A TRUE STORY FROM CANTON

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21090, 16 July 1938, Page 6 (Supplement)

A TRUE STORY FROM CANTON

Away in the South of China, in the city of Canton, the summers are so warm that all who can, live almost entirely on large verandahs. On the Shameen, most people live one or two stories above their offices, so that these verandahs are so high that one can reach out into I the very tree tops. From these trees the birds flit in and out of the rooms, and the little English sparrows even build their nests on the top of the columns. They are just as saucy in Canton as in New Zealand, and act as though they are the real owners, and that the people who occupy the houses are there only to furnish them with crumbs. Many a time they think it not necessary to wait until the meal is over, but alight on the table and flit about picking up bits of food and telling all in unmistakable language that the table and its contents really belong to them. One beautiful spring, Papa and Mamma Sparrow built their nest on the top of one of the columns. They helped themselves to thread from the sewing room, and anything they could find in the house whicli might help to make a comfortable home. Soon they were waiting patiently for the little brown babies to appear. You know that Papa and Mamma Sparrow must take turns in watching the nest, as the little eggs must always be kept safe and warm. But Papa Sparrow seemed to prefer sit-

ling on the iron railing preening his feathers and trying to tell all who could listen what a fine fellow he was, so that when his turn came to sit on the nest, Mamma Sparrow always had great difficulty in making him do his share. One day, after a particularly long vigil during which Papa Sparrow had made no offer to relieve the little mother, she flew down to where he was preening on the rail. As a long and loud scolding did not seem to move her unwilling mate, she decided to take more strenuous measures, so flew to a lower bar in the railing, and, seizing him by

the tail, pulled him off the rail. This so surprised the little bird that he fell to the floor, but up he flew again to another bar. j Once more Mamma Sparrow flew to a lower bar and again pulled I him down. Again and again she , did this, until Papa Sparrow de- | cided it would be a happier world if he attended to his duties, so he l flew up to the nest and settled down. It was not until Mamma Sparrow saw him safely on the nest that she felt free to fly away for her daily recreation and search for food and water.