Narration: Silverspot The Crow

From

Wild Animals I Have Known

By Ernest Thompson Seton

Silverspot was named for a silver dot on the point of his beak. It was hard to spot which crow was Silverspot until I saw his little dot. I guess that spot is a sort of birthmark. Silverspot and his friends fly in one big group. These crows have several calls; All is well, come right along, be on your guard, danger, great danger-a gun, hawk-hawk, wheel around, attention, and good day.

One day, I was walking out in the woods and I shook a pine tree. Two birds flew out and I saw a nest shake. I had always had a suspicion that some birds lived there in that nest. But not just any birds, Silverspot and his mate!

Another time, I saw him cross the Don Valley with a white object in his beak. He set the object down on the shore of Beaver Elm. I went to look at the object (when Silverspot left) and saw that it was a china teacup handle! Silverspot had placed it among many white shells like a gem collection of his own! I never saw any explanation for this "gem collection" but to bring them to his mate.

The Rock-a-by Lady From Hushabye Street

By Eugene Field

The Rock-a-By Lady from Hushaby street
Comes stealing; comes creeping;
The poppies they hang from her head to her feet,
And each hath a dream that is tiny and fleet
She bringeth her poppies to you, my sweet,
When she findeth you sleeping!

There is one little dream of a beautiful drum
"Rub-a-dub!" it goeth;
There is one little dream of a big sugar-plum,
And lo! thick and fast the other dreams come
Of popguns that bang, and tin tops that hum,
And a trumpet that bloweth!

And dollies peep out of those wee little dreams
With laughter and singing;
And boats go a-floating on silvery streams,
And the stars peek-a-boo with their own misty gleams,
And up, up, and up, where the Mother Moon beams,
The fairies go winging!

Would you dream all these dreams that are tiny and fleet?
They'll come to you sleeping;
So shut the two eyes that are weary, my sweet,
For the Rock-a-By Lady from Hushaby street,
With poppies that hang from her head to her feet,
Comes stealing; comes creeping.