Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-02-25
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Iw = LIZZIE O THQf1A5 MS4gT

myths and legends about the birds thai
could be told the children when. they
clamOr for story. ..
I may have told you this one. but
am Going TO repeat il for the benefit
of the newer members of Our House
hold. II Is called How the Robin Got
Its Redbreast:" Long. long ago fire
was very scarce and hard to keep
There were no matches, and very few
ways OF getting fire il the spark went
out
In the Tar north, where II is very cold
there was one fire kept all the time An
old man and his little son took care
Of this FREE and were responsible. fol
il day and night. for il il should so out
they knew that the people would freeze
and then the white bears would have
the land for themselves.
One day the old man was very sick
the next he was no better and for many
days his life was in. danger. All the
time his little son took care Of him
and OF the precious fire.
But YOU know it's a hard job tc
work night and day and the boy got
so tired and. sleepy that he could hard
Is keep the FIRE and take care OF his
sick father. The white bear saw that
the. boy could not stay awake mucl
longer. SO he stayed as close 10 the
FIRE rs he dared and laughed to himself
at the thought of the people freezing
Sure enough. one night the poor" little
Roy went 10 sleeh and did not wake NJ
when the white bear ran mp 10 the fire
and jumped on n with his wet feet and
.tolled on IL to put il out.
At last he thought that IL was all out
and ne went TO his cave very happy
He was going to tell all OF the other
white bears how brave and smart he had
been
Hut he was mistaken. Al that time
,ong. long ago. all robins were gray
an0 one was flying near where the olo
man and little boy tended the IRE and
sh,. saw what the white bear had done
Perhaps the little boy had fed the robin
nany times when all the food she had to
eat vas too far under the snow for heI
to find it, Cor the old man may habe
rescued her nestlings from the white
foxes. l do not know about that, but
the northern legend says that the gray
robin flew down among the ashes and
searched until she found a tiny spark
which she patiently famed with hei
wings. II took her a long time, and
she had 10 be so close TO. the fire thai
her breast was scorched red, but she
did not say. "Oh, pshaw. / am not going
to burn myself for other people, i am
: pity.to let them freeze, but can't gei
burned"
No. indeed: the little gray robin kin
died a nice red fire for the sick man and
little boy. and then flew away.
After that she went to another hui
fSr something to eat. As she lighted
on. the little piece of wood a tiny spark
was left there And as she flew from
nst to hut all over the northland she
left a spark of fire. and instead of one
fire in. that cold country there were
many fires, and. the white bears saw
that they could not drive out. the people
and possess the land, so they went bacb
20 their. caves.
Ever since that.ti so long ago that
only the old. old folks can tell the'story
as their grandfathers beard IN from
tEeir graadmotheFs. VINO in turn heard IL
from theirs. ths people of the Tar, far
north. have. loved the little red-breasted
robin and viii share their last food
With her.
Mrs. Jenkins told us the story of the
little boy who had lost his cows. and
thess~Daddy Long Legs" who showed
him which way to go. Can't you write
US one that you enjoyed as a child, OF
that your children enjoy? What is old
OF common in one part Of the country
is often interesting in some other place
Faithfully yours,
LIZZIE-O. THOMAS.
Tuscumbis, Ala