1 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 1: Hello, friends, and welcome to sleep tight stories. It is 2 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:23,800 Speaker 1: a rainy day in today's story, and the birds are 3 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:32,080 Speaker 1: enjoying it. They can't wait to look for worms. Silvertip 4 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 1: and his little boy are also out, and the little 5 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 1: boy helps the birds to stay safe a rainy day 6 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:52,960 Speaker 1: on the lawn. When the sun rose that morning late 7 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 1: in April, he tried and tried to look at the 8 00:00:56,920 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 1: big House and see what was happening. All he could 9 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 1: see was a thick gray cloud veil stretched between him 10 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 1: and the earth, and shine as hard as he might, 11 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:21,039 Speaker 1: not a single sunbeam went through that veil. When the 12 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:27,399 Speaker 1: blackbirds awakened, they found a drizzling rain falling and hurried 13 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 1: on their waterproofs to get ready for a wet time. 14 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 1: Blackbirds are always handsome, yet they never look better than 15 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:47,039 Speaker 1: when it rains. They coat their feathers with oil from 16 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 1: the pockets under their tails, as indeed all birds do, 17 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 1: and then they fly to the high branches of some 18 00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 1: tall and swaying trees and talk and talk, and talk 19 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 1: and talk. They do not get into little groups and 20 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: face each other, but scatter themselves around and face the wind. 21 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:22,639 Speaker 1: This is most sensible, or if one of them were 22 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 1: to turn his back to the wind, it would rumble 23 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: up his feathers and give the rain drop a chance 24 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 1: to get down to his skin. When they speak, or 25 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: at least when they have anything really important to say, 26 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:45,640 Speaker 1: they ruffle their own feathers and stand on tiptoe. But 27 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 1: they ruffle them carefully and face the wind all the time. 28 00:02:56,120 --> 00:03:00,399 Speaker 1: When the robins opened their round eyes, they chirped cheerfully 29 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 1: to each other and put on their waterproofs. Good weather 30 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: for us, they said, It will make fine mud for 31 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 1: plastering our new nests, and it will bring out the worms. 32 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 1: The English sparrows, goldfinches and other seed eaters were not 33 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:28,360 Speaker 1: made happy by the rain. With them, it was only 34 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:36,480 Speaker 1: something to be borne patiently and without complaining. The hummingbirds 35 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: found fewer fresh blossoms open on cloudy days, and so 36 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: had to fly farther and work harder for their food. 37 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 1: The peeweees and other flycatchers boiled their feathers and kept 38 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: steadily at work. The birds had not awakened so early 39 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:05,840 Speaker 1: as usual because it was darker. They had hardly gotten 40 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 1: a good start on their breakfast before a sleepy little 41 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 1: face appeared at the window of the big house and 42 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:18,480 Speaker 1: a sleepy little voice called out, Oh mother, it is raining. 43 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:26,239 Speaker 1: I didn't want it to rain. Foolish, foolish, foolish, chirped 44 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 1: the robins on the lawn. Boys would know better than 45 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 1: to say such things if they were birds. Boys are 46 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:37,839 Speaker 1: a bother anyway, said an English sparrow, as he spattered 47 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 1: in the edge of a puddle. I wish they had 48 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 1: never been hatched, carie, said a blackbird above his head. 49 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:49,839 Speaker 1: I suppose they may be of some use in the world. 