[Illustration: STUFFED IT DOWN THE WIDE-OPEN BILL. _Page 116_]
"Hush!" he exclaimed. "I cannot go now. Don't you see that I am warming these eggs?"
"I don't care! I am hungry," cried she. "You didn't feed me enough."
"Well, I couldn't get you more just then," he said. "Now be patient until your mother comes. That's a good child."
"I can't be patient. I'm hungry," cried the nestling. "I want a Caterpillar."
Mr. Cuckoo could not stand teasing, so he hopped off the nest and picked up the first Caterpillar he found. It was not a good kind, and the little Cuckoo made a bad face and would not swallow it. Mr. Cuckoo rushed away to get a better one. That was eaten, and he was just getting on the eggs again when he heard a faint tapping inside of one. This made him very nervous, for he was not used to caring for newly hatched children. He called several times to Mrs. Cuckoo, but received no answer.
There was more tapping, and the second child stuck his little bill through the shell and broke it. "Ouch!" cried the older one; "that pricks me. Take it away!"
"'Sh!" exclaimed his father, who knew that it would never do to help a young bird out of its shell. The elder child began to cry.
Well! You can just imagine what kind of morning Mr. Cuckoo had. He had to quiet and feed the older child, clear away the broken shell when the second was out, keep the remaining egg warm, get some food for himself, and just hurry and worry until noon. He was about worn out when his wife came back. She looked very trim and happy, and there was no ill-mannered haste in her motions as she flew toward the nest.
"I have had such a pleasant morning," she said. "I met my sister and we went hunting together. I hope you did not mind. I felt quite easy about everything. I knew that you would manage it all beautifully, because you are so systematic." She looked at him with such a sweet smile that he did not say any of the things which he had been planning to say about mother-birds staying at home.
Just then the elder nestling said, "I'm hungry, Mother! I haven't had a Caterpillar in ever so long."
Mrs. Cuckoo answered cheerfully, "All right, I'll get you one," and was about to start off when Mr. Cuckoo spoke up:
"You stay here and look after your newly hatched nestling," said he. "I'll get some food."