Redruff 



sing their famous refrain, 'Spring Soon,' and 

 kept it up with good heart more or less ali 



5|>rlnp 



soon 



through the winter's direst storms, till at length 

 the waning of the Hunger Moon, our February, 

 seemed really to lend some point to the ditty, 

 and they redoubled their optimistic announce- 

 ment to the world in an ' I-told-you-so ' mood. 

 Soon good support was found, for the sun 

 gained strength and melted the snow from the 

 southern slope of Castle Frank Hill, and ex- 

 posed great banks of fragrant wintergreen, 

 whose berries were a bounteous feast for Red- 

 ruff, and, ending the hard work of pulling 

 frozen browse, gave his bill the needed chance 

 to grow into its proper shape again. Very 

 soon the first bluebird came flying over and 

 warbled as he flew ' The spring is coming.' The 

 sun kept gaining, and early one day in the dark 

 of the Wakening Moon of March there was a 

 loud ' Caw, caw,' and old Silverspot, the king- 



332 



