PROPHET BIRDS 



ONE September morning there wheeled a 

 great concourse of gulls over the headland. 

 Through the mist their cries came wild 

 and plaintive. Old men in the village 

 said that it meant a big storm. 



I did not believe that birds could prophesy. 

 Having studied the phenomena of nature 

 for many years, I have come to know 

 that everything happens by chance. For 

 instance, during the autumn of 1920 severe 

 wintry weather was forecasted because the 

 hawthorn peggles were plentiful, and the 

 granaries of squirrels were more numerous 

 than usual. Quite a number of journals and 

 periodicals stated these " portents " quite 

 seriously. What illusions ! The spring 

 of that year was mild, the hawthorn blossom 

 beautiful, and unravaged by frost. Hence 



the peggles. As for the squirrels, they 

 50 



