the birds also.

"They're mighty bold--them jays," said Uncle Ben, laying down the pen
with scrupulous exactitude beside the book and gazing at his fingers as
if he had achieved a miracle of delicate manipulation. "They don't seem
to be afeared of nothing, do they?"

There was another pause. The master suddenly turned from the window.
"I tell you what, Uncle Ben," he said with prompt decision and unshaken
gravity, "the only thing for you to do is to just throw over Dobell and
Parsons and Jones and the old quill pen that I see you're accustomed
to, and start in fresh as if you'd never known them. Forget 'em all,
you know. It will be mighty hard of course to do that," he continued,
looking out of the window, "but you must do it."

He turned back, the brightness that transfigured Uncle Ben's face at
that moment brought a slight moisture into his own eyes. The humble
seeker of knowledge said hurriedly that he would try.

"And begin again at the beginning," continued the master cheerfully.
"Exactly like one of those--in fact, as if you REALLY were a child
again."

"That's so," said Uncle Ben, rubbing his hands delightedly, "that's me!
Why, that's jest what I was sayin' to Roop"--

"Then you've already been talking about it?" intercepted the master in
some surprise. "I thought you wanted it kept secret?"

"Well, yes," responded Uncle Ben dubiously. "But you see I sorter agreed