48 WESTERN SERIES OF READERS. 



Everywhere the robin goes he carries his 

 cheerful song with him, and you may sometimes 

 imagine a flock are holding a low conversation 

 with each other. Their red breasts and black 

 heads make our lawns very beautiful of a Jan- 

 uary morning, before the angleworms have 

 gone back into the ground. Up all night, and 

 out to get a breath of air, these earthworms have 

 left little roadways all over the top of the ground, 

 especially if it happened to rain in the night. 

 Angleworms are like water-birds; they like a 

 little of the water, but too much of it would 

 drown them. Robins seem to know all about 

 this, so they, too, are out bright and early to look 

 over the situation. 



Always, in any country, the robin and the 

 angleworm are bosom friends. We do not know 

 another bird on such intimate terms with the 

 bare, smooth angleworms. The mockers will not 

 touch them. 



Robins are supposed to listen to the worms 

 when they are about their business below the 

 lawn, and the poor little fellows are snapped up 

 before they see daylight. If indeed they do see 

 anything! However, an earthworm has some 

 privileges the robin has not, be his breast ever so 

 red. 



