THE BIRDS’ WATCHMEN 
“Merciful goodness!” ejaculated Mabel, 
covering her ears with her hands. “ Did you ever 
hear such an outcry in all your life? What do 
you suppose is the matter? ” 
Grandfather smiled his slow jovial smile that 
always dispelled irritation. “ Well,” he haz¬ 
arded, “ knowing the catbird as well as I do, I 
would say that he is merely springing his watch¬ 
man’s rattle. You know, legend relates that the 
catbird was once a sneaking gray cat that pilfered 
the birds’ nests, eating both eggs and young, until 
in desperation they gathered in a great conven¬ 
tion and petitioned the gods to help them. 
Straightway their enemy was changed into a bird 
and doomed to nest low in the trees with a watch¬ 
ful eye ever on the homes of his neighbors. His 
erstwhile call, with which he w T as wont to make 
the night melodious, alone was left to him, and 
this in due time he adapted to serve him admi¬ 
rably as a rattle. Of course, being a great jester, 
mocker and impersonator, the catbird often takes 
advantage of his position, but on the whole he 
attends remarkably well to the duties imposed on 
256 
