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| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 01:39:00 -0700 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 01:39:00 -0700 |
| commit | 245cf66394702aa70f9dd503973b67d0bbbee83e (patch) | |
| tree | 95b0a15901414a3158f61dab221c04931037e7d3 | |
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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/21412-h.zip b/21412-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..d3593d7 --- /dev/null +++ b/21412-h.zip diff --git a/21412-h/21412-h.htm b/21412-h/21412-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a656e96 --- /dev/null +++ b/21412-h/21412-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,3181 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale of Bobby Bobolink, by Arthur Scott Bailey + </title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + @media print { + .pagenum {position: absolute; left: 92%; font-size: x-small; background-color: inherit; + text-align: right; color: gray; display: none; visibility: hidden; } + } + @media screen { + .pagenum {position: absolute; left: 92%; font-size: x-small; background-color: inherit; + text-align: right; color: gray; display: inline; visibility: visible;} + } + + div.main {max-width: 40em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + page-break-before: always; } + + p {text-indent: 1em; + margin-top: .35em; + font-size: medium; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .35em; + line-height: 125%; } + p.noindent {text-indent: 0em;} + p.center {text-align: center; text-indent: 0em;} + p.titleblock {margin-top: 0em; margin-bottom: 0em; text-indent: 0em; text-align: center; line-height: 125%;} + p.titleblockl {margin-top: 0em; margin-bottom: 0em; text-indent:0em; text-align: left; line-height: 125%;} + p.chapter {margin-top: 0em; margin-bottom: 0em; line-height: 100%;} + + h1,h2,h3 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; font-weight: normal; page-break-after: avoid ! important;} + h2 {margin-top: 2em; clear: both; + word-spacing: 0.6em; letter-spacing: 0.2em; + font-weight: 500;} + h3 {margin-top: 1em; clear: both; + word-spacing: 0.2em; } + + hr {width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; + clear: both;} + hr.chapter {width: 55%; margin-top: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0em; page-break-before: always;} + hr.sorta {width: 45%; margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 3em;} + hr.minor {width: 30%; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;} + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + td.pr {text-align: right; padding-right: 10px; vertical-align: top;} + + body {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + + a {text-decoration: none;} + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .figleft {margin: auto; text-align: left;} + .figcenter {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;} + .caption {font-size: 80%;} + img {border: none;} + + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's The Tale of Bobby Bobolink, by Arthur Scott Bailey + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Tale of Bobby Bobolink + Tuck-me-In Tales + +Author: Arthur Scott Bailey + +Release Date: May 9, 2007 [EBook #21412] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TALE OF BOBBY BOBOLINK *** + + + + +Produced by Joe Longo and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + + +<div class="main"> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 420px; margin-bottom: 30px; margin-top: 30px;"> +<a name="cover-grande" id="cover-grande" href="images/cover-large.jpg"> +<img src="images/cover.jpg" style="border: 2px solid; border-color: #333333;" width="420" height="676" +alt="Cover image for The Tale of Bobby Bobolink" title="Front Cover" /> +</a> +</div> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 390px; margin-bottom: 30px; margin-top: 30px;"> +<a name="illus-001-grande" id="illus-001-grande" href="images/frontispiece-large.jpg"> +<img src="images/frontispiece.jpg" style="border: 2px solid; border-color: #333333;" width="390" height="558" +alt='"You Were Mistaken," said Mrs. Bobolink.' title='"You Were Mistaken," said Mrs. Bobolink.' /> +</a> +<span class="caption">"You Were Mistaken," said Mrs. Bobolink.</span> +<p style="font-size: 80%; text-align: right"><i>Frontispiece</i>—(<a href="#p_35"><i>Page</i> 35</a>)</p> +</div> + + +<div style="width: 400px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: 2px solid; padding: 2px; border-color: #333333;"> +<p class="titleblock" style="margin-top: 2px; font-size: 130%; letter-spacing: 0.4em;"><i>SLEEPY-TIME TALES</i></p> +<p class="titleblock" style="font-size: 70%; margin-bottom: 0px;">(Trademark Registered)</p> +<hr class="minor" /> +<p class="titleblock" style="font-size: 200%;">THE TALE OF</p> +<p class="titleblock" style="font-size: 255%; letter-spacing: 0.1em;">BOBBY</p> +<p class="titleblock" style="font-size: 255%; letter-spacing: 0.1em; margin-bottom: 10px;">BOBOLINK</p> +<p class="titleblock" style="font-size: 80%;">BY</p> +<p class="titleblock" style="font-size: 130%; margin-bottom: 5px; word-spacing: 0.5em;">ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY</p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 147px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px;"> +<img src="images/illus-3b.png" width="147" height="228" +alt="Three Birds." +title="Three Birds." /> +</div> + +<p class="titleblock" style="font-size: 130%; letter-spacing: 0.3em;">GROSSET & DUNLAP</p> +<p class="titleblock" style="font-size: 80%; letter-spacing: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 15px;">PUBLISHERS</p> +</div> + + +<p class="center"><br /><br /><br /><br /> + <span class="smcap" style="font-size: 80%;">Copyright, 1920, by</span><br /> +GROSSET & DUNLAP +<br /><br /><br /><br /></p> + + +<hr class="sorta" /> +<h3><a name="Contents" id="Contents"></a>CONTENTS</h3> +<div class="smcap"> +<table border="0" width="75%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="Contents" id="Table3"> +<col style="width:20%;" /><col style="width:70%;" /><col style="width:10%;" /> +<tbody valign="top"> +<tr> + <td class="pr" style="font-size: small" >CHAPTER</td> <td align="left"> </td> + <td align="right" style="font-size: small">PAGE</td></tr> +<tr> + <td class="pr">I</td> <td align="left">Somebody Is Expected</td> <td align="right"><a href="#I">1</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="pr">II</td> <td align="left">The Latest Arrival</td> <td align="right"><a href="#II">6</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="pr">III</td> <td align="left">Greetings</td> <td align="right"><a href="#III">11</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="pr">IV</td> <td align="left">Singing for Some One</td> <td align="right"><a href="#IV">16</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="pr">V</td> <td align="left">An Invitation</td> <td align="right"><a href="#V">21</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="pr">VI</td> <td align="left">Mrs. Bobolink Consents</td> <td align="right"><a href="#VI">26</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="pr">VII</td> <td align="left">Passing the Test</td> <td align="right"><a href="#VII">31</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="pr">VIII</td> <td align="left">The House in the Meadow</td> <td align="right"><a href="#VIII">37</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="pr">IX</td> <td align="left">Johnnie Green Intrudes</td> <td align="right"><a href="#IX">42</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="pr">X</td> <td align="left">Fooling Johnnie Green</td> <td align="right"><a href="#X">47</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="pr">XI</td> <td align="left">Bobby's Names</td> <td align="right"><a href="#XI">51</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="pr">XII</td> <td align="left">Mr. Crow Is Disagreeable</td> <td align="right"><a href="#XII">55</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="pr">XIII</td> <td align="left">Mr. Catbird's Trick</td> <td align="right"><a href="#XIII">60</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="pr">XIV</td> <td align="left">Frightening Mrs. Bobolink</td> <td align="right"><a href="#XIV">64</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="pr">XV</td> <td align="left">Haying Time</td> <td align="right"><a href="#XV">70</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="pr">XVI</td> <td align="left">Mr. Frog Is Amused</td> <td align="right"><a href="#XVI">75</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="pr">XVII</td> <td align="left">Turning the Tables</td> <td align="right"><a href="#XVII">81</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="pr">XVIII</td> <td align="left">Timothy Turtle's Complaint</td> <td align="right"><a href="#XVIII">86</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="pr">XIX</td> <td align="left">Bobby's Mistake</td> <td align="right"><a href="#XIX">91</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="pr">XX</td> <td align="left">A Hermit's Advice</td> <td align="right"><a href="#XX">96</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="pr">XXI</td> <td align="left">How to Take Bad News</td> <td align="right"><a href="#XXI">101</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="pr">XXII</td> <td align="left">A Noisy Quarrel</td> <td align="right"><a href="#XXII">106</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="pr">XXIII</td> <td align="left">Sleepy Benjamin Bat</td> <td align="right"><a href="#XXIII">111</a></td> +</tr> +</tbody> +</table> +</div> + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<h2>THE TALE OF BOBBY BOBOLINK</h2> + +<p class="chapter"><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_1" id="p_1">p. 1</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="I" id="I"></a>I</h2> + +<h3>SOMEBODY IS EXPECTED</h3> + + +<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">On</span> May Day the feathered folk in Pleasant +Valley began to stop, look and listen. +They were expecting somebody.</p> + +<p>"Have you seen him?" Rusty Wren +asked Jolly Robin.</p> + +<p>Jolly Robin said that he hadn't; but he +added that he was on the lookout.</p> + +<p>"Have you heard his song?" little Mr. +Chippy inquired eagerly of Mr. Blackbird.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_2" id="p_2">p. 2</a></span></p> +<p>"No!" that dusky rascal replied. "Not +yet! Maybe he isn't coming here this +summer." Mr. Blackbird liked to tease +little Mr. Chippy. And generally when +he tried to, he succeeded.</p> + +<p>"Oh! Don't say that!" Mr. Chippy exclaimed. +"If I couldn't hear his gay voice +I shouldn't care to spend a summer here +myself."</p> + +<p>Over the meadow, beyond the stone wall +where Mr. Chippy made his home in a +wild grapevine, Mr. Meadowlark flew to +the swampy place where the rushes grew, +just to find a Red-winged Blackbird that +he knew, in order to learn whether he had +seen or heard the friend everybody was +watching for.</p> + +<p>Perched upon a swaying last year's cattail, +Mr. Red-winged Blackbird shook his +head in reply. And he said that no doubt +it would be a week before the looked-for +arrival. "The season's a bit backward,"<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_3" id="p_3">p. 3</a></span> +Mr. Red-winged Blackbird remarked. +"So I don't expect to set eyes on him to-day—though +I have known him to get here +as early as May Day."</p> + +<p>Mr. Meadowlark confessed that he was +disappointed.</p> + +<p>"It would be a much gayer May Day," +he said, "if his rollicking song rang over +the meadow."</p> + +<p>"What's the matter with your own singing?" +Mr. Red-winged Blackbird asked +him—meaning that in his opinion Mr. +Meadowlark had no reason to be ashamed +of his own voice.</p> + +<p>"My song is not like his," Mr. Meadowlark +answered. And he sighed as he +spoke. "To be sure, some people are kind +enough to say that my singing is unusually +sweet. But you know yourself that there +isn't a songster anywhere that can carol +so joyfully as Bobby Bobolink."</p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_4" id="p_4">p. 4</a></span>Mr. Red-winged Blackbird did not dispute +that statement. How could he, when +the birds were all waiting so eagerly to +hear Bobby Bobolink's voice?</p> + +<p>"He has a way"—Mr. Meadowlark +went on—"a way of making almost any +summer's day a gay holiday. He is just +bubbling over with happiness; and he can't +seem to get his notes out fast enough."</p> + +<p>"Yes!" Mr. Red-winged Blackbird +chimed in. "He's a cheerful, happy-go-lucky +chap. And he wears gay clothes, +too."</p> + +<p>"What's the matter with your own +clothes?" Mr. Meadowlark inquired—meaning +that in his opinion Mr. Red-winged +Blackbird's black suit, with the +shoulders scarlet and buff, was about as +striking as anybody could want.</p> + +<p>Mr. Red-winged Blackbird was pleased. +Anybody could see that. He bowed and<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_5" id="p_5">p. 5</a></span> +spread his wings and tail, and uttered his +well-known call, "Conk-err-ee!" before he +made any reply.</p> + +<p>"People often compliment me on my +taste in colors," he said at last. "And for +year-round wear I do think <i>my</i> suit is +about as good as anybody could ask for. +But you know yourself that during the +first half of the summer Bobby Bobolink +makes a cheerful sight, when his black and +white and buff back flashes above the +meadow."</p> + +<p>And Mr. Meadowlark couldn't deny it; +for he knew that it was true.</p> + + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p class="chapter"><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_6" id="p_6">p. 6</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="II" id="II"></a>II</h2> + +<h3>THE LATEST ARRIVAL</h3> + + +<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">Bobby Bobolink</span> did not reach Pleasant +Valley in time to spend May Day with his +old friends of the summer before. And +although everybody was disappointed not +to see him—and hear him—the feathered +folk tried to be cheerful and told one another +that Bobby ought to arrive almost +any day.</p> + +<p>"He always finds it hard to leave the +rice fields in the South," Mr. Red-winged +Blackbird observed with a knowing wink +at old Mr. Crow, as the two stopped for +a chat on the morning after May Day. +"It's rice-planting time in the South,"<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_7" id="p_7">p. 7</a></span> +Mr. Red-winged Blackbird explained. +"Somewhat like corn-planting time here!" +And he winked once more.</p> + +<p>Although Mr. Crow was in the habit of +scratching up Farmer Green's newly-planted +corn, just as Bobby Bobolink uncovered +the freshly-sown rice in the South, +Mr. Crow never cared to have any of his +neighbors even hint that he did such a +thing. And now he glared at Mr. Red-winged +Blackbird, who continued to wink +at him.</p> + +<p>"Is there something in your eye?" Mr. +Crow inquired in his coldest manner.</p> + +<p>Mr. Red-winged Blackbird had no wish +to make Mr. Crow angry. So he stopped +winking at once.</p> + +<p>"When you see your friend Bobby +Bobolink you'd better tell him to leave +the corn strictly alone," Mr. Crow remarked. +"Farmer Green expects to be<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_8" id="p_8">p. 8</a></span>gin +planting in about three weeks. And +he counts on me to watch the field for him. +If I catch Bobby Bobolink there he'll wish +he had stayed in the rice fields, down +South."</p> + +<p>Mr. Red-winged Blackbird smiled. And +he told old Mr. Crow not to worry.</p> + +<p>"Bobby Bobolink won't touch the +corn," he said. "During the first half of +the summer he lives on such things as +caterpillars and grasshoppers, with a bit +of grass-seed now and then."</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow replied that he was glad +to know that.</p> + +<p>"He's wise to leave the corn alone," he +added. "If Farmer Green was on the +lookout for him—with a gun handy—Bobby +Bobolink wouldn't act so care-free +as he generally does. He wouldn't sing +such rollicking songs in the meadow. And +now that you've mentioned how he spends<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_9" id="p_9">p. 9</a></span> +his springs in the South, I don't wonder +that he appears glad to get to Pleasant +Valley. For you may well believe that +folks are not so fond of him down there +where the rice grows. And unless I'm +much mistaken the planters actually order +him out of their fields."</p> + +<p>Mr. Red-winged Blackbird told Mr. +Crow that he hadn't a doubt that everything +Mr. Crow said was so. And he was +just about to remark that he should think +Mr. Crow must lead a care-free, happy-go-lucky +life in winter, in the South, because +Farmer Green always stayed in +Pleasant Valley the whole year round. +But as he opened his bill to speak he heard +a sound over in the meadow that made him +forget what was on the tip of his tongue.