Bird's-Nest Hollow by Sarah Noble Ives
A child narrates puzzlement over a nest in a hollow apple-tree, along the broad Shining Way, home to two fat Robins, the larger wearing a crimson vest. Friendly with the birds, the child visits daily when the sun shines, watching them flit in and out, and the Robins promise that next year they will build a nest for the child too. One day the child peeps in and finds five small blue eggs, and the Robins swear the child to secrecy, insisting that Jim and Alice must not find out; the child promises and keeps the secret well. On a later visit, the two Robins have company: five small squirming, undressed children fill the nest. The Robins explain to the child that taking them in was an act of charity. These wriggling newcomers have big mouths but no wings, and the Robins serve them refreshments in turn. But the eggs are gone, and the child is left puzzled, wondering aloud whether the small birds ate the eggs up.
By Sarah Noble Ives · First published 15 · Genre: Children's Literature, Poetry, Nature Poetry · 334 words
First lines
There is something puzzles me. - / In the hollow apple-tree, / Where the Shining Way is broadest, there's a nest; / Two fat Robins live in it, / In and out I see them flit, / And the biggest wears a gorgeous crimson vest.
We are friends, and so when I / Come to look, they do not fly, / But they chatter from the branches of the tree; / And I run down there to play, / When the sun shines, every day, / And next year they say they'll build a nest for me.
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Genres
- Children's Literature — The poem is explicitly written for a child audience, featuring a child narrator who observes nature with innocent curiosity, uses age-appropriate language, and approaches the subject matter from a youthful perspective.
- Poetry — The work is structured as formal verse with consistent rhyme scheme (AABCCB pattern in each stanza) and rhythmic meter, employing poetic devices such as imagery, repetition, and metaphorical language.
- Nature Poetry — The entire composition focuses on detailed observation of robins in a hollow apple tree, documenting their natural behaviors, nesting habits, egg-laying, and the hatching and feeding of their young.
- Narrative Poetry — The poem tells a coherent story spanning multiple visits to the tree, charting the progression from discovering eggs to witnessing hatched chicks, culminating in an unresolved mystery.
Tags
children's poetry · narrative poetry · pastoral · rural · animals · robins · eggs · nests · apple tree · childhood wonder · animal friendship · secrecy
What this Textopian page supports
Bird's-Nest Hollow is listed on Textopian as a short story by Sarah Noble Ives, dated 15 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Sarah Noble Ives
- Date: 15 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Children's Literature, Poetry, Nature Poetry, Narrative Poetry, Humorous Literature
- Length: 334 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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- Work identity for Bird's-Nest Hollow by Sarah Noble Ives
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
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