Nest Eggs

Robert Louis Stevenson · 1885

Catalog grade guidance: K–5 — Short children’s lyric; good for early memorization and reading aloud.

34 content lines · 137 words · Est. recitation about 1 min 29 sec (approx.)

Public-domain text for reading and recitation practice. Source: Project Gutenberg #136.Estimated time uses ~120 words/minute plus short pauses—not a contest rule.

Nest Eggs

  Birds all the sunny day
       Flutter and quarrel
  Here in the arbour-like
       Tent of the laurel.

  Here in the fork
       The brown nest is seated;
  Four little blue eggs
       The mother keeps heated.

  While we stand watching her
       Staring like gabies,
  Safe in each egg are the
       Bird's little babies.

  Soon the frail eggs they shall
       Chip, and upspringing
  Make all the April woods
       Merry with singing.

  Younger than we are,
       O children, and frailer,
  Soon in the blue air they'll be,
       Singer and sailor.

  We, so much older,
       Taller and stronger,
  We shall look down on the
       Birdies no longer.

  They shall go flying
       With musical speeches
  High overhead in the
       Tops of the beeches.

  In spite of our wisdom
       And sensible talking,
  We on our feet must go
       Plodding and walking.

                                            III