ROBIN'S RAMBLES
By MAY BYRON
Illustrated by
A. FAIRFAX MUCKLEY
HUMPHREY MILFORD
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
LONDON
PRINTED BY THOS. FORMAN AND SONS, NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND
ROBIN'S RAMBLES
obin was a very spick and span little person: always neat and dapper,in fact a wee bit dandified, you might say. He lived in the East Countryin a nice little garden belonging to a nice little house, beside astream that went slowly through fields. The house was white-washed pink,and the roof was tiled with red like Robin's breast. He thought himselfextremely beautiful, remarkably clever, and braver than anybody thatever lived. But his wife didn't agree with him a bit.
Mrs. Robin did not bother as to whether she was beautiful, clever, orbrave. She was much too busy for that. For several weeks she had beengetting a home ready for her little ones, and when you have to collectyour home brick by brick, or twig by twig, it takes a good deal ofthought and trouble. Mrs. Robin was now sitting on her nest (which wasin a hole in the ground against the back of the stable), upon fivered-speckled eggs; so she had a bit of a rest; but it was rather dulland uninteresting for her. Robin, of course, ought to have stayed thereto keep her company and chat a bit, and bring her little temptingtitbits for lunch. But he was so curious and inquisitive about otherpeople's affairs that he took very little notice of his own. Besides, hewas a born rambler.
Fighting for CrumbsSo every morning Mrs. Robin would say to him, "What is the latest news,my dear?" And he would say, "Really, my love, there is very littledoing. I will just take a little stroll and see what news I can pick upthat will amuse you!" And off he would go—and away he would stay, forevery day he went a longer and longer stroll. And when he came back,either he was too tired to tell Mrs. Robin his adventures, or else shewas going to sleep and wouldn't listen.
One day he grew suddenly very curious about the kitchen. This was partlyon account of crumbs. He knew the crumbs came out from there, because hesaw the Sparrow family and the Starling household fighting for them. "Ican't be mixed up with people like these," said Robin to himself."Squabbling over food—disgusting I