eter made up his mind to watch for Yellow-Wing and ask
him all about it the first chance he got.

The chance came the very next day in the very same place where Peter had
been so startled. This time he was on the watch and saw Yellow-Wing very
busy about something. Peter stole up within speaking distance.

"Good morning, Yellow-Wing," said he. "I wonder if you will tell me
something."

It was Yellow-Wing's turn to be startled, for he had not seen Peter
approaching. He half lifted his wings to fly, but when he saw who it
was, he changed his mind.

"It all depends on what it is you want me to tell you," he replied
rather shortly.

"It is just this," replied Peter. "Why do you spend so much time on the
ground?"

"That's easily answered," laughed Fellow-Wing. "I do it because it is
the easiest way to get enough to eat."

Peter looked as surprised as he felt. "I thought that all your family
got their living in the trees!" he exclaimed.

"All do but me," replied Yellow-Wing a wee bit testily. "But I don't
have to do what they do just because they do it. No, Siree, I'm
independent! Do you like ants, Peter?"

"What?" exclaimed Peter.

"I asked if you like ants," repeated Yellow-Wing.

"I've never tried them," Peter replied, "but I've heard Old Mr. Toad
say they are very nice."

"They are," said Yellow-Wing. "They are more than nice--they are
de-li-cious. It is because of them that I spend so much time on the
ground. Ants changed the habits of the Flicker branch of the Woodpecker
family. I wouldn't be surprised if we became regular ground birds one of
these days."

Peter looked puzzled. He kept turning it over in his mind as he watched
Yellow-Wing plunge his long stout bill into an ant hill and then gobble
up the ants as they came rushing out to see what the trouble was.

"I don't see how ants could change the habits of anybody," he ventured
after a while.

Yellow-Wing's eyes twinkled. "Why don't you learn to eat them?" he
demanded. "If you would, they might change _your_ habits. The beginning
of the change in the habits of my folks began a long time ago."

"Way back in the beginning of things, when the world was young?" asked
Peter.

"No, not quite so far back as that," replied Yellow-Wing.
"Great-great-ever-so-great-grandfather, who was the first Flicker, was,
of course, a member of the Woodpecker family, and he got his living in
regular Woodpecker fashion. It never entered his head to look for food
any