COCK ROBIN'S MURDERER 75 



And whom if chance the falcon makes his prey, 

 Or hedger with his well-aimed arrow slay, 

 In no such loss the gay survivor grieves, 

 New love he seeks, and new delight receives." 



The above is gospel truth. 



I know a man who once slew in succession seven 

 cock-sparrows. It happened in this wise. A couple 

 of sparrows determined to build in his verandah. He 

 willed otherwise, and, by way of showing that he meant 

 what he said, murdered the cock-bird. Did the widowed 

 hen sit and mope ? Did she shed tears of lamentation ? 

 Did she call upon the gods to witness the cruel blow 

 that had fallen upon her ? Did she " in soft murmurs 

 tell the trees her pain " ? Nothing of the kind. For 

 a minute or so she swore lustily at the slayer of her 

 husband ; she then flew away, to return five minutes 

 later with a second husband, and together they set to 

 work at the nest. 



The second cock-bird shared the fate of number one. 

 The hen-sparrow then returned with number three, 

 and continued to replace her murdered husbands until 

 she had lured six to their destruction. Then my friend 

 stayed his hand. He was prostrated by the cruel and 

 cynical heartlessness of the hen-sparrow. But she 

 had her own way. She brought up a family in that 

 verandah. 



I do not hold it to be an offence for a bird to build its 

 nest inside my house, provided the bird does not molest 

 the human inhabitants of the building. If a winged 

 creature chooses to rear a family in the space between 

 the ceiling-cloth and the rafters of my bungalow, I say, 



