It is not to be supposed that our little friends Willie and Alice made but that one visit to the Blackbird’s nest. No, at some hour or other of each day the small couple stole across the lawn to peep at the mother as she sat on her nest. At first, the birds were rather alarmed by these visitations, but they soon grew accustomed to them, more especially when they found that their young friends meant no harm.
One morning, on going to the nest, Willie was very much surprised to find that a wonderful change had taken place. The pretty little blue eggs had disappeared, and behold, in their place were five callow, gaping creatures! Alice was also very much interested, and it was but natural that she should insist 48 upon seeing what excited her brother so much. Willie, therefore, after considerable difficulty, raised her sufficiently high to let her have a good look at the funny little heads. At the sight of them, Alice kicked her little feet with joy, which caused her to slip quickly through Willie’s arms on to the grass. Her fresh white frock was a good deal tumbled in consequence, and her hat had fallen off in the scramble.
At this critical moment their nurse, Mrs. Barlow, appeared on the scene. “Master Willie! Master Willie!” she called, “how often I’ve told you not to lift Miss Alice. She’s a deal too heavy for you; and look how you’ve tumbled her clean white frock. There’ll be an accident some day, or my name’s not Barlow. I won’t have you dragging her about the country in this way; before you’ve done you’ll make a regular tom-boy of her, and, bless her heart, she’s a real delicate little lady.”
Master Willie tried to look penitent, and he secretly hoped their beloved nest would not be discovered. However, the nurse had her suspicions of their bush, so she walked straight up to it and then round it.
“Well, I do declare,” she said at last, “there’s a nest, and that’s what you’ve been after, is it? Well, of all the nasty, horrid little things that ever I saw these birds are the nastiest. Bless me, I wonder now how they get along, and no nurse to look after them.”
What fun they must have, was Willie’s secret thought. They could rove about the country at their “own sweet will,” and never think about tumbling their clothes. But then he remembered that the birds hadn’t got any clothes to speak of, and that, as yet, they couldn’t even fly. He therefore began to wonder how they did manage without a nurse, and thought he should like to try, just for a week or two, how he could get along without one. What climbings, delightful wanderings, and general mischief presented themselves to his childish imagination! what fun he and Alice would have!
“Whatever bird is it?” said the nurse.
“Our Blackbird,” replied Willie, with an air of considerable importance.
“Your Blackbird!” she said; “why, whatever does the child mean? Well, anyhow, the gardener will soon 50 make short work of the Blackbirds, nasty mischievous things!––why, they eat up all the fruit, and destroy the flowers.”