ie had many happy times, tumbling about in the hay, hunting hens'
eggs in the barn, and watching the birds and squirrels.

One day her papa told her that he had found a bird's-nest in the
orchard, with some queer little birds in it. Of course, Josie was very
anxious to see it; but papa was too busy to go with her then: so mamma
said that she would go.

Josie clapped her hands, and said, "Oh! you are a good mamma;" and they
started at once for the orchard. A pair of kingbirds had built a nest on
a low branch of an apple-tree; and in the nest were two little
baby-birdies. As soon as the old birds saw Josie and her mamma coming,
they began to scold, and fly about in great alarm.

[Illustration]

I guess the father-bird said, "Oh, dear! here come some giants; and, if
we are not very fierce, they will steal away our babies. So,
mother-bird, you just sit here on this cherry-tree, and scream, while I
stand ready on the apple-tree to fly at them if they come near our
nest."

Josie and her mamma walked slowly along, not knowing how angry the
kingbirds were getting, until they came to the apple-tree. "Here is the
nest, Josie," said mamma; and they went close to the tree. But the
mother-bird began to scream, and fly about, and seemed to feel so badly,
that mamma said, "We will go away from the nest, Josie; for we are
making the old bird unhappy." But Josie said, "Oh! do let me take just
one peep at the little birdies. Do, mamma, hold me up to the nest just
once!"

Now, all this time the father-bird had kept so still that they did not
know he was on the tree just above their heads; but, as soon as mamma
lifted Josie so that she might look into the nest, he flew straight down
at them, pecked at Josie's hands, pulled mamma's hair, and beat her face
with his wings. Josie was frightened, and began to cry; but mamma held
her close in her arms, and ran away from the tree as fast as she could.

When they reached the gate, and stopped to rest, they heard the old
birds talking it over. I guess the father-bird said, "There! I've driven
those wicked thieves away. They'll never dare to come here again." And
the little birds began to cry, "Tweet, tweet!" And the mother-bird sat
down in the nest, and said, "There, darlings, just tuck your little
heads under my wings and go to sleep. No one shall harm my dear babies."

Josie says, "I think they were real cross not to let a little girl just
_look_ at their babies." But I think they were b