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"A nasty, deceitful, old, furry, green-eyed, no-winged, ground-crawling monster," said Mrs Specklems. "There I sat, with its nasty fish-hook foot within two or three inches of my nose, and there it was opening and shutting, and clawing about in such a way, that I turned all cold and shivery all over, and I'm sure I've given quite a chill to the eggs; and dear, dear, what a time they are hatching!
And beautifully Specklems, no doubt, thought he sang, only to a listener it sounded to be all sputter and wheezle chatter and whistle; but he kept on. All the while puss crept gently up to the trunk of the tree, only just to rub herself up against it, backwards and forwards; nothing more.
Mrs Puss gave a slight start, and peering up saw Specklems looking as fierce about the head as an onion stuck full of needles; but she did not draw forth her paw until she had, by carefully stretching it out as far as possible, found that she could not reach the nest.
Poor Specklems! he hardly knew what to do at first; but he had wit enough to be upon his guard while he sang two or three staves of his song.
Mr and Mrs Specklems, the starlings, were very undecided about the hole in the chimney-stack, so much so, that when they had half-furnished it, they altered their minds and went to the great crack half way up the old cedar, and settled there; "like a pair of giddy unsettled things," as the jackdaw said, who meant to have been their neighbour; but was not above taking possession of the soft bed they had left behind.
However, he was not left there long in peace, for the birds of Greenlawn did not like such visitors; and the first notice they had of the stranger was from Specklems, the starling, who flew up into the tree, and then out again as though a wasp had stuck in his ear. "Chur-chair-chark," he shouted, flying round and round, spitting and sputtering, and making his head look like a hedgehog.
When the birds had all settled again, they went to business in a quieter way, for they did not wish to be again driven off in such a sweeping manner; so at last they decided that the owl should be judge, because he looked big and imposing. "Oh!" said Specklems the starling, "but he's so sleepy and chuckleheaded."
"Well, I knew that," said Boxer; "pull it out." He spoke so sharply that every one jumped, and appeared as if about to fly off; but as the dog lay quite still, Specklems laid hold of the thorn, and gave a tug at it that made Boxer whine; but he did not get it out, so tried again.
Suppose Mr Specklems goes and gives the great staring, goggle-eyed thing a poke; I'm sure I wish he would." "I should just like to pickaxe him with my mortar-chipper," said an old cock-sparrow. "I'd teach him to come into other people's trees without being asked." "Let's ask him civilly to go," said the wren. "Let's shout at him, and frighten him," said the owl.
"Wow-wow-wiau-au-au-aw," yelled Puss, wakened out of her sleep, and in vain trying to escape. "Hooray!" said the birds, flying round and round in a state of the greatest excitement. "Give it her, Boxer," shouted Mr Specklems, remembering the morning's treachery.