I have been obliged to wage unceasing war on the chicken or oak snakes. If I left them to themselves, we should never raise a biddy or a young Mallard duck. The snakes ignore nests of new-laid eggs through the winter.

我不得不对鸡蛇或橡树蛇进行无休止的战争。如果我把它们留给自己，我们就永远不会养一只小野鸭或一只小野​​鸭。整个冬天，蛇都会忽略新产卵的巢穴。