Birds in their little nests agree,
And ’tis a shameful sight
When children of one family
Fall out, and chide, and fight;
and they thought anything really written and printed must be true; therefore they were very much astonished to see, from day to day, that their little birds in their nest did not agree.
Tip-Top was the biggest and strongest bird, and he was always shuffling and crowding the others, and clamoring for the most food. Speckle was a bird of spirit, and he used to peck at Tip-Top, while Brown-Eyes was a meek, tender little fellow. As for Toddy and Singer, they turned out to be sister birds, and showed quite a feminine talent for chattering.
“I say,” said Tip-Top one day, “this old nest is a dull, crowded hole, and it’s quite time some of us were out of it.”
“My dear boy,” said Mother Robin, “we shall teach you to fly as soon as your wings are strong enough.”
“Humbug!” cried Tip-Top, balancing with his short little tail on the edge of the nest. “Look at those swallows, skimming and diving through the blue air! That’s the way I want to do.”
“My dear boy,” said his mother, “do go into the nest and be a good little bird, and then you will be happy.”