His hands camebutterflies that fluttered about His head; doves cooed on His shoulders;and out of the earth beneath Him grew the rose, the lily, and the daisy.
The little bird's heart beat heavily with fright, but with easy curveshe flew nearer and nearer our Lord, till at last he rested on our Lord'shand. Then our Lord asked what the little bird wanted. "I only wish toask you about one thing," said the little bird. "What is it you wish toknow?" said our Lord. "Why should I be called Red Breast, when I am allgray, from the bill to the very end of my tail? Why am I called RedBreast when I do not possess one single red feather?" The bird lookedbeseechingly on our Lord with his tiny black eyes--then turned his head.About him he saw pheasants all red under a sprinkle of gold dust,parrots with marvelous red neck-bands, cocks with red combs, to saynothing about the butterflies, the goldfinches, and the roses! Andnaturally he thought how little he needed--just one tiny drop of coloron his breast and he, too, would be a beautiful bird, and his name wouldfit him. "Why should I be called Red Breast when I am so entirely gray?"asked the bird once again, and waited for our Lord to say: "Ah, myfriend, I see that I have forgotten to paint your breast feathers red,but wait a moment and it shall be done."
But our Lord only smiled a little and said: "I have called you RobinRedbreast, and Robin Redbreast shall your name be, but you must look toit that you yourself earn your red breast feathers." Then our Lordlifted His hand and let the bird fly once more--out into the world.
The bird flew down into Paradise, meditating deeply.
What could a little bird like him do to earn for himself red feathers?The only thing he could think of was to make his nest in a brier bush.He built it in among the thorns in the close thicket. It looked as if hewaited for a rose leaf to cling to his throat and give him color.
* * * * *
Countless years had come and gone since that day, which was the happiestin all the world! Human beings had already advanced so far that they hadlearned to cultivate the earth and sail the seas. They had procuredclothes and ornaments for themselves, and had long since learned tobuild big temples and great cities--such as Thebes, Rome, and Jerusalem.
* * * * *
Then there dawned a _new_ day, one that will long be remembered in theworld's history. On the morning of this day Robin Redbreast sat upon alittle naked hillock outside of Jerusalem's walls, and sang to his youngones, who rested in a tiny nest in a brier bush.
Robin Redbreast told the little ones all about that wonderful day ofcreation, and how the Lord had given names to everything, just as eachRedbreast had told it ever since the first Redbreast had heard God'sword, and gone out of God's hand. "And mark you," he ended sorrowfully,"so many years have gone, so many roses have bloomed, so many littlebirds have come out of their eggs since Creation Day, but RobinRedbreast is still a little gray bird. He has not yet succeeded ingaining his red feathers."
The little young ones opened wide their tiny bills, and asked if theirforbears had never tried to do any great thing to earn the priceless redcolor.
"We have all done what we could," said the little bird, "but we have allgone amiss. Even the first Robin Redbreast met one day another birdexactly like himself, and he began immediately to love it with such amighty love that he could feel his breast burn. 'Ah!' he thought then,'now I understand! It was our Lord's meaning that I should love with somuch ardor that my breast should grow red in color from the very warmthof the love that lives in my heart.' But he missed it, as all those whocame after him have missed it, and as even you shall miss it."
The little young ones twittered, utterly bewildered, and already beganto mourn because the red color would not come to beautify their little,downy gray breasts.
"We had also hoped that song would help us," said the grown-up bird,speaking in long-drawn-out tones--"the first Robin Redbreast sang untilhis heart swelled within him, he was so carried away, and he dared tohope anew. 'Ah!' he thought, 'it is the glow of the song which lives inmy soul that will color my breast feathers red.' But he missed it, asall the others have missed it and as even you shall miss it." Again washeard a sad "peep" from the young ones' half-naked throats.
"We had also counted on our courage and our valor," said the bird. "Thefirst Robin Redbreast fought bravely with other birds, until his breastflamed with the pride of conquest. 'Ah!' he thought, 'my breast feathersshall become red from the love of battle which burns in my heart.' He,too, missed it, as all those who came after him have missed it, and aseven you shall miss it." The little young ones peeped courageously thatthey still wished to try and win the much-sought-for prize, but the birdanswered them sorrowfully that it would be impossible. What could theydo when so many splendid ancestors had missed the mark? What could theydo more than love, sing, and fight? What could--the little bird stoppedshort, for out of one of the gates of Jerusalem came a crowd of peoplemarching, and the whole procession rushed toward the hillock, where thebird had its nest. There were riders on proud horses, soldiers with longspears, executioners with nails and hammers. There were judges andpriests in the procession, weeping women, and above all a mob of mad,loose people running about--a filthy, howling mob of loiterers.
The little gray bird sat trembling on the edge of his nest. He fearedeach instant that the little brier bush would be trampled down and hisyoung ones killed!
"Be careful!" he cried to the little defenseless young ones, "creeptogether and remain quiet. Here comes a horse that will ride right overus! Here comes a warrior with iron-shod sandals! Here comes the wholewild, storming mob!" Immediately the bird ceased his cry of warning andgrew calm and quiet. He almost forgot the danger hovering over him.Finally he hopped down into the nest and spread his wings over the youngones.
"Oh! this is too terrible," said he. "I don't wish you to witness thisawful sight! There are three miscreants who are going to be crucified!"And he spread his wings so that the little ones could see nothing.
They caught only the sound of hammers, the cries of anguish, and thewild shrieks of the mob.
Robin Redbreast followed the whole spectacle with his eyes, which grewbig with terror. He could not take his glance from the threeunfortunates.
"How terrible human beings are!" said the bird after a little while. "Itisn't enough that they nail these poor creatures to a cross, but theymust needs place a crown of piercing thorns upon the head of one ofthem. I see that the thorns have wounded his brow so that the bloodflows," he continued. "And this man is so beautiful, and looks about himwith such mild glances that every one ought to love him. I feel as if anarrow were shooting through my heart, when I see him suffer!"
The little bird began to feel a stronger and stronger pity for thethorn-crowned sufferer. "Oh! if I were only my brother the eagle,"thought he, "I would draw the nails from his hands, and with my strongclaws I would drive away all those who torture him!" He saw how theblood trickled down from the brow of the Crucified One, and he could nolonger remain quiet in his nest. "Even if I am little and weak, I canstill do something for this poor tortured one," thought the bird. Thenhe left his nest and flew out into the air, striking wide circles aroundthe Crucified One. He flew around him several times without daring toapproach, for he was a shy little bird, who had never dared to go near ahuman being. But little by little he gained courage, flew close to him,and drew with his little bill a thorn that had become imbedded in thebrow of the Crucified One. And as he did this there fell on his breast adrop of blood from the face of the Crucified One;--it spread quickly andfloated out and colored all the little fine breast feathers.
Then the Crucified One opened his lips and whispered to the bird:"Because of thy compassion, thou hast won all that thy kind have beenstriving after, ever since the world was created."
As soon as the bird had returned to his nest his young ones cried tohim: "Thy breast is red! Thy breast feathers are redder than the roses!"
"It is only a drop of blood from the poor man's forehead," said thebird; "it wi
ll vanish as soon as I bathe in a pool or a clear well."
But no matter how much the little bird bathed, the red color did notvanish--and when his little young ones grew up, the blood-red colorshone also on their breast feathers, just as it shines on every RobinRedbreast's throat and breast until this very day.
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Our Lord and Saint Peter]
OUR LORD AND SAINT PETER
It happened at the time when our Lord and Saint Peter were newly arrivedin Paradise, after having wandered on earth and suffered hardshipsduring many sorrowful years.
One can imagine that the
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