Could never take a swim;
The robin of the ocean
Could never fly or skim

Across a grassy meadow,
Nor fly up in a tree.
But he can do all kinds of stunts
Within the deep blue sea.

"Where did you learn all that?" asked Marjorie, pulling on her stockings.

"Listen; there's another verse and maybe two or three," cooed the Dove,
and then she began to sing again:

The robin of the woodland
Has a pretty crimson vest;
He sings a merry, blithesome song
And builds a cozy nest.

The robin of the ocean
Has fins that look like wings.
He doesn't build a nest at all,
He grunts, but never sings.

Yet both of them are robins,
As some of us have heard--
Although the ocean one's a fish,
The woodland one's a bird.

"Cock-a-doodle-do!" crowed the Weathercock, as the Dove finished her song.