APRIL 1: Marketing
“It is surprising,” said Mr. Robin, “how many creatures forget that they’re not the only ones who go marketing.
“Ladies go to the shops and they think they’re the only ones who see that their families are fed. But they’re not at all. Now, allof the robins go a-marketing. We are very good at it. And most of the gentlemen birds do the marketing when the mother birds are watching over the eggs and the little birdlings.”
“‘THIS IS THE SEASON FOR US TO TAP THE SIRUP FROM THE MAPLE TREES, AND YOU ARE SPENDING YOUR TIME SWINGING IN A HAMMOCK.’”—Page 73
“‘THIS IS THE SEASON FOR US TO TAP THE SIRUP FROM THE MAPLE TREES, AND YOU ARE SPENDING YOUR TIME SWINGING IN A HAMMOCK.’”—Page 73
“That is so,” agreed Mrs. Robin; “the dear father birds are splendid about looking after the food for the home when we’re busy guarding the nests and seeing that the eggs hatch out into dear little birdlings.
“And you always know where to get the best worms.”
“To be sure,” said Mr. Robin, “and that is what I meant when I said that though we did not go to the same markets as people we went marketing, too.
“What a horrible thing it would be if people did come to the lawns and began digging up all the worms! Gracious, the poor birds would have a dreadful time!
“But they don’t do that any more than we go to the grocery stores and tell the grocer to please do us up a package of potatoes and another of onions, and one more of meat which we’d order at the meat shop.
“It is fair the way things are divided up. In this way the lawns don’t run short of worms as they otherwise might do.”