It’s early in the morning; what could be struggling so energetically out in the back yard?
I leave my warm, soothing cup of hot green tea and look outside to check out the cause of the activity. 
I see a Robin Red Breast pulling on a long string. His problem is that the string is connected to a pole having something to do with mechanics of the nearby koi pond. The robin doesn’t care about technicalities such as whether strings are tied to poles by humans, not when his needs are materials to build his new spring nest. He remains undeterred by the pole’s stubborn attitude and pulls the string so hard that the force of his mighty bird-strength almost propels him backwards onto his tail feathers.
“Drat,” I imagine him saying, “I’ll show that pole-snatcher not to mess with a Robin during mating season.
And with his new resolve, he marches back to face his foe. This scene continues for a few more rounds, when he flies off into a newly budding tree. I see him there, as yet un-camouflaged by full flowerings of leaves.
There he remains until early the following morning, when the pole begins re-undulating. There, at the base, is the dedicated Robin determined to get a special piece of string to start his new nest.
But nothing has changed; the string is still attached to the pole and no matter of Robin strength will pull it free. I carefully and silently open the sliding screen door, camera in hand, hoping to get a portrait of a man on a mission, in the guise of a bird. But the hint of my intrusion warns him and he flies away.
Time to bring some logic to this situation; I recall my college classes and ask key questions:
1) What is known? Answer: I know the bird wants the string.
2) What is keeping him from reaching his goal? The string has other plans.
3) How can this dilemma be solved? Provide a substitute for his string-fetish.
So I cut pieces of yellow string used for recycling newspapers and scatter them around the stubborn, string-holding pole.
Next morning the bird resumes his task, whistling “To Dream the Impossible Dream,” from the show, “Don Quixote.” He looks longingly at the pole, the impaled long string tantalizingly close to his reach, and yet unavailable, picks up a piece of yellow string and flies away.
MorristownMemos 
Comments on: "THE ROBIN AND THE STRING" (36)
Love it!
THANKS SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENT.
Lovely story, I simply adore birds!
And I know they love you too!
Survival of the fittest. We must all learn to adapt.
Adapt? I can’t even decide what color to paint my house.
lol!
What a sweet story.
My favorite part was the robin whistling “To Dream the Impossible Dream.” We just heard the 10 Tenors perform the night before I wrote the story, and that was one of their winningest blockbuster performances.
Oh I like this post. Birds are favorites. I too leave debris around the yard for them to use. Thanks for stopping by my blog today. I look forward to reading more of your posts.
Thanks and welcome to my blog. I look forward to reading more of your posts too.
That bird’s lucky to have a friend in you. Clever solution and a charming story, Ronnie.
Thanks, Judy. He was a charming and very persistent bird.
Nice story, Good Robin, Lucky Robin, Good Ronnie
Very crafty answer!
Hahaha! You saved the day for that poor lil robin. A yellow bit is better than nothing.
He might be the only robin in town with such a colorful, fancy nest!
Ah, ’tis a wonderful springtime story, Ronnie. We have a robin nesting at the corner of the house, using the downspout for the base of its nest. Have a great day !
Be careful not to get near that spot once the eggs are hatched. Those lovely robins become dive-bombers if anyone gets near their babies.
I can only imagine the story he told his mate. (Males tend to exaggerate sometimes.)
Really? I never noticed!
You were most kind to the persistent robin!
He was so persistent that I had to step in and make his life more rewarding!
Great post, Ronnie. Very epic and educational.
Thank you, Ann. I appreciate your comment.
I have a friend who says she throws her dryer lint out in the yard for the squirrels to use in their nests. I have yet to try this…. I’m sure my squirrels would love it. But the neighbors…?
That makes perfect sense; it’s soft and cuddly; especially lint from towels. Very fine idea! And this is the time of year to do so.
This is such a lovely story Ronnie… love that the bird finally got what it needed…
Thanks, Rob; why am I not surprised to learn that you liked a story about birds?
Awww too cute. Am trying to think what the moral of the story could be.
How about “Save the planet; recycle and help robins reproduce.”
Great story, Ronnie. Especially since, in the end, the robin took the bait! 😉
I prefer not to think of the yellow string as bait, but as a helpful tool that would make a reasonable substitute.
Yes, I was speaking metaphorically, of course.
I just saw this pop up at the end of my break and had to investigate! What a fantastic wee story. that is life all in one page.. wonderful.. c
Thank you Celi, Talk about life all in one page; your battle with the minks in your chicken coop is a mammoth one!