Then all the youngster robins began to coax Robert Robin to sing his Wait-a-bit song.
“Daddy! Please sing us your Wait-a-bit song! Daddy! Please sing us your Wait-a-bit song!”
So at last Robert Robin perched himself in the top of a tall butternut tree and sang them his Wait-a-bit song:
“Never hurry,
Wait a bit!
Never worry,
Wait a bit!
Do your work!
Never shirk!
Never hurry!
Never worry!
Wait a bit!”
Before Robert Robin had finished singing his Wait-a-bit song Mister Catbird came rushing over from the edge of a tangled swamp, and perched himself near Robert Robin, in the top of the tall butternut tree. When Robert Robin was through with his song, Mister Catbird said: “Mister Robin, you are a stranger to me but as I have never heard any other robin sing that same song, I would be pleased if you would do me the favor of singing it over once more!”
So Robert Robin sang his Wait-a-bit song over again for Mister Catbird, and Mister Catbird said: “Now sing it again, and I will sing along with you! I would like very much to learn that song! It is one of the best songs that I ever heard.”
So Robert Robin sang the song again, and Mister Catbird sang along with him, but although Mister Catbird had a very fine voice, and could sing very good indeed, he put in so many wrong words that Robert Robin got all mixed up and sang a part of his Cherry song.
That made Mister Catbird laugh, and then he made a noise like a cat, and the little robins were very much surprised to see a nice-looking bird like Mister Catbird who could make a noise almost exactly like a cat.
Mister Catbird was a jolly person, and he was full of jokes. He sat there in the top of the tall butternut tree, and pretended that he was Mister Blackbird, and he sang Mister Blackbird’s song all the way through. Then he said “Meow!” and then he sang a song very much like Robert Robin’s “Rain” song, then he said “Meow!” again, and laughed. It made Robert Robin very angry to have Mister Catbird spoiling a good song like that by saying “Meow!” and he thought that Mister Catbird was making fun of him, so he said to Mister Catbird:
“I am very pleased to have had the pleasure of meeting you, sir, but we are on our way to the seashore, so we must hurry along! Good afternoon!”