Baby Pitchers Trials | Page 7

and talked to
it as she sometimes talked to Dinah, and with no better result. She
could not move it by force or by persuasion. There was no other way
but to go back to Bertie without the robin's breakfast.
"I can manage it," said Bertie, "if you will take the chick. I should like
to see the plank that could hold out against me."
Flora gladly took the chick, and her countenance brightened as she felt
the little heart flutter against her hand. This was much pleasanter than
hunting worms. She sat down upon the step and held the birdy very
tenderly till Bertie came back.
CHAPTER IV.
"GOING TO HAVE A FUNERAL."

The plank did not hold out against Bertie, and he found several of the
worm family at home. They were very much disturbed by his presence,
and wriggled about in all directions, as if in pursuit of hiding places, or
their company dress and manners. They were evidently not prepared to
receive visitors. But that did not make any difference to Bertie. He
hung as many as he thought the robin could relish across a stick, and
with much difficulty--for the worms were constantly dropping off--he
made his way back to the porch without the loss of a single crawler.
But when he got there the birdy would not eat. Was not that a pity?
They coaxed in every way. Flora even talked to him with tears in her
eyes, but it was of no use. He did not open his bill or take any notice of
the nice breakfast spread before him.
"Too bad!" said Flora. "Will he die?"
"I am afraid he will."
Bertie gazed sadly at the writhing worms.
"He will starve in a land of plenty, and I don't see how anybody is to
help it. Who could resist such a tempting breakfast as that?"
"I couldn't," said Flora.
"And I couldn't. And if he does not hurry up, there won't be any
breakfast to eat. Look at that--and that."
Bertie pointed to a well-fattened, tender morsel, in such haste to be off
that it was hanging over the very edge of the flooring, and to another
whose thick-set body was fast disappearing between the boards.
"That is what I call a tight squeeze. They might stop to say good
morning."
"Worms don't know everything," returned Flora.
"Not quite everything," said Bertie.
"What shall we do next?"

"Perhaps he is thirsty. Dinah is."
"And you are?"
"Yes, I are."
Water was brought; but the birdy would not drink, although he opened
his bill so wide when Flora pushed his head into the porringer that she
thought he was drinking.
"He is only gasping," said Bertie. "Birds cannot breathe with their
heads under water. Nobody can."
"I can."
"No, dear."
"Minims can."
"Oh, yes, minims can. But minims are fishes, and they live in the water.
That is their home. Birds live in the air. They build little houses in the
trees."
"Live in the sky. I have seen them way up."
"They do fly almost as high as the sky; but when night comes and they
are tired of flying, they go home to rest."
"In the little houses?"
"Yes, dear."
"Want to see them."
"They are high up in the trees, out of sight. By and by, when the leaves
fall off and the birds fly away, I will get you one of the round nests."
"To put the robin in."

"If we have any robin."
"Got one now."
"But his wing is broken, and he will not eat."
"Too bad!"
"And if he will not eat, he may as well die. I do believe he is thinking
about it now. Look at him!"
Flora had made a bed by robbing Dinah of her dress and shawl; but the
bird had not moved since she placed him upon it. He was now lying on
his side, with closed eyes, and he was breathing very hard.
"He is asleep," said Flora.
Bertie shook his head.
"Feel better when he wakes up."
"If he does wake up."
"Course he will! You do, don't you?"
"Yes."
"And I do. And Dinah does. Cover him up warm; course he will wake
up!"
Flora covered him with her pocket handkerchief, which she called a
blanket, and tried to wait patiently for him to finish his nap. But she
could not help lifting a corner of the blanket, now and then, to see how
he was getting on; and every time she looked he seemed to be breathing
harder, until at last he lay quite still, and did not breathe at all. She took
that as a good sign, because the eye that she could see was partially
open; and she called to Bertie, who had gone to the barn