THE HERO ENTERS SUDDENLY 



time arrived at what would be considered 

 a coming-of-age period in the robin world, 

 he had been fed like a baby until within a 

 fortnight or so of the poor little kinglet's 

 visit. 



I had not realized that there was any- 

 thing exceptional in his training until one 

 day when a friend remarked, on hearing him 

 call loudly for his dinner: " Do you mean 

 to say that that big bird is unable to feed 

 himself? " 



A little mortified by the backwardness of 

 my protege, I immediately set about making 

 him more independent. He had manifested 

 the greatest liking for flies, no doubt ac- 

 cording to these dainties the favored place 

 in his affections that children reserve for 

 ice-cream and sweets. Here was my op- 

 portunity! 



As it was the season when flies were be- 

 coming torpid, I had no difficulty in pro- 

 63 



