



Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England




The Wood-Pigeons and Mary
By Mrs Molesworth
Illustrations by H.R. Millar
Published by Macmillan and Co, Limited, London.
This edition dated 1901.

The Wood-Pigeons and Mary, by Mrs Molesworth.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
THE WOOD-PIGEONS AND MARY, BY MRS MOLESWORTH.

CHAPTER ONE.

"SUCH BIG TEARS."

"Mary is crying," said Mr Coo.

"No!" replied Mrs Coo.

But Mr Coo said again--

"Mary is crying," and though Mrs Coo repeated--

"No!" she knew by the way he held his head on one side and looked at
her, that he was very much in earnest indeed.

I must tell you that when Mrs Coo said `no,' it went off into a soft
sound that was almost like `coo'; indeed most of her talking, and of Mr
Coo's too, sounded like that, which is the reason, I daresay, that many
people would not have understood their conversation.  But it would be
rather tiresome to write "no," or other words, with double o's at the
end, so I will leave it to be fancied, which will do just as well.
There is a great deal of conversation in the world which careless people
don't understand; a great deal which _no one_ can understand properly,
however much they try; but also a great deal that one _can_ get to
understand, if one tries, even without the gift which the dear fairy
bestowed on the very lucky prince in the long ago story.  I forget his
name, but I daresay some of you remember it.  The gift was the power to
understand all that the beasts and birds say.

This very morning the wind has been talking to me a good deal--it was
the south wind, and her stories are always very sweet, though sometimes
sad, yet I understand a good deal of them.

After this second "No," Mr and Mrs Coo sat looking at each other for a
moment or two, without speaking.

Then said Mr Coo--

"It must be something--serious.  For Mary scarcely ever cries."

"True," said Mrs Coo, "true