26 THE AU -D°U BtOin "BUD Diba 
cessant chatter filled the air, like a giant symphony orchestra tuning up 
for a concert. The favorite food was the small, thin-shelled acorn from 
the black oak, although other acorns were also consumed. Goldfinches 
in autumn plumage congregated daily in the luxuriant marigold patch, 
feasting on the golden harvest of ripening marigold seeds. Seldom before 
had the lingering, warm autumn days been more melodious with the 
sweet song of the White-throated Sparrows, as they busily devoured every 
last berry on the colorful barberry bush. The lovely bunch fruits of the 
red and yellow-twig dogwoods were also devoured by the daily feasting 
of the Robins. The scattering of bluebell seeds in the long row edging 
the lawn did not remain hidden for long from the Evening Grosbeaks. 
When autumn approached, our merchant seaman son, Terry, returned 
from his 22nd crossing of the North Atlantic with the following story: A 
young college man had recently joined the ship’s crew aboard the freighter. 
Overwhelmed by the sight of the gulls and cormorants following the ship, 
he remarked: “What a place for target practice! I’m going to bring my 
gun on the next trip.” He was promptly informed by Terry that were 
he to shoot or in any way molest these hovering birds, he and his gun 
would land at the bottom of the ocean. The legend seems to be that sea 
gulls and other waterfowl are not sea gulls at all, but long-departed sea- 
men, reincarnated, hovering about the ship to keep abreast of the activity. 
“And don’t get the idea you’re going to use the shore birds for target 
practice either, for you see, my friend, these are really reincarnated long- 
shoremen, and they spend their lives in the hereafter as shore birds, keep- 
ing an eye on the shore activities. Likely as not, the longshoremen would 
throw you right into the sea for killing or harming one of their birds.” 
I liked this story and thought you would, too. 
905 Cedar St., Willow Springs, Illinois 
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