Show V r PW 10 11 11 V thornton W I 1 burgess 1 I 1 A NEWCOMER IN THE OLD ORCHARD HERE he came from no one W WHERE knew the old orchard simply awoke one morning to find him there he was bustling about quite as if he intended to stay he the least bit bashful as most newcomers to the old orchard were in tact fact he acted for all the world as it if he always had lived there was one of the old residents he very big indeed he was small compared with some of the other folks who live in the old orchard and he at all handsome but it was very clear to all that he cared nothing about how he looked and that his small size trouble him the least little bit of course everybody hurried to look him over as soon as it was known that he had arrived you know it is always that way when ram it 1 I wonder who he is anyway and where he comes from said skimmer the swallow I 1 ever a stranger comes to any neighborhood bo and usually it is a very trying experience for a stranger but it seem to be for this one he bustled around just as if there was no one about and if he saw all the sharp eyes watching him a as s of course he did he made no sign he flew from tree to tree inspecting each one carefully with his sharp eyes and in the most busi ness like way he paid bartic particular ular attention to every hole in them now some of these holes were deserted houses and some were occupied for the summer but it seemed to ma make no difference to him he poked his head in at the doorways of the houses where people were living quite as boldly as of houses that were empty and even say beg pardon or excuse me all the time he did a great deal of talking to himself and his voice was not at all pleasant not once did he sing or even try to sing the little people who had lived in the old orchard for so long know just what to make of him if he be happened to meet one of them he just bustled right past as it if he see them at all he so much as nod his head in greeting of course this was no way to make friends no one else who had come to the old orchard had acted that way it was very clear to everyone that he care whether he made friends with them or not he acted as it he thought that the old orchard belonged to him and as it if he intended to do just as he pleased of course all those who were living in the old orchard forgot their own affairs in watching this newcomer and in talking over among themselves his strange ways 1 I dont like his looks said welcome robin he look to me as if he belongs among us at all he looks to me like a foreigner you know a foreigner is somebody from a distant country he certainly is very untidy and his voice at all pleasant said gentle winsome bluebird in his soft voice but perhaps he is much nicer than he appears you know you cannot always tell what people really are by the way they dress if he Is going to make his home here I 1 hope he will prove to be nicer than he appears hes got the worst manners I 1 ever have seen sputtered jenny wren why he actually tried to poke his head in at my door this morning and then got into a great rage because it was too smaill he acted just as it if he had a perfect right to come into my house without so much as an invitation he did the same thing at my house only my door was big enough for him to put his head in and he seemed to get terribly angry because I 1 was living there I 1 wonder who he is anyway and where he comes from said skimmer the swallow im going to find out replied jenny wren in the most decided way and because jenny wren believes in doing things promptly she flew over to the old apple tree in the far comer where the stranger was inspecting an old home of drummer the woodpecker it if anyone could make the stranger talk it was jenny wren Q T W burgess service |