Madeline Leslie

“ But where is Dick?"
"He is eating, as usual," said Mr. Robin, in a stern voice.
Jack and Katy now repeated the adventures of the morning, to which their sister listened with great interest.
"I can't help thinking about Mr. Robin," said grandpa, taking his cane and walking out of doors as soon as breakfast was over. "Birds have a wonderful [94] instinct; and I have no doubt he was asking my aid about something. They will often fly to man for protection when pursued by an enemy."
"I wish you would tell us a story about a bird," said Annie, earnestly. ”

“ When the tender parents had finished their willing task of feeding Molly, they hopped forward close to the very door of the cottage, and seeing the old gentleman sitting in the room, Mr. Robin made bold to walk in and make known his errand.
"I wonder what he is talking about, so very loud and earnest," [84] exclaimed Fred, coming in softly behind him.
"I don't know; but he is very zealous about it. See how he turns first one eye, then the other, while he twitters away as if his life depended upon making us understand."
Suddenly robin uttered a sharp cry, and flew away toward the nest ”

“ Fred was greatly excited, and ran to the stairs to call his sister, who slept below in the room with her parents.
This was indeed an important day in the robins' nest. Dick and Jack, Molly and Katy, were now fledged; and it was high time for them to begin to exercise a little.
"Dick is the oldest, and must [36] try his wings first," said Mr. Robin, firmly.
"I dare not," answered Dick. "It makes me dizzy only to look down."
"Don't stop to look, then," said his mother. "Spread out your wings and fly away. Try, and you will find it very easy. ”

“ Robin were picking up crumbs at the cottage door.
"Grandpa," said he, when they were seated at breakfast, "I saw something very funny this morning. I found our robin in a pear tree near Mr. Bacon's farm, feeding a whole nest full of birds."
[12] "Were they alone?" inquired Mr. Symmes.
"No, father. The mother bird was there; and he fed her too."
"I suppose the father has been killed," suggested the old gentleman. "It is very cruel to kill birds when they have little families to take care of. ”

“ We should always avoid keeping any living being in misery." He wrung the hawk's neck, though [26] Annie screamed, and then began to cry.
"Why, sis, do you want our chickens and birdies all carried off?" asked Fred. "This is a bad bird, and would have stolen them away if father had not killed it. Hark! there are the robins now singing us a song to thank us for protecting them."
They all stopped for a moment to listen, as the beautiful songsters warbled forth their sweet [27] strains, filling the air with their rich melody. ”

“ The old gentleman seated himself in his chair, and after resting his chin on the top of his cane for a moment, he began: "A beautiful pair of goldfinches once [95] built their nest on a small branch of an olive tree. The female laid the eggs and hatched the young brood, when the parents perceived that the weight of the growing family would soon be too great for the strength of the branch which supported the nest. This fact was evident to the family who lived near, and had watched with interest the proceedings of the birds. ”

“ Sitting on the summit of a huge rock, or sailing around at a great height in the air, he discerns his prey. Sometimes it is a fish just below the surface of the water, or a lamb accidentally separated from its mother. ”

“ There is no portion [18] of God's creation in which his wisdom is more displayed than in the formation of birds. Each and every variety are exactly fitted for the circumstances in which they are to be placed. For instance, the eagle, who lives on high crags or rocks, almost inaccessible to man, has a short, strong beak, hooked at the end, wings of immense strength, and claws large and sharp. ”

“ But I have read many instances where birds have assisted each other when in distress: where the male bird has been killed, one of his neighbors [13] has fed and assisted in rearing the young brood, at the same time he attended to the wants of his own family."
An hour or two later, grandpa sat in his arm chair under the shade of the graceful elm. Fred had brought his tools, and was converting a large wooden box into a playhouse for his little sister. ”

“ He knew even the number of young birds and their age, before he saw them. This is truly wonderful, and if I had not read it from the best authority, I could hardly credit it. If so, I suppose, by careful observation, [87] we could in many cases understand their different notes, and thus learn their wants and emotions, as well as the birds themselves do. ”

“ Suddenly he cocked his ear on one side, made a glancing sort of dart with his head and neck, gave one or two little hops, then listened attentively, while his eye [54] glistened with animation and intelligence. ”