BY TJIE WAYSIDE 
7 
: Editor of the “By the Wayside.” 
Dear Sir: The enclosed story is the 
unaided work of a little girl nine years 
old. In Girton School, Winnetka, Illi¬ 
nois, of which 1 am principal, T offered 
a prize to be given on “Bird Day” for 
the best story having something to do 
with birds. This story won the prize. 
About two-thirds of the little girls 
in Girton are members of the Illinois 
Junior Branch of the Audubon Soci¬ 
ety. We fill out the Audubon chart 
\ each year, keep a record of nests, etc. 
We identified eighteen nests this year 
j and one hundred and twelve birds— 
teachers and children working to- 
. gether. It would give the children 
great pleasure if Virginia’s story could 
be published in “By the Wayside.” 
Very truly yours, 
(Miss) Julia S. Henry. 
Girton School, 
Winnetka, Illinois. 
Robins in the Spring 
Once upon a time up in the top of a 
high tree, there was a robin’s nest, 
and in the nest there were five little 
j eggs. On the eggs was the mother 
bird. She had been sitting there for 
! some time and was getting tired of sit¬ 
ting there. She wanted her mate who 
was singing gaily in the maple tree, 
to come and tell her why the birds did 
not come out of the shell. Just then 
the postman came with a letter to her; 
she asked him if he would ask her 
mate to come down to her. In a min¬ 
ute her mate was by her side and lie 
said very gently in his sweet little 
voice, “What do you want, my love?” 
“Oh,” sighed she, “I’m afraid we 
are not going to have any babies be¬ 
cause they don’t come out of the 
shell.” 
(. i 
Don’t worry about that, my love, 
they will come out very soon; so lie' 
contented with knowing that they will 
come out soon.” 
Then the father bird flew up in the 
air singing as loudly and as sweetly as 
lie could to help his mate to be con¬ 
tented, and she was. In just one hour 
she heard a little peep, peep. That 
can’t be my children thought she. So 
she looked below her and saw nothing 
but her friend the lark, and the green 
grass blowing in the wind. 
Then she looked above her and saw 
nothing but her mate, and the tree 
tops, and the blue sky. Then she 
heard it again and thought it must be 
her children, and it was. She got up 
and out came a little bird; and in four 
more hours, four more birds were out, 
and that was all. And she was so 
happy she flew up to tell her mate all 
about it and lie said they must go at 
cnee to fetch some food for their chil¬ 
dren; and so they went and all the 
way they sang: 
“Oh il is Spring and our babies are 
out! Oh ’tis Spring! Tis Spring!” 
Subscribe to 
“BY THE WAYSIDE” 
Price 25c per year 
It contains: 
Interesting stories. 
Illustrations. 
The “Bird of the Month.” 
Nature Study outlines and helps. 
Illustrated leaflets sent to subscrib¬ 
ers on request. 
Address: Roland E. Kremers, 1720 
Vilas St., Madison, Wis. 
