Bobby of Cloverfield Farm

by Oliver Optic

  Produced by Mark C. Orton, Josephine Paolucci and theOnline Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net.(This file was produced from images generously madeavailable by The Internet Archive.)

  BOBBY OF CLOVERFIELD FARM

  "'I can't stop to play now. I'm on important business'"]

  BOBBY OF CLOVERFIELD FARM

  BY

  HELEN FULLER ORTON

  _Author of "Prince and Rover of Cloverfield Farm"_

  _WITH ILLUSTRATIONS AND DECORATIONS BY R. EMMETT OWEN_

  NEW YORK

  FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY

  PUBLISHERS

  _Copyright, 1922, by_

  HELEN FULLER ORTON

  _All Rights Reserved_

  First Printing, June 17, 1922 Second Printing, November 3, 1922 Third Printing, May 15, 1923 Fourth Printing, April 25, 1924 Fifth Printing, August 26, 1924 Sixth Printing, February 27, 1926 Seventh Printing, April 2, 1927 Eighth Printing, August 1, 1928 Ninth Printing, August 6, 1929 Tenth Printing, January 31, 1931 Eleventh Printing, August 10, 1933

  _Printed in the United States of America_

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER PAGE

  I WHAT ROBIN REDBREAST KNEW 1

  II BOBBY'S KITE 10

  III THE OLD BROWN HEN 21

  IV THE SHEEP WASHING 29

  V THE SHEEP SHEARING 38

  VI RED TOP 46

  VII HAYING TIME 54

  VIII ON TOP OF THE WORLD 63

  IX BOBBY FORGETS 69

  X ROVER GOES TO THE STORE 76

  XI THE DUCKS A-SWIMMING GO 85

  XII THE RESCUE 91

  XIII BOBBY'S HORSEBACK RIDE 98

  XIV THE BIG SOUTH WINDOW 105

  XV ONE STORMY NIGHT 119

  ILLUSTRATIONS

  "'I can't stop to play now, I'm on important business'" _Frontispiece_

  FACING PAGE

  "'Hello, Robin Redbreast,' called Bobby, 'I'm gladyou are back again'" 7

  "Up, up, went the kite into the sky" 12

  "When he saw it he cried, 'Somebody's been digging inmy garden and here she is fast asleep'" 27

  "Before they could run across the bridge, Old BellWether walked up out of the creek and started forhome" 35

  "'Stop, Father, stop!' he said" 58

  "Bobby clung to Rover's collar until they reachedshallow water" 94

  "Bobby felt happy and grand. Prince felt happy and grand" 100

  WHAT ROBIN REDBREAST KNEW]

  I

  One cold morning in March, Bobby Hill was wakened by a sound he had notheard since last Fall, "Chirp, chirp, cheer-up."

  "That sounds just like a robin," he thought.

  He sat up in bed and looked out of the window. It was a cold, dark,stormy morning. Heavy clouds covered the sky. The North wind was blowingthe snow hither and thither.

  Bobby leaned nearer the window so he could see the ground. There was thesnow like a blanket of white over the yard and the road and the fields.There were the snowdrifts like mountains and castles along the fences.

  Bobby shivered as he looked at it and snuggled back under the covers.

  "I must have been dreaming," he thought. "It isn't time for robins."

  But he had no sooner settled down for another nap than he heard itagain, "Chirp, chirp, cheer-up."

  He got up and dressed quickly and went downstairs.

  "Mother," he said, "I heard something that sounded just like a robin.What could it have been?"

  "It _was_ a robin," said Mother. "Come here and see him."

  Bobby ran to the Big South Window. There on a branch of the maple treewas Robin Redbreast singing merrily.

  "I thought the robins always stayed down South until Spring," saidBobby. "Why did he come back in the dead of Winter?"

  "Spring is almost here," said Mother.

  "Oh, indeed it can't be," said Bobby, "it is so cold and snowy."

  "Robin knows," said Mother.

  But Bobby looked out and saw the fields still covered with snow, and sawthe huge snowdrifts like mountains and castles along the fences and thewhirling snowflakes in the air, and thought, "Robin is mistaken thistime."

  After he had finished his morning chores, Bobby took his sled and sliddown the little hill at the side of the house, as he had done nearlyevery day all Winter. Twenty-seven times he slid down the hill.

  Then he and Rover, the Big Shepherd Dog, went across the field to thesnowdrifts in the fence corners. Bobby slid down a huge snowbank, whichgave his sled such a start that he went skimming over the field on thehard snow. Eight long slides he took there.

  In the afternoon, he went skating on the Duck Pond. It was shiny andsmooth and beautiful for skating. Twenty times across the pond he went.

  When he went into the house, Mother said, "Well, Bobby, you have had abusy day."

  "I've had lots of fun," said Bobby. "I shall go sliding and skatingevery day all Winter."

  "That will not be long," said Mother.

  "Oh, yes, it will," said Bobby. "Just see all the snow and ice."

  If Bobby had only noticed, he would have known that even then the windhad changed to the south and it was becoming warmer. Soon the snow andice began to melt. All night they kept melting.

