Illustrated by Ruth Brown
There's a man on the corner selling caged wild birds. He's ragged and strange, but Jarvis feels too sorry for the birds not to buy one. He wants to set it free. But when he takes it home, the caged robin sings so sweetly that Jarvis thinks he'll keep it for just another day . . . and then another and another, until he forgets his good intention to release it. Then, one night, when the little robin is dull-breasted and no longer sings, the birdman returns . . .
This powerful picture book for older children explores the power of temptation over conscience, with a resolution that is both magical and thought-provoking.
