Prevod
Na gozdnem robu ob travniku sta se mlada liščka pripravljala, da si ustvarita dom. Bila sta čeden par in ptice, ki so že gnezdile v bližini, so se zelo razveselile, ko so ju videle iskati primerno drevo.
Gospod Lišček je bil postaven, vesel ptiček in vsako pero njegovega črno-rumenega suknjiča je bilo vselej skrbno namaščeno in lepo na svojem mestu. Njegova žena je bila oblečena v zamolklo zelenkasto rjavo opravo s pridihom rumene na prsih. »Živo rumena in črna se gospodu Liščku prav lepo podata,« je rada rekla, »a za nekoga, ki bo moral tako dolgo sedeti na gnezdu kakor jaz, nikakor ne bi bili primerni. Ljudje bi me opazili med listjem in bi natanko vedeli, kje naj najdejo moja jajčka.«
Gospod Lišček je bil prepričan, da noben ptič še nikoli ni imel lepše, ljubše in bolj delavne ženice kakor on, in se je čudil, kako je bil sploh lahko srečen, preden jo je spoznal. Tako pač ljudje pozabljajo na minule dni; v resnici se je gospod Lišček vso pomlad norčeval iz taščic in drugih ptic, ker so morale graditi gnezda in iskati črve za svoje mladiče, sam pa ni imel drugega dela, kakor da je pel, spal in skrbel za svoj želodček. Tiste dni so taščice pogosto klicale za njim, ko je odletel: »Neumnež! Neumnež! Neumnež!« Vedele so namreč, da je v življenju še kaj slajšega od tega, da lepo skrbiš samo zase.
Nekega popoldneva je gospod Lišček na grmu dišečega šipka zagledal drobno zelenorjavo ptičko in med opazovanjem se mu je zazdela najlepše bitje, kar jih je kdaj videl. Tako ljubko je izbirala semena in tako lahkotno skakljala z vejice na vejico. Tedaj je gospod Lišček nasršil perje, napel grlo in ji zapel takšne pesmi, kakršnih dotlej še nikoli ni pel. Ni hotel, da bi govorila s kom drugim, vendar ji tega ni mogel preprečiti, saj se liščki vselej družijo v jatah, dokler nimajo lastnega doma, in tisti čas so vsako jutro prirejali koncerte. Pokazal ji je, kje rastejo najlepša regratova semena, in nekega jasnega, sončnega dne je postala gospa Liščkova, nato pa sta skupaj odšla iskat prostor za svoj dom.
Lotila sta se gnezda in ga že skoraj dokončala, ko je gospod Lišček izjavil, da ni na primernem mestu, in ga povsem razdrl. Gospo Liščkovo je to zelo potrlo in o tem se je pogovorila z nekaterimi sosedami liščicami. Rekle so ji, naj si tega nikar ne žene k srcu, da njihovi možje pogosto storijo enako in da jim je novi prostor včasih nazadnje še veliko bolj všeč kakor stari. Vsekakor se ni imelo smisla jeziti, saj je morala s čim takim pač računati.
Gospod Lišček je bil prepričan, da sta gradila preblizu tal, in je više v krošnji izbral rogovilo. Tja je zdaj vlekel koščke vinske trte in cedrinega lubja, ki so bili vpleteni v njuno prvo gnezdo. Rekel je, da lahko uporabita tudi nekaj travnih bilk in mahu, ki sta ga nabrala, ženi pa je celo povedal za čudovit osatov puh, ki bi ga lahko prinesel za notranjo oblogo, kamor bo znesla jajčka. Gospa Liščkova ga je opazovala, kako s kljunom in obema nožicama vleče in skuša izpuliti koščke lubja, ter si rekla: »Ljubi moj! Kako mi je v pomoč! Prav nič mi ne bo hudo še enkrat graditi, če bo zato srečen,« in se je z vso vnemo lotila dela.
Ko je naslednjega večera sonce zašlo na zahodu, je bilo drugo gnezdo končano, in liščka sta se še zadnjič ozrla prav nanj, preden sta potisnila glavici pod peruti in zaspala. Tudi naslednje jutro sta najprej zagledala gnezdo. Poskakovala sta okoli njega in ponosno žvrgolela, tu kaj pocukala in tam kaj potisnila na svoje mesto, nato pa odletela po zajtrk.
Medtem ko ju ni bilo, je gospa Kravjekova čez travo in suho listje prikorakala k vznožju drevesa. Ob vsakem koraku je pomigala z glavo in se šopirila, kakor da bi bila razkošno napravljena, ne pa odeta, kakor je bila vselej, v obleko zamolklo rjavkasto sive barve. Videla je liščka odleteti in zdaj je iskala njun dom. Kljub svojemu živahnemu vedenju je bila lena in si je želela najti lično gnezdece, v katero bi znesla jajce. Saj veste, kravjekom še na misel ne pride, da bi gradili gnezda. Ves svoj čas hočejo imeti zase, kar je zelo nespameten način življenja; toda kravjeka ne bi nikoli mogli prepričati o tem!
