SOME OF THE WILD THINGS 



gated, found the garter-snake trying to get 

 at the nest. I struck him with a small stick, 

 and he hid in the weeds. That blow severed 

 his friendship for me. If he returned to the 

 cabin and saw me in the doorway, he would 

 retreat until the coast was clear. Twice more 

 I caught him at the birds' nest. He escaped 

 each time. He must have come to the con- 

 clusion that I was protecting the birds for 

 my own eating, for he left them after that. 

 The next year he ate a pet frog and robbed 

 several bird's nests. He had moved to an old 

 stone wall, and did most of his hunting by 

 night. He tried to loot a catbird's nest, but 

 the birds gave the alarm, and the moon helped 

 me to find the marauder. One blow and it 

 was all over. It would have been pleasant to 

 study this snake, but I could not allow my 

 pet birds to be so cruelly persecuted. 



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