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Chapter 01 - The Study of Life

2. The smallest unit that has all of the characteristics of life is the
A. cell.
B. tissue.
C. organ.
D. organ system.
E. organism.

The cell is the basic unit of life. Some organisms are single-celled; however, others are
comprised of cells arranged into tissues, organs, and organ systems.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember

Learning Outcome: 01.01.02 Distinguish between the levels of biological organization.
Section: 01.01
Topic: Levels of Biological Organization

1-2
Copyright © 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 01 - The Study of Life

3. Which level of biological organization is composed of several tissues?

A. organism
B. organ system
C. organ
D. cell
E. molecules

Organs are composed of tissues working together in a common set of functions. Tissues are
collections of cells, and cells are made up of various molecules. Organs make up organ
systems, which comprise the organism.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember

Learning Outcome: 01.01.02 Distinguish between the levels of biological organization.
Section: 01.01
Topic: Levels of Biological Organization

4. Which sequence correctly lists the different levels of biological organization, from the
smallest and simplest to the largest and most complex?
A. cells-organs-tissues-organ systems-organism
B. cells-tissues-organ systems-organs-organism
C. tissues-cells-organs-organ systems-organism
D. tissues-organs-organ systems-organism-cells
E. cells-tissues-organs-organ systems-organism

The cell is the smallest, simplest unit of life. Cells are organized into tissues, which make up
organs. A group of organs working together for a common set of functions comprises an
organ system. An individual organism contains several organ systems.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember

Learning Outcome: 01.01.02 Distinguish between the levels of biological organization.
Section: 01.01
Topic: Levels of Biological Organization

1-3
Copyright © 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 01 - The Study of Life

5. Which statement concerning reproduction is false?

A. Hereditary information is passed on to the next generation.
B. Hereditary information is in the form of genes.
C. The offspring of asexual organisms have the same genes as the single parent.
D. The offspring of sexual organisms have roughly one half of the genes from each parent.
E. The offspring of multicellular organisms tend to be identical to the parent.

Multicellular organisms generally use sexual reproduction, in which each parent contributes
to the genetic makeup of the offspring; thus, the offspring is not genetically identical to either
parent.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember

Learning Outcome: 01.01.01 Identify the basic characteristics of life.
Section: 01.01
Topic: Characteristics of Life

6. Which sequence of classification categories is in the proper order from least to most
inclusive?
A. genus, class, kingdom, domain, order, phylum, species, family
B. domain, class, genus, family, species, order, phylum, kingdom
C. species, genus, family, order, class, phylum, kingdom, domain
D. genus, species, order, class, family, kingdom, domain, phylum
E. species, genus, family, class, order, phylum, kingdom, domain

The correct sequence is species, genus, family, order, class, phylum, kingdom,
domain. Species is the least inclusive category in the taxonomic hierarchy; domain is the
most inclusive.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember

Learning Outcome: 01.02.01 Describe how living things are classified.
Section: 01.02
Topic: Levels of Biological Organization

1-4
Copyright © 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 01 - The Study of Life

7. What is the correct format for the binomial name of human beings?
A. Homo Sapiens
B. homo Sapiens
C. homo sapiens
D. Homo sapiens
E. Sapiens homo

When using binomial naming, the genus name should come first, and its first letter is always
capitalized. The species name follows, in all lowercase letters. Thus, the correct answer is
Homo sapiens.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember

Learning Outcome: 01.02.01 Describe how living things are classified.
Section: 01.02
Topic: Levels of Biological Organization

8. Corn belongs to the kingdom

A. Plantae.
B. Animalia.
C. Fungi.
D. Protista.
E. Archaea.

Corn is an example of a multicellular, photosynthetic organism belonging to kingdom

Plantae.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember

Learning Outcome: 01.02.01 Describe how living things are classified.
Section: 01.02
Topic: Levels of Biological Organization

1-5
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McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 01 - The Study of Life

9. The three major domains of life are

A. plants, animals, and protists.
B. bacteria, fungi, and eukaryotes.
C. eukaryotes, prokaryotes, and animals.
D. archaea, bacteria, and eukaryotes.
E. eukaryotes, prokaryotes, and fungi.

The three major domains of life include the bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes. The rest of the
living organisms listed are not classified at the domain level.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember

Learning Outcome: 01.02.02 Distinguish between the three domains of life.
Section: 01.02
Topic: Levels of Biological Organization

10. A multicellular, photosynthetic organism with complex, specialized cells and tissues
would most likely be assigned to
A. kingdom Animalia.
B. kingdom Fungi.
C. domain Archaea.
D. kingdom Protista.
E. kingdom Plantae.

Members of kingdom Plantae are multicellular, with specialized cells and tissues, and can
form their own "food" by photosynthesis. Organisms in kingdom Animalia are also
multicellular with specialized cells and tissues, but they are heterotrophs that ingest their
food. Kingdom Fungi is comprised of unicellular and multicellular organisms, all
heterotrophic by absorption. Kingdom Protista contains mostly unicellular organisms with a
few multicellular forms, some of which are heterotrophic while others are
photosynthetic. They lack the high degree of cellular and tissue specialization seen in
plants. Domain Archaea contains only unicellular, prokaryotic organisms.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember

Learning Outcome: 01.02.01 Describe how living things are classified.
Section: 01.02
Topic: Levels of Biological Organization

1-6
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McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 01 - The Study of Life

11. The layer where organisms can exist on the surface of the earth is the
A. biosphere.
B. ecosystem.
C. population.
D. homeostasis.
E. community.

The biosphere is the zone of air, land, and water on the earth where living organisms are
found. An ecosystem is a community of organisms plus the non-living components of their
environment. A community is a collection of populations of different species living in the
same area. A population is a collection of members of the same species living in the same
area. Homeostasis is the maintenance of a steady internal environment.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember

Learning Outcome: 01.01.02 Distinguish between the levels of biological organization.
Section: 01.01
Topic: Levels of Biological Organization

12. All the organisms of various species living within a given area constitute a(n)
A. biosphere.
B. ecosystem.
C. population.
D. domain.
E. community.

A community is a collection of populations of different species living in the same area. All
the members of a particular species living within a given area are known as a population. The
biosphere is the zone of air, land, and water on the earth where living organisms are found.
An ecosystem is a community of organisms plus the non-living components of their
environment. Domain is the highest, most inclusive category for the classification of
organisms.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember

Learning Outcome: 01.01.02 Distinguish between the levels of biological organization.
Section: 01.01
Topic: Levels of Biological Organization

1-7
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McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 01 - The Study of Life

13. A community of organisms along with their physical environment constitutes a(n)
A. biosphere.
B. ecosystem.
C. population.
D. habitat.
E. community.

An ecosystem includes not only all the living organisms in a given area, but also the non-
living, physical environment. The biosphere is the zone of air, land, and water on the earth
where living organisms are found. A population is a collection of members of the same
species living in the same area. A habitat is where an organism lives. A community is a
collection of populations of different species living in the same area.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember

Learning Outcome: 01.01.02 Distinguish between the levels of biological organization.
Section: 01.01
Topic: Levels of Biological Organization

14. The most important factor that determines where major ecosystems are located on the
globe is
A. soil type.
B. available vegetation.
C. climate.
D. oxygen levels.
E. political boundaries.

