Lenore Elizabeth Mulets

“ He told her how the boat and all therein had long since been buried under the sea.
"Be brave, my Halcyone," said the shade of the dead king. "Be brave and patient, and soon perchance, if the gods will, thou shalt come to me in the land of shades."
When the dream left her, Halcyone sprang from her couch and ran again to the seashore. She stretched out her arms and called aloud to Aeolus, the father of the winds.
"O great father Aeolus," she prayed, "give me wings so large and strong that they will carry me to the spot where the king now lies.
"Hear me, Aeolus! Hear Halcyone, thy child!" ”

“ Those broken cries came again and again from her throat.
And Juno, looking down from her cloudland home, saw Halcyone kneeling on the waves beside the dead king. She leaned down from her place in the heavens and touched the king's forehead.
Lo! there rose from the water two strong-winged birds in dresses of blue and white.
"Ah," sighed Aeolus, "let us call them the halcyon birds, for the lovely Halcyone, whose love did not fail her.
"Let these birds live ever beside the waters and rear their young in peace and quiet. ”

“ And the raven spread before his friend a beautiful dress of dappled black and white.
It was made of the softest, most beautiful feathers, lovely enough to delight the heart of any bird.
"Oh, how very beautiful!" cried the owl. "How kind you are to me! How did you ever think of anything so lovely?"
The raven smiled, well pleased with himself.
"Try it on," he said. "I am sure it will become you. I am certain that when you see how lovely you look, you will never again wish to wear anything but black and white."
Quickly the owl slipped from her old gray dress into the splendid new one. ”

“ But, alas, even meadow larks are not free from danger."
"I might have stepped on your nest?" said Phyllis.
"Yes," said the bird, "but what makes me fear most are the field-mice and the snakes. They make great havoc in our nests when they discover them. Many a tiny fledgling has been swallowed by a great creeping, crawling snake. Many a beautiful egg has been eaten by the hungry little field-mice."
"I hope no harm will come to your little home," said Phyllis. "I notice one thing which you have for a protection from harm."
"What is that?" asked the meadow lark.
"It is your colour." ”

“ Their feathers shall be coloured, like the leaves and fruits of summer. They shall nest in the land of everlasting summer-time and plenty.
"They who choose those eggs will follow these birds to the beautiful country of summer-time. The fruits will ripen daily and fall into the hands of the lucky earth children. Their food will come to them without labour and they shall know neither hunger nor cold." ”

“ You should try some of these small birds which are flying about."
"I fear—" began the raven.
"Fear?" cried the hawk, striking out with his strong curved claws. "I do not know what fear is! Look at my short curved bill! Look at my sharp claws! Look at my long wings, which can carry me so swiftly and so far!
"There is scarcely a bird of the air which does not fear me. They skim out of sight at my approach. ”

“ Phyllis was just coming into the barnyard with a cup of meal for Mother Speckle's family, when a strange cry from the old hen startled her.
Phyllis looked and saw every chick running as fast as its little legs could carry it to the hovering mother wings. Soon every chicken baby was hidden from sight and the chicken mother was clucking less loudly.
"What can be the matter?" cried Phyllis, and then looking up she saw a hawk circling in the air above. ”

“ The white bear saw no living thing save a few fur-clad animals and a little gray robin chirping cheerily as it picked away at an old bone.
Again the white bear looked down. Almost at the foot of the iceberg crouched a hunter and his little son. Between the two a tiny fire was blazing.
When the white bear saw the hunter and the boy guarding the fire he growled terribly. He leaped across from one iceberg to another. He went into his icy cave still growling.
"It is the only fire in the whole north country," growled the white bear to himself. ”

“ The hawk said nothing, but quietly settled on the fence post. The raven still circled in the air, but ever nearer.
The hawk looked up. The raven wagged his head solemnly and uttered his sad, harsh cry. He shook out his black feathers and sat down again on the post.
"I am called the bird of ill omen," said the raven. "Some people think that I bring bad luck. Others think I eat too much of their corn. No one likes me. No one thinks me beautiful. ”

