Winchester School - Oui Dire Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

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78 OUT- DIRE Mr. and Mrs. Meadowlark were kept busy feeding their babies. After a while they thought that Tommy, Tr., the oldest baby, was old enough to learn to flvi Tommy was a stubborn little fel- low. and his- father had to scold him before he would even try. Xthen he did learn, he was al- ways fussing with Sammy Vlay. The other two children learned very quickly. Une day Tommy said. HLPUITIC' on, Twitt, t for that was his hrother's namel. let's see who can Hy the farthest. Their little brother heard them, and wanted to try too. Poor Twitt got excited and fell right into the nest of Hr. Sparrow. Mr. Sparrow did not like that :md peeked at him and pulled his feathers out. Then Klrs. Sparrow came and they fought with him until he fell to the ground. He lay there till a little girl found him. She took him home, but he died the next night. Then a naughty little boy catne and killed llrs. Sparrow with his bean shooter, but Tommy, -lr. and Klr. Meadowlark and the baby lived happily through the summer. l.. G. P. '22, A BLUEBIRD. l have been gone many. many weeks, but now l have come back to the country. Xye found a beautiful meadow. .-Xll around there were bushes. To one side there were trees, in a wheat field, a little older than the first crop. Une tree was a fine place fora nest. My mate was hunting in some other place. so f sang tny little song which sounded like 21 sweet warble. Then I saw her blue back and tan breast, coming out of the woods. Xyhen she came T started pecking the tree. She fiew away to find some soft grass to put in the bottom of the nest. Vie found some nests in one tree. The grass in the meadow had been cut, so we brought it back to the nest. lly that time, l had bored a large hole in the stump, Xyhen the nest was finished, my mate laid four pale blue eggs in the nest. Une day we saw the hunter. l scrambled head first into the hole. so the hunter did not get us. After sitting on the eggs for three weeks they cracked and out came some featherless little birds. Now l brought worms for they could eat as many as l would give them. ln a few days they got some pretty feathers like ours. They were growing old. Now after some lessons we fiew south, KIT. fi. lf. l22. THE OLD-FASHIONED GARDEN. The sun was shining bright one May morning in the old-fashioned garden. and the fiowers were making their early bow to each other. The state- ly queen, the hollyhock. was first to awaken. Minnie Mignonette, Natalie Nasturtium, and Polly Peony were the Queens favorite maids. therefore they stood nearest her. If lazy Poppy and Sweet Pea slept late, the Queens pretty maids would waken them. The velvety pansy sisters were the princesses. Their names we1'e Priscilla and Pauline Pansy. Priscilla was the older of the two. Susie Snow- drop was Priscilla's playmate and Betty Butter- cup was Pauline's. The messenger of the palace was Robin-red- breast. Priscilla and Pauline gave a party. They in- vited Susie Snowdrop, Betty Buttercup, Mar- garet Magnolia. Laura Lily, Alice Aster and Rob- ert and Rachel Rose. They had a fine 'timeg they had luncheon outside under the large, shady trees on a long bench: they had dew drops and sun- shine. just as they were eating, a carriage went by and it stopped in front of the palace. Pauline went down to see who it was. It was Dorothy Daffodil and her cousins, Tommy Tulip and Clara Crocus. They had some refreshments with the others. The sun was just setting in the west, when the fiower girls said Good Night. II. F. '22. A FAMILY OF BLUEBIRDS. Une day father bluebird sang to his mate. Tree-al-ly, tree-al-ly, which means, Come and hunt for some food for our babies. After they had gone, one of their mischievous little birds. Tommy, heard a noise and looked over the nest, but he could not see. One of his sisters, Twittie, told him not to look over the nest because he would fall out, but he would do it. :Xt last Twit- tie gave up arguing with him and out of the nest fell Tommy Twit. Tommy could not Hy so he had to stay there. The noise that he heard was a frog trying to sing. XYhen the frog saw what happened he said. Let us have a yelling contest, and they did. Guess who won? Oh, I might as well tell you. The bird did. Xyhile they were yelling a very near neighbor of Mr. and Mrs. llluebird heard this sound and fiew down to see what was the matter. XYheu she saw the condi- tion of things she flew after Tommy Twit's par- ents. XYhen Mr. and Hrs. Bluebird reached home they were very discouraged, and did not know what to do. -Tust then a boy was coming down the street. The mother and father were very frightened when they saw him coming. N