The main determinant of where the major ecosystems are located is climate. Climate exerts
the most important influence over what vegetation is available, and vegetation contributes to
soil formation. Oxygen levels are a concern only at the highest altitudes, and political
boundaries have no inherent influence on ecosystem locations.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember

Learning Outcome: 01.01.01 Identify the basic characteristics of life.
Section: 01.01
Topic: Characteristics of Life

1-8
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McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 01 - The Study of Life

15. The term "biodiversity" refers to

A. a study of ecosystems without consideration of the living organisms.
B. the similarities between species.
C. the rate of extinction of species due to human activities.
D. the total number of species, variation of species, and the ecosystems in which they live.
E. the study of food chains within an ecosystem.

The term "biodiversity" is quite broad, encompassing the total number of species, variation of
species, and the ecosystems in which they live. All of the other answer choices are too narrow
to fit the definition of biodiversity.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember

Learning Outcome: 01.04.02 Summarize some of the major challenges facing science.
Section: 01.04
Topic: Biodiversity

16. A possible explanation for a natural event, based on observations and past knowledge, is
a
A. hypothesis.
B. phenomenon.
C. control.
D. variable.
E. theory.

A hypothesis is defined as a possible explanation for a natural event (phenomenon) based on

observations and past knowledge. When a hypothesis has withstood repeated testing over
time, it may be elevated to a theory. In a controlled experiment, the control is the subject or
group not subjected to the factor, or variable, being tested.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember

Learning Outcome: 01.03.02 Distinguish between a theory and a hypothesis.
Section: 01.03
Topic: Scientific Method

1-9
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McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 01 - The Study of Life

17. Which statement regarding the scientific method is false?

A. Hypotheses are tentative explanations of observed phenomena.
B. A hypothesis may become a theory, which may become a law.
C. Deductive reasoning is often used in the design of an experiment.
D. A control group is always exposed to the factor being tested.
E. Conclusions are formed after an experiment is conducted.

An experimental group, not a control group, is always exposed to the factor being tested. All
the other answer choices are accurate statements.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember

Learning Outcome: 01.03.01 Identify components of the scientific method.
Section: 01.03
Topic: Scientific Method

18. Which answer choice lists the steps of the scientific method in the correct order?
A. hypothesis, observation, experiment, conclusion, data collection
B. conclusion, hypothesis, observation, experiment, data collection
C. observation, hypothesis, experiment, data collection, conclusion
D. observation, experiment, hypothesis, conclusion, data collection
E. data collection, conclusion, hypothesis, experiment, observation

In a typical application of the scientific method, observations are used to formulate a

hypothesis. The hypothesis may then be tested, as in an experiment. Data is collected as part
of the experimental process. Based on the results of the hypothesis testing, a conclusion is
made.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember

Learning Outcome: 01.03.01 Identify components of the scientific method.
Section: 01.03
Topic: Scientific Method

1-10
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McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 01 - The Study of Life

19. Which of the following is one of the domains of life? rev: 10_04_2013_QC_36723
A. Animalia
B. Eukarya
C. Molds
D. Protista
E. Fungi

Eukarya is a domain of life. Animalia, Protista, and Fungi are all kingdoms of life. Molds is
not a level of scientific classification.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember

Learning Outcome: 01.02.02 Distinguish between the three domains of life.
Section: 01.02
Topic: Levels of Biological Organization

20. Technology is the __________________________.

A. application of scientific knowledge for a practical purpose.
B. study of living organisms.
C. study of the interactions between living organisms and their environment.
D. application of common knowledge for a practical purpose.
E. application of laws to benefit society.

Technology is the application of scientific knowledge for a practical purpose.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember

Learning Outcome: 01.04.01 Distinguish between science and technology.
Section: 01.04
Topic: Experimental Design

1-11
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McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 01 - The Study of Life

True / False Questions

21. Using technology in the field of agriculture has enabled farmers to feed a growing human
population.
TRUE

Advances in technology have enabled farmers to grow more food in order to feed a growing
human population.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember

Learning Outcome: 01.04.01 Distinguish between science and technology.
Section: 01.04
Topic: Scientific Method

Multiple Choice Questions

22. A physician specializes in surgery involving the following group of organs: mouth,
esophagus, stomach, and intestines. Overall, what is the highest level of organization that this
physician is specialized in?
A. cell
B. tissue
C. organ
D. organ system
E. organism

The mouth, esophagus, stomach, and intestines are all organs belonging to the digestive
system. An organism is made up of multiple organ systems. The individual organs are made
up of tissues, which are collections of cells.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 01.01.02 Distinguish between the levels of biological organization.
Section: 01.01
Topic: Levels of Biological Organization

1-12
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McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 01 - The Study of Life

23. Which statement about living organisms is not correct?

A. Living organisms create energy.
B. Living organisms maintain homeostasis.
C. Living organisms reproduce.
D. Living organisms have adaptations.
E. Living organisms grow and develop.

Living organisms cannot create energy. Instead, they convert it from one form to another. It
will then be used to maintain homeostasis, reproduce, and adapt, as well as grow and develop.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 01.01.01 Identify the basic characteristics of life.
Section: 01.01
Topic: Characteristics of Life

24. When you are overheated, you perspire, and when you are too cold, you shiver to
generate heat. Which property of life is best represented by this example?
A. homeostasis
B. development
C. behavior
D. organization
E. adaptation

Homeostasis is the body's physical and physiological responses to changing conditions over a
short period of time.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 01.01.01 Identify the basic characteristics of life.
Section: 01.01
Topic: Characteristics of Life

1-13
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McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 01 - The Study of Life

25. The body temperature in humans is maintained around 37C. Which characteristic of life
does this information represent?
A. Living things acquire materials and energy from the environment.
B. Living things are homeostatic.
C. Living things are adapted.
D. Living things grow and develop.
E. Living things respond to stimuli.

Keeping the internal body temperature within a constant range is an important part of
homeostasis. Living things acquire materials and energy from the environment and respond to
stimuli in order to maintain homeostasis. Adaptations that organisms have for surviving
in their environment enable them to maintain homeostasis. The maintenance of homeostasis
allows organisms to grow and develop.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 01.01.01 Identify the basic characteristics of life.
Section: 01.01
Topic: Characteristics of Life

26. The bones in a bird are hollow, reducing its weight for flight. This is an example of which
characteristic of life?
A. Living things grow and develop.
B. Living things acquire materials and energy from the environment.
C. Living things reproduce.
D. Living things are adapted.
E. Living things are homeostatic.

