_In which a little boy robs a bird of her eggs and learns a lesson
that he did not forget._
Robert was a little boy who loved to have his own way, and
sometimes his way was not a good way. One day he went into the
woods near his home, and saw a lot of birds all busy building nests
and flying around looking for bugs and worms.
Up in a tree he saw a nest and wondered what was in it. He
climbed up on a limb, and looking into the nest saw four little
bluish-green eggs. He put his hand in the nest, took out the eggs
and put them in his pocket. All the time the poor mother bird was
scolding and complaining, and in her bird way was calling for help.
As Robert climbed down from the tree he broke one of the eggs. As
he took the rest out of his pocket he broke another. Then he put
the other two in his hat. By this time he was tired and sat down
under the tree to rest. While he was sitting there he heard a great
commotion in the forest. All the birds were crying “Robber! Thief!
Some boy has broken into Mrs. Robin’s house and stolen her eggs!”
Robert sat very still and tried to hide. The father robin flew
around asking everybody if he had stolen his wife’s eggs. He asked
the cow, but the cow said: “No, indeed! I gave you some of my hay
to build your nest.” He asked the sheep, but the sheep said: “I
would not do such a thing. I gave you some of my wool to line your
nest to make it soft for your little ones.” He even asked an old
owl on top of a pine tree, but the old owl said: “By no means! Why
should I? I killed a rat the other day that I saw prowling round
looking for young birds.”
None of the animals knew who was the robber, but the jay bird who
was always on the look out, saw Robert under the tree and cried:
“Here he is! he has got two eggs in his cap and has broken two on
the ground! Here he is!” All the birds came flying and set up such
a scolding and abusing that Robert was alarmed.
“Let us all fly to his house and take his little brothers and
sisters,” said the birds. But Robert began to cry and beg and
promise, until finally the birds agreed not to rob his house if he
would let their nests alone.
Robert sat up with a start and rubbed his eyes. He had been asleep
but he learned a good lesson. The mother robin was still crying in
the tree where her nest was. Robert climbed back up the tree and
put the good eggs back and said, “There you are, Mrs. Robin. I am
sorry I broke two, but I will not rob your nest again.”