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out-outa 7? MR. SQUIRREL. I live in a lovely park with beautiful trees and Howers. I am storing my nuts for winter. I love to jump about and play with little children. Sometimes bad children come and try to catch me for their pet but I would rather be free. There is a little girl who lives near the park. 9he comes every day and never forgets to bring me something. One night when I was sleeping a great big cat woke me by his loud cry and began to chase me. He nearly caught up to me but I gave a big jump from one tree to another. He tried to jump but he fell and ran away. M. O. Mcli., '22, SNOOKUMS, MY KITTEN. I found Snookums in the cow barn. lfle was born in one of the cow's niangers. llis eyes were not yet open. I did not dare go in while the mother, Scrap, was there, for if I would she would move him. One day after his eyes were open, I carried him into the house and showed him to mother, and of course we all thought he was dear and I took him back to the barn. Snookum is now one year old. XYhen he is hungry, he will beg like a little dog. After he has eaten he will go up stairs and go to sleep on an old cot. XYhen Father goes down stairs in the morning he will let Snookums into the house and he will run up stairs as fast as he can. lfle comes marching into the room and sits down in front of the fire and watches us. Then we all go down to breakfast. .Xfter we have tinished, the cook feeds him and then he goes to bed. S. K. L., '22. A WALK IN THE WOOD. One Saturday Marjorie, my little friend, and I went for a walkin the woods back of our house. XVhen we were crossing the field we saw a little field mouse. NVe started to chase it but it ran so fast we lost it in the long grass. XX'hen we were on the edge of the wood Marjorie cried. Ohl look at the field sparrowl NVe sat very still, and it tiew in the bushes: after awhile it flew away and we peeped in and saw a nest full of little birds with their mouths wide open. They did look so funny. By this time it was noon so We went down to the brook and ate our luneh. After lunch we took off our shoes and stockings and went in wading, and oh, we had so much fun that we hated to leave, but the sun was sinking in the WCS-'L 50 We 'ilwught We had better start home. On the way we gathered some Howers and talked of the lovely day we had had. V. A. H., Taz. CAMPING IN THE WOODS. Une day in -luly, my cousin Helen and I were at our farm. It was a lovely day so l asked my aunt if we could go pony riding and camp out all night. My aunt said we could go. We went down to the stable to saddle our ponies. At ten o'clock we started off and rode until eleven. Then we picked out a camping place, and put up a small tent. About twelve o'cloek we ate lunch. .Xfter lunch we went for a walk in the woods. As Helen was walking along, she tame upon an old barn which was half burned down. One of the planks of the roof was still standing. I was startled by the chirp of a bird. l looked up. and on top of the plank was a baby barn swallow. XYe waited a minute out f s'ffht. Then another came and still another. lt was beginning to get dark. so l thought we had better go home. oth That night in bed I heard the whipepoor-will. the owl, and other night birds. In the morning l was startled by the sound of a flicker tapping on a nearby tree. lt was not very long until I heard a young bird calling for breakfast. Helen did not like camping out there. so we went home. 9. M.. '22. MR. TOMMY MEADOWLARK AND HIS FAMILY. Cuxr. l. The leaves were just coming out on the trees. The Howers were just coming out of the ground. Nr. Sun was just peeping over the hill. Tommy Meadowlark and his little wife were up bright and early. They were li ioking for a place to build their nest. At last Xlrs. Meadowlark found a place where a cow had stepped in the mud. It must have been a rainy day. said Klrs. Meadow- lark, because the grass has grown all around it, and it is nice and dry. Soon they were Flying hither and thither getting straw and feathers to build their nest. Now and then they would stop and sing. Tseen tseerf' Cnxr. ll. The next day the nest was tinished, and Rlrs. itleadowlark went right over and sat on it. They didn't sing any more, After a while they had a little baby. The next day they had another. and the next day another.

