"Of course I could!" chirped the bird.

"What for?" asked the Wooden Doll.

"To line my nest with, of course," answered Mr. Bird. "You see I am
helping my wife make a nest. She is going to lay eggs in it and
hatch out baby birds. And we want the nest nice and soft for the
little ones. So, when I saw the woolly Lamb here on the porch, I
flew down to pick some soft stuff from her back. I never thought she
was a _toy_."

"Don't the real lambs mind if you pull wool from their backs?" asked
the Wooden Doll.

"Not at all," was the answer. "The real lambs, down in the green
pasture by the brook, often have loose bits of wool on their backs.
Other birds and I fly down, take off the loose pieces, and line our
nests with them. Sometimes, when I can not get wool, I take the soft
fluffy cotton from the milkweed plant, but I like lambs' fleece the
best. It is so soft and warm for the little birds. But don't worry,
Miss Lamb, I will not bother you again."

"I am sorry I can not let you have more of my wool," went on the
Lamb on Wheels. "But, you see, not being real, my wool is glued fast
to my back, and every time you take some off it pulls. And I can't
grow any more like a real lamb."

"Yes, I know," chirped the bird. "Well, now I will fly to the green
meadow and get some wool from a real lamb. Please forgive me,
friends, for making trouble."