"courtship," the "merry marriage," the "picnic dinner," and the rest of the tragedy 

 are well described. Alas, for the death and burial of the robin-groom, who did 

 not live to enjoy the bliss of wedded life as prearranged by his solicitous friends. 

 But the afifair went merry as a marriage-bell for a while, and was good until for- 

 tunes changed. 



All the birds of the air combined to make the event a happy one, and they 

 dined and they supped in elegant style. 



"For each took a bumper 

 And drank to the pair ; 

 Cock Robin the bridegroom. 

 And Jenny Wren the fair." 



Just as the dinner things were being removed, and the bird guests were 

 singing "fit to be heard a mile around," in stalked the Cuckoo, who it is presumed 

 had not been invited to the wedding, and was angry at being slighted. He rudely 

 began pulling the bride all about by her pretty clothes, which aroused the temper 

 of the groom, naturally enough, as who could wonder? His best man, the Sparrow, 

 went out and armed himself, his weapons being the bow and arrow, and took his 

 usual steady aim to hit the intruder, but, like many another excited marksman, 

 he missed his aim, and, oh, the pity of it! shot Cock Robin himself. (It was an 

 easy way for the poet to dispose of the afTair, as he knew very well a robin and 

 a wren couldn't mate, in truth.) 



Nor did the Sparrow deny his unintentional blunder when it came to the trial. 

 There were witnesses in plenty ; and Robin was given a splendid burial — Robin 

 who had himself officiated at many a ceremony of the same sad sort. 



It is a pathetic tale, as any one may see who reads it, and served the purpose 

 of stimulating sympathy for the birds. We have forgiven the sparrow for his 

 blunder, as will be seen later on ; for in consequence of it, the birds were called 

 lip in line and made to do something, thus distinguishing themselves as no idlers. 



The mating of Robin with Jenny Wren proved a failure, of course, so we 

 have our dear "twa birds," the robins, as near alike as two peas, when the male 

 is not singing and the female is not cuddling her nest. A trifle brighter of tint is 

 the male (in North America), but the two combine, like any staid farmer and 

 his wife, in getting a living out of the soil. Hand in hand, as it were, they wander 

 about the country anywhere under the flag, at home wherever it rains ; but re- 

 turning to the same locality, with true homing instinct, as often as the springtime 

 suggests the proper season for family afifairs ; completing these same affairs in 

 time to look after their winter outfit of clothes. This last more on account of 

 their annual shal:)by condition than by reason of the rigors of cold, for they change 

 climate as often as health and happiness (including, of course, food) require. 



True some penalties attach to this sudden and frequent change, but the robins 

 accept whatever comes to them with a protest of song, returning good for evil, 

 even w^hen charged with stealing more fruit than the law allows. It is impossible 

 to compare the good they do with any possible harm, since the insect harvest- 

 time is always, and the robin's farming implements never grow rusty. 



796 



