byCassEvansillustratedbyRonBergCopyright©byHarcourt,Inc.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronicormechanical,includingphotocopy,recording,oranyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher.RequestsforpermissiontomakecopiesofanypartoftheworkshouldbeaddressedtoSchoolPermissionsandCopyrights,Harcourt,Inc.,6277SeaHarborDrive,Orlando,Florida32887-6777.Fax:407-345-2418.HARCOURTandtheHarcourtLogoaretrademarksofHarcourt,Inc.,registeredintheUnitedStatesofAmericaand/orotherjurisdictions.PrintedinChinaISBN10:0-15-351507-4ISBN13:978-0-15-351507-1OrderingOptionsISBN10:0-15-351213-X(Grade3AdvancedCollection)ISBN13:978-0-15-351213-1(Grade3AdvancedCollection)ISBN10:0-15-358097-6(packageof5)ISBN13:978-0-15-358097-0(packageof5)Ifyouhavereceivedthesematerialsasexaminationcopiesfreeofcharge,HarcourtSchoolPublishersretainstitletothematerialsandtheymaynotberesold.Resaleofexaminationcopiesisstrictlyprohibitedandisillegal.Possessionofthispublicationinprintformatdoesnotentitleuserstoconvertthispublication,oranyportionofit,intoelectronicformat.1234567891098512111009080706byCassEvansillustratedbyRonBergItisdawn.Inaraggednestfarabovetheground,twolargeperegrinefalconsstir.Theywaitforthegraylighttobrighten.Besidethem,threesmallerbirdsbecomeactiveaswell.Theyarethechicksofthelargerpair,andtheyareveryhungry.Whentheywerehatched,theyweighedaboutthesameasagolfball.Nowtheyarefourtimesthesizetheywerewhentheywereborn.3Thechicksseeminterestedinalmosteverything.Theymovetotheedgeoftheledgeonwhichthishighnestrests.Theybobtheirheads.Theirmotherpushesthembackbecausetheyarenotreadytoflyyet.Themorninglighthasstrengthened.Almostwithouteffort,themotherspreadsherwingsandtakestotheair.Thefather,aslightlysmallerbird,staystoguardthenest.Thefalconsareactiveduringthedaybecausetheyarenotnocturnal.4Themotherisonthehuntforotherbirds.Nodetailescapesherkeeneyesight.Shespiesavictimandcirclesaboveitonce.Thenshedivesathertarget.As...