Our Winged Friends 145 
crumbs, but the naughty little sparrows would 
come and take them away from the robins. 
It was very hard for me to be a good cat in those 
days, especially when mistress would be standing 
inside the screen door, and Robert on the flower 
box answering her call. She would say “ Pretty 
Robbie ” and he would say, “ Take care ” — I sup- 
pose he meant by that she should take care not to let 
any harm come to his little mate. But just as soon 
as mistress opened the door, he would fly on the 
neighboring roof and scold very hard till she shut 
the door again. 
Sometimes when I sat on the window-sill behind 
the glass pane, Robert would come just as close to 
me as he could, talking bird-talk to me. I think 
he said: “You can’t catch me,” for he seemed to 
think the screen or the window-pane made the 
porch railing a very safe place for him. 
Robert and Rena seemed to have it all under- 
stood between them how their housekeeping was to 
be managed. Robert continued very faithfully to 
bring food to Rena, and occasionally she would fly 
out for a little exercise, Robert staying in the nest 
till she returned. 
After a time we began to hear very queer sounds 
