
In a bright May morning full of song, a farmyard comes alive with bustling activity—children feeding animals, a gentle brook bubbling, and an old elm tree that watches over everything. Little Annie, eager to care for her feathered friends, opens her door to welcome a robin family, and the mischievous Jack Robin promptly hops onto the kitchen table, causing a stir among the humans and his own kin. The scene blossoms into a lively exchange of laughter, scolding, and gentle teaching, as the robin parents try to guide Jack toward proper behavior while the children watch with curiosity.
Through this sweet, slice‑of‑life vignette, listeners hear the timeless lesson that kindness must be balanced with respect for others' spaces. The story captures the charm of rural life and the tender bond between children and the creatures they love, inviting young ears to consider how their actions affect friends—both feathered and human. As the robin family gathers back in the tree, the tale leaves listeners humming with the promise of more adventures and gentle growth.
Language
en
Duration
~37 minutes (36K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Release date
2011-01-23
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1815–1893
A prolific 19th-century American writer for children, she published hundreds of stories and books filled with moral lessons, domestic scenes, and lively adventures. Writing under the name Madeline Leslie, she became a familiar presence in young readers’ lives across the Victorian era.
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