356 Bird -Lore 



Eagle. — You have heard, O birds, the judgment of the Owls. It means war, war 

 to our enemy — man. And to this we will abide. No more will your sweet songs gladden 

 their hearts. No more will you build your nests about their doorways. No more will 

 you feed upon the worms and insects which destroy their crops. Their fields and orchards 

 will soon be overrun with the bugs, the beetles, the caterpillars, and all the creeping, 

 crawling things of the earth, till every green and living thing is eaten up. Then comes 

 ruin and desolation over all the land, and man will diel Tell me, birds, is it not so? 



Birds. — Yes! Yes! Man will die, die, die! 



(Commotion at stage L.) 



Eagle. — And now, behold ! he comes ! The greatest'of our enemies, the boy with a 

 gun! 



(Enter Blue Jay dragging Bobbie by the collar.) 



Bobbie (struggling). — Let me go! Let me go, I tell you! I want to go home. Let 

 me go. 



Blue Jay. — No, you cannot go home (gives him shake). Behold, Your Majesty, he 

 is here, one of our worst enemies. He has robbed more nests, stolen more eggs, killed 

 more birds than any boy in Christendom. 



Bobbie. — No, no, that isn't so, Mr. Eagle; that isn't so. I haven't killed half as 

 many as Jimmie Bean. 



Blue Jay. — Silence ! (Hits Bobbie on the head.) Yes, Your Majesty, we have the 

 birds here to prove it. He has been caught in the very act. Behold the gun ! 



Bobbie — O, I am so sorry. I never will again. I never will, honor bright, if you'll 

 only let me go home. 



Blue Jay. — No, wicked one, you shall stay and hear your accusers. 



Eagle (sternly). — What were you doing out here in the forest this evening? 



Bobbie. — N-n-nothing! Just taking a-a-walk. 



Eagle — What say the birds? 



Robin. — I saw him shoot a Redbird as he was flying home with a worm in his bill 

 to feed his little ones. 



Thrush. — And I saw him climb a tree and tear down an Oriole's nest. 



Martin. — And I had five little birds I was teaching to fly, and he killed them all 

 but one, and that one is lying now under the hedge with a broken wing. 



Bobbie (distressed). — Oh, dear! How dreadful! Poor little thing! Can't some- 

 thing be done? 



Martin. — No, it can never fly again. 



Bobbie (horrified). — But something ought to be done. Something must be done. 

 I tell you, let me go for the Doctor ! (Eagerly.) We've got a grand one. He can do any- 

 thing with bones. Let me go and — 



Blue Jay (holds him fast). — No, you don't. You stay here and hear what the birds 

 have to say. 



Eagle. — And what says the Blackbird, the noble Blackbird? What did he see? 



Blackbird.^ — There were six of us sitting on the fence, all in a row, when he shot 

 into our midst and I, only I, escaped. 



Woodpecker. — And I had a whole nestful of eggs, when he came and smashed 

 them all. Oh, the wretch ! I'd like to peck his eyes out, that I would. 



Blue Jay. — So would I. He deserves it ! Thief! Robber! 



Woodpecker. — Come, let's give it to him! 



Birds (gather about Bobbie and wave wings at him violently). — Che, che, che, che, 

 che, kee, kee, kee, ka, ka, ka, ka, che, che, kee, kee, ka, ka, ka. 



Bobbie (dodging this way and that, frightened and bewildered). — Oh, dear! Oh, 

 dear ! I wish I was home ! I wish I was 1 When will I ever see my dear parents again? 

 Raven. — Nevermore ! Nevermore ! Nevermore ! 



