“Oh, that’s how it’s done!” said the thrush, and away she flew, and the thrush has built her nests out of mud ever since.
Then the magpie took some twigs and arranged them around in the mud.
“Now I know all about it,” said the blackbird. So off she flew, and the blackbirds make their nests of mud and sticks to this very day.
Then the magpie put another layer of mud over the twigs.
“Oh, that’s quite plain!” said the owl, and away she flew, and owls have made their nests after that manner ever since.
Next the magpie took some twigs and twined them around the outside.
“The very thing!” exclaimed the sparrow, and off she went, and the sparrows to this day make rather slovenly nests.
Then Madge Magpie took some feathers and other bits of soft material and lined the nest very nicely with it.
“That suits me!” cried the starling, and away she flew, and ever since then the starlings have built very comfortable nests.
The magpie kept on with her work, but the birds were constantly leaving before she had finished, each thinking she knew all there was to know about nest-building. At last the only bird that remained was the turtle-dove. She now began to repeat her silly cry, “Take two, Taffy, take two-o-o!”