pie's directions.

"We all know that--anything more?" chirped the chorus of birds, trying
to conceal how anxious they were to know what came next, for the nests
were only half finished.

But Mother Magpie was thoroughly disgusted, and refused to go on with
the lesson which had been so rudely interrupted by her pupils.

"You are all so wise, friends," she said, "that surely you do not need
any help from me. You say you know all about it,--then go on and finish
your nests by yourselves. Much luck may you have!" And away she flew to
her own cosy nest in the elm tree, where she was soon fast asleep,
forgetting all about the matter.

But oh! What a pickle the other birds were in! The lesson was but half
finished, and most of them had not the slightest idea what to do next.
That is why to this day many of the birds have never learned to build a
perfect nest. Some do better than others, but none build like Mother
Magpie.

But the Wood-Pigeon was in the worst case of them all. For she had only
the foundation laid criss-cross as the Magpie had shown her. And so, if
you find in the woods the most shiftless, silly kind of nest that you
can imagine--just a platform of sticks laid flat across a branch, with
no railing to keep the eggs from rolling out, no roof to keep the rain
from soaking in--when you see that foolishness, you will know that it is
the nest of little Mistress Wood-Pigeon, who was too stupid to learn the
lesson which Mother Magpie was ready to teach.

And the queerest part of all is that the birds blamed the Magpie for the
whole matter, and have never liked her since. But, as you may have
found out for yourselves, that is often the fate of wise folk who make
discoveries or who do things better than others.

THE GORGEOUS GOLDFINCH

The Goldfinch who lives in Europe is one of the gaudiest of the little
feathered brothers. He is a very Joseph of birds in his coat of many
colors, and folk often wonder how he came to have feathers so much more
gorgeous than his kindred. But after you have read this tale you will
wonder no longer.

You must know that when the Father first made all the birds they were
dressed alike in plumage of sober gray. But this dull uniform pleased
Him no more than it did the birds themselves, who begged that they might
wear each the particular style which was most becoming, and by which
they could be recognized afar.

So the Father called the birds to Him, one by one, as they stood