</p> + +<p>"Did you hear that song?" he cried. +"Hurrah!"</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow cocked his head on one<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_10" id="p_10">p. 10</a></span> +side and listened. "Yes!" he agreed. +"There's no doubt about it. Bobby Bobolink +is here at last!"</p> + + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p class="chapter"><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_11" id="p_11">p. 11</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="III" id="III"></a>III</h2> + +<h3>GREETINGS</h3> + + +<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">As</span> fast as they could fly, old Mr. Crow and +Mr. Red-winged Blackbird hurried over to +the meadow, where they had heard Bobby +Bobolink's bubbling notes.</p> + +<p>They found him enjoying himself with +a lively company of careless bachelors—all +distant cousins of Bobby Bobolink—who +had travelled with him in a roistering +flock all the way from the South.</p> + +<p>They were all wonderful singers—those +happy Bobolinks. They could scarcely +have kept still if they had wanted to. But +somehow Bobby Bobolink seemed to be +just a bit the best singer of the lot.</p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_12" id="p_12">p. 12</a></span>Perched on a fence-post, Mr. Meadowlark +was drinking in Bobby's merry +songs. Jolly Robin had stolen away from +the orchard to greet the newcomer and +listen to his first concert. And even +Rusty Wren had forsaken the cherry tree +beside the farmhouse. Although Rusty +and his wife were in the midst of putting +their summer house to rights, he had not +been able to resist telling Mrs. Wren, who +did not like to have him away from home, +that he must make a short visit in the meadow, +"to see a friend."</p> + +<p>Mr. Red-winged Blackbird called +"Conk-err-ee!" several times to Bobby +Bobolink, meaning that he was glad Bobby +was back in Pleasant Valley and that he +hoped he was in good health, and that +Bobby certainly hadn't forgotten how to +sing.</p> + +<p>As for old Mr. Crow, he winked at<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_13" id="p_13">p. 13</a></span> +Bobby Bobolink and said in a hoarse +voice, "I hear they're planting rice down +South."</p> + +<p>Bobby Bobolink was not like Mr. Crow, +who would have flown into a rage had any +one made such a remark to him.</p> + +<p>"I stayed a while in the rice fields," he +answered. "And if I hadn't come away +when I did," he added with a laugh, "I'd +have been too fat to fly way up here to +Pleasant Valley."</p> + +<p>Then a torrent of notes came tumbling +out of his throat as he darted right over +the head of old Mr. Crow (who stood on +a hillock) and swerved and zigzagged and +wheeled through the air, until Mr. Crow +almost tied his neck into a knot, just +watching him.</p> + +<p>"By the way," Mr. Meadowlark said in +an undertone to Mr. Red-winged Blackbird, +"our friend Bobby has a different<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_14" id="p_14">p. 14</a></span> +suit from the one he wore when I last saw +him."</p> + +<p>"When was that?" Mr. Red-winged +Blackbird inquired.</p> + +<p>"About the middle of last summer!" +Mr. Meadowlark explained.</p> + +<p>"Ah! This is the second suit he has +had since then," said Mr. Red-winged +Blackbird. "If you had been with us in +the swamp last fall you'd have known that +Bobby had a new one then. And here he +is now with still another."</p> + +<p>Mr. Meadowlark looked a bit +troubled.</p> + +<p>"I liked the black one—the black one +with the white and buff trimmings," he remarked. +"It was very becoming to Bobby +Bobolink. I was hoping he'd wear one like +it this summer."</p> + +<p>"Wait!" was Mr. Red-winged Blackbird's +mysterious answer. "Wait! And<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_15" id="p_15">p. 15</a></span> +I promise you won't be disappointed."</p> + +<p>"Anyhow, he sings as well as ever," Mr. +Meadowlark declared.</p> + + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p class="chapter"><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_16" id="p_16">p. 16</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="IV" id="IV"></a>IV</h2> + +<h3>SINGING FOR SOME ONE</h3> + +<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">The</span> first few days of early May had +passed and with them had flitted—somewhere—most +of the jolly company in +which Bobby Bobolink had journeyed +from the South. But a few of those merrymakers +had stayed—as Bobby did—in +Farmer Green's meadow. They had made +up their minds to spend the summer in +Pleasant Valley.</p> + +<p>Even old Mr. Crow, who was no lover of +music, had to admit that he had never +heard such bursts of song during all the +summers he had spent in the neighborhood. +It seemed as if Bobby Bobolink and<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_17" id="p_17">p. 17</a></span> +his companions were trying their best to +out-sing one another, though nobody knew +why they should do that.</p> + +<p>But at last somebody discovered the reason. +That rowdy of the woods, Jasper +Jay, spied upon the harum-scarum singers +one day, when they were all but bursting +themselves in a frenzy of song. And +he saw that they were giving what Jasper +called "a serenade."</p> + +<p>They were singing not for themselves +but for a dull, yellowish-brown lady of +their own sort, who had not arrived from +the South until Bobby and his friends had +been frolicking about the meadow almost +a week.</p> + +<p>She seemed a shy creature—this young +person—preferring to stay on the ground +during the serenade. But Bobby Bobolink +and his companions were bold as +brass. Often they alighted on the ground<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_18" id="p_18">p. 18</a></span> +near her, as if they thought she could not +hear their songs well enough when they +skimmed through the air over the grassy +meadow. Amid such a jingling and tinkling +of notes it was no wonder that the +little lady acted somewhat confused.</p> + +<p>Jasper Jay, who was almost as great +a gossip as Mr. Crow, told everybody in +the neighborhood that he had never heard +such a hubbub. But then, like his cousin +Mr. Crow, Jasper was not a lover of +music. And it was true that sprightly +Bobby Bobolink and his dashing friends +made no attempt to sing together. To be +sure, they sang all at the same time; but +each one of them sang his own song in his +own way, just as if his was the only one +that was being sung.</p> + +<p>They never tired of entertaining the +lady. And whether the yellowish-brown +person decided that Bobby Bobolink sang<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_19" id="p_19">p. 19</a></span> +louder than the others, or whether she +thought his singing was sweeter or gayer +than that of his friends, nobody ever found +out. Perhaps he managed to say something—in +his song—that especially +pleased her. Anyhow, it was only a short +time before Bobby Bobolink was making +such remarks as these to everybody in the +meadow:</p> + +<p>"My wife says I have the quickest eye +for a caterpillar that she ever saw!" and +"Mrs. Bobolink and I expect to begin to +build a new house at once!"</p> + +<p>Now, you might think that Bobby's +friends, after all their singing for the little +lady, would have felt quite glum. But +they were not in the least downcast. Of +course, Bobby Bobolink would not let them +serenade his wife. Indeed he promptly +chased them away as soon as he knew that +he had won her.</p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_20" id="p_20">p. 20</a></span>But they were so light-hearted that they +started right away to sing for another +lady in another part of the meadow.</p> + +<p>She was as like the first one as two peas +in a pod. And Jasper Jay chuckled when +he found out what was going on.</p> + +<p>He said he didn't believe they knew the +difference.</p> + + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p class="chapter"><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_21" id="p_21">p. 21</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="V" id="V"></a>V</h2> + +<h3>AN INVITATION</h3> + + +<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">Mr. Meadowlark</span> was a great admirer of +Bobby Bobolink. Much as he liked to sing +himself, he often remained silent when +Bobby's joyous music tinkled over the +grass-tops in Farmer Green's meadow. +And as Mr. Meadowlark was listening +to one of Bobby's best songs one day an +idea popped suddenly into his head. He +liked this notion so well that he flew +straight across the meadow to a thicket +on the edge of the woods. And there in +the undergrowth he found Buddy Brown +Thrasher, who was exactly the person he +was looking for.</p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_22" id="p_22">p. 22</a></span>"I've come over to tell you about an +idea of mine," Mr. Meadowlark announced. +"It's about Bobby Bobolink. +You know he has come back to spend the +summer here in Pleasant Valley. It seems +to me he's in better voice than ever. And +now that he is quite grown up—you know +he has a wife—it seems to me that we +couldn't do better than invite him to join +the Pleasant Valley Singing Society."</p> + +<p>Mr. Meadowlark had explained all this +in a most eager manner. And he couldn't +help being a bit disappointed over the way +Buddy Brown Thrasher received it. He +did not seem at all excited. To tell the +truth, he was a suspicious chap. He never +fell in quickly with a new plan, no matter +what it might be. And more than once +he had made matters somewhat difficult +for the Pleasant Valley Singing Society. +He was hard to please. Being a very bril<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_23" id="p_23">p. 23</a></span>liant +singer himself, he was never what +you might call keen to take in a new member.</p> + +<p>When Mr. Meadowlark had told him +about his idea Buddy Brown Thrasher +gave a sharp whistle, "Wheeu!" That +was the only remark he made.</p> + +<p>"What's the matter?" Mr. Meadowlark +inquired. "Don't you like my +scheme?"</p> + +<p>"Oh! It's worth looking into, no +doubt," Buddy told him. "But I can't +say offhand whether it's a good one or +not.... Of course Bobby Bobolink would +have to pass the test before we take him +into the Singing Society."</p> + +<p>"If that's all that's troubling you, cheer +up!" Mr. Meadowlark cried. "For +Bobby Bobolink can pass the singing test +as easily as flying."</p> + +<p>"I hope so," Buddy Brown Thrasher<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_24" id="p_24">p. 24</a></span> +retorted. "I promise you that I'll be +present when Bobby sings before the Society. +And if his singing isn't what it +ought to be, you can depend on me to know +it."</p> + +<p>Well, Mr. Meadowlark couldn't object +to that. So he told Buddy Brown +Thrasher that his promise was fair +enough. And then Mr. Meadowlark hurried +away to call on other members of the +Pleasant Valley Singing Society and tell +them about his plan.</p> + +<p>After he had seen and talked with every +one, Mr. Meadowlark took it upon himself +to go back to the meadow, where he found +Bobby Bobolink still singing merrily. +And for once Mr. Meadowlark couldn't +wait for him to finish. For there was no +knowing when Bobby would stop.</p> + +<p>"You're invited," said Mr. Meadowlark, +"to sing before the Pleasant Valley Sing<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_25" id="p_25">p. 25</a></span>ing +Society. And if you can pass the test +you'll become a member."</p> + +<p>Bobby Bobolink was somewhat doubtful +as he listened to Mr. Meadowlark's +speech.</p> + +<p>"I'm afraid it will be difficult," he said.</p> + +<p>"Oh, no!" Mr. Meadowlark assured +him. "You can pass the test easily +enough."</p> + +<p>But Bobby Bobolink told him that that +wasn't what he meant.</p> + +<p>"I'm afraid," he explained, "my wife +may not consent!"</p> + + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p class="chapter"><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_26" id="p_26">p. 26</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="VI" id="VI"></a>VI</h2> + +<h3>MRS. BOBOLINK CONSENTS</h3> + + +<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">It</span> had never occurred to Mr. Meadowlark +that Bobby Bobolink's wife might object +to her husband's joining the Singing Society. +But Bobby seemed doubtful.</p> + +<p>"I'll have to ask her," he said. "You +see, we're just about to build ourselves a +house. And she may think I ought not +to belong to any societies at present."</p> + +<p>Just then little, yellowish-brown Mrs. +Bobolink came skimming over the meadow +and dropped down beside them.</p> + +<p>"Would you mind, my love, if I joined +the Pleasant Valley Singing Society?" +Bobby asked her.</p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_27" id="p_27">p. 27</a></span>"Perhaps you'd like to become a member +yourself," Mr. Meadowlark suggested +nervously.</p> + +<p>But Mrs. Bobolink hastened to say that +she wasn't musical. "Of course I enjoy +<i>hearing</i> songs," she told him; "but I'm +not much of a singer myself."</p> + +<p>"Your husband is one of the best," Mr. +Meadowlark told her hopefully.</p> + +<p>"Yes!" she replied. "And sometimes +I think he spends almost too much of his +time practicing."</p> + +<p>"Oh, I can sing and work at the same +time," Bobby Bobolink declared. "When +we begin work on our new house I shall +be singing most of the time."</p> + +<p>"How often does your Society meet?" +Mrs. Bobolink asked Mr. Meadowlark.</p> + +<p>"We have a little sing almost every fine +day," he informed her. "But your husband +needn't come to every meeting—if<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_28" id="p_28">p. 28</a></span> +he's too busy. And if necessary he can +leave before our sings are finished—except +when he takes the test."</p> + +<p>"The test!" Mrs. Bobolink echoed. +"What's that?"</p> + +<p>Mr. Meadowlark explained that before +becoming a member everybody had +to sing before the Society. "Those that +don't sing well enough don't get in," he +added. "For instance, there's old Mr. +Crow. His voice is too hoarse. So he +doesn't belong to the Society."</p> + +<p>Well, the moment she heard that, Mrs. +Bobolink made up her mind at once.</p> + +<p>"My husband can pass any singing test +that you can give him!" she exclaimed. +"The idea of mentioning him and Mr. +Crow in the same breath!"</p> + +<p>"Pardon me!" Mr. Meadowlark said +hastily. "I took several breaths just before +I spoke about Mr. Crow." He hoped<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_29" id="p_29">p. 29</a></span> +that he hadn't offended Bobby Bobolink's +wife.</p> + +<p>She wasn't really angry. But she was +proud of her husband's voice. And she +wanted Mr. Meadowlark to know it.</p> + +<p>"I wouldn't think of such a thing as +not letting Bobby join your Society," she +declared. "And as soon as we've finished +our new house he can go to every meeting +you have, and stay till the end, too."</p> + +<p>All this time Bobby Bobolink had been +listening anxiously. And when he heard +his wife's last remark he was so overjoyed +that he sprang into the air and began to +sing the happiest song he knew, while he +darted back and forth above the heads +of his wife and their caller.</p> + +<p>"Just listen to him!" Mrs. Bobolink +cried, with an air of pride. "Can you beat +that?"</p> + +<p>Mr. Meadowlark made a modest reply.<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_30" id="p_30">p. 30</a></span> +He said that in his opinion Bobby Bobolink +was the finest singer that had ever +come to Pleasant Valley.</p> + +<p>And Mrs. Bobolink was so pleased that +she confessed she hoped her husband could +take his test just as soon as possible.</p> + +<p>"He shall take it to-morrow!" Mr. +Meadowlark promised.</p> + + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p class="chapter"><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_31" id="p_31">p. 31</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="VII" id="VII"></a>VII</h2> + +<h3>PASSING THE TEST</h3> + + +<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">The</span> time had come for Bobby Bobolink +to sing before the Pleasant Valley Singing +Society. Mr. Meadowlark brought Bobby +to the meeting, along the rail fence between +the meadow and the pasture. And +he told everybody that there wasn't really +any need of such a test.</p> + +<p>"He's by far the finest singer in all these +parts," Mr. Meadowlark declared.</p> + +<p>There were a few who might have disputed +his statement, had not Bobby Bobolink +been present. They were too polite, +however, to do anything like that. But +Mr. Meadowlark himself had a voice of<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_32" id="p_32">p. 32</a></span> +remarkable sweetness. And many thought +that it couldn't be equalled.