tum stick an' de nex'
one fur er bird ter git thu; den, stid er nailin' de stick nex' de
bottum, he tuck'n prope it up at one een wid er little chip fur ter hole
it, an' den jes res' tudder een 'gins de side er de nes'. Soon's eber he
done dat, he crawlt out thu de crack mighty kyeerful, I tell yer, caze
he wuz fyeared he mout er knock de stick down, an' git his own se'f
cotch in de trap; so yer hyeard me, mun, he crawlt thu mighty tick'ler.

"Atter he got thu, den he santer 'long, he did, fur ter hunt up de
Woodpecker; an' by'mby he hyeard him peckin' at er log; an' he went up
ter him kin' er kyeerless, an' he sez, 'Good-mornin',' sezee; 'yer
pow'ful busy ter day.'

"Den de Woodpecker he pass de kempulmence wid 'im, des same ez any
udder gemmun; an' atter dey talk er wile, den de Blue Jay he up'n sez,
'I wuz jes er lookin' fur yer,' sezee; 'I gwine ter hab er party
ter-morrer night, an' I'd like fur yer ter come. All de birds'll be dar,
Miss Robin in speshul,' sezee.

"An' wen de Woodpecker hyearn dat, he 'lowed he'd try fur ter git dar.
An' den de Jay he tell him good-mornin', an' went on ter Miss Robin's
house. Well, hit pyeart like Miss Robin wuz mo' cole dan uzhul dat day,
an' by'mby de Jay Bird, fur ter warm her up, sez, 'Yer lookin' mighty
hansum dis mornin',' sezee. An' sez she, 'I'm proud ter hyear yer say
so; but, speakin' uv hansum,' sez she, 'hev yer seed Mr. Peckerwood
lately?'

"Dat made de Blue Jay kint er mad; an' sezee, 'Yer pyear ter tuck er
mighty intrus' in 'im.'

"'Well, I dunno 'bout'n dat,' sez Miss Robin, sez she, kinter lookin'
shame. 'I dunno 'boutn dat; but, den I tink he's er mighty _hansum_
bird,' sez she.

"Well, wid dat de Jay Bird 'gun ter git madder'n he wuz, an' he 'lowed
ter hisse'f dat he'd ax Miss Robin ter his house, so's she could see how
he'd fix de Peckerwood; so he sez,

"'Miss Robin, I gwine ter hab er party ter-morrer night; de
Woodpecker'll be dar, an' I'd like fur yer ter come.'

"Miss Robin 'lowed she'd come, an' de Jay Bird tuck his leave.

"Well, de nex' night de Jay sot in 'is nes' er waitin' fur 'is cump'ny;
an' atter er wile hyear come de Woodpecker. Soon's eber he seed de
sticks ercross de do', he sez, 'Wy, pyears like yer ben er fixin' up,'
sezee. 'Ain't yer ben er buildin'?'

"'Well,' sez de Jay Bird, 'I've jes put er few 'provemunce up, fur ter
keep de scritch-owls outn my nes'; but dar's plenty room fur my frien's
ter git thu; jes come in,' sezee; an'