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the: story or the oak trrr 
But the nests of the humble-bees are rifled by the 
field-mice, which are fond of the delicate white grubs 
(the children of the humble-bees). Therefore, the more 
field-mice the fewer humble-bees, and the poorer next 
year’s clover crop. 
But in the neighborhood of villages there are fewer 
field-mice than in the open country, for the cats hunt 
them down, killing them though they do not eat them. 
Therefore, the more cats the fewer field-mice, and the 
fewer field-mice the more humble-bees, and the more 
humble-bees the better next year’s clover crop. And so, 
the more clover the richer pasture for the cattle, and the 
more roast beef for John Bull (or Uncle Sam!). The 
more kindly old ladies there are in the village the more 
cats there will be, and this again will favor the clover! 
Thus cats and clover and cattle are linked together.” 
We have seen that besides carrying pollen, birds and 
insects help to scatter the seeds made from the pollen. 
The thrush picks the berries from the mistletoe; he sits 
upon the oak bough to enjoy his feast and when he comes 
to a seed he wipes it neatly from his bill onto the branch. 
As the juice about them dries, the seeds stick fast to the 
branch until next Spring, when they begin to grow just 
where they are! 
The mistletoe, as you know, is a parasite; it cannot 
feed itself and so it lives upon the mother oak. Many 