</p> + +<p>"Bobby Bobolink will have to sing for +us, just like anybody else, before we make +him a member of this Society," Buddy +Brown Thrasher cried, after he had given +a whistle, "Wheeu!" as if to say that he, +for one, doubted Mr. Meadowlark's words. +For Buddy Brown Thrasher liked his own +singing about as well as any he had ever +heard. In the morning, and again at +night, he was fond of perching himself on +the topmost twig of a tree, where nobody +could help seeing him, and singing a song +over and over again. It was his favorite +song—and the only one he knew. And +having practiced it all his life, how he +could sing it!</p> + +<p>Well, after Buddy Brown Thrasher's +remarks there was only one thing to be +done. Bobby Bobolink must sing for the<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_33" id="p_33">p. 33</a></span> +Society. And Mr. Meadowlark turned to +him and told him that he might begin at +once.</p> + +<p>So Bobby alighted on the end of a fence-rail +and such a torrent of song burst upon +the ears of his listeners as they had never +heard before. The notes came tumbling +so quickly one upon another that most of +the members of the Singing Society began +to look bewildered. Bobby Bobolink's +singing was almost too fast for even their +sharp ears.</p> + +<p>He hadn't sung long before somebody +interrupted him. Somebody called in a +loud voice, "I object!"</p> + +<p>It was Buddy Brown Thrasher that +spoke. Bobby Bobolink stopped short in +the middle of his song. And at once a great clamor arose, when all the other +members asked Buddy what he meant.</p> + +<p>"I mean," said Buddy Brown Thrasher,<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_34" id="p_34">p. 34</a></span> +as soon as he could make himself heard, +"I mean that Bobby Bobolink is playing +a trick on us. He has about half a dozen +of his friends hidden in the pasture. And +they're helping him. They're singing with +him."</p> + +<p>Everybody was astonished. And as for +Bobby Bobolink, he couldn't seem to say +a word for himself.</p> + +<p>Luckily he didn't need to. For just +then his wife came bustling up and settled +herself right in the midst of the Singing +Society.</p> + +<p>Proud as she was of her husband's +voice, she hadn't been able to stay +away from the meeting. So she had hovered +near-by, where she could hear everything +without being seen.</p> + +<p>"Sir!" she said to Buddy Brown +Thrasher. "Kindly point out these hidden +friends of my husband!"</p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_35" id="p_35">p. 35</a></span>Buddy Brown Thrasher looked somewhat +uneasy.</p> + +<p>"I—I haven't <i>seen</i> anybody in the +bushes," he stammered.</p> + +<p>"Find them!" Mrs. Bobolink ordered. +Her manner was so stern that Buddy +Brown Thrasher did not dare disobey. +He searched high and low. But he +couldn't find a bird anywhere in the pasture.</p> + +<p>"You see you were mistaken," Mrs. +Bobolink told him severely.</p> + +<p>Everybody agreed with her. And then +and there they made Bobby Bobolink a +member of the Pleasant Valley Singing +Society. There was no doubt that +he had sung his song without a bit of +help.</p> + +<p>"It was wonderful!" everybody exclaimed—everybody +but Buddy Brown +Thrasher. He muttered that it was no<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_36" id="p_36">p. 36</a></span> +wonder he made a mistake, for he didn't +know the song himself. And he said it +was much too fast for his taste.</p> + + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p class="chapter"><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_37" id="p_37">p. 37</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="VIII" id="VIII"></a>VIII</h2> + +<h3>THE HOUSE IN THE MEADOW</h3> + + +<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">Bobby Bobolink</span> and his wife had talked +a good deal about the home they were going +to have.</p> + +<p>And unlike some people, who are forever +planning things but never begin the +actual doing of them, they soon set to work +to build their nest.</p> + +<p>First, of course, they had to find a pleasant +place for it. So they looked the +ground over carefully. Bobby Bobolink +favored the exact center of the big meadow +building site, for he said that if +Johnnie Green ever came into the meadow +he was more likely to take a short cut<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_38" id="p_38">p. 38</a></span> +across a corner of it than he was to walk +straight through the middle.</p> + +<p>"You may not know," he said to his +wife, "that Farmer Green doesn't care to +have the grass on the farm trampled +down."</p> + +<p>But Mrs. Bobolink replied that there +were other things to think of. She said +that she liked to live in a rather moist +place—that such a spot was comfortable +in hot weather. And furthermore she +wanted to be near water. "If you need a +drink on a warm day it's not always convenient +to go far out of your way for it," +she pointed out.</p> + +<p>Well, Bobby Bobolink saw at once that +Mrs. Bobolink had made up her mind, and +there was no use trying to change it. Besides, +he wanted to please her.</p> + +<p>"Then, my dear, where would you like +to have our house built?" he asked.</p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_39" id="p_39">p. 39</a></span>"I should prefer to settle in the lower +end of the meadow, near Cedar Swamp," +she replied. "The ground thereabouts is +just damp enough to suit me. And there's +always plenty of water to drink in the +swamp.... Besides," she added, "it's +somewhat marshy in that part of the meadow.</p> + +<p>"And you won't find Johnny Green +trespassing down there. He might get his +feet wet!"</p> + +<p>Bobby Bobolink turned his head away +so that his wife wouldn't notice the smile +that flitted across his face. He saw that +Mrs. Bobolink didn't know Johnnie Green +very well.</p> + +<p>In summer Johnnie almost always went +barefooted. And he never minded getting +his feet wet any more than Paddy Muskrat +did.</p> + +<p>But if his wife wanted their nest<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_40" id="p_40">p. 40</a></span> +near the swamp, Bobby Bobolink was willing +to oblige her.</p> + +<p>"Very well!" he said. "Let's go down +there now and look for the best place to +build."</p> + +<p>So off they flew. And after a careful +search they discovered a snug little hollow +in the ground that entirely suited them +both.</p> + +<p>Since the spot was somewhat moist, +early in the season as it was the grass grew +thick and high all around, making a fine +screen to prevent prying eyes from seeing +what was to be hidden there.</p> + +<p>Having decided on their building site, +Bobby Bobolink and his wife began to +gather weed stems, leaves and coarse +grasses, all left over from the year before +and dried by the spring sunshine. Those +served for the outside of the nest. As +for the inside, they lined that with soft,<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_41" id="p_41">p. 41</a></span> +fine grasses, because they expected to keep +something precious in that nest before a +great while.</p> + + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p class="chapter"><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_42" id="p_42">p. 42</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="IX" id="IX"></a>IX</h2> + +<h3>JOHNNIE GREEN INTRUDES</h3> + + +<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">Bobby Bobolink</span> and his wife had finished +their new nest.</p> + +<p>"There!" Mrs. Bobolink exclaimed, as +she gave the lining of soft grasses a final +pat. "There's not another thing to be +done to it."</p> + +<p>"It's perfect!" Bobby told her. "But +I think I can make one slight improvement, +for we mustn't forget Henry +Hawk." And while his wife looked on +somewhat anxiously he bent a few grass +stalks over so that they completely hid +the nest from anybody passing overhead.</p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_43" id="p_43">p. 43</a></span>"Henry Hawk will never spy our nest +now," Bobby remarked a few minutes +later, as he flew back and forth over the +spot and tried in vain to catch a glimpse +of their new home. "If I can't see it as +near as I am, Henry Hawk will never find +it as he sails high above the meadow, for +all his eyes are terribly sharp."</p> + +<p>Mrs. Bobolink then told her husband +that his improvement was a fine one. And +Bobby was so well pleased that he sang a +song for his wife, while she rested from +her labors.</p> + +<p>After that they flew off and told all their +friends that their new home was built. But +they didn't invite anybody to a house-warming, +for that was not their way. +They never so much as told people where +their house was hidden. They were afraid +that some gossip might drop a hint to old +Mr. Crow, or his noisy cousin, Jasper Jay,<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_44" id="p_44">p. 44</a></span> +or perhaps Mr. Blackbird. And later +there would be something in the nest that +would have made a dainty meal for any +one of those rascals. No! Mr. and Mrs. +Bobolink did not intend to have their nest +robbed of its treasure—not if they could +help it!</p> + +<p>Now, it was only a short time later that +Bobby Bobolink and his wife shared a +wonderful secret. Five grayish-white +eggs, each quite pointed at one end, lay in +their nest. And nobody but themselves +was a bit the wiser.</p> + +<p>To be sure, the neighbors remarked that +Bobby Bobolink was simply bursting with +song. He was more musical than ever. +But they never dreamed what it was that +could make him even happier than he had +always been.</p> + +<p>At last there came a time when Bobby—though +he was just as happy—seemed<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_45" id="p_45">p. 45</a></span> +to have less leisure for singing. And then +it was easy for the neighbors to guess the +reason for that, because it was plain that +the Bobolink family was not gathering +great numbers of grasshoppers and caterpillars +merely for the fun of it.</p> + +<p>Hidden as the little Bobolinks were in +the tall grass, no stranger found them. +Of course, Mrs. Bobolink went to some +trouble to keep the secret of her nest in +the family. Whenever she left her home +she moved along the ground a little way +before rising into view. And when she returned +she alighted some distance off and +scurried through the grass until she +reached home.</p> + +<p>By taking such pains she kept others +from knowing exactly where her nest was. +And nothing had happened to alarm her +until one day she caught sight of Johnnie +Green. He had come into the meadow to<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_46" id="p_46">p. 46</a></span> +hunt for strawberries. And to Mrs. +Bobolink's dismay he was headed straight +for her house.</p> + + + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p class="chapter"><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_47" id="p_47">p. 47</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="X" id="X"></a>X</h2> + +<h3>FOOLING JOHNNIE GREEN</h3> + + +<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">When</span> Mrs. Bobolink saw Johnnie Green, +carrying a tin pail, come walking through +the meadow straight towards her house +she was terribly frightened. She was not +afraid for herself. Her only thought was +of her children, who were still too young +to leave the nest.</p> + +<p>Somehow Mrs. Bobolink felt sure that +Johnnie was searching for her nest, for +he had his head bent toward the ground, +as if he were looking for something. And +that bright tin pail! Mrs. Bobolink viewed +it with alarm. She just knew that it was +meant to carry off her children!</p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_48" id="p_48">p. 48</a></span>Of course Johnnie Green was only looking +for strawberries. But Mrs. Bobolink +didn't know that. All at once she remembered +how she had objected to having her +nest in the very center of the meadow, although +her husband had told her that he +thought it the safest place. And it came +back to her, too, how she had said that +Johnnie Green would never come into the +lower end of the meadow, near Cedar +Swamp, for fear of getting his feet wet.</p> + +<p>Poor Mrs. Bobolink choked as she +thought how foolish she had been. But +it was too late to move now. And she +didn't see what she was going to do. She +wished Bobby was at home, though she +had no idea how he could have headed off +Johnnie Green who was fast drawing +nearer.</p> + +<p>As soon as she could speak she called +"Chenk, chenk!" at the top of her voice.<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_49" id="p_49">p. 49</a></span> +She could think of nothing else to say.</p> + +<p>Luckily Bobby was not far away. And +hearing his wife's alarm call, he turned to +hurry home. But seeing Johnnie Green, +he swerved sharply aside and dropped +down upon a tuft of grass not too near the +nest.</p> + +<p>And then Bobby Bobolink made a great +fuss. He cried "Chink, chink!" over and +over again, now fluttering into the grass, +now bobbing into sight again. Johnnie +Green couldn't help noticing him.</p> + +<p>"There must be a nest there!" he exclaimed +under his breath. And he ran +quickly to the spot where Bobby was acting +so queerly. But when he got there +Johnnie found nothing.</p> + +<p>Bobby Bobolink had fooled him. He +never knew how near he came to stumbling +upon the nest, before Bobby played that +trick on him.</p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_50" id="p_50">p. 50</a></span>Mrs. Bobolink was greatly relieved +when Johnnie Green left her end of the +meadow. And she told her husband that +she had never supposed Johnnie would +come where it was so damp, for fear of +getting his feet wet.</p> + +<p>Bobby Bobolink did not tell her that he +had known all the time that a little water +never troubled Johnnie Green—so long as +he didn't have to wash his face in it.</p> + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p class="chapter"><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_51" id="p_51">p. 51</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="XI" id="XI"></a>XI</h2> + +<h3>BOBBY'S NAMES</h3> + + +<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">Everybody</span>—almost—liked Bobby Bobolink. +His neighbors in Farmer Green's +meadow enjoyed his singing. And they +thought him the merriest harum-scarum +they had ever known. He was even cheerful +to look at, too. For with every bright +day that passed, Bobby Bobolink's dress +took on a gayer hue. The truth was that +the yellowish tips of his feathers were +wearing away, leaving him a handsome +suit of black, set off by a generous patch +of creamy yellow on the back of his neck, +with enough white on his back and shoulders +to make a most jaunty costume.</p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_52" id="p_52">p. 52</a></span>Most of the field people enjoyed Bobby +Bobolink's company, for he was always in +high spirits. And many of them were +vain enough to like to be seen with him, +on account of his dashing appearance. +Mr. Red-winged Blackbird was especially +fond of Bobby's companionship. And he +was forever speaking of his old friend, +Bobby Bobolink, and acting as if he knew +Bobby a great deal better than anybody +else did.</p> + +<p>Mr. Red-winged Blackbird never tired +of telling the neighbors about the good +times he and Bobby had together when +they were in the South. And he related +many things about Bobby that some of the +feathered folk hadn't heard of.</p> + +<p>"There isn't anybody in the valley that +has more names than Bobby Bobolink," +Mr. Red-winged Blackbird said to Mr. +Crow one day. "Some people call him<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_53" id="p_53">p. 53</a></span> +the Reed Bird. And down South they +scarcely know the name Bobolink. Down +there everybody calls him the Rice Bird. +And there's an island far off in the southern +seas where people speak of him as the +Butter Bird."</p> + +<p>Now, if the truth must be known, old +Mr. Crow was a bit jealous of Bobby +Bobolink. It was said—by those that +ought to have known—that Mr. Crow +didn't like it because Bobby Bobolink was +not only a member of the Pleasant Valley +Singing Society, but its finest singer as +well. Unfortunately, Mr. Crow's husky +voice had always prevented his joining +the Society. And somehow—having heard +that Bobby was very fond of rice—Mr. +Crow could not get the notion out of his +head that he might be just as fond of corn.</p> + +<p>If Mr. Crow thought anybody but himself +liked corn he was sure to be spiteful to<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_54" id="p_54">p. 54</a></span>wards +him. You might have thought, from +the way Mr. Crow acted, that Farmer +Green didn't raise enough corn to go +around.