FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   >>  
ce, took it under a toe, and tried to wrench the head off; failing in this, she passed it through her beak back and forth as she did a worm, evidently to reduce it to a softer condition. Finding the pin intractable, she dropped it, and turned her attention to the paper; tearing off bits, peeping under it, and constantly worrying the peace-loving owner, until a roof of enameled cloth, securely fastened by sewing, was provided for him. The only one in the room whom the unlovely bird found it impossible to annoy was the oriole he saw in the looking-glass, and he never gave up trying to reduce even him to a proper state of meekness. Whenever he caught sight of his reflection he was furious: he strode across the lower support, bowing and posturing; then flew up against the glass, touching it with breast and claws, and beating his wings against it. Failing, of course, to seize the enemy, he peered eagerly behind the mirror, then returned with fresh rage to the charge in front. After a while I placed the glass at such an angle that he could not see himself from below. Instantly he alighted on a basket that hung conveniently near, ran to the end where he could stretch around and see his face, then to the other end from which he could look behind, uttering at the same time a loud cry. This also he kept up till I removed the basket. A day or two later, the discovery of a hand-glass standing on a table gave opportunity for a repetition of the performance. He attitudinized, drooped his wings, beat against it, hopped quite over it, touched the glass many times with his beak, and at last circled round and round, going into a rage whenever he reached the front, and springing suddenly around, as if to seize the elusive enemy behind. It was a strange exhibition of passion, very droll if it had not been painful to see. After that the glasses were covered. [Illustration: THE ENEMY IN THE GLASS--THE ORCHARD ORIOLE] [Sidenote: _GYMNASTICS ON THE ROOF._] Repose of manner was unknown to the orchard oriole; he could never wait a moment for anything. If he wanted to bathe, he plumped into the dish, whether it were empty or not; thus he often surprised a more dignified bird by bouncing in beside him and splashing as though no one else were in sight. In fact, the bath was a constant subject of dispute; he was very fond of it, and the sound of dashing water was always irresistibly tempting to him. If he were shut into his cage with no othe
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   >>  



Top keywords:
oriole
 

basket

 

reduce

 

elusive

 

strange

 
condition
 
suddenly
 

Finding

 
reached
 

springing


exhibition

 

passion

 
covered
 

Illustration

 
glasses
 

painful

 
softer
 
standing
 

opportunity

 

repetition


discovery

 

intractable

 

performance

 

touched

 

attitudinized

 

drooped

 

hopped

 

circled

 

constant

 

evidently


dignified

 
bouncing
 

splashing

 

subject

 

dispute

 
tempting
 

irresistibly

 
dashing
 

surprised

 
Repose

manner
 

unknown

 
GYMNASTICS
 
removed
 

ORCHARD

 

ORIOLE

 
Sidenote
 

orchard

 
plumped
 

moment