Rosemary liked the tree and so did the other Brownies. All voted that it be made into a feeding station for the birds. Jane opened up the box of knick-knacks and the girls attached them to the limbs.
“Will the birds find it, do you think?” Rosemary asked when the task was completed. She saw several sparrows nearby, but they did not come near the tree.
“Give them time,” said Miss Gordon. “Within a day or two, I’ll practically guarantee this will be a popular bird restaurant.”
The Brownies tramped some distance on into the evergreen forest before turning back. Near the rail fence by the road, they all sat down on a log to rest.
“Tell us a story, Miss Gordon,” urged Connie. “One about the fairies.”
“No, about Brownies,” pleaded Jane.
“I might tell you the Brownie Story by Juliana Horatia Ewing, which suggests the ideals and objectives of our Brownie Scout program,” said Miss Gordon. “Some of you already have heard it.”
“I haven’t,” said Veve, eager to hear the tale. Gathering the girls about her, the Brownie leader began in a low, clear voice:
“Once upon a time, a little girl named Mary and her brother Tommy, lived in England with their grandmother and father, who was a tailor.
“Now, although the family was very poor and there was much work to do, the children never thought to help.