</p> + +<p>"How does it happen," Mr. Crow inquired +slyly of Mr. Red-winged Blackbird, +"that your friend Bobby Bobolink +has all these names? It can't be—can it—that +he is a rogue and is always changing +his name so people won't know who he +is?"</p> + +<p>"Certainly not!" Mr. Red-winged +Blackbird snapped. "Only a stupid person +would ask such a question as that."</p> + +<p>Just then Bobby Bobolink himself +flashed across the meadow and joined +them. And Mr. Red-winged Blackbird +began to talk about the weather.</p> + +<p>He was afraid that Mr. Crow intended +to be disagreeable.</p> + + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p class="chapter"><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_55" id="p_55">p. 55</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="XII" id="XII"></a>XII</h2> + +<h3>MR. CROW IS DISAGREEABLE</h3> + + +<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">Although</span> Mr. Red-winged Blackbird +talked about the weather as fast as he +could, his chatter did not prevent Mr. +Crow from interrupting him, because the +old gentleman was determined to be disagreeable +to Bobby Bobolink, and nothing +could stop him.</p> + +<p>"Your friend here has been talking +about you," he told Bobby Bobolink with +a wise smile. "He says you have a good +many names."</p> + +<p>"Yes!" Bobby told Mr. Crow. "That's +quite true."</p> + +<p>Mr. Crow coughed; and he shot a side<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_56" id="p_56">p. 56</a></span>long +look at Mr. Red-winged Blackbird.</p> + +<p>"It must be pleasant to have so many +fine names," Mr. Crow then added, with +a smirk.</p> + +<p>"Oh, very!" Mr. Red-winged Blackbird +answered for his friend.</p> + +<p>Mr. Crow turned a snapping eye on him, +and croaked:</p> + +<p>"There's at least one name you left out +among the lot you mentioned to me. You +said he was known as the Reed Bird, the +Rice Bird, and the Butter Bird. But +there's one more bird still to be added to +the list."</p> + +<p>"Is there?"</p> + +<p>"Yes!" Mr. Crow replied. "Maybe I +know more about your chum than you do. +Perhaps you weren't aware that in spite +of all the elegant names you've spoken of, +he's nothing but a Skunk Blackbird after +all!" And with a loud haw-haw Mr. Crow<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_57" id="p_57">p. 57</a></span> +rose upon the breeze and flapped into the +woods. That was a favorite trick of his. +After making some specially rude remark +he would hurry away before anybody had +time to think of a retort.</p> + +<p>"The idea!" Mr. Red-winged Blackbird +exclaimed to Bobby Bobolink, gazing +after Mr. Crow with an injured air. "He +insulted you!"</p> + +<p>To his great surprise Bobby laughed +heartily.</p> + +<p>"Mr. Crow is a wise old bird," he said, +"He generally knows what he's talking +about."</p> + +<p>"You don't mean to say that he was +telling the truth, do you?" Mr. Red-winged +Blackbird demanded.</p> + +<p>"I do!" Bobby Bobolink admitted.</p> + +<p>Mr. Red-winged Blackbird edged away +slightly. Skunks, he knew, would rather +eat a bird than not. And he couldn't help<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_58" id="p_58">p. 58</a></span> +wondering whether a Skunk Blackbird +might be as dangerous.</p> + +<p>"Then some people do call you that!" +he faltered.</p> + +<p>"Yes! But I don't care," Bobby Bobolink +answered carelessly. "It's only because +of these clothes I'm wearing at +present—black, you know, with stripes of +white down each side and meeting on my +back."</p> + +<p>Mr. Red-winged Blackbird stared at +him.</p> + +<p>"Then," he asked, "that's the only way +you're like a Skunk?"</p> + +<p>"Certainly!" said Bobby. And he +laughed so merrily that Mr. Red-winged +Blackbird had to believe him.</p> + +<p>"I was scared, for a moment," he confessed. +"I was afraid you might take it +into your head to eat me."</p> + +<p>Bobby Bobolink seemed to think that<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_59" id="p_59">p. 59</a></span> +a huge joke. And he sang several humorous +songs before he turned to Mr. Red-winged +Blackbird and said:</p> + +<p>"I can tell you one thing. I'd rather be +called a Skunk Blackbird than a Skunk +Crow, any day!"</p> + + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p class="chapter"><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_60" id="p_60">p. 60</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="XIII" id="XIII"></a>XIII</h2> + +<h3>MR. CATBIRD'S TRICK</h3> + + +<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">In</span> a clump of lilac bushes near Farmer +Green's garden Mr. Catbird made his +home. He was an odd fellow, very friendly +toward everybody in the farmhouse, except +the cat, whom he dearly loved to +tease. When she passed through the garden +on her way to the meadow to hunt for +mice, Mr. Catbird was quite likely to begin +mewing. It always made Miss Kitty +furious to be mocked. And sometimes she +crept into the bushes herself, hoping to +surprise Mr. Catbird and teach him a lesson. +But she never caught him.</p> + +<p>Now, the cat was not the only one whose<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_61" id="p_61">p. 61</a></span> +calls Mr. Catbird imitated. Although he +liked almost all his bird neighbors and +was especially kind and helpful when they +were in trouble, nothing pleased him more +than to sing their songs. Knowing as they +did that he was always ready to feed any +nestlings that were left to fend for themselves, +and that he was quick to help any +of the small feathered folk to fight an +enemy, his neighbors did not care how +much Mr. Catbird mocked them. It was +only his way of having fun; so they didn't +mind.</p> + +<p>Mr. Catbird was always prankish and +full of spirits. And feeling all ready for +a lark one morning and not knowing what +else to do, he decided to visit the meadow +and play a trick on Bobby Bobolink and +his wife.</p> + +<p>So when the Bobolinks were away from +home on a short trip Mr. Catbird flew to<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_62" id="p_62">p. 62</a></span> +their end of the meadow and hid in a bush +not far from the spot where they had +built their nest on the ground.</p> + +<p>From his hiding place Mr. Catbird +watched closely. And soon he saw Mrs. +Bobolink, followed shortly by her husband, +come skimming across the meadow +and settle down in the grass.</p> + +<p>Well, Mr. Catbird was so delighted with +the trick he was about to play on them +that first he spread his feathers, and then +he tucked them close about his slim body, +while he bobbed about on the branch where +he sat, giving his tail a flirt now and then +as if he were so amused that he simply +couldn't keep still.</p> + +<p>After spending some minutes in that +fashion Mr. Catbird peeped out of his bush +again and began what he expected would +be a perfect imitation of one of Bobby +Bobolink's songs. But somehow there<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_63" id="p_63">p. 63</a></span> +seemed to be something wrong. They +were very strange notes that he uttered. +And the moment she heard them Mrs. +Bobolink said aloud to her husband, +"What in the world is that queer call? +I never heard anything like it in all my +days!"</p> + +<p>Bobby Bobolink couldn't tell her. And +since they had no idea who was lurking +near their home nor exactly where he was, +they kept quite still, hidden as they were +by the tall grasses.</p> + +<p>Mr. Catbird had heard what they said. +And he was slightly upset, for he had intended +that they should think there was a +strange Bobolink in the meadow.</p> + +<p>"I'll have to try again," he said to himself. +"Next time I'll do better."</p> + + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p class="chapter"><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_64" id="p_64">p. 64</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="XIV" id="XIV"></a>XIV</h2> + +<h3>FRIGHTENING MRS. BOBOLINK</h3> + + +<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">Not</span> knowing who gave the strange cry +near their home, Bobby Bobolink and his +wife held their breaths and waited. They +never dreamed that it was their good +friend, Mr. Catbird, hidden in a bush +near-by, who was trying to imitate one of +Bobby's songs.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile that fun-loving fellow smiled +broadly to himself. And giving his tail +an upward toss he opened his mouth once +more, only to give voice to one of the oddest +sounds that was ever heard in Pleasant +Valley.</p> + +<p>Mr. Catbird knew right away that he<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_65" id="p_65">p. 65</a></span> +hadn't caught the trick of mocking Bobby +Bobolink. So he stopped short.</p> + +<p>"I wonder what's the matter with me," +he murmured. "Can it be that I've +caught a cold and didn't know it?"</p> + +<p>He cleared his throat and made ready +to attempt Bobby Bobolink's song once +more. But he waited a moment, for he +could hear Bobby talking to his wife.</p> + +<p>"Don't be alarmed!" he was saying. +"It sounded to me as if somebody had a +frog in his throat."</p> + +<p>"I hope you're not mistaken," was Mrs. +Bobolink's somewhat doubting answer.</p> + +<p>"I thought I heard him choke a moment +ago," Bobby told her. "We'll keep still +until we know where the noise comes +from."</p> + +<p>Mr. Catbird winced. He was not used +to hearing anybody speak of his singing +as "noise." And he made up his mind<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_66" id="p_66">p. 66</a></span> +that he would sing a song in Bobby Bobolink's +best manner. So again he opened +his mouth.</p> + +<p>He hadn't sung half a dozen notes before +Bobby Bobolink's wife gave a shrill +scream.</p> + +<p>"Oh, dear!" she cried. "That's a terrible +noise. It hurts my ears to hear it."</p> + +<p>Mr. Catbird had stopped when Mrs. +Bobolink screamed. A puzzled look came +over his face.</p> + +<p>"I don't see what's the matter with me +to-day," he said under his breath. "This +is the first time I ever tried to mock anybody +and made such a bungle of it.... +Perhaps I'm trying to sing too fast," he +added. "So I'll sing slower next time."</p> + +<p>But his slow notes were queerer still. +Though he tried to make them rollicking +and merry, he succeeded only in giving a +number of doleful whines.</p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_67" id="p_67">p. 67</a></span>"That won't do!" he exclaimed. "I declare, +I haven't caught the trick yet." +And to his great distress he heard Mrs. +Bobolink weeping.</p> + +<p>Now, Mr. Catbird had only wanted to +have a jolly time with the Bobolink family. +He had intended to sing one of Bobby's +songs a few times, until they were +puzzled; and then he had expected to dash +out of the bush where he was hiding +and have a good laugh with Mr. and Mrs. +Bobolink. But somehow his plans were +turning out all wrong.</p> + +<p>"What shall I do?" Mr. Catbird +groaned. "Here I've gone and frightened +Bobby Bobolink's wife! Something's the +matter with my voice. And I don't dare +to try another song for fear she'll fall into +a faint."</p> + +<p>Then an idea flashed into his head. "If +she knows who's hiding in this bush Mrs.<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_68" id="p_68">p. 68</a></span> +Bobolink won't be frightened!" And +thereupon he mewed almost exactly like +Farmer Green's cat. But the sound was +just different enough for Bobby Bobolink +to know at once who made it.</p> + +<p>"It's all right!" he told his wife merrily. +"Don't worry! Mr. Catbird is hiding +somewhere. He has been teasing us!"</p> + +<p>Then Mr. Catbird came out of the bush +and apologized like the gentleman he was.</p> + +<p>"I didn't mean to frighten Mrs. Bobolink," +he explained. "I was only trying +to mock you. But there's something +wrong with my voice. I think I'll have to +go and see Aunt Polly Woodchuck, the +herb doctor."</p> + +<p>Bobby Bobolink only laughed harder +than ever.</p> + +<p>"There's nothing the matter with you!" +he cried. "There isn't anybody that can +imitate my songs—unless it's one of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_69" id="p_69">p. 69</a></span> +Bobolink family. I sing too fast for you—that's +the trouble."</p> + +<p>Well, Mr. Catbird looked vastly relieved.</p> + +<p>"I'm glad to know that," he said. "And +I'll never try to mock you again."</p> + +<p>"I should hope not!" Mrs. Bobolink +told him. "For I never heard such a +frightful noise in all my days."</p> + + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p class="chapter"><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_70" id="p_70">p. 70</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="XV" id="XV"></a>XV</h2> + +<h3>HAYING TIME</h3> + + +<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">By</span> the time the Bobolink youngsters were +beginning to learn to fly Mrs. Bobolink +noticed something about her husband that +caused her some uneasiness. Bobby Bobolink +was unusually jolly. And since his +wife didn't know of anything to make him +feel happier than he had always been, she +couldn't help worrying for fear something +was troubling him. For Bobby Bobolink +almost never let anything dash his high +spirits. He often said that there was nothing +so uplifting as a rousing song—unless +it was a good pair of wings!</p> + +<p>Mrs. Bobolink thought and thought.<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_71" id="p_71">p. 71</a></span> +But so far as she could see everything was +going smoothly. Already the children +gave promise of becoming fine fliers, taking +as naturally to the air as ducks to +water. And it was a great year for grasshoppers; +so Bobby Bobolink couldn't be +worrying about a scarcity of food.</p> + +<p>Bobby's wife thought of this, that and +the other thing. But she could hit on nothing +that wasn't exactly as it should be. +So at last she decided to ask her husband +what it was that was troubling him and +making him so remarkably cheerful.</p> + +<p>"I don't like to upset you, my dear," he +said in response to her question. "But +I may as well tell you that we ought to +move at the earliest possible moment."</p> + +<p>"Move!" she cried. "Oh, no! I don't +want to move. I'm quite contented with +this house. It's in just the place I like."</p> + +<p>"I'm sorry," said Bobby. "But we<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_72" id="p_72">p. 72</a></span> +shall have to move all the same. And +when I tell you why, I think you'll agree +with me that the sooner we move the better +it will be for us."</p> + +<p>Little Mrs. Bobolink replied very firmly +that she would have to hear a good reason +before she would consent to move an inch.</p> + +<p>So Bobby told her. "Haying time has +come!"</p> + +<p>"What of that?" his wife inquired. +"Farmer Green doesn't expect us to help +him, does he?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, no!" Bobby answered with a short +laugh. "But he'll cut the grass all over +the meadow. And even if our children +should escape with their lives, there's +still Henry Hawk to think of. He could +see them easily enough, with the grass all +gone from above the nest."</p> + +<p>That was reason enough for Mrs. +Bobolink. She wanted to move right<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_73" id="p_73">p. 73</a></span> +away. But there was something to prevent +that.</p> + +<p>"We certainly can't leave here till the +children have learned to fly better than +they do now," she said. "But as soon +as they can handle themselves well enough +we'll go. We'll know—won't we—when +Farmer Green begins to mow?"</p> + +<p>"Indeed we will!" Bobby cried. "The +mowing-machine makes a terrible clatter. +And we'll have to quit the neighborhood +in a hurry when we hear it, for it moves +fast, and cuts the grass down like fire."</p> + +<p>Mrs. Bobolink was all a-flutter. And +she spent so much time teaching her children +to fly that they learned surprisingly +fast. By the time an odd <i>clackety-clack</i> +sounded across the meadow early one fine +morning the Bobolink family was all ready +to move.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Bobolink was gathering her chil<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_74" id="p_74">p. 74</a></span>dren +hastily about her when Bobby came +hurrying back from a trip to the farm +buildings. He had seen—as well as heard—the +mowing-machine. And he knew +there was no time to waste.</p> + +<p>"Are you ready?" he called as he fluttered +quickly down beside his family.</p> + +<p>"Yes!" said Mrs. Bobolink.</p> + +<p>"You haven't forgotten anything?"</p> + +<p>She counted her children carefully before +answering.</p> + +<p>"No!" she said. "There are five of +them here." And then, a look of dismay +came over her face.</p> + +<p>"My goodness!" she exclaimed. "I've +forgotten to pick out a place to move to!"