By the way, did you ever see a baby pigeon fed?"
The children shook their heads and listened most eagerly as the old man
went on:
"This is a matter in which both father and mother take a hand, and the
first food is a liquid secreted in their crops and called 'pigeons' milk.'
When mealtime comes, the parents open wide their beaks, the little birds
thrust in their bills, and the fun begins. I tell you it takes a great deal
of effort and bobbing of heads for Baby Pigeon to get a satisfactory meal."
"How can we--ever--feed him?" Andrea anxiously interrupted, as if he felt
that his charge might prove somewhat of a responsibility.
"Don't worry," was the comforting response as Paolo nodded his wise old
head; "he may not be able to shift for himself, but I am willing to wager
he will manage to eat whatever you offer him. You see this particular
kind of infant food only lasts a few days; after that the milk gradually
thickens and becomes mixed with bits of grain. Almost before he knows
it, Baby Pigeon is independent of his parents and eats quite as if fully
grown."
With that the old caretaker held out a piece of cracked wheat to the
fledgling who devoured it greedily and opened his beak for more.
The children laughed aloud and clapped their hands in glee, continuing
to feed him until Paolo declared the bird had had a royal breakfast and
carefully replaced him in the nest.
Then, with Andrea on one side and Maria holding tightly to the other hand,
he led them out of the shed and into the bright sunshine.
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