226 More Tales of the Birds 



with Joseph Bates and the cook a conspiracy 

 of which indeed, poor soul, she felt a little 

 ashamed ; but the sight of those empty white 

 jam-pots was too much for her, and a little 

 plotting seemed unavoidable if they were to get 

 filled. Joseph was instructed to procure a sup- 

 ply of nets, and the cook a supply of sugar. 

 The conspirators kept their secrets, and for 

 once a plot went off without detection. The 

 day arrived ; the Poet was carried off, half un- 

 willing, into exile : by nightfall Joseph had 

 netted all the gooseberries and currants, and 

 within a week a fair fruit-harvest graced the 

 cupboard shelves. 



The blackbirds and their friends knew not 

 what to make of it. It was bad enough to be 

 disturbed, just as you were enjoying a juicy 

 gooseberry, by the Poet mooning up and down 

 the garden path ; but to have their sweet free- 

 dom curtailed by grievous netting in the one 

 romantic home of liberty left them in a mali- 

 cious and self-seeking village this was the 

 unkindest cut of all. Depressed and angry, 

 they determined to withdraw for a while and 



