren is really with us during the summer too," said daddy. "But he is too shy to be near us. We can only hear him sing sometimes. When winter comes, though, he goes to people for protection and picks up the crumbs they give him.

"Yesterday he was sitting on a snow-berry bush with a tiny companion. The snow-berry bushes are full and leafy, and in the spring and summer are covered with very tiny pink blossoms. In the autumn and winter they are covered with little berries which look as if they had been made out of snow.

"'Oh, how I dread the winter!' said the tiny wren. 'Just imagine how dreadful it would be if no one put any bread crumbs out for us, or no dog left us some of his dinner on a back porch.'

"'Now,' said Mr. Brown Wren, 'you mustn't think of such sad thoughts. You always do! Someone will look after us. And maybe we'll find a few spiders now and then in the cracks, and then well have a regular feast.'

"The next day they were back again on the snow-berry bush, and the day was much warmer. Now the wrens love to bathe above all things! Even in the winter they will go through a little sheet of ice and get into the cold, cold water underneath. For they must get their baths! And in the spring, when the tiny wrens are brought forth from their mossy nests, the first lesson they have is of bathing in some nearby brook.

"But this day it was early in the morning, the snow-berry bush was covered with dew-drops and the wrens were delighted.

"'The sun will drive them away soon. Let's take them while we get the chance,' whispered Mr. Brown Wren.

"'Yes, yes,' said his small companion. 'We will soon have to bathe when it is so cold. Let us have a good warm bath first.'

"And then those two little brown wrens took the dew-drops in their beaks, and dropped each one in turn on their feathers. Then they got under some leaves full of dew-drops and shook them down over their little feathered bodies.

"After they were well covered with the dew-drops they began to shake all over just as every bird does when he takes a bath. And back they went to take another bath when this one was over. For they seemed to enjoy their last warm bath so much!

"Finally they had bathed enough, and the sun appeared strong as could be, and shining very hard. They perched still on the branches of the snow-berry bush and bathed now in the hot sun. Soon their little feathers were quite dry and they began to sing.

"And truly I think their song was one of gladness because of their dew-drop baths!"

THE SEAGULLS MOVE TO BLUEY COVE

"Mr. and Mrs. Seagull didn't really know what to do," said daddy. "They loved their home, which was in a big harbor, for they enjoyed seeing the boats pass and hearing the different whistles. All kinds of boats passed--ferryboats, sailboats, old fishing-boats, great big boats that went across the ocean, and little tugboats.

"The seagulls would fly overhead, and then they'd land on top of the water, but they never could stay there long, as the boats would come along, and they would have to fly off. Of late Mr. and Mrs. Seagull, although they were still as fond of their home as ever, became rather worried, for the little seagulls didn't seem to be able to get out of the way of the boats as quickly as the old seagulls could. Mr. and Mrs. Seagull were afraid that one of them might get hurt by a boat.

"Of course the little seagulls were quite certain that nothing like that would ever happen, but one day it did.

"They were playing tag on the surface of the water and so interested in their game that they didn't notice until too late that a great huge boat was coming along. The captain of the boat had blown the whistle to scare the seagulls away. They hadn't heard it at all, so busy were they playing, and it hit poor little Bluey Seagull. One of the others called out:

"'Oh, fly up quickly, Bluey!' He was not badly hit, for the pilot of the boat had seen the seagulls and made the boat slow down.

"Bluey was frightened almost out of his wits, but with the encouragement of the other seagulls he managed to fly off.

"When Mr. and Mrs. Seagull saw what had happened to Bluey they were horrified and quickly flew off with him, all the other little seagulls following.

"They flew as far from the boats as they could, for, now that Bluey had been hit, they didn't think life in the harbor where the boats passed was so attractive. In fact, they decided they would never go back there again.

"They flew so far that they reached a little cove at the basin of the harbor, and when Mr. Seagull saw it he said:

"'This will be our new home.'

"Mrs. Seagull said:

"'We will never leave this home until all little seagulls are grown up, for then they will always be safe and can play all they want to without being afraid of getting hit by the big boats.'

"So it was decided, and the cove was named Bluey Cove because it had been on Bluey's account that they had moved there. And of all the seagulls he was the happiest and most relieved."

HOW THE LITTLE REDBIRD BECAME RED

Jack and Evelyn had been playing circus all day. Jack had been the big man who stands in the middle of the ring and cracks his whip, while Evelyn had turned somersaults and made pretty bows. They told daddy all about it when he came home that evening, so he said:

"As you're so fond of circus performing I will certainly have to tell you about the circus the animals gave.

