in
their climb, and the little bright-eyed, warm-breasted creatures were
hopping about them quite boldly. "Kitty, do let me give them some
crumbs, they are such darlings, and I think they are quite glad to see
us. They aren't a bit afraid."

"'To see a robin in a cage
Puts all heaven in a rage,'"

quoted Kitty dreamily.

Anna looked quite shocked. "O Kitty," she said, "how can you? You are
quite profane."

Kitty laughed. "Am I?" she said. "What a dreadful word to use!
I didn't mean to be. I didn't make up those lines, you know. Oh, don't
you think," she went on eagerly, "it would be a nice game to try how
many different verses about robins we can remember?"

"Do you mean nursery verses and all?" asked Dan. Kitty nodded; her
brain was already busy.

"I think it will be lovely," said Betty. "I know quite a lot."

"Go ahead then," urged Dan, "and remember to give author and book."

"Nursery verses and nursery rhymes haven't got any author," said Betty
with a very superior air.

Dan was on the alert at once; he loved to torment Betty.

"No author! Oh! oh! what an appalling display of childish ignorance,"
he cried in pretended horror, "and after all the trouble I have taken
with you too. My dear child, don't you know that some one must have
composed them or they wouldn't be--but there, I suppose little children
can't be expected to understand these things."

"But I do," cried Betty indignantly. "You don't know all I know.
I know a great deal more than you think, though you may not think so."

"Dear me! Do you really now?" said Dan, pretending to be enormously
impressed. "What a genius we may have in the family without our ever
suspecting it. Tell us who wrote:

"'And when they were dead,
The robins so red
Took strawberry leaves and over them spread,'"

"What would be the good?" said Betty, with a sigh as if of hopeless
despair. "You wouldn't reckernize the name if I told you."

"No, I don't expect I should," laughed Dan derisively. "Not the way you
would pronounce it, at least."

"Stop teasing her, Dan," cried Kitty. "We all of us have to think.
Let us take it in turns. Now then, you begin."

For a moment Dan looked somewhat taken aback, then memory came suddenly
to him.

"'Who killed Cock Robin?
"I," said the Spar--'"

"That is not right," said Betty; "you are not beginning at the
beginning; you are missing out half."

"Of course, as if I didn't know