</p> + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p class="chapter"><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_75" id="p_75">p. 75</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="XVI" id="XVI"></a>XVI</h2> + +<h3>MR. FROG IS AMUSED</h3> + + +<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">With</span> the clatter of the mowing-machine +growing louder every moment, Bobby +Bobolink didn't stop to ask his wife to +what place she would like to move.</p> + +<p>"Follow me!" he cried. And rising +quickly he headed for Cedar Swamp, with +Mrs. Bobolink and their five children +trailing after him.</p> + +<p>It was the quickest move you ever saw—if +you had only seen it! In a few minutes +they were settled in the swamp. And +to Bobby Bobolink's relief his wife declared +that she liked their new home, because +it was in a good damp place and<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_76" id="p_76">p. 76</a></span> +there was plenty of good water to drink.</p> + +<p>After moving to Cedar Swamp Bobby +Bobolink often met a spry gentleman who +lived there. His name was Ferdinand +Frog. And being a tailor, he always took +special notice of everybody's clothes. For +himself Mr. Frog preferred a dark green +suit, somewhat spotted, and a white waistcoat. +And since he spent a great deal of +his time in the water, his white waistcoat +always looked very spick-and-span. Yes! +Ferdinand Frog was an elegant person. +And being somewhat shallow-brained, he +was rather vain of his appearance, and +was likely to snicker at other people if +their clothes seemed to him the least bit +odd.</p> + +<p>Now, Bobby Bobolink had noticed from +the first that whenever he met Mr. Frog +he began to titter. But since Bobby was +always ready with a laugh himself, he sup<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_77" id="p_77">p. 77</a></span>posed +that Mr. Ferdinand Frog was +merely bubbling over with good spirits. +So he used to pass the time of day with +the gay tailor and maybe sing a jolly song +for him.</p> + +<p>And all the while Mr. Frog would grin +widely and giggle.</p> + +<p>At last Bobby Bobolink noticed that +Mr. Frog's bulging eyes were always looking +him up and down, from head to feet. +And before long it dawned on Bobby +Bobolink that the tailor was not laughing +<i>with</i> him.</p> + +<p>No! There was no doubt that Ferdinand +Frog was laughing <i>at</i> him. And +there is a great difference between these +two kinds of laughter.</p> + +<p>All at once Bobby Bobolink began to +feel uncomfortable. And though he had +intended to sing another song for Mr. +Frog, he did not do it. Instead he said a<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_78" id="p_78">p. 78</a></span> +hasty good-day and hurried home to his +wife.</p> + +<p>"My dear," Bobby said to Mrs. Bobolink +in an anxious voice, "do you see anything +queer about my appearance?"</p> + +<p>She looked him over carefully.</p> + +<p>"Why, no!" she answered at last. +"Why do you ask me such an odd question?"</p> + +<p>"Well," said Bobby, "Mr. Frog, the +tailor, is always staring at me in the oddest +fashion and snickering as if he saw +something that amused him."</p> + +<p>"Don't worry about that simpleton!" +Mrs. Bobolink cried. "You look a great +deal better than he does. And as for your +voices, there's really no comparison. +Yours is one of the finest in Pleasant Valley; +but Ferdinand Frog's is nothing but +a croak. It's even worse than old Mr. +Crow's!"</p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_79" id="p_79">p. 79</a></span>After that Bobby Bobolink felt better. +He knew that his wife was particular. +And if she said he looked all right then he +was sure he could have no cause to be uneasy.</p> + +<p>"It must be only Mr. Frog's queer +eyes," he said to Mrs. Bobolink. "I've +been thinking that he saw something +strange about me. But I must be mistaken."</p> + +<p>Nevertheless, the very next time Bobby +met Mr. Frog the tailor burst out laughing, +right in his face. And again his eyes +rolled from Bobby's head to his feet, +and back again, in a most unpleasant +leer.</p> + +<p>"What on earth do you see to laugh +at?" Bobby Bobolink demanded.</p> + +<p>"Tee-hee!" Mr. Frog giggled. "Don't +you know?"</p> + +<p>"No, I don't!" Bobby snapped.</p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_80" id="p_80">p. 80</a></span></p> + +<p>"It's your clothes!" Mr. Frog told +him. "You've got them on upside +down!"</p> + + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p class="chapter"><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_81" id="p_81">p. 81</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="XVII" id="XVII"></a>XVII</h2> + +<h3>TURNING THE TABLES</h3> + + +<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">Mr. Frog</span> had given Bobby Bobolink a +great surprise. He had said that Bobby +was wearing his clothes upside down.</p> + +<p>After making that unpleasant remark +Mr. Frog burst into a gale of laughter. +And it was some time before he could say +anything more. While he held his sides +and laughed, Bobby Bobolink tried to look +at his own reflection in a pool of water. +But so far as he could see there was nothing +unusual about his suit. He was puzzled; +but there was no use asking Mr. +Frog any questions just then Bobby +knew that he would have to wait until the<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_82" id="p_82">p. 82</a></span> +silly tailor's fit of laughing had passed.</p> + +<p>At last Mr. Frog grew calmer. He +drew forth a big handkerchief from his +sleeve and wiped his eyes.</p> + +<p>"You're certainly the funniest sight +I've ever seen!" he exclaimed.</p> + +<p>"I wish you'd explain about my suit being +upside down," Bobby said. "I've +worn it this way for almost two months. +And only yesterday my wife told me there +was nothing wrong with it."</p> + +<p>"Ah!" Mr. Frog cried. "She doesn't +know about the styles. If she did, she'd +know what was the matter. Your waistcoat +is black; and you wear bright colors +on your back. Anybody that follows the +fashions as I do could tell you that your +coat should be black, and that the yellow +and white ought to be on your waistcoat. +That's one of the rules: Coat dark, waistcoat +bright and gay! Look at me!" And<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_83" id="p_83">p. 83</a></span> +Mr. Frog drew himself up proudly and +leaned against a stump, with his feet +crossed, exactly as if he was having his picture +taken.</p> + +<p>Bobby Bobolink looked at him. And +all at once he burst out laughing.</p> + +<p>Now it was Mr. Frog's turn to feel uncomfortable.</p> + +<p>"What's the matter?" he asked. "Isn't +my tie straight?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, I dare say your tie's correct," +Bobby Bobolink told him. "But there's +something queer about you. Maybe it's +because your feet are so big!" And he +laughed harder than ever; for Mr. Frog +certainly looked funny.</p> + +<p>Now, Mr. Frog's feet were a great trial +to him. He had always wanted small ones. +But somehow he had never been able to +change them.</p> + +<p>"They aren't really as big as they<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_84" id="p_84">p. 84</a></span> +look," he remarked, gazing down at his +feet mournfully. "You see, trousers are +being worn very tight this summer. And +that always makes the feet seem bigger.... +My feet can't look peculiar."</p> + +<p>"Then," said Bobby Bobolink, "it must +be something else that amuses me. It must +be your mouth!"</p> + +<p>"My mouth!" Mr. Frog repeated, as his +jaw dropped. "What's the matter with +that?"</p> + +<p>"It's so big!" Bobby cried.</p> + +<p>Now, Mr. Frog had always been terribly +sensitive about the size of his mouth.</p> + +<p>"I'll tell you something about my +mouth," he said. "Once it was smaller +than yours. But I've smiled so much it +has stretched a bit, though I hoped nobody +had noticed that."</p> + +<p>"Well," Bobby Bobolink told him, "I'm +better off than you are, Mr. Frog. For I<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_85" id="p_85">p. 85</a></span> +expect to have a new suit this fall. But +how are you going to change your mouth—or +your feet, either?"</p> + +<p>That was a question that Mr. Frog +couldn't answer. He made no attempt +to reply, but plunged into the water and +swam away.</p> + +<p>And he never again laughed at anybody's +clothes all that summer.</p> + + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p class="chapter"><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_86" id="p_86">p. 86</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="XVIII" id="XVIII"></a>XVIII</h2> + +<h3>TIMOTHY TURTLE'S COMPLAINT</h3> + + +<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">It</span> happened that the Bobolink family +moved to Cedar Swamp just when Timothy +Turtle had arrived there for a short +outing. It was Mr. Turtle's custom to +leave his home in Black Creek now and +than and spend a few days in some other +neighborhood. He said that after living +in the creek as many years as he had it did +him good to get a change once in a while. +About every forty years he paid a visit to +the Beaver Pond on the other side of Blue +Mountain. But he visited Cedar Swamp +oftener than that, because it was nearer +his home.</p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_87" id="p_87">p. 87</a></span>There was scarcely anybody that was +glad to see Mr. Turtle. He was a snappish, +surly old chap. And he was forever +finding fault with everybody and +everything. It seemed as if you couldn't +please him, no matter how much you tried. +He had spent less than a week in Cedar +Swamp before every one voted him a nuisance. +And he had invitations, daily, to +go back where he came from.</p> + +<p>But Timothy Turtle announced in no +uncertain tones that he wouldn't go till +he was ready. He said that it was a waste +of breath to urge him to leave, and that +those that didn't care for his company +might move. He promised that he +wouldn't stop anybody—unless he happened +to get hold of him!</p> + +<p>Naturally every one took pains to keep +out of Timothy Turtle's reach. It was +well known that when his powerful jaws<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_88" id="p_88">p. 88</a></span> +closed upon a person's leg, for instance, +its unlucky owner might as well not try +to get away till Timothy was ready to let +him go. And if it happened to be his head +that Timothy Turtle seized—well, then he +was unluckier still!</p> + +<p>If Timothy Turtle was grumpy before +Bobby Bobolink moved to Cedar Swamp, +it would be hard to say what he was afterward. +For Bobby Bobolink's happy songs +drove Timothy Turtle almost crazy. He +said that if he had known he would have +to listen to such merry singing he would +have taken his outing in the Beaver Pond, +though he wasn't really due there for +thirty-nine years, because he had visited +the Beaver colony only the summer before.</p> + +<p>When Timothy heard Bobby Bobolink's +song ringing through the swamp he hurried +as fast as he could toward the place<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_89" id="p_89">p. 89</a></span> +where it seemed to come from. Timothy +did that, not because he wanted to hear +the singing better, but because he had +something to say to the singer. He wanted +to tell him to keep still. And he had a +good many disagreeable remarks on the +tip of his tongue, all ready to fling at +Bobby Bobolink.</p> + +<p>But somehow Mr. Turtle never succeeded +in finding Bobby. After Mr. Turtle +had swum in one direction he was sure +to hear the song in another. Sometimes +he would even leave the water and crawl +over the soggy, boggy turf; and that was +slow work for Timothy Turtle. You may +be sure it did not improve his temper to +find that his journeying had been all in +vain.</p> + +<p>It happened that at last somebody told +Bobby Bobolink that Mr. Turtle wanted +to speak to him. And being most oblig<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_90" id="p_90">p. 90</a></span>ing, +Bobby set out to find Timothy. "It's +a shame," he said, "to disappoint an old +gentleman."</p> + +<p>Anybody could tell, from that remark, +that he didn't know Timothy Turtle.</p> + + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p class="chapter"><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_91" id="p_91">p. 91</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="XIX" id="XIX"></a>XIX</h2> + +<h3>BOBBY'S MISTAKE</h3> + + +<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">After</span> a good deal of searching Bobby +Bobolink discovered Timothy Turtle in a +pool in Cedar Swamp, sunning himself +on an old stump that was half under +water.</p> + +<p>"Good morning, Mr. Turtle!" Bobby +cried. "Is it true that you have something +to say to me?"</p> + +<p>And feeling quite happy and care-free, +Bobby began to sing one of his most +sprightly songs. For Mr. Turtle was a +slow old fellow. It took him some time to +answer a question, especially when he was +dozing.</p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_92" id="p_92">p. 92</a></span>But the moment Bobby Bobolink began +to sing old Mr. Timothy Turtle came to +life instantly. And he was so angry at +hearing that rollicking song that much as +he wanted to, he couldn't speak. Somehow +the words seemed to stick in his +throat.</p> + +<p>And for a few moments Timothy was +afraid he was going to choke.</p> + +<p>Now Bobby Bobolink was such a lively +person that he couldn't keep still long. +Especially when he was singing he liked +to be on the move. So when he saw that +Timothy Turtle wasn't going to speak immediately +Bobby leaped from the bush +where he was perched and began flying +joyously over the swamp.</p> + +<p>All the time he sang with all his might, +making so much music that he could not +hear Timothy Turtle calling to him at +last.</p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_93" id="p_93">p. 93</a></span>Once in a while Bobby wheeled above +Mr. Turtle, so that the old fellow might +enjoy his best notes. He little knew that +Mr. Turtle was crying to him to stop, for +goodness' sake! And noticing that Timothy's +mouth was moving, Bobby Bobolink +said to himself:</p> + +<p>"He looks terribly fierce; but of course +he's only commanding me not to stop singing."</p> + +<p>It was no wonder that Bobby Bobolink +thought as he did, because his neighbors +were always begging him to sing something +for them.</p> + +<p>"It must be that Mr. Turtle wanted to +see me so he could ask me to sing some +songs for him," Bobby thought. And +wishing to please Timothy Turtle, Bobby +Bobolink sang as he hadn't sung all summer +long.</p> + +<p>At last Timothy Turtle felt that he<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_94" id="p_94">p. 94</a></span> +couldn't bear to hear another note. And +flopping off the stump, he splashed into +the water and sank to the bottom of the +swamp, where he buried his head in the +mud.</p> + +<p>And there he stayed until he dared +hope that Bobby Bobolink had stopped +singing, or gone away to a distant part of +the country.</p> + +<p>"Has anybody seen Timothy Turtle?" +Bobby Bobolink kept calling as soon as +he noticed that Mr. Turtle had vanished. +But no one knew where the old fellow was. +And at last Bobby gave up looking for +him. But he thought it strange that +Timothy hadn't waited to hear the rest +of his song.</p> + +<p>"I hope he isn't ill," Bobby told his +friends.</p> + +<p>But they only laughed.</p> + +<p>"Timothy Turtle is altogether too old<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_95" id="p_95">p. 95</a></span> +and tough to have much the matter with +him," they said. "If he's ill, it's nothing +but ill temper."</p> + + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p class="chapter"><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_96" id="p_96">p. 96</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="XX" id="XX"></a>XX</h2> + +<h3>A HERMIT'S ADVICE</h3> + + +<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">There</span> was another, besides Timothy Turtle, +who was not pleased when Bobby +Bobolink moved to Cedar Swamp at haying +time. But this was a very different +sort of person. It was Jolly Robin's +cousin, Mr. Hermit Thrush. Everybody +called him "the Hermit" for short, because +he was a quiet gentleman, who did +not like to attract attention, but preferred +to spend his time in a thicket on +the edge of the swamp. He had a beautiful, +sweet song, which he sang in a calm, +unruffled fashion when he thought nobody +was near.</p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_97" id="p_97">p. 97</a></span>The Hermit loathed noisy, boisterous +people. And he disliked loud clothes, too—no +matter who wore them. He had even +been known to speak in a slighting way +of his cousin, Jolly Robin, not only because +he was so sprightly and cheerful, +but because he always wore a red waistcoat.