Old grey owl had just woken up. He was flitting silently from branch to branch, looking for his supper, and most of the other creatures in the forest had begun to settle for their night’s sleep, when they heard a terrible noise. The robins, blackbirds and thrushes lifted their sleepy heads from their nests and listened; the baby fawn crept closer to his mother in the bracken; the squirrels whisked their tails in the air; and the rabbits, which were playing a last game of “Poor Bunny sits a-weeping,” shuttered away.
Crashing their way through the forest strode two fierce men, dragging with them a little boy and a girl. As they came into the clearing the men stopped, and threw the children to the ground.
“No one will ever find them here,” said one, and with the huge sacks of treasure, which the robbers had stolen from the children’s father, they made off.
All the creatures of the forest stayed very quiet and still until the last sound of the trampling of leaves and the snapping of twigs had died away. The night passed heavily and at the dawn a little robin flew down and took a good look at the children, who were doing their best to comfort each other.
“It’s children! That’s what is!” chirped Robin.
“How do you know?” asked Squirrel, scornfully.
“Do-oo-you-oo? Do-oo-you-oo?” cooed the wood pigeons.
The baby fawn stayed close by his mother and the forest creatures watched and waited until the two children, worn out with crying; fell asleep in each other’s arms. Then one by one the animals crept closer.
“Poor little things!” said the fawn’s mother; her big brown eyes were full of sorrow.
“Do-oo something!” cooed the wood pigeons.
The rabbits and the squirrels were too busy to talk, for they were scurrying about collecting the dry fallen leaves and heaping them over the two children.
“They’ll be nice and warm no,” said the rabbit.
“Won’t they be hungry when they wake up?” whispered the baby fawn.
All the other creatures rushed about finding food for the children. The squirrels brought nuts, the birds brought berries, and Robin told them which ones would be safe for children to eat.
Even Old Grey Owl went back to his house in the tree and came out with two dead mice, which made the others laugh; except of course old Grandfather, Filed mouse, who was simply furious.
Then Robin said: “As soon as it is light I shall fly off. I shan’t come back until I’ve found someone who will take care of these children.”
“That’s all very well,” said Old Grey Owl, “but how can you tell them that children are here?”
“Pooh!” said Robin. “Leave that to me!” And, flying down from his branch, he tweaked a button from the little boy’s coat. “Won’t do-oo! Won’t do-ooo!” cooed the pigeon sadly.
Then Squirrel frisked down the tree. He nibbled the little girl’s hair-ribbon with his sharp teeth till he had cut right through and then, with a smart bow, he handed the tiny piece to the robin.
Very early in the morning, when the trees still looked grey and misty, Robin set out. The blue ribbon was knotted carefully round his neck, and in his beak the carried the bright, shiny button. At last he came to the edge of the forest and to the cottage where the old woman who put out crumbs and fresh water for him, lived by herself. Robin perched on a branch by the cottage door and sang his sweetest and loudest.
“Bless me!” cried the old woman. “There’s my friend!” And she opened the little door and peeped out. How she laughed when she saw that Robin was wearing a blue silk neck-tie!
Robin flew down and dropped the bright, shiny button at her feet, and as she stooped to pick it up, the old woman saw that it was the button she herself had sewn on the little coat she had made for her grandson.
“Bless me!” said the old woman, she looked again at the robin and saw that the neck-tie he was wearing was a piece of the very hair-ribbon she herself had bought from the peddler for her little grand daughter.
Robin flew a little way off, and sang again, his loudest and clearest and the old woman wrapped her shawl round her shoulders and followed him; and so they came at last to the children, Robin always leading the way, waiting and singing on bush after bush until the old woman had caught up with him.
“Bless me!” cried the old woman, when she saw her two little grand-children.
“Oh Granny!” said the little boy. “We had such a horrid dream all about robbers.”
“Bless me!” she said. “That is over now.”
She sounded so kind that none of the forest creatures felt afraid of her, and they all drew near.
“It is such a long way to my cottage,” she said.
“Then the children shall ride on my back,” said the fawn’s mother.
All the way, the fawn skipped by his mother’s side, and the rabbits and squirrels followed after; and over their heads flew the singing birds. When they came to the cottage the old woman went to her cupboard and brought out the nicest things she could find, and they all sat down in the little garden and had a grand feast.
“Bless me!” said the old woman. “It’s just like a party!”