by Oliver Optic
In one of the nests in the field, there was a mother bird and threeyoung birds. The little mother bird, there in the quiet clover field,had never heard such a loud sound before.
"What can it be that makes that big noise?" the frightened mother birdthought as the mower passed close by.
Then the sound grew fainter as the mower went to the other side of thefield. The little mother bird settled down happily in her nest.
But it was not long before the sound came back again, closer and louderthan before.
"What shall I do?" thought the mother bird. "What shall I do?"
She might have flown away herself. But there were the three young birdsnot yet old enough to fly.
So she sat still while the terrible noise kept coming nearer.
All this time, Bobby was playing here and there with Rover. Suddenly,Bobby thought of something. He ran toward the mowing-machine, waving hishands and shouting.
"Stop, Father, stop!" he said.
The mower made such a loud noise that Father could not hear what Bobbywas saying, but he could see his arms waving.
"Whoa, Prince! Whoa, Daisy!" he said, and the horses stopped.
"What is the matter, Bobby?" he asked.
"'Stop, Father, stop!' he said"]
"The bird's-nest! There's a nest right ahead," shouted Bobby.
"A bird's-nest, is there?" said Father. "Well, we won't harm the nest.Go and stand near it, Bobby, and I'll turn out for it."
Bobby hunted around until he found it in the clover. Then he took hisstand beside it.
Father clucked to the horses. "Get-up, Prince! Get-up, Daisy!" he said.When he came near Bobby, he turned out and passed a few feet away,leaving the nest all safe.
Bobby stood there until Father went around the field and came backagain, so that the wheels of the mower would not run over the nest orthe horses step on it when passing on the other side.
"Are there any more nests in the field?" asked Father.
"There is one at that end," said Bobby, pointing toward the west; "andone down there," pointing toward the east.
"If you will set a tall stick in the ground near each one," said Mr.Hill, "I can see where the nests are, and you won't have to standthere."
"All right," said Bobby, and he started toward the house for the sticks.
As he was hunting for them, he remembered his little flags that alwaysstood in the corner of the parlor.
"Why not use the flags to keep the bird's nests safe?" he thought.
So he ran into the parlor, took three of the flags and ran back to theclover field.
In the nest at the western end of the field were four little birds.Bobby pushed one of the sticks into the ground beside it, and the flagfloated in the breeze.
Away to the other end of the field he ran, to the nest where there weretwo little birds. He planted one of the sticks in the ground beside it,and that flag floated in the breeze.
Then he went to the nest where he had stood guard. "You shall have aflag, too," he said.
Farmer Hill kept driving around the field, cutting the clover. But whenhe came near a flag, he turned out and left a patch of clover standingaround the nest.
The sun shone brightly and dried the clover. The breezes blew over itand dried it. Together they changed it from fresh grass intosweet-smelling hay.
The next day, John hitched Daisy to the hay-rake and drove it up anddown the field, raking the hay into long windrows.
The hired men came with their pitchforks and pitched it into littlestacks or haycocks.
But they were all careful not to touch the little patches of cloverwhere the flags flew.
People driving along the road wondered why Farmer Hill had left thethree little patches of clover standing and why the three little flagswere there.
But the three little mother birds knew and were happy.
ON TOP OF THE WORLD]
VIII
For a few days, Bobby and Betty and Rover had fun playing hide-and-seekamong the haycocks.
"Well, Bobby," said Father one morning, "can you and Betty spare thehay, so we can draw it into the barn?"
"Oh, no; we want to play in it some more," said Bobby.
"We must put it into the barn before a rain comes," said Father. "Comedown to the field, you and Betty. Perhaps there will be some funto-day."
Prince and Daisy were hitched to the big lumber wagon. Father and Hobsontook the wagon box off and put the wide hay-rack on.
"Come, children, climb up on the rack for a ride to the field," saidFather.
Father held Betty; but Bobby, sitting in the bottom of the rack, wentjigglety, jigglety, shakety, shake.
And wasn't it fun!
When they came to the field, Father helped the children off. Then hedrove along beside a haycock and stopped the horses. Hobson pitched thehay onto the rack with his pitchfork. Father placed the hay around, sothe load would be even on both sides. Then he drove on and stopped atthe next haycock.
Higher and higher the load grew.
"Look at Father, Betty," said Bobby. "He is almost up to the sky."
When the load was high enough, Father called to Hobson, "That will do."
In the middle of the load, Father pushed the hay aside to make a nest. Avery big nest it was, too big for a robin, too big for the old brownhen.
Then he called down, "Bobby, how would you and Betty like to ride to thebarn on the load of hay?"
"That would be grand," said Bobby; "but we can't get up there."
Father said to Hobson, "I'm ready for the children now."
Hobson lifted Bobby to the foot of the little ladder which is at thefront of a hay-rack. Bobby climbed up the ladder and Father reached downand pulled him up to the top of the load.
"Here's a safe place for you," said Father, as he put Bobby in the bignest.
