The Wedding Of Robin Redbreast And Jenny Wren

: The Scottish Fairy Book

There was once an old grey Pussy Baudrons, and she went out for a stroll

one Christmas morning to see what she could see. And as she was walking

down the burnside she saw a little Robin Redbreast hopping up and down

on the branches of a briar bush.



"What a tasty breakfast he would make," thought she to herself. "I must

try to catch him."



So, "Good morning, Robin Redbreast," quoth she, sittin
down on her tail

at the foot of the briar bush and looking up at him. "And where mayest

thou be going so early on this cold winter's day?"



"I'm on my road to the King's Palace," answered Robin cheerily, "to sing

him a song this merry Yule morning."



"That's a pious errand to be travelling on, and I wish you good

success," replied Pussy slyly; "but just hop down a minute before thou

goest, and I will show thee what a bonnie white ring I have round my

neck. 'Tis few cats that are marked like me."



Then Robin cocked his head on one side, and looked down on Pussy

Baudrons with a twinkle in his eye. "Ha, ha! grey Pussy Baudrons," he

said. "Ha, ha! for I saw thee worry the little grey mouse, and I have no

wish that thou shouldst worry me."



And with that he spread his wings and flew away. And he flew, and he

flew, till he lighted on an old sod dyke; and there he saw a greedy old

gled sitting, with all his feathers ruffled up as if he felt cold.



"Good morning, Robin Redbreast," cried the greedy old gled, who had had

no food since yesterday, and was therefore very hungry. "And where

mayest thou be going to, this cold winter's day?"



"I'm on my road to the King's Palace," answered Robin, "to sing to him a

song this merry Yule morning." And he hopped away a yard or two from the

gled, for there was a look in his eye that he did not quite like.



"Thou art a friendly little fellow," remarked the gled sweetly, "and I

wish thee good luck on thine errand; but ere thou go on, come nearer me,

I prith'ee, and I will show thee what a curious feather I have in my

wing. 'Tis said that no other gled in the country-side hath one like

it."



"Like enough," rejoined Robin, hopping still further away; "but I will

take thy word for it, without seeing it. For I saw thee pluck the

feathers from the wee lintie, and I have no wish that thou shouldst

pluck the feathers from me. So I will bid thee good day, and go on my

journey."



The next place on which he rested was a piece of rock that overhung a

dark, deep glen, and here he saw a sly old fox looking out of his hole

not two yards below him.



"Good morning, Robin Redbreast," said the sly old fox, who had tried to

steal a fat duck from a farmyard the night before, and had barely

escaped with his life. "And where mayest thou be going so early on this

cold winter's day?"



"I'm on my road to the King's Palace, to sing him a song this merry Yule

morning," answered Robin, giving the same answer that he had given to

the grey Pussy Baudrons and the greedy gled.



"Thou wilt get a right good welcome, for His Majesty is fond of music,"

said the wily fox. "But ere thou go, just come down and have a look at a

black spot which I have on the end of my tail. 'Tis said that there is

not a fox 'twixt here and the Border that hath a spot on his tail like

mine."



"Very like, very like," replied Robin; "but I chanced to see thee

worrying the wee lambie up on the braeside yonder, and I have no wish

that thou shouldst try thy teeth on me. So I will e'en go on my way to

the King's Palace, and thou canst show the spot on thy tail to the next

passer-by."



So the little Robin Redbreast flew away once more, and never rested

till he came to a bonnie valley with a little burn running through it,

and there he saw a rosy-cheeked boy sitting on a log eating a piece of

bread and butter. And he perched on a branch and watched him.



"Good morning, Robin Redbreast; and where mayest thou be going so early

on this cold winter's day?" asked the boy eagerly; for he was making a

collection of stuffed birds, and he had still to get a Robin Redbreast.



"I'm on my way to the King's Palace to sing him a song this merry Yule

morning," answered Robin, hopping down to the ground, and keeping one

eye fixed on the bread and butter.



"Come a bit nearer, Robin," said the boy, "and I will give thee some

crumbs."



"Na, na, my wee man," chirped the cautious little bird; "for I saw thee

catch the goldfinch, and I have no wish to give thee the chance to catch

me."



At last he came to the King's Palace and lighted on the window-sill, and

there he sat and sang the very sweetest song that he could sing; for he

felt so happy because it was the Blessed Yuletide, that he wanted

everyone else to be happy too. And the King and the Queen were so

delighted with his song, as he peeped in at them at their open window,

that they asked each other what they could give him as a reward for his

kind thought in coming so far to greet them.



"We can give him a wife," replied the Queen, "who will go home with him

and help him to build his nest."



"And who wilt thou give him for a bride?" asked the King. "Methinks

'twould need to be a very tiny lady to match his size."






"Why, Jenny Wren, of course," answered the Queen. "She hath looked

somewhat dowie of late, this will be the very thing to brighten her

up."



Then the King clapped his hands, and praised his wife for her happy

thought, and wondered that the idea had not struck him before.



So Robin Redbreast and Jenny Wren were married, amid great rejoicings,

at the King's Palace; and the King and Queen and all the fine Nobles and

Court Ladies danced at their wedding. Then they flew away home to

Robin's own country-side, and built their nest in the roots of the briar

bush, where he had spoken to Pussie Baudrons. And you will be glad to

hear that Jenny Wren proved the best little housewife in the world.



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