The Robins Come To The Rescue

: Daddy's Bedtime Bird Stories

The honeysuckles were beginning to bud. Already the humming-birds were

hovering near and had built a nest right in the heart of the vine. This

vine was in a nice old-fashioned garden, but near by there was a vacant

lot which was very swampy.



"You know the garden by the vacant lot?" began daddy.



"Yes," replied both children, "are you going to tell us a story

about that garden?"

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"I am going to tell you," said daddy, "about the mother humming-bird

whose little ones were attacked by a cruel snake when they were rescued

by the brave robins.



"The snake had come over from the vacant field and had crawled up the

honeysuckle vine as the mother humming-bird had gone off for some food.

Some robins hovering near had seen the awful snake. They had cried out

in terror and had flown over to the nest.



"The mother humming-bird heard the cries and hurried back, but the

robins had frightened off the snake. The snake was not a very large one,

and really he had been frightened by all the noise the robins had made,

and when he saw so many birds flying toward him he got away very

quickly.



"The mother humming-bird got back just as the snake was leaving the

nest.



"She couldn't thank the robins enough for flying to the rescue and

saving her beloved little ones, but the robins didn't want any thanks.

They were thankful, too, that the dear little birds had been saved, for

birds are very loyal to one another and will risk any danger to save

each other."



"I am so glad," said Evelyn, "that the little humming-birds were saved,

for I love to see them having such a good time in the honeysuckle vines,

and the more there are of them the nicer it makes the summer seem."



"It was brave of the robins to come to the rescue, though, wasn't it,

daddy?"



"Indeed it was," said daddy; "but almost all animals and birds will

do anything they can to help one another, and they seem to forget

that there is such a thing as being afraid if they see any creature

in danger or distress.



"After the mother humming-bird had recovered from the awful fright, and

after the little ones had shown that they were perfectly well and

strong, with no ill effects from their fright, the mother humming-bird

invited the robins to partake of the delicious meal she had succeeded in

getting before the cries came from the robins."