»To gnezdo je ravno pravšnje,« je rekla gospa Kravjekova. »Kar takoj bom znesla jajce vanj, in ko bo gospa Liščkova znesla svoja, bo morala valiti vsa skupaj in namesto mene skrbeti za mojega mladička. Kako preprosto je tako vzgajati družino! Prav nobenega dela ni s tem! In prepričana sem, da mojim otrokom ne bo hudega, saj zanje vselej skrbno izbiram gnezda majhnih ptic. Tako so večji in močnejši od drugih mladičev in si lahko priborijo več hrane, kot jim pripada.«
In tako je v novi dom liščkov znesla veliko belo jajce s sivimi in rjavimi pegami, nato pa odletela k jati kravjekov, vsa vesela in brezskrbna. Ko sta se liščka vrnila, sta v gnezdu zagledala jajce in poklicala vse sosede, da bi se posvetovali. »Kaj naj vendar storim?« je rekla gospa Liščkova. »Gnezdo sem hotela imeti za svoja jajčka in nameravala sem jih znesti jutri. Najbrž bom morala sedeti še na tem, a prav nič udobno ne bo.«
»Jaz že ne bi,« je rekla ena od sosed, rumena penica. »Ko se je meni nekoč zgodilo kaj takega, sem zapustila gnezdo in si za svoja jajčka zgradila novo.«
»Ojoj!« je vzkliknila gospa Liščkova. »Dve sva že zgradila in še enega ne zmorem.« »No, kar koli že storiš,« je rekla zelenčica, »nikar ne vali velikega jajca skupaj s svojimi. Jaz sem ga nekoč in kakšne težave sem imela! Mladi kravjek je dva moja mala zelenčka zrinil iz gnezda na tla, pojedel pa je toliko, da sem bila od iskanja hrane zanj čisto izčrpana.«
»Draga moja,« je rekel gospod Lišček, »imam odličen načrt. V gnezdu bova naredila še eno dno, tik nad tem jajcem, potem pa bova malo nadzidala robove in imela dovolj prostora za svoje otroke. To bo veliko manj dela, kakor če bi začela znova, kravjekovo jajce pa bo prehladno, da bi se iz njega kaj izvalilo.«
Vsi so rekli, da je to nadvse domiseln načrt, in gospod Lišček je bil zelo ponosen, da se ga je domislil. Spet sta se lotila dela in prav kmalu je bilo novo dno narejeno, nove stene pa postavljene. Potem pa, o čudo prečudno! so na oblogi iz osatovega puha kmalu ležala štiri njuna drobna, biserna jajčka.
Gospa Liščkova se je morala zdaj ves čas držati doma, njen mož pa je pogosto odhajal s prijatelji. Kopal se je, pel, si urejal perje ter pripovedoval o svojem nenavadnem gnezdu in bistri ženici, kakor je povsod v navadi pri liščkih.
Prijatelji so se mu smejali, ker je toliko pomagal pri gnezdu, saj veste, liščki svojim ženam pri delu za dom ne pomagajo prav pogosto. Svojo lepo glavico je nagnil postrani in odgovoril: »Moja žena me je takrat očitno potrebovala. Ni posebno močna. In ne vem, kaj bi sploh storila s tistim tujim jajcem, če mene ne bi bilo tam, da bi ji svetoval.«
Ko se je tistega večera vrnil domov, je gospa Liščkova rekla: »Razmišljala sem, zakaj nisva kravjekovega jajca preprosto zvalila na tla, namesto da sva si nakopala toliko dela z gradnjo okoli njega.«
In gospod Lišček je izjavil, da je po njegovem edina ptica, ki se je kdaj domislila česa takega. »Prav zlahka bi to storila,« je rekel. »Zjutraj moram to povedati drugim pticam. Kakšno srečo imam, da imam tako bistro ženo! Strašno bi bilo, če bi imel tako pameten ptič, kakršen sem jaz, neumno družico!«
Izvirnik
On the edge of the forest next to the meadow, a pair of young Goldfinches were about to begin housekeeping. They were a handsome couple, and the birds who were already nesting near by were much pleased to see them tree-hunting there.
Mr. Goldfinch was a fine, cheerful little fellow, every feather of whose black and yellow coat was always well oiled and lying in its proper place. His wife was dressed in a dull, greenish brown with a touch of yellow on her breast. "Bright yellow and black does very well for Mr. Goldfinch," she would say, "but for one who has to sit on the nest as long as I shall have to, it would never do. People would see me among the leaves and know just where to find my eggs."
Mr. Goldfinch thought that there was never a bird who had a prettier, dearer, or harder-working little wife than he, and he would wonder how he was ever happy before he knew her. That is a way that people have of forgetting the days that are past; and the truth is that Mr. Goldfinch had made fun of the Robins and other birds all spring, because they had to build nests and hunt worms for their babies, while he had nothing to do but sing and sleep and feed himself. In those days the Robins used to call after him as he flew away, "Silly fellow! Silly fellow! Silly!" They knew that there is something sweeter in life than just taking good care of one's self.
