untain which
bubbled up close by and brought thence in his bill a drop of water.
Then, perching on Mary's forehead, he gently dropped this into the
suffering eye. At the same time the Swallow softly brushed her long
tail-feathers under the maiden's eyelid, and the hateful straw was wiped
away. Thus the little Mary was relieved, and when once more she could
look up happily with her pretty eyes she smiled upon the two kind birds
and blessed them for their aid.

Of course, if the little Christ heard His mother tell this pretty story
He would have been sure to love the Robin, just as she did. And so these
little birds became His boyhood friends.

Those were happy times. But in the after years, in the dreadful day
when the Saviour was so cruelly done to death by His enemies, the little
Robin once more proved his generous and pious heart, so the legends say.

The Saviour hung upon the cross, suffering and sad, while the world was
veiled with darkness and all good creatures mourned. Two birds perched
upon the cross beside His weary, drooping head. One was the faithful
Robin, who was then a plain and dark-colored bird with the scorched
feathers of a fire-bringer upon his breast. The other was the Magpie,
who at that time was among the most gorgeous and beautiful of all the
birds. She had a tuft of bright feathers on her head, and her plumage
outshone even that of the Peacock, who has the hundred gleaming eyes of
Argus set in his fan-like tail. But the Magpie, in spite of her beauty,
was at heart a wicked bird. Think of it! She mocked the dying Saviour in
His agony and seemed to rejoice in His suffering!

But the Robin fluttered about the holy figure, timidly uttering chirps
of sorrow and longing to help the Master who had fed him tenderly for so
many years. With his soft wings he wiped away the tears which flowed
from the Lord's eyes, while with his beak he tugged at the cruel thorns
which pierced His brow, trying to relieve Him.

Suddenly a drop of blood fell from Christ's forehead upon the Robin's
breast and tinged with bright crimson the rusty reddish feathers.

"Blessed be thou," said the Lord, "thou sharer of my suffering. Wherever
thou goest happiness and joy shall follow thee. Blue as the heaven shall
be thy eggs, and from henceforth thou shalt be the Bird of God, the
bearer of good tidings. But thou," He added, addressing the Magpie
sorrowfully, "thou art accursed. No longer shall the brilliant tuft and
bright fea