Wauwatosa News

The Bird's Quarrel.

It all started with such a little matter.
Miss Brown Thrush and Miss Blue Bird
had both gotten out of their nests in a
very bad humor, and nothing had gone
right all day. Everything and everybody
had been wrong except themselves: and
now they were sitting opposite each other
on a bough of an apple tree down in
the orchard, with their feathers ruffled
up, and looking very angry, indeed.
"It's blue, and any bird could see it is
blue, if he only choose to look." said Miss
Thrush, in a shrill tone, as she sat with
her face toward the East.
"And I say it's red-just as red as can
be, no matter what any bird says." responded
Miss Blue Bird, who sat facing
the West.
"You're a very horrid bird." cried Miss
Thrush, angrily, ruffling up her golden
brown jacket, so that it nearly hid the
pretty dots on her breast.
"And you are quite as horrid."
answered Miss Blue Bird. "if you only
knew it."
And sorry to relate, each flew at the
other, and with angry cries nearly pecked
each other's eyes out.
"Children, children, shame on you!"
hooted the wise old owl in the pear tree,
and all the violets and snowdrops hiding
fearfully in the grass below lifted their
heads and nodded.
But Miss Thrush and Miss Blue Bird
were so beside themselves with anger,
they only pecked harder than ever: and
the flowers were glad that a fresh breeze
blew the long grass over them again. No
one seemed anxious to stop the quarreling
until the old owl, feeling his way
along in the bright sunshine, flew over
and separated the angry birds and all
the other birds with one consent chose
him judge to decide the quarrel.
"Now, what is it all about?" he hooted,
solemnly. "Miss Blue Bird, you may
speak first."
Miss Blue Bird smoothed her feathers
and speaking in a weak voice because
she was short of breath, said:
"We were talking about the sky, and
Miss Thrush rudely insists that its color
is blue, while I say it is red, and any
bird who looks at it will certainly sustain
me in what I say."
And she glanced at Miss Thrush, angrily.
"And I say again it is blue, and any
bird can see it is as I say." answered
Miss Thrush, looking quite as angry.
And then there was such a twittering
of laughter among the birds, and one
little violet laughed so hard she nearly
shook her head off, while Miss Thrush
and Miss Blue Bird, not understanding
the joke, looked discomfited.
"Well, well," laughed Judge Owl, "you
are two very silly birds, I must say.
If Miss Thrush will be good enough to
turn around she will see that the sky in
the west is red-it 'most always is at
this time of day-and if Miss Blue Bird
will turn round she will certainly say
the sky in the other direction is blue.
It simply depends on the way you look
at it."
And Mr. Sun, who was just going to
bed, but had waited to hear the outcome
of the quarrel, laughed so hard
that his red face became redder than
ever, and Miss Thrush and Miss Blue
Bird were wiser birds when they tucked
their heads under their wings and went
to sleep that night.-Anna C. Young
Sunday School Times.