A Robin In the Cake Tin

Mrs Lewis caught me sitting on the back kitchen wall this morning.
She was dressed in stout sensible shoes and was going to pick blackberries
I was expecting our new log burner stove to be delivered and I thought the van with it on, had passed the cottage twice without stopping. 
Our postcode covers several miles of lane.
Mrs Lewis talks without stopping. There is no point in trying to interject, she just doesn't listen . I think she doesn't get to talk at home much, so everything in public rushes out in a torrent.
Today she was on good form, for it was several minutes before she allowed me to join into the conversation .
I didn't mind, I had nothing better to do.
She mentioned that she never really sees the Professor and I told her that he often works away. This week, for example he will be away from home until Friday night. 
" Things are a big quiet for you then!" She said 
Just then all hell let loose from inside the cottage, and I left Mrs Lewis open mouthed as I slithered over the wall like a fat slug and ran inside
Minutes later , after I had dragged four hysterical dogs from under the bed, I found the reason for the upset. 
Albert had smuggled an injured robin through the cat flap.
I know just what to do with injured birds. You keep them warm , you keep them quiet and you keep them in the dark. So immediately I popped the robin into the 1930s cake tin by the cooker and gently replaced the lid. 
An hour should be enough to see if it survived or not, I thought.

Mrs Lewis was still outside when I had finished.
She was talking to the delivery men who had stopped their van in the lane and had unloaded the stove.

Neither man had managed to get a word in edge ways 


It was almost two hours later , as I was planting bulbs in the front garden when Mrs Lewis walked back up the lane, seeing her reminded me of the robin and I told her to wait as I retrieved the cake tin from the kitchen.
Together we opened it up.

Out jumped the robin. 
For a moment he stood on the rim of the cake tin blinking his button black eyes in the sunshine, before flying off towards the churchyard in short half loops.

Mrs Lewis said nothing for a change.
She just smiled.



84 comments:

  1. I love happy endings.

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  2. That is sweet and I'm glad the robin survived. Unfortunately, birds that are brought to the porch for us are very much dead. It is mice that sometimes arrive alive. This is a main reason why we don't have a cat flap. -Jenn

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  3. Such a sweet story John. If I ever see a injured Robin I shall know what to do. x

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  4. The Robin is the official state bird of Michigan. I never would have known to keep him in a warm, quiet place.

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    Replies
    1. They are bold, aggressive little birds

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    2. True. If it was a little larger, it would try to kill you.

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  5. In our old neighborhood we had a lady like that. Dorothy. Oh my the things she told me about her kids, who are my age, and would not appreciate the stories being told! I miss that neighborhood.
    Glad the robin survived and thanks for the injured bird tip.
    Cindy Bee

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  6. What a great story, and well told. I'm glad to hear the robin was okay.

    The dogs are afraid of a bird? Interesting!

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  7. Anonymous10:52 am

    Robins are my favourite garden birds, they aren't as cautious as other birds and I love to "chat" with them. I'm happy this one survived.

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  8. just another day in paradise! now pix of the new stove please.

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  9. Chirpy chrpy tweet tweet

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  10. A happy story in many ways . . .
    (Good 'dea on the Robin/bird saving. I have some 1930 tins!)

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  11. A robin flew into our house once. It let me pick it up and carry it towards the door. Just before it launched away it chirruped. I like to think it was saying 'thank you'.

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  12. Anonymous12:09 pm

    That's the second time in a few days your evocative narrative has moved me to tears. Thanks, John.

    Warm, quiet and in the dark,
    U

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  13. A happy post. I love reading your blog.

    Jean

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  14. Anonymous12:21 pm

    And suddenly the world feels like a nicer place. Thanks for that!

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  15. Your little robins are so much sweeter than ours...ours are big and ungainly. Good job.

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  16. You have a wealth of esoteric knowledge. Charming story!

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  17. This is the Most Perfect story to start the day out !!!
    Thank you John :)

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  18. A cake tin. I'll keep that in mind.

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  19. Lucky Robin to have been caught and brought in by Albert.

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  20. Log burner? Really? Where is your wood going to come from? This intrigues me no end.

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  21. I love Robins. It was lucky you got to it in time. Mog caught a Robin a few weeks back and got a very stern talking to. X

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  22. sweet little bird. your robins are much different than ours. our robins are big birds, 9 - 11 inches long. your robin looks more like a little warbler.

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  23. So glad the little robin made it as they rarely do due to a deep puncture wound. So sweet of you to care.

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  24. "All's well that ......." - and I trust that you gave Albert a severe scolding.

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  25. You really are good at telling stories of every day life. That was a nice one. :)

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  26. Thank god we do not have a cat flap. Bee is currently in the garden stalking a chipmunk she saw earlier. Your robins are very beautiful and much different looking than what we have here.

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  27. What lovely little story. I enjoyed reading it.

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  28. Not sure what our cat brought in last night, and what is it about under the bed to eat your prey ? However, I digress, I trod on it. He removed it while I washed my foot. All this at 3a.m.....

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  29. Cool! I would not have known what to do....now I do!

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  30. I'm glad the robin didn't come to any harm.

    I think we all know a few people who just like the sound of their own voice and jabber away uncontrollably, oblivious to the principle of a two-way exchange. Would-be politicians perhaps.

