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There was a kitchen, one room for Olive and Dodo, one for the Doctor, and another for Rap's mother; while Olaf, Nat, and Rap were to sleep close by in a tent made of poles, canvas, and pine boughs. Several boats were drawn up on the beach, by a creel of nets and some lobster pots, while Olaf's sharpie was anchored in deep water a little way offshore.
You must hear a little about that first, and let your American Goldfinch take his turn with his brothers and cousins, for Rap's Rose-breasted Grosbeak belongs also in this family." "You say my bird is called American Goldfinch. He is such a bright yellow that gold is a good name for him, but what does 'Finch' mean?" "Finch, as I said, is the name of the great family to which he belongs.
"Oh, do tell us which ones do this and which took Rap's Chickens," said Dodo, forgetting her disappointment for the time. "I am going to make a play for you. Some of the Owls and Hawks shall speak for themselves, and tell you about their own habits and customs. In fact, the most familiar of these cannibals shall have a hearing this morning in the wonder room.
"We must make her comfortable, of course." In reality nobody else's comfort made a rap's difference just then. "I dare say we can find some jolly little apartment and somebody to take care of her." "Hire somebody for her to find fault with," said Lena, with a return of acid. "What about your mother?" "Oh, I couldn't let mother live anywhere but in the dear old home.
"Because it has a lot of red on it, and it's always starting up in a hurry," ventured Rap. "That is not the real reason," said the Doctor. "The name comes from a German word that means 'red tail, and rightly belongs to a bird of Europe that is never found in this country. Our bird has some red on the tail, but I really think that Rap's answer is the better one." The American Redstart
"I think we are getting way off from Nat's yellow bird," said Dodo; "and now I see lots more of Rap's Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, over on the fence. I want to know what they are doing in the potato field. I hope they don't dig up the little potatoes."
"Oh, my!" cried Dodo, waking suddenly, "that must be a Whip-poor-will, for he called his own name as plain as the Chickadee does; and listen! there are more of them all up the hill." Soon they passed Rap's house and left him at the gate.
"To make it look nice and pretty," said Dodo promptly. "To make it lighter, so's it can fly," added Nat. "To keep it warm, too, I guess," was Rap's answer. "Well, you are all three partly, but not quite, right. Certainly the beauty of a bird depends most on its feathers, being not even skin-deep, as you may well believe, if you ever noticed a chicken Mammy Bun had plucked.
Come in come in come in!" called the big bell that Rap's mother was ringing at the cabin door. And the morning itself was hardly brighter than the smile on her face at the sight of her lame boy's happiness. "Hurry along and dress, you little Sandpipers, for by and by we are going up the river," said the Doctor. "Why do you call us Sandpipers, Uncle Roy?" asked Nat.
The invitation is always accepted, and the birds appreciate the kindness so much that when they find mulberries they leave the cherries and strawberries in that garden in peace. This should teach us to plant wild fruits and berries for the birds, who prefer them to garden fruits." As the children turned from the road into Rap's garden they saw that it held a great many birds.
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