THE WEE ROBIN’S CHRISTMAS SONG
a scotch story, attributed to robert burns
adapted by jennie ellis burdick
There was an old gray Pussy Cat, and she went away down by a brookside. There she saw a wee Robin Redbreast hopping on a brier bush.
Says the gray Pussy Cat: “Where are you going, wee Robin?”
And the wee Robin makes answer: “I’m going away to the King to sing him a song this glad Christmas morning.”
And the gray Pussy Cat says, “Come here, wee Robin, and I’ll let you see a pretty white ring I have around my neck.”
But the wee Robin says: “No, no! gray Pussy Cat, no, no! You worried the wee mousie, but you cannot worry me!”
So the wee Robin flew away until he came to a wall of earth and grass, and there he saw a gray greedy Hawk sitting.
And the gray greedy Hawk says: “Where are you going, wee Robin?”
And the wee Robin makes answer: “I’m going away to the King to sing him a song this glad Christmas morning.”
And the gray greedy Hawk says: “Come here, wee Robin, and I’ll let you see the bright feather in my wing.”
wee robin and the old gray pussy cat
But wee Robin says: “No, no! gray greedy Hawk, no, no! You pecked the little Meadowlark, but you cannot peck me!”
So the wee Robin flew away until he came to a steep, rocky hillside, and there he saw a sly Fox sitting. And the sly Fox says, “Where are you going, wee Robin?”
And the wee Robin makes answer: “I’m going away to the King to sing him a song this glad Christmas morning.”
And the sly Fox says: “Come here, wee Robin, and I’ll let you see the pretty spot on the tip of my tail.”
But the wee Robin says: “No, no! sly Fox, no, no! You worried the little Lamb, but you cannot worry me!”
So the wee Robin flew away until he came to a grassy meadow, and there he saw a little shepherd boy.
And the little shepherd says: “Where are you going, wee Robin?”
And wee Robin makes answer: “I’m going away to the King to sing him a song this glad Christmas morning.”
And the little shepherd boy says: “Come here, wee Robin, and I’ll give you some crumbs from my lunch.”
But the wee Robin says: “No, no! little shepherd boy, no, no! You caught the Goldfinch, but you cannot catch me!”
So the wee Robin flew away till he came to the King; and there he sat on a plowshare, and sang the King a cheery song. And the King says to the Queen: “What will we give to the wee Robin for singing us this cheery song?”
And the Queen makes answer to the King: “I think we’ll give him the wee Wren to be his wife.”
So the wee Robin and the wee Wren were married, and the King and the Queen, and all the court danced at the wedding. Then the wee Robin and the wee Wren flew away home to the wee Robin’s own brookside, and hopped on the brier bush.