"Robbie" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov.

The majority of Asimov's works concerning robots attempted to provide examples of the help that they could render for humanity.

[3] After John W. Campbell of Astounding Science Fiction rejected the story in June, Asimov briefly hired Frederik Pohl as literary agent, but he could not find a magazine to accept it.

For its first publication, Pohl renamed the story “Strange Playfellow,” a title Asimov thought "distasteful".

Mrs. Weston has become concerned about the effect a robot nursemaid might have on developing social skills and worries that he might malfunction and harm her.

Her mother thinks it would be impossible for Gloria to forget Robbie while surrounded by the places where they once played.

Among other tourist attractions, the Westons visit the Museum of Science and Industry; Gloria sneaks away to see a "Talking Robot" (in modern terms, a computer), an immobile machine which takes up the whole room.

Gloria runs in front of a moving vehicle in her eagerness to get to her friend, but is rescued by Robbie.

When Robbie saves Gloria's life, an unplanned part of the reunion, Mrs. Weston relents.