Birds

Many birds ar useful to us. When we stone animals or birds, or shoot at them with sling shots, we are often harming true friends. Birds are very seldom killed right away in this manner. They suffer great pain from the bruises and broken wings caused by stones, and almost always starve to death as a result. We have too few birds in the Philippines at it is. We should try to encourage them, instead of fright-pretty in a garden, nothing gives a countryside life and beauty so much as a variety of birds flying about without fear of being hurt.
One of the first things noticed by foreigners coming to our country is the lack of birds. In America the gardens are laive with red-breasted robins and sweetly singing thrushes that are almost tame. Children give them bread crumbs and put out pans of water for bird baths. Let us encouraged birds and make them feel that we are their friends.

Stray Animals

Treat your dogs well. Give them good food always, and keep them clean. If you do not do this, they will go to the street as stray dogs, dirty, starving, neglected, a danger and a nuisance to all.

Do not tolerate stray dogs and cats. These animals are unhappy and dangerous. Catch them and give them to the Society for the prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which will find homes for them , or will kill them mercifully and painlessly. If there is no branch of this society in you town, give the animals to the police, who can put them to death without cruelty. It is far better for animals to die than to struggle on from day to day, without food or shelter.

Streets crowded with these unhappy animals are a disgrace to civilized people. Stray dogs and cats are a sign of cruelty of the town people who allow the live. Think how you would be if you were thrown on the street to find your living as best you could not tel anyone of your wants, and were often stoned by careless children. Do not allow dumb animals to suffer so.

The Carabao

Dr. de Tavera, a noted Filipino, Whose writings you will read when you are older, tells you what he thinks of the carabao, the great, heavy, faithful creature which works year in and year out for his master.

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"The black carabao, although he is so slow and heavy, is the strongest of the Philippine animals. He is the most dangerous with the fury of the whirlwind.
"When man has tamed him, however, he is no linger fierce, but mild as lamb. Then he can be led by little children through the fields to the work that he performs so patiently and obediently.
"He shares our toil in tilling the land, and in the cities, as well as in the fields, he hauls our burdens for us. It is with his help that we raise our crops and earn our daily bread.
"Unfortunately, though, our pride sometimes makes us forget the debt we owe him, and we speak scornfully the name that we should honor, the of the carabao."

T.H.Pardo DE Tavera