The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-02-27
TALES OF YANKEE
ENCHAN7lNENT.
SINGING Lessons FOR CROWS
5, cHARLrs n.r1ErL looxrs.

4
ought to be. But Ii Is not every crov
who can read the newspaper. and that l:
why the leader Of the big flock that made
things unpleasant for farmers around
Norfolk, Conn, was called the King Of al
the Crows. in New England. For he could
read print Ike a naturalized voter, and
many and many Is the scrap Of newspaper
that he has picked up in his claws and
carried away 10 the top OF some high
| tree. there 20 read to a solemn eOnclavS
who said few words until he had finished
e, but who then broke into the diseordanl
cawing that farmers hate 10 hear even
more than they hate the tenuous whine
OF the mosquito.
II was gray day in January. and
about 200 big crows had assembled In an
oak near the sand lot. 10 hear a paper
read by the king, whom the rest called
Greyquill, because he had one gray feath-
er in his head Just above his left eye that
gave him a rakish look.
| Now, if you'll let up on your TALKING
for a minute. I'll begin to read. but the
first one 10 interrupt me with his ugly
voice I'll chase clear 10 Canaan"
stop talking everybody yelled each
crow TO each other until the noise resem-
bled that in church fair when the rich
est Ii&L III lpNH ldS eOuC da1y
buying anything.
Greyquih made a few vicious jabs at the
birds who sat nearest to him on the limb
OF the big oak, that was their hall of as
sembly. and which was still decorated
with the dried yellow leaves that win
| ter's storms had been powerless to dis
lodge, and silence fell on the group OF ILL.,
favored looking birds.
| 1t so happened that the only boy In Nor
(, folk, or, indeed. in Litchfeld County. fer
| that matter, who understood crow Ian
/ g1age, Curtiss Nettleton by name, was cn
| his way home from watching the golfers
/ and he passed under the tree just as the
/ king crow cleared his throat as much as
| IL is possible for crow 10 do such a
! thing and began to read. The crows were
| all so curious to hear what was coming
| that they did not notice the boy at all.
And, indeed, they would not have cared
much if they had, for he was one Of those
rare boys who inspire confidence in all
/ animals. Stray dogs came to him TO be
| petted, vicious bulls had a pleasant look
| for him, strange cats would jump upon
| his shoulders and robins and thrushes
would boldly hop into the pockets of his
sack coat 10 get the crumbs that he al
ways kept there for just such occasions.
| II don't know what the name of this pc
per is, as the headline is torn off" said
| CreyquiIl, but Il don't suppose that
makes very much difference to you. And
Yet. 1 think read something in this same
paper that was not at all friendly 10
( crows"
| Are you going to read or are you only
going to talk? It's long past lunch time
and I'm hungry" said one of the young
| est and necessarily one of the pertest
crows
GreyGuill gave him q glance that made
him hop down al least three branches
nearer the ground and then the old crow
continued without further interruption.
This article is about the song birds. 1t
saws: Nothing could be more senseless
| than TO kill or in any way injure the va
riOus song birds that makes spring me!o-
dious IN New England. What if they
| help themselves TO bit of corn now and
| then. or reward themselves for a full
| throated concert by picking a cherry here
and there? The good they do In making
the world less sad, more than balances
their tiny thefts. and the man who shoots
or snares a song bird is a man whose
heart is so far out of place that no ply
| stefan on earth has power to set il right
XII the crows if you will, for besides
stealing. they make a most unmelodious
noise, but spare the little opera singers
who make the woodlands merry and who
have contributed to the poetry and litera-
ture OF the world by inspiring the poets
and prose writers TO emulate their caden-
Zas"
GFeyqulll read very well, indeed, for
croT. and Curtiss had no trouble in I'M
Outstanding him.
Hardly had he made an end when he
was assailed with so many questions that
YOU could have heard the crows as far as
West Norfolk, and that's three miles at
least.
rs that why farmers hate us?' Where
90 these other birds get their fine voices?
| never thought a bobolink could sing.
Sounds like spring in a clock that had
been set jangling." Who thinks l have
a harsh voice. Hear me. Cav, cav,
cav"
Every one OF the two hundred had some
thing 10 say about the article, and he or
she said II In his most raucous voice so
that Curtiss instinctively put his hands to
his ears and the involuntary motion caus-
ed his presence.to become known.
Hello, CuTtiss. What do you think OF
this article?" asked Greyquill. flying down
In front OF the boy and looking at him
with his head perked on one side.
why, I think you'd better cultivate
your voices" sad Curtiss, laughing.
That's all right. But who's going TO
teach US to siDg?'
NO one can teach me 20 sing" said one
vain crow. but a companion with a voice
like broken buzzsaw said. "Oh, really,
anty oh
sounds as if some one had dumped a load
OF gravel on it. Now. my voice" Here
all the birds began talk.rg at once, and
more than one farmer In the vicinity
said Were Goirg to have a curse of
crows next summer. I'm afraid"
Il don't know what 10 tell you" said
Curtiss, when the crows stopped for
breath. know a bobolink who used 20
give singing lessons, but he went away
last July, and l don't know where he Is
now"
Probably in South Carolina" said an
old bird, who had Travelled a good deal
Those bobolinks are great for going
South, but funny thing about 'eIn Is that
you can't get 'em 10 sing down there.
Either the Southerners don't ike that
kind OF music. or else it's too hot 10 at
tempt anything In the song line down
there"
Yes" said Greyquln. "and what's the
consequence? They shoot EN- and make
potpies OF 'em down there That fls.
proves what this fellow says. Mankind
must like music. and when he don't get n
he gets mad and begins to shoot. I be-
lieve that II We all learn 70 sing some.
thing that folks viii call sweet. the farm
ers won't begrudge as the little corn we
take and I'd give my tail feathers 20 nnd
out where 10 take the necessary lessons 4"
Il have it, suddenly said C,trtlss
There's man here in Norfolk who hss
a moeking bird and he can sing any birds
tune he has ever heard. Now n YOU want
me 10 ask him what he'd charge TO teach
you all 10 sing. I'll do II this afternoon.
and IL he's willing, II bring him down to-
morrow"
oh. do. The very thing" said Grey
quill, Tapping his wings for Joy. ard then
there was another deafenlng clarnor. and
the birds all circled through the air inst
TO work OF their spirits, and while they
were Tapping heavily around curtiss