But he did not scream any more or
offer the least objection when the merle took
him to her tender breast, cooing reassurance.

"There! you've got a new singing
teacher, Jess--a little screech owl. Little!
My! he 's big for a small-eared owl, isn't
he?--nearly a foot long. Brush the camouflage
off him--the smuts of the chimney!"

"Well--well, whether he enacted Santa
Claus of his own accord, or whether he
didn't--" thus Tanpa broke in on the
last flow of speech which was a medley--
"he 's brought us one gift, anyway, the
gift of a glorious day for our annual White
Birch celebration."

It did prove a banner day, from the
breakfast out of doors on the wide piazza
in that matchless warmth of early summer
when buds are bursting, trees singing themselves
into leaf--for "all deep things are
song--" when the inquisitive breeze peeps
longingly into the yellow heart of the first
wild rose and May is bourgeoning, flowering,
into the joy of June.

[[194]]

p193 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p194w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p195

v?