  The next day, Bobby was wakened again by Robin Redbreast. He looked outand saw the sun shining brightly. All that morning the snow melted sofast that by noon there were little rivers and pools of watereverywhere.

  Bobby tried to slide down the little hill; but there was a bare spothalf way down, so his sled stuck on the ground and would not go anyfarther.

  "This isn't any fun," thought Bobby. "I'll go over and slide down thesnowbanks." He and Rover started across the field; but at every stepthey went down through the soft snow into the water beneath.

  "This isn't any fun either. Is it?" said he to Rover.

  Rover looked up into Bobby's face and seemed to say, "I don't care forit much myself." So they went back to the house.

  Rover lay down by the fire to dry off; but Bobby took his skates andwent to the Duck Pond. When he got there, he found the ice on the DuckPond covered with pools of water.

  "I'll wait till another day to skate," he thought.

  He was just starting back to the house, when there came to his ears thesame sound he had heard the last two mornings, "Chirp, chirp, chirp."

  Bobby looked across the pond. There, on the ground under the willowtree, was a robin.

  "Hello, Robin Redbreast," called Bobby. "I'm glad you areback again"]

  "Hello, Robin Redbreast," called Bobby. "I'm glad you are back again.But you'll be very cold up here. It isn't Spring yet."

  "Chirp, chirp," said Robin. "Cheer-up, cheer-y." And he flew up to abranch of the willow tree.

  Bobby's eyes followed Robin into the willow tree. What were all thoselittle gray things on the twigs around Robin?

  Bobby looked more closely. "Why I do believe--I do believe--can it bethose are pussy willows?" he exclaimed.

  Around the pond to the tree he ran. Sure enough! Pussy willows theywere.

  Bobby reached up and picked some of the twigs. Then he ran to the houseas fast as he could run.

  "Oh, Mother," he exclaimed, "see the pussy willows! I believe Spring_is_ almost here."


  "Robin knew," said Mother.

  "Good!" said Bobby. Then he added, "But there won't be any moresleigh-rides, or sliding down hill, or skating."

  "Just wait and see what fun Summer will bring," Mother replied.

  BOBBY'S KITE]

  II

  The time of year had come when boys were flying kites. But aroundCloverfield Farm no one had started yet.

  Perhaps the little white clouds, floating in the sky, beckoned to Bobby,"Send a kite up to us, little earth boy."

  Perhaps the wind, blowing in the tree tops, whispered, "Bring a kite andtry me. Just see how far I will take it up for you."

  Anyway, Bobby suddenly stopped playing and looked up into the sky. Thenhe ran into the house.

  "I want to fly a kite," said he.

  "I will help you make one," said Grandfather, who was visiting there.

  Bobby hunted until he found the sticks and the string and the paper.Then they made a fine kite.

  Mother helped, too. She made the paste of flour and water, and foundbright strips of cloth for the tail. Then she wrote his name on thecross-stick--Bobby Hill.

  Sister Sue went along to help him start it.

  Up, up, went the kite into the sky.

  "Ha, ha!" said Mr. Wind. "Here's some fun. I'll take that kite up to theclouds."

  "Good!" said the little white clouds. "Here comes a kite to visit us."

  "Up, up, went the kite into the sky"]

  It was not long before the cord was all unwound, and the kite lookedlike a speck against the sky.

  "It must touch the clouds," said Bobby.

  Mother came out on the porch to look at it. People driving along theroad saw Bobby holding the string and looked up into the sky. "What afine kite!" they said.

  Mr. Hill had gone to the city that morning.

  "You had better leave it up until Father comes home; he will want to seeit," said Sue, as she started back to the house.

  Neighbor Newman's boy saw Bobby's kite and went into his house to makeone. Boys in the village saw it and began to make kites.

  When it had been flying for some time, the wind began to blow harder,and the kite tugged and tugged on the string.

  Suddenly, there was a strong gust of wind.

  Snap went the string.

  Away went the kite.

  Bobby ran after it, to catch it when it fell. But it soon blew out ofsight over the patch of woods. Then he sadly wound up the string thatwas left and went slowly to the house.

  "My kite flew away," said he to Mother. "And it was the best one I everhad."

  Meanwhile, the kite went sailing along.

  "It's my kite," said the West Wind. And he tried to blow it toward theLittle Red Schoolhouse.

  "No, it's my kite," said the North Wind. And he tried to blow it towardthe clouds.

  In spite of them both, the kite began to fall. Zigzag it went, first oneway, then another, across the road where the Little Red Schoolhousestood, to an open field on the other side.

  Mr. Hill was just coming home from the city on that road. As he wasdriving along, he saw the kite falling.

  "Whoa, Prince," he said to the horse.

  Prince stopped. Mr. Hill got out of the buggy and climbed over thefence. "Perhaps I can catch it," he thought. Just before he got to it,the kite came to the ground. Mr. Hill picked it up.

  "What a fine kite!" he said. "I wonder what boy lost it. I'll inquire atthe houses as I go along."

  He wound up the string, gathered up all the tail and went back to thebuggy. He started to put it under the seat; but as he did so, his eyefell on something written on the cross-stick. It was the name Mrs. Hillhad written there--Bobby Hill.

