59 WHAT DOES LITTLE BIRDIE SAY?

What does little birdie say,

In her nest at peep of day?

Let me fly, says little birdie,

Mother, let me fly away.

Birdie, rest a little longer,

Till the little wings are stronger.

So she rests a little longer;

Then she flies away.

What does little baby say,

In her bed at peep of day?

Baby says, like little birdie,

Let me rise and fly away.

Baby, sleep a little longer,

Till the little limbs are stronger.

If she sleeps a little longer,

Baby too shall fly away.

(Alfred, Lord Tennyson)

Word list

rise: to move upwards

limbs: arms and legs

You Practice

A) Answer the following questions.

1) What does little birdie want to do?

2) What does the author mean by “peep of the day”?

3) What does Mother Bird suggest when Birdie wanted to fly away?

4) How are Little baby and Little Birdie similar?

5) How would a baby “rise up and fly away”?

B) Opposites—Find the opposites to these words in the story.

1) night: d _ _

2) a lot: a _ _ _ _ _ _

3) big: l _ _ _ _ _

4) drop: r _ _ _

5) weaker: s _ _ _ _ _ _ _

C) What's the word? Using the clues, write the correct words from the story.

1) to travel through the air: f _ _

2) smaller than a child: b _ _ _

3) a place to sleep: b _ _

4) arms or legs: l _ _ _ _

5) birds use these to fly: w _ _ _ _