That was because they were fond of sandpipers' eggs, and there were
none in that bush. No eggs were there, to be sure, but there sat Mrs.
Peter Sandpiper, talking to two fine young sandpipers, just hatched.

"Nothing worth looking at!" said she, indignantly. "Well, anything but
a crow would have more sense! Nothing in this bush, indeed! Pe-tweet,
pe-tweet!"

[Illustration: "TANGLED IN THE LONG GRASS."]

And truly she might well be angry at any one snubbing those young ones
of hers. Their eyes were so bright, their legs were so slim, and their
beaks so sharp that it was delightful to see them. And they turned out
their toes so gracefully that, the first time they went to the sea to
bathe, everyone said Mrs. Peter Sandpiper had reason to be proud of
her children. But just as soon as they could run they got into all
sorts of troubles, and vexed Mrs. Sandpiper out of her wits.

[Illustration: "THEY TURNED OUT THEIR TOES SO GRACEFULLY."]

"Such a pair of young pickles I never hatched before!" said she to
Mrs. Kingfisher, who came to gossip one day.

"Well, well, my dear," said Mrs. Kingfisher, "boys will be boys;
by the time they are grown up they will be all right. Now, my dear
Pinlegs was just such--"

[Illustration: "OH, MY! HE'S GOING BACKWARDS!"]