Bird Trades

The swallow is a mason,

And underneath the eaves

He builds a nest, and plasters it

With mud and hay and leaves.

Of all the weavers that I know,

The oriole is the best;

High on the branches of the tree

She hangs her cosy nest.

The woodpecker is hard at work—

A carpenter is he—

And you may hear him hammering

His nest high up a tree.

Some little birds are miners,

Some build upon the ground,

And busy little tailors, too,

Among the birds are found.