Credit: Allen Browning on Facebook

Once upon a time there was a great leader named Mao. His country was very poor and all the people had to work very hard in order to live. (to be honest though, the Party bosses didn’t work very hard, but hey somebody had to be the ‘Vanguard of the People’!) Anyway, word came to Mao that sparrows were eating some of the seed grain.

Mao was outraged. How dare those feathered parasites steal the people’s grain and fly away as happy as a lark, so to speak. Mao decreed that the evil sparrows be killed forthwith! Community organizers got to doing their thing and soon throngs of peasants were shooting the wicked creatures, smashing eggs in their nests and generally laying waste to the avian population. (Some folks objected, saying “This is nuts!” They were quickly arrested, taken out back, and shot for questioning the wisdom of the Dear Leader)The triumphant campaign continued until scarcely a chirp could be heard throughout all the land. “Hurrah for Chairman Mao” shouted the people! “Now there will be more grain for us!”

Soon the people began to notice that there seemed to be an awful lot more insects around than there used to be. They were right! As it so happens, sparrows not only steal grain but also eat bugs. Lots of bugs! Soon there were so many bugs that they ate up all the peasants crops and 30 million people died. The End.