The Riddle of the Robin

Gifts for the Robin

The next day after school, the girls rush to go visit the robin. They see it perching on the same skinny branch as the day before. Willa holds up a book she brought, all about birds. Camille, Ashlyn, and Kendall hold up a birdfeeder, birdseed, and a water dish. And Emerson holds up a big hat decorated with flowers and origami paper cranes—she calls it a bird hat!

They set up the items for the robin. When the robin seeds the birdseed in the birdfeeder, it seems curious. It hovers nearby, and then flies around it in a circle. Then it goes right back to the skinny branch. The girls wonder if there’s something wrong with the gifts, and that’s why the robin doesn’t want them.

Willa turns some pages in her book. Then she states that robins don’t eat birdseed, so they don’t go to birdfeeders. Willa says the garden has plenty of food for the robin. She rolls over the rotten log she was sitting on. The book says robins like to eat beetles, bugs, worms, and grubs.

“Ew!” the WellieWishers exclaim! Camille recites a jingle:

With a wrinkle of her nose, Ashlyn says she doesn’t like the beetles. Willa explains that beetles are hardworking creatures. They chew dead wood and help break it down to little bits so it can become part of the dirt. Emerson jokes around that they should put together a plate of yummy bugs for the robin. They can serve worm spaghetti, with a side order of squooshed bugs and some icky beetles for dessert.

All the girls agree, but most of them are grossed out by the idea of touching the robin’s food. Willa isn’t bothered by the bugs, and puts together a cup out of leaves, worms, and beetles. After Willa sets the bowl down on the ground, all the girls take several steps back so they don’t scare the robin. After a while, the robin flits down to the bowl and picks up a worm. Then it flies back to its branch. The girls laugh.