in my legs and wings."

When the new grass, which lay below in the earth, heard this, it at once
began to sprout and peeped out gaily from between the old yellow straw.
For the grass is always in an immense hurry.

Now the anemones in among the trees had also heard the lapwing's cry,
but refused on any account to appear above the earth:

"You mustn't believe the lapwing," they whispered to one another. "He's
a flighty customer and not to be trusted. He always comes too early and
starts calling at once. No, we will wait quietly till the starling and
the swallow come. They are sensible, sober people, who are not to be
taken in and who know what they are about."

[Illustration]

And the starlings came.

They perched on a twig outside their summer villa and looked about them:

"Too early, as usual," said Mr. Starling. "Not a green leaf and not a
fly, except an old tough one of last year, not worth opening one's beak
for."

Mrs. Starling said nothing, but looked none too cheerful either.

"If we had only remained in our snug winter-quarters beyond the
mountains!" said Mr. Starling. He was angry because his wife did not
answer, for he was so cold that he thought a little discussion might do
him good. "But it's _your_ fault, just as last year. You're always in
such a terrible hurry to come out to the country."

"If I'm in a hurry, I know the reason why," said Mrs. Starling. "And it
would be a shame for you if you didn't know too, for they are your eggs
just as much as mine."

"Heaven forbid!" replied Mr. Starling, indignantly. "When have I denied
my family? Perhaps you expect me, over and above, to sing to you in the
cold?"

"Yes, that I do!" said Mrs. Starling, in the tone which he could not
resist.

He at once began to whistle as best he could. But, when Mrs.
Starling had heard the first notes, she flapped her wings and pecked at
him with her beak:

"Will you be quiet at once!" she screamed, angrily. "It sounds so dismal
that it makes one feel quite melancholy. You'd better see to it that the
anemones come up. I think it's high time. And, besides, one always feels
warmer when there are others shivering too."

Now, as soon as the anemones had heard the starling's first whistle,
they carefully stuck their heads out of the ground. But they were still
so tightly tucked up in their green wraps that one could hardly see
them. They looked like green buds that might turn into anything.

"It's too early," they wh