With cawings loud, or frequent brings
Worms, seeds, or such delicious things,
And kindly feeds his brooding mate
From early morn till evening late.

[Illustration: THE YOUNG CROW KNOWS WELL HOW TO CHIP THE SHELL.]

Till, to reward their anxious care,
A gentle sound the parents hear
Of tapping from within the shell:
This sound doth please the mother well,
And, fondly helping with her bill,
She hears the voices weak and shrill.
"Caw! Caw!" the downy young ones say,
"How lovely is this peep of day,
Oh what a glorious sight is this,
There can be nothing here but bliss."
"CAW! CAW!" replies the mother crow,
"There is no joy unmixed with woe."

[Illustration: THE CROWS SEEK SPOIL FROM THE PLOUGHMAN'S TOIL.]

The father crows with tender heart
In the parental cares take part--
"CAW! CAW!" they say, "for food we'll fly
Before our young ones hungry cry."
In course direct they fly afar
To where the ploughmen lab'ring are,
And, seeking in the upturn'd soil,
They meet with many a wormy spoil;
And, filling their capacious beak,
Straightway their forest homes they seek.

[Illustration: THE FATHER GOOD BRINGS YOUNG ONES FOOD.]

The young crows see them homeward fly,
And stretch their skinny necks on high;
And gulping down the luscious food,
"Caw! Caw!" they say, "'tis very good."
So daily every parent flies,
Each young one grows in strength and size;
Till seated on a branch at length,
Exulting in increasing strength,
"Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw!" they proudly cry,
"We shall be flying by and bye;"
But ah, poor Crows, there's many a slip
Between the cup and longing lip.

[Illustration: THE FARMER IN RAGE, WAR DOTH WAGE.]

The farmer heard the cawing sound,
And sent to all his neighbours round,
Begging of them every one
To bring a rifle or a gun,
If they would come the sport to see
Of shooting at the rookery;
And try to check the rural pest,
Which did the country so infest,
And stop the robbery of corn,
Which was no longer to be borne.

[Illustration: LITTLE CARE CROWS FOR THE SCARE-CROWS.]

For though the farmers had a plan
To scare them with the form of man,
The Crows, at first much terrified,
And wheeling high in circles wide,
Had soon become too bold for that;
And even perched upon the hat,
And loud in mockery cried "CAW! CAW!
'Tis nothing but a man of straw."

[Illustratio