"There was a little cedar bird's nest in a tall pine," he explained. "I saw a crow black bird fly out of it, and knew she had laid her egg in that nest."
"But why should she lay her egg in the cedar bird's nest; hasn't she a nest of her own?" asked Lou.
"No, crow black birds are too lazy to build nests. They take the first nest comes handy."
She looked her wonder. "But, Billy, you'd think they would want to enjoy building their own homes, wouldn't you?"
Billy shook his head. "The crow black bird don't want to be bothered with hatchin' an' feedin' her own young. That's why she lays in other bird's nests," he explained. "She jest lays her egg an' beats it out o' there. The other poor little bird waits for her to go. Then she goes back to her nest, glad enough to find it hasn't been torn to bits."
"And you mean to tell me that she hatches the egg laid by the mean, bad black bird, Billy?"
"Yep, she does jest that. She don't seem to know any better. Birds an' animals are queer that way. Why, even a weasel'll nurse a baby rabbit along with her own kittens if it's hungry."
The girl's eyes grew wider and wider with wonderment. "Isn't it strange?" she half whispered, "and beautiful?"
"It's mighty queer," Billy confessed. "But you see, if that little bird was wise, she'd scoop that crow black bird's egg out o' her nest, instead of hatchin' it."
"Why?"