"Presently one of them flew over to him. She was a young thing--quite
fresh and trim-looking for a sparrow.
"'Good-morning!' she said, hopping close to him and looking him all over
with her bright little eyes,
"'Good-morning!' said Tufty, as brisk as you please.
"'Now, I wonder where you come from and what you call yourself,' said
the sparrow. 'I never saw a yellow-bird like you before. How pretty the
feathers grow on your head!' and she gave a friendly nip to Tufty's
top-knot.
"Tufty thought she was getting rather familiar on so short an
acquaintance, but he answered her politely, told her his name, and that
he came from the house where he had always lived, and was out to take an
airing.
"'I want to know!' said the sparrow. 'Well, my name is Brownie. Captain
Bobtail's Brownie, they call me, because Brownie is such a common name
in our family. It's pleasant out-of-doors, isn't it? Oh, never mind the
fuss over there!'--for Tufty's attention was constantly diverted to the
scene of the quarrel--'they are always at it, scolding and fighting.
Come, let's you and I have a good time!'
"'What is the fuss about?' said Tufty.
"'A nest,' said Brownie, contemptuously. 'Ridiculous, isn't it? Snow on
the ground, and not time to build this two weeks; but you see, _he_
wants to keep the little house on top of the pole lest some other bird
should claim it, and _she_ wants to build in the crotch of the
evergreen, and the neighbors are all there taking sides.
Pages:
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142