OUR STORY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 47, 12 February 1943, Page 6

OUR STORY

RUFUS THE ROBBN Betty and David first met Rufus in the wood; one .cold autumn day. Chum, their dog, was busy burrowing, and the little robin, after watching him from a tree, flew down and picked up the worms.-from the soft earth he shot out as he; burrowed. After tha/ti first day the children often saw him, and by degrees the robin got to know them quite wellBetty nicknamed him Rufus 1 , and very, soon the four of them (for, of course, Chum was always, included in anything the children did) be- | came the firmest of firm friends. As winter approached the. east winds greAv colder and colder, and the ground froze so hard that there were no worms for poor Rufus. It was then that the children hit on the idea of bringing suet to the vtoods for him, "What a darling he is! said Betty, watching their little friend pecking and tugging away at 'the hardi white lump. "I{ wish he would eat out of our hands!'' "Well, let's try!" suggested David. So every time they met Rufus they tempted him to come to their hands. But friendly though the little bird had become it was Aveeks before they were successful. Rufus seemed to be timid. Time and time again he always came to them, a,nd then, at. the last moment, his courage would fail Mm, and he would flutter off looking quite agitated. Alt. last, however, one bitterly cold day, when Betty he'ld out. her hand as usual, there was a flutter of brown wings, and almost .before she could realise was Avas happening- she felt the delicate clasp of two tiny claws on her finger as Rufus "alighted, took the fat, and flew oIT wfyh it into the undergroA\lbli to eat. it, at his leisure. By the time he was ready for more Betty AA T as holding ,out. another piece, and so he came again. But now, instead of flying off with it, lie remained on her hand to cat it. Then David tried, but far • socio reason Rufus refused to go to Dav;d's hand. Perhaps his courage had deserted him or perhaps he had satisfied his appelbUc. After this the children Avent regularly to the. AA r ood, taking crumbs and suet, and sometimes even a litt.e flawed maize begged from the poultry store. How Rufus loA'ed it! But, though he never railed to take his ivra'.s from Belly's hand, lie still

seemed; to ddubt David, and poor David Avas quite upset about it.

Tlfen, one spring morning, they had a big surprise, for, on reaching the wood they found two robins

awaiting them. "Why, it must be his wife!" whispered Betty, holding out her hand as Rufus flew towards her. "See if she'll come to you, David?"

David held out his, hand invitingly, and sure enough, the strangei robin, as if determined not to be left out of, things, came! "What, an awfully good idea oi yours Rufus,'' said Betty. "Now wc have a robin each!"