But this way of living and thinking did not suit a certain broad-beaked, ponderous cedar-crow[10], who had taken up her abode in a huge cedar.
This cedar stood apart in a glade, and the Cedar-crow liked it just on account of its separate position.
'I will settle here; this shall be my estate. I don't want any one else's property, and no one shall touch mine! It's comfortable and private and nice!' The clumsy bird flew all round the cedar, and, being satisfied with it, settled there.
The Cedar-crow stopped there a day, two days ... the other birds darted past, chirping, flying races, playing with one another, rejoicing together in the good gifts of their mother-earth, the bright sun, and the Vagaï, and the delights of companionship; but the thick-billed Cedar-crow dared not leave her tree; there she sat watching that no other bird should touch her private nuts. When a woodcock did but pass, she flew to him in anxiety, crying out: 'Go away!—go away! There's nothing here for you; go back where you came from! I don't touch your things; you let mine alone.'
'But do you suppose the rest of the forest is only ours?' said the Woodcock. 'You can have them too; of course any one may take as much as they want. There's enough for every one.'
'Yes, I dare say. You can do as you like. But I feel safer when I have something of my own.'
'Why, you foolish one!' exclaimed a thrush, which had flown up to them, 'we always live in whole companies—thousands together—and never cut up things into "mine" and "thine"; and yet no harm happens to us.'
'Yes; so long as there is plenty for all, but afterwards there's no saying what will happen,' thought the Cedar-crow, though she did not say so aloud. 'If the land is divided between all of us, how much will each one have? Now I've got the whole of this huge cedar to myself; it will last my time, and I can leave it to my children and grandchildren; there will be more for them than for your fledglings....'
'You're just gone silly with greediness,' said the other birds, and flew away, chirruping and darting after one another in the air. But the Cedar-crow, the forest landowner, seeing that she was alone, pulled a cone from her cedar, and began picking out the nuts. She ate as much as she could, and then returned to the work of guarding her estate. She sat and looked about her, and occasionally flew round the tree, constantly afraid that some one was touching her property.
The time for nest-building came. All the birds paired and got to work: one carried a feather, another a straw; each one wove in its contribution properly; then they would hop about, chirp to one another, and fly off together to fetch more material.