Mrs Cromby offered four annas (25 paise) for every sparrow caught. After dark, Rom climbed up a stepladder and by blocking both sides of the gap, trapped the sparrows. In all, he recalls catching about nine sparrows and earning two rupees and four annas. In those days, no one ever thought that this plentiful bird would disappear, or that nearly 60 years hence that a World House Sparrow Day would be declared.
