Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-25

/ Birds. On me crU THrD uFe al
tackcd By large HocE OF CrouSl
/ TNHE Crows raced eagerly toward
/ L Peggy's train. The Bluebirds, the
I warblers, and the Tanagers seemed
such easy prey that they were
keen to attack. They had not had
good hunting that day and felt no hes
! itation about making a meal out Of
! smaller Birds.
Peggy, knowing how self lf-preserva.
! ton is the first law of the Birds. ex.
| pected any moment to have the Scar
/ let Tanagers drop her and flee. But
| they did not. They bravely held fast
to the chariot, which the Bluebirds
! pulled along as fast as they could
/ fly. The Yellow Warblers, which were
free to save themselves, chose rather
to stand by Peggy.
Just as the Swiftest of the Crows
darted ahead to begin the attack, there
4 came shrill battle cries from beneath
| the chariot
Fight! Fight"
Up at the Crows came the King
birds.
Peggy thought they had fed. But
! they had no idea of fleeing. They
were so eager for battle with the
Crows that they had hidden just to
make the Crows think the other Birds
were defenseless. Then when the
I Crows, taking cowardly advantage of
their size and numbers, had swept
( down on supposed easy prey, the King.
birds were ready to give them the
surprise of their lives.
When the first Crows saw the King
birds they stood right up on their tails
trying to stop their swift rush. But
the other Crows coming along like a
swift flowing river swept them for.
! ward.
The Kingbrds pitched into the lead
ing Crows with fury that made the
black feathers fly. The Crows
squawked and screeched. They had
no desire to fight the pugnacious King
birds, and so tried to run away. When
they turned they became tangled up
with the Crows behind them. In
stantly the whole Crow army was
thrown into mad panic. Crow
fought Grow, pecking, tearing. claw.
| ing. The whole mass had only one
idea-to escape from the wrath of
these small winged terrors. 1t was a
case of attackers being attacked, and
they weren't brave enough to strike
back.
The I<ingbrds added to the con.
fusion by lowering above the strug-
Cling bunch of Crows, and darting
down for repeated slashing attacks.
Every peck of Kingbird struck home
and the Crows screeched the louder
and fought the harder among them
selves to escape.
| Peggy, alarmed as she had been
now couldn't help laughing. The
Crows were getting just what they
deserved. And they were so scared
that they were doing more harm
among themselves than the kingbirds
could possibly do. Indeed. there were
SO many Crows that if they hadn't
been cowardly bullies they might have
beaten the Kingbirds by force OF
I numbers alone.
Beneath the fray 1t looked as though
black snowstorm were raging. This
was caused by the feathers the Crows
were tearing out of each other-witf
quite a number contributed by the
slashing smashes of the Kingbirds.
The Crows on the outer fringe Of
the row fled when they saw the battle
ahead and soon the tangled mass
cleared up SO all could use theiI
wings. Then how the Crows streakeC
it for home. And the Kingbirds
spurred them on with furious dashe.
among them.
Peggy had all sorts of thrills watch.
ing the affray. 1t was like seeing al
exciting football game from a reserved
seat. Only her comfortable throne
floating about in the air, was better
than any reserved seat she had evei
been in.
Officer Martin did not follow the
! pursuit of the Crows. Instead he lee
the way straight for Birdland. The
kingbirdS chased the Crows into q
heavy forest, then remembered theil
duty as guards and came hurryine
back. Not one of them had lost 9
: feather, and they We're as fresh anc
noisy as if they had just been having
frolic among themselves, instead O
. putting whole army to rout.,
Judge Owl had his court in a rock.
ravine not far from the castle of tn,
Giant of the Woods. 1t was alread,
in session when the Scarlet Tanager,
softly lowered the aerial chariot to tn,
,, ground and Peggy stepped out to gree
, the Birds.
Hello, every one." she called ou
, cheerfully.
Judge Owl, seated on a big fiat rocl
, high above the others, frowned dow
upon her severely as he hooted :
There's a place for noise.
And place for boys,
And usually it's the same.
But here in my court
Is no room for sport,
0 And levity's not in the game"
: so, Princess Peggy" continue
Judge Owl, solemnly, II am obliged t
. punish you for disturbing the dignit
of my tribunal. Bailiff, will you kindl
s conduct the prisoner forward?"
= Blue Heron, looking very officiou.
lowered above Peggy. In one claw h