David Songsparrow, who had his nest in the elderberry bush over by the fence, came flying into the woods. He perched on one of the big branches of Robert Robin’s tree and started hopping around looking for a bug for his breakfast, but when he saw Robert Robin and Jeremiah Yellowbird sitting so very still, he became quiet too, but his bright little eyes were looking first one way, and then another, and he was listening with all his might.
Mrs. Sheep, out in the farmer’s pasture, called to her little lamb, “Baa!” and the sound of her voice echoed through the woods until it seemed as if all the trees were saying “Baa!” to each other. Then the woods became so still that Robert Robin could hear the sound of the waterfalls in the brook which flowed past Melancthon Coon’s tree, way over in the middle of the woods.
Out over the meadow, merry Mister Bob-o-link was singing his “Spingle! Spangle! Song” and his voice sounded so much like the brook that Robert Robin was just beginning to feel like singing a little song, himself, when Mister Gabriel Chipmunk screamed “Chip!” and plunged under the stump. Gabriel Chipmunk lived under the stump, and he went in the front door of his house.
When Robert Robin heard Mister Chipmunk scream in that tone of voice, he knew that Mister Chipmunk had seen something which had frightened him very much.
Then Robert Robin saw something moving among the trees, and a terrible, great, gray bird came swooping through the woods.
It was Mister Percy Hawk, and he was coming towards Robert Robin’s tree. The hawk’s powerful, wide wings scarcely moved as he floated among the trees, but his cruel eyes were watching to see if a squirrel or bird might not be moving through the forest. If anything moved, Mister Percy Hawk would surely see it, and pounce upon it, so all the birds and squirrels were sitting as still as sticks.
Robert Robin, and David Songsparrow, and Jeremiah Yellowbird, each of them was sure that the big hawk was looking right at them, but they did not move as the great gray bird floated straight towards their tree.
“Swish! Swish!” came the sound of wings; “Caw! Caw!” shouted Jim Crow, and five black crows darted downward through the branches of Robert Robin’s tree, and Mister Percy Hawk knew that the very best thing that he could do for himself was to hurry away before the angry crows pulled the feathers out of his back. Percy Hawk soared out of the woods, and when he was above the pasture he struck the air with his powerful wings and circled in great loops, and soon he was flying high above the tops of the tallest tree.
The other crows went home, but Jim Crow came and perched in Robert Robin’s tree.
“Thank you very much for driving that terrible hawk away from my tree!” said Robert Robin to Mister Jim Crow.