ose black clouds
above us? It is going to snow."

"Very well," answered the robin, "I shall keep on singing till it
comes, at any rate. A merry song will not make it any colder."

"You are very silly," croaked the raven.

The robin flew to another tree and kept on singing; but the raven sat
still and made himself very unhappy.

"The wind is so cold," he said. "It always blows the wrong way for me."

Very soon the sun came out warm and bright, and the clouds went away.
But the raven was as sad as ever.

The grass began to spring up in the meadows. Green leaves and flowers
were seen in the woods. Birds and bees flew here and there in the glad
sunshine. The raven sat alone on the branch of the old oak.

"It is always too warm or too cold," said he. "To be sure it is quite
pleasant just now; but I know that the sun will soon shine hot enough
to burn one up. Then to-morrow it will be colder than ever before. I
do not see how any one can be so silly as to sing at such a time as
this."

Just then the robin came back to the tree, carrying a straw in her
mouth.

"Well, my friend," asked she, "where is your snow?"

"Don't say anything," croaked the raven. "It will snow all the harder
for this sunshine."

"And snow or shine," said the robin, "you will keep on croaking. For
my part, I shall look on the bright side of everything, and have a song
for every day in the year."

Which was the wiser, the raven or the robin?

[1] Permission of American Book Company.

ALL ABOUT THE ROBIN

SUGGESTIONS FOR FIELD LESSONS

One of the first birds to return in the spring--migrates north early in
March--sometimes remains during winter--stays north as late as October
or November.

Domestic--generally preferring to live near the home of man.

Song--though short and always the same is in tone wonderfully
expressive of happiness, love, anger, or fear, as the case may be.

Black head--wings and tail brown--touches of white on throat--entire
breast a rusty red.--Female duller and paler in colouring, growing
almost as bright as the male in the autumn.

Food--principally insects and worms--does not disdain fruit, berries,
cherries, etc., but prefers insect food--a ravenous eater.

Nest--outer layer composed of sticks, coarse grasses, etc., seemingly
rather carelessly arranged--on this the rather large round nest is
woven with grasses--plastered with mud--lined with softer grasses.

Eggs--greenish blue--fou