Adaptations, such as the hollow bones of birds, are features that make organisms better suited
to their environment. All the other answer choices are also characteristics of living things, but
the example of the bird skeleton has to do specifically with adaptation.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 01.01.01 Identify the basic characteristics of life.
Section: 01.01
Topic: Characteristics of Life

1-14
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McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 01 - The Study of Life

27. Which classification category includes the most species?

A. family
B. genus
C. class
D. phylum
E. kingdom

Placed in order from most inclusive (containing the greatest number of species) to least
inclusive (containing the smallest number of species), the categories would be listed:
kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 01.02.01 Describe how living things are classified.
Section: 01.02
Topic: Levels of Biological Organization

28. Which of these classification categories contains the closest related group of organisms?
A. domain
B. genus
C. family
D. phylum
E. kingdom

Members of closely related species are grouped into the same genus. The categories listed,
from the greatest to least degree of relatedness of organisms, are: genus, family, phylum,
kingdom, and domain.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 01.02.01 Describe how living things are classified.
Section: 01.02
Topic: Levels of Biological Organization

1-15
Copyright © 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 01 - The Study of Life

29. The common name for "cat" in Spanish is "gato" and in Chinese is "mao." Which of the
following statements pertaining to the use of scientific names instead of common names is
false?
A. Common names may include different sets of organisms.
B. Scientific names can be known and recognized by all scientists throughout the world.
C. To recognize an organism in the literature by its common name, a scientist would have to
know multiple languages.
D. The scientific name begins to tie the organism into related groups.
E. The common name clearly identifies an organism as unique.

The only false statement about the use of scientific names is that common names do not
identify organisms as unique. In fact, different organisms are often called by the same
common name.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 01.02.01 Describe how living things are classified.
Section: 01.02
Topic: Levels of Biological Organization

30. All the banded sunfish () in a pond would comprise a(n)

A. population.
B. ecosystem.
C. community.
D. biosphere.
E. species.

A species is a category of organisms within the same genus that share very similar
characteristics. Banded sunfish ( ) are a species. A population is all the members of a given
species within a particular area, as in the example of all the banded sunfish in one pond. All
the different populations in the same area make up a community. A community together with
its physical environment makes up an ecosystem. The biosphere is the zone of air, land, and
water on the earth where living organisms are found.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 01.01.02 Distinguish between the levels of biological organization.
Section: 01.01
Topic: Levels of Biological Organization

1-16
Copyright © 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 01 - The Study of Life

31. When comparing energy and chemicals in an ecosystem,

A. both chemicals and energy cycle over and over again.
B. chemicals cycle over and over again but energy flows through once.
C. both chemicals and energy flow through once.
D. energy cycles over and over again but chemicals flow through once.
E. neither cycle nor flow but both are simply present.

Chemicals can be recycled in an ecosystem as they pass from one organism to the next. The
same is not true for energy, because every time an energy conversion occurs some of the
energy is "lost" in the form of heat.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 01.01.01 Identify the basic characteristics of life.
Section: 01.01
Topic: Energy and Chemical Cycling

32. Which statement is false regarding science?

A. Science helps us to understand the natural world.
B. Science strives to be objective rather than subjective.
C. Correct scientific conclusions are permanent and never subject to change or refinement.
D. Information is gathered by scientific methods.
E. Information is gained by observing and testing.

Scientific conclusions are always subject to change and refinement. All of the other
statements are accurate.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 01.03.03 Analyze a scientific experiment and identify the hypothesis, experiment, control groups, and conclusions.
Section: 01.03
Topic: Experimental Design

1-17
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McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 01 - The Study of Life

33. Which statement regarding the scientific method is false?

A. Inductive reasoning is used to form a hypothesis.
B. Observations are used to form a hypothesis.
C. Experiments need to be repeatable.
D. Original hypotheses are formed after an experiment.
E. The control and experimental group are identical except for one variable.

Original hypotheses are formed prior to an experiment, through inductive reasoning based on
observations. Inductive reasoning is the process of taking individual observations and
weaving them into a cohesive explanation. In a controlled experiment, the control and
experimental groups should be the same except for a single factor, called a variable.
Experiments should be repeatable, even by different individuals in different places.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 01.03.01 Identify components of the scientific method.
Section: 01.03
Topic: Scientific Method

34. Which statement regarding the scientific method is false?

A. Experimental results are reported in scientific journals.
B. Hypotheses are finally proven as absolutely true or false.
C. The control is not subjected to the experimental variable.
D. Statistical tests may be used to analyze experimental results.
E. Experimental results are often summarized in a graph or table.

Hypotheses are always subject to repeated testing because they are not absolutely provable.
This is because, in experiments to test a hypothesis, there is always the possibility of
inaccuracy. All the other answer choices are true statements.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 01.03.01 Identify components of the scientific method.
Section: 01.03
Topic: Scientific Method

1-18
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McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 01 - The Study of Life

35. Which statement regarding the scientific method is false?

A. A theory that has been repeatedly supported is sometimes called a law.
B. Consistent observations about a hypothesis may lead to a theory.
C. Theories formed in everyday life carry the same validity as a scientific theory.
D. Only one experimental variable is used in a controlled experiment.
E. Published research should provide enough detail to allow anyone to repeat the experiment
in the same manner.

In everyday life, the word theory is used as a synonym for speculation. But in science, a
theory grows from a hypothesis that has withstood repeated testing and consistently explains
many observations. Hypotheses can be testing in various ways, but one of the most common
is controlled experiments, in which only one variable is studied. Scientists know about one
another's studies through publication; this enables them to test hypotheses by repeating
experiments.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 01.03.01 Identify components of the scientific method.
Section: 01.03
Topic: Scientific Method

36. When researchers test a new human cancer drug using mice, the mice constitute the
A. hypothesis.
B. data.
C. experimental design.
D. model.
E. control.

An experimental model is a representation of an actual subject; in this case, the mice

represent humans. The manner in which a scientist intends to conduct an experiment is called
the experimental design. A hypothesis is a tentative explanation for a natural event. The
results of an experiment are referred to as the data. A control is a subject or group of subjects
that goes through all the steps of an experiment but lacks the factor, or is not exposed to the
factor, being tested.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 01.03.03 Analyze a scientific experiment and identify the hypothesis, experiment, control groups, and conclusions.
Section: 01.03
Topic: Experimental Design

1-19
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McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 01 - The Study of Life

37. Which of the following domains contains organisms that are adapted to life in harsh
environments?
A. domain Archaea
B. domain Bacteria
C. domain Eukarya
D. domain Animalia
E. domain Plantae

The domain Archaea contains organisms that can survive in harsh environments. Domain
Bacteria contains organisms that can be found everywhere but tend not to be in harsh
environments. Domain Eukarya contains the plants, animals, fungi, and protists which are not
adapted to harsh environments either. Animalia and Plantae are not domains.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 01.02.02 Distinguish between the three domains of life.
Section: 01.02
Topic: Levels of Biological Organization

38. Which domains contain organisms that lack a membrane-bound nucleus?

A. Archaea and Bacteria
B. Archaea and Eukarya
C. Bacteria and Eukarya
D. Eukarya and Animalia
E. Archaea and Animalia

The domains Archaea and Bacteria both contain organisms that lack a membrane-bound
nucleus. Domain Eukarya contains organisms that have a membrane-bound nucleus. Animalia
is not a domain.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 01.02.02 Distinguish between the three domains of life.
Section: 01.02
Topic: Levels of Biological Organization

1-20
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McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 01 - The Study of Life

True / False Questions

39. If the human population faces potential extinction, cloning of humans is the only
technology that will save us.
FALSE

False, cloning is not a technology that will save the human population from
extinction. Technologies in medicine, agriculture, etc. would play vital roles in the survival
of the human species.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand

Learning Outcome: 01.04.02 Summarize some of the major challenges facing science.
Section: 01.04
Topic: Experimental Design

Multiple Choice Questions

40. A piece of petrified wood was once part of a living organism that has had its tissues
replaced by minerals. Which property of life will still be present in the wood?
A. organization
B. homeostasis
C. growth and reproduction
D. response to stimuli
E. metabolism

A piece of petrified wood is a fossil, a preserved remnant of a once-living organism.

