"But what made the noise, papa," said Alice.
"What would you think," said her father, "if I should tell you that the noise is made by the folks that live in the chimney?"
"Folks in the chimney!" said Mark Mapes. "How could anybody live there?"
"O papa is only teasing us with one of his riddles," said Alice. "But there, that's the same noise again. I wish I knew what made it."
"Perhaps," said Mr. Bondy, "the old folks have been out to market, and are just coming home with something for the children to eat."
At this they all laughed. Presently Alice said: "O, I know what you mean! There's a bird's nest there, and it's the old birds that make the noise with their wings."
"How could little birds live in the chimney, I should like to know?" said Maggie. "I should think the smoke would get in their eyes and drive them out."
"But they do live there," said her father. "Alice has guessed right. There is no doubt a nest of swallows somewhere in the chimney. The old birds go out and get flies, and bring them to the little birds, who open their mouths while the old ones drop them in."