There ought to be a public meeting about this, and resolutions, and
perhaps a clambake. At least, it ought to be put into the catechism, and
put in strong.
TENTH WEEK
I THINK I have discovered the way to keep peas from the birds.
I tried the scarecrow plan, in a way which I thought would outwit the
shrewdest bird. The brain of the bird is not large; but it is all
concentrated on one object, and that is the attempt to elude the devices
of modern civilization which injure his chances of food. I knew that, if
I put up a complete stuffed man, the bird would detect the imitation at
once; the perfection of the thing would show him that it was a trick.
People always overdo the matter when they attempt deception. I therefore
hung some loose garments, of a bright color, upon a rake-head, and set
them up among the vines. The supposition was, that the bird would think
there was an effort to trap him, that there was a man behind, holding up
these garments, and would sing, as he kept at a distance, "You can't
catch me with any such double device." The bird would know, or think he
knew, that I would not hang up such a scare, in the expectation that it
would pass for a man, and deceive a bird; and he would therefore look
for a deeper plot. I expected to outwit the bird by a duplicity that was
simplicity itself. I may have over-calculated the sagacity and reasoning
power of the bird. At any rate, I did over-calculate the amount of peas
I should gather.
Pages:
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297