nubbing those young ones
of hers. Their eyes were so bright, their legs were so slim, and their
beaks so sharp that it was delightful to see them. And they turned out
their toes so gracefully that, the first time they went to the sea to
bathe, everyone said Mrs. Peter Sandpiper had reason to be proud of
her children. But just as soon as they could run they got into all
sorts of troubles, and vexed Mrs. Sandpiper out of her wits.

[Illustration: "THEY TURNED OUT THEIR TOES SO GRACEFULLY."]

"Such a pair of young pickles I never hatched before!" said she to
Mrs. Kingfisher, who came to gossip one day.

"Well, well, my dear," said Mrs. Kingfisher, "boys will be boys;
by the time they are grown up they will be all right. Now, my dear
Pinlegs was just such--"

[Illustration: "OH, MY! HE'S GOING BACKWARDS!"]

But Mrs. Sandpiper had to fly off, to see what Pipsy Sandpiper was
doing, and keep Nipsy Sandpiper from swallowing a June beetle twice
too big for him. They were great trials. They were always eating the
wrong kind of bugs, and having indigestion and headaches. They were
forever getting their legs tangled up in long wet grass, and screaming
for Mrs. Peter Sandpiper to come help them out, and at night they
chirped in their sleep and disturbed Mrs. Sandpiper dreadfully by
kicking each other. At last she said she could stand it no longer;
they must take care of themselves. So she cried "Pe-tweet, good-by,"
and then she flew away, leaving Pipsy and Nipsy alone by the sea to
take care of themselves.

[Illustration: "THIS IS TWICE AS DEEP AS YOU WERE IN."]

It was quite a trouble at first, for Mamma Sandpiper had always helped
them to bugs and worms, one apiece, turn about, so all was fair. But
now Pipsy always wanted the best of everything, and Nipsy, being good
tempered, had to eat what his brother left. One day bugs were very
scarce, and both little Sandpipers were so hungry that they could have
eaten a whole starfish--if he had come out of his shelter. Suddenly
Nipsy, who was a trifle near sighted, said he saw a large beetle
coming along the beach. They ran quickly to meet it. But what in
the world was it! It had legs; oh, such legs! They were larger than
Pipsy's and Nipsy's put together. Its back was like a huge shell, and
its eyes were dreadful. The little sandpipers looked at each other in
terror.

[Illustration: "THERE, IN THE TWILIGHT, HE SAW A LONELY FIGURE
STANDING ON ONE LEG."]

But a mild little voice