[00:00:00] Jeans Little Thrush
[00:00:02] Jeans had a nice little garden at school. She was very proud of it because she had three rose trees in it and a border of blue libolia and white sweet alison.
[00:00:13] The other children had sown seeds of candy tuft and poppies but Jeans was the only garden with rose trees.
[00:00:21] She had saved her money and bought them herself because she loved roses.
[00:00:26] There was a tree that would bear red roses, one that would bear pink ones and the third one was yellow.
[00:00:33] Jeans hoped to be able to find a bowl full of roses from her school room and a bunch to take home from her mother.
[00:00:41] The headmistress of the school called the little gardeners to her one day and promised a prize for the best kept garden with their loveliest flowers.
[00:00:52] Jeans did hope hers was the best and every day she went to weed it and water her plants which were growing very well.
[00:01:00] One day she was weeding the garden and heard a loud squealing noise not far off. It sounded like a gate creaking.
[00:01:10] Jeans wondered what it was. She looked all around but could not see anything.
[00:01:16] The noise still went on so she ran off to find what it was. It wasn't long before she discovered what is making that noise.
[00:01:24] A small baby thrush. It sat on the ground beneath the flowering lilac and squealed in fright.
[00:01:31] Nearby was a mother thrush making little comforting noises. Jeans looked at the frightened baby bird.
[00:01:39] Too small to fly, she thought. It must have fallen out of its nest. I wonder where the nest is.
[00:01:45] She looked up into the lilac bush. It wasn't there so she looked into the next tree a chestnut big and spreading
[00:01:53] and there set neatly in the fork of the three branches she spied a thrust nest.
[00:02:01] Over the edge of it peeped a brown head. Another baby thrush.
[00:02:06] There said Jeans. I was right. This little thing has tumbled out of its nest.
[00:02:11] Oh dear, what shall I do? I can't possibly climb up there. She stood there thinking.
[00:02:17] The baby thrush at her feet kept on squealing. Jeans felt sure a cat would eat it soon if it didn't keep quiet
[00:02:26] but it didn't know anything about cats.
[00:02:29] She just thought that if it went on squealing someone or something would help come to its help.
[00:02:37] I know said Jeans at last. I'll get the little ladder that Miss Brown keeps in her shed.
[00:02:43] Then I can climb up that ladder and put the bird back quite easily.
[00:02:49] So she set off. She soon got the ladder and although it was rather heavy
[00:02:54] it wasn't long before she had set it up against the chestnut tree.
[00:02:58] She picked up the baby thrush very carefully in her hand then climbed up the ladder.
[00:03:04] The other thrush flew around her as she carried the squeaking bird and cried out in fear
[00:03:09] afraid that Jeans was going to harm the little bird.
[00:03:13] Carefully Jeans put the little thrush into the nest and then climbed down the ladder again.
[00:03:20] Stay in your little nest until you are big. She said to the baby thrush
[00:03:26] I might not be near if you fall down again.
[00:03:29] She put the ladder back and went on with her gardening.
[00:03:33] Glad that the little thrush had stopped its frightening squeal.
[00:03:38] Soon after that Jeans caught a cold and had to stay home for a week.
[00:03:42] When she came back anxious to look at her garden what a shock she got.
[00:03:46] The leaves of her rose trees were all stuck together and when she tried to pull them apart
[00:03:51] she found little green caterpillars all over the trees.
[00:03:54] They were eating great holes in the leaves and were even starting to nibble
[00:03:59] at the nice new rose buds. Jeans stared at the spoiled rose trees with tears in her eyes.
[00:04:06] How unlucky that the caterpillar should have come just a week she was away.
[00:04:11] In a fortnight's time the headmistress Miss Brown was going to look at the school gardens
[00:04:17] and give the prize.
[00:04:19] Unless Jeans could get rid of all the caterpillars in a short time
[00:04:24] her rose trees would certainly not be worth looking at.
[00:04:28] Then she saw a speckled thrush come hopping over the lawn
[00:04:33] followed by three wobbly baby thrushes
[00:04:36] and other thrush was teaching them to look for food.
[00:04:40] She hopped over to Jeans garden and put her head on one side looking up at the roses.
[00:04:47] Then with a quick peck she snapped at a green caterpillar
[00:04:51] and hopping back to her three baby she popped it in their mouth.
[00:04:56] Jeans was delighted.
[00:04:58] Oh! To do take these caterpillars as well they are spoiling my rose trees.
[00:05:04] She begged.
[00:05:05] Triller, triller pretty pretty triller.
[00:05:08] She took the thrush at once which Jeans was sure meant I will.
[00:05:13] You once saved one of my babies and now I will do your garden a good turn.
[00:05:20] The school bell rang and Jeans ran into her class.
[00:05:24] For the next two or three days the mother thrush came to her little garden
[00:05:28] a dozen times a day
[00:05:31] and very soon there was not a caterpillar left.
[00:05:35] Jeans was so pleased she carefully picked off all the half eaten leaves
[00:05:40] and nipped off the spoiled buds.
[00:05:42] There was over a week before the headmistress was going to judge the school gardens.
[00:05:47] Perhaps there would be a chance for Jeans after all.
[00:05:51] You should have seen Jeans rose garden in a weeks time.
[00:05:55] They had put out nice fresh leaves
[00:05:58] and every tree had some beautiful rose blooming.
[00:06:02] The sweet Allison and blue Lepolia were blooming gaily
[00:06:08] and there wasn't a weed to be seen.
[00:06:11] The headmistress looked at all the gardens
[00:06:14] but when she came to Jeans she stopped and admired it very much.
[00:06:18] Yours is beautiful she said to the proud little girl
[00:06:22] There isn't a weed to be seen and your rose trees are lovely.
[00:06:26] I was afraid they would all be eaten by some caterpillars
[00:06:30] and I saw them on a fortnight ago.
[00:06:33] Oh a kind thrush came and ate them all said Jeans
[00:06:38] and who was the kind little girl who did good turn to the baby thrush?
[00:06:43] asked Miss Brown
[00:06:45] I saw all you did from the window jean
[00:06:49] Well you were kind to the thrush
[00:06:52] the thrush returned your kindness and ate your caterpillar
[00:06:55] and now I shall give you the prize for the best and prettiest garden in school
[00:07:01] You deserve it.
[00:07:03] Everyone cheered and Jeans walked proudly up to take the set
[00:07:07] of fine garden tools that Miss Brown held out to her
[00:07:11] and just as she was taking them
[00:07:13] a thrush up in the trees began to sing a loud glad song
[00:07:17] There's your friend the thrush cheering you
[00:07:20] said Miss Brown
[00:07:22] and I shouldn't be surprised if it was would you?
[00:07:25] The End