. True bird stories from my note-books . ttle fellow. Wind or stormoutside the windows made him wild. He wouldfly around the room, squawking at the top of hisvoice; and the horrible tin horns the boys likedto blow at Thanksgiving and Christmas drovehim frantic. Once I brought a Christmas treeinto the room to please the birds, and all weredelighted with it except my poor little blue jay,who was much afraid of it. Think of the sad-ness of a bird being afraid of a tree ! II Jakie had decided opinions about people whocame into the room to see me, or to see thebirds. At some persons he would squawk
. True bird stories from my note-books . ttle fellow. Wind or stormoutside the windows made him wild. He wouldfly around the room, squawking at the top of hisvoice; and the horrible tin horns the boys likedto blow at Thanksgiving and Christmas drovehim frantic. Once I brought a Christmas treeinto the room to please the birds, and all weredelighted with it except my poor little blue jay,who was much afraid of it. Think of the sad-ness of a bird being afraid of a tree ! II Jakie had decided opinions about people whocame into the room to see me, or to see thebirds. At some persons he would squawk everymoment. Others he saluted with a queer crylike Ob-ble! ob-ble! ob-ble! Once when alady came in with a baby, he fixed his eyes onthat infant with a savage look as if he wouldlike to peck it, and jumped back and forth inhis cage, panting, but perfectly silent. Jakie was very devoted to me. He alwaysgreeted me with a low, sweet chatter, with wingsquivering, and if he were out of the cage hewould come on the back of my chair and touch. BLUE I\V THE BUSY BLUE JAY 19 my cheek or lips very gently with his beak, oroffer me a bit of food if he had any; and tome alone, when no one else was near, he sanga low, exquisite song. I afterwards heard asimilar song sung by a wild blue jay to his matewhile she was sitting, and so I knew that mydear little captive had given me his sweetest —his love song. One of Jakies amusements was dancing acrossthe back of a tall chair, taking funny little steps,coming down hard, jouncing his body, andwhistling as loud as he could. He would keepup this funny performance as long as anybodywould stand before him and pretend to dancetoo. My jay was fond of a sensation. One of hisdearest bits of fun was to drive the birds into apanic. This he did by flying furiously aroundthe room, feathers rustling, and squawking as loudas he could. He usually managed to fly just overthe head of each bird, and as he came like acatapult, every one flew before him, so that i
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1903
