My wife is growing quite impatient because she wants to lay her eggs and the nest is not quite ready. Do you mind if I gather a few more hairs from your ears? They are so silky and pretty, and besides, I think the colour will look very well with the grass I have gathered.”

“Go ahead,” Blinky answered. “Only don’t pull too many at once.”

“Thank you very much,” Willie replied. “You know it is very difficult to gather the necessary materials for our nest right here in the middle of the bush.”

“How is that?” Blinky inquired, as the tug, tug at his ears proceeded.

“There are no cattle or sheep,” Willie replied.

“What use are they to you?” said Blinky curiously.

“Why, we gather the hair from the cows’ and horses’ backs, and the wool from the sheep,” Willie Wagtail explained. “It makes a nest so cosy when lined with wool, and of course the hair binds the grass together.”

“Don’t pull so hard!” Blinky cried impatiently. “And for goodness’ sake keep that tail of yours still.”

“Sorry,” said Willie in an apologetic voice. “I forgot for the moment that I was plucking a bear’s ears and not a cow’s back. Their hair is much harder to pull. Do you know, I actually pulled hair from the back of Mr Smifkins’s cat once.”

“You were brave.”

“Yes, it was rather a daring thing to do,” Willie replied. “But the cat did not seem to mind.”

“Did you ever try pulling Mr Smifkins’s whiskers?” Blinky asked with a twinkle in his eye.

“Goodness gracious, no! I wouldn’t be so bold!” Willie replied.

“Well, I did,” said naughty Blinky, “and he did get cross. In fact, he went quite mad for a time.”

“Don’t pull so hard!” Blinky cried impatiently.

“You must be a brave bear,” said Willie. And he gave an extra sharp tug at Blinky’s ear.

“That’s enough!” Blinky cried. “You’ll leave me bald soon; and I’ve been very kind to give you so many.”

“You have, indeed,” Willie said politely. “You’ve no idea how pleased Mrs Wagtail will be with these hairs. They are quite a novelty.”

“How often does your wife lay eggs?” Blinky inquired. “Because if you are short at any time I know where you can get heaps and heaps.”

“She lays them twice a year,” Willie replied. “But I never know the day when she will stop, so I’d be pleased to know where I could find some — just in case of emergency.”

“Well, you fly into Mrs Smifkins’s pantry,” advised Blinky, “and you’ll see dozens and dozens of them.”

“That’s strange,” said Willie Wagtail. “I wonder if my wife has been laying away’?”

“That’s strange!” said Willie Wagtail. “I wonder if my wife has been ‘laying away’.”

“These are huge eggs, some white and some brown,” explained Blinky, who began to realize he may have said something that was not quite right.

“Oh, then they are none of ours,” said Willie. “You mean hen eggs, I think.”

“I believe you’re right,” said Blinky, “because now I come to think of it, I sat on one in a nest in the fowl-house.”

“Oh! Whatever did Mr Smifkins say?” Willie asked in a shocked tone.

“Nothing, nothing at all!” Blinky carelessly murmured. “By the way, Willie, what do you do with all your children? You must have hundreds of them by now.”

“Possibly,” said Willie, very seriously. “But as soon as they are old enough to feed and take care of themselves, we shoo them off. One can’t feed dozens of birds all the time, you know!”

“Well, my mother has only me for a child, and she says: ‘Thank goodness there are no more.’ That is, of course, when she is angry with me. But at other times she says: ‘I don’t know what I’d do without my son. I wish I had more.” Blinky’s eyes had a far-away look in them as he talked to Willie.

“That’s just like all mothers,” said Willie Wagtail, knowingly. “But I’ll have to be going, or I’ll get into trouble.”

“Take care of those hairs,” Blinky called as Willie flew off.

“Of course I shall,” called back Willie, and Blinky watched him as he darted this way and that until he was out of sight.

“A nice little fellow,” said Blinky softly, still watching the trees through which his friend had flown.

“I beg your pardon. Were you speaking to me?” said a tiny voice.

Blinky turned round in surprise. He thought he was alone.

“Oh, it’s you, Miss Possum! How are you?” he said bravely. He was not going to let anyone see he had been startled.

“Very well, thank you,” Miss Possum replied. “You’re a long way from home, aren’t you?” she asked.

“Oh, no, not so very far,” said naughty Blinky.