# Nest Eggs

- Source: A Child's Garden of Verses (child-garden.gutenberg.org), Public domain, Robert Louis Stevenson, 1885; pictures by Jessie Willcox Smith, 1905; via Project Gutenberg
- Reading level: Grades 1 and 2
- Subjects: Poems, Animals
- Topics: blue, eggs, little, shall, nest, soon
- Length: 133 words, about 1 min
- Original: <https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/25609/pg25609-images.html>
- Page: <https://sprout.rootsofreason.org/r/child-garden/s-59-nest-eggs>
- Open in Sprouts: <https://sprout.rootsofreason.org/?read=child-garden/s-59-nest-eggs>

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Birds all the sunny day  
Flutter and quarrel  
Here in the arbour-like  
Tent of the laurel.

Here in the fork  
The brown nest is seated;  
Four little blue eggs  
The mother keeps heated.

While we stand watching her  
Staring like gabies,  
Safe in each egg are the  
Bird's little babies.

Soon the frail eggs they shall  
Chip, and upspringing  
Make all the April woods  
Merry with singing.

Younger than we are,  
O children, and frailer,  
Soon in blue air they'll be,  
Singer and sailor.

We, so much older,  
Taller and stronger,  
We shall look down on the  
Birdies no longer.

They shall go flying  
With musical speeches  
High over head in the  
Tops of the beeches.

In spite of our wisdom  
And sensible talking,  
We on our feet must go  
Plodding and walking.

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## Picture credits

- Jessie Willcox Smith, Public domain (<https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/25609/pg25609-images.html>)