PAUL AND CHICKABIDDY.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume IX, Issue 25, 18 June 1892, Page 629

PAUL AND CHICKABIDDY.

‘That old hen wuns away from my little chickabiddy all the time !’ cried Paul, climbing up the steps of the cool, vine shaded back verandah where his pretty, sweet mamma was canning cherries. * What do you fink he will do now ?’ ‘ I think he will scratch for himself. ’ ‘ But he don’t scwatch for hisself. The wobin-wedbweast scwatches for him.’ ‘ How is that ?’ asked mamma, opening her blue eyes very wide at her little boy, fearing he was telling a wrong story. * He takes the worms the wobin-wedbweast finds for his little ones up in the cherry-tree nest. See there !’ Mamma looked out upon the croquet-ground, and there, sure enough, on the close gieen turf was a bright, plump robin-redbreast, braced back on his slim black legs, pulling a fine fat angle-worm out of the damp soil, and a yard away stood the scrawny Plymouth Rock chickabiddy, with his long half fledged neck stretched out, watching the exploit with great anxiety. No sooner did the robin have his hard earned prize dangling and wriggling in his bill than chickabiddy gave a spring and a squawk, robin dropped the worm, and quick as a wink chickabiddy gobbled it up. ‘ Well, I never !’ said mamma, with a surprised laugh. * He does it ever so many times,’ said Paul, wisely ; ‘ and there are so many wobins here at Cheriy farm, he doesn’t have to scwatch for hisself at all.’