Although it lacks metabolism, can no longer maintain homeostasis, and does not grow,
reproduce, or respond to stimuli, the original pattern of organization is still evident.

Bloom's Level: 3. Apply

Learning Outcome: 01.01.01 Identify the basic characteristics of life.
Section: 01.01
Topic: Characteristics of Life

1-21
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McGraw-Hill Education.
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different content
 A RETORT FROM THE CATBIRD

I heard the Catbird in the bush

With breathless ecstasy;
No bobolink or fluttering thrush
Made carol sweet as he.

It bubbled like a mountain rill

Drenching the weary day,
With eddying turn and rippling trill,
A magic roundelay.

I heard the Catbird once again.

A harsh, discordant note,
Which pierced the shuddering ear with pain,
Came from the selfsame throat.

O bird perverse! That heavenly voice

Tuned to so sharp a key!
Why cease to make the air rejoice
Debasing minstrelsy?

Why not be ever at your best?

Again the peevish mew
Answering, accusing me with zest:
"Are you?" he cried, "are y-o-u?"

Abbie Farwell Brown.

 WOODPECKER LIFE

Margaret Coulson Walker

On the thirteenth of July a red-mutched woodpecker knocked on

the stricken bough of a lofty elm to crave of the Dryad within
hospitality for a season. Yes, her wish would be granted, but only on
condition that she would dig out a shelter for herself there in the
hard, dry wood.
What had gone wrong in the woodpecker family that she was in
need of shelter this late in the year? Earlier in the summer she and
her mate had burrowed out a comfortable home in a great oak tree
not two hundred yards away. Then they were on the best of terms
and had relieved each other at the task of digging out their dwelling
place. Twenty or twenty-five minutes at a time was thought long
enough for either of them to devote to so labourious a task in the
springtime; then the other spent an equal time at the work, while
the one off duty hurried away to partake of refreshments or to seek
rest in change of occupation.
Then there seemed to be some joy in their lives, for when they
had occasionally found time for recreation, they had chased each
other around the tree trunks and given utterance to their enjoyment
of the game in many a peal of cackling laughter. Near the base of a
tree the game began, and, spirally round and round its trunk, they
pursued each other, the one in the lead every now and then casting
a challenging look behind, then hurrying upward faster than before.
Their playtimes were brief, however, for the unfinished burrow was
calling.
 When this was completed and later a half dozen or more eggs
were laid, though madam spent most of her time in dispensing
warmth to them, her mate also did his share. Together they had
devoted their energies to providing for the little ones that pecked
their way out of the round, white eggs. Many long journeys were
they compelled to take, and many were the hours spent in search of
suitable food for their hungry offspring; but on their return their
throats were always full to the brim with the nourishment which they
pumped into infant throats as, hanging head downward over them,
they clung with their claws to the entrance of their home. And when,
after a time, the chicks were old enough to scramble about on the
trunk of the tree outside their home, a wheezy call from one of them
was enough to bring one or both of the parents, with throat
distended with the best the wood afforded, to minister to their
wants. Together they had driven away the over-solicitous squirrels
and meddlesome sparrows who came to visit them. Together they
had guided their asthmatic young family about the wood, teaching
them by example, if not by precept, where food was to be found,
and how to meet the dangers they were likely to encounter at any
moment.
The accidents of nature had depleted the brood, till now but two
of them were left. A ball of baby feathers in the home of an owl
living in the wood told the story of the passing of one of them; the
gladness which attended the home-coming of a foraging mother
squirrel marked the taking off of another; so they had gone, till only
these two remained, wheezy and exacting.
Of late the care of them had fallen mainly on the father, who
picked up a living for them as best he could. At times he seemed to
try to get away from them—a futile effort, for when they did not
follow his undulating flight in their awkward up-and-down fashion,
they went in search of him if he was gone a few minutes overtime.
Here on the thirteenth of July was the mother seeking shelter
away from her former home. Had there been a family disagreement?
Was the home-nest no longer large enough for the parent birds and
their now almost grown-up family? Was she planning for a new
brood? Surely not! It would be impossible to rear in a single season
two broods requiring so much care.
Whatever her purpose, here she was, drawing her plans on the
under side of the dry old bough. Soon she began to peck out an
entrance, and it was not long before the chips were flying in every
direction. More than an hour she worked, then flew to the dead top
of a tree across the way, where she sat for a brief time resting and
sunning herself. Twice she left her perch to dart out after passing
insects, then returned to her labour. Occasionally she swung around
to the top side of the dead branch, and tore off bits of bark either
for the purpose of seeing if the hole was going clear through or for
securing the insect fare lurking under it. This part of the work
continued at intervals, till the bark was removed from all the
excavated portion of the bough. All day, until about five o'clock, she
spent at her task with but little rest, then there was a long visit to
the rest perch in the neighbouring treetop.
The early morning hours were probably devoted to commissary
tours; for it was almost eight o'clock when she appeared on the
scene of her labours and again began to wield the pick. About ten
o'clock her spouse appeared and arranged himself comfortably on
the same limb about a foot away from the hole she was digging, but
not by so much as a single stroke did he assist her. Soon a wheezy,
whistling cry called him to duties as insistent as home building, and
he departed.
After watching the progress of woodpecker affairs for some time,
a dweller in the house under the tree decided to lend a hand. A
worm-eaten hitching-post stood near, on which was placed pieces of
bread for the hungry little wielder of the pick. This not only satisfied
her wants, but served also to bring her mate and offspring near
occasionally. At first the young members of the family refused to pick
up this food set before them, but, instead, clung to a neighbouring
tree and called vociferously for help. Then the father took the bits of
bread and pushed them far down into the screaming throats. The
young Romulus must have possessed wonderful powers of
endurance if the woodpeckers of old ministered to him as vigorously
in response to his infantile wails as the woodpeckers of to-day
respond to the screaming demands of their own offspring. How
gentle the wolf must have seemed in comparison!
Several times the young woodpeckers followed the father to the
limb in which the mother was chiseling a home. Together they
watched her work, but during the first three days seemed to take no
interest whatever in the hole she was making. Then the father went
in and examined the opening, but flew away without giving any real
aid. And all through the work his assistance seemed to be limited to
inspection.
In her digging, the mother woodpecker clung with her claws to
the opening of the burrow, and, head downward, pecked rapidly.
Sometimes she would throw out chips—which were little more than
coarse sawdust—after three or four blows; again, she worked for a
minute or two, then threw out several billfuls at a time. In throwing
out these chips she slipped backward and forward over the lower
edge of the opening, after the manner of that old-fashioned toy
called a "supple jack." First she threw her chips to one side, then to
the other, till the ground beneath the burrow, for a space thirty feet
in circumference, was generously sprinkled with them.
Though several persons were watching her, and though squirrels
were springing about among the branches, she was not disturbed,
but went steadily on with her task. While she was away on short
vacations, the wren, dwelling in the porch roof beneath, frequently
investigated the hole she was digging—sparrows examined it, and
squirrels looked into it, but it was very noticeable that they all had
an eye on her return. Once, in her absence, one of her own young
woodpeckers scrambled to the edge of the hole, and peeped in for a
moment, then scuttled back again to the place where the dead
