of our own eggs by doing it."

"You said that Mother Mo-lo had a chance to learn to build a nest," said
little Luke. "Tell me about it."

"Well," said Nick-uts, "since you have been so kind as to help me,
I'll try. I haven't heard the story for a long while, perhaps I can't
remember it very well. But I'll do the best I can."




IX. WHY MOTHER MO-LO THE COWBIRD LAYS HER EGGS IN OTHER BIRDS' NESTS


"In the beginning," said he, "the Master of Life made the world. When
he had finished the land and the sea, the mountains and the meadows,
he made the fishes, and then the four-footed kindreds. Last of all, he
created the birds. But he didn't make them all at the same time. The
last ones were Father and Mother Mo-lo.

"When Mother Mo-lo began to fly about, the other birds went to her and
offered to teach her how to build a nest.

"'Come with me,' said the oven bird; 'I'll show you how to build a nest
on the ground where no one will find it. You must just push up some of
the dry leaves in the forest, and then put some grass and twigs under
them. It's very easy.'

"'For my part,' said the woodpecker, 'I wouldn't build on the ground