Day after day, flocks gathered and departed: by the time the first snow whitened his trail around the Limberlost, there were left only the little black-and-white juncos, the sapsuckers, yellow-hammers, a few patriarchs among the flaming cardinals, the blue jays, the crows, and the quail.
Then Freckles began his wizard work.

He cleared a space of swale, and twice a day he spread a birds' banquet.

By the middle of December the strong winds of winter had beaten most of the seed from the grass and bushes.

The snow fell, covering the swamp, and food was very scarce and difficult to find.

The birds scarcely waited until Freckles' back was turned to attack his provisions.