2io More Tales of the Birds 



first breakfast in the country the Poet left his 

 wife to her household duties, and went again into 

 the garden to face Mr. Bates. He made his way 

 towards his yew hedge, where he could see the 

 old fellow busy clearing the ground beneath it of 

 a melancholy tangle of decayed weeds. As he 

 reached the hedge, one blackbird and then 

 another flew out with awkward impetuosity and 

 harsh chuckles, and the Poet stopped suddenly, 

 sorry to have disturbed his friends. 



Joseph touched his hat. " Good morning, Sir," 

 he said, " and welcome to your garden, if I may 

 make so free. I've known it any time these fifty 

 years and more, and my father he worked in it 

 long afore I were born. We'd use to say as the 

 Bateses belonged to this here bit of land years 

 and years ago, when times was good for the poor 

 man ; but 'tis all gone from us, and here be I 

 a working on it for hire. And 'tis powerful 

 changed since I were a lad, and none for the 

 better either. Look at this here yew hedge 

 now ; 'tis five and twenty year ago since I told 

 Mr. Gale as 'twouldn't do no good but to harbour 

 birds, and here they be. And here they be," he 



