Robin sat on the grassy bank, idly picking the primroses, while Rough, the brown terrier, frisked round him, barking gaily.
But Robin took no notice of Rough, for he was thinking hard, wondering what he could do. His brother Jack had been a cripple for two years, and at last the Doctor had said he might have a crutch. Mrs. Penfold had a dear little one in her shop, only there were no pennies to buy it with!
Was there nothing Robin could do to help?
Suddenly his brown eyes grew big with surprise. Something was shining brightly in the grass, and, as he picked it up, he saw that it was a golden egg!
Could it really be made of gold? If so, what a joyful surprise this was! Gold was meant to buy things with, and this lump of gold would surely buy the crutch for Jack!
Robin jumped up from the bank, and ran towards the township as hard as he could go.
He stopped in front of Mrs. Penfold"s shop. It was all shut up, and, when he knocked on the door, there was no sound from inside!
It was Easter Monday, and Mrs. Penfold and her family had left the baby with a neighbour and had gone gathering flowers.
When Robin heard that, he sighed. He wanted to buy the crutch at once, and run home with it as a surprise for Jack. Perhaps it would be best to wait till Mrs. Penfold came back, for fear she should sell the crutch before he could come again. It would never do to let anyone else buy it !
So he sat down on the doorstep, with his arm round Rough"s neck.
"Rough, " he whispered, "I hope Mrs. Penfold won"t be long. I do want to see Jack laugh when I take the crutch home! He doesn"t guess a bit what a surprise I have for him, does he? "Robin laughed aloud, and Rough jumped up and began to bark and play as if he knew all about it. Robin slipped the egg into the pocket of his trousers, and threw a stone for Rough to catch.
In the midst of a merry game, the Penfold baby toddled round a corner, her fat hands held out to steady herself. The next minute, Rough, rushing after the stone, ran into her, and down she rolled!
Robin ran to pick her up, and carried her to the doorstep. He didn"t think she could be much hurt, but she found a little bit of mud on her soft, pink fingers, and she screamed! All Robin"s coaxings were of no use.
"Please, don"t make such a noise! " he begged, afraid that some one would come and scold him for making her cry. "Look, Baby, see the pretty egg ! "" Ah-h ! " Baby grabbed at it and smiled, quite forgetting her tumble.
" Baby mustn"t have it !" protested Robin, holding it tight, for fear she should drop it.
" Ta! " shouted Baby, still clutching.
What was Robin to do? If people said "please, " surely they must have their way ! So Baby had the egg, and was still sitting on Robin"s lap, playing with it, when Mrs. Penfold came back.
At last Robin could buy the crutch !
" Please, Mrs. Penfold, " he cried, running to her, " the doctor says Jack may have a crutch at last, and I want to buy the one in the shop for him ! "" Jack may have a crutch? Well, that is good news! Of course you shall have it-it"s eighteen pence. "Mrs. Penfold bustled into the shop and handed the treasure to Robin, with a smile.
But Baby liked playing with the golden egg, and she would not let Robin take it away to pay for the crutch with it! She began to scream again.
Robin stood watching while Minnie Penfold pulled at the clinging little fingers, for she knew that the egg was his. Baby stopped screaming and sobbed aloud.
Then Robin gave a big sigh, quietly put down the crutch, and turned away.
"Let her have it, " he said.
" You"re a kind little boy! " said Mrs. Penfold, cheerily.
But Robin didn"t hear. He had given up, not only his golden egg, but with it all hope of buying the crutch for Jack, and he stumbled blindly as he ran down the road to his home.
The next minute, Minnie was running after him with the crutch, calling out that he had forgotten it.
"No-no! I can"t buy it-I"ve no money! " sobbed Robin, pushing it away.
"What do you mean? " asked Minnie, leading him back to the shop. "Mother, Robin says he has no money! ""I meant to pay with the golden egg, " stammered the little boy. "I found it-and thought it would buy the crutch, only- Baby wants it, and I don"t like her to cry ! ""That egg, dear! Did you think that was golden? " asked Mrs. Penfold, softly.
Robin nodded.
"But, my dear, look: it"s only a painted china Easter egg that some little child has dropped.""Oh, and I thought it was gold, and would do instead of pennies! Now we haven"t any money to buy the crutch, so Jack must sit still ! "Mrs. Penfold took Robin on her lap. "See here, " she said,after a minute, "you"re a capital little nurse, and, if you like to come and take care of Baby every day this week, you shall earn the crutch. I"d like some one to look after her for me, and you will be having holidays. Then on Saturday you shall have wages like a big man, and you shall buy the crutch with them, and take it home to Jack. Will that do? "Robin jumped, and hugged Mrs. Penfold tightly. " It"s too lovely! " he cried. " Oh, I must run home and tell Mother and Jack this very minute! "And off he flew, with Rough dancing at his heels.
- M. E. Hays
Author.-Mr. M. E. Hays is a modern English writer. The story appeared in The Prize, a popular annual for children, and is reprinted by permission of the Chatterbox Company.
General Notes.-Make a list of all the living things mentioned in the story. Where did Robin find the egg? What did he think it was? What was it really? What good did he get from it? What good did Jack get? What kind of boy would you say Robin was? Why?
