The San Francisco call., 1908-12-05
What Happened to the Baby
Robin
BY CAROLINE CROWINSHIELD
HASCOH

BY CAROLINE CROwINSHIELD
BASCOM
1 WONDER IL any little boy or girl or
/ even grown up" can tell why a
baby robih~turned into bird that
looked very much like a blackbird.
About 10 o'clock on the night of Flag
day. June IA. 1907. my baby brother
and I fell out OF our nest. AS we lay
in the grass two cats came creeping
along and almost took our breath away.
as our mother had told US we must be
very careful and spry when we went
down to Mother Earth, as cats were
always prowling around ready TO grab
and eat up baby birds. One was gray.
with soft eyes. the other very large.
black as night. with great big shining
eyes, like the electric lights we looked
at before going 10 sleep I was picked
up very gently by the gray. but the
black picked my brother up in such a
rough way he began to screech. We all
FOUR went swiftly through the grass.
The gray pussy whispered in my ear:
L am going to take you to my missy
She has been having a dinner party.
and it is now 10 O'Clock and Velvet Imp
and have not yet had our dinner, so
we caught you and your brother and
you for US, for we are very hungry, but
we never eat a raw bird"
We went into a room brightly light
ed, full Of people. and they all ex-
claimed. There comes Quaker with a
baby robin" Quaker went straight I'D
to her missy and gave me to her. She
looked me over carefully. then said:
Quaker, you are good little pussy
not TO hurt the birdie. and you shall
have a delicious dinner. but not on a
baby robin. She gave Quaker a num-
Der OF love taps and said many nice
things to her. then got a little basket
and put me in 1t. She had Just gotten
me fixed when she called out. oh
there comes Velvet Imp with another
baby robin. We will name Quaker's
Flag and Velvet Imps Day" Velvet
Imp is as large as a S25 Teddy bear
Even the birds in the treetops have
heard of Teddy bears. When Velvet
Imp saw there was company he was
going TO run out with my brother but
his missy said very firmly, Velvet Imp.
you must give that robin to me-" So
he did very meekly. He did not carry
my brother as gently as Quaker did me.
and the blood was running. Talcum
powder was put on and he was put in
a basket by himself He lived only un-
til morning and I was left all alone.
but in few days a little italian boy
brought In baby sister for me and we
named her Frati- We are the best OF
friends, except when we take a bath.
We have fight every day TO see which
will get In first Ny mistress said I
grew faster than any baby robin she
had ever had brought to her bird hos
pital I was so young I was top
heavy and could not stand or perch
without falling over. In a few days I
began to get strong and felt very proud
when I could stand alone. and prouder
still when 1 could perch on my mis-
tress' finger and stretch my wings. I
grew to be a very handsome bird and
looked like all other baby robins in
every way But when 1t was time for
me to lose my spotted breast feathers
instead of their coming in dark red
they came in black Now I have a
black breast as shiny and soft as vel
vet I am black all about my throat
and have none OF the pretty white
markings of the robin. My bill is black,
but my wings and tail are like the
robin I have heard my mistress tell
her friends am very quarrelsome and
always ready for a fight. Now will
some very bright. clever person please
tell me why / have black breast in
stead OF red one?