“ Phyllis asked. "The insects and worms have long been dead. What did you have for breakfast this morning?"
"We had eggs and—"
"Eggs?" cried Phyllis, not waiting for the bird to finish. "You had eggs?"
"Yes, moth's eggs," said the bird. "The moths leave their eggs about in all sorts of places. We chickadees know where to find them!"
"Are they—good?" asked Phyllis.
"Delicious!" replied the chickadee. "I think I have eaten more than a million insects' eggs in my life. I shall never tire of them." ”

“ You see, Nero bounded straight across the meadow and Phyllis, fearing that she would lose the doll, ran shrieking after him.
Nero was only playing, and soon dropped the doll and ran off. Phyllis regained her property and started to return, when a bird rose from the grass at her feet with a queer whirring sound.
Phyllis looked up at the bird and then down to the spot from which it had flown.
In another moment she would have stepped in the nest. This meadow lark's nest was unlike any other Phyllis had found. Indeed, it could scarcely be called a nest at all. ”

“ With his strong little bill he began to rap, rap, rap at the wood.
"You act like a woodpecker, but you do not look like one," said Phyllis.
"That shows that you do not know all about woodpeckers," said the gray, downy bird. "I belong to the family of red-headed woodpeckers."
"You?" cried Phyllis, amazed. "But where is your red cap, and where is your white vest, and where is your black coat? You are trying to fool me, my friend."
"My father and mother have crimson heads and necks and throats. They have white breasts. They have black backs and wings and tails. ”

“ When the goddess Juno heard the prayers and saw the tears of the lovely Queen Halcyone, she was sad for her. Juno called to her side the beautiful rainbow messenger, Iris.
"Iris," said Juno, "this night I wish you to go down on your rainbow bridge to the god of dreams.
"Ask him to send to Halcyone a dream which shall tell her of the fate of her husband, the king. It is better that she should know what has befallen him whom she loved than to wander thus in uncertainty." ”

“ The small bird fluttered quite helplessly with laughter.
"Oh, no, Phyllis, I see I have to tell you all about it. I am a woodpecker, surely. But I am quite young yet. It is not a week since I had my first lesson in flying."
"You fly very well for a young bird," said Phyllis.
"Well, my mother is very wise," said the bird.
"She does not think it well for her babies to get out of the nest until they have grown quite large. She says that if we wait until our wings are strong we will not be so apt to fall into danger. ”

“ It is not yet very warm, but here under the eaves on the sunny side of the barn it is quite comfortable.
"We are so busy with this nest-building and settling for the summer. You see we swallows do not live alone. There are always flocks of us together.
"We should be lonely if we lived only in pairs. That is the reason that we build a whole little village of nests under your eaves."
"You build very queer nests," said Phyllis. "They are neither like the robin's nor the chickadee's nests."
"No, indeed, no robin or chickadee could build such nests as the swallow. ”

“ Phyllis picked up her basket of berries and returned to the spot where Jack still sat patiently holding his pole.
"Oh, Jack—" Phyllis began.
"Sh-h-h-h!" whispered Jack. "You promised not to talk. You'll scare the fish away. Girls always talk."
"I'm sorry," said Phyllis. "How many have you now?"
"None—but I've had a nibble several times. I think they'd bite better if the sun would go under a cloud."
"Let's eat our lunch now," begged Phyllis. "Perhaps there'll be some clouds by the time we finish."
As they ate Phyllis told her brother about the kingfisher's nest and babies. ”

“ The long green grasses are growing about you in the picture. One foot is drawn up and your head is drawn down between your shoulders just as it now is."
"That is the way to rest," said the heron.
"What were you doing here?" Phyllis asked, wading a little closer to the long-legged bird.
"I was fishing," said the great blue heron. "It is the one thing I delight in. From morning till night—"
"My brother Jack—" began Phyllis, but the bird paid no attention.
"I sometimes stand here perfectly still for hours. I wait patiently for the fish or the frogs to appear. ”

