Evening star., 1948-07-16
This and That
BIZ Charles L. Truce,pell

What birds SAY" Is more or less what the
listener wants them to say.
This is shown by two communications. One,
from G. w. M. of street. says:
your consistently delightful writings inspire
me to beseech you to unravel small psychiatric
problem having to do With our feathered
friends. think the song Of the meadowlark
is about the closest thing I'll ever hear to celes-
tial music on this earth. I even like sparrows.
admire their spunk In staying with us when
it's cold and tough.
"But-every morning have to listen to per-
fectIy horrible noises produced by birds of an
other feather who have staked out homesteads
in the trees outside of my bedroom window.
THE thought of murder runs through my
mind as a good idea every day about am. I
am thinking of hiring a cat and letting him
have full rein to liquidate these winged imps of
sin.
"At least, that's the way feel now. If
change my mind. That is why I say it's q
psychiatric problem with me.
"One says nothing but: 'Gertie, Gertie.
Gertie, Gertie Gertie,' and he does it on
horrible descending scale.
Another one (maybe it's Gertie) yels:
Right here! Right here! Right here!
And the third and perhaps the worst Of all
screams out in never-ending shrieks: Your
feet! Your feetl Your feetl
About am. they seem to think they've put
in full days work, having ruined my nights
sleep. never hear them in the evening.
Sincerely, ETC."
The bird shrieking for "Gertie" probably is
a flicker.
The one calling Fright here!" must be a
cardinal
As for the third, worrying about bis feet"
any one who wants to may take guess as to
that one.
In the first two, we have two of our best birds
All three are merely joining in the morning
Enthusiastically at am, since the birds. for
tunately for them, know nothing about day
light saving"
Birds have been saving daylight for SO long
that til an old story to them
They have preached the advisability of going
to bed at dark. and getting up at first light,
for centuries, but wayward man will not listen
to them.
Birds have lived together in peace, and their
message on that too Is clear enough, but man
kind has refused to listen.
As result, the world has constant warfare.
and now is threatened as the result OF mans
own work, with being blown sky-high some
bright, beautiful morning.
Well, we can't say the birds didn't try to tell
us.
It would be too bad. indeed, If day by day we
refuse even to listen to their singing There
are times admittedly, when some species get on
hun1or comes in. And as our correspondent
plainly has it, we advise him to, keep on seeing
the humor in the thing, and the first thing he
knows, he will end up by liking what he now
curses.
The other letter is from L. A. G.. who writes
II have just finished reading your interesting
article about catbirds
IF this bird says 'Sna-a-a-ake' down in Vir-
ginia, wonder if you know what my redbirds
say to me when I am at my place in Gunston
MAnore
"They fly over the earden-a red fash Of
color-chirping saily: Big year, big year, big
year! But it won't be big year for my neg.
lected garden. despite the encouraging cah
from the cardinals.
"Is 1t possible they are speaking in bird calls
about the peach tree which is laden with fruit
and dropping on the sroundf Big year. big
year, big yearf"
We hear what we want to hear, when We
listen to the birds. no doubt Of that.
Maybe in the years to come, II this old world
Of humans Ia to survive, we will start listening
to what the brides really want to tell us, Inat
would mean, of course. listening to Gods voice,
rather than sinful mans