Later in the day the Muley Cow had a chat with a song sparrow—a musical person who had a nest cunningly hidden in the center of a bush near the pasture fence.  
"What a pleasant family those cowbirds are!" the Muley Cow happened to remark. "They're so kind!"
 
The song sparrow gave her a queer look.
 
"Kind!" he echoed.
 
The Muley Cow saw at once that he did not agree with her.
 
"Yes!" she insisted. "They were very nice to me this morning. They caught all the flies that were bothering me."
 
 
The song sparrow gave a slight . "They were only having their breakfast. You may be sure that they didn't catch the flies to oblige you."
 
"I wish," said the Muley Cow, "you wouldn't speak rudely of my friends, because they are very pleasant."
 
"Why, they're outcasts!" the song sparrow cried. "No decent bird will have anything to do with them. They lay their eggs in our nests and we have to bring up their lubberly children for them. If I were you I'd drive them away next time and let the flies bite. What's your tail for, anyhow, except to switch the flies off?"
 
"Really, I don't know," said the Muley Cow.
 
She felt somewhat foolish.
 
And soon the song sparrow told his wife that there was always somethingto learn, no matter if one were as old as the Muley Cow.
 
The Muley Cow couldn't quite believe what Mr. Song Sparrow had told her about the cowbirds. But if it was true, she didn't want anything more to do with them. And if it wasn't true, she intended to be agreeable to them.
 
In order to find out what was what, the Muley Cow made up her mind to ask the cowbirds a question the very next time she met them.
 
It wasn't long before they gathered around her again.
 
"We've come to rid you of flies once more," they announced as they began to jostle one another while th............