Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-03-23
SIR ROBIN THE BOLD.
A True Story from England About a
Robin Redbreast.

am going TO tell my young friends
n story about n robin redbreast' Inc
tale was told to me by an English LADY,
who saw the bird with her own eyes,
and knows that every word is true
In the busiest part of the town OF
Coventry, in England, at the corner OF
two streets where electric cars are run
ming, and people are passing to ana
fro the whole day long, there is large
confeetioner shop. One cold morning
last November, my friend was just
about to enter this shop, when, to her
great surprise, she saw robin come
living down from housetop opposite,
nick its way between the people VINO
were crowding the sidewalk, hop cheer,
fully mn the doorstep of the shop, and
disonpear within. OF course she sup
posed il was a pet bird, but when she
followed Sir Robin inside the shop,
the people told her they had never
seen the bird beforel -,
There he was, however, apparently
quite at home, and happy as prince,
Teasing on the abundant crumbs to De
had for the taking. Customers coming
and going didn' I seem to disturb MN
in the least; it was as if he had taken
a good view of the shop from his
housetop before he came in, and SO
knew exactly what to expect.
When he had finished his meal ne
made his way from shelf to shelf, till
he found a dressing-room to his taste;
Then, after preening his feathers, and
showing Off his richly-eolored little self
TO the best advantage Gas all bipeds,
feather or unfeathered, are won't 10
do, Sir Robin proved his good breed
ing by paying for his entertainment
with a song. My friend left him sing
ing away and everybody listening.
About week later she called at the
confeetioner s again, and there was
Robin, large as life, holder and more at
home than ever! He would take his
bath quite fearlessly in saucer of
water which was placed for him every
morning on the floor. He hoped about
the shelves all day, picking up the
crumbs he liked best (for, of course, IN
such place he had quite choice,
and even at night he remained in the
shop. One of the girls told my friend
she had tried to see if she could get
him out, one night, but he refused to
90. 1t really looked as if Sir Robin
had determined to spend the winter in
his snug quarters.
So famous did he become, that the
Coventry newspapers talked about him
and his curious ways, and there is no
knowing how much extra business he
might have brought to that shop (for,
of course, everybody in the town want
ed to see him), if it hadn been for
an enemy in the camp, This enemy
was the confectioner IS eat. When
Sir Robin first stepped upon the stage
she had not welcomed him very warmly
i'm fact, there had been some little
unpleasantness between them. But
afterwards. Puss seemed to understand
that, what ever her own private feel
ings might be, she and Robin were eX
peeted to be friends-or, at all events
to keep the peace.
Robin, for his part, was quite will
ing to have it so, and placed full con
| fidence in Puss' S good faith. For
knowing as he was, he didn't know
how crafty cat can be. And so Il
came about that, exactly two weeks
from the day that Robin entered the
eonfectioner s shop, Puss had the mea
she had set her treacherous heart on
Poor, plucky, trusting Sir Robin
That was a sad, sad ending to his little
talel--Arnot Chester, in The Church
| man.