50 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:53,160 Speaker 1: I noticed that the gentleman and the lady seem to 51 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 1: think a great deal of this one, and they are 52 00:04:55,960 --> 00:05:01,359 Speaker 1: a very good sort of people. I'd like them better 53 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:05,159 Speaker 1: if they didn't keep a cat, said his brother. Their 54 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:10,159 Speaker 1: cat is the greatest climber I ever saw. He almost 55 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:12,480 Speaker 1: made it to the top of this maple tree after 56 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:16,200 Speaker 1: me yesterday, and I have seen him go clear to 57 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 1: the eaves of the big house on the woodbine. That 58 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:25,919 Speaker 1: is because the sparrows live there, said mister Wren. He 59 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 1: went to see their children. Silvertip says that he is 60 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:33,240 Speaker 1: very fond of children. They are so much more tender 61 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 1: than their parents. Mister Wren could laugh about this because 62 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:42,360 Speaker 1: his own children were always safely housed. Besides, you know, 63 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:48,920 Speaker 1: he had reason to dislike sparrows. I would not stay here, 64 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:52,279 Speaker 1: said a sparrow who had just come up, if the 65 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:55,719 Speaker 1: people here were not the right sword. They have mountain 66 00:05:55,800 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 1: ash trees and sweetbriar bushes where birds find good feeding. 67 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:04,120 Speaker 1: And in the winter that boy throws out bread crumbs 68 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 1: and wheat for us. That the oldest blackbird, there is 69 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 1: no need to talk so much about it. You can 70 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 1: always tell what sort of people live in a place 71 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:20,840 Speaker 1: by seeing if they have a bird house. If they 72 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 1: have and it is a sensible one where a bird 73 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 1: could live comfortably, they are all right. After that, the 74 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:37,880 Speaker 1: birds worked more and talked less. For the oldest blackbird, 75 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 1: while he was often grumpy and sometimes angry, was really 76 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:48,159 Speaker 1: a very sensible bird, and what he had said was true. 77 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 1: The robins went here and there over the lawn in quick, 78 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 1: short runs, pausing once in a while with their heads 79 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 1: bent forward, and then pulling up child worms to eat. 80 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:07,039 Speaker 1: Some of their mouthfuls were half as long as they 81 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:12,680 Speaker 1: but that was not rude in robins. What they insist 82 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 1: on in bringing up their children is that mouthfuls should 83 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 1: not be too broad, and that they should not stop 84 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 1: swallowing until all the worm is out of sight. The 85 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 1: blackbirds hunted in a more dignified way. They never ran 86 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 1: after food, or indeed after anything else. If walking is 87 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 1: not fast enough, the blackbird mothers say, then fly, but 88 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 1: do not run. They walked in parties over the lawn 89 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:54,320 Speaker 1: and waggled their heads at each step when they found grubs. 90 00:07:54,600 --> 00:08:01,680 Speaker 1: They did not appear greedy, yet never a grub escape. 91 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:05,760 Speaker 1: There are two ways of hurrying, they often said. One 92 00:08:05,840 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 1: is the jerky way, and the other is our way 93 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:13,760 Speaker 1: of being sure and steady. Of course, our way is 94 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:17,280 Speaker 1: the best. You will see that we do just as 95 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 1: much and make less fuss. Silvertip came to the edge 96 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 1: of the porch and looked around. He was licking his lips, 97 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 1: and every bird on the lawn was happy to see that, 98 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:40,640 Speaker 1: for it meant that he had just finished his breakfast. 99 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 1: His eyes gleamed and his tail waved stiffly as he 100 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:52,240 Speaker 1: saw the fat robin so near. He even crouched down 101 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:57,439 Speaker 1: and took four short steps, quivering his body and trying 102 00:08:57,520 --> 00:09:04,720 Speaker 1: his muscles. Then he remembered how wet the grass was, 103 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:11,920 Speaker 1: and turned back with a long sigh. After all his 104 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:16,240 Speaker 1: stomach was full, and he could afford to wait until 105 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 1: the grass was dry. The robins would be there then, 106 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 1: and if they kept on eating worms at this rate, 107 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:29,680 Speaker 1: they would be growing plump and juicy all the time. 108 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 1: He began to lick himself all over, as every truly 109 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 1: tidy cat does after eating. By the time he had 110 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:47,080 Speaker 1: finished the tip of his tail, he was sleepy, so 111 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 1: he went into the kitchen and dozed by the fire. 112 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:57,680 Speaker 1: The front door opened with a bay, and the little 113 00:09:57,679 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 1: boy stood there shouting, waving a piece of red paper 114 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 1: with a string tied to it. See my kite, he cried. 