Crows

“If I sat on one end of the balcony, the crows would gather on the railing at the other end and talk about me; and edge closer, little by little, till I could almost reach them; and they would sit there, in the most unabashed way, and talk about my clothes, and my hair, and my complexion, and probable character and vocation and politics … until I could not longer endure the embarrassment of it; then I would shoo them away, and they would circle around in the air a little while, laughing and deriding and mocking, and presently settle on the rail and do it all over again.

With a little encouragement they would come in and light on the table and help me eat my breakfast; and once when I was in the other room and they found themselves alone they carried off everything they could lift; and they were particular to choose things which they could make no use of after they got them. In this country their number is beyond estimate, and their noise is in proportion. I suppose they cost us more than the government does; yet that is not a light matter. It would sadden the land to take their cheerful voice out of it.”