What a nice feast she prepared for them! The best of nuts and acorns for Jerry and his wee wife, beautiful dandelions for the Bunny family, pretty speckled trout for Longlegs the Heron, grubs and grains for the Jackdaws, and lovely fat worms for the Blackbird and Robin Redbreast; while for Cozie himself she got the very thing in the world he liked best—a particularly nasty dead mouse! Altogether there never was such a merry party in the Old Oak Tree.
They sat a long time talking of many things, and at last they began to talk about their great neighbours in the big house hard by. “The Squire’s gardener is the best of men,” said Robin Redbreast; “he has been digging up worms for me since six o’clock this morning!” “But what do you think of the lady herself?” said Bunny; “I heard her order him to fill the flower-beds with carnations, my own favourite food!” and the sixteen little Bunnies cocked up their long ears at the thought. “I know,” said the Blackbird, “the Squire’s cherries are the best in the country. I am so much obliged to him.” “Yes,” said the Jackdaw, “and the people who have put up the telegraph wires for us to sit upon!”
“My friends,” said Cozie, “you know nothing about it. I fly about by night, and know more than you do. I heard the gardener ordered to shoot the Blackbirds who ate the cherries; to set traps for the rabbits; and I heard my lady say she would like to have you, Jerry, my boy, running round the treadmill in her Squirrel-cage! But as for the telegraph wires, they must have been put up for us to sit upon!” At this point Mrs. Cozie volunteered a song; on which all the birds said “Good-night” in a desperate hurry.
Emrik & Binger, Lith. 15 Holborn Viaduct.