Then Hobson lifted Baby Betty. "You had better bring her all the wayup," said Father. "She is too little to climb the ladder."
Hobson carried her up the ladder and put her in the nest.
"You may drive," said Father to Hobson. "I'll stay with the children."So there they were in the nest, Father and Bobby and Betty, on top ofthe big load of hay.
All the way up the lane they rode.
"We must be close to the sky," said Bobby.
"We're on top of the world," said Father.
Finally, they came to the Red Barn. The big front doors were open. Verywide and high they were, but the load of hay reached almost to the top.
"We must all scooch down," said Father, "or it will strike us."
So they all bent over flat on the hay, while Prince and Daisy drew themsafely into the big barn.
"Now we must climb down the ladder," said Bobby.
"Wait a minute," said Father. "Sit quietly until I call you."
Father climbed down.
"Ready, Hobson," he called.
Hobson took Bobby over to the side of the load. There was Fatherstanding below him, waiting with outstretched arms.
"Slide down, Bobby; I'll catch you," said Father.
Down the side of the load of hay slid Bobby, straight into Father'sarms.
Then it came Betty's turn.
"It's so high," she said. "I'm 'fraid."
"Don't be scared; I'll catch you," said Father.
"Father'll catch you," called up Bobby.
Betty took courage.
Down she slid, down the side of the load of hay, straight into Father'sarms.
After that load was pitched into the hay-mow, they went for another, andthen another, all day long.
Every time, Bobby and Betty rode in the nest on top of the load of hay.
BOBBY FORGETS]
IX
In a chicken coop in the back yard at Cloverfield Farm, lived OldSpeckle with her ten chickens.
It was Bobby's duty to feed them. Three times a day--morning, noon andnight--he would take the basin of corn meal and water which Mother hadstirred up, and would throw it by spoonfuls into the coop for thechi
ckens.
Old Speckle would call, "Cluck, cluck, cluck!" and the ten little chickswould come running to eat.
He would throw some corn or wheat in for Old Speckle.
One morning Mother said, "Here is the breakfast for the chickens,Bobby."
"I'll feed them right away," said Bobby.
And he meant to.
Taking the basin of meal in one hand and the basin of wheat in theother, he started toward the chicken coop.
When he was about half way there, he spied his new white rabbit pokingher nose out between the slats of the rabbit-pen.
Bobby stopped. For a few moments he stood and watched her. Then he setthe two basins down on the ground and went over to the rabbit-pen.
"I'll be back in a minute," he said to himself. "It won't hurt thechickens to wait a little while for their breakfast."
Bunny was so interesting with her long ears and her wiggly nose, thatBobby stayed fifteen minutes, watching her. By that time, he hadforgotten all about Old Speckle and the chickens.
Next he went to a corner of the rail fence to see whether there were anymore eggs in the robin's nest. He found four blue eggs.
Then to the Duck Pond he went to see whether the little boat he had leftthere the day before was still there. It was. He sailed it eleven timesacross the pond.
When he was through sailing the boat, he saw Rover coming through theorchard.
"Hello, Rover," he said, "let's go to the barn."
And they went down the lane to the Big Red Barn, leaving Old Speckle andthe ten little chicks still unfed.
"Why doesn't Bobby come with our breakfast?" thought the hungry littlechicks.
"Why doesn't Bobby come with our breakfast?" thought Old Speckle. "Mypoor little chicks will starve."
Meanwhile the Big Rooster found the basin of meal and the basin ofwheat.
"What a nice breakfast!" he thought.
And he ate it all up.
When noon time came, the dinner bell rang.
"Come, Rover," said Bobby. "Let's go up to dinner right away. It's along time since breakfast."
Perhaps it was because he was hungry that Bobby suddenly rememberedsomething.
Anyway, he began to run as fast as his legs would carry him and ran allthe way up the lane, Rover at his heels.
And, as he ran, he kept thinking, "A long time since breakfast! But thelittle chickens didn't have any breakfast at all."
When he came to the spot where he had left the two basins, there the twobasins were, but both empty.
He looked over toward the chicken coop.
There was Old Speckle walking back and forth, putting her head outbetween the slats every once in a while, and looking greatlydistressed.
There were the little chicks saying, "Peep, peep, peep," as they triedto find something to eat in the grass.
Bobby took the basins into the house.
"Mother," he asked, "did you feed the chickens?"
"No," said she, "that is your chore, Bobby."
"But how came the basins empty?" asked he.
Mother could not answer. But at that very moment, the Big Roostercrowed, "Cock-a-doodle-doo! I had a fine breakfast."
Mother stirred up another basin of meal while Bobby got some more wheat.He took them quickly to the chickens and threw the food into the coop.
"Cluck, cluck, cluck!" Old Speckle called.
"Peep, peep, peep!" cried the little chicks, as they came running toeat.
Bobby watched them until it was nearly gone.
"Now you feel better, don't you?" said he. "And I feel better, too," headded.
Which was strange, wasn't it?
