Readin' rots the mind

We misplaced the book for a while and then Rebecca tucked into the Malory Towers series, (had to wait for her to go through the whole series twice) so we only just finished Rabbit Hill...



Rabbit Hill -
Tim disagrees with the new Folks - he wants them to set traps for the little animals (rabbits, beavers, birds, foxes, mice) as he fears they will eat up all their plantings... but the new lady of the house says...
"You couldn't.  They're beautiful, so beautiful.  And they must be hungry too."
"You're right ma'am, I sez "They're hungry all right, as you'll learn to your sorrow," I sez, "when them vegetables come up."
So Tim tells his friend Louie about this... 

Tim shook his head sadly.  "Seems a shame, nice folks too, pleasant-spoken and all - but queer.  Nuts, some might say.  Comes of readin' books too much, I guess.  Grandpa had the right of it. 'Readin' rots the mind,' he used to say"