46 STORIES OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS 



ing up the seed we scattered for you at the door, 

 he always called, c Come and look, little daughter ; 

 here are some of your cheerful birds ! ' ". 



At this Mr. Robin grew very friendly and 

 spoke quite at his ease. "I'm a popular bird," 

 he said, "though I could never understand ex- 

 actly why." 



"Neither could I," said the Thrasher, jealously. 

 " I'm much better looking and I have a stronger 

 voice and lots more style. Some things go by 

 contraries, and popularity is one of them." 



" Order ! order ! I am surprised at you," said 

 the Song-Sparrow. 



" I think in the beginning," continued the 

 Robin, placidly, " the reason the House People 

 liked me was because I was somehow confused 

 with my English relative Robin Redbreast, who 

 is famous in history for having so kindly fur- 

 nished a leaf quilt to the poor Babes in the 

 Wood ; and who, later on, was the victim of the 

 tragedy whose anniversary we are celebrating. 

 Now my cousin Robin Redbreast had the ad- 

 vantage of me in personal beauty, as his children 

 have to this day, being smaller, sleeker, brighter 

 in colour, in shape more like Owaissa, the Blue- 

 bird. 



" I have tried to look up the early history of 



