exercises for making the muscles stand out like lumps. Robins are not
like human beings; their muscles are always exercised from the first
and so they develop themselves in a natural manner. If you have to fly
about to find every meal you eat, your muscles do not become atrophied
(atrophied means wasted away through want of use).
When the boy was walking and running about and digging and weeding like
the others, the nest in the corner was brooded over by a great peace
and content. Fears for the Eggs became things of the past. Knowing that
your Eggs were as safe as if they were locked in a bank vault and the
fact that you could watch so many curious things going on made setting
a most entertaining occupation. On wet days the Eggs mother sometimes
felt even a little dull because the children did not come into the
garden.
But even on wet days it could not be said that Mary and Colin were
dull. One morning when the rain streamed down unceasingly and Colin was
beginning to feel a little restive, as he was obliged to remain on his
sofa because it was not safe to get up and walk about, Mary had an
inspiration.
Now that I am a real boy, Colin had said, my legs and arms and all
my body are so full of Magic that I can t keep them still. They want to
be doing things all the time. Do you know that when I waken in the
morning, Mary, when it s quite early and the birds are just shouting
outside and everything seems just shouting for joy even the trees and
things we can t really hear I feel as if I must jump out of bed and
shout myself. If I did it, just think what would happen!
Mary giggled inordinately.
The nurse would come running and Mrs. Medlock would come running and
they would be sure you had gone crazy and they d send for the doctor,
she said.
Colin giggled himself. He could see how they would all look how
horrified by his outbreak and how amazed to see him standing upright.
I wish my father would come home, he said. I want to tell him
myself. I m always thinking about it but we couldn t go on like this
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