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.