A few days after this, it rained very hard.  The children were of course confined to the house, though Annie pleaded to go with her father to the barn.

After standing for some time gazing from the window, to watch the drops following each other down the glass, she saw Mr. and Mrs. Robin springing from one bough to another, chirping contentedly.

“I wonder they can be so happy when it rains,” she thought.  “I mean to make some paper dolls, and then perhaps I shan’t think so much about staying in doors.”

She ran quickly up stairs, and brought down a large box full of pasteboard, and pieces of paper of various colors.

Grandpa sat reading by the kitchen fire, as the rain made the air damp, and Fred held a book in his hand.  He was not reading, however; his eyes were wandering listlessly around the room.  When he saw his little sister, his face brightened, and he asked, “Don’t you want me to cut you out some new dollies?”

“Thank you,” she exclaimed, her whole countenance lighting up with smiles.

The next hour passed swiftly, as the brother and sister cut babies and houses for them to live in, and carriages in which they could ride.  Fred had just finished quite an ingenious contrivance, a little pasteboard cart, with wheels and shafts all in order, when tap, tap, went somebody at the door.

“That’s our robin,” cried Annie, springing up to go and let him in.

True enough, it was Jack Robin, looking as drenched as a drowned rat.

“O, see how wet he is!  I mean to take him to the fire,” said the little girl.

“Set him on the floor, and he’ll shake himself dry in a minute,” answered grandpa.  “Birds have an oily covering,” he added, “which turns the water off and prevents it from soaking in.  Look now at robin; you would scarce know he had been wet at all.  If it were not for this wise provision of Providence, thousands of birds would be chilled to death by every shower.  Take a duck or goose after he has been swimming in the water.  After a moment, he is as dry as if he had not been near the pond.”

“O grandpa,” exclaimed Annie, “will you please to tell us a story to-day?”

“I’ll try and think of one after dinner,” replied the old gentleman.  “I wish to finish this book this morning.”

When the little girl returned to her brother, she found the whole family of robins there.  Fred was busy fastening a piece of cord into the front of the pasteboard cart, and presently began to harness one of the birds into it.

“Talk to him, Annie,” he said, “and hold some crumbs before him to keep him still.”

But she laughed so heartily, she could not do much else.  Fred persevered, however, and after a while succeeded in driving Jack Robin around the room, to the great astonishment of his parents, brother and sisters.  They perched on the backs of the chairs to be out of the way, tipped their heads this side and that, chirping and chattering incessantly.

But at last Jack grew tired of this unusual exercise, and taking an opportunity when Fred was holding the string loosely, he flew away, wagon and all, to the gilt eagle which adorned the top of the looking glass.

The perfect shout of delight drew their parents and grandfather to the room, and there stood Master Robin, apparently no ways incommoded by this unusual appendage to his tail, looking down as innocently as possible upon the merry group.

“You must get your grandpa to tell you about an exhibition he once took me to,” suggested Mrs. Symmes.  “Your play with robin reminds me of it.”

“O, you will, you will, you’re such a dear, kind grandpa,” pleaded the child, fixing her earnest, expectant eyes upon his benevolent face.

“Yes, yes, dear,” said he, patting her rosy cheeks.  “After dinner I’ll be ready.”

“Well, then, I’ll give the birds something, and let them fly away to their nest,” said Fred; “and you may be picking up all the pieces scattered round on the floor.”

“Now,” said the boy, when the door was shut, “I’ll be the master, and hear you spell.”

“Cat.”

“C-a-t; cat,” answered Annie.

“Well, you must give the meaning.”

“I don’t know how.”

“Say like this,” said the young master:  “C-a-t, cat, a full-grown kitten.”

This exercise was carried on with much spirit until the children were called to dinner.