Mother West Wind Where" Stories"

r was in the best of spirits. It was good just to be alive. Every once in a while Peter would jump up and kick his long heels together just from pure

made two long jumps off to one side and then turned to see what had startled him so. But all he saw was an old feathered acquaintance headed towards th

trees of the Old Orchard, from which presently his voice sounded clear and loud, and in it there was a mocking note as if Yellow-Wing were laughing at him. Peter suspected that he was. But Peter was feeling too happy to mi

re in his favorite spot he settled himself to rest and think or dream as the case might be. Presently his thoughts returned to Yellow-Wing, and he chuckled again at the memory of his fright that morning. And then for the first time it struck Peter as queer that Yellow-Wing

g that puzzled him. "He belongs to the Woodpecker family," thought Peter, "and never have I seen any of his relat

nd at all, for that matter. But just wondering about it didn't get him anywhere, and at last Peter decided that the only way to fin

had been so startled. This time he was on the watch and saw Yellow-Wi

," said he. "I wonder if y

ot seen Peter approaching. He half lifted his wings to

is you want me to tell you,

Peter. "Why do you spend

llow-Wing. "I do it because it is th

"I thought that all your family got th

But I don't have to do what they do just because they do

exclaime

like ants," repe

replied, "but I've heard Old Mr

em that I spend so much time on the ground. Ants changed the habits of the Flicker branch of the

ed Yellow-Wing plunge his long stout bill into an ant hill and then g

change the habits of anybody

demanded. "If you would, they might change your habits. The begin

g of things, when the wor

f the Woodpecker family, and he got his living in regular Woodpecker fashion. It never entered his head to look for food anywhere but in the trees, and

ants were fine eating and that great numbers of them were to be found running up and down the trunks of certain trees. So the Flickers used to look for these trees and feast on the ants.

e they all came from and where they all went to. So he watched and presently discovered that that double line of ants led out along the ground from the foot of the tree. This made him still more curious and he followed it, flying along just over it. He had gone but a short dis

ce to fill one's stomach! I never was on the ground in my life, but the next time I'm hungry, I

all his life before had he filled his stomach so easily. After that, instead of wasting time hunting for worms and insects in the trees where he could find only one at a time, Grandfather Flicker kept his eyes open for ant hills on the ground. He taught his children to do the same thing. That was the be

up a dozen ants who had come rushing out to see what was going on. And so once