Part 17

They buried the blue eggs in the soft loam on the sunny side of the cliff. They sat down to watch when the young birds should hatch.

Now there remained those weaker earth children who had been pushed aside. For them there was no choice. The strange prince gave into their hand the red-brown eggs.

The red-brown eggs were placed amid the soft green grasses by the riverside. The earth children into whose care they were given sat also by the riverside and waited.

Sometimes, as they waited for the hatching of the red-brown eggs, they looked up to the place in the cliff where the stronger ones watched the beautiful blue eggs.

Then the weaker ones sighed and turned to the ugly red-brown eggs amid the grasses.

By and bye, as those on the cliff waited, they heard faint tappings inside the blue shells.

"Ah," they said, "the birds will come soon now. 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. They fed and tended the young birds for still a few days.

Then one morning there were sighs and discontent on the cliff. For the birds which came from the blue shells were feathered and ready for flight. Their colours were black and white! So also is all the bare earth and the new-fallen snow!

It was a pair of ravens, which the stronger earth children followed to the country where winter follows summer and where men work for food. As the earth children laboured, the ravens taunted them with hoarse, laughing cries.

Now those other earth children who watched the red-brown eggs stood up by the riverside and smiled.

From the red-brown eggs had come birds of gorgeous plumage. On the breath of a sweet-scented breeze they were wafted far to southward--to the summer land. And those earth children who followed the beautiful birds still live easily in the land of everlasting summer-time.

ALL ABOUT THE CHICKEN-HAWK

SUGGESTIONS FOR FIELD LESSONS

Voice--sharp, harsh, discordant cries--queer "whistling" noises.

Upper parts brownish black mixed with white--throat and under tail coverts white--other under parts having darker markings.

Bill--short, curved, and very sharp.

Claws--strong, curved, and very sharp,--middle toe longest.

Wings--long and pointed--made for rapid flight and long journeys.

Female larger than male.

Food--other smaller birds of the air--small ducks and chickens--occasionally larger insects, snakes, etc.

Nest in the fork of a tree--made of crooked sticks and lined with leaves, bark, etc.

Eggs--two to four in number, bluish white, thickly speckled with brown.

Iris in young bird's eyes yellow--turning to reddish brown with maturity.

ALL ABOUT THE RAVEN

SUGGESTIONS FOR FIELD LESSONS