The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-08-13
GROWS AND A P1NG-PoNG BALL

Their Perplexity Over the Difficulties
 of Breaking a Supposed Egg.
 Great is the indignation of the crows
 of our station, writes 8 correspondent
 of the Times of India. And the cause
 of it all is that new-fangled game, that
 sign of twentieth century degeneration -ping-pong. Utterly regardless of the fact that it was the Sabbath, and that high Episcopal dignitary was staying in the station 1t was ordained that the final of the local ping-pong tourna- emnt should be played off last Sunday One of the competitors was a retired colonel of three-score years and ten. but his eye is not dim, nor is his natu-
 ral force abated. He lost, but not with
 out making a plucky fight of it. He att tributes his defeat to the fact that an unsound ball was used at critical juncture. The colonel acted up to his belief, and wrought vengeance upon the ball by sending it forth into space. The ball, although unsound, obeyed the laws
 of gravitation: it fell on 8 grassy plot Presently a vigilant crow espied that ball, and, taking it for an egg, sWooped down upon it, seized it in it's powerful
 beak, and bore it off in triumph. Of course it was very foolish of the crow to mistake a ping-pong ball for an egg: for granted that he was not a society
 bird, acquainted with the mysteries of ping pong, the weight of the ball should have sufficed to convey to his corvine mind the fact that 1t could not contain a very substantial breakfast. But crows. although the cleyerest of birds, are really very silly if judged by hu- man standards. They have not the wit ! to discover when koel has dropped an egg into the nest, nor have they the l sense to distinguish the interior, when 1 it is hatcked, from one of their own kind
 | Having secured it's prize, the worthy l crow took up commanding position on the branch of a bamboo tree. After a l little prospecting" he caught sight of a small stone post, which appeared to be admirably adapted to his purpose. To 1 this he flew, and dropping the ball, pecked al it to break it. Instead of breaking, the ball hoped on to the ground; the crow retrieved it, and again had a peck at it, with the same ! result. Having repeated the process 1 half a dozen times the crow grew | thoughtful. Never before had he come
 across such an obstinate egg. He then decided to tackle it upon the ground; i; here he met with no better success. He next flew to a neighboring tree, and | from that altitude contemplated the | ball, which he had left lying on the ground. A happy thought suddenly seized him. He took up the egg in his | beak, and flew with 1t to branch some six feet above the ground, and let it | fall It survived the shock intact This was too much for another crow that had been attentively watching the first bird. Said he to himself: If that l juggins can't break the egg, there is nothing left but for me to show him how to do it." Having delivered him. | self of these sentiments, he made a swoop at the ball, snapped at it as he | flew oyer, but since the first crow was | in hot pursuit he missed it. Then fol- lowed a long contest between the sec < ond bird and the rightful owner. Eve " time the former attempted to cap | ture the egg, the latter flew after him and tired to peck him. After a little \ both birds came to rest on different trees within full view of the ball. each l with his back towards the other.