re
they would never crumple up into so small a space as they used to
occupy.

"Seeing that your wings are grown, my son, your father has decided
we must all fly away. Let us join him now, and hear what he is
saying to your brothers and sisters. He is very angry about this
quarrelling, which is out of all order, and quite contrary to the
doctrine taught by Dr. Watts that 'Birds in their little nests
agree;' and he does not like to think that his children are naughty
beyond all others."

Robinette obediently accompanied his mother to the ground, and
Mrs. Robin was glad to see how cleverly he managed both legs and
wings. They found Cock Robin still haranguing his unruly family;
but on seeing his wife, he concluded his remarks thus,--

"You are old enough and strong enough to do for yourselves, so off
you go. Your mother and I will look after Robinette, and keep an
eye on you for a day or two to see how you get on. I hope the
gardener will be considerate enough to leave those worm-enticing
carrots in the ground, for then there will be plenty of food for us
all. Now good-bye."

Cock Robin, having dismissed the four, turned to his wife and
Robinette.

"I hope, my dear, he was not hurt by his rough brothers and
sisters?"

"No," she replied, "he was not hurt; and I am now satisfied that
his legs and wings are all they should be. As for his brains, he
has more in his little head than all the others put together. I
feel sure Robinette will have a history."

Cock Robin put his head first to one side, then to the other, and
gave a funny, chirrupy laugh.

"Ah! you mother birds are all alike; you think your special
nursling is sure to turn out the flower of the flock."

"Let us fly away. There is an uncomfortable feeling about my
feathers, plainly telling me there is a cat near us."

At this moment there was a rustle among some leaves, and a
beautiful tabby cat came into view close to where the birds were.
Robinette got such a fright that he rose suddenly from the ground,
and he seemed to go on rising, rising, until he was far away from
his home in the rhododendron bush.

In his pleasure at finding himself going along so easily up in the
air he quite forgot the cat, and, alas! he forgot his parents too.
He forgot everything but himself.

"What a big place the world is!" thought he, as he sat on a branch
of a large walnut-tree and looked round about him.

He was rather tired, so he rested there a while. Then he rem