One afternoon Mr. Goldfinch saw a tiny green-brown bird on a sweetbriar bush, and as he watched her he thought her the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. She had such a dainty way of picking out the seeds, and gave such graceful hops from one twig to another. Then Mr. Goldfinch fluffed up his feathers and swelled out his throat and sang her such songs as he had never sung before. He did not want her to speak to anybody else, and yet he could not help her doing so, for Goldfinches always go together in crowds until they have homes of their own, and at this time they were having concerts every morning. He showed her where the finest dandelion seeds could be found, and one bright and sunshiny day she became Mrs. Goldfinch, and they went together to find a place for their home.
They began one nest and had it nearly done, when Mr. Goldfinch said it was not in a good place, and tore it all to pieces. Mrs. Goldfinch felt very badly about this and talked it over with some of her Goldfinch neighbors. They told her not to mind it at all, that their husbands often did the same thing, and that sometimes they came to like the new place much better than the old. At any rate, there was no use in getting cross about it, because that was something she would have to expect.
Mr. Goldfinch was sure that they had built too near the ground, and he had chosen a crotch above. Toward this he was dragging the bits of grape-vine and cedar-bark which were woven into their first nest. He said they could also use some of the grasses and mosses which they had gotten together, and he even told his wife of some fine thistle-down which he could bring for the inside, where the eggs were to be laid. Mrs. Goldfinch watched him tugging with bill and both feet to loosen the bits of bark, and she said to herself: "Dear fellow! what a helper he is! I won't mind rebuilding if it makes him happy," and she went to work with a will.
When the sun went down in the west the next night the second nest was done, and it was the last thing at which the Goldfinches looked before tucking their heads under their wings and going to sleep. It was the first thing that they saw the next morning, too, and they hopped all around it and twittered with pride, and gave it little tweaks here and little pokes there before they flew away to get breakfast.
While they were gone, Mrs. Cowbird came walking over the grass and dry leaves to the foot of the tree. She wagged her head at every step, and put on as many airs as though she were showily dressed, instead of wearing, as she always does, a robe of dull brownish gray. She had seen the Goldfinches fly away, and she was looking for their home. She was a lazy creature in spite of her stirring ways, and she wished to find a nice little nest in which to lay an egg. You know Cowbirds never think of building nests. They want all of their time to take care of themselves, which is a very foolish way of living; but then, you could never make a Cowbird think so!
"That nest is exactly right," said Mrs. Cowbird. "I will lay my egg there at once, and when Mrs. Goldfinch has laid hers she will have to hatch them all together and take care of my baby for me. What an easy way this is to bring up one's family! It is really no work at all! And I am sure that my children will get along well, because I am always careful to choose the nests of small birds for them. Then they are larger and stronger than the other babies, and can get more than their share of food."
So she laid a big white egg with gray and brown spots on it in the Goldfinches' new home, and then she flew off to the Cowbird flock, as gay and careless as you please. When the Goldfinches came back, they saw the egg in their nest and called all their neighbors to talk it over. "What shall I ever do?" said Mrs. Goldfinch. "I wanted my nest for my own eggs, and I meant to lay them to-morrow. I suppose I shall have to sit on this one too, but it won't be at all comfortable."
"I wouldn't," said one of her neighbors, a Yellow Warbler. "I left my nest once when such a thing happened to me, and built a new one for my own eggs."
"Oh dear!" cried Mrs. Goldfinch, "we have built two already, and I cannot build another."
"Well, whatever you do," said a Vireo, "don't hatch the big egg out with your own. I did once, and such a time as I had! The young Cowbird pushed two of my little Vireos out onto the ground, and ate so much that I was quite worn out by the work of hunting for him."
"My dear," said Mr. Goldfinch, "I have an excellent plan. We will put another floor in our nest, right over this egg, and then by adding a bit all around the sides we can have plenty of room for our own children. It will be much less work than beginning all over again, and then the Cowbird's egg will be too cool to hatch."
Everybody called this a most clever plan, and Mr. Goldfinch was very proud to have thought of it. They went to work once more, and it was not so very long before the new floor was done and the new walls raised. Then, oh, wonder of wonders! there were soon four tiny, pearly eggs of their own lying on the thistle-down lining of the nest.
Mrs. Goldfinch had to stay very closely at home now, but her husband went off with his friends a great deal. He bathed and sang and preened his feathers and talked about his queer nest and his bright little wife, after the manner of Goldfinches everywhere.
His friends laughed at him for helping so much about the nest, for, you know, Goldfinches do not often help their wives about home. He cocked his handsome head on one side and answered: "My wife seemed to need me then. She is not so very strong. And I do not know what she would ever have done about the strange egg, if I had not been there to advise her."
When he got back to his home that night, Mrs. Goldfinch said: "I have been wondering why we did not roll the Cowbird's egg out on the ground, instead of going to all that trouble of building around it."
And Mr. Goldfinch declared that he believed she was the only bird who had ever thought of such a thing. "It could have been done just as well as not," he said. "I must tell that to the other birds in the morning. How lucky I am to have such a bright wife! It would be dreadful if such a clever fellow as I had a dull mate!"
