Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-10
This and That
By Charles E. Tracetoell.

Jack Spra;r and 7 are conspirirc
against the birds Ions and long Oh
Sprart has pinned TO consume one o.
the feathered songsters for his break
fast To date. however. he has beer
hugely unsuccessful.
So engrossed is the cat in the uech
nique Of creeping that he never has
been able to catch one. He creep
and creeps and Creeps, and so CreopS
his time away, for no live bird viii
stand still for more than SO man
seconds.
Jack has spent the better part .,
two Springs and their following Sun
nlers in creeping up on birds. bur
the closest he has ever got 10 or
has been in the ne:ghborhood Of IL
feet.
AT first we were afraid he would
make good his hopes. but. after many
false alarms, We came 70 the conClU
sion that the birds We're in no NOR
danger from Jack than he was from
them. Happy birds.
Perhaps right here We should state
that we are no enemy of birds Never
since our tenth year have we ever
harmed one. and then all We did was
shoot the tail feathers out of 2 spar.
row with a 90 rife.
In those days, too, we pursued cats
with great vengeance, never falling
to throw stones at every feline that
came across our wandering path.
Time. which changes all things.
has brought great reversals in us II
these respects, as readers Of this col
umn may realize. We are happy 10
state that boys no longer throw
rocks at caJS. The Youngsters har'
too many other diversions nowadays
III -, 81
Spratt catch at least one bird.
1t seems 10 us that the world owes
every cat at least one warbler.
Think Of the joy-f you were -.
catt-of creeping up. springing, max
ing the catch. bringing down your
prey, proudly taking it up to the
house. so that the folks might see
your prowess.
Then the God-g1ven delight Of 3
fresh, warm break stall this, re-.
member, if you were a cat. It is
rather hard for so-called human
being TO put himself in the mental
position Of a so-called brute creature
but some approximation Of 1t may b.
secured. if one tries.
If you. kind reader. happen to be
member of the Audubon Society, do
not feel too put out al these lines
| We, too, like the birds. and would
NOT willingly do them harm.
We confess again. however. that zee
! believe every cat has a right to at
| least one bird. We hope il may be an
| old. decrepit one, that Is on its last
! legs. If we seem brutal to you, pray
| believe once more that we are not
any more than you are.
! With this much understood, we
may divulge our plan for helping
Jack out.
| Recently. with much labor. we con
strucred four small fiower-beds at the
rear Of the back yard. The central
| corners Of the beds are cut of. max
| ing Il circle at their center perhaps
| . feet in diameter.
| In the center of this circle we fl
| tend to place n neat bird bath.
| The beds we shall fill with sturdy
Marisolds at the center, surrounded
! by Gladioli, in front of which shall
| he MarveIs OF Peru perhaps bette
| known as Four-o' Clocks, before which
shall be Scalpiglosis, with border q
! Sweet Alyssum around each bed.
x
, Now il IS not our cruel intention
! that the cat. hiding among the nov
ers, shall spring upon the bird BATH
and bring down a bird.
It would not be at all surprising
| however, if he did that very thing.
! We promise the world, II he does
we will Immediately take down the
f; bird bath and put sundiaI in if
place.