| The sparrows came rushing at Robert Robin and his family. | |
| (Page 104) | (Exciting Adventures of Mr. Robert Robin) |
Screaming and shouting at the tops of their voices, scores of sparrows came rushing straight at Robert Robin and his family. Robert Robin was very angry, and the first sparrow that came within the reach of his strong bill, he sent reeling to the ground. Robert Robin shook the feathers from his bill and struck the next and the next. The air was full of the wicked sparrows. They came from the alleys, and from the parks, from behind the houses and stores, until a cloud of them hung above the maple tree, and filled the air with their screams.
Mrs. Robin and the youngster robins stayed close to the trunk of the maple, but Robert Robin scorned to seek shelter, and bravely fought against the great odds. Sparrow after sparrow went fluttering to the earth under the swift blows of Robert Robin’s strong bill, but on they came by scores, and Robert Robin was beginning to tire.
A woman was sitting in a rocking chair by her front porch window. She was reading a book and she was not paying any attention to the birds.
Her husband was a night watch, and he slept during the day.
“What are those pesky sparrows making so much noise about?” he called from his bedroom. “They keep me awake with their heckling!”
“They are fighting some robins in the maple tree!” said the woman.
“Let the cat out!” said the man.
The woman got up from her rocking chair and let her yellow cat out of the back door.
The big yellow cat heard the sparrows screaming, and tiptoed around the house until he came in sight of the maple tree. When the big yellow cat saw the flock of sparrows in the maple tree, he said to himself, “I will creep close to those birds, then I will pounce upon one and have it for my supper!”