472 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
[December, 
POOR ROBIN RED-BREAST. — Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
driving a reindeer team furiously down tho mountains. 
“Ho! ho!” called Mr. Mountain Laurel, “wake up, 
ail of you! here’s Santa C’laus steering straight for our 
wood!” 
In less than a minute the reindeer steeds stopped 
under Sir Oak's broad branches, and Santa Claus jumped 
from his sleigh, calling in a loud, ringing voice: 
“ Come, friends, come ; who’s ready to give me Christ¬ 
mas greens for tho children?’’ 
At this a great shaking and rustling took place among 
the trees and shrubs ; all had saved their best branches 
for Santa Claus. Polly saw with amazement her friend 
Kalmia give up his finest leaves without a murmur, as 
the little man went from place to place, breaking off 
Lord Hemlock’s handsome branches, and Lady Arbor 
Yitse’s bunches, taking some of Juniperus Cedar's twigs 
and Baron Pine’s tufts. All these ho threw into his 
sleigh, already stuffed with boxes and bundles, and with 
a merry” Good night” was off again. 
Miss Polypody was so full of excitement that sleep 
was out of the question, so she watched and waited 
through all tho still night. And it chanced, for want of 
something better to do, she fell to gazing at the eastern 
sky, as thick with little stars as the air had been with 
snowflakes. Now% a little while before the dawn, in the 
deep blue space above the hills, a beautiful star arose, 
and shed its mild radiance across the fields of snow. 
“ It is the Star in the East 1 ” cried Lord Hemlock, 
and then the best thing of all happened. Now, if you 
had been there, you would have heard nothing but the 
wind sighing in the pines, and among the bare branches; 
but Polypody heard something very different, and yet 
the same. For all the trees and plants, and the brown 
grass of the meadows were singing the most beautiful 
music, sweet, and clear, and low, and this is what they 
sang: 
“Christ is born, Christ is born, on Christmas 
Dat in the moenino 1 ” 
Poor ISobiii Re«l-l>reast. 
“What a sad picture ! ” will be the remark of many a 
little one who looks at the above. We often give yon 
pictures that are funny, but even children know that there 
are many things in the world that are not at all funny, and 
that boys and girls do not always laugh. So our pictures 
cannot always be the kind to laugh over, but when we do 
give a sad one, it is always for a good reason. In this 
case we give you the picture because it is a very good one 
—one of the best of an English artist, who is famous for 
his drawings of animals of all kinds. Some sharp-eyed 
boy may say, “ That Isn’t a very good picture of a robin,” 
but he must remember that our robin, and the bird called 
by the same name in England, are two different birds ; 
ours is nearly twice as large as theirs, and they are unlike 
in other respects, but they are related, and both agree 
in being very domestic birds. You may think it is easy 
enougli to draw a dead bird, but it is rarely that you see 
a picture that tells its story so plainly as this one 
does. You see at once that poor Robin died of cold 
and starvation. Snow everywhere, and not any thing 
to be found to eat—a sad case, indeed. Another reason 
for showing you this picture, is to remind you that 
what is represented in it happens over and over with us 
every winter. Most of the birds of the northern states 
go away hundreds and hundreds of miles each winter to 
find the warmer climate of the southern part of the coun¬ 
try, where food is abundant, and there is rarely any 
snow to cover it. But some birds stay all winter, and 
others come from farther north, and there are but few 
places in the country where there are not several kinds 
of birds. Even some robins stay at the north all winter, 
but they are not apt to show themselves. Did you ever 
think how dull it would be were there no birds at all 
during the winter ; and how much more cheerful they 
make it by flying about with their pleasing ways and 
merry chirpings? How tame they get, and they seem 
to know that near the houses—at least near somo 
honses—is their safest place, and that there they will 
find food. So in the winter remember the birds, es¬ 
pecially when the ground is covered with snow. After 
a heavy snow storm, all the berries and little seeds 
arc quite hidden, and if the snow stays long the birds 
must die, unless they can find something to eat 
npon the top of the snow. At these times the birds 
gather around the houses and barns, and made tame by 
cold and hunger, they are no longer shy and wild, but 
will allow' you to come very close to them. It must be a 
very thoughtless boy who would abuse this confidence, 
and injure the poor hungry creatures. If yon wish to 
know how hungry they are, just throw out. some food 1 
Now let every boy and girl think of the suffering birds, 
and feed them regularly. Choose someplace, such as the 
top of a low shed, or the roof of a piazza—any place out 
of reach of the cats, and feed the birds there ; they will 
soon learn to come regularly, and when one or two find 
out the place, others will somehow learn it and come 
too. The food may be crumbs from the table; seeds 
swept up from the hay mow ; corn or other grain cracked 
by pounding it small enough, or any such things. It will 
be some trouble, you may think, but if you are really 
fond of birds, you will get sufficiently paid for the trou¬ 
ble, by tho pleasure of seeing them eat and of seeing 
how happy they seem. They will often try to sing in 
their way—for these winter birds are not very fine 
songsters—to show' you how grateful they are. Then the 
satisfaction of knowing that you have made any living 
thing—even a tiny bird—happy, ought to be sufficient 
reward for this act of kindness to the birds. One thing 
more: do not forget that the birds want water as well as 
food. You would not like it much if you could only get 
somo snow or bits of ice when you are thirsty. If there 
is not a trough where the birds can drink, contrive' 
something that will hold water, and break the ice, 
so that the birds can reach the water every day. 
