But they were not selfish, and instead of being jealous felt a great respect for Rap.
"Now," said the Doctor, "we will see what a good neighbor to House People a bird is, and how in working for himself he helps them also." "How can birds possibly work to help people ?" asked Dodo and Nat together; but Rap smiled to himself as if he knew something about the matter, and said, "They eat the bugs and worms and things that kill the gardens and fields." "You are right again," said the Doctor heartily.

"What is one thing that man and every other animal must have to keep him alive ?" "_Food_!" shouted Nat, and then grew very red, as the others laughed, because since he had been at Orchard Farm his appetite had grown so that though he ate twice as much as Olive and Dodo he seemed always hungry.
"Yes, food.

Bread, meat, vegetables, and fruits, but bread first of all.
What is bread made of ?" "Wheat, I think," said Nat.
"Rye, too--mother's rye-bread is drea'fly good," said Rap.
"Don't forget Mammy Bun's corn-bread," added Olive.
"All your answers are right, for many different kinds of bread are used in various parts of the country; but whether it is made from wheat-flour, or rye-flour, or corn-meal, it all grows from the ground, does it not?
"Now the next sort of food--meat, the flesh of animals--oxen, sheep, pigs, and poultry--what do they feed on ?" "Oxen eat grass and hay and meal," said Dodo, in great haste lest some one else should speak first.
"Sheep eat grass and hay too.

I've seen them over in the pasture on the hill," said Nat.
"Pigs will eat any old sort of thing," said Rap.

"Sour milk and snakes and swill and rats." "Ugh!" shivered Dodo.