It was a beautiful summer afternoon when Nina the sparrow received a surprise that stopped her quick little heart for a moment. It was a chirp from her husband, and she knew well enough what that meant.
“I don’t want to be mean, Pedro,” said Nina. “But I don’t want to build our nest all by myself.”
“You will have to,” said Pedro bluntly.
Nina hopped out on a branch and began to think. “I wish I could get all of my friends to help,” said she aloud. But just as she said that a little green “Sparrow” appeared like a flash and sat before her, r8180.
“That’s what I can do for you,” said the Green “Sparrow.” And, lest Nina should think him greedy or self-seeking, he added, “In return please keep warm Pedro while I ask a favor of you.”
“I will be glad to,” said Nina.
So the little Green Sparrow hurried away, and when he came back he had a dozen of his friends hopping along the branch after him.
They flew in a flock to Pedro and put Nina on the back of a crane. They flew to the woods and brought away feathers and moss and fur. They flew to a chicken coop and pulled up all the strands of rope from an old nest. They flew to old Mrs. Goose and collected all her down.
When the nest was complete every one flew away but Nina the Sparrow to kindly do up Pedro in a little green shrub that was perhaps a quarter of an inch above the ground.
“You’ll need no roof in summer,” said Nina gently. “And here’s your little switch stand. Rosalind and I have made it for you.”
“The little Green Sparrows and their friends have been busy for me,” said Pedro, looking round. “When will mine give me as much breakfast as we like?”
“Twice a day,” said Nina. “But remember, we must always be good to the old ones. Good-by.”
Nina was soon feeding Pedro with the greatest activity, but he soon got tired and said so.
“You will never be tired of listening to the chirpings of your little ones,” said Nina, smiling and looking round the nest “Isn’t it fine?”
It was indeed, and Pedro knew when the little Green Sparrows said good night that he appreciated it by chirping, folk could hardly hear his friends outside.
The next morning, to Nina’s indignation, they came with several very old exchange-papers of three weeks old—foreign exchanges, and some very old standards—and wanted to swap her a little cushion of verdure.
Nina did not know what I meant by that.
“It is what poltroons and peddlers of goods do,” said Nina.
“It is human nature to be careful about one’s nido,” said Pedro.
But it was not: the Green Sparrows had firmly united the nest to the limb of the tree; and if Pedro and Nina were good by listening attentively to them what care those little detectives would take that it should stand the next winter there several decades without danger.
But Nina and Pedro left when their little Pedroes could look over the edge of their home, and it was in miles and miles away from the Green Sparrows in a distant New World.