THE BIRDS’ NECESSARY PLACE IN NATURE

Forest and Bird, Issue 52, 1 May 1939, Page 15

THE BIRDS’ NECESSARY PLACE IN NATURE

By Miss F. P. Fraser

Children’s T

A Story told by Longfellow in One of His Poems.

WITH the coming of spring in the village of Killingworth the birds trilled and twittered and sang in their glee. Little wanderers returning from far distant lands passed overhead, calling loudly as they flew to join their friends in field and orchard.

Such loud singing there was at dawn of day that farmers early at the plough heard the swelling chorus with alarm. What was going to happen when the seed was sown? The birds were not even afraid of the old scarecrow; indeed they seemed to take a delight in fluttering around him. Something would have to be done! The farmers were so concerned about the flocks of birds everywhere, “that they shook their head and doomed to swift destruction the whole race of birds.”

The birds were the talk of the town, and a meeting was called to consider how best to get rid of the little thieves. Those in authority in the village gathered together with all the farmers from the country side, in the new town-hall. “The Squire presided, dignified and tall, His air impressive and his reasoning sound: 111 fared it with the birds, both great and small; Hardly a friend in all that crowd they found, But enemies enough, who every one charged Them with all the crimes beneath the sun.”

Apart from the rest there sat a young sciencemaster from the Academy. As he entered the hall, he had been thinking deeply of Almira, a lovely girl who was pure and good, and when he found that there was none to take the part of the innocent songsters, the thought of Almira gave him courage to rise and speak out boldly in defence of the birds.

“In this little town of yours,” he said, “you put to death the ballad-singers and the troubadours, the street-musicians of the heavenly city, the birds. Why will you kill them all? They may scratch up a few grains of wheat, or rye or barley, while searching for worms or grubs; or eat a few cherries that are not so sweet as the songs they sing at their feast. “Do you ne’er think what wondrous being these? “Do you ne’er think who made them, and who taught them to speak to one another in

song? Think how at sunrise every morning the happy birds sing joyously. And when you think of this, remember, too — “Tis always morning somewhere, and above The awakening continents, from shore to shore, Somewhere the birds are singing evermore.” The young teacher went on to tell the townsmen and the farmers what would happen if they destroyed the birds that worked so industriously in fields and gardens keeping down the hordes of insects that were so harmful to the crops. Then he closed with these words: “How can I teach your children gentleness, And mercy to the weak, and reverence For life—when by your laws Your action, and your speech, You contradict the very things I teach?” In spite of all he said, the others took no notice of him, except to laugh and nod their heads as they whispered together that he was a very sentimental fellow. But the girls and boys of the Academy read a report of his speech in the papers and were so proud of him that they greeted him with great applause. They made him feel that, after all, he had not failed when he had their sympathy and sweetest of all, to him, was fair Almira’s praise.

There was a dreadful slaughter of the innocent birds! A price was paid for the little heads! Everywhere the birds fell and their young ones died of hunger in their nests. Then came summer, and in the orchards there crept myriads of caterpillars and in the fields and gardens there were hosts of devouring insects. From the trees, nasty little worms fell even upon the ladies’ hats and frocks, and everybody in that village was afraid to walk abroad.

The farmers grew uneasy, and some owned that they had been in the wrong. Then the law that had been made to kill all the birds was repealed, but of what use was that after the birds were dead?

When autumn came, there were only a few leaves left on the trees to take on the beautiful tints of the season.

“While the wild wind went moaning everywhere, Lamenting the dead children of the air.” But the next spring, the townsmen made anxious enquiries as to where they might procure birds; and messengers were sent to other parts of the country to bring as many birds as possible to Killingworth village.

It was a wonderful sight when a waggon came down the village street, and in the waggon there were green branches of trees on which were hung cages full of birds. They filled the air with their singing and the people thought they had never heard such lovely music. Many thought that the birds in their little songs were

laughing at the farmers, and it almost seemed as though they were saying, “Aha! You could not do without us, then!”

When the cages were opened, out flew the little songsters over the heads of the people in the street, out to the fields and the gardens calling loudly as they went. Almira’s wedding-day dawned, and such a carolling was heard! The birds seemed to know all about it, and they were everywhere. And when the young teacher and his bride set out upon their wedding tour, “Their songs burst forth in joyous overflow, And a new heaven bent over a new earth, Amid the sunny farms of Killingworth.”