Written by:Ted Cable & Jacey Cable

Illustrated by:Rita Kraushaar

Ted T. Cable, is a professor of park management and conservation, author of 12 books and more than 200 articles,

and traveler to all 50 states and more than 30 countries. He resides in Kansas and enjoys bird watching, traveling internationally and writing about

these activities.

Jacey Cable, Ted’s granddaughter, is a nine year old writer who has lived near Chicago and

Nashville and now resides in St. Augustine, FL. She enjoys school and excels at reading and

math. In her free time, you can find Jacey doing gymnastics, reading, writing

stories and poetry, playing guitar, and singing at church.

US $14.959 780989 183802

ISBN 978-0-9891838-0-2

51495>

Copyright © 2013 by Dr. Ted T. Cable

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any

means — electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise (except for brief quotations in reviews) — without the prior permission

of the copyright holder.

Library of Congress Catalog Number: 2013908931

ISBN: 978-0-9891838-0-2

Printed in the U.S.A. by Mennonite Press, Inc., Newton, KS 67114

To order additional copies of this book go to: www.itsabirdthing.com

THE KINGBIRD AND THE KINGLET

By Ted Cable & Jacey Cable

Illustrated by Rita Kraushaar

DEDICATION

Jacey would like to dedicate this book to the teachers that have influenced her, encouraged her creativity, and

made her want to write: Angela Rodgers, Rachel Kenyon, Mary Keller,

Lauren Cooper, Kim Gaines, and Gretchen Sting.

Ted would like to dedicate this book to his wife and Jayce’s grandmother

Diane who encouraged our family’s love of birds and the outdoors.

THE KINGBIRD AND THE KINGLET

Once upon a time there was a kingly Kingbird who thought he was indeed king of the birds. But the kingly Kingbird was not a calm and quiet Kingbird. Sometimes the Kingbird was cranky and crabby. He would call out warnings and threats to all the other birds with his rough raspy voice. If bluebirds got bossy or robins got rowdy, Kingbird would flash his red feathered crown and scold them with his sputtering stammering song. Kingbird was hurried and harsh; noisy and nosey.

But Kingbird was also brave.

He would chase away black

creepy crows and huge

hungry hawks that

might eat the

eggs or babies

of the smaller

birds in his woodland kingdom.

He was observant and adventuresome.

Kingbird watched over his forest from the top

of tall trees. He would fly from his high perch

to chase away invaders or to grab a bug for

breakfast from right out of the air.

Kingbird appeared quite dapper with his dark blue, almost black back and

tail and clean white breast. Just for

show, his tail had a white band

along the bottom of it.

He looked like

he was wearing a

tuxedo for a

fancy party.

One spring day, when the oak buds

were the size of squirrel ears,

a flittering fluttering

Kinglet flew into the forest.

The pretty little Kinglet was olive green with white

stripes on her wings. She happily

bounced from limb to limb like a butterfly. Kinglet looked like a tiny leaf in the trees,

so she blended into the forest unnoticed by

the other birds. Even the wise and watchful

Kingbird did not see her enter his Kingbird

kingdom.

Written by:Ted Cable & Jacey Cable

Illustrated by:Rita Kraushaar

Ted T. Cable, is a professor of park management and conservation, author of 12 books and more than 200 articles,

and traveler to all 50 states and more than 30 countries. He resides in Kansas and enjoys bird watching, traveling internationally and writing about

these activities.

Jacey Cable, Ted’s granddaughter, is a nine year old writer who has lived near Chicago and

Nashville and now resides in St. Augustine, FL. She enjoys school and excels at reading and

math. In her free time, you can find Jacey doing gymnastics, reading, writing

stories and poetry, playing guitar, and singing at church.

US $14.959 780989 183802

ISBN 978-0-9891838-0-2

51495>