Our Neighbors of the Grape-Vine 



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long before there were feathers to clean or before their bills were even hard. 

 But with the help of preening and the bounteous meals, wings and tail-feathers 

 grew out rapidly. The weak, tottering legs strengthened, and the youngsters 

 began to stagger to their feet. They were almost ready to leave the nest. Day 

 after day, when the sun beat down on the nest, Mother Robin sat on the edge 

 to shade her little ones. When she was frightened away, three heads hung out 

 over the nest's edge. Their bills were open wide, and they panted for breath. 

 When the Robin had shaded the nest, the youngsters huddled into the shade 

 under her and, she in turn stood the heat by panting. 



But at last came the day for leaving the nest. I had not realized that each 

 little one was now a Robin full confident that to jump from the nest would not 

 be to fall. So when close to the nest I started to reach up I was greeted by three 

 noisy little throats as the youngsters fluttered out and away. They did not go 

 far. But it was the last day that they might have been induced to pose and 

 no time was lost in rounding them up. One was on a neighbor's porch, one 

 hundred feet away; another was out in the garden, and the third on a neigh- 

 boring lawn. Picture-taking over, the triplets were once more restored to the 

 nest amid the loud scoldings of numerous Robins — parents, uncles and aunts — 

 which had gathered around. That evening the nest was empty. In fact, the 

 three had left it within an hour after the incident. They knew too much now 

 to remain quietly at home. The Robins of the grape-vine had kept house for 

 two months and now that the family was grown up, had moved. But occa- 

 sionally still there may be seen hopping about the lawn or the garden the old 

 folks with now and then one or more of the capable youngsters that a month 

 before was but a tiny, pale bluish egg. 



"THEY WERE INDUCED TO POSE 



