
WHAT THE ANIMALS DO AND SAY.
A warm evening conversation between a mother and her curious children opens the book, turning a simple bedtime story into a vivid portrait of the martins—those lively “birds of passage” that fill the sky each spring and summer. Through gentle dialogue, listeners learn how these feathered travelers prepare for their annual voyages, choose welcoming homes, and fill the dawn with joyous song, all while never losing their way across distant lands.
The narrative weaves together folk wisdom, early natural‑history observations, and poetic reflections, inviting listeners to share the wonder of a creature that seems both humble and extraordinary. As the children’s questions guide the tale, the book celebrates the martins’ rhythmic migrations, their cheerful presence in villages, and the timeless mystery of how they always find the warm climes they seek.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (66K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. HTML version by Al Haines.
Release date
May 1, 2003
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1787–1860
Remembered for children’s writing, poetry, and reform work, she moved through Boston’s literary and religious circles with a strong moral voice. Her books and editing work helped bring ideas about education, faith, and abolition to a broad 19th-century readership.
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