Merrily swinging on briar and weed,

Near to the nest of his little dame, Over the mountain-side or mead,

Robert of Lincoln is telling his name: "Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link,

Spink, spank, spink;

Snug and safe is that nest of ours,
Hidden among the summer flowers,
Chee, chee, chee."

Robert of Lincoln is gaily drest,

Wearing a bright black wedding coat;

White are his shoulders and white his crest, Hear him call in his merry note:

66

Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link,

Spink, spank, spink;

Look what a nice new coat is mine,
Sure there was never a bird so fine.
Chee, chee, chee."

Robert of Lincoln's Quaker wife,

Pretty and quiet, with plain brown wings, Passing at home a patient life,

Broods in the grass while her husband sings:

"Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link,

Spink, spank, spink;

Brood, kind creature; you need not fear

Thieves and robbers while I am here.
Chee, chee, chee."

Modest and shy as a nun is she;
One weak chirp is her only note.

Braggart and prince of braggarts is he,

Spink, spank, spink;

Never was I afraid of man;

Catch me, cowardly knaves, if you can. Chee, chee, chee."

Six white eggs on a bed of hay,
Flecked with purple, a pretty sight!
There as the mother sits all day,
Robert is singing with all his might:
Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link,

66

Spink, spank, spink,

Nice, good wife that never goes out
Keeping house while I frolic about.
Chee, chee, chee."

Soon as the little ones chip the shell,
Six wide mouths are open for food.
Robert of Lincoln bestirs him well,
Gathering seeds for the hungry brood.

This new life is likely to be

Hard for a gay young fellow like me.
Chee, chee, chee."

Robert of Lincoln at length is made

Sober with work, and silent with care; Off is his holiday garment laid,

Half forgotten that merry air;

Spink, spank, spink;

Nobody knows, but my mate and I,
Where our nest and our nestlings lie.
Chee, chee, chee."

Summer wanes; the children are grown;
Fun and frolic no more he knows;
Robert of Lincoln's a humdrum crone;
Off he flies, and we sing as he goes:

When you can pipe that merry old strain,
Robert of Lincoln, come back again.

Chee, chee, chee."

By permission of D. Appleton & Co.

-William Cullen Bryant.

THE RIDDLE OF THE SPHINX.*

In the far-away days of the past, the old city of Thebes was in great trouble. A dreadful monster, called the Sphinx, made the road to that city almost certain death to travelers.

The Sphinx stopped all travelers going to or from Thebes and gave to them this riddle:

"Tell me, what animal is that

Which has four legs at morning bright,

Has two at noon, and three at night?"

All who guessed the riddle might pass on in safety. Those who failed were killed. And not one had been able to guess the riddle!

At last, a man named Edipus which means Swollen-foot -- came along, and the Sphinx gave him the riddle, as she had the others.

Edipus thought a moment, and then said: "The animal is man. In his infancy he creeps on hands and knees, in manhood he walks erect upon his two feet, and in feeble, old age he walks with the help of a cane."

The Sphinx was so angry because Edipus

* See preface.