“ The meadow lark looked again toward the fence, and then settled herself once more over her precious eggs.
"Why do you look toward the fence so often?" asked Phyllis.
"Do you not see that bird perched upon the fence?" asked the meadow lark.
"Yes," Phyllis answered, "what is he doing there?"
"He is our sentinel," said the meadow lark. "He is on the lookout for danger. When he gives the alarm, the rest of the flock know there is danger near.
"When we hear the sentinel's alarm we are off in an instant. We fly high into the air. ”

“ The cranes came from all directions at the call of their leader. The father and mother cranes came. The old cranes came and the young cranes came. Even the babies, whose feathers were scarce grown, came flying at the call of the leader.
All the cranes were happy, for they were going to the summer-land. They were glad to go, for already the frost jewels sparkled on the brown grasses and the cold winds were beginning to blow.
"Come! come!" cried the crane leader, and his voice was hoarse with shouting. "Come! It is full time we were off!"
Young and old spread their wings for flight. ”

“ I will give you all the crumbs that you can eat."
"Oh! oh!" chirped the robin; "you are very kind, Phyllis, but I hardly think you would know how to feed bird babies.
"You see our babies are so fond of bugs and worms and all sorts of insects, that they do not care for crumbs when they can have nice fat worms.
"We sometimes feed berries and cherries to our babies. We older birds often eat fruit, but really we like worms and bugs better." ”

“ Flies in wide circles high above the tree-tops, and utters a weird, uncanny cry, which has given it the name of being a bird of ill omen, and to many people the cry of the raven is deemed a sign of approaching evil. ”

“ They will lead us to the land of summer-time."
When at length the shells burst and the young birds came out, they looked much as other birds look. They had large mouths and panting sides and tiny featherless bodies. Soon the pin-feathers appeared.
"See!" cried the watchers, "now the beautiful plumage is starting!"
And those by the riverside, hearing the cry, looked up, and looking up they sighed. The red-brown eggs also were cracking open and the young birds coming out of the shells. Soon the earth children must follow their bird leaders. ”

“ It was some time before the men could go on with their work. They left the grain standing around the lark's nest, to thank her, as they said, for saving little Helen.
As they stood looking at the little birds in the nest, one of the men, with big tears in his eyes, said, "God bless the birds! Come away, boys, and let the little mother feed her babies." ”

“ The strange prince shook his head half sadly and smiled on the earth children.
"From the other pair of eggs," he said, "shall come forth birds with black feathers, piebald with white. This pair will nest in a land where you may gain food by labour only.
"Those who follow this pair of birds shall struggle summer and winter. By long days of toil they shall provide food. By long nights of watchfulness they shall keep warmth within their homes." ”

“ When fall comes, however, my own colours will brighten."
"On what shall you feed your little ones?"
"When I tell you, you will see again that I am wise in choosing this place for a nest.
"My babies need never grow hungry, for the grass seeds are always falling. The beetles and worms and ants are always walking by. The moths and the butterflies are for ever laying their eggs in all sorts of convenient places. You remember how their eggs do not hatch out into butterflies and moths at once. They are just ugly little worms called grubs." ”

“ She was very anxious to find a most suitable place.
"My wife said a woodpecker's nest was the very place, but I rather preferred a squirrel's hole.
"For a long time we could find neither to suit us. But at length I heard Mrs. Chickadee calling loudly. I flew to her side at once.
"'What is it?' I cried.
"'Look!' cried Mrs. Chickadee, pointing with her bill and flapping her wings with joy.
"Through the thick of the woods ran a gray old rail fence. Woodbine and wild hop vines wellnigh covered it. The posts were gray where they were not moss-covered. ”