Our father didn't do anything. He worked in an office, not in a drugstore. Atticus did not drive a dump-truck for the county, he was not the sheriff, he did not farm, work in a garage, or do anything that could possibly arouse the admiration of anyone.[1]

Besides that, he wore glasses. He was nearly blind in his left eye, and said left eyes were the tribal[2] curse of the Finches. Whenever he wanted to see something well, he turned his head and looked from his right eye.

He did not do the things our schoolmates’fathers did: he never went hunting, he did not play poker or fish or drink or smoke. He sat in the living room and read.

With these attributes, however, he would not remain as inconspicuous as we wished him to: that year, the school buzzed with talk about him defending Tom Robinson, none of which was complimentary.[3] After my bout[4] with Cecil Jacobs when I committed myself to a policy of cowardice, word got around that Scout Finch wouldn’t fight any more, her daddy wouldn’t let her. This was not entirely correct: I wouldn’t fight publicly for Atticus, but the family was private ground. I would fight anyone from a third cousin upwards tooth and nail.[5]

When he gave us our air-rifles[6] Atticus wouldn’t teach us to shoot. Uncle Jack instructed us in the rudiments[7] thereof; he said Atticus wasn’t interested in guns. Atticus said to Jem one day, “I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays[8] you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it.

“Your father’s right,” she said. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs[9], they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

“Miss Maudie, this is an old neighborhood, ain’t it?”

“Been here longer than the town.”

“Nome[10], I mean the folks on our street are all old. Jem and me’s the only children around here.Mrs. Dubose is close on to a hundred and Miss Rachel’s old and so are you and Atticus.

“I don’t call fifty very old,” said Miss Maudie tartly[11]. “Not being wheeled around yet, am I? Neither’s your father. Maybe you’re right, Jean Louise, this is a settled neighborhood. You’re never been around young folks much, have you?”

“Yessum[12], at school...”

When Atticus came home to dinner he found me crouched down[13] aiming across the street. “What are you shooting at?”

“Miss Maudie’s rear end[14].”

Atticus turned and saw my generous target bending over her bushes. He pushed his hat to the back of his head and crossed the street. “Maudie,” he called, “I thought I’d better warn you. You’re in considerable peril[15].”

When Atticus returned he told me to break camp[16]. “Don’t you ever let me catch you pointing that gun at anybody again,” he said.