who killed cock robin?
no; it was not the sparrow with a bow and arrow. no—more likely a boy with an air rifle killed him, or a man with a gun who did not know what a wicked thing he was doing.
he did not know that he had killed one of his best friends.
he did not know that without the work of beautiful robin redbreast and other birds the world might go hungry.
[76]
what if robins do eat a few cherries? they like mulberries better. a wise farmer plants a russian mulberry tree for the robins, and the mulberries save the cherries.
questions
do you know that millions of men and boys hunt and kill birds “for fun” every year?
do you know that millions of birds are killed each year to be used in trimming women’s hats?
how many different birds can you name?
can you tell the kinds of food each of them eats?
do you know what kinds of nests they build?
what do you think of people who kill robins?
have you ever placed food in a sheltered place for birds in winter when it is hard for them to find a living?