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  31. John that was the most exquisite story and you made me smile ... two reasons i visit you every chance i get. Hugs! deb

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  32. The English Robins are so beautiful. Our Canadian ones have different shape and are much bigger.

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  33. I breathed a sigh of relief at the end of your story. Thanks for the photo, too. Once, I saved a hummingbird from the clutches of our cat. It was dazed from the ordeal but it sat calmly for a little while on my finger before taking off to the trees. Amazing how something so delicate can survive at all.

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  34. Your post brought back fond memories of my childhood village church. "In 1949 All Saints became national news when a robin made its nest in the lecturn and daily bulletins were broadcast after the Six o'clock News on the "Home Service". A full account was subsequently published in the London Illustrated News and the East Anglian Magazine, and is remembered by several robin motifs in the church."

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  35. How well you have told this tale. Every word added to the charm.

    I'm not sure if I will ever had the need to rescue a little robin, but I'll never forget the cake tin method. Thank you.

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  36. Well done you..x

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  37. I just read this for the second time :) I needed a bit of heart warming .
    This time I didn't cry :)

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  38. That's a nice story, Jan Bx.

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  39. Beautifully written everyday story that I loved.
    Our Robins are much bigger while your are so adorable small and very cheeky.

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. I was thinking that too! The robins we have in the states are big, mean things. This one is so little and cute!

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  40. Lovely little story!

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  41. Thanks all for your comments. I am working tonight so have not had time to reply to them all....fascinated that America has a kind of robin too, albeit a thrush version

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  42. A bloggers life is never dull!

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  43. I preferred the old blog list, now I am seeing double

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    Replies
    1. I'm hedging my bets lost one side already

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  44. Little and cute it may look Zoe but a robin will fight to the death to protect and guard its territory. Glad you rescued it John - and get that new wood burner laid ready - cold weather is forecast after this week and there is nothing nicer than relaxing in front of one.

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  45. So glad the robin survived, injured or shocked birds quite often don't.

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  46. Now what else would a cake tin be for. good on you john. my nan had a resident robin family in her garden and each time she went down the robin would come and perch itself on her spade in between the digging - well she had been shifting the worms for them. they are quite feisty though. you big softy don't ever change pattypan

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  47. Lovely you are back on blog form with a nice story with happy ending and humour. Out of interest do you use real names for villagers? Or is Mrs Lewis an alias?

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  48. Lovely you are back on blog form with a nice story with happy ending and humour. Out of interest do you use real names for villagers? Or is Mrs Lewis an alias?

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  49. Wasn't there a robin in that old classic children's book Little Lord Fauntleroy? It led the children to the garden... now WHY did I recall that after all these years!!!!
    You tell a lovely story John - would that more people have the patience to listen to lonely oldies!

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    1. Are you thinking of the Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett? She did also write Little Lord Fauntleroy and A little Princess.

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  50. Love a happy ending :)

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  51. Love a happy ending! x

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  52. Lovely story, John. You have a way with words!

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  53. This is one of my favorite posts! Xoxo!

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  54. That's a sweet story - makes me think of Christmas or something. I love to bake so I collect beautiful tins to put my offerings in (you know, I used to have a life but now I collect tins!) Since I work in an international environment I have tins from all over the world - have to go out and look for a pretty robin to put in it now. I don't suppose a few snails from my garden would look so pretty eh! Anna

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  55. Lots of wins here. Thank you.

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  56. good god Im gonna start carrying a robin around in a tin when I meet up with certain people...

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  57. I'm glad you released the robin from the tin before the Prof went in there on Friday ... expecting to find a chocolate covered Hobnob 😉

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  58. I like happy endings. Beautiful story.

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  59. Awww.that's very sweet with a wonderful ending.

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  60. Weren't you afraid it would suffocate? What if it died in there and the Prof found it, looking for a cooky to go with his tea? [You'd have heard about that!]. I hope you washed the tin well.
    Were the bulbs rescued from the apple lot?

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  61. That was pretty smart to do, John. I am glad the robin was okay and your stove finally arrived.
    Blessings to you.

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  62. No wonder you chose the honorable nursing profession, John. You are a natural, no matter the creature. I loved the tale!

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  63. That was the sweetest story.

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  64. Gosh I love your blog!

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  65. This was almost a 'short story' John. Nice one too!

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  66. Lovely story. One recognizes a good person when they're kind to creatures great and small. Whenever I need to hire a company to fix something biggish in my house, if they don't get along with my cats I don't hire them.

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  67. Mrs Lewis will have that news to tell other villagers, sweet of you to share the moment with her x

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  68. How lovely that the Prof keeps you close when he is away from home. And that the little Robin lives on.

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  69. So glad you remembered the robin. After 3 weeks in New York listening to some of my mother's neighbors (the ones she avoided like the plague) talk non-stop about themselves and, mostly, nothing, I don't think I'd have the stamina for Mrs. Lewis.

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  70. I miss your European robin with its little mask of orange. Glad he could be revived by a visit to the cake tin.

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  71. Pleased you saved Cock Robin.

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  72. Lovely post, we have a robin in our garden, he sits on the fence and stares through the window at us when the bird feeder is empty :)

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