Evening star., 1937-07-16

Regardless of what others say,
Some folks persist and have their way
old Mother Nature.
~ OST people want the good
M opinion Of their neighbors,
but there are some who
appear not to care in the
least what others say or think They
want to do as they please, and they do
as they please regardless Of the feel
ings of others. Sally Sly the Cow
bird is one Of these. What her
neighbors may say or think about her
doesn't matter in the least to Sally.
She is wholly selfish and, you know,
selfish people care little or nothing
for other people or the opinions of
other people.
Sally Sly is without shame. Peo-
pie of her sort usually are She had
successfully left several of her eggs
in the nests Of some Of her smaller
neighbors and in so doing she had
managed to keep unseen. She had
sneaked about through the Old Or
chard and the shrubbery around it,
taking the utmost care to keep out
of sight of the other feathered folk
Had they not been so busy with their
household affairs, some one Of them
might have seen her. AS 1t was, she
managed to dispose Of her last egg
before she was discovered.
The Chipping Sparrows knew she
had been in the Old Orchard, for
they had found one Of her eggs in
their nest. They had kept still about
it. ashamed to admit that they had
given her chance to do such thing.
1t was the same way with Little Friend
the Song Sparrow and his modest
little mate, and with the Restarts and
the Yellow Warblers. None wanted
the neighbors to know that they had
been so imposed on, so they said moth
ing. OF course. the first ones to find
one Of Sally Sly's eggs in their nest
should have warned all the others.
Then the others would have guarded
their own nests and Sally might have
been discovered and driven from the
Old Orchard before having a chance
to impose on others.
But it is the way of the world that
those who have been the victims of
impostors are seldom willing that
others shall know it. and the i'm
posters know this and take advan-
tage of it. 1t is so with Sally Sly.
After she was through with her egg
laying she didn't care If she was
seen, and so it happened that early
one morning Scrapper the Kingbird
saw her in the tree next to the one
in which was his own nest.
Now, Scrapper the Kingbird never
seeks 10 avoid trouble. He hasn't a
cowardly feather in his coat. 1t makes
no difference to him II one he doesn't
approve Of or care to have around is
his own size or several times his size.
1t is all the same to this doughty
little fighter. He is we'll named and
true to his name at all times. He is
in awe Of no one, not even King Eagle
himself.
Now, Scrapper knows all about
Sally Sly and her ways. 1t is whis-
pered that once she dared to leave
one of her eggs in his nest So the
instant he saw Sally Sly he started
for her, at the same time shrieking
the news. All the other birds in the
Old Orchard hastened to join him.
OF course, all of them called Sally
names and told her just what they
thought Of her, and Of course Sally
didn't mind this in the least. So
long as she could keep out OF reach
of their sharp bills they could call
her what they pleased. Bills hurt, but
names didn't.
Having learned through her habit
Of sneaking about just how to keep
under cover. she managed to give
her excited pursuers only glimpses
Of her. From the Old Orchard she
sneaked along the edge of the Green
Forest. She wasn't followed far by
any but Scrapper after leaving the
Old Orchard. The others were too
anxious to get back to their homes.
Scrapper was the last one to give up
the chase.
Il hope" said he as he rejoined
Mrs. scrapper at their nest, that
that good-for-nothing Sally Sly will
keep away from the Old Orchard.
It Is lucky I saw her when I did"
How Sally would have chuckled
could she have heard that. She had
been driven out Of the Old Orchard,
but what did she care? Nothing.
Nothing at all. Her work was done
and she was quite ready and glad
tn join moro nf her nun bind II, tho