Robin Hood's Barn 



not lower his gaze to watch the chicks who run 

 so impudently close about his yellow legs. 



Even my later presence at his side, he regards 

 as no great matter for disturbance. With one 

 blink of his red eye, he has decided that I am 

 not worth the trouble of a flight. And this de- 

 spite the fact that many a time I have been guilty 

 of an intimate approach. It is his proud indif- 

 ference that provokes me to such rudeness. With 

 a motive not dissimilar, a barbarian reached out 

 to stroke a Roman senator's white beard. 



The rest of the inhabitants have not developed 

 such philosophy of fear. They stand not upon 

 the order of their going, but go at once. Quickly 

 the muskrat has sprung to his oars and is steering 

 for the farther shore. And before I reach the 

 hoof -holes at the margin, the frogs spring out 

 from beneath my steps and make the pond in 

 one lean dive. The kingfisher gives an angry 

 rattle at invasion of his privacy and darts past 

 me in a flash of blue. The turtles, always a httle 

 late in realizing danger, rear inquiring heads at 

 the commotion. Then sUpping slowly forward, 

 they drop beneath the surface with a heavy plop. 



[i68] 



