SOME MISCHIEF-MAKERS 115 
and flew over the tumble-down old house over there in 
the corner. Of course, those birds aren’t very interesting, 
cause we all know about them, and I guess even Zella, 
who hasn’t lived here long, can tell a Crow or a Jay and 
Blackbird when she sees one.”’ 
“Yes, ma’am, Lady, I know him Crow,” cried Zella, in 
delight at having some information to impart, “for my 
papa he plant corn seed in the lot. Crows they come push 
it out vit de nose and eat him. Then my papa and my 
brudder shoot bang! bang! but they not get him, ’cause 
him too wise. My Grossmutter say von time Crows was 
people, bad thief people, and they was made in birds to 
shame dem, but dey made bad thief birds, too, and dey 
kept wise like dey was people yet, so dey is hard catching. 
Den papa he made of ole clothes a man, and sat him the 
fence on, and the Crows dey comes on trees near away, 
and dey looks so at the mans and dey laughs together, but 
dey not come no more very near yet.”’ 
“Yes; I see that Zella knows and sees the Crow as almost 
every one who owns a bit of land sees and knows him, but 
there are sides to these birds that are so common here- 
abouts that perhaps you do not know, for I did not at your 
age, and it is only of late years that the wise men have 
been trying to find good points in some birds that have 
been always called bad. What they have discovered goes 
to prove what an unfortunate thing it is for any one, bird 
or person, to get a bad name.”’ 
“My Grandma says a bad name sticks just like fly- 
paper,” said Ruth Barnes, eagerly, ‘‘’cause even if you can 
peel it off you, it always somehow feels as if it was there.” 
At this every one laughed, because almost every child at 
