The two birds were pleased with everything.
"Chee, chee, chee, chee, cheeree," sang they,
"With feathers soft, and hair, and hay,
How fine our little nest will be
Up in the dear old maple tree.
Oh! we are so happy, chee, chee, cheeree."
They were busy all the fair spring morning carrying the gifts to the maple tree; and as they flew back and forth a little girl spied them, and called to her mother:—
"Oh, mother, come and see these little birds with feathers and hay in their bills. What are they doing?"
"I know," said her mother. "They are building a nest in our maple tree. Would you like to give them a piece of cloth like your new pink dress for their nest?"
"Oh, yes, yes," said the child; and she ran and got the cloth from the scrap bag, and hung it on the lilac bush. It had not been there longer than a minute when down flew a brown bird to get it.
"Chee, chee," he sang, "what do you think?
I've found a lovely bit of pink
To trim our nest up in the tree.
Oh! I am so happy, chee, chee, cheeree."
"Just what we needed," said the other brown bird; and she made haste to weave it into the nest, for there was no time to waste.
Over and under, in and out, twisting and pulling, they wove the cloth and the hay together, with a lining of hair and downy feathers.