</p> + +<p>The Hermit himself clung to more sober +colors. His coat was olive-brown, his tail +somewhat paler in hue, and his waistcoat +of quite a light shade, spotted with black.</p> + +<p>As a rule he had little to say to his +neighbors. But soon after Bobby Bobolink +came to the swamp to live the Hermit +began to talk more freely. He began +to make complaints, saying that he had +chosen Cedar Swamp as a quiet place to +live and it was upsetting to him to have +any one as harum-scarum as Bobby Bobolink +settle in the neighborhood.</p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_98" id="p_98">p. 98</a></span>And one day the Hermit even spoke +to Bobby Bobolink himself and took him +to task, although nobody had introduced +Bobby to him. And generally the Hermit +wouldn't speak to anybody who hadn't +made his acquaintance like that.</p> + +<p>"Young man!" said the Hermit solemnly, +when he chanced to meet the newcomer +near the thicket where the Hermit +lived, "I'm going to give you a bit of advice. +I'm going to warn you that if you +don't behave differently you'll come to +some bad end."</p> + +<p>Now, Bobby Bobolink supposed that of +course the speaker was only joking. He +knew that some people could joke when +they wore a long face. So he laughed +heartily. And thinking what a jolly chap +the stranger in the spotted waistcoat was, +he began to sing.</p> + +<p>"There you go!" the Hermit exclaimed<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_99" id="p_99">p. 99</a></span> +as a look of pain crossed his refined face. +"You can't even keep still long enough to +hear a little valuable advice. Do stop that +annoying noise of yours and listen to what +I have to say!"</p> + +<p>Bobby Bobolink was so surprised to +hear anybody speak in such a way of his +singing that he broke right off in the middle +of a note, making a squeaky sound that +caused the Hermit to shudder.</p> + +<p>"Now try to control yourself," said the +Hermit. "And if you can only learn to +stop making that jingling, jangling music +perhaps you'll be able to save yourself +from a sad fate."</p> + +<p>Bobby Bobolink stared at the Hermit +as if he couldn't believe what his own ears +told him.</p> + +<p>"What are you talking about?" he demanded.</p> + +<p>With great care the Hermit flicked a bit<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_100" id="p_100">p. 100</a></span> +of moss off his waistcoat before answering. +And then he said, "Don't you know +that some day when you're in the midst of +a frenzy of song you're going to explode? +And then there'll be nothing left of you +except a cloud of feathers!"</p> + + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p class="chapter"><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_101" id="p_101">p. 101</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="XXI" id="XXI"></a>XXI</h2> + +<h3>HOW TO TAKE BAD NEWS</h3> + + +<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">For</span> once Bobby Bobolink's heart seemed +to come right up into his mouth. Usually +he never let anything dash his high spirits. +If matters didn't go exactly as they +should with him he would laugh and say +that probably they would be different to-morrow. +And more likely than not he +would burst into the jolliest song he knew. +Singing like that always helped him amazingly, +when a good many people would +have moped and looked glum. But now +the gloomy warning of Jolly Robin's +mournful cousin, the Hermit Thrush, +threw a sudden dread into him.</p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_102" id="p_102">p. 102</a></span>"Why"—he asked the Hermit in a +quavering voice—"why do you think I'm +likely to explode some day when I'm singing?"</p> + +<p>"I don't <i>think</i> that. I <i>know</i> it," the +Hermit corrected him. "No bird can +crowd one note upon another the way you +do without running a terrible risk. If you +don't do differently, some fine day your +wife is going to miss you. And when the +neighbors search for you, and find nothing +but a few feathers scattered on the +ground, they'll know what has happened +to you."</p> + +<p>Bobby Bobolink actually began to tremble +as the Hermit described the terrible +end that awaited him. He was so alarmed +that all he could say was, "My goodness!"</p> + +<p>"I thought I ought to tell you," the +Hermit went on. "I thought maybe you +didn't understand. And now that you've<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_103" id="p_103">p. 103</a></span> +a wife and children, too, of course you +ought to take care of yourself. You won't +want any such accident to happen to you."</p> + +<p>"No, indeed!" Bobby Bobolink assured +him. "And you must tell me how I can +sing fast—as I always do—and yet do it +safely."</p> + +<p>"Ah!" the Hermit exclaimed. "That +can't be done. You must sing more slowly, +as I do. Take plenty of time for every +note. And above all, don't sing very often!"</p> + +<p>"Oh! I never could sing that way!" +Bobby Bobolink cried. "I have to sing +joyful songs. And you know you always +sing that kind in quick time."</p> + +<p>"Pardon me!" said the Hermit, who +was a most polite person. "I never sing +joyful songs. So you see you are mistaken."</p> + +<p>"Well, if you sang the sort I do you'd<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_104" id="p_104">p. 104</a></span> +know that they have to be given in a lively +fashion," Bobby told him. "I don't see +how it would be possible to make a song +sound merry if it had to be sung slowly."</p> + +<p>The Hermit pondered over that speech.</p> + +<p>"There's only one thing for you to do," +he said at last. "You must select only +mournful songs.... You know you sing +them in slow time."</p> + +<p>"Pardon me!" Bobby Bobolink said, +for he was determined to be just as polite +as the Hermit. "I never sing mournful +songs. So you see you are mistaken."</p> + +<p>Now, for some reason the Hermit +thought that a rude remark, though it was +quite like one that he had made himself +but a few moments before. He drew himself +up stiffly and said that he didn't care +to talk with Bobby Bobolink any further. +"You know," he added, "we haven't been +introduced."</p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_105" id="p_105">p. 105</a></span>Somehow that amused Bobby. Before +he knew what he was doing he had +laughed aloud. And the moment he +laughed he felt so happy once more that +he couldn't help singing. So he started +right in the middle of a song, where it +was the liveliest. And finding, when he +had finished, that he hadn't exploded, but +felt better for the effort, he never paid any +more heed to the Hermit's solemn warning.</p> + +<p>As for the Hermit, he went straight off +to the other side of Cedar Swamp to live. +He claimed that he simply had to have +quiet. And there was no such thing, with +Bobby Bobolink around.</p> + + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p class="chapter"><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_106" id="p_106">p. 106</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="XXII" id="XXII"></a>XXII</h2> + +<h3>A NOISY QUARREL</h3> + + +<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">One</span> odd thing marked Bobby Bobolink's +flights. He never flew in a straight course, +as old Mr. Crow did, but darted this way +and that, crossing and turning and wheeling, +until it seemed sometimes—to onlookers—that +he was sure to skid into a +tree and meet with an accident. And usually +Bobby Bobolink would sing with such +zest while he was frisking about in the air +that it was a marvel to many how he could +do two things like that, at the same time, +and yet put so much life into each.</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow claimed that the reason +why Bobby Bobolink didn't fly straight<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_107" id="p_107">p. 107</a></span> +was because he had his mind too much on +his singing.</p> + +<p>"He's nothing but a music-box with +wings," Mr. Crow often croaked. "As a +flier he couldn't even beat crazy Benjamin +Bat."</p> + +<p>It was the general opinion that Benjamin +Bat could make a longer journey +between two points than anybody else in +Pleasant Valley. And there were some +that disputed Mr. Crow's statement. Jasper +Jay even went out of his way to tell +Mr. Crow that he had heard of his remark, +and that he was mistaken. And +they had such a wrangle that they annoyed +Mr. Hermit Thrush, way over on +the other side of Cedar Swamp. Old Mr. +Crow and Jasper Jay were cousins. And +everybody knows that there is nothing +worse than a cousinly quarrel.</p> + +<p>In order to quiet them, the Hermit left<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_108" id="p_108">p. 108</a></span> +his mossy retreat, in a dense thicket, +found the two cousins, and asked them, +"What are you two quarrelling about +now?"</p> + +<p>Neither Jasper Jay nor Mr. Crow was +noted for his gentlemanly manners. They +both tried to explain at the same time. +And it made the Hermit wince to listen to +their loud, harsh voices. He was himself +a quiet bird; his voice was very sweet.</p> + +<p>"There's only one way to settle your +dispute," the Hermit said when the two +cousins had succeeded in making their +trouble clear. "You must arrange a race +between this Bobolink person and Benjamin +Bat."</p> + +<p>"Impossible! You don't know what +you're talking about!" Jasper Jay and +Mr. Crow both cried at the same time.</p> + +<p>The Hermit shuddered. He was not accustomed +to such language. It hurt his<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_109" id="p_109">p. 109</a></span> +gentle nature to be spoken to like that. +But he managed to stay there while the +cousins told him that such a race as he +had suggested couldn't be arranged, because +Benjamin Bat was always asleep +in the daytime, and Bobby Bobolink took +his rest at night. The two could never +meet.</p> + +<p>"Perhaps," said the Hermit, "I could +persuade Benjamin Bat to change his +habits for once. Maybe he would be willing +to stay awake some day, just to oblige +me."</p> + +<p>"Bobby Bobolink is an obliging fellow," +Jasper Jay remarked. "Why don't you +ask him to stay awake some night?"</p> + +<p>But the Hermit said that that wouldn't +suit him at all. "The Bobolink person +would be sure to sing his most boisterous +song," he said, "and it would wake me +up and spoil my night's sleep. Let me<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_110" id="p_110">p. 110</a></span> +speak to Benjamin Bat!" he urged the +two cousins.</p> + +<p>And in the end they let him have his +way.</p> + + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p class="chapter"><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_111" id="p_111">p. 111</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="XXIII" id="XXIII"></a>XXIII</h2> +<h3>SLEEPY BENJAMIN BAT</h3> + + +<p class="noindent"><span class="smcap">Leaving</span> the two noisy cousins (Jasper +Jay and old Mr. Crow) Mr. Hermit +Thrush hurried back across Cedar Swamp +and went straight to an old hemlock tree, +where he knew he would find Benjamin +Bat asleep.</p> + +<p>Hanging by his heels head downward +from a limb, Benjamin Bat did not hear +the Hermit speak to him until that soft-spoken +gentleman had called to him several +times.</p> + +<p>But at last Benjamin Bat opened +his eyes and stared around in a bewildered +fashion. It was broad day<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_112" id="p_112">p. 112</a></span>light. +And he couldn't see what had disturbed +him. He seemed somewhat alarmed +too, until the Hermit said, "Don't be +frightened! It's only I!"</p> + +<p>Well, Benjamin Bat knew right away +that nobody but the Hermit would speak +in just that way. And he was much relieved +to know that it wasn't Solomon +Owl that had awakened him.</p> + +<p>"I'm glad you roused me," he said, +"though generally I hate to have my sleep +broken. But just now I was having a +nightmare. I was dreaming that a monstrous +Katydid was chasing me. And if +you hadn't called to me I don't know what +would have happened.... I think," he +added, "I must have dined too heartily—on +Katydids—last night."</p> + +<p>The Hermit couldn't help looking a bit +shocked. He had never approved of Benjamin +Bat, who prowled about at night<span class='pagenum'><a name="p_113" id="p_113">p. 113</a></span> +when all respectable people were at home +and asleep. And as for over-eating, that +was something the Hermit wouldn't think +of doing. But if he must choose between +Benjamin Bat and Bobby Bobolink for a +neighbor, of the two the Hermit preferred +Benjamin Bat, because Benjamin was always +asleep in the daytime, while at +night he never disturbed the Hermit's +rest.</p> + +<p>"I've come to ask a favor of you," Mr. +Hermit Thrush explained. "Perhaps you +don't know there's a noisy nuisance hereabouts +who calls himself Bobby Bobolink?"</p> + +<p>"I do," Benjamin Bat admitted. "But +I've never seen him—nor even heard +him."</p> + +<p>"Then you are a sound sleeper indeed," +the Hermit observed. "He's always +a-jingling and a-jangling."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="p_114" id="p_114">p. 114</a></span>"That sounds as if he might be a bell," +Benjamin Bat remarked.</p> + +<p>"He's a bird," the Hermit explained. +And then he proceeded to tell Benjamin +Bat how Mr. Crow and Jasper Jay had +quarrelled because Mr. Crow said that +Bobby Bobolink couldn't beat Benjamin +Bat in a race, while Jasper Jay claimed +that he could. "What I'd like you to do +is to have a race with Bobby Bobolink to-morrow," +the Hermit announced.</p> + +<p>But Benjamin Bat shook his head.</p> + +<p>"It doesn't interest me," he said. "Let +Mr. Crow and Jasper Jay quarrel all they +want to!"</p> + +<p>And before the Hermit had time +to coax him to change his mind, Benjamin +Bat fell fast asleep. Nor could the +Hermit rouse him again.</p> + + + +<p class="center"><br /><br /><br /><br />THE END<br /><br /><br /><br /></p> + + +<hr class="chapter" style="margin-bottom: 50px;" /> + + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px; margin-bottom: 30px; margin-top: 30px;"> +<a name="front-endpapers" id="front-endpapers"></a> +<a name="front-endpapers-grande" id="front-endpapers-grande" href="images/illus-large-fe.jpg"> +<img src="images/illus-fe.jpg" style="border: 2px solid; border-color: #333333;" width="550" height="404" +alt="Front endpapers" title="Front endpapers" /> +</a> +<span class="caption">Front endpapers</span> +</div> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px; margin-bottom: 30px; margin-top: 30px;"> +<a name="back-endpapers" id="back-endpapers"></a> +<a name="back-endpapers-grande" id="back-endpapers-grande" href="images/illus-large-be.jpg"> +<img src="images/illus-be.jpg" style="border: 2px solid; border-color: #333333;" width="550" height="420" +alt="Back endpapers" title="Back endpapers" /> +</a> +<span class="caption">Back endpapers</span> +</div> + + +</div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Tale of Bobby Bobolink, by Arthur Scott Bailey + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TALE OF BOBBY BOBOLINK *** + +***** This file should be named 21412-h.htm or 21412-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/1/4/1/21412/ + +Produced by Joe Longo and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Tale of Bobby Bobolink + Tuck-me-In Tales + +Author: Arthur Scott Bailey + +Release Date: May 9, 2007 [EBook #21412] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TALE OF BOBBY BOBOLINK *** + + + + +Produced by Joe Longo and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + +[Illustration: "You Were Mistaken," Said Mrs. Bobolink. + _Frontispiece_--(_Page_ 35)] + + + + + _SLEEPY-TIME TALES_ + (Trademark Registered) + + THE TALE OF + BOBBY + BOBOLINK + + BY + ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY + + [Illustration] + + GROSSET & DUNLAP + PUBLISHERS + + + + +COPYRIGHT, 1920, BY +GROSSET & DUNLAP + + + + +CONTENTS + + +CHAPTER PAGE + + I SOMEBODY IS EXPECTED 1 + II THE LATEST ARRIVAL 6 + III GREETINGS 11 + IV SINGING FOR SOME ONE 16 + V AN INVITATION 21 + VI MRS. BOBOLINK CONSENTS 26 + VII PASSING THE TEST 31 + VIII THE HOUSE IN THE MEADOW 37 + IX JOHNNIE GREEN INTRUDES 42 + X FOOLING JOHNNIE GREEN 47 + XI BOBBY'S NAMES 51 + XII MR. CROW IS DISAGREEABLE 55 + XIII MR. CATBIRD'S TRICK 60 + XIV FRIGHTENING MRS. BOBOLINK 64 + XV HAYING TIME 70 + XVI MR. FROG IS AMUSED 75 + XVII TURNING THE TABLES 81 + XVIII TIMOTHY TURTLE'S COMPLAINT 86 + XIX BOBBY'S MISTAKE 91 + XX A HERMIT'S ADVICE 96 + XXI HOW TO TAKE BAD NEWS 101 + XXII A NOISY QUARREL 106 + XXIII SLEEPY BENJAMIN BAT 111 + + + + +THE TALE OF BOBBY BOBOLINK + + + + +I + +SOMEBODY IS EXPECTED + + +ON May Day the feathered folk in Pleasant Valley began to stop, look and +listen. They were