Ballista

A ballista is a crossbow-type weapon which is used to launch projectiles at targets. In the story "The Smurfs And The Howlibird", the Smurfs converted an old crossbow into a ballista for launching rocks at the Howlibird to defend themselves from the creature, but were unable to knock it down. It was only when one of Jokey's surprises was launched at the bird with the ballista that the Howlibird was finally knocked down, stripped of its feathers.