  "Well, well!" said he. "So it's Bobby's kite, is it?"

  He put it under the seat, got into the buggy and drove toward home.

  Father meant to give the kite to Bobby as soon as he reached home, butwhen he drove into the yard, there was a man waiting to see him onbusiness; so he forgot all about it.

  Bobby's big brother John unhitched Prince, put him into the stable andpushed the buggy into the carriage-house.

  So there was Bobby's fine kite lying under the buggy seat, all unknown.

  The next day, Grandfather helped Bobby make another kite. But perhaps itwas not made of the right kind of wood, or the cross-piece was not atjust the right place. Anyhow, it had not gone up far when it dived tothe ground and was broken.

  That evening Bobby told Father all about his kites. Then Fatherremembered something; but he said nothing about it just then.

  The next morning, he called Bobby to him. "I have a present for you," hesaid. "Come to the carriage-house and you may see it."

  "What is it like?" asked Bobby, as they walked along.

  "It is something that flies," said Father.

  "A bird," said Bobby.

  "Wrong," said Father.

  "A ball?" guessed Bobby.

  "No. One more guess," said Father.

  "I don't know anything else that flies," said Bobby, "except abutterfly."

  "How about a bumblebee?" asked Father.

  "Oh, Father, you couldn't catch a bumblebee," said Bobby. "And if youdid, it would sting you."

  "How about a kite?" asked Father.

  "That would be grand," said Bobby. "Did you get one in the city?"

  "Look under the buggy seat," said Father.

  Bobby climbed into the buggy and reached under the seat and began topull something out.

  "Why, it looks just like the tail to my kite," said he.

  "Why, it _is_ my kite," he shouted, as he saw his name on thecross-piece. "Where did you get it?"

  Father told him.

  "I'll tie the string together and fly it again," said Bobby.

  "You had better get some stronger cord," said Father. "I might nothappen to find it if it flew away again."

  Bobby rode to the village when John went to the blacksmith shop. He wentto Mr. Brown's store and bought a ball of strong cord. Then he ran allthe way home with it, because he did not want to wait for the blacksmithto finish shoeing the horse.

  And it wasn't long before Bobby's kite had climbed high into the skyagain.

  People driving along the road saw it and said, "What a fine kite!"

  Father saw it this time.

  As he was going down the lane, he stopped a few moments to watch it.Then he waved his hand to Bobby and started on.

  "I am glad it flew across my path," he said.

  THE OLD BROWN HEN]

  III

  In the Spring, at Cloverfield Farm, all the family made gardens andsowed seeds.

  Mother sowed pansy seed in a round bed in the side yard. When the littleplants came up, she watered them and weeded them and kept the groundsoft and fine, so they could grow.

  All the time she was tending them, she kept thinking, "How nice it willbe to have all these lovely pansies to look at this Summer!"

  Father sowed some radish seed in the garden. When the little plantscame up, he weeded them and hoed them and kept the ground soft and fine,so the little radish plants could grow.

  All the time he was doing it, he was thinking, "How fine it will be tohave lots of good radishes for the table!"

  Bobby had a little corner all his own in Father's big garden. He sowedsome onion seed in his garden. When the little plants came up, he weededthem and hoed them and kept the ground soft and fine, so they couldgrow.

  All the time he was doing it, he was thinking, "How nice it will be tohave all these onions, so I can give them to Mother for the cooking!"

  One day, while the family were all away, the Old Brown Hen, who hadstolen her nest, came along with her thirteen chickens.

  She was hunting for a good place to scratch and find something for themto eat.

  First, she tried to scratch in the gravel driveway, but that was toohard.

  Next, she tried to scratch by the wood-pile, but the ground was coveredwith little chips, so she could not scratch there.

  Then she fo
und Mother's pansy bed. The ground in it was so soft that itwas beautiful for scratching.

  So she called, "Cluck, cluck, cluck!" and her thirteen chicks camerunning, and she scratched all over the pansy bed, to find bugs andworms for them to eat.

  And all the little pansy plants were scratched up.

  Next, she went over to the big garden and found Father's radish bed. Theground in it was so soft that it was a fine place for scratching.

  So she called, "Cluck, cluck, cluck!" and her thirteen chicks camerunning, and she scratched all over the radish bed, to find somethingfor them to eat.

  And all the little radish plants were scratched up.

  One would think that the Old Brown Hen would not have needed to scratchany more. But it takes a great deal to feed thirteen hungry, growingchicks.

  So she kept hunting for other places to scratch; and it was not longbefore she found Bobby's onion bed.

  Now Bobby had hoed in it and dug in it so much just the day before,that it was _very_ soft and just beau-ti-ful for scratching.

  "What good luck!" thought the Old Brown Hen. "A finer place forscratching I never saw."

  "Cluck, cluck, cluck!" she called; and her thirteen chicks came running,and she scratched all over the onion bed, to find something for them toeat.

  And all the little onion plants were scratched up.

  Then, because they had eaten all they wanted, she wallowed in the softearth until she had made a nice, comfortable place to sit.