branch joined the trunk of the tree, and, in his usual noisy manner,
demanded food.
It was near the end of the third day's labour that the woodpecker
was first seen "trying on" her new home. Then she went into it, and,
nestling there, with head up for the first time, looked out of the
window. Evidently, the pocket was neither deep enough nor wide
enough, for after this she worked on both bottom and sides of it,
scattering chips as before. The work periods were shorter now and
the rests more frequent, showing that her strength was failing. On
the afternoon of the fifth day, when the burrow was finished,
completely exhausted, she made her way to the roof of the house,
where, with wings spread, she lay for more than an hour. Seemingly
too tired to reach her usual resting place in the treetop across the
way, she lay there gathering strength for the longer flight.
Though the sexes are alike in the redhead family, it was not
difficult to distinguish them in this case, for the feathers about the
head and neck of the mother were much more worn than those of
her less industrious mate. Yet it may be an injustice to him to accuse
him of indolence, for was he not purveying to their younglings?—a
task which may have taxed his energies to the limit. Perhaps, after
all, it was only a case of division of labour.
After the completion of the burrow, though the woodpecker was
anxiously watched for, for several days, she was not seen near it
again, though the usual bits of bread placed on the hitching-post
brought her to its neighbourhood.
The experiment was tried of putting some of the crusts on the top
of the post and stuffing others tightly into the large worm-holes. The
latter were invariably taken first. Though the young birds came there
regularly to be fed, more than a week passed before they made the
slightest effort to help themselves. They would cling to the sides of
the post, and, with upward-pointing, open bills, whistle asthmatically
for the food, which the parents were compelled to place in their
throats. Whether it was wilfulness or inability that caused them to
act as they did, it was impossible to determine.
The whistling of the young birds, which was once believed to
predict rain, or to be a demand for it from a thirsty throat, always
precedes or accompanies the taking of food. It is, doubtless, a little
more frequent before showers, for at such times the older birds are
able to collect more beetles and other insects that come out then
from their shelters into the open.
 The old belief that woodpeckers are ever athirst because of their
inability to drink any save the rain that falls into their open throats or
the drops that fall from the leaves, may have some foundation. In
the case of this family, though a basin of water was always
conveniently near, and though sparrows, robins, bluejays, and wrens
constantly patronized it, no woodpecker was ever seen to refresh
himself from it—many as there were of them in the vicinity.
When more bread than the four birds could consume was placed
in the post, the older ones carried a part of it away—usually the
larger pieces on top—for future use, or pounded it tightly into worm-
holes in the same post, but never into the ones in which they found
it.
Several weeks after the burrow was finished, one evening just
about sunset, a redhead was seen peeping from the window in the
treetop; then it was drawn back, and again it appeared and was
withdrawn to be seen no more during the evening. It was a
dormitory, then, that you hollowed out for yourself, was it, my lady?
One morning, near the close of August, it was noticed that the
entrance to the lodging was distinctly larger, and that a patch of
daylight showed through from the other side. Whether, for some
reason, the bird herself had enlarged the opening before departing
for the South, or whether this had been done by mischievous
squirrels on murder bent, is not known; but certain it is that the red-
mutched labourer was gone. Others of her kind lingered in the grove
for a week or more, and though food was placed on the accustomed
post, neither she nor any of her immediate family appeared to claim
it.
When he is gone, the most accomplished songsters are not missed
more than the red-headed woodpecker, whose broad patches of
clear colour enliven the wood. Though he may no longer assist in
the growth of the forests by bringing refreshing showers, as he is
said to have done in the long time ago, he certainly is doing much in
his own way to preserve them. Well might the ancients have made a
god of him. He still possesses one of the gifts which won that
honour for him—the power of producing thunder—and in a way that
mortals can understand. Hear it rumbling among the dead treetops,
as the bird drums rapidly on the dry wood and sets it to vibrating,
then quickly lays his hollow bill against it to add resonance to the
peal. Vulcan himself could not have felt greater satisfaction than he,
as he stops to listen, in conscious pride over his accomplishment.
Whether he is a god made manifest in feathers, or merely an old
woman under a curse, expiating the crime of selfishness in picking
up a living where there seems to be no life, and in sharing this scant
fare with the hungry, as we see this bird with breast flattened and
shoulders bent by hard work, while our sympathies are awakened,
we bless the day that gave to the world this tireless little labourer of
the woods.
 KINGFISHER'S NECKLACE AND
RUFFLE

Kingfisher is very proud, indeed, of his white collar and ruffled

head-dress, but there was a time in the long, long ago when he had
neither of these ornaments. He wore a plain suit of gray-blue
feathers and his head was as smooth as a robin's.
In that far-off time Kingfisher lived near a large lake, which was
bordered by long stretches of pine trees. He chose this place for a
home because he could catch plenty of fish in the clear waters of the
lake. Also, he had made a friend of Wolf, who lived with the great
spirit, Manabozho, in a bear-skin wigwam, which stood on the shore.
Wolf was a mighty hunter and provided Manabozho with plenty of
food. It happened one season that game was scarce in the forest
near the wigwam, and Wolf decided to hunt in the woods on the
opposite side of the lake.
"Brother Wolf," said Manabozho, "see how dense the pine woods
over there are. No hunter has ever ventured into that tangled
forest."
"That is why I shall surely find plenty of game there," answered
Wolf.
Accordingly, early next morning Wolf ran around the long margin
of the lake until he came to the thick forest. He soon caught all the
game he could carry, but instead of returning with it to the lodge, he
stopped to fish on Big Rock, which jutted out into the lake.
Kingfisher, perched on one of the tall pine trees, called out: "Wolf,
do not fish from Big Rock. The sea-serpents are lurking near, and
they will catch you."
 "I want some fine fish to take to Manabozho," answered Wolf. "I'm
not afraid of the sea-ser——!"
He had not finished speaking when, in a very mysterious way,
something gave his fishing-line a mighty jerk, and Wolf was pulled
headlong into the water.
Manabozho had no game for supper. All night he listened for the
footsteps of his faithful hunter, but Wolf did not return to the lodge.
In the morning the great spirit began to search for his companion.
He traveled all around the long margin of the lake, but not a single
trace of Wolf could he find. Near Big Rock, on a tall pine tree, sat
Kingfisher. Manabozho had never before spoken to the plain little
bird, who was very much surprised when the great spirit said,
"Kingfisher, can you tell me what has happened to Manabozho's
brother Wolf? I'll give you a beautiful necklace of wampum if you
can help me find him."
Kingfisher flew down from the pine tree to a branch near the great
spirit and said, "Yesterday I saw your brother Wolf fishing from Big
Rock. A sea-serpent pulled him under the water. If you would rescue
him you must watch on this side of the lake. When the sun is
highest the sea-serpents come to the rocks to sun themselves."
Manabozho was so pleased with the information that he put a
necklace of beautiful white wampum around Kingfisher's neck.
"You must not tell the serpents that I am watching for Wolf," said
Manabozho.
But Kingfisher was looking in the mirror of the lake, admiring his
new necklace, so he did not hear the great spirit's words.
Manabozho became suspicious and seized the little bird by the head.
Kingfisher wriggled and twisted, and finally freed himself from the
hand of the angry Manabozho and flew away. But the feathers on
Kingfisher's head were very much ruffled in the struggle, and he has
worn them so ever since; also, to this day, he wears Manabozho's
gift of the beautiful white necklace.
 OWL WISDOM

