The San Francisco call., 1908-10-17

A AN a little robin only a few months
old. but 1 have seen quite a bit of
this big world. 1 have always been
getting into trouble and mischief
ever since 1 came out of my she'll AS
soon as 1 was large enough to hop on
the ground l ran away from my father.
mother, brothers and sisters and had
e fine time looking at all of the strange
new things and going here and there.
1 was beginning to feel very hungry,
and was just turning to go back with
my mother Gas I knew nothing about
feeding myself. when a great black
thing with shiny green eyes pounced
upon me- I screeched as loud as
could, then he held me so tight could
hardly breathe. and I felt the end had
come TO my short life. Then 1 heard a
voice call out: you bad old black
cat, drop that baby bird," 1t was his
turn to be frightened, and for a won
der he dropped me. I was picked up
and kind voice said: You dear little
birdie, are you hurt or only frightened
almost to death?" I opened my eyes
and felt 1 was saved. When she saw
that I was not hurt she said:
L have so many canary birds 1 can
not keep you, but / will take you to
friend who keeps bird hospital, where
YOU will have the best of care" After
q short walk we reached the hospital.
and when the head nurse saw me she
said: You are the prettiest baby robin
] have ever seen, but 1 do not see how
can ever take you in, as every basket
and cage is full, the house is all torn
up and have not time to care for any
more patients. and baby robins are al
ways wanting TO be fed" I at once
opened my bill and began to cry for
food. OF course, she could not endure
that and she said: Leave him and
viii do the best I can for him, and
when he is older / will let him co.
made up my mind then and there that
l would make her love me so dearly
she would never wish to part with me.
] was then introduced to two other
patients, whose names were Bobbinette
and Bobby. They looked at me as if [
were a scarecrow, and knew very well
] was a beauty They scolded at me,
opened their bills wide and then began
to fight me Nurse was obliged to
take me out of their cage. After that,
when ] was not asleep in my basket,
] played on the floor.
There were two other robins, June
and Juno. quite a little older than J.
They were very good to me and L soften
visited them in the parrot cage, where
they lived. as Bobbinette and Bobby
HOuAQ nOL let lnCui i've III Lu6lT
cage. June and Juno had been rescu ed
from cats. Juno was not hurt at ALL
but poor June's tail was all gone and
he had a big piece torn out of his neck.
But he was getting well One day a
little girl came 70 visit us and she let
Juno out of her cage. She flew out of
the window into the yard. A big black
cat, Velvet Imp, came walking along
and picked her up and brought her to
the a har xar
carefully and the nurse said he must
have hurt her internally, for she began
70 oroop and grow weaker from day to
day until she died. June tried to take
the best care of her. He would sit by
Eer side on the bottom of the cage all
day He would talk to her and she
would answer, and we felt sure they
understood all each other said. He
would lift Up her wings and poke his
bill under TO see If he could find where
the trouble lay. Then he would kiss
her and talk 70 her in soothing tones
Win the end came he seemed to un-
derstand it all He stood and looked
al her without a peep until nurse took
her away. Beautiful Dona Marina
CVelvet Imps mother) had two lovely
baby kittens. but she gave me a very
friendly welcome, as she does all little
laotherless birds who come. She often
lets me ride on her back from the hall
through the hospital into the dressing
room. where her kittens were in nice
basket on the floor. The nurse often
put me in the basket with Dona Marina
and the kittens and Dona Marina
would kiss me and rub her soft nose
all over me. She would let me nestle
down in her neck between her front
legs and often we would sleep in that
way for an hour. 1t is hard to make
some people believe what I have told
about Dona Marina's being so kind to
all birds. but every word of it is true.
One day turned over a basket full of
baby ribbon, and such fun as I had
carrying II all over the floor. It was
not quite so much fun when 1 got it
all around my legs so could not walk,
and such time as nurse had getting
II unWound,
She told me 1 must never get into
the ribbon basket again. I forgot all
she said by the next day, and was play
ing again with the ribbon. / would
take a long piece in my bill and hop
ali over the floor and let it fy out be-