The more he watched them, the more he grew to love them. Bob Lincoln himself

their busy parents had to work to support the little family! Back and forth over the meadow the old birds flew hour after hour, searching for food for their hungr

oticed that the jolly little fellow did not sing so much and that his gay coat was becoming rusty. One by one his brig

move. These youngsters can fly pretty well, and it is time for us to go. I am s

ut it," said

I was hatched in this very meadow. There were

here we stopped for a while. But the men of that country hunted us with their fire-sticks. They called us reed birds arid liked us to eat. They shot many of

ce, we stopped to rest and eat. But we did not stop for long until we came to a land where there were gre

me we stayed there, we lived in fear. So after some days we left the rice land and went on tow

ound Mrs. Bob Lincoln. I courted her with my sweetest songs, a

made the journey to and from this meadow, and each time some of my family have fallen a prey to our

ds have escaped so long. I fear I shall never return. But it cannot be helped, we mu

uke, "I hope it will not be as you fea

d little Luke went sadly back to the house. Now that the Bob Lin