expecting somebody. + +"Have you seen him?" Rusty Wren asked Jolly Robin. + +Jolly Robin said that he hadn't; but he added that he was on the +lookout. + +"Have you heard his song?" little Mr. Chippy inquired eagerly of Mr. +Blackbird. + +"No!" that dusky rascal replied. "Not yet! Maybe he isn't coming here +this summer." Mr. Blackbird liked to tease little Mr. Chippy. And +generally when he tried to, he succeeded. + +"Oh! Don't say that!" Mr. Chippy exclaimed. "If I couldn't hear his gay +voice I shouldn't care to spend a summer here myself." + +Over the meadow, beyond the stone wall where Mr. Chippy made his home in +a wild grapevine, Mr. Meadowlark flew to the swampy place where the +rushes grew, just to find a Red-winged Blackbird that he knew, in order +to learn whether he had seen or heard the friend everybody was watching +for. + +Perched upon a swaying last year's cattail, Mr. Red-winged Blackbird +shook his head in reply. And he said that no doubt it would be a week +before the looked-for arrival. "The season's a bit backward," Mr. +Red-winged Blackbird remarked. "So I don't expect to set eyes on him +to-day--though I have known him to get here as early as May Day." + +Mr. Meadowlark confessed that he was disappointed. + +"It would be a much gayer May Day," he said, "if his rollicking song +rang over the meadow." + +"What's the matter with your own singing?" Mr. Red-winged Blackbird +asked him--meaning that in his opinion Mr. Meadowlark had no reason to +be ashamed of his own voice. + +"My song is not like his," Mr. Meadowlark answered. And he sighed as he +spoke. "To be sure, some people are kind enough to say that my singing +is unusually sweet. But you know yourself that there isn't a songster +anywhere that can carol so joyfully as Bobby Bobolink." + +Mr. Red-winged Blackbird did not dispute that statement. How could he, +when the birds were all waiting so eagerly to hear Bobby Bobolink's +voice? + +"He has a way"--Mr. Meadowlark went on--"a way of making almost any +summer's day a gay holiday. He is just bubbling over with happiness; +and he can't seem to get his notes out fast enough." + +"Yes!" Mr. Red-winged Blackbird chimed in. "He's a cheerful, +happy-go-lucky chap. And he wears gay clothes, too." + +"What's the matter with your own clothes?" Mr. Meadowlark +inquired--meaning that in his opinion Mr. Red-winged Blackbird's black +suit, with the shoulders scarlet and buff, was about as striking as +anybody could want. + +Mr. Red-winged Blackbird was pleased. Anybody could see that. He bowed +and spread his wings and tail, and uttered his well-known call, +"Conk-err-ee!" before he made any reply. + +"People often compliment me on my taste in colors," he said at last. +"And for year-round wear I do think _my_ suit is about as good as +anybody could ask for. But you know yourself that during the first half +of the summer Bobby Bobolink makes a cheerful sight, when his black and +white and buff back flashes above the meadow." + +And Mr. Meadowlark couldn't deny it; for he knew that it was true. + + + + +II + +THE LATEST ARRIVAL + + +BOBBY BOBOLINK did not reach Pleasant Valley in time to spend May Day +with his old friends of the summer before. And although everybody was +disappointed not to see him--and hear him--the feathered folk tried to +be cheerful and told one another that Bobby ought to arrive almost any +day. + +"He always finds it hard to leave the rice fields in the South," Mr. +Red-winged Blackbird observed with a knowing wink at old Mr. Crow, +as the two stopped for a chat on the morning after May Day. "It's +rice-planting time in the South," Mr. Red-winged Blackbird explained. +"Somewhat like corn-planting time here!" And he winked once more. + +Although Mr. Crow was in the habit of scratching up Farmer Green's +newly-planted corn, just as Bobby Bobolink uncovered the freshly-sown +rice in the South, Mr. Crow never cared to have any of his neighbors +even hint that he did such a thing. And now he glared at Mr. Red-winged +Blackbird, who continued to wink at him. + +"Is there something in your eye?" Mr. Crow inquired in his coldest +manner. + +Mr. Red-winged Blackbird had no wish to make Mr. Crow angry. So he +stopped winking at once. + +"When you see your friend Bobby Bobolink you'd better tell him to leave +the corn strictly alone," Mr. Crow remarked. "Farmer Green expects to +begin planting in about three weeks. And he counts on me to watch the +field for him. If I catch Bobby Bobolink there he'll wish he had stayed +in the rice fields, down South." + +Mr. Red-winged Blackbird smiled. And he told old Mr. Crow not to worry. + +"Bobby Bobolink won't touch the corn," he said. "During the first half +of the summer he lives on such things as caterpillars and grasshoppers, +with a bit of grass-seed now and then." + +Old Mr. Crow replied that he was glad to know that. + +"He's wise to leave the corn alone," he added. "If Farmer Green was on +the lookout for him--with a gun handy--Bobby Bobolink wouldn't act so +care-free as he generally does. He wouldn't sing such rollicking songs +in the meadow. And now that you've mentioned how he spends his springs +in the South, I don't wonder that he appears glad to get to Pleasant +Valley. For you may well believe that folks are not so fond of him down +there where the rice grows. And unless I'm much mistaken the planters +actually order him out of their fields." + +Mr. Red-winged Blackbird told Mr. Crow that he hadn't a doubt that +everything Mr. Crow said was so. And he was just about to remark that +he should think Mr. Crow must lead a care-free, happy-go-lucky life in +winter, in the South, because Farmer Green always stayed in Pleasant +Valley the whole year round. But as he opened his bill to speak he heard +a sound over in the meadow that made him forget what was on the tip of +his tongue. + +"Did you hear that song?" he cried. "Hurrah!" + +Old Mr. Crow cocked his head on one side and listened. "Yes!" he +agreed. "There's no doubt about it. Bobby Bobolink is here at last!" + + + + +III + +GREETINGS + + +AS fast as they could fly, old Mr. Crow and Mr. Red-winged Blackbird +hurried over to the meadow, where they had heard Bobby Bobolink's +bubbling notes. + +They found him enjoying himself with a lively company of careless +bachelors--all distant cousins of Bobby Bobolink--who had travelled +with him in a roistering flock all the way from the South. + +They were all wonderful singers--those happy Bobolinks. They could +scarcely have kept still if they had wanted to. But somehow Bobby +Bobolink seemed to be just a bit the best singer of the lot. + +Perched on a fence-post, Mr. Meadowlark was drinking in Bobby's merry +songs. Jolly Robin had stolen away from the orchard to greet the +newcomer and listen to his first concert. And even Rusty Wren had +forsaken the cherry tree beside the farmhouse. Although Rusty and his +wife were in the midst of putting their summer house to rights, he had +not been able to resist telling Mrs. Wren, who did not like to have him +away from home, that he must make a short visit in the meadow, "to see a +friend." + +Mr. Red-winged Blackbird called "Conk-err-ee!" several times to Bobby +Bobolink, meaning that he was glad Bobby was back in Pleasant Valley and +that he hoped he was in good health, and that Bobby certainly hadn't +forgotten how to sing. + +As for old Mr. Crow, he winked at Bobby Bobolink and said in a hoarse +voice, "I hear they're planting rice down South." + +Bobby Bobolink was not like Mr. Crow, who would have flown into a rage +had any one made such a remark to him. + +"I stayed a while in the rice fields," he answered. "And if I hadn't +come away when I did," he added with a laugh, "I'd have been too fat to +fly way up here to Pleasant Valley." + +Then a torrent of notes came tumbling out of his throat as he darted +right over the head of old Mr. Crow (who stood on a hillock) and swerved +and zigzagged and wheeled through the air, until Mr. Crow almost tied +his neck into a knot, just watching him. + +"By the way," Mr. Meadowlark said in an undertone to Mr. Red-winged +Blackbird, "our friend Bobby has a different suit from the one he wore +when I last saw him." + +"When was that?" Mr. Red-winged Blackbird inquired. + +"About the middle of last summer!" Mr. Meadowlark explained. + +"Ah! This is the second suit he has had since then," said Mr. Red-winged +Blackbird. "If you had been with us in the swamp last fall you'd have +known that Bobby had a new one then. And here he is now with still +another." + +Mr. Meadowlark looked a bit troubled. + +"I liked the black one--the black one with the white and buff +trimmings," he remarked. "It was very becoming to Bobby Bobolink. I was +hoping he'd wear one like it this summer." + +"Wait!" was Mr. Red-winged Blackbird's mysterious answer. "Wait! And I +promise you won't be disappointed." + +"Anyhow, he sings as well as ever," Mr. Meadowlark declared. + + + + +IV + +SINGING FOR SOME ONE + + +THE first few days of early May had passed and with them had +flitted--somewhere--most of the jolly company in which Bobby Bobolink +had journeyed from the South. But a few of those merrymakers had +stayed--as Bobby did--in Farmer Green's meadow. They had made up their +minds to spend the summer in Pleasant Valley. + +Even old Mr. Crow, who was no lover of music, had to admit that he had +never heard such bursts of song during all the summers he had spent in +the neighborhood. It seemed as if Bobby Bobolink and his companions +were trying their best to out-sing one another, though nobody knew why +they should do that. + +But at last somebody discovered the reason. That rowdy of the woods, +Jasper Jay, spied upon the harum-scarum singers one day, when they were +all but bursting themselves in a frenzy of song. And he saw that they +were giving what Jasper called "a serenade." + +They were singing not for themselves but for a dull, yellowish-brown +lady of their own sort, who had not arrived from the South until Bobby +and his friends had been frolicking about the meadow almost a week. + +She seemed a shy creature--this young person--preferring to stay on the +ground during the serenade. But Bobby Bobolink and his companions were +bold as brass. Often they alighted on the ground near her, as if they +thought she could not hear their songs well enough when they skimmed +through the air over the grassy meadow. Amid such a jingling and +tinkling of notes it was no wonder that the little lady acted somewhat +confused. + +Jasper Jay, who was almost as great a gossip as Mr. Crow, told everybody +in the neighborhood that he had never heard such a hubbub. But then, +like his cousin Mr. Crow, Jasper was not a lover of music. And it was +true that sprightly Bobby Bobolink and his dashing friends made no +attempt to sing together. To be sure, they sang all at the same time; +but each one of them sang his own song in his own way, just as if his +was the only one that was being sung. + +They never tired of entertaining the lady. And whether the +yellowish-brown person decided that Bobby Bobolink sang louder than the +others, or whether she thought his singing was sweeter or gayer than +that of his friends, nobody ever found out. Perhaps he managed to say +something--in his song--that especially pleased her. Anyhow, it was only +a short time before Bobby Bobolink was making such remarks as these to +everybody in the meadow: + +"My wife says I have the quickest eye for a caterpillar that she ever +saw!" and "Mrs. Bobolink and I expect to begin to build a new house at +once!" + +Now, you might think that Bobby's friends, after all their singing for +the little lady, would have felt quite glum. But they were not in the +least downcast. Of course, Bobby Bobolink would not let them serenade +his wife. Indeed he promptly chased them away as soon as he knew that he +had won her. + +But they were so light-hearted that they started right away to sing for +another lady in another part of the meadow. + +She was as like the first one as two peas in a pod. And Jasper Jay +chuckled when he found out what was going on. + +He said he didn't believe they knew the difference. + + + + +V + +AN INVITATION + + +MR. MEADOWLARK was a great admirer of Bobby Bobolink. Much as he liked +to sing himself, he often remained silent when Bobby's joyous music +tinkled over the grass-tops in Farmer Green's meadow. And as Mr. +Meadowlark was listening to one of Bobby's best songs one day an idea +popped suddenly into his head. He liked this notion so well that he flew +straight across the meadow to a thicket on the edge of the woods. And +there in the undergrowth he found Buddy Brown Thrasher, who was exactly +the person he was looking for. + +"I've come over to tell you about an idea of mine," Mr. Meadowlark +announced. "It's about Bobby Bobolink. You know he has come back to +spend the summer here in Pleasant Valley. It seems to me he's in better +voice than ever. And now that he is quite grown up--you know he has a +wife--it seems to me that we couldn't do better than invite him to join +the Pleasant Valley Singing Society." + +Mr. Meadowlark had explained all this in a most eager manner. And he +couldn't help being a bit disappointed over the way Buddy Brown Thrasher +received it. He did not seem at all excited. To tell the truth, he was a +suspicious chap. He never fell in quickly with a new plan, no matter +what it might be. And more than once he had made matters somewhat +difficult for the Pleasant Valley Singing Society. He was hard to +please. Being a very brilliant singer himself, he was never what you +might call keen to take in a new member. + +When Mr. Meadowlark had told him about his idea Buddy Brown Thrasher +gave a sharp whistle, "Wheeu!" That was the only remark he made. + +"What's the matter?" Mr. Meadowlark inquired. "Don't you like my +scheme?" + +"Oh! It's worth looking into, no doubt," Buddy told him. "But I can't +say offhand whether it's a good one or not.... Of course Bobby Bobolink +would have to pass the test before we take him into the Singing +Society." + +"If that's all that's troubling you, cheer up!" Mr. Meadowlark cried. +"For Bobby Bobolink can pass the singing test as easily as flying." + +"I hope so," Buddy Brown Thrasher retorted. "I promise you that I'll be +present when Bobby sings before the Society. And if his singing isn't +what it ought to be, you can depend on me to know it." + +Well, Mr. Meadowlark couldn't object to that. So he told Buddy Brown +Thrasher that his promise was fair enough. And then Mr. Meadowlark +hurried away to call on other members of the Pleasant Valley Singing +Society and tell them about his plan. + +After he had seen and talked with every one, Mr. Meadowlark took it upon +himself to go back to the meadow, where he found Bobby Bobolink still +singing merrily. And for once Mr. Meadowlark couldn't wait for him to +finish. For there was no knowing when Bobby would stop. + +"You're invited," said Mr. Meadowlark, "to sing before the Pleasant +Valley Singing Society. And if you can pass the test you'll become a +member." + +Bobby Bobolink was somewhat doubtful as he listened to Mr. Meadowlark's +speech. + +"I'm afraid it will be difficult," he said. + +"Oh, no!" Mr. Meadowlark assured him. "You can pass the test easily +enough." + +But Bobby Bobolink told him that that wasn't what he meant. + +"I'm afraid," he explained, "my wife may not consent!" + + + + +VI + +MRS. BOBOLINK CONSENTS + + +IT had never occurred to Mr. Meadowlark that Bobby Bobolink's wife might +object to her husband's joining the Singing Society. But Bobby seemed +doubtful. + +"I'll have to ask her," he said. "You see, we're just about to build +ourselves a house. And she may think I ought not to belong to any +societies at present." + +Just then little, yellowish-brown Mrs. Bobolink came skimming over the +meadow and dropped down beside them. + +"Would you mind, my love, if I joined the Pleasant Valley Singing +Society?" Bobby asked her. + +"Perhaps you'd like to become a member yourself," Mr. Meadowlark +suggested nervously. + +But Mrs. Bobolink hastened to say that she wasn't musical. "Of course I +enjoy _hearing_ songs," she told him; "but I'm not much of a singer +myself." + +"Your husband is one of the best," Mr. Meadowlark told her hopefully. + +"Yes!" she replied. "And sometimes I think he spends almost too much of +his time practicing." + +"Oh, I can sing and work at the same time," Bobby Bobolink declared. +"When we begin work on our new house I shall be singing most of the +time." + +"How often does your Society meet?" Mrs. Bobolink asked Mr. Meadowlark. + +"We have a little sing almost every fine day," he informed her. "But +your husband needn't come to every meeting--if he's too busy. And if +necessary he can leave before our sings are finished--except when he +takes the test." + +"The test!" Mrs. Bobolink echoed. "What's that?" + +Mr. Meadowlark explained that before becoming a member everybody had to +sing before the Society. "Those that don't sing well enough don't get +in," he added. "For instance, there's old Mr. Crow. His voice is too +hoarse. So he doesn't belong to the Society." + +Well, the moment she heard that, Mrs. Bobolink made up her mind at +once. + +"My husband can pass any singing test that you can give him!" she +exclaimed. "The idea of mentioning him and Mr. Crow in the same breath!" + +"Pardon me!" Mr. Meadowlark said hastily. "I took several breaths just +before I spoke about Mr. Crow." He hoped that he hadn't offended Bobby +Bobolink's wife. + +She wasn't really angry. But she was proud of her husband's voice. And +she wanted Mr. Meadowlark to know it. + +"I wouldn't think of such a thing as not letting Bobby join your +Society," she declared. "And as soon as we've finished our new house he +can go to every meeting you have, and stay till the end, too." + +All this time Bobby Bobolink had been listening anxiously. And when he +heard his wife's last remark he was so overjoyed that he sprang into the +air and began to sing the happiest song he knew, while he darted back +and forth above the heads of his wife and their caller. + +"Just listen to him!" Mrs. Bobolink cried, with an air of pride. "Can +you beat that?" + +Mr. Meadowlark made a modest reply. He said that in his opinion Bobby +Bobolink was the finest singer that had ever come to Pleasant Valley. + +And Mrs. Bobolink was so pleased that she confessed she hoped her +husband could take his test just as soon as possible. + +"He shall take it to-morrow!" Mr. Meadowlark promised. + + + + +VII + +PASSING THE TEST + + +THE time had come for Bobby Bobolink to sing before the Pleasant Valley +Singing Society. Mr. Meadowlark brought Bobby to the meeting, along the +rail fence between the meadow and the pasture. And he told everybody +that there wasn't really any need of such a test. + +"He's by far the finest singer in all these parts," Mr. Meadowlark +declared. + +There were a few who might have disputed his statement, had not Bobby +Bobolink been present. They were too polite, however, to do anything +like that. But Mr. Meadowlark himself had a voice of remarkable +sweetness. And many thought that it couldn't be equalled. + +"Bobby Bobolink will have to sing for us, just like anybody else, before +we make him a member of this Society," Buddy Brown Thrasher cried, after +he had given a whistle, "Wheeu!" as if to say that he, for one, doubted +Mr. Meadowlark's words. For Buddy Brown Thrasher liked his own singing +about as well as any he had ever heard. In the morning, and again at +night, he was fond of perching himself on the topmost twig of a tree, +where nobody could help seeing him, and singing a song over and over +again. It was his favorite song--and the only one he knew. And having +practiced it all his life, how he could sing it! + +Well, after Buddy Brown Thrasher's remarks there was only one thing to +be done. Bobby Bobolink must sing for the Society. And Mr. Meadowlark +turned to him and told him that he might begin at once. + +So Bobby alighted on the end of a fence-rail and such a torrent of song +burst upon the ears of his listeners as they had never heard before. The +notes came tumbling so quickly one upon another that most of the members +of the Singing Society began to look bewildered. Bobby Bobolink's +singing was almost too fast for even their sharp ears. + +He hadn't sung long before somebody interrupted him. Somebody called in +a loud voice, "I object!" + +It was Buddy Brown Thrasher that spoke. Bobby Bobolink stopped short in +the middle of his song. And at once a great clamor arose, when all the +other members asked Buddy what he meant. + +"I mean," said Buddy Brown Thrasher, as soon as he could make himself +heard, "I mean that Bobby Bobolink is playing a trick on us. He has +about half a dozen of his friends hidden in the pasture. And they're +helping him. They're singing with him." + +Everybody was astonished. And as for Bobby Bobolink, he couldn't seem to +say a word for himself. + +Luckily he didn't need to. For just then his wife came bustling up and +settled herself right in the midst of the Singing Society. + +Proud as she was of her husband's voice, she hadn't been able to stay +away from the meeting. So she had hovered near-by, where she could hear +everything without being seen. + +"Sir!" she said to Buddy Brown Thrasher. "Kindly point out these hidden +friends of my husband!" + +Buddy Brown Thrasher looked somewhat uneasy. + +"I--I haven't _seen_ anybody in the bushes," he stammered. + +"Find them!" Mrs. Bobolink ordered. Her manner was so stern that Buddy +Brown Thrasher did not dare disobey. He searched high and low. But he +couldn't find a bird anywhere in the pasture. + +"You see you were mistaken," Mrs. Bobolink told him severely. + +Everybody agreed with her. And then and there they made Bobby Bobolink a +member of the Pleasant Valley Singing Society. There was no doubt that +he had sung his song without a bit of help. + +"It was wonderful!" everybody exclaimed--everybody but Buddy Brown +Thrasher. He muttered that it was no wonder he made a mistake, for he +didn't know the song himself. And he said it was much too fast for his +taste. + + + + +VIII + +THE HOUSE IN THE MEADOW + + +BOBBY BOBOLINK and his wife had talked a good deal about the home they +were going to have. + +And unlike some people, who are forever planning things but never begin +the actual doing of them, they soon set to work to build their nest. + +First, of course, they had to find a pleasant place for it. So they +looked the ground over carefully. Bobby Bobolink favored the exact +center of the big meadow building site, for he said that if Johnnie +Green ever came into the meadow he was more likely to take a short cut +across a corner of it than he was to walk straight through the middle. + +"You may not know," he said to his wife, "that Farmer Green doesn't care +to have the grass on the farm trampled down." + +But Mrs. Bobolink replied that there were other things to think of. She +said that she liked to live in a rather moist place--that such a spot +was comfortable in hot weather. And furthermore she wanted to be near +water. "If you need a drink on a warm day it's not always convenient to +go far out of your way for it," she pointed out. + +Well, Bobby Bobolink saw at once that Mrs. Bobolink had made up her +mind, and there was no use trying to change it. Besides, he wanted to +please her. + +"Then, my dear, where would you like to have our house built?" he +asked. + +"I should prefer to settle in the lower end of the meadow, near Cedar +Swamp," she replied. "The ground thereabouts is just damp enough to suit +me. And there's always plenty of water to drink in the swamp.... +Besides," she added, "it's somewhat marshy in that part of the meadow. + +"And you won't find Johnny Green trespassing down there. He might get +his feet wet!" + +Bobby Bobolink turned his head away so that his wife wouldn't notice the +smile that flitted across his face. He saw that Mrs. Bobolink didn't +know Johnnie Green very well. + +In summer Johnnie almost always went barefooted. And he never minded +getting his feet wet any more than Paddy Muskrat did. + +But if his wife wanted their nest near the swamp, Bobby Bobolink was +willing to oblige her. + +"Very well!" he said. "Let's go down there now and look for the best +place to build." + +So off they flew. And after a careful search they discovered a snug +little hollow in the ground that entirely suited them both. + +Since the spot was somewhat moist, early in the season as it was the +grass grew thick and high all around, making a fine screen to prevent +prying eyes from seeing what was to be hidden there. + +Having decided on their building site, Bobby Bobolink and his wife began +to gather weed stems, leaves and coarse grasses, all left over from the +year before and dried by the spring sunshine. Those served for the +outside of the nest. As for the inside, they lined that with soft, fine +grasses, because they expected to keep something precious in that nest +before a great while. + + + + +IX + +JOHNNIE GREEN INTRUDES + + +BOBBY BOBOLINK and his wife had finished their new nest. + +"There!" Mrs. Bobolink exclaimed, as she gave the lining of soft grasses +a final pat. "There's not another thing to be done to it." + +"It's perfect!" Bobby told her. "But I think I can make one slight +improvement, for we mustn't forget Henry Hawk." And while his wife +looked on somewhat anxiously he bent a few grass stalks over so that +they completely hid the nest from anybody passing overhead. + +"Henry Hawk will never spy our nest now," Bobby remarked a few minutes +later, as he flew back and forth over the spot and tried in vain to +catch a glimpse of their new home. "If I can't see it as near as I am, +Henry Hawk will never find it as he sails high above the meadow, for all +his eyes are terribly sharp." + +Mrs. Bobolink then told her husband that his improvement was a fine one. +And Bobby was so well pleased that he sang a song for his wife, while +she rested from her labors. + +After that they flew off and told all their friends that their new home +was built. But they didn't invite anybody to a house-warming, for that +was not their way. They never so much as told people where their house +was hidden. They were afraid that some gossip might drop a hint to old +Mr. Crow, or his noisy cousin, Jasper Jay, or perhaps Mr. Blackbird. +And later there would be something in the nest that would have made a +dainty meal for any one of those rascals. No! Mr. and Mrs. Bobolink did +not intend to have their nest robbed of its treasure--not if they could +help it! + +Now, it was only a short time later that Bobby Bobolink and his wife +shared a wonderful secret. Five grayish-white eggs, each quite pointed +at one end, lay in their nest. And nobody but themselves was a bit the +wiser. + +To be sure, the neighbors remarked that Bobby Bobolink was simply +bursting with song. He was more musical than ever. But they never +dreamed what it was that could make him even happier than he had +always been. + +At last there came a time when Bobby--though he was just as +happy--seemed to have less leisure for singing. And then it was +easy for the neighbors to guess the reason for that, because it +was plain that the Bobolink family was not gathering great numbers +of grasshoppers and caterpillars merely for the fun of it. + +Hidden as the little Bobolinks were in the tall grass, no stranger found +them. Of course, Mrs. Bobolink went to some trouble to keep the secret +of her nest in the family. Whenever she left her home she moved along +the ground a little way before rising into view. And when she returned +she alighted some distance off and scurried through the grass until she +reached home. + +By taking such pains she kept others from knowing exactly where her nest +was. And nothing had happened to alarm her until one day she caught +sight of Johnnie Green. He had come into the meadow to hunt for +strawberries. And to Mrs. Bobolink's dismay he was headed straight for +her house. + + + + +X + +FOOLING JOHNNIE GREEN + + +WHEN Mrs. Bobolink saw Johnnie Green, carrying a tin pail, come +walking through the meadow straight towards her house she was +terribly frightened. She was not afraid for herself. Her only +thought was of her children, who were still too young to leave +the nest. + +Somehow Mrs. Bobolink felt sure that Johnnie was searching for her nest, +for he had his head bent toward the ground, as if he were looking for +something. And that bright tin pail! Mrs. Bobolink viewed it with alarm. +She just knew that it was meant to carry off her children! + +Of course Johnnie Green was only looking for strawberries. But Mrs. +Bobolink didn't know that. All at once she remembered how she had +objected to having her nest in the very center of the meadow, although +her husband had told her that he thought it the safest place. And it +came back to her, too, how she had said that Johnnie Green would never +come into the lower end of the meadow, near Cedar Swamp, for fear of +getting his feet wet. + +Poor Mrs. Bobolink choked as she thought how foolish she had been. But +it was too late to move now. And she didn't see what she was going to +do. She wished Bobby was at home, though she had no idea how he could +have headed off Johnnie Green who was fast drawing nearer. + +As soon as she could speak she called "Chenk, chenk!" at the top of her +voice. She could think of nothing else to say. + +Luckily Bobby was not far away. And hearing his wife's alarm call, he +turned to hurry home. But seeing Johnnie Green, he swerved sharply aside +and dropped down upon a tuft of grass not too near the nest. + +And then Bobby Bobolink made a great fuss. He cried "Chink, chink!" over +and over again, now fluttering into the grass, now bobbing into sight +again. Johnnie Green couldn't help noticing him. + +"There must be a nest there!" he exclaimed under his breath. And he ran +quickly to the spot where Bobby was acting so queerly. But when he got +there Johnnie found nothing. + +Bobby Bobolink had fooled him. He never knew how near he came to +stumbling upon the nest, before Bobby played that trick on him. + +Mrs. Bobolink was greatly relieved when Johnnie Green left her end of +the meadow. And she told her husband that she had never supposed Johnnie +would come where it was so damp, for fear of getting his feet wet. + +Bobby Bobolink did not tell her that he had known all the time that a +little water never troubled Johnnie Green--so long as he didn't have to +wash his face in it. + + + + +XI + +BOBBY'S NAMES + + +EVERYBODY--almost--liked Bobby Bobolink. His neighbors in Farmer +Green's meadow enjoyed his singing. And they thought him the merriest +harum-scarum they had ever known. He was even cheerful to look at, too. +For with every bright day that passed, Bobby Bobolink's dress took on a +gayer hue. The truth was that the yellowish tips of his feathers were +wearing away, leaving him a handsome suit of black, set off by a +generous patch of creamy yellow on the back of his neck, with enough +white on his back and shoulders to make a most jaunty costume. + +Most of the field people enjoyed Bobby Bobolink's company, for he was +always in high spirits. And many of them were vain enough to like to +be seen with him, on account of his dashing appearance. Mr. Red-winged +Blackbird was especially fond of Bobby's companionship. And he was +forever speaking of his old friend, Bobby Bobolink, and acting as if +he knew Bobby a great deal better than anybody else did. + +Mr. Red-winged Blackbird never tired of telling the neighbors about the +good times he and Bobby had together when they were in the South. And he +related many things about Bobby that some of the feathered folk hadn't +heard of. + +"There isn't anybody in the valley that has more names than Bobby +Bobolink," Mr. Red-winged Blackbird said to Mr. Crow one day. "Some +people call him the Reed Bird. And down South they scarcely know the +name Bobolink. Down there everybody calls him the Rice Bird. And there's +an island far off in the southern seas where people speak of him as the +Butter Bird." + +Now, if the truth must be known, old Mr. Crow was a bit jealous of +Bobby Bobolink. It was said--by those that ought to have known--that +Mr. Crow didn't like it because Bobby Bobolink was not only a member +of the Pleasant Valley Singing Society, but its finest singer as well. +Unfortunately, Mr. Crow's husky voice had always prevented his joining +the Society. And somehow--having heard that Bobby was very fond of +rice--Mr. Crow could not get the notion out of his head that he might +be just as fond of corn. + +If Mr. Crow thought anybody but himself liked corn he was sure to be +spiteful towards him. You might have thought, from the way Mr. Crow +acted, that Farmer Green didn't raise enough corn to go around. + +"How does it happen," Mr. Crow inquired slyly of Mr. Red-winged +Blackbird, "that your friend Bobby Bobolink has all these names? It +can't be--can it--that he is a rogue and is always changing his name +so people won't know who he is?" + +"Certainly not!" Mr. Red-winged Blackbird snapped. "Only a stupid person +would ask such a question as that." + +Just then Bobby Bobolink himself flashed across the meadow and joined +them. And Mr. Red-winged Blackbird began to talk about the weather. + +He was afraid that Mr. Crow intended to be disagreeable. + + + + +XII + +MR. CROW IS DISAGREEABLE + + +ALTHOUGH Mr. Red-winged Blackbird talked about the weather as fast as +he could, his chatter did not prevent Mr. Crow from interrupting him, +because the old gentleman was determined to be disagreeable to Bobby +Bobolink, and nothing could stop him. + +"Your friend here has been talking about you," he told Bobby Bobolink +with a wise smile. "He says you have a good many names." + +"Yes!" Bobby told Mr. Crow. "That's quