BY THE WAYSIDE 
51 
I 
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from the soil, neither could he carry 
enough with him from settled portions. 
Hence, if he did not kill birds or ani¬ 
mals he faced starvation. But these 
conditions have changed; the entire re¬ 
gion is now given over to agriculture; 
the country is closely settled; cities 
and villages are numerous; railroads 
and highways extend in all directions. 
The hunter, therefore, no longer has 
the justification that he must support 
himself by killing. 
Nor does the average hunter allege 
the necessity of food to be the reason 
for his killing. Rather, he says that he 
finds pleasure in beng out of doors and 
that he hunts in order to have something 
to take him away from the city. Ask this 
same hunter why he does not enjoy be¬ 
ing in the field without being prepared 
to kill and he will tell you that to be 
afield without shooting takes the pleas¬ 
ure away from the outing. Hence one 
is forced to the conclusion that the hun¬ 
ter takes pleasure in killing. Observe him 
closely, go on a hunting trip with him 
and you will find your conclusion con¬ 
firmed ; you see him gloat 'over the 
number of dead ducks in his days’ 
bag; he rallies you for not having taken 
part in the “sport,” for going home 
without having “drawn blood.” This 
is barbaric, akin to the savage pleasure 
which a head-hunter takes in counting 
the skulls of human heads that hang 
in his hut. 
It is this spirit that the friends of the 
birds should combat. There is a vast 
difference between killing to sustain life 
and killing for pleasure. The latter 
form we find only too frequently, it is 
the outgrowth of former conditions and 
is absolutely unjustifiable. Our aim 
therefore should be to show the hunter 
“how to see things.” It is no easy task. 
He has been hardened until all that he 
appreciates in the birds is the opportu¬ 
nity for “good shots” and “big bags.” 
He knows not how to enjoy the beauty 
of wild life, to allow others as well to 
enjoy it. 
The Invalid and the Birds 
The winter was proving long and 
hard, and the weary invalid longed for 
the flowers and birds of the bright 
spring to cheer and comfort her on the 
tiresome path of life. 
One day as she looked listlessly over 
some newspaper clippings, she came 
across the legend of ‘ ‘ The King and the 
Birds.” She read how many, many 
years ago, on one Christmas morning, 
as the King of Sweden was returning 
from church, he heard shrill bird cries, 
and noticed large flocks of birds circl¬ 
ing high in the air around his sleigh. 
Since the little creatures flew hither and 
yon, in a bewildered manner, the King 
asked his coachman the cause of the 
commotion. 
The coachman, an old peasant, ex¬ 
plained that the birds, driven from the 
fields and forests, by hunger and cold, 
not being able to secure food because 
of the deep snow and severe frosts, had 
sought a refuge in the cities and towns 
in their search for food. 
At first while watching the birds, 
the King listened attentively, then told 
the coachman to drive quickly to the 
palace. Upon arriving there, his ma¬ 
jesty ordered a tall pole to be erected in 
front of the palace, and that the largest 
sheaf of wheat in the royal granary 
should be bound to it. 
In a short time crowds of birds found 
their wvay to the palace yard, and all 
(Continued on page 55) 
