PART II
THE OUTDOOR WORLD
I love all of out-of-doors;
Music that the robin pours,
And the wren-talk, and the low
Warble of the vireo
And the "spink-a-chink-a-chink"
Of the merry bobolink!
Then I love the brook, and love
Cloud-ships floating far above;
Love the gentle rain-song that
On the pane sounds "pit-a-pat";
Love the lion wind that roars;
Love just all of out-of-doors!
All The World Is A Zoo
It is fun to watch the lions and tigers and monkeys in a zoo. Probably you have many times begged your parents to take you to see the animals. But did you ever stop to think that all the world is a zoo? Close about you are wild things of nature that are just as interesting as tigers and monkeys. Do you know the names of all the kinds of birds that nest near your home? How many kinds of wild flowers can you name?
Perhaps there are some wild animals near your home that you never dreamed lived there. One fifth-grade boy never knew there were weasels near his home until they killed his pet guinea pigs one night. His sister found a little gray-furred baby that had fallen from its nest. She carried it home and took care of it until it grew into a lively flying squirrel. She had never seen any flying squirrels; so she looked them up in a book. There she found that they come out only at night.
Yes, the wild things of the out-of-doors are so interesting that all over the world today thousands of men and women are studying them. And they are writing books and stories of the wonderful things they see and learn. You are now going to read some of these stories. Three Boy Scouts will tell you how it feels to be surrounded by lions at night. Mrs. Bradley will tell you about Pembe Kubwa, a wise and wicked elephant. Mr. Rutledge will explain why birds and animals need our help in this day of farms and cities. As you read some of these stories and observe the outdoor life around you, perhaps you will learn, too, that while some outdoor things should be protected, others must be destroyed.