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Updated: May 4, 2025
Out of the hubbub single words emerged occasionally a "robin," "swallows," an "up-and-under bird" yet, strange to say, so far as Stumper was concerned, only one thing was said; all said the same one thing; he heard this one thing only as though the words and sentences they used were but different ways of pronouncing it, of spelling it, of uttering it.
She glanced quickly in the direction whence it came the pond and the next instant the reeds about the edge parted and the thing that had emitted the curious wild cry emerged plainly into view. It was a pompous-looking creature. It came out waddling. "It's the up-and-under bird," exclaimed Judy in a whisper. "Something's happening!"
The robin, the swallows, and the up-and-under bird, having accomplished their purpose, disappeared from view in order to attend to breakfast and the arrangement of their own subsequent adventures. Earth, air, and water had delivered messages. The news had been flashed. Those who deserved it had been warned. The day could now begin.
And Judy, reflecting vaguely that she, too, was something of an up-and-under creature, followed its example, though without the same dispatch or neatness of execution. She tumbled sideways into bed and disappeared beneath the sheets, aware that the bird had left her richer than it found her. It had communicated something that lay beyond all possible explanation.
"To sing," Tim added, a single shiver of joy running through all three of them at once. The enchantment of their own dim memories of the dawn of a robin, of swallows, and of an up-and-under bird flashed magically back. The Tramp nodded his great head slowly; he bowed it to the sunlight, as it were. There was a great light flaming in his eyes. He seemed to give out heat.
As she said it, a memory of some faint, exquisite dream, of years and years ago it seemed, fled also on tiptoe through the bright, still air, and through three listening hearts as well. The robin, the swallows, and the up-and-under bird made secret signs and vanished. "They know everything first, of course," said Uncle Felix aloud; "they're up so early, aren't they?"
Judy recalled, as of long ago, the warning bugle-call of an up-and-under bird; Tim faintly remembered having overheard some swallows "discussing" together; Uncle Felix saw a robin perched against a sky of pearly grey at the end of an interminable corridor that stretched across whole centuries.... Then, close beside the three of them, a bumble-bee, a golden fly, and a company of summer gnats went by booming, trumpeting, singing like a tiny carillon of bells respectively.
She just closed her eyes.... The swallows were chattering in the eaves, a robin sang a few marvellous bars, then ceased, and an up-and-under bird sent forth its wild, high bugle-call, then dived out of sight below the surface of the pond.
"Everything's free and careless...and so are so am I...for we shall never...never forget...!" she remembered sweetly and was gone, fluttering after the up-and-under bird ...into some hidden world she had discovered.... The old Mill House lay dreaming in the dawn. Transparent shades of pink and gold stole slowly up the eastern sky. A stream of amber diffused itself below the paling stars.
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