115 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:13,800 Speaker 1: Wee five birds who had been feeding near flew off 116 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:18,760 Speaker 1: in wild alarm. Now why did he do that? Asked one, 117 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:25,320 Speaker 1: after they had settled down elsewhere. Nobody answered none. But 118 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:29,400 Speaker 1: little boys understood these things, and even they do not 119 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:36,000 Speaker 1: always tell. The lady came to the door behind him 120 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 1: and helped him start away. He proudly carried a small 121 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:45,559 Speaker 1: new umbrella, and the precious kite fluttered out behind him. 122 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:50,080 Speaker 1: When he was outside the gate, he peeped through it 123 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:53,720 Speaker 1: and called back, goodbye, mother, I'm going to school to 124 00:10:53,840 --> 00:11:00,760 Speaker 1: learn everything. I'll be a good boy. Goodbye. Then He 125 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:03,920 Speaker 1: ran down the walk, with the umbrella held back over 126 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:07,880 Speaker 1: his shoulder and the rain falling squarely in his face. 127 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:12,160 Speaker 1: All that the birds could see of the little boy 128 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:18,440 Speaker 1: then was his fat legs bobbing along below the umbrella. Oh, 129 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:23,200 Speaker 1: there set all the birds together. There. Silvertip is asleep, 130 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:27,200 Speaker 1: and the little boy has gone to school. Now we 131 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:36,760 Speaker 1: can take comfort. When the morning was nearly past, and 132 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:41,480 Speaker 1: the birds felt so safe that they had grown almost careless, 133 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:49,000 Speaker 1: Silvertip woke up and felt hungry. He walked slowly out 134 00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:53,080 Speaker 1: of the kitchen door and looked at the grass. The 135 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:56,680 Speaker 1: sun was now shining, and it was no longer sparkling 136 00:11:56,720 --> 00:12:02,240 Speaker 1: with tiny drops. Kept down the steps and around to 137 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:07,520 Speaker 1: a place under a big spruce tree, the lower branches 138 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:11,559 Speaker 1: of which lay along the ground. A fat robin was 139 00:12:11,679 --> 00:12:19,439 Speaker 1: hunting nearby. Silvertip watched her hungrily, and if you were 140 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:22,720 Speaker 1: a cat, you might have done exactly the same thing, 141 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:30,160 Speaker 1: though you must not blame Silvertip. He was creeping, creeping, 142 00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:36,240 Speaker 1: creeping nearer, and never looking away from her. When the 143 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:41,120 Speaker 1: little boy came tramping across the grass, he had come 144 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:44,040 Speaker 1: in by the gate of the driveway and was walking 145 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:52,079 Speaker 1: straight towards Silvertip, who neither saw nor heard him. Then 146 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:54,960 Speaker 1: the little boy saw what was happening and dropped his 147 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 1: bright paper chain on the grass beside him. Go Away, 148 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:03,680 Speaker 1: he cried, waving his umbrella. Go away. Don't you try 149 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:07,719 Speaker 1: to catch any birds round here? My father doesn't low it. 150 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:11,440 Speaker 1: Go away, go away else I tell my mother that 151 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:18,360 Speaker 1: you are a bad cat. Silvertip fled under the porch, 152 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:22,840 Speaker 1: the robin flew up onto the snowball bush, and all 153 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:26,640 Speaker 1: around the birds sang the praises of the good little 154 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:32,440 Speaker 1: boy with the umbrella. But the little boy didn't know this. 155 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 1: He stood by the porch and dangled his pretty paper 156 00:13:37,280 --> 00:13:41,000 Speaker 1: chain until Silvertip forgave him and came out to play. 157 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:46,920 Speaker 1: Then they ran together into the house, and the birds 158 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:53,959 Speaker 1: heard him shouting, Mother, mother, where are you? I want 159 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 1: to give Silvertip some cream. He is so very hungry 160 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:02,840 Speaker 1: that he almost gobbled up a robin. Only I wouldn't 161 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:12,960 Speaker 1: let him do that. Let's get him some cream, and 162 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 1: that's the end of our story. Good night, sleep tight.