Winter King. They loved the upper spaces of the great forests, and there
they lived as some of the water folk live in the lower depths of the
great sea.

These bird folk hated the open fields and even the lower air, in the
thick forests, seemed heavy and unpleasant to them. So they seldom came
down from their airy homes in the upper branches of the great trees. For
this reason little Luke did not see much of them, but when he did see
one of them, it was as if he had seen an angel.




[Illustration]




VI. LITTLE LUKE AND KIT-CHEE THE GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER


Down in the far corner of the orchard stood an old apple tree. Some of
its limbs were dead and the rest of it was so covered with orchard moss
that it seemed gray with age. As little Luke was passing one day, he
noticed a round hole in one of its branches. "Now," thought he to
himself, "I'll climb up and take a peep into that hole." And so he did.

As he looked into the dark cavity, there was a sudden explosion, which
sounded like the noise made by an angry cat. The little boy jumped back
so quickly that he almost fell to the ground. Just then he heard someone