rs. Robin were picking up crumbs at
the cottage door.

"Grandpa," said he, when they were seated at breakfast, "I saw something
very funny this morning. I found our robin in a pear tree near Mr.
Bacon's farm, feeding a whole nest full of birds."

"Were they alone?" inquired Mr. Symmes.

"No, father. The mother bird was there; and he fed her too."

"I suppose the father has been killed," suggested the old gentleman. "It
is very cruel to kill birds when they have little families to take care
of. But I have read many instances where birds have assisted each other
when in distress: where the male bird has been killed, one of his
neighbors has fed and assisted in rearing the young brood, at the same
time he attended to the wants of his own family."

An hour or two later, grandpa sat in his arm chair under the shade of
the graceful elm. Fred had brought his tools, and was converting a large
wooden box into a playhouse for his little sister. Annie stood near him,
her apron filled with small bits of broken china, which she called her
dishes, and which she was waiting to arrange in her new cupboard.

It was very warm; and the boy's forehead was wet with perspiration. He
drew his jacket sleeve across his face, as he exclaimed, "There, Annie,
your house is done."

"Thank you, thank you, dear brother," cried the little girl, in an
ecstasy of delight. She emptied the bright-colored crockery on the
ground, and ran to the house for her dolly and two chairs; the latter
her mother had made of pieces of smooth cornstalks, fastened together
with pins.

"O, doesn't it look pretty, grandpa?" she asked, jumping up and down in
her glee. "See Minnie sitting in her parlor. Now I'll set up my dishes.
O dear!" she added, with a quick, appealing glance at her brother, "how
nice it would be if I had a table!"

"Well, some time I'll make you one," answered Fred, with a smile. "And
you can put your dolly's cradle into the bedroom."

"O yes," shouted Annie, with a cry of joy; and she ran away to fetch it.

"I will help you make a table," said grandpa to Fred; "and I think we
can manage to put together a very pretty one between us."

"I want to hear more about birds helping each other," said the boy. "It
seems so queer that they should know enough to do it."

"It is a most interesting study," answered the old gentleman, "to watch
the character and habits of birds, and one which has engaged the
attention of many learned men. There is no p