Green Meadow Stories - Thornton W. Burgess (best novels for students txt) 📗

Forest.

“Dee, dee, dee, what did I tell you?” cried Tommy Tit happily, as he flew over to where Happy Jack was sitting.

Now who really saved Happy Jack⁠—Tommy Tit or Farmer Brown’s boy?

XVI Happy Jack Misses Farmer Brown’s Boy

One and one are always two,
And two and two are four.
And just as true it is you’ll find
That love and love make more.

Happy Jack

Go ask Happy Jack Squirrel. He knows. He knows because he has proved it. It began when Farmer Brown’s boy saved him from Shadow the Weasel. Perhaps I should say when Farmer Brown’s boy and Tommy Tit saved him, for if it hadn’t been for Tommy, it never would have entered Happy Jack’s head to run to Farmer Brown’s boy. After that, of course, Happy Jack and Farmer Brown’s boy became great friends. Farmer Brown’s boy came over to the Green Forest every day to see Happy Jack, and always he had the most delicious nuts in his pockets. At first Happy Jack had been a wee bit shy. He couldn’t quite get over that old fear he had had so long. Then he would remember how Farmer Brown’s boy had saved him, and that would make him ashamed, and he would walk right up and take the nuts.

Farmer Brown’s boy would talk to him in the nicest way and tell him that he loved him, and that there wasn’t the least thing in the world to be afraid of. Pretty soon Happy Jack began to love Farmer Brown’s boy a little. He couldn’t help it. He just had to love anyone who was so kind and gentle to him. Now as soon as he began to love a little, and felt sure in his own heart that Farmer Brown’s boy loved him a little, he found that love and love make more love, and it wasn’t any time at all before he had become very fond of Farmer Brown’s boy, so fond of him that he was almost jealous of Tommy Tit, who had been a friend of Farmer Brown’s boy for a long time. It got so that Happy Jack looked forward each day to the visit of Farmer Brown’s boy, and as soon as he heard his whistle, he would hasten to meet him. Some folks were unkind enough to say that it was just because of the nuts and corn he was sure to find in Farmer Brown’s boy’s pockets, but that wasn’t so at all.

At last there came a day when he missed that cheery whistle. He waited and waited. At last he went clear to the edge of the Green Forest, but there was no whistle and no sign of Farmer Brown’s boy. It was the same way the next day and the next. Happy Jack forgot to frisk about the way he usually does. He lost his appetite. He just sat around and moped.

When Tommy Tit the Chickadee came to call, as he did every day, Happy Jack found that Tommy was anxious too. Tommy had been up to Farmer Brown’s dooryard several times, and he hadn’t seen anything of Farmer Brown’s boy.

“I think he must have gone away,” said Tommy.

“He would have come down here first and said goodbye,” replied Happy Jack.

“You⁠—you don’t suppose something has happened to him, do you?” asked Tommy.

“I don’t know. I don’t know what to think,” replied Happy Jack, soberly. “Do you know, Tommy, I’ve grown very fond of Farmer Brown’s boy.”

“Of course. Dee, dee, dee, of course. Everybody who really knows him is fond of him. I’ve said all along that he is the best friend we’ve got, but no one seemed to believe me. I’m glad you’ve found it out for yourself. I tell you what, I’ll go up to his house and have another look around.” And without waiting for a reply, Tommy was off as fast as his little wings could take him.

“I hope, I do hope, that nothing has happened to him,” mumbled Happy Jack, as he pretended to hunt for buried nuts while he waited for Tommy Tit to come back, and by “him” he meant Farmer Brown’s boy.

XVII Tommy Tit Brings News

No one knows too much, but many know too little.

Happy Jack

Happy Jack very plainly was not happy. His name was the only happy thing about him. He fussed about on the edge of the Green Forest. He just couldn’t keep still. When he thought anybody was looking, he pretended to hunt for some of the nuts he had buried in the fall, and dug holes down through the snow. But as soon as he thought that no one was watching, he would scamper up a tree where he could look over to Farmer Brown’s house and look and look. It was very clear that Happy Jack was watching for someone and that he was anxious, very anxious, indeed.

It was getting late in the afternoon, and soon the Black Shadows would begin to creep out from the Purple Hills, behind which jolly, round, red Mr. Sun would go to bed. It would be bedtime for Happy Jack then, for you know he goes to bed very early, just as soon as it begins to get dark. The later it got, the more anxious and uneasy Happy Jack grew. He had just made up his mind that in a few minutes he would have to give up and go to bed when there was a flit of tiny wings, and Tommy Tit the Chickadee dropped into the tree beside him.

“Did you find out anything?” asked Happy Jack eagerly, before Tommy had a chance to say a word.

Tommy nodded. “He’s there!” he panted, for he was quite out of breath from hurrying so.

“Where?” Happy Jack fairly shouted the question.

“Over there in the house,” replied Tommy Tit.

“Then he hasn’t gone away! It’s just as I said, he hasn’t gone away!” cried Happy Jack, and he was so relieved that he jumped up