36 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
June, 1910 
The Young Folks 
In the Looking-Glass. 
A STORY ABOUT A BABY ROBIN 
WHO LOST HIS TEMPER. 
Trit—trit—tritty-trit.”” chirped Mr 
Robin Redbreast to his five little chicks, 
He was very proud of them, and. he and 
Mrs Redbreast had brought them up in 
such a funny place—where do you think? 
Why, among some books in a litt'e’s bed- 
room. 
The books were onsome shelves, nailed 
up on the wall beside the window, and 
when Mr, Robin had been nest-hunting 
he saw the open window, flew in, and 
finding a nice little space between some 
books, flew away again to fetch his wife 
and see what she thought about it. 
Mrs. Redbreast thought it was a aplen- 
did place for a nest, so they decided to 
atay there, andjthere the five wee birds 
were born, 
One day, when the baby birds were a 
little older, Mr. and Mrs. Redbreast went 
off fora little outing by themselves, leay- 
ing their chicks safely in their nest. 
Directly their mother and father had 
gone, Dick, the eldest chick, scrambled out 
and after trying his wings by flying toa 
chair just pelow the nest. he suddenly 
found that he could go farther still, so 
boldly stretching his wings, he reached a 
dressing-table on the other side of the 
reom. 
He was proud of himself, and presently 
he began to hop abeut the table, looking 
inquisitively at the things lying about. 
‘‘ Hollo?  Here’s a nice hole leading 
' toanother room,” he thought, and he 
hopped nearer, its furnished just like this 
room, too he said, How funny to have 
two rooms exactly alike. 
But just as Dick got to the entrance of 
the other room, another cheeky robin 
hepped up, 
Well you’rep pert fellow, said Dick, 
with his little head on one side, 
And—would you believe it?—that other 
impudent bird put*his head on one side 
just at the same minute, and looked back 
in a very cheeky way at Dick, who gave 
an impatient hop to one side to get out 
of the strangers way. 
But now he began to get really angry 
for the stranger would not let him get out 
of the way, and hopped in exactly the 
same direction, and placed himself in 
front of Dick. 
Well, either you move or I-move, said 
Dick crossly, I dont want to stand here 
playing games with you all day. I want 
to get into that room. 
But the stranger never moved, until 
Dick gave an impatient hop backwards 
when, to his astonishment, the stranger 
went back too. 
At this Dick really lost his temper, and 
gave an angry hop forward again, ready 
to chase the annoying stranger, who did 
not seem to want to go anywhere himself 
and yet would not let Dick go where he 
wanted to, 
Now, our brave little bird meant to 
frighten the other, but, to his astonish- 
ment, little Mr, Stranger hopped forward 
to meet him, and this so angered Dick 
that he flew at him with a savage peck. 
But—cooo-oh! What ever had hap- 
pened? Fora second or two Dick felt as 
though he had broken his beak, for it 
had struck something horridly hard, and 
he was just going to try again, because he 
was now in a regular passion, partly 
because of the annoying stranger, and 
prrtly because with the pain, when his 
father suddenly returned. When he saw 
his angry little son, he flew over to see 
what was the matter. 
And just at that very moment, the 
other bird’s father came back, too, and 
both fathers, to Dick’s great indignation, 
looked as though it was all a joke. 
‘Why, Dick, my boy,’ said Mr. Red- 
Breast, ‘ What have you been doing ?’ 
‘Fatheg I wish you’d send tat impu- 
dent fellow away,’ said Dick, ‘look at 
him staring at me as ——’ 
‘Why, exactly ay you are staring at 
him, my boy. Didnt you know that’s 
- yourself ?’ 
‘ Myself ?” 
‘Yes ; you’re in front of a looking-glass, 
which gives back a picture of you, and of 
this room, too,’ 
Roor, Dick hung his head and. said 
nothing, but he felt very foolish as he 
hopped quietly back to his nest, Next 
day, however he had cheered up again, 
and set off in search of further adventures 
though afterwards he was very careful 
about picking a quarrel with strangers. 
Polly, 
Our Polly was a Berkshire pig 
Of famous pedigree, 
And having been brought up by hand, 
Was gentle as could be. 
She followed Minnie in her walks. 
When to the fields she wont, 
Or ley beside the pasture bars, 
And grunted with centent. 
But one sad day no polly came 
To get her morning meal— 
Though Minnie called her loud and long; 
She gave no answering squeal. 
And Minnie mourned her favorite 
With many a sob and sigh, 
And sadly turned her gaze away 
From Polly’s empty stye. 
At last, one day, when 
flowers 
Were blooming on the glade, 
When wild carnations, like a flame 
Lit up the mweodland shade; 
When first the catbird and the thrush 
Their matin song began, 
And dewdrops nestled on the grass, 
And sparkled in the sun. 
apring-time 
Through grassy uplands Minnie went, 
And through the forest shade— 
The pansies grew so thickly there, 
They purpled all the glade. 
She gathered clumps of woodland pinks, 
And dandelions gay, 
When suddenly she heard a grunt, 
Not very far away. 
She dropped the blossoms that hleshed 
What could the grudting be? 
It sounded so like Polly’s voice, 
She quickly turned to see, 
She searched about, and soon she spied, 
A bed of leaves and twigs ; 
And there lay Polly, cuddling up 
Six little spotted pigs ! 
