Far away in the beautiful land of Brazil,

Where the birds are all singing o'er valley and hill,

Two little children walked out 'neath the trees,

Talking in musical Portuguese;

And if you will listen to what I say,

I'll tell you in English their words that day.

"Sister," said Manuel, "often I've heard,

That the trees scarce have room for the nest of each bird;

For this is the land of these beautiful things,

And the air seems alive with their songs and their wings;

And I think that I know of a little bird breast,

Which was puzzled and troubled for place for a nest."

"Now, brother," said Lena, "don't tell me a word,

Let me hunt for the nest of this crowded-out bird,"

So away they went roving o'er hill and through dell;—

Of the nests that they found 'twould take hours to tell.

There were nests in the orange trees, blossoming white,

There were nests in the coffee trees, glossy and bright,

There were nests in the hedges, the bushes and grass,

In the dark, hanging vines, by each roadside and pass.

There were blue eggs and speckled eggs, brown eggs and white,

And yellow throats opening with chirpings of fright.

"Search no longer," said Manuel, "'mid bushes and trees,

'Tis a stranger place, sister, than any of these."

"I give up," said Lena, a shade on her brow,

"Come, hasten, dear Manuel, I'll follow you now."

Then away to the garden the little feet sped,

And he showed her the nest in a big cabbage head!