Frances Wright

Once upon a time the owls were the largest and the most dull and
stupid of all the birds of the air. While the eagle soared above the
mountain's crest to hail the sun before his rising, and the lark
carolled his matin in the blue fields of ether, the owls were snoring;
when the thrush and the blackbird, retreating from the heat of noon,
filled the deep groves with their melody, the owls snored out the
sylvan concert; and when the soft cushat poured his evening tale of
love into the ear of his listening mate, the owls were still snoring in
their unbroken and dreamless sleep.
It chanced, most naturally, that when towards midnight, the
heavy, big-headed creatures half-opened their stupid eyes, and half-
stretched first one drowsy pinion and then the other, that their
stomachs craved for food; whereupon, after much yawning and
stretching, they dragged themselves from their holes and went
prowling after bats and mice in the dark. Tired with their hunt, and
not over content with their supper, which was both coarse and
scanty, they thus laid their heads together, and, however dull by
nature, and doubly dulled by sleep, they were for once stimulated by
hunger and disappointment to something like ingenuity.
Said an old gray-headed owl: "This barbarous exercise ill suits with
my years and my gravity."
"And this barbarous fare," said a pert, idle youngster, "ill suits with
the youthful activity of my stomach."
 "I'll stake my reputation upon it," said a third, shaking his dull
head, "but that proud, self-sufficient gormandizing eagle has eaten a
whole sheep for his supper."
"And I'll stake mine," yawned a fourth, "that his first cousin, the
vulture, and his second cousin, the hawk, have feasted; the one on
a fat lamb, and the other on a hen and chickens."
"Chut," said the first old grey-beard, "we'll feast ere long on
sheep, lamb, hen, chickens, and all; ay! mayhap on the eagle's own
little ones, to say nothing of his cousins."
"How so," hooted out the whole junto—"you would not fight the
king of birds?"
"Let me alone for that; there are better weapons than beak or
talons; and so he and his subjects shall find. But you must all aid in
the enterprise."
"If there be no fighting, and not too much labour, and not too
much——"
"Peace! there shall be nothing but sleeping!"
"Sleeping?"
"Ay! and some talking. But leave that to me."
Here all the heavy heads poked forward, closing in a circle round
their Nestor; while all their great round eyes opened in full stare
upon his.
"To-morrow you must all sleep as usual, until I give a long hoot;
then you must all open your eyes and observe what shall chance."
Tired with so unusual a debate, all went to sleep accordingly, and
snored louder than usual; until, just as the sun had awakened to full
life and stir all the feathered tribe, the old owl hooted and screeched
forth such a yell, as first terrified and then attracted on wings,
spurred by curiosity, though still trembling with fear, every bird of
the air from the giant eagle to the diminutive wren.
"A vision! a vision!" cried the owl; and again he screeched and
again he hooted, rustling up all his feathers, flapping his wings,
blinking his eyes, and tumbling head over tail like a bird distracted.
 Every creature present stared and wondered.
"A vision, a vision! A miracle, a miracle!" again shouted the owl.
"I have seen a bird larger than the ostrich and stronger than the
eagle. Lightnings flame from his eyes, and thunder roars from his
beak. He has spoken; and lo! his command was: The owls are my
servants and to them I make known my will. Let all the birds of the
air hearken to their voice. Let them do their bidding, respect their
repose, and feed them with the fat of the land; or, behold, I will feed
upon them."
Thereupon, the owls set up a hoot in chorus, and all the birds
scattered to the four winds to collect food for the servants to eat,
lest the unseen master should eat them.
From this time forth these stupid owls were deemed the wisest of
the birds of the air; they supped every night upon fat yearlings; and
when they hooted all the feathered tribe clapped their wings and
sang a song of praise.
 BIRDS' NESTS

Ernest Ingersoll

A bird's nest is a bird's house. Sometimes it is strong, well made

and tightly roofed, and sometimes it is not, just as with men's
houses. The principal difference between the bird's house and ours
is that we build ours to be used all the year round, while the bird
prefers to make a new one each summer. There are some birds,
such as the fish-hawk, however, that keep the same nest many years
in succession, repairing it each spring; and I think more birds would
do so were it not that their houses are usually made so slightly that
the winter's gales knock them to pieces when the owners are absent
at some Southern health resort. This is a pity, too, for many of our
commonest nests are exceedingly pretty and call for a great deal of
work and care on the part of the builders, whose only tools are their
feet and beaks.
Take, for instance, the lovely hammock-like basket, hung by its rim
beneath the fork of some low branch, which is made by the little
grey, red-eyed vireo, which carols to us all the early summer days
from every garden and orchard. Such a nest was hung in a maple
close to my porch. The bird had built it within arm's length of where
we were constantly passing, yet we never saw it until it was quite
finished; and the only way we could get a look at it then was by
pulling aside a branch. This care was not taken from fear of us, but
in the hope that the cradle would escape the sharp eyes of red
squirrels, weasels, bluejays, and other creatures who hunt for and
rob birds' nests of eggs and young to get food for themselves. I am
happy to say, however, that the vireo's nest was not disturbed.
How to hide their nests safely is the great question in the minds of
all the little birds. The big, strong ones do not need to worry about
that so much, because they can drive away most robbers; therefore,
we find that the hawks and crows, jays, kingbirds, and others able to
take care of themselves, usually set their baskets in the crotch of
some tree, where they can be seen easily enough, but all nests of
this kind are strongly made, and fastened so that the winds shall not
rock them out of their places or spill the contents.
But the little birds try to hide their homes in various clever ways. A
good many seek holes and crannies. The woodpeckers are able to
dig these for themselves, for their beaks are like chisels. Others, like
the wrens, bluebirds, nuthatches, chicadees, and so forth, find knot-
holes, places where a branch has broken off, and various small
hollows, in which to make their beds, where the young will be snug
in bad weather, and pretty safe from all enemies except snakes.
Others, like the kingfisher, the sand-swallow, and certain sea-
birds, make or find holes in earth-banks and rocky cliffs, so that their
babies are born in a tiny cave. All of our swallows, before the
country was settled by white people, lived in this manner or in
hollow trees; but as soon as civilization came those we soon named
barn-swallows left the wilds and put their nests under the roofs of
barns and other outbuildings. Then some one, remembering the
ways of old England, began to put bird-houses in the gardens; and
now, in all parts of the United States, you may find those cousins of
the swallows, the purple martins, living by the dozen in these lofty
little hotels on the top of a pole.
The nests of the cliff-swallows are little jugs of mud, plastered by
their bases to the face of the rock. The birds make them by bringing
pellets of mud in their bills from some stream-side, and putting them
one upon another, until each pair has formed a windowless, bottle-
like house, with a front door like the neck of the jug, so small that
no big bird can enter it. These are very safe and snug nests, and the
birds can sit in their doorways and gossip with each other very
sociably, for the nests are crowded together like the houses in a city
block. This is the same kind of swallow that now puts its nest in
rows along the outside of our barns under the eaves; but often they
are mere cups instead of jugs, because the barn roof sheds the rain,
and a clay roof is no longer necessary to protect the feather bed
inside.
Another one of the small birds that is more and more coming to
seek our protection and sympathy is the greenish-brown flycatcher
that (as some folks think) calls out her own name every few
minutes, Phoebe, Phoebe. She makes her home very solidly of mud
and moss, lined with horse-hair, and in the old days always rested it
on a ledge of rock, as many still do. Most of the phoebes, however,
now think it easier and safer to get under a roof, and so they put
their mossy cups on the stone piers or supporting timbers of
bridges, among the rafters of sheds and porches, and in similar
places.
A great number and wide variety of birds make their houses upon
the ground. Most of the sea-birds do so—along the ledges of the
sea-cliff. Nearly all the water fowl and game birds (except herons)
also do so; and most of the ducks and similar birds nestle among the
wet reeds of marshes, where their rude bedding is damp all the time
and sometimes soaking wet. To keep their eggs warm when they
have to leave them for a time, many of the ducks pluck a large
quantity of downy feathers from their breasts with which to cover
the eggs. The eider of the arctic regions is the foremost in this
practice, and the eider-down sold in shops is gathered from their
nests; but it is a habit of many other ducks. One of the most
interesting of these ground-nest birds is the least bittern, a solitary
bird frequenting swamps and marshy places.
Not only the water-birds, however, but some of the smallest and
prettiest of our songsters choose to dwell and lay their eggs close to
the ground, although they seem to be exposed there to many more
dangers than are those in the treetops or elsewhere. None try more
anxiously to hide their homes than do these ground-nesters, arching
the grasses above them, or building little sheds of leaves to protect
and hide the shining eggs. (Adapted.)
 HATTO THE HERMIT: THE
LEGEND OF A BIRD'S NEST