"Cub Bear got it all up, and every animal who went to it had to first agree to do something. And it really was a most marvelous circus. They all marched around in a parade, while the little bears beat the drums. The rabbits rode on the backs of the possums, and the monkeys rode on the backs of the elephants. The chipmunks drove chariots which were drawn by the gray squirrels, and the clowns were the frogs. The rest of the animals caught hands and followed in the march. They laughed and shouted and enjoyed themselves immensely.

"Then all took their seats and one by one did some sort of an act. The monkeys won a great deal of applause by their trapeze acting. Cub Bear walked a rope and danced around on his hind legs. The bunnies rode bicycles, but that ended sadly, as one of them--a son of old Peter Rabbit, who was renowned for his bicycle riding--in trying to show off, fell and skinned his nose. All the other animals gathered around to see what they could do, while the bunny moaned and moaned.

"A gray bird flying over the tent heard the sound of moans and cries and flew in to see what the trouble was, for he was a very kind-hearted bird. He saw that the bunny was really more frightened than hurt, and with his wings he wiped off the blood from the rabbit's face. The blood-stain never got off the wings of the bird, so ever after he and his family became known as the redbirds.

"The bunny fully recovered and once more felt like himself; but, of course, after the accident, the animals didn't care to go on performing, so they all sat around the center of the tent and had a most glorious picnic. Refreshments of all kinds were passed around.

"They had pink lemonade, peanuts, popcorn, ice-cream cones, and water taffy. After they'd finished eating they sang all the old-time songs and frisked about, playing and dancing. Bunny Rabbit, who felt quite spry again, frisked about too, and the redbird flew overhead, flapping his wings with joy, for he was so glad everything had turned out so merrily.

"The circus proved such a success and the animals were in such high spirits that they then and there decided to have a circus every year."

POOR OLD MR. OWL'S TOOTHACHE

Evelyn had been eating a great deal of candy--so much that it had given her a very bad toothache--and when daddy came home he found her curled up on the bed looking very mournful. Jack had been trying to comfort her, but he hadn't been able to help much. So when he heard daddy's step he called, "Come along, daddy, and tell a story especially for Evelyn to make her forget about her toothache."

"That is too bad," said daddy. "I'm sorry my little girl has a toothache. I'll see if I can't tell a good story so you'll feel better and will be able to sleep and have pleasant dreams. I think I'll tell you about old Mr. Owl, for he had the most terrible toothache one time. He had been eating a great many sugar-plums and lots of candy, and before he knew it one of his teeth was aching so hard he could hardly stand it. 'Oh, dear,' he moaned; 'my tooth, my poor tooth! Whatever will I do?'

"It ached so badly for several days that he decided at last he'd go to the dentist. Dr. Raven was considered the very best dentist. So off went Mr. Owl to his office in the pine tree. When he arrived there he saw Dr. Raven busily fixing Mrs. Crow's teeth. She was leaning back on a stump of wood which Dr. Raven used as his dental chair. She had a rubber band over her mouth and looked very miserable. It quite frightened Mr. Owl, but he tried to be brave and sat down, put on his spectacles and began to read one of Dr. Raven's magazines. In a few moments Mrs. Crow got out of the chair, and Dr. Raven said, 'I'm ready for you now, Mr. Owl.' So Mr. Owl took off his spectacles, got into Dr. Raven's chair and leaned his head back. 'Open wide,' said Dr. Raven. Mr. Owl opened his mouth as wide as he could, and Dr. Raven looked inside. First he looked over his upper teeth, then over his lower teeth, and finally he began to poke at one back tooth with such energy that Mr. Owl screamed, 'That's my sore tooth, and you're hurting it terribly!'

"'Yes,' said Dr. Raven; 'the tooth is a wisdom tooth, and it is much inflamed, so I'll take it out right away.' He reached for his pinchers, but Mr. Owl said: 'If you take out my wisdom tooth I'll lose my wisdom, and I'm known all over the world for my wisdom. I simply won't have it.'

"And before Dr. Raven had a chance to speak Mr. Owl had jumped out of the chair and flown off. When he got home his tooth still hurt, but the next morning it felt much better, and the next day it was all well. 'I know what all the trouble was,' said Mr. Owl. 'I ate too much candy. I'll never eat too much again, for I cannot lose any of my wisdom teeth when I'm known as the wisest bird.'"

"Daddy," said Jack, "your story would be a very good one, only owls don't have teeth." Daddy smiled, and as the children laughingly went to bed, Evelyn said her toothache had gone.

THE SOLOIST OF THE BIRD CONCERT

The birds had begun their early morning concerts. "I know why," said daddy. "It is because they have been practising for their opening concert of the season which they gave this morning and which I am going to tell you about this evening. They have been practising hard every morning.

"The vireos, having such lovely voices and being devoted to music, got it up and made all the arrangements. Yesterday, the day before the concert, they scratched signs on the trees, which in the bird world read: