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Fiction by Kevin J. O'Reilly

February 2004

Long ago, before the Gael came to live on the Holy Isles there was a bird commonly known as Ruddock. Ruddock was a small brown bird with some freckles on his underbelly near his wings. He lived in the great woods that covered the Holy Isles.

Now Ruddock did not have many friends and used to pass the time singing, but Ruddock did not sing too well. Over time he became skilled however and was soon renowned for his songs.

He also had another bad trait. Wherever he settled he became very territorial and chased other birds away. He was very bad tempered and cantankerous. He could be dangerously violent in fact!

So he wasn't liked much but he was tolerated as his song was so pleasant. But one day after being very obnoxious for weeks, Robin finally met his match.

Ruddock had become known as Robin because he always came robbing other folks territory and recently he had settled on a nice glade in the great wood. The summer had been hot and dry, the wood was tinder and one day a big storm threatened to cook up a stir in the Holy Isles.

Well there was only a smattering of heavy rain but the sky exploded in rapturous thunder and blue-white zaps of jagged fork lightening. A savage blast shattered an ancient oak that immediately flared up on fire. The flames were instantly ferocious and they licked dangerously towards other trees, then a hot dry wind began and it wafted the flames onto other tinder trees that could not resist fires seductive glow. Soon an enormous inferno was spreading through the great wood.

All the birds and animals were evacuating.

"Run" they shouted, "Go quickly, a great fire is burning this way". And all ran but one. Ruddock would not move, this was his territory and he would not give it up just because of a fire!

He thought this might be a trick to get him out of his home and was blind to the danger. So he went to the edge of the glade and made threatening actions to the encroaching fire but it would not quit. Gradually Robin had to edge back across the glade as the fire caught the grass. Still he charged and threatened until he was charred and tired. And still fire came on.

Robin made a last stand against fire on the tree line edging the glade but he began to glow red on his chest and belly and just before he collapsed he found the strength to fly away, tears in his eyes and utterly tired and distressed.

The experience taught him when to quit but did not make him anymore likeable. His chest remains red to this day as a marker to Robin the Ruddock's last stand.

This is the story of how Robin Redbreast came to be.

Inspired by Native North American History.