The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-02-27

tiss. that maybe you could teach them
senie OF the simplest tunes. and I'm sure
II would make difference with the far
rners. because I know that Il Is madden
Ing after your corn has all been pulled
Up TO hear a crow casing as II lie was
laughing AZ you instead OF singing. I
merely took grain or two 70 keen ny
voice in rim Come along with me- and
well talk IL over with old Grayqufn He's
a very decent sort OF chap. and he knows
lot and has been everywhere"
The hooking bird although uncaEpd.
was not In the habit Of leaving the Per
kins farm. and he welcomed little
change. so he readily consented to accom-
paHy Curt.ss after he had preened his
feathers a littie-for birds are almost a
vain as human beings-Rnd he wanted to
look his best
Then. with Bryan on his shoulder. Cur
tiss started of on a dog trot over 20 the
sand lot. Long before they reached there
they heard the Crows chatteTing as hard
as if they were building the tower OF Pa
bel
But as soon as they saw the pair they
stopped.
Greyquill few forward and offered bug
TO Bryan, who accepted II with a pretty
turn Of his head and a little trill like that
In the middle OF a canary's song
well. / suppose Curtiss has told you
what We want Can't you give US little
concert. so that we may judge just what
sort OF music we wish 10 learn said
Greyquin. with as much OF an air as II he
were great authority on music. when
the fact was he did not know the differ
ence between the song of robin and that
of a bulfinch.
The hooking bird was not unwilling %
show his powers and he sang one song
after another. The crows sat on the
branch around him and said after each
song. How sweet. What dainty little
thing" That's sweetly pretty" ''Tha;'s
classical, but understand it,
Curtiss could hardly keep his face
straight. He had attended a musicale IN
New York the winter before when he had
visited his cousin and the crows acted for
all the world like the musical people
there. ..... ...
''well, now let's come 10 business. said
Greyquill "If you will teach US half a
dozen of your best songs we'll give you
years supply OF corn
This arrangement was very satisfactory
to Bryan. and he Immediately formed a
class i'm singing. Naturally they wanted
to learn a regular song before they had
learned to run the scale. and of all the
songs in the bird repertory they chose
that OF that Patti OF the birds. the bobo-
link
Very well, IL you think you can do IT,
said Bryan, with a wise smile. "Bob-o-
link, bob-o-link. ting kertang kertink."
The hooking bird sang 1t as sweetly as
any Robert of Lincoln ever did 1t.
''Cahh, cahh. cahh," grated the crows.
mo. no; bob-o-link, bob-o-link, ting
kertang kertink." repeated the mocking
bird b..
''Cawer. cawer. cawer." rasped the
crows.
Sweetly and patiently the hooking bird
sang once more. "Bob-o-link, bob-o-llnk,
ting kertang kertink."
''Cuh. cub, cuh," scraped the crows In
despair
And then the little moeking bird shook
his head and said: It's no use. my dear
friends. You're not a bit musical. and
it's simply waste Of time to try to teach
music to an unmusical bird. Your old
cav Is better than these fearsome at
tempts at the bOb-o-link's song. and II
you band together and avoid duarrels
among yourselves most OF you will escape
the farmers shotgun. But as for singing.
I'd rs soon expect TO teach Curtiss how
to fly. I can fly and I can sing but he
can't fly and you can't sing I'll sing
among you, and when the farmer comes
around you fly and we'll all be better off"
Then the crows all fell to talking at
once. and under cover of the confusion
Curtiss and the knocking bird came away.
laughing so hard that the hooking bird
rasped his throat and couldn't sing any
thing more difficult than a phoebe birds
song all next day.
Copyright, 1900. by Charless Battell Loomis)