She had not thought of it before.
He turned about to the orchard side of his garden and began to whistle--a low soft whistle.

She could not understand how such a surly man could make such a coaxing sound.

Almost the next moment a wonderful thing happened.

She heard a soft little rushing flight through the air--and it was the bird with the red breast flying to them, and he actually alighted on the big clod of earth quite near to the gardener's foot.
"Here he is," chuckled the old man, and then he spoke to the bird as if he were speaking to a child.
"Where has tha' been, tha' cheeky little beggar ?" he said.

"I've not seen thee before today.