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OUI- DIRE 79 They Hew from branch to branch uttering piti- ful cries. You see Tommy could not tly to his nest. But instead of doing what they thought the boy was going to do, he put the bird in his pocket, climbed up the tree and put Tommy Twit in his nest. Tommy was glad to see his brothers and sisters again, and as for the mother and father they were so happy they began to sing a song. The family of bluebirds lived happily ever after that experience. M. R. C. '22. I AM A BIRD. My colors are black, white, and very pale yel- low, while my mate is brown. I live in a mea- dow and my nest is built in rich green grass. My mate lays four to six eggs which are colored with big blotches. In the fall I fly down south to Brazil, coming back in the spring. I pass rice fields and corn fields. All my song is, Bobolink, Bobolink, spink spank spinkf' M. A. McC. 'z2. WHAT BIRD AM I? I am an inch shorter than the robin. My color is the color of the slate on the roof of our house. My song is sung by one of the pets in the house. My friend, the robin, has a red breast, while I have red under my tail, but you can only see it when I am in a tree, and you are standing on the ground. I am very dainty because I manicure my claws. My nest is very big. I have another song also, Prutl Prutl coquillicot. Really, really coquillicotl Hey coquillicotl Hey victory! S. M. '22, WHO AM I? I have a black throat, a green, yellow and blue tail, yellow and green wings, a white and blue head, and a yellow bill. I build my nest in dense thickets. It is not very easily found. My eggs are of a grayish color with brown and lilac spots of different shades on them, My nest is made of twigs and rootlets. I am seen very much in Texas. I have a good many friends there. Green lay. Ix. C. '22. WHAT BIRD IS THIS? I have an orange breast and a black head. My wings are black striped with white. I get into noisy quarrels, for my temper is quite as Fiery as my coat. My song is almost tiresome before my mate comes. The nest hangs from the branch of some tree. lt is made out of thread and string, woven in with bits of shredded milk weed. I eat a number of grubs, worms. caterpillars and even cocoons. My mate has from four to six eggs scrawlcd over with dark brown marks. Baltimore tlriole. li. I. XY. 22. A FAMILY OF WHITE-WINGED CROSS- BILLS. Mr. and Mrs. Crossbill have returned from their winter home. Mr. Crossbill has a pink coat and Mrs. Crossbill has a yellowish dress. They built a nest in the willow tree in our yard. XYhen I saw them building, I put some straw and string for them to build with. After they were all settled, mother had a tub put in the garden for them to bathe in. livery morn- ing they would take a bath and then have their breakfast. One night a storm arose and I saw it coming up, so I went out to see if the nest was tight enough in the tree so that the wind would not knock it down. XYhen I woke up in the morning I saw that a sparrow's nest had been knocked out of a tree, but all of the birds had gone away. The Cross- hill's home was quite safe. Une day the father and mother bird were teaching the little ones how to Hy, They learned very quickly, XYhen they were able to tly, the birds moved to another place and that was the last I saw of Mr. and Mrs. Crossbill and their family. xi. s ic 23. MY DOLL. I have a doll I like very much. She is three years old and has had a great many baths, some- times in the bath-tub or else in the wash-basin. I have even washed her hair. lfler wig has come ol? and she is bald-headed. Irler name is Frances Rocely. She has brown eyes and hair. Ifler cheeks grew pale, so I brightened them up with Mother's nail polish. Sometimes she is married, sometimes she is a little girl. She often goes to bed with me at night. I H v . ,R TWO LITTLE BIRDS. One day while I was playing in the garden, I saw two little birds sitting on some telephone wires. All of a sudden I saw them turn towards