We had to cut down a beautiful wisteria-vine that climbed over
one side of our house because the sparrows would build their nests in
it, and made such a dreadful noise in the morning that nobody on that
side of the house could sleep. And they drive away all the other birds.
We used to have robins hopping over our lawn, and dear little
yellow-birds used to build their nests in the pear-trees; but since the
sparrows have got so thick, they have stopped coming. My father says the
English sparrow is the most impudent bird that ever was hatched. He
actually saw one snatch away a worm a robin had just dug up. I believe I
hate sparrows!"
"I don't," said Nellie. "I have fed them all winter. They came to the
dining-room window every morning, and waited for their breakfast; and a
funny little woodpecker, blind of one eye, came with them sometimes."
"They do lots of good in our gardens," said Mollie, "digging up grubs
and beetles. Papa told us so."
"There's nobody in this world so bad," said Susie, sagely, "but that you
can find something good to say about them." At which kindly speech Aunt
Ruth smiled approval.
"I think," she said, "this will be a good time to tell you a story
about an English sparrow and a canary-bird I will call it
TUFTY AND THE SPARROW.
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