A
collection of eggs--of all sizes and of all shades of colour, from pure
white to bluish green, or speckled grey--is a pretty sight; but if you go
nesting, be careful not to spoil the beautiful little cradle which the
parent-birds have made with such labour and care. And if you take one, or
even two, eggs for your collection, be sure not to touch the others, or
it may be that the birds will desert them. I well remember the delight of
finding a robin's nest when I was a child; but my brothers and I were not
allowed to touch the eggs. We were told they did not belong to us, and this
certainly was nothing more than the truth.
It is beautiful to see God's care for all His creatures, especially the
helpless ones. When He was teaching His chosen people in the olden times
about things which are pleasing or displeasing to Him, He told them a good
deal about how they were to treat the animals. You would hardly expect to
find anything in the Bible about bird-nesting; and perhaps you might think
that if a boy found a nest with eggs or young birds in it, he might take
the young ones or the eggs, and if he chose he might take the mother-bird
also.
But God said--
"Thou shalt not take the dam with the young: thou shalt in anywise let the
dam go, and mayest take the young to thee, that it may be well with thee."
He who cares for the sparrow would not allow the mother-bird to suffer by
perhaps seeing her little ones die while she was shut up in a cage, too
fluttered and frightened to help them; and He would teach us to be merciful
and tender-hearted towards those who cannot defend themselves or plead
their own cause, "even as our Father in heaven is merciful.
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