The tale of Jolly Robin

In Short

Arthur Scott Bailey’s 1917 woodland tale follows Jolly Robin from his helpless days as a spotted nestling in Farmer Green’s orchard to his adult adventures across Pleasant Valley. Along the way, Jolly attempts to turn laughter into a professional trade, outwits a bully, travels south for the winter, and gets into gentle trouble with his neighbors. Simple, lighthearted, and steeped in early twentieth-century American nature lore, the book has endured as a comforting read for young audiences because of its irrepressible protagonist, mild comic misunderstandings, and warm appreciation for the rhythms of the natural world.

The Story

The narrative opens in an apple tree in Farmer Green’s orchard, where Jolly Robin hatches alongside two brothers and a sister. Tended by his attentive parents, Jolly develops an early obsession with angleworms. His first major trial comes when he tumbles out of the nest to the ground. Panicked by warnings about the farm cat, he follows his mother’s promptings to flutter along the grass, but he cannot manage to fly back up into the branches. His father solves the problem by playing a clever trick: shouting "The cat! The cat!" into the orchard. Terrified, Jolly flies straight into the tree without realizing it, bursting into delighted laughter when he discovers his success—a reaction that earns him his lifelong name.

As Jolly grows, his spotted fledgling breast turns a bright, mature red, a change he proudly attributes to his daily visits to a mountain ash tree. Full of energy, he consults Jimmy Rabbit for career advice. When Jimmy notes that Jolly’s true talent is laughing, Jolly tries to sell his services as a professional laugher to old Mr. Crow. The arrangement fails immediately because Mr. Crow demands sad laughter at inappropriate moments and gets angry when a prank backfires, causing him to lose a tail-feather.

When autumn arrives, Jasper Jay convinces Jolly to try a "new way to travel" south using signboards rather than flying with his family. The scheme leaves Jolly stranded and mocked as a "'fraid-cat." Enraged, Jolly chases Jasper for miles, accidentally catching up with his family and completing his migration the traditional way.

Returning to the orchard the following spring, Jolly is terrified by a motionless "white giant" standing under the apple trees. After watching Johnnie Green knock off the creature's head with a snowball, Jolly flees to the woods, where Jimmy Rabbit explains that the terrifying monster is merely a melting snow-man made of snow, butternuts, and an old hat.

Further adventures ensue when Jolly tries to reform his swamp-dwelling cousin, the Hermit Thrush, by advising him to give up his spotted vest and sad songs for cheerful red attire, only to drive his cousin away. Later, when a rumor spreads about a golden bird, Jasper Jay challenges the newcomer to a fight, only to discover the "golden bird" is merely a wooden rooster weather-vane on the barn roof. Jolly subsequently mistakes the hired-man carrying milk pails with a wooden neck-yoke for a "four-armed man," drawing further scolding from Mr. Crow. Finally, Jolly attempts to teach Willie Whip-poor-will a cheerier song, but falls asleep in the woods overnight. Returning home at dawn, he faces two days of the silent treatment from his angry wife before peace is restored to the nest.

How It Unfolds

The first flight Frightened by his father’s false alarm about the farm cat, Jolly flies up into the apple tree for the very first time. His sudden burst of merriment over the trick prompts his father to name him Jolly on the spot.

A business venture Jimmy Rabbit advises Jolly to make laughing his regular profession, leading Jolly to offer a free trial day of laughing services to old Mr. Crow. The arrangement ends abruptly when Mr. Crow loses a tail-feather to Uncle Sammy Coon and blames Jolly for laughing at his misfortune.

The travel trick Jasper Jay dupes Jolly into staying behind while the other robins fly south, promising a new system of travel guided by road signs. Realizing he has been tricked and called a "'fraid-cat," Jolly angrily chases Jasper across the countryside and overtakes his own family on their journey.

The snow giant Upon returning in early spring, Jolly mistakes a snow-man in the orchard for a silent white giant. Jimmy Rabbit inspects the site and reassures him that the terrifying figure is harmless, made only of snow, butternut eyes, and Farmer Green’s old Sunday hat.

A clash of cousins Jolly visits his cousin, the Hermit Thrush, in the swamp and tries to persuade him to stop singing sad melodies and adopt a red waistcoat. The Hermit is appalled by Jolly’s boisterous manners and red clothing, leading to an awkward parting between the two birds.

The golden bird Jolly reports seeing a magnificent golden bird on top of the barn, provoking the jealous Jasper Jay into starting a fight. The gathered forest creatures arrive at the barn only to realize the golden bird is nothing more than a stationary weather-vane.

A night in the woods Attempting to teach Willie Whip-poor-will a happier tune, Jolly visits the nocturnal bird in the forest and accidentally falls asleep until dawn. He returns to the nest to face his wife's cold displeasure and stays out of trouble forever after.

The People

• Jolly Robin: The upbeat protagonist of the story. He wants to eat angleworms, help his neighbors, and live a cheerful life, but his naivety and over-enthusiasm often lead him into awkward blunders. By the end of the book, he matures into a family man with five nestlings, learning when to keep his opinions to himself.
• Mr. Crow: A suspicious, irritable, and curious old gossip who wants to be entertained without risking his own dignity. His pomposity is constantly deflated by forest mishaps, like losing a tail-feather or getting tricked by farm equipment.
• Jasper Jay: A proud, loud-mouthed bully in a blue suit who envies anyone else's attention. He schemes to make Jolly look foolish and tries to pick fights, but his arrogance consistently backfires, leaving him humiliated before his peers.
• The Hermit Thrush: Jolly’s swamp-dwelling cousin, an artistic and sensitive singer who values refined manners, melancholy music, and his spotted vest. He is deeply offended by Jolly’s loud laughter and crude fashion advice.
• Jolly's Wife: A practical, no-nonsense robin who manages the nest and raised five children. She has no patience for Jolly’s foolish excursions or strange companions, enforcing strict domestic order whenever he steps out of line.

In Its Own Voice

"Nothing will hurt you," she said, "if you'll only keep still. But if you squall like that, the cat will find you."

Jolly’s mother warns her young fledgling after his first fall from the nest, establishing the basic survival lessons of the orchard.

"What you can do better than anybody I know is to laugh. And if I were you I should make laughing my regular business."

Jimmy Rabbit offers his earnest career advice to Jolly, setting off Jolly's ill-fated business arrangement with Mr. Crow.

"With his head off, he can't do any harm. And with the sun shining so warm I should say that by to-morrow he'll be gone for good."

Jimmy Rabbit inspects the battered snow-man in the orchard, reassuring Jolly that the mysterious white giant is melting away.

What It's Really About

Underneath its gentle animal episodic structure, the book investigates the tension between personal temperament and social expectations. Jolly’s natural instinct is boundless good cheer, but he repeatedly discovers that his joy can be misunderstood, inappropriate, or annoying to others. His encounters with Mr. Crow and the Hermit Thrush highlight how different individuals process the world—where Jolly sees cause for merriment, others see sadness or insult. The book also subtly explores the process of growing up: learning self-reliance, understanding cause and effect, and recognizing that one's own perspective is not the only valid one in a shared community.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy classic, unhurried children's literature like Beatrix Potter or Thornton Burgess will find a charming companion in Arthur Scott Bailey’s work. The book offers a nostalgic, cozy view of American farm and woodland life, filled with delicate observations of bird behavior, seasonal changes, and wildlife habits. It feels like stepping into a sunlit orchard where every creature has a distinct personality and a modest personal dilemma.

Modern readers should be aware of its episodic structure and deliberate, early-twentieth-century pacing, which relies on light repetition and gentle comedic misunderstandings rather than high-stakes action. A few period phrasing choices and simple character archetypes reflect its era, but the writing remains clean, accessible, and entirely free of cynicism. What stays with the reader is Jolly himself—an enduringly optimistic hero whose simple prescription for trouble is to keep singing "Cheerily-cheerup" regardless of what comes his way.