Father Thrift and His Animal Friends

by Joseph C. Sindelar

Peenk, peenk, quit, quit, chuck, chuck, whee, whee,

Tzip, tzip, thsee, thsee, conk-err-ee, whack,

Jay, jay, mew, mew, whip, chip, crack, tchack,

R-r-r-r-r-r-r!!

“R-r-r-r-r-r-r” meant, “We’re angry. Next time we will fight them.”

Now the woodpeckers drummed for quiet: “Rrr-runk, tunk, tunk!”

Then Mr. Robin walked up to Father Thrift. He said, “Oh, Father Thrift, we have come to tell you that the boys have been very mean to us. Let me tell you what they did to us.

“While Mrs. Robin and I were away they climbed up into the tree where we had built our nest and stole our eggs.” And there were tears in his bright eyes.

Then Mr. Bluebird came. He was a pretty little fellow, and mannerly too. “Oh, Father Thrift,” he said, “let me tell you what the boys did to me.