FLU * EUer 



The poor English sparrow has been so persecuted 

 and talked about he is very sensitive and espe- 

 cially grateful for kindness, showing actual devotion 

 to a human friend. When I go out under the apple 

 trees and call, " Come on, little children, come on," 

 they flock to me from all directions, fluttering about 

 my head like tame pigeons. The morning after a 

 snowstorm I find the embroidery of little feet all over 

 the front porch up to the very door, where I suppose 

 they would knock if they were stronger. There they 

 sit or flutter about the bare vines, knowing they can 

 count on us for food supplies during this stormy 

 time. 



The sparrows suffer so much during the winter; 

 we always have a few cripples in our flock poor 

 birds who perhaps perched for the night on a bare 

 bough and woke in the morning to find their feet 

 frozen to the limb. 



For two winters we entertained a one-legged junco 

 who, I'm sorry to say, was much persecuted by his 

 kindred, but perhaps it was for some individual 

 unpleasant trait that I didn't know about. He even- 

 tually waited until dusk to come alone for his meal 

 under the studio window, stumping about most piti- 

 fully, using one wing as a sort of crutch. 

 187 



