The Court of the Animals and Birds 193 



among the most interesting of the citizens of the woods, 

 they should go free and .be protected from the hunter. 



The coyote was next dragged in and accused of all manner 

 of evil deeds. He pleaded in defense that he helped to 

 keep down the numbers of the rabbits and ground squirrels, 

 and that if it were not for his tribe, these httle animals 

 would eat up everything. The judge decided that the 

 coyote was on the whole a rather unpleasant neighbor and 

 refused to afford him any protection. Every one knew, 

 however, that the coyote was so sharp and keen that he 

 was a match for most of the enemies about him and would 

 get along very well. 



Those sly little animals, the skunk, weasel, coon, and 

 mink, destroyed a great many birds, especially those that 

 nested on or near the ground, according to the report of 

 most of those present in court. But the skunk had some 

 good friends who showed that his chief food was insects 

 and worms, and that he 

 did more good than harm. 

 It was further proved that 

 the fur of all these animals 

 was so valuable that, while 

 trapping them would be 

 permitted, they must not 

 be exterminated. In re- 

 gard to the weasel, the 

 testimony showed that he 

 was a badly slandered 

 animal. Most of his food 

 appeared to be rats and 



^ ^ Finley 6* Bohlman 



mice, and only rarely did a weasel in its summer coat. 



