“Elizabeth, Beth, Betsy, and Bess, they all went together to find a bird's nest...”

“Thanks for this day, for all birds safe in their nests, for whatever this is, for life.”

“Heavenly bodies are nests of invisible birds.”

“The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship.”

“the cuckoo bird," she said, "You see, cuckoos are parasites. THey lay their eggs in in other birds' nests. Whhen the egg hatches, the baby cuckoopushes the other birds out of the nest. THe poor parent birds work to death trying to find enough food to feed the enormous cuckoo child who has murdered their babies and taken their places.'Enormous?' said Jace. 'Did you just call me fat?'It was an analogy.'I am not fat.”

“To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter... to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring — these are some of the rewards of the simple life.”