Show u l f v T f y l t f 9 0 I w j I R Rl BROWNS lS l S BOY 01 LOSES A PIGEON By lly THORNTON W BURGESS The rIght to live belones to all The Tho strong tronc the th weak tho the great the small O Old Old Mother th r Nature It Is true tiu that Old Mother Nil Nil- Natura tur Na-tur ture tura has ha given riven each the th right to live but It Is also her law that each cach must mum protect that rIght In other words each one must mut con con- continually use us his isis wits aits Its and be b stuart enough to prevent anyone any ono one else olse from taking away that rIght This Is Mother Nature Natures way of ot makIng sure that only most fit tit shall live Farmer Browns Brown's Boy had pIg pIg- pIgeons pigeons pie cons eons as well as a chicken chickens I Of ot course courso those pigeons could fly at will Pig Pig- Pig Pigeons eons COliS are ar not kept In yards as are chickens So Farmer Browns Brown's Brown BOYs BOY's pigeons could bo be seen flying about over the farm every cia day They de- de delighted delighted de lighted to bill and coo on the th root roof of the tho th barn Some ot of them were so tame tarn that they would como come comedown down and sit Bit on Farmer Brown Browna hand while he h fed them He H was very Cry fond of oC those thos piteous pigeons Some Somo Som of ot those thos pigeons were very ery swIft fliers and Farmer Pannier Browns Brown's Boy Doy took great pride pi-Id pi lIe delighted In watchIng them His He was doing dolne this one on morning The pl pigeons eons were some som little distance away In the cornfield Suddenly they rose ros as It if In fright fricht and head headed ed Cd for tor hO home lIe At first Farmer Browns Brown's Boy Doy couldn't think what It was Then ho he b saw some die dIs- dIstance lance tance back of ot them a dark darle form comIng comIng- through this tho th air with tre- tre tremendous tremendous tre tremendous Ho H knew hn w It for tor a hawk but it was the th fastest fly fly- flyIng flying fly in Ing hawk he h had hd d ever overseen seen Those pigeons were coming fast tat but the hawk behind them was wa coming faster fute r Farmer Browns Brown's boy yelled and waved his hi arms arme arm In the th hope hop of frightening away that hawk But Dut that hawk didn't frighten Straight on it camo came and struck truck one on of those pigeons in midair only a few feet teet from where Farmers Farmer's Farmer Drowns Browns Boy was standing Without stop stop- stopping stopping stopping ping ping- the lh hawk wept swept on carrying the pIgeon with It Farmer Browns Brown's I t tSo So Partner Fanner Brouns Broun's ns n's Hoys Hoy's pigeons could be bo fling about over the jams every cry day ilay Boy Doy watched It out ot of sight It IL had flown flon straight toward the th BIg Mountain and at the rate rat It wa was going It had soon disappeared Phew exclaimed Farm Farmer r I Browns Brown's Boy the th boldest I II I hawk I ever ver saw aw and how and how It can fly I hope hop Its h doesn't come corn back again I thought my pigeons could i fly but they haven't any chance against that tell fellow ow lie H picked I that pigeon out of ot the th air as os If It were ere sitting still Instead of ot fly fly- flying fly Ine lIng ing as hard as It could If It ho he comes often otten I see seo e where I shall shallI have to keep my pIgeons shut hut up upI I I am not raising pigeons to feed hawks I Now once one upon a time tim Farmer Brown Browns Brown's Boy Doy would have hae hav been ben ter- ter terribly ter terribly Indignant lie H would have been ready to kill every hawk that lie ho got a chance chan chal o to Just because that one olle on hawK hawx had taken ono one on ot of othis othis his hig pigeons But Dut Farmer Fanner Browns Brown's Boy had come to know the th little people of ot the th Green Meadows Meadow and the Green Greets Forest and the th Old Pas Pas- Pas Pasture ture tune and to understand that whets when pas pas-I they killed they did so 10 only for tor food and this Is no more mor than man does lie H was keeping those thos pig pig- pigeons pigeons con pic-con eons and IsIs Ills hi chickens for tor food lIe He knew that In the th eyes ey of ot hawks owls foxes an and some som other of oC the th little people who kill for tor food pigeons and chickens had no rights that other IMil hadn't So lie he had learned not to blame blam any of these relic folk who were em smart art enough to now and then ret get ge geta a chicken or ora ora a pigeon Ho knew that It didn't happen often and that It was done I wholly In the tho th spirit of ot self elt preservation I atlon These Thes called so-called robbers were not thieves thieve thieves for tor they did noli not I know they were ere stealing They Th I were simply getting food rood when the I opportunity presented Itself So ho he had learned to protect his chickens and rarely did he h lose 1080 los one on I But the pigeons were another matter He H couldn't kep keep them cooped up as a he h could his chick chick- chickens chickens chickens ens Hitherto they had been smart enough to take tak care caro car ot of o themselves But If It this hawk howk were to come corn that way often orten something would have hav to tobe tobe tob be done don about It Yes sir some sense something thing would have to be done don about It it Copyright 1126 by F T W Bur Bun Burgen Burros goes gen ros The Th next story tory Farmer Brown Browns Brown's Boy Traces Trace the th Robber |