THE WARBLER FROM OUT OF TOWN

Seems this evening we have a new uguisu (warbler) auditioning in the neighborhood, who doesn't know the local warble. He sits in the top of the highest tree around and tries his level best: "Twee-- no..." "Twiddle-fwee-- no, that's not it..." "Tweedle-de-twee-- how did that start again, was it higher? Fweeeedee!-- no; maybe lower: Da-fwaa-- no; how about this then, this is it: Twiddle de-deedle fwee-- no, lemme think...." I keep waiting to hear: "Next!"

You've got to give him credit, though; he keeps trying, despite what sounds a lot like warbler snickers from the trees around, but he just doesn't know the Shiga mountainside medley. He must be from far away, maybe around Tokyo somewhere, if they still have warblers there.

His brief and awkward attempts are of no effect, except perhaps on me, but what use is that? No female warblers are fluttering toward the inept wannabe heartthrob in the treetop, nor are any male warblers hotwinging it out of his undefined territory. In fact, the manic warbler is having an avid go at his own riff on the local classic just a few trees away, and a traditional warbling of considerable technique can be heard in the trees on the west side of the garden.

The alien warbler seems to be taking no pointers from these sources, though; he keeps going at the songbook on his own, with sour results. But without a willingness to learn from the locals, he's out of luck in this birdland.

After 20 minutes or so of butchering the classics he seems to realize this, and takes off heading in the general direction of Tokyo. If he can make it there, he can't make it anywhere else.