Long before two o'clock that afternoon the birds returned to their
place in front of Father Thrift's cave.
Some of them sat on the ground, some on the low branches of the trees,
and others in the bushes.
Now and again Shaggy Bear came out to tell some bird that Father
Thrift wished to speak with him.
Evidently important things were going on within the cave. But what?
Oh, how the time dragged to those waiting birds! Would two o'clock
never come?
At last the cave door opened again, and Shaggy Bear came out with his
prisoners.
Shaggy was the sheriff, and his business was to take care that the
boys did not run away.
Hardly were they seated when Father Thrift came out of the cave.
In one hand he carried a roll of paper, and with the other he adjusted
the spectacles on his nose. He looked just like the judge he was
supposed to be.
As in a regular courtroom, every one straightened up and was all
attention when the judge came.
The queer little old man seated himself on the stump of a tree.
Before him stood a high bench or table, made of rough boards. On this
he spread out his paper.
Then, turning toward Shaggy Bear, he said, "The sheriff and the
prisoners will please step forward."
And as they stood before him, Father Thrift read to the boys the
court's decision.
"The one who sins against the birds," the decision ran, "sins against
man's best friends.
"If we destroyed the birds, we ourselves could not live. Within a few
years there would be so many insects and worms that crops could not be
raised and plants could not grow. The bugs and the caterpillars would
eat all the leaves off the trees, while the worms would destroy the
roots.
"The flies and other harmful insects would kill the cattle. And then
they would carry sickness and disease among us.
"Why, the grasshoppers would dance on our very tables, while the
crickets sat on the dishes and played tunes!
"The ants would use our kitchens for parade grounds, and the worms
would crawl under our feet, in our houses.
"Yet you said that the birds were your enemies, and that they do only
harm.
"You complained of the robins and the bluebirds; the kingbirds and the
brown thrashers; the bobolinks and the meadow larks; the crows and the
blackbirds.
"So I have taken pains to look into the habits of each of these.
"The robin, I find, works during the whole season to make it possible
for the farmer to raise his crops. He is a natural enemy of bugs and
worms.
"He gets no pay for this work and asks for none. And the only reason
he eats your cherries is because you have destroyed the wild fruit
trees and berry bushes that used to grow by the roadside. Plant them
there again and the robin, and all the other birds too, will spare
your fruit.
"The bluebird catches the bad bugs and grasshoppers and beetles and
spiders and caterpillars in your orchard. And he very rarely takes
even a bite of your berries or grapes.
"The kingbird is a fine flycatcher and he does much good. Sometimes he
does eat a honeybee, it is true, but it must be because he mistakes it
for a large fly.
"The brown thrasher makes his home in the swamps and groves. He does
eat some raspberries and currants, in addition to the harmful insects
he devours, but nearly all of these must be wild ones.
"The few oats the bobolinks eat you could never miss, because these
birds feed mostly on insects and the seeds of useless plants.
"The meadow lark saves thousands of dollars every year on the hay
crop. He builds his nest on the ground in the meadow and feeds himself
and his large family on the crickets and grasshoppers he finds there.
"The crow and the blackbird, I know, eat some of your corn. But they
will not touch the seed corn if you put coal tar on it.
"Both of these birds do a great deal of good, for which they get no
credit. In the spring they follow the plow in search of large grub
worms, of which they are very fond. They also eat grasshoppers, and
weevils, and caterpillars.
"All of which goes to prove that the more birds we have, the fewer
bugs there are, to bother us. And the fewer bugs there are, the more
food we have.
"Therefore, I find that you two boys are guilty of a great wrong. Not
only have you killed the farmer's most valuable friends, but you have
destroyed food as well.
"Your punishment will be one year in prison for every bird that you
have killed."
At this the boys almost dropped to the ground, they were so badly
frightened.
"Oh, Father Thrift," they cried, "please don't put us in prison! We
have learned a lesson, and we promise never to kill another bird if
you will only let us go."
"My friends, what do _you_ think?" asked Father Thrift, turning to the
birds.
The hearts of the birds softened at the sight of the boys' distress.
And they said, "Give them another chance, Father Thrift."
"But theirs is a serious offense," Father Thrift said gravely.
Then he turned toward the boys.
"I will release you on one condition," he said, "and that is that you
will henceforth be kind to all harmless living creatures, and protect
them from cruel usage.
"Also, that you will ask all the other boys, and their fathers as
well, to do the same.
"Build bird houses for your feathered friends and encourage them to
come to your villages and farms.
"In the end you will profit greatly by it."
"We promise to do that," the boys agreed eagerly.
"Now Shaggy Bear will help you to find your way out of the forest,"
said Father Thrift.
"Your bow and arrows I shall keep, for you will never want them again.
"And when you get home, tell your fathers and mothers, your
grandfathers and grandmothers, your brothers and sisters, and the rest
of my friends in the town, that Father Thrift sends them his best
regards."
Then the boys said good-by, and they wasted no time in going.