India islands, will soon be extinct unless
protected.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

THE COURT OF THE ANIMALS AND BIRDS

Once upon a time, not very long ago, the birds and animals were brought
into court to be tried on the charge of committing all sorts of
misdeeds. Some of their accusers wanted to shoot them for food. Others
said they did much harm and should be destroyed, while still others
envied their beautiful coats of fur or feathers. To settle the matter
fairly, the judge decided that each prisoner should be tried by itself.

The first case called was that of the English sparrow, who made such a
noisy disturbance that the bailiff had to call for silence. All
witnesses asserted that the bird was a foreigner and did not belong in
this country. They further testified that the sparrow was a meddlesome,
gossiping neighbor, always fighting the other birds and driving them
away. The sparrow looked around, but not a single friend could he find.
The court decided that he should be driven out and made the lawful prey
of every one. He cautioned all present, however, always to be very
careful to distinguish between the English sparrow and the other
sparrows. The latter birds must on no account be molested, for they were
without any exceptions most useful citizens.

In regard to the linnet the judge hardly knew what to say. The bird was
shown to be a sweet singer, but very destructive of fruit. It was
finally decided that a census of the linnets must be taken occasionally.
Whenever their number was found to be so great as to endanger the fruit
crop in any particular place, the farmers were to be allowed to dispose
of a certain number.

The bobolink had many friends as well as enemies present. Every one that
knew the bobolink in its summer home in the North insisted that this
beautiful singer must be protected. But the people from the South, where
it spends the winter, wished the privilege of shooting it. They said
that its flesh formed a delicious morsel and also that in the rice
fields, where it was known as the "rice bird," it did a great deal of
harm. The judge refused to listen to the plea of the hunters and said
that this attractive bird must be protected in both its winter and
summer homes.

The turn of the blue jay came next. Every one wondered what the charge
against this bird with the beautiful blue plumage could be. Some thought
that he was on trial for his discordant screeching, which alarmed all
the inhabi