1.A little bird went to and fro，Once in the nesting season，And sought for shelter high and low，Until，for some queer reason，She flew into a granary ，Where，on a nail suspended ，The farmer’s coat she chanced to see；And there her search was ended.
2.The granary was in a loft ，Where not a creature met her；The coat had hollows deep and soft-Could anything be better？
And where it hung，how safe it was，Without a breeze to rock it！
Come，busy little beak and claws，Build quick inside the pocket！
3.Three speckled eggs soon warmly lay Beneath the happy sitter；Three little birds-oh，joy！-one day Began to chirp and twitter.
And then-ah，can you guess the tale？-The farmer came one morning，And took his coat down from the nail Without a word of warning ！
4.Poor，little，frightened motherling ！
Up from her nest she fluttered，And straightway every gaping thing Its wide-mouthed terror uttered.
The good man started back aghast ；
But merry was his wonder When，in the pocket，he at lastFound such unlooked-for plunder.
5.He put the coat back carefully：“I think I have another；So don‘t you be afraid of me ，You bright-eyed little mother.
I know just how you feel，poor thing，For I have youngsters，bless you！
There-stop your foolish fluttering-Nobody shall distress you.”
6.Then merrily he ran away To tell his wife about it-How in his coat the nestlings lay，And he must do without it.
She laughed，and said she thought he could；And so，all unmolested ，The mother-birdie and her broodSafe in the pocket rested，7.Till all the little wings were set In proper flying feather；And then there was a nest to let，For off they flocked together.
The farmer keeps it still to show，And says that he’s the debtor；His coat is none the worse，you know，While he‘s-a little better.
