And　hungry　crows　assembled　in　a　crowd；
  Clamored　their　piteous　prayer　incessantly；
  Knowing　who　hears　the　ravens　cry；　and　said：
  〃Give　us；　O　Lord；　this　day　our　daily　bread！〃
  Across　the　Sound　the　birds　of　passage　sailed；
  Speaking　some　unknown　language　strange　and　sweet
  Of　tropic　isle　remote；　and　passing　hailed
  The　village　with　the　cheers　of　all　their　fleet；
  Or　quarrelling　together；　laughed　and　railed
  Like　foreign　sailors；　landed　in　the　street
  Of　seaport　town；　and　with　outlandish　noise
  Of　oaths　and　gibberish　frightening　girls　and　boys。
  Thus　came　the　jocund　Spring　in　Killingworth；
  In　fabulous　day；　some　hundred　years　ago；
  And　thrifty　farmers；　as　they　tilled　the　earth；
  Heard　with　alarm　the　cawing　of　the　crow；
  That　mingled　with　the　universal　mirth；
  Cassandra…like；　prognosticating　woe；
  They　shook　their　heads；　and　doomed　with　dreadful　words
  To　swift　destruction　the　whole　race　of　birds。
  And　a　town…meeting　was　convened　straightway
  To　set　a　price　upon　the　guilty　heads
  Of　these　marauders；　who；　in　lieu　of　pay；
  Levied　black…mail　upon　the　garden　beds
  And　cornfields；　and　beheld　without　dismay
  The　awful　scarecrow；　with　his　fluttering　shreds；
  The　skeleton　that　waited　at　their　feast；
  Whereby　their　sinful　pleasure　was　increased。
  Then　from　his　house；　a　temple　painted　white；
  With　fluted　columns；　and　a　roof　of　red；
  The　Squire　came　forth；　august　and　splendid　sight！
  Slowly　descending；　with　majestic　tread；
  Three　flights　of　steps；　nor　looking　left　nor　right；
  Down　the　long　street　he　walked；　as　one　who　said；
  〃A　town　that　boasts　inhabitants　like　me
  Can　have　no　lack　of　good　society！〃
  The　Parson；　too；　appeared；　a　man　austere；
  The　instinct　of　whose　nature　was　to　kill；
  The　wrath　of　God　he　preached　from　year　to　year；
  And　read；　with　fervor；　Edwards　on　the　Will；
  His　favorite　pastime　was　to　slay　the　deer
  In　Summer　on　some　Adirondac　hill；
  E'en　now；　while　walking　down　the　rural　lane；
  He　lopped　the　wayside　lilies　with　his　cane。
  From　the　Academy；　whose　belfry　crowned
  The　hill　of　Science　with　its　vane　of　brass；
  Came　the　Preceptor；　gazing　idly　round；
  Now　at　the　clouds；　and　now　at　the　green　grass；
  And　all　absorbed　in　reveries　profound
  Of　fair　Almira　in　the　upper　class；
  Who　was；　as　in　a　sonnet　he　had　said；
  As　pure　as　water；　and　as　good　as　bread。
  And　next　the　Deacon　issued　from　his　door；
  In　his　voluminous　neck…cloth；　white　as　snow；
  A　suit　of　sable　bombazine　he　wore；
  His　form　was　ponderous；　and　his　step　was　slow；
  There　never　was　so　wise　a　man　before；
  He　seemed　the　incarnate　〃Well；　I　told　you　so！〃
  And　to　perpetuate　his　great　renown
  There　was　a　street　named　after　him　in　town。
  These　came　together　in　the　new　town…hall；
  With　sundry　farmers　from　the　region　round。
  The　Squirt　presided；　dignified　and　tall；
  His　air　impressive　and　his　reasoning　sound；
  Ill　fared　it　with　the　birds；　both　great　and　small；
  Hardly　a　friend　in　all　that　crowd　they　found；
  But　enemies　enough；　who　every　one
  Charged　them　with　all　the　crimes　beneath　the　sun。
  When　they　had　ended；　from　his　place　apart；
  Rose　the　Preceptor；　to　redress　the　wrong；
  And；　trembling　like　a　steed　before　the　start；
  Looked　round　bewildered　on　the　expectant　throng；
  Then　thought　of　fair　Almira；　and　took　heart
  To　speak　out　what　was　in　him；　clear　and　strong；
  Alike　regardless　of　their　smile　or　frown；
  And　quite　determined　not　to　be　laughed　down。
  〃Plato；　anticipating　the　Reviewers；
  From　his　Republic　banished　without　pity
  The　Poets；　in　this　little　town　of　yours；
  You　put　to　death；　by　means　of　a　Committee；
  The　ballad…singers　and　the　Troubadours；
  The　street…musicians　of　the　heavenly　city；
  The　birds；　who　make　sweet　music　for　us　all
  In　our　dark　hours；　as　David　did　for　Saul。
  〃The　thrush　that　carols　at　the　dawn　of　day
  From　the　green　steeples　of　the　piny　wood；
  The　oriole　in　the　elm；　the　noisy　jay；
  Jargoning　like　a　foreigner　at　his　food；
  The　bluebird　balanced　on　some　topmost　spray；
  Flooding　with　melody　the　neighborhood；
  Linnet　and　meadow…lark；　and　all　the　throng
  That　dwell　in　nests；　and　have　the　gift　of　song。
  〃You　slay　them　all！　and　wherefore！　for　the　gain
  Of　a　scant　handful　more　or　less　of　wheat；
  Or　rye；　or　barley；　or　some　other　grain；
  Scratched　up　at　random　by　industrious　feet；
  Searching　for　worm　or　weevil　after　rain！
  Or　a　few　cherries；　that　are　not　so　sweet
  As　are　the　songs　these　uninvited　guests；
