Beneath Boughs
The boy sat on a gnarled stump at the edge of the field, watching the old farmer hoe the soil.
"What are you planting, sir?"
"Beans," the elder replied.
"Pa always says that beans aren't worth it. Way too easy for birds to eat, and you end up losing tons of 'em."
"Your old man's right. Birds will eat some of these."
"Pa always puts nets over the small fields to keep the birds away."
"There'll be no nets, lad. Birds will have their share, as they should."
"But you'll lose some," the boy said, surprised.
"Indeed. The birds will get their cut."
"But these are your beans! Why do you want the birds to get some?"
"Because, little fella, the birds didn’t get a say when I put my field here. They used to eat the berries from the bushes I cut down, so now they'll eat the beans I planted here instead," replied the old farmer.
"But the beans don't belong to them," the boy murmured, confused.
"Nor did the berry bushes."