The very next day one of the birds dropped out of the nest, and in a
moment a cat ate it up. Only four remained, and the parent birds were
very sad. There was no song all that day, nor the next.

Soon the little birds were big enough to fly. The first bird that tried
his wings flew from one branch to another. His parents praised him, and
the other baby birds wondered how he had done it.

The little one was so proud of it that he tried again. He flew and flew
and couldn't stop flying. At last he fell plump! down by the kitchen
door. A little boy caught him and carried him into the house.

Now only three birds were left. The sun no longer seemed bright to the
birds, and they did not sing so often.

In a little time the other birds learned to use their wings, and they
flew away and away. They found their own food and made their own nests.

Then the old birds sat silent and looked at each other a long while. At
last the mother bird asked, "Why don't you sing?"

"I can't sing," the father bird answered. "I only think and think!"

"What are you thinking of?"

"I am thinking how everything changes. The leaves are falling, and soon
there will be no roof over our heads. The flowers are all gone. Last
night there was a frost. Almost all the birds have flown away, and I am