THE FARMER'S HELPERS 



343 



finally to exterminate him, that is their sole concern, 

 their incessant preoccupation. They are implacable, 

 pitiless; hunger urges them on, both for their own 

 sake and in behalf of their families. They live at 

 the expense of those 

 that live at our • ex- 

 pense; they are the 

 enemies of our ene- 

 mies. 



"As participants in Adder, or Viper 



this great work must be named the bat and the 

 hedge-hog, the owl, the martin, the swallow, and all 

 the smaller birds, the lizard, the adder, the frog, and 

 the toad. Praise be to God who has given us as 

 protectors from that glutton, the insect, such birds 

 as the swallow and the warbler, the robin and the 

 nightingale, the martin and the starling. And yet 

 these invaluable creatures, guardians of earth's 

 bounty, a delight to the eye, a solace to the ear, 

 have their homes pillaged by the barbarous and 



stupid robber of birds' 

 nests. Praise be to 

 God who for the pro- 

 tection of our daily 

 bread has given us 

 the owl and the toad, 



Green Lizard of Europe -fcjje hedge-h.Og and 



the bat, the adder, the lizard and the mole. Never- 

 theless these useful creatures that come so valiantly 

 to our aid are cursed and calumniated, and we stu- 

 pidly vent upon them our loathing and hate. 



