"Come along," he said, making his voice as soft as possible, "and tell
me what you want."
His expression tried to convey that he was harmless, and he smiled to
counteract the effect of his bristling hair which stuck out at right
angles as it only can stick out on waking. He felt complimented by the
visit of the bird, and did not wish to frighten it. But the Robin,
accustomed to seeing scarecrows in the dawn, showed not the slightest
fear; on the contrary, it showed interest and a simple, innocent
affection too. It fluttered up on to the rail between the bed-posts,
almost within reach of his stretched-out hand; its flexible toes
clutched the bar as though it were a twig; it moved first two inches
to the right, then two inches to the left again, then held steady. It
next flicked its tail, and cocked its small head sideways, as if about
to deliver a speech or message it had learned by heart; stared
intently into the bearded human visage close in front of it; abruptly
opened its wings; whirred them with a rapidity that made a sound like
a shower of peas striking a taut sheet; and then, with a single,
exquisitely-chosen curve--vanished through the open window and was
gone.
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