For Bobby had not yet had his dinner.
ROVER GOES TO THE STORE]
X
Rover was useful in many ways about the farm. Sometimes he even went tothe village store on errands.
One morning in Summer, Mrs. Hill needed some meat for dinner. She wrotea note and put it in a certain basket. With it she put a purse andcovered them with a white cloth. Then she went to the door and called,"Rover! Rover!"
Rover came bounding up the path.
"I want you to go to the store," said Mrs. Hill, giving him the basket.
Rover took the handle in his mouth, trotted down the path to the roadand turned toward the village. As he passed the Allen farmhouse, he sawSport, a little brown dog with whom he often played.
Sport came running out with a few friendly barks which meant, "Come on,Rover, I am ready for a frolic."
Rover turned his head toward his little friend, but kept trotting righton, with a look that plainly said, "I can't stop to play now. I'm onimportant business."
When he came to Mr. Brown's store, there were some men standing on thesteps.
"Well, Rover," said one of the men, "what did you come for to-day?"
Rover looked at the man, but walked right on, pushed the screen dooropen and went into the store.
"Good morning, Rover," said Mr. Brown. "What can I do for you?"
Rover put the basket on the floor and then looked up. Mr. Brown took outthe white cloth and found the note Mrs. Hill had put there.
"Two pounds of beefsteak. Very well," said he.
He weighed a piece and wrapped it with paper and put it in the basket.Out of the purse he took a bill and put some change back.
Then he covered them with the white cloth and put a brown wrapping paperon top, to keep out the dust.
"You can take this home now, and mind you don't lose it," said he, as heheld the door open.
Rover took up the basket and went down the steps.
"A pretty smart dog!" said one of the men, as Rover trotted along.
Down the street he went, with the basket held high from the ground.
Rover could smell the meat, and it made him feel hungry. But he hadnever touched anything that he carried in his basket and he did not doit now.
When he came to the house where Ned Hopkins lived, he saw Ned sitting onthe fence, whittling a stick.
"I'll try to make Rover drop that basket," said Ned. He whistled andcalled, "Here, Rover, get it," as he threw the stick across the road.
Rover stopped and looked longingly at it. One of his favorite games wasto fetch sticks that were thrown for him. But he did not run after itthis time.
"Come, Rover, old dog," said Ned, getting down from the fence; "let mesee what is in your basket." He patted Rover on the neck and thenreached over to take the basket.
Rover held the handle tightly in his teeth and growled, "Gr-r-r-"
Ned had never heard Rover growl like that before.
"Oh, well, if that is the way you feel about it, I won't bother you,"said he.
"Gr-r-r-r! You had better not," growled Rover. And he started on up theroad.
After leaving the village, he came to a house where a man named Mr. Hooklived all alone. Mr. Hook was sitting in his front yard as Rover camealong.
"I wonder what is in the basket to-day," he thought.
"Rover, old dog, wait a minute," he called.
Rover stopped and looked around. The basket felt quite heavy by thistime, so he was glad to set it down on the ground.
Mr. Hook came up and patted him on the head. "Nice old dog! Nice Rover,"he said. "What is in your basket?"
He put out his hand to take it. But Rover seized the handle and startedtoward home.
Mr. Hook looked up and down the road. There was no one in sight.
"Here, Ponto! Come, Ponto!" he called; and his own dog came runningout--a big, black dog.
"Get him, Ponto," said the man.
Ponto ran after Rover and attacked him savagely. Rover had to put thebasket down, to defend himself.
Ponto soon found he was getting the worst of it and turned to run.
Rover chased him down the road, leaving the basket alone on the ground.That was exactly what Mr. Hook wanted. He went quickly up to it andlifted the paper and the white cloth.
"Just what I thought!" he said to himself. "That would taste
pretty goodfor dinner. The dog won't know the difference."
He reached down to take the beefsteak out.
But Rover had finished chasing Ponto and was on the way back. When hesaw the man reaching into his basket, he ran back as fast as he couldgo.
"Bow-wow! bow-wow!" he barked. He looked so big and savage, and hebarked and growled so loud, that Mr. Hook dropped the meat back intothe basket. But he did not wait to put the white cloth and the brownpaper over it.
Rover took the basket up and walked swiftly toward home. Mr. Hook stoodlooking after him and thinking, "I wish that dog were not so big andsavage."
Bobby was waiting for Rover under the maple tree in the front yard, andthey walked to the house side by side.
As Rover set the basket on the floor, Mrs. Hill picked it up and said,"I wonder why the meat is on top of the cloth and the paper."
But Rover did not tell.
THE DUCKS A-SWIMMING GO]
XI
"Quack, quack, quack!" said the Big White Duck, as he started down tothe Duck Pond below the orchard.
"Quack, quack, quack!" said the six other ducks, as they fell in linebehind the leader.
"Let's all a-swimming go," they said.
And away they all went, waddling along in a procession, one behindanother.
But when they got there, the Duck Pond was dry.