  Sing　at　their　feast　with　comfortable　breasts。
  〃Do　you　ne'er　think　what　wondrous　beings　these？
  Do　you　ne'er　think　who　made　them　and　who　taught
  The　dialect　they　speak；　where　melodies
  Alone　are　the　interpreters　of　thought？
  Whose　household　words　are　songs　in　many　keys；
  Sweeter　than　instrument　of　man　e'er　caught！
  Whose　habitations　in　the　tree…tops　even
  Are　half…way　houses　on　the　road　to　heaven！
  〃Think；　every　morning　when　the　sun　peeps　through
  The　dim；　leaf…latticed　windows　of　the　grove；
  How　jubilant　the　happy　birds　renew
  Their　old；　melodious　madrigals　of　love！
  And　when　you　think　of　this；　remember　too
  'T　is　always　morning　somewhere；　and　above
  The　awakening　continent；　from　shore　to　shore；
  Somewhere　the　birds　are　singing　evermore。
  〃Think　of　your　woods　and　orchards　without　birds！
  Of　empty　nests　that　cling　to　boughs　and　beams
  As　in　an　idiot's　brain　remembered　words
  Hang　empty　'mid　the　cobwebs　of　his　dreams！
  Will　bleat　of　flocks　or　bellowing　of　herds
  Make　up　for　the　lost　music；　when　your　teams
  Drag　home　the　stingy　harvest；　and　no　more
  The　feathered　gleaners　follow　to　your　door？
  〃What！　would　you　rather　see　the　incessant　stir
  Of　insects　in　the　windrows　of　the　hay；
  And　hear　the　locust　and　the　grasshopper
  Their　melancholy　hurdy…gurdies　play？
  Is　this　more　pleasant　to　you　than　the　whir
  Of　meadow…lark；　and　her　sweet　roundelay；
  Or　twitter　of　little　field…fares；　as　you　take
  Your　nooning　in　the　shade　of　bush　and　brake？
  〃You　call　them　thieves　and　pillagers；　but　know；
  They　are　the　winged　wardens　of　your　farms；
  Who　from　the　cornfields　drive　the　insidious　foe；
  And　from　your　harvests　keep　a　hundred　harms；
  Even　the　blackest　of　them　all；　the　crow；
  Renders　good　service　as　your　man…at…arms；
  Crushing　the　beetle　in　his　coat　of　mail；
  And　crying　havoc　on　the　slug　and　snail。
  〃How　can　I　teach　your　children　gentleness；
  And　mercy　to　the　weak；　and　reverence
  For　Life；　which；　in　its　weakness　or　excess；
  Is　still　a　gleam　of　God's　omnipotence；
  Or　Death；　which；　seeming　darkness；　is　no　less
  The　selfsame　light；　although　averted　hence；
  When　by　your　laws；　your　actions；　and　your　speech；
  You　contradict　the　very　things　I　teach？〃
  With　this　he　closed；　and　through　the　audience　went
  A　murmur；　like　the　rustle　of　dead　leaves；
  The　farmers　laughed　and　nodded；　and　some　bent
  Their　yellow　heads　together　like　their　sheaves；
  Men　have　no　faith　in　fine…spun　sentiment
  Who　put　their　trust　in　bullocks　and　in　beeves。
  The　birds　were　doomed；　and；　as　the　record　shows；
  A　bounty　offered　for　the　heads　of　crows。
  There　was　another　audience　out　of　reach；
  Who　had　no　voice　nor　vote　in　making　laws；
  But　in　the　papers　read　his　little　speech；
  And　crowned　his　modest　temples　with　applause；
  They　made　him　conscious；　each　one　more　than　each；
  He　still　was　victor；　vanquished　in　their　cause。
  Sweetest　of　all　the　applause　he　won　from　thee；
  O　fair　Almira　at　the　Academy！
  And　so　the　dreadful　massacre　began；
  O'er　fields　and　orchards；　and　o'er　woodland　crests；
  The　ceaseless　fusillade　of　terror　ran。
  Dead　fell　the　birds；　with　blood…stains　on　their　breasts；
  Or　wounded　crept　away　from　sight　of　man；
  While　the　young　died　of　famine　in　their　nests；
  A　slaughter　to　be　told　in　groans；　not　words；
  The　very　St。　Bartholomew　of　Birds！
  The　Summer　came；　and　all　the　birds　were　dead；
  The　days　were　like　hot　coals；　the　very　ground
  Was　burned　to　ashes；　in　the　orchards　fed
  Myriads　of　caterpillars；　and　around
  The　cultivated　fields　and　garden　beds
  Hosts　of　devouring　insects　crawled；　and　found
  No　foe　to　check　their　march；　till　they　had　made
  The　land　a　desert　without　leaf　or　shade。
  Devoured　by　worms；　like　Herod；　was　the　town；
  Because；　like　Herod；　it　had　ruthlessly
  Slaughtered　the　Innocents。　　From　the　trees　spun　down
  The　canker…worms　upon　the　passers…by；
  Upon　each　woman's　bonnet；　shawl；　and　gown；
  Who　shook　them　off　with　just　a　little　cry
  They　were　the　terror　of　each　favorite　walk；
  The　endless　theme　of　all　the　village　talk。
  The　farmers　grew　impatient　but　a　few
  Confessed　their　error；　and　would　not　complain；
  For　after　all；　the　best　thing　one　can　do
  When　it　is　raining；　is　to　let　it　rain。
  Then　they　repealed　the　law；　although　they　knew
  It　would　not　call　the　dead　to　life　again；
  As　school…boys；　finding　their　mistake　too　late；
  Draw　a　wet　sponge　across　the　accusing　slate。
  That　year　in　Killingworth