Evening star., 1941-11-13

f1gnt-lIllDklnR person IS supposed 10
enjoy hearing birds sing and 1 take
no pride in my deficiency. l chose
Mr. Kleran TO share my horrld
secret for two reasons. one beng
that he is an old friend and I felt
that he would be tolerant Of my
shortcoming. The second was that
there are few men who know moro
about birds than ne does. I Wouldn:
be surprised if ducks stopped by thi
Information Please Studio anG
asked him the best places TO go ir
the winter, and whether they should
go South on No. Highway or take
the scenic route along the coast.
I blurted it right out TO him. Ths
cold hard truth that has been
locked IN my heart since I rlsked
falling from my crib to shy rattle
al a thrush that disturbed my teeth
ing with What he thought was a
lullaby.
johnny, they sound awful TO me
T said, hoping and praying that he
wouldn't call me the Latin name for
one so lacking IN appreciation.
"Thrushes, robins, sparroWs. larks-
they all just cheep and chlrp and
chatter TO me Do they really
sound pretty TO you?'
He answered by asking me II I
liked music.
I told him that 7 did. and asked
him if he thought birds could pos
sibly compare TO a man playing a
violin.
Il like the music Of birds better
than that Of a violin, or of harp,
even. which is my fayorite instru-
ment," Mr. Kieran said. DO you
mean to tell me that coming from
the South YOU don't like TO listen
to mocking bird?"
Nope I answered. "A mocklng
bird sounds too much like bid
to me"
Johnny gave ME look which led
me to believe that he felt Sherman
had been entirely too generous with
Georgia
DO YOU mean TO tell me" said.
that there are birds YOU would
rather hear singing than the blend
ing of any grouping OF musical
Instruments"
/ We'll do me a favor and name
them" I said, wondering what this
amazing speaker and writer would
put on his all-AmeriCa feathered
quartet.
! The hermit thrush was his first
choice Then he named the wood
cock. and mentioned the beauty Of
his spring song. His third choice
was the rose-breasted grosbeak, and
he closed with the vesper sparrow.
Johnny pointed out that this was
strictly an American lineup and
that if he were including foreign
singers he would certainly make
room for the English nightingale
and the Central American clarino.
l went straight from seeing Mr..
Kieran 10 Central Park and started
listening 10 birds. But even after
sharing in his appreciation and
knowledge of bird music. l hadn't
improved whit. They still sounded
like the things that have so often
walked me up in the morning and
kept me awake at night. Cheeeep,
Chuuuuuurh! Squeak! Squeak
Urururh! Chitter chatter!
I didn't hear a bird that could
sing anything I knew or turn ous
a score that made me want to shak1
my head tap my feet and try toy
remember the words. Maybe my
trouble lies in the fact that the birds
I have heard sing are all too young.
I like old, familiar music that re-
minds me of different times and
places and people Maybe if I could
run across some old birds who knew
"Margie," I'm Forever Blowing
Bubbles, Japanese Sandman and
melancholy Baby" Id have a diff
ferent feeling about them. You
know, I think that's the answer.
Give me quartet of crows, even.
who could bear down on I've Been
Working on the Railroad" or
"Dinah' and l believe Id like them
just as much as Mr.. Kieran does
that grosbeck sparrow woodcock
thrush ensemble of his.
At last this column has a definite
platform, goal. From now on it
will bend every effort to teach birds
how TO sing.
Clear your throats, you vrens!
We're of of Till the Sands of the