the wide world.

You see, the young folk grew so fast that they soon more than filled
the house. So there was nothing their parents could do but persuade
them to leave home and learn to fly.

One day, therefore, Mr. Robin did not bring his children's food to the
edge of the nest and drop it into their mouths. Instead, he stood on
the limb a little distance away from them and showed them a plump
angleworm.

The sight of that dainty was more than Jolly Robin could resist. He
scrambled boldly out of the nest; and tottering up to his father on
his wobbling legs, he snatched the tempting morsel out of his proud
parent's bill.

Jolly never went back to the nest after that. The next day Mrs. Robin
coaxed the other children from home in the same fashion. And though it
may seem a heartless act, it was really the best thing that could have
happened to Jolly and his sister and his brothers.

You see, they had to learn to fly. And so long as they stayed in the
nest they could never learn a difficult feat like flying.

II

LEARNING TO FLY

After Jolly Robin had gulped down the fat angleworm with which his
father had coaxed him to leave the nest, he clung desperately to the
limb. With no food in sight he had plenty of time to look about him
and to be alarmed.

The day was not gone before he had a great fright. He tumbled out of
the apple tree and fell squawking and fluttering upon the ground.

Luckily, his mother happened to be at home. She went to Jolly at once
and told him not to be afraid.

"Nothing will hurt you," she said, "if you'll only keep still. But if
you squall like that, the cat will find you."

It may seem strange, but his mother's words frightened Jolly all the
more. They scared him so thoroughly that he stopped making a noise,
anyhow. And that was how he learned never to talk when he was on the
ground near a house where a cat might live.

"Now," said Jolly's mother, as soon as he was still, "I'll teach you a
new game. Just watch me!" And spreading her wings, she flapped them,
and sprang into the air.

Soon Jolly was trying to imitate her. And it was not long before he
found himself gliding a short distance, skimming along just off the
ground.

But in spite of all his efforts, he couldn't help falling again.
Though his mother tried to show him how to fly into a tree-top, Jolly
Robin seemed unable to learn the trick.

At last Mr. Robin said to his wife:

"I'll teach him the rest. You've m