At about 4 p.m., Sri Bhagavan, who was writing something intently, turned His eyes slowly towards the window to the north; He closed the fountain pen with the cap and put it in its case; He closed the note-book and put it aside; He removed the spectacles, folded them in the case and left them aside. He leaned back a little, looked up overhead, turned His face this way and that; and looked here and there. He passed His hand over His face and looked contemplative. Then He turned to someone in the hall and said softly:
“The pair of sparrows just came here and complained to me that their nest had been removed. I looked up and found their nest missing.” Then He called for the attendant, Madhava Swami, and asked: “Madhava, did anyone remove the sparrows’ nest?”
The attendant, who walked in leisurely, answered with an air of unconcern: “I removed the nests as often as they were built. I removed the last one this very afternoon.”
M.: That’s it. That is why the sparrows complained. The poor little ones! How they take the pieces of straw and shreds in their tiny beaks and struggle to build their nests!
Attendant: But, why should they build here, over our heads?
M.: Well—well. Let us see who succeeds in the end. (After a short time Sri Bhagavan went out.)