Jimmy the Butcher-bird 121 



had swooped down and lit on his shoulder and began 

 screeching in his ear. The workman was so astonished 

 that he almost fell from his position when he felt this 

 strange bird fluttering about his head; he dodged as if 

 he were trying to get rid of a swarm of bees. He didn't 

 know whether to fight or not. But he was soon assured 

 that the bird was only playing. 



For some reason Jimmy did not like the gardener. His 

 mistress thought it was because the man wore such ragged 

 clothes. She said he always took to people who were 

 dressed up, and was friendly in every way, but the minute 

 a workingman came about Jimmy would squall and peck 

 and show his anger. When the gardener was hoeing, 

 Jimmy would fly down at his feet and get in the way, or 

 he would hop along in front of the wheelbarrow or ride 

 on the front, squealing his disapproval. Twice he lit on 

 the shoulder of the gardener and bit him in the neck till 

 the blood came. This was carrying his opinions to such 

 an extent that his mistress caught him and clipped the little 

 hook on his bill. This served as a sort of a muzzle, so he 

 could not bite so hard. 



The instinct was strong in Jimmy to hang his food on 

 a nail or in a crack so he could tear it to pieces. He often 

 brought in insects from the field, and would always fly 

 direct to the hand of his mistress, because she so often 

 held his meat in her hand for him to eat. He would light 

 on her shoulder with a screech and a side turn of his head 

 that said, " Hold this for me, quick, till I eat it 1 " And 

 if she didn't, he showed great impatience. But this habit 

 of Jimmy's was distasteful at times, for he brought in 

 a variety of things from dead mice to crickets, worms, and 



