“Not exactly,” said Buddie.
“You are not very observant,” said the bird. “Don’t you know a B line when you see it?”
“I didn’t see any bee,” replied the puzzled Buddie.
“Then you don’t know a B when you see it,” said Snowfeathers.
“But my papa says a bee-line is straight,” persisted Buddie, not so sure that her father wasn’t right and Snowfeathers wrong.
“Your papa seems to know a great many things that aren’t so,” was the White Blackbird’s reply. “I dare say he tells you that the early bird catches the worm.”
Buddie nodded.
“Which goes to prove that if you repeat a thing enough times you come to believe it. Now, the early bird does nothing of the sort. Mind, I don’t say he couldn’t catch the worm; worms are such stupid creatures that any bird can catch them, at any time of day. But they are much too hearty for breakfast. One shouldn’t eat meat more than once a day; and as for feeding it to fledglings, that is not to be thought of.”