The Jay and the Martin.—A jay once stole some eggs from a martin. The martin and the jay were friends, as they lived near each other. The martin lived in the gourd which the people put for her at the house.
Probably you do not know why they put them for the martin. If the martins have their nests at the house, they keep away the hawks.
Now the jay had her nest in a tree near, and when the martin was away would take her eggs. "Mrs. Jay," said the martin one day as they were talking about the other birds, "do you miss any of your eggs?"
"I have not yet," said the jay, ‘"but I am looking for it every day."
"Something is carrying away my eggs," said the martin; "I wish you would notice for me when I am not at home, and I will do the same for you when you are gone off."
"I will," said the jay.
So one day, when the martin goes off, the jay waits until the martin is in sight, and then she begins to look around. She sees a crow. She flies to the tree, and makes a great noise. When the martin got there, she comes back. "Mrs. Martin," said the jay, "here he is, out here in the tree."
"All right," said the martin; "I will go out there and see him. Come and go, Mrs, Jay."
"No, no, I will watch for another while you are gone."
Mr. and Mrs. Martin go out and see the crow. "Mr. Crow," said Mr. Martin, ‘"Mr. Jay said you were at my house to-day."
"Where is your house?" asked the crow.
"Yonder, where you see that little round house on the pole."
"I have never been there in my life," said the crow; "I will go and see the jay about it."
On a Friday morning the crow goes to see the jay. "Hello," said the crow.
"Mother is not here," said one of the young jays.
"Where is she?" asked the crow.
"She went to carry some grains of sand to hell."
"When she comes, tell her Mr. Crow was here to see her."
When the jay came, the young bird said, "Mother, big black man has been here to see you." So the jay moved to another home the next day.
NOTES AND QUERIES.
Peculiar Method of Counting used in the Crockery Trade.—A gentleman in the retail crockery business informs me of a very peculiar way of counting dozens of jugs and pitchers that obtains with wholesale dealers in England. Pitchers are classed according to their sizes as 54's, 42's, 36's, 30's, 24's, 12's, 6's, and 4's, the smaller articles having the larger numbers. In ordering them by the dozen, it is well understood that 54 go to the dozen of 54's, 30 to the dozen of 30's, and only 4 to the dozen of 4's. This custom also obtains in the United States.
H. Carrington Bolton.
Washington, D. C.
