The Wee Robin's Christmas Song

: ANIMAL STORIES
: Boys And Girls Bookshelf

A SCOTCH STORY, ATTRIBUTED TO ROBERT BURNS



ADAPTED BY JENNIE ELLIS BURDICK



There was an old gray Pussy Cat, and she went away down by a brookside.

There she saw a wee Robin Redbreast hopping on a brier bush.



Says the gray Pussy Cat: "Where are you going, wee Robin?"



And the wee Robin makes answer: "I'm going away to the King to sing him

a song this glad Christmas
orning."



And the gray Pussy Cat says, "Come here, wee Robin, and I'll let you see

a pretty white ring I have around my neck."



But the wee Robin says: "No, no! gray Pussy Cat, no, no! You worried the

wee mousie, but you cannot worry me!"



So the wee Robin flew away until he came to a wall of earth and grass,

and there he saw a gray greedy Hawk sitting.



And the gray greedy Hawk says: "Where are you going, wee Robin?"



And the wee Robin makes answer: "I'm going away to the King to sing him

a song this glad Christmas morning."



And the gray greedy Hawk says: "Come here, wee Robin, and I'll let you

see the bright feather in my wing."






But wee Robin says: "No, no! gray greedy Hawk, no, no! You pecked the

little Meadowlark, but you cannot peck me!"



So the wee Robin flew away until he came to a steep, rocky hillside, and

there he saw a sly Fox sitting. And the sly Fox says, "Where are you

going, wee Robin?"



And the wee Robin makes answer: "I'm going away to the King to sing him

a song this glad Christmas morning."



And the sly Fox says: "Come here, wee Robin, and I'll let you see the

pretty spot on the tip of my tail."



But the wee Robin says: "No, no! sly Fox, no, no! You worried the little

Lamb, but you cannot worry me!"



So the wee Robin flew away until he came to a grassy meadow, and there

he saw a little shepherd boy.



And the little shepherd says: "Where are you going, wee Robin?"



And wee Robin makes answer: "I'm going away to the King to sing him a

song this glad Christmas morning."



And the little shepherd boy says: "Come here, wee Robin, and I'll give

you some crumbs from my lunch."



But the wee Robin says: "No, no! little shepherd boy, no, no! You caught

the Goldfinch, but you cannot catch me!"



So the wee Robin flew away till he came to the King; and there he sat on

a plowshare, and sang the King a cheery song. And the King says to the

Queen: "What will we give to the wee Robin for singing us this cheery

song?"



And the Queen makes answer to the King: "I think we'll give him the wee

Wren to be his wife."



So the wee Robin and the wee Wren were married, and the King and the

Queen, and all the court danced at the wedding. Then the wee Robin and

the wee Wren flew away home to the wee Robin's own brookside, and hopped

on the brier bush.



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