journey. He slung his hunting pouch
over his shoulder, filled it full of food, took his bow and arrows,
stuck his stone hatchet in his belt and started on his way. He traveled
over meadows, through beautiful forests in which were hundreds of birds.
He was delighted as they sang and fluttered about.

The journey was beautiful and pleasant to Robinson. In the forests he
often saw small wild creatures, but he shot nothing. After the first
night he slept under a tree in the soft grass, for he had now no fear of
wild animals.

Along the shore he saw great groves of palms with their large nuts. He
saw, too, many goats in all parts of the island.

Now he was ready to take the shortest way home. He had not gone far
before he came into a dark forest. He became confused and wandered about
for several days. On the fourth day he came to a little pile of stones,
which he had made to mark the way as he was going out. From this place
the way was easy to find. On this trip he was gone already two weeks.

XXVI

ROBINSON AND HIS BIRDS

Of all the things he saw on his journey Robinson was most delighted with
the birds. They were of the most beautiful colors. The forest was full
of them. They gleamed like jewels in the deep masses of foliage. In the
morning their singing filled the air with sound.

Robinson had never taken much notice of the birds at home. But now every
living thing attracted him. He loved to see them happy. He would watch
often by the hour and learn the habits of nesting and getting food of
nearly every bird on the island.

Robinson did not know the names of many of the birds he saw on the
island. He had to make names for them. The strangest thing he saw on his
journey was the nest of what he called the yellow-tail. This bird lives
in colonies and makes its nest at the ends of the long leaves of the
mountain palm. When he first saw these queer looking sacks hanging from
the leaves he was amazed. He had never seen so strange a sight. From
the end of each great leaf hung a long, closely woven nest. Robinson
could not make out at first what they were. Soon, however, he saw the
birds come out of the mouths of the nests. Here, one hundred feet from
the ground, they hung their nests. But they were perfectly safe.

He had not gone far from the tree in which the yellow tails had their
nests when he was suddenly startled by a voice crying, "Who, who are
you?" Robinson was greatly frightened and hid beneath the dr