rightened at this, thinking that perhaps it was some
bird of prey, come to devour her chicks. So she left her fishing, and at
once flew up to the top of the cocoa-nut tree. The Swan looked harmless
enough when she came closer, so plucking up courage, the Paddy-bird
thus addressed him--

"Good-day, sir. May I ask who you are?"

"I am a Swan," said the other, "and I am on my way home; but as it is a
hot day, I thought I would rest awhile on your tree. I hope you have no
objection?"

"Welcome, my lord Swan, welcome!" said the Paddy-bird. "I only wish I
could offer you entertainment. But I am ashamed to say that I have no
food worth your taking. I am a poor bird, and you know we Paddy-birds
eat only small fish and frogs, which your highness would hardly touch."

"Oh, never mind for that," answered the Swan; "thank you all the same,
but I can find my own food on this tree of yours."

This set our Paddy-bird's heart all a-flutter, for what could he mean
but her brood? However, all was well in a minute; when she saw the Swan
go to one of the green cocoa-nuts hanging to the tree. You have seen, I
suppose, three little soft places at the top of a cocoa-nut, which are
holes in the shell filled up with pulp. The Swan pierced his bill
through one of these holes, and drank the milk inside the cocoa-nut.
Then he gave some of the milk to the Paddy-bird, and flew away.

This milk tasted very nice, and the Paddy-bird began to say to herself,
"What a fool I have been all these years! Here am I, watching and
waiting all day long for a frog, and nasty things they are too, and all
this while there was plenty of delicious milk within a yard of my nest!
Well, good-bye fish, and good-bye frogs; I have done with you now for
ever."

The next time the Paddy-bird felt hungry, she flew to a cocoa-nut and
began to peck at it. But she did not know the secret of the three little
holes at the top of the cocoa-nut; so she pecked, and pecked, and got no
further. At last she gathered all her strength, and gave a tremendous
peck at the cocoa-nut. Snap! her bill broke off, and the blood ran out,
and very soon the poor Paddy-bird had bled to death.

Next day, the Swan happened to fly by that way
again; and coming to the tree, he found his friend the
Paddy-bird lying dead on the ground, with her bill
snapt off clean. He understood at once what had
happened, and said to himself, "This is what