Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-06-17
A Fig For The
Sparrows

Frank DENLY sat on the front steps
OF his fathers house and surveyed ms
mothers flower beds with a prospecting
eye. Time was flying faster than his
camping fund was growing and he was
still two dollars short of the price of a
scout tent.
Mother" he began tentatively, IA
thorough wedding wouldn't hurt your
flower beds | see a good many little
pa tches Of grass, and the walks are not
specially Clean
Mrs. DENLY. sitting at the window,
raised her eyes from her sewing and
looked out over the garden.
You're right, Frank, but old Dick Is
going to give me a day next week. You
wouldn't take the old mans job awai
from him, would your
No said Frank, obviously but /
certainly would like to get a job my
self"
His mother sewed thoughtfully for a
while and then she spoke.
THE figs are beginning to ripen. 4
you'll manage" to keep the sparrows
from pecking holes in the fruit ami
spelling it you may have all the figs
from one tree to SELL But you can't PEG
die them You must make sale to the
fruit market" @
mick Shapiro will buy them from
me. I'll see him today" said Frank. The
! scheme struck him Is being a good one.
And you'll have to get up early in
the morning. for that is when the spar
rows get in their work." added Mrs.
! DENLY.
! Frank pulled himself up from the
steps with energy for fresh enterprise.
Guess I'll take look at the pros
! pect" he volunteered.
There were three fig trees, loaded
with fruit just approaching state &
! luscious ripeness Frank raised his hand
and picked one of the figs to break it
open. In the softest stop. where the fruit
showed a faint redding tinse, was an
ugly Jagged hole, somewhat largSr
| than a sparrow's beak, He tried Others
to find that goodly portion Of tha
ripest figs had been ruined in the same
way. Then he went back to the house
got out his shotgun, and began to-
!clean it, Half an hour later he was on
his way down town to make the deal
with Nick and to purchase a good SUPP
ply OF bird shot. a ,Ef
where are you bound for Frank -
voice called to him as he passed his
next door neighbours gate at a pace that
prefgured death to sparrows. Old MIR.
Benson was sitting under the tig oak
in his front yard and Frank stopped at
his question to explain where he was
| going and why. " MY
You needn't shoot the sparrows,"
said the old man when Frank had fn-
ished; I'll tell you way to make
them let your fl gs alone. They're afraid
Tof white string, - If your just get
big ball of it and interlace your fig
bushes with it you won't be troubled
with sparroWs." e. .. n af
Frank looked skeptical.
/ II don't see how they can be afraid
of white string he protested. They're
not afraid Of anything else under the
sun" He rather held to the gun and
u bird shot as 'trustier means OF protect
ing his interests.
"Try. the twine," said Mr.. Benson.
The deal with Nick was made to the
satisfaction of both, the contracting
parties, but Frank went home in a still
uncertain frame of mind. having pur-
chased large ball Of twine and no
bird shot. He went out Immediately to
set about carrying out Mr.. Benson's in
structions,, but as he twisted the string
in and out among the twigs and leaves
he felt as If his task was a fruitless one
;, Nevertheless he finished 1t up WITH
thOroughness, and if the twine< had been
more ornate in character his mothers
fig trees when he got through, would
have presented the appearance of gayly
bedecked Christmas trees. His neighbor.
George Frost, thought as much when he
spied him from the next yard and call
edout: ~ aE
whats the answer. Frank? Getting
in practice for next Christmas"
Haven't got Christmas in the back
: Of my head" said Frank, the shortness
Of his reply bein: due mainly to the
long tediousness Of his job.
At the supper table he unburdened his
, doubts i'm the bosom Of his always re-
. ceptive and usually sympathetic fam
| lily. 3D.,
( do you see why sparrows should be
afraid Of white string?" he asked.
, mo. Unless they think they Will get
their feet caught in it," laughed Mr..
= DENNY. . 1T may be prenatal instinct.
I But Mr.. Benson wouldn't send you on
. wild goose chase, and there must be
? something in his idea.
I'm going out in the morning, and II
there's a sparrow in sight l intend to
: get the bird shot, said Frank
: The sun was just coming up through
: the big oaks in Mr.. Benson's yard when
Frank slipped softly out the door and
went into the garden. AS he came near
the fig trees he was struck by the pc
culiar stiffness, where heretofore ms
ears had been met with voclfefous
, chatter and the saft flutter OF vanish
: ing wings And instead OF finding
small army Of marauders ne saw one
lone sparrow perched for sentinel duty
on the top most twig Of the tallest tree
The sentinel retreated precipitately
and Frank began an inspection Of the
fruit to see if the birds had been In
u reality kept from injuring it: Not ha
: had been molested. They hung UNI
> touched. ready to be converted by
little deft manipulation into camping
e paraphernalia.
e 4 week later Frank sat beside Mr.
t Benson on the bench under the old oak
II cleared three dollars and thirty.
r Ave cents on, those figs" he announced
a "Cleared?" said Mr.. Benson. you
weren't out anything except ball o.
string and little time.
: Ira Milree LOndon's Great
: Grandfather Is 81