"_Why_ did you do it?" asked Father Thrift.
"Well," replied the other boy, "most of the birds are no good, anyway.
They just eat everything we plant."
"What of yours have they eaten?" asked Father Thrift.
"The robins have been stealing our cherries," said the boy, "until we
have hardly any left for ourselves.
"The bluebirds eat our berries and grapes.
"The kingbirds eat not only our fruit, but our honeybees as well.
"The brown thrashers eat our raspberries and currants, while whole
flocks of bobolinks get their food from our oat fields.
"The meadow larks eat our grain.
"And as for the blackbirds and crows, they are the worst thieves in
the world. They even pull up our sprouting grain.
"So why shouldn't we kill the birds? They are our enemies, and they
do nothing but harm.
"And, besides, we haven't killed more than a dozen of them. Who would
miss a dozen in a world so full of birds?"
By this time most of the birds were quivering with anger.
And they cried again: "Shoot them with an arrow! Hit them with a
stone! Kill them!
"Who would miss two in a world so full of boys?"
"Listen, my friends," said Father Thrift. "I agree with you that the
boys deserve to be treated in the same way that they have treated you.
They have been cruel.
"Still, let us not act in haste or anger. Let us think matters over
well. Perhaps we shall find that some wrong has been done on both
sides.
"Go, now, and return at two o'clock. We will decide then what it is
best to do."