Robin Redbreast

Every morning for the last week a fat friendly robin has greeted me, either before or just as I am finishing my daily walk. Being the inquisitive kind, I wanted to know more of my namesake, robin redbreast. I discovered a wonderful legend of how the robin earned his red breast, I cried at the end of the story. It is rather long, but worth reading. The host site, University of Virginia Library is also a gem to have found, http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/

Today, I told the children in BSF, the wonderful story of how God demonstrated His great love towards us, while yet we were still sinners, Christ died for us. What a wonderful gift to finish this day, by finding this story of a courageous little robin who dared to draw near. Read the legend to understand my meaning.

http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/LagRobi.html

Lagerlof, Selma. "Robin Redbreast." Trans. Volma Swanston Howard.
Current Literature 42 (Mar. 1903): 346-48.

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This little tale by Sweden's noted writer of mystical stories has in it the simplicity of a nursery rhyme and the beauty of perfect art. The translation from the Swedish is made by Volma Swanston Howard for The Bookman, with whose permission we reproduce it.