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

maple tree close to the house. Then you can look right in and see Farmer Brown’s boy, and he can look out and see you. Will you do it?”

Happy Jack thought very hard for a few minutes. Then he made up his mind. “I’ll do it!” said he in a very decided tone of voice. “Let’s start right away.”

“Good for you! Dee, dee, good for you!” cried Tommy Tit, and started to lead the way.

XIX Tommy Tit and Happy Jack Pay a Visit

As grows the mighty elm tree,
From just a tiny seed,
So often great things happen
From just a kindly deed.

Happy Jack

Great things were happening to Happy Jack Squirrel. He was actually on his way to Farmer Brown’s house, and he had a feeling that other things were likely to happen when he got there. Now you may not think that it was anything very great that Happy Jack should be on his way to Farmer Brown’s house. Very likely you are saying, “Pooh! that’s nothing!” This may be true, and then again it may not. Suppose you do a little supposing. Suppose you had all your life been terribly afraid of a great giant fifty times bigger than you. Suppose that great giant had stopped hunting you and by little deeds of kindness had at last won your love. Suppose you learned that something was the matter with him, and you made up your mind to visit him at his great castle where there were other great giants whom you did not know. Wouldn’t you think that great things were happening to you?

Well, that is exactly the way it was with Happy Jack Squirrel, as he and Tommy Tit the Chickadee started to go over to Farmer Brown’s house to look for Farmer Brown’s boy. Tommy Tit had been there often, so he didn’t think anything about it, but Happy Jack never had been there, and if the truth were known, his heart was going pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, with excitement and perhaps just a little fear. Through the Old Orchard they went, Tommy Tit flitting ahead and keeping a sharp watch for danger. When they reached the old stone wall on the edge of Farmer Brown’s dooryard, Tommy told Happy Jack to hide there while he went to see if the way was clear. He was back in a few minutes.

“Dee, dee, everything is all right,” said he. “Bowser the Hound is eating his breakfast out back where he can’t see you at all, and Black Pussy is nowhere about. All you have to do is to follow me over to that big tree close to the house, and I will show you where Farmer Brown’s boy is.”

“I⁠—I’m afraid,” confessed Happy Jack.

“Pooh! There’s nothing to be afraid of,” asserted Tommy Tit in the most positive way. “Don’t be a coward. Remember how Farmer Brown’s boy saved you from Shadow the Weasel. Come on! Dee, dee, dee, come on!” With that Tommy flew across to the tree close by the house.

Happy Jack scrambled up on the old stone wall and looked this way and looked that way. He couldn’t see a thing to be afraid of. He jumped down and ran a few steps. Then his heart failed, and he scampered back to the old stone wall in a panic. After a few minutes he tried again, and once more a foolish fear sent him back. The third time he gritted his teeth, said to himself over and over, “I will! I will! I will!” and ran with all his might. In no time at all he was across the dooryard and up in the big tree, his heart pounding with excitement.

“Dee, dee, dee,” called Tommy Tit.

Happy Jack looked over to the house, and there sat Tommy on a windowsill, helping himself to the most delicious-looking cracked nuts. The sight of them made Happy Jack’s mouth water. A long branch hung down over the window and almost touched the sill. Happy Jack ventured half way and stopped. Somehow it seemed very dangerous to go so close to that window.

“Come on! Come on! What are you afraid of?” called Tommy.

Something like shame that such a little fellow as Tommy Tit should dare to go where he did not, crept into Happy Jack’s heart. With a quick little run and jump he was on the sill, and a second later he was staring in at all the strange things inside. At first he didn’t see anything of Farmer Brown’s boy, but in a few minutes he made him out. He was lying down all covered over except his head. There was something the matter with him. Happy Jack didn’t need to be told that, and a great pity filled his heart. He wanted to do something for Farmer Brown’s boy.

XX What Was the Matter with Farmer Brown’s Boy?

He who climbs the highest has the farthest to fall, but often it is worth the risk.

Happy Jack

All the way home from his visit to Farmer Brown’s house Happy Jack Squirrel puzzled and wondered over what he had seen. He had peeped in at a window and seen Farmer Brown’s boy lying all covered up, with only his head showing. Happy Jack couldn’t see very well, but somehow that head didn’t look just right. One thing was sure, and that was there was something wrong with Farmer Brown’s boy. He never would have been lying still like that if there hadn’t been.

Happy Jack had been so troubled by what he saw that he had hardly tasted the nuts he had found on the windowsill. “I am going to make him another call tomorrow,” said he when he and Tommy Tit were once more back in the Green Forest.

“Of course,” replied Tommy. “I expected you would. I will be around for you at the same time. You’re not afraid any more to go up there, are you?”

“No-o,” replied Happy Jack, slowly. The truth is, he was