Part 12 (1/2)
”There are frozen apples in Arnot's orchard, frozen grapes on Sullivan Hill, poison-ivy berries near Big Flats, and sumach bobs on the road to Millport!” said Cousin Phineas ”So you may have your choice!”
”Let us try the sumach bobs!” said Mrs Robin ”I have not tasted one this season! They must be delicious after this hard frost!”
A railroad wound along the ht of as lined with sus were red with the criht Robert Robin's family
”These are very fine sumach bobs!” said Robert Robin ”They are the finest I ever tasted!”
”Their rich flavor coine smoke! This railroad has the best s improves the flavor of a sumach bob like nice black smoke!”
”I found a stone in my sumach bob!” shouted little Sheldon
”Hush!+ Child! It is nothing but a cinder!” said Cousin Phineas ”And cinders are good for coughs! But I would not eat too est!”
When all the robins had eaten as many sumach bobs as they cared for, Robert Robin said:
”Cousin Phineas, we have enjoyed our stay with you, but it is a long way to the south, so we !”
And Cousin Phineas said: ”I wish that you had time to stay a week, but I know that you must be in a hurry so I will not coax you to stay this time, but now that you have found the way, you must come and seeYou will findto spend the winter in Elmira and vicinity!”
”Good-by, Cousin Phineas!” said Robert Robin ”Good-by, Cousin Phineas!” said all the rest, and away they flew into the sky, and soon all that Cousin Phineas could see of theray cloud
”Swish!+ Swish!+ Swish!+” went the sound of wings against the still, thin air Below Robert Robin and his family the valley of the river widened into fertile farlitter of the polished steel of the railroad rails flashed to their eyes under the rays of theto be a fine day for our trip!” said Mrs Robin
”It couldn't be better!” said Robert Robin ”There is just enough breeze to help in our flying; we should reach the great bay before night!”
The youngster robins were verythe new country The valley continued to widen beneath thereat loco trains, and pierced the air with screaster robins still more were the other birds Far above, and as far as could be seen on either side, the air seemed alive with them
There were crows, and thrushes, and flickers, and birds ofbirds, and little birds Black and brown and gray and blue and yellow and red, and birds of all colors in between
Flying so high that they could not be seen froster robins as if all the birds in the world were going south for the winter Robins, robins, everywhere! Hundreds of thereat flocks Robert Robin kept saying, ”Kirk! Kirk!” so that none of the children would get lost
”Keep close to your father, children!” said Mrs Robin ”If you should ever get lost in this croe could no ht!”
A flock of wild geese called frohtened little Sheldon very ether, their powerful wings driving their heavy bodies swiftly through the air
Their hoarse-voiced leader honked his loud calls as he led the line, which, straight and true as a file of drilled soldiers, sweeping in perfect formation a halfthat little Sheldon had ever seen that the little robin screamed, ”Help! Help! Help! There coeese and they will not hurt you, child!” said Robert Robin
”What ether?” asked little Sheldon
”They ca banks roll over the ice of the north!”
said Robert Robin, ”and they have learned to fly closely together so that they will not get lost froeese were traveling much faster than the robins, and soon they were far ahead of Robert Robin and his family
”Why do they fly so fast?” asked Evelina
”They have far to go!” answered Robert Robin, ”and theythere!”