Selma Lagerlöf

Hatto, the hermit, stood in the desert and prayed to God. The
storm was on, and his long hair and beard blew about him as wind-
whipped grass blows about an old ruin. But he did not brush back
the hair from his eyes, nor did he fasten his long beard to his girdle,
for his arms were raised in prayer. Since sunrise he had held his
gaunt, hairy arms out-stretched toward heaven, as untiring as a tree
stretching out its boughs, and thus he would remain until evening. It
was a great thing for which he was praying.
He was a man who had suffered much from the wickedness and
dishonesty of the world. He himself had persecuted and tortured
others, and persecution and torture had been his portion, more than
he could endure. Therefore, he had gone forth into the wilderness,
had dug himself a cave on the river bank, and had become a holy
man whose prayers found hearing at the throne of God.
Hatto, the hermit, stood on the river bank before his cave and
prayed the great prayer of his life. He prayed God to send down the
Day of Judgment upon this wicked world. He cried to the angels of
the trumpets, who are to herald the end of the reign of sin.
Round about him was the wilderness, barren and desolate. But a
little up the bank stood an old willow with shortened trunk, which
swelled out at the top of a round hump like a queer head, and from
it new, freshly green twigs were sprouting. Every autumn the
peasants from the unwooded flatlands robbed the willow of her fresh
new shoots. But every year the tree put forth new ones, and on
stormy days the slender, flexible twigs whipped about the old willow,
as hair and beard whipped about Hatto, the hermit.
It was just on this day that a pair of water thrushes, who usually
built their nest on the trunk of the old willow between the new
twigs, had decided to begin their work. But the wild whipping of the
twigs disturbed the birds. They flew up with their bits of dry grass
with nothing accomplished. Then it was that they caught sight of old
Hatto.
No one now living can picture to himself how moss-grown and
dried-up, how gnarled and black and generally unlike a human
being, such an old desert hermit can become. His skin clung so close
to forehead and cheekbones that his head looked like a skull, and
only a tiny gleam down in the depth of his eyeballs showed that
there was still life in him. The dried-up muscles gave no curve to the
body; the outstretched naked arms were merely a couple of narrow
bones, covered with hard, wrinkled, bark-like skin. He wore an old
black cloak, clinging close to his body. He was tanned brown by the
sun and black with dirt. His hair and beard alone were of a lighter
shade, for rain and sunshine had faded them to the grey-green hue
of the under side of willow leaves.
The birds, flying about uneasily and seeking a place for their nest,
took Hatto the hermit to be another old willow cut off by axe and
saw in its heavenward striving. They flew about him many times,
flew away and returned again, took note of the guide posts on the
way to him, calculated his position in regard to protection from
storm and birds of prey, found it rather unfavourable, but decided to
locate there on account of the close vicinity of the stream and the
reeds, their chief source of supply. One of the birds shot down
suddenly and laid a bit of grass in the hermit's outstretched hand.
The storm had abated a little, so that the straw was not blown
from his hand at once, but the hermit did not pause in his prayer,
"Come soon, O Lord, come to destroy this world of sin, that mankind
may not more increase its load of guilt."
 The storm roared out again, and the bit of grass fluttered out of
the hermit's great bony hand. But the birds came again and
endeavoured to erect the cornerstone of their new home between
his fingers. Suddenly a dirty, clumsy thumb laid itself over the grass
spears and held them in firm position, while four fingers reached
over the palm, making a peaceful niche where a nest would be safe.
The hermit continued his untiring supplications, and before his eyes
danced fever visions of the day of judgment. The earth trembled,
the skies shot fire. He saw the black clouds of hurrying birds
beneath the glowing firmament; herds of fleeing animals spread
over the earth. But while his soul was filled with these visions of
fever, his eyes began to watch the flight of the tiny birds that came
and went with lightning dashes, laying new straws in the nest with
little chirps of pleasure.
The old man did not move. He had made a vow to stand the
entire day with outstretched arms, in order to force God to hear him.
The little thrushes built and built busily all the day, and their work
progressed finely. There was no lack of material in this wilderness of
rolling ground with stiff grass and brush, and on the river bank, with
its reeds and rushes. They could not take time for dinner or supper.
They flew back and forth, glowing with interest and pleasure, and
when dusk came they had reached the peak of their roof.
But before evening fell the hermit's eyes had come to rest on their
labour more and more. He watched them in their flight; he scolded
them when they were clumsy; he grieved when the wind spoiled
their efforts, and he became almost angry when they stopped a
moment to rest.
Then the sun sank and the birds sought their accustomed resting
place among the reeds, safe from all harm, for no enemy could
approach without a warning splash of the water or a quivering of the
reeds.
When the morning broke, the thrushes thought at first that the
events of the preceding day had been but a beautiful dream.
 They found their guideposts and flew straight to their nest, but
the nest had disappeared. They peered out over the moors and flew
high up to gain a wider view. But there was no sign of nest or tree.
Finally they sat down on a stone by the water and thought the
matter over. They wagged their tails and turned their heads to right
and left. Where were nest and tree?
But scarcely had the sun raised itself a hand's breadth over the
belt of woods beyond the stream, when their tree suddenly came
wandering up and stood itself upon the selfsame place it had
occupied the day before. It was as black and as gnarled as before,
and it carried their nest on the tip of something that was probably a
thin, upright bough.
The birds began to build again without attempting to ponder
further over the many miracles of nature.
Hatto, the hermit, who chased the little children from his cave and
told them it were better for them if they had never seen the light of
day; he who waded out deep into the mud of the river to hurl curses
after the flagged boats filled with gay young people rowing past; he
from whose evil glance the shepherds carefully guarded their flocks,
he did not return to his place on the river bank because of thought
for the little birds. But he knew that not only every letter in the Holy
Book has its own mystical meaning, but that everything that God
allows to happen in the natural world has its significance also. And
he had discovered what it might mean, this sign of the birds building
in his hand: God had willed that he should stand with outstretched
arm until the birds had raised their young—could he do this, then
would his prayer be heard.
But on this day his glance followed the motions of the birds with
greater attention. He saw the rapid completion of the nest. The tiny
builders flew around it and examined it carefully. They brought a few
rags of moss from the real willow and plastered them on the outside
as a finishing decoration. They brought the softest young grass, and
the female bird pulled the down from her breast to furnish the
inside.
 The peasants of the neighbourhood, who feared the evil power
which the prayers of the hermit might have with God, were used to
bring him bread and milk to soften his anger. They came now, and
found him standing motionless, the bird's nest in his hand.
"See how the holy man loves the little creatures," they said, and
feared him no longer. They raised the milk can to his lips and fed
him with the bread. When he had eaten and drunk he drove them
away with curses, but they smiled at his anger.
His body had long since become the servant of his will. He had
taught it obedience by hunger and scourge, by days of kneeling and
sleepless nights. Now his muscles of steel held his arm outstretched
days and weeks, and while the mother bird sat on her eggs and did
not leave the nest, he would not go to his cave even to sleep at
night. He learned how to sleep standing with outstretched arm.
He grew accustomed to the two uneasy little eyes that peered
down at him over the edge of the nest. He watched for rain and hail,
and protected the nest as well as he could.
One day the little mother left her place. Both thrushes sat on the
edge of the nest, their tails moving rapidly, holding great
consultation and looking very happy, although the whole nest
seemed filled with a frightened squeaking. After a little they set out
upon an energetic gnat hunt.
One gnat after another fell before them, and was brought home to
that which squeaked and peeped up there in his hand. And the
peeping grew more intense whenever the food was brought in. It
disturbed the holy man at his prayers. Gently, very gently, his arm
sank down on the joints that had almost lost the power of motion,
until his deep-set, glowing eyes peered into the nest.
Never had he seen anything so ugly and so miserable—naked little
bodies, with a few scattered down tufts, no eyes, no strength to fly,
nothing but six great open beaks.
He could not understand it himself, but he liked them just as they
were. He had not thought to make an exception of the old birds in
his prayers for the great Doom, but when he now implored God to
release the world through utter destruction, he made a silent
exception in favour of these six little helpless creatures.
When the peasant women brought him food he no longer
rewarded them with curses. As he was necessary for the little ones
up there in his hand, he was glad that the people did not let him
starve.
Soon six little round heads peered all day over the edge of the
nest. Old Hatto's arm sank to the level of his eyes more and more
frequently. He saw the feathers grow out of the red skin; he saw the
eyes open and the little bodies round out. The fortunate inheritance
of all the beauty with which nature endows the feathered denizens
of the air came early into their heritage.

And, meanwhile, the prayers for the great destruction came more
and more slowly from Hatto's lips.
He believed he had God's promise that it should come as soon as
the little birds were able to fly. And now he stood there seeking an
escape from God. For he could not sacrifice these six little ones,
whom he had watched and cared for.
It had been different before, when he had had nothing of his own
to care for. Love of the small and the helpless—that love which every
little child must teach to the dangerous grown man—this love came
over him and made him hesitate.
Sometimes he wished that he could throw the entire nest into the
stream, for he still believed that those alone are to be envied who
die without having known care or sin. Was it not his duty to save
these little ones from beasts of prey, from cold and hunger and all of
the many ills of life? But just as he was pondering on this, a hawk
swooped down on the nest to kill the little ones. Hatto caught the
robber in his left hand, whirled him around his head, and threw him
far out into the stream.
Then came the day when the little ones were ready to fly. One of
the old birds sat inside the nest, trying to push the young ones out
on the edge, while the other flew about and showed them how easy
it was if they would only try. But as the young ones would not
overcome their fear, both old birds flew out before them, showing off
all their prettiest arts and tricks. They turned and twisted in the air,
they shot up straight as does the lark, or they hung motionless on
rapidly fluttering wings.
But the little ones would not move, and then Hatto decided to
interfere in the matter himself. He gave them a careful push with
one finger, and thus ended the dispute. They tumble out, trembling
and uncertain, hitting at the air as bats do; they sink down, but rise
up again; they find the proper motion and use it at once to regain
the nest. The old birds come back to them in happy pride, and Hatto
chuckles.
It was he who had brought the matter to such a happy conclusion.
And now he pondered most seriously the question as to whether a
loophole of escape could be found for God.
Perhaps, when one comes to think of it, God holds this earth like a
bird's nest in His right hand and perhaps He loves those within it—all
the helpless children of earth. Perhaps He is merciful to them whom
He had vowed to destroy, just as the hermit was merciful to the little
birds. Of course the hermit's birds were much better than God's
human beings, but he could still understand that God might have
pity for them in His heart.
Next day the nest was empty, and the bitterness of loneliness
came over the hermit. His arm sank slowly down at his side, and it
seemed to him that all nature held its breath to hear the roar of the
trumpets announcing the Last Judgment. But in the same moment
all the birds returned and settled down on his head and shoulders,
for they had no fear of him. And a light shot through the tortured
brain of the old hermit. He had lowered his arm every day to look at
the birds.
And then, as he stood there, the six young birds flying about him,
he nodded, smiling, to some one whom he could not see.
"Thou art free," he said. "Thou art free. I did not keep my vow,
therefore Thou needst not keep Thine."