away to be sold.

Now, one of the quails was very wise, and he said:--

"Brothers! I've thought of a good plan. In future, as soon as the fowler
throws his net over us, let each one put his head through a mesh in the
net and then all lift it up together and fly away with it. When we have
flown far enough, we can let the net drop on a thorn bush and escape
from under it."

All agreed to the plan; and next day when the fowler threw his net, the
birds all lifted it together in the very way that the wise quail had
told them, threw it on a thorn bush and escaped. While the fowler tried
to free his net from the thorns, it grew dark, and he had to go home.

This happened many days, till at last the fowler's wife grew angry and
asked her husband:--

"Why is it that you never catch any more quail?"

Then the fowler said: "The trouble is that all the birds work together
and help one another. If they would only quarrel, I could catch them
fast enough."

A few days later, one of the quails accidentally trod on the head of one
of his brothers, as they alighted on the feeding-ground.

"Who trod on my head?" angrily inquired the quail who was hurt.

"Don't be angry, I didn't mean to tread on you," said the first quail.

But the brother quail went on quarreling.

"I lifted all the weight of the net; you didn't help at all," he cried.

That made the first quail angry, and before long all were drawn into
the dispute. Then the fowler saw his chance. He imitated the cry of the
quail and cast his net over those who came together. They were still
boasting and quarreling, and they did not help one another lift the net.
So the hunter lifted the net himself and crammed them into his basket.
But the wise quail gathered his friends together and flew far away, for
he knew that quarrels are the root of misfortune.

THE MAGPIE'S NEST

BY JOSEPH JACOBS

All the birds of the air came to the magpie and asked her to teach
them how to build nests. For the magpie is the cleverest bird of all
at building nests. So she put all the birds round her and began to show
them how to do it. First of all she took some mud and made a sort of
round cake with it.

"Oh, that's how it's done!" said the thrush, and away it flew; and so
that's how thrushes build their nests.

Then the magpie took some twigs and arranged them round in the mud.

"Now I know all about it!" said the blackbird, and off it flew; and
that's how the blackbirds make thei