CHAPTER IV 34
He turned about to the orchard side of his garden and began to whistle--a low soft whistle. She could not understand how such a surly man could make such a coaxing sound.
Almost the next moment a wonderful thing happened. She heard a soft little rushing flight through the air--and it was the bird with the red breast flying to them, and he actually alighted on the big clod of earth quite near to the gardener ' s foot.
" Here he is," chuckled the old man, and then he spoke to the bird as if he were speaking to a child.
" Where has tha ' been, tha ' cheeky little beggar?" he said. " I ' ve not seen thee before to-day. Has tha ' begun tha ' courtin ' this early in th ' season? Tha ' rt too forrad."
The bird put his tiny head on one side and looked up at him with his soft bright eye which was like a black dewdrop. He seemed quite familiar and not the least afraid. He hopped about and pecked the earth briskly, looking for seeds and insects. It actually gave Mary a queer feeling in her heart, because he was so pretty and cheerful and seemed so like a person. He had a tiny plump body and a delicate beak, and slender delicate legs.
" Will he always come when you call him?" she asked almost in a whisper.
" Aye, that he will. I ' ve knowed him ever since he was a fledgling. He come out of th ' nest in th ' other garden an ' when first he flew over th ' wall he was too weak to fly back for a few days an ' we got friendly. When he went over th ' wall again th ' rest of th ' brood was gone an ' he was lonely an ' he come back to me."
" What kind of a bird is he?" Mary asked.
" Doesn ' t tha ' know? He ' s a robin redbreast an ' they ' re th ' friendliest, curiousest birds alive. They ' re almost as friendly as dogs--if you know how to get on with ' em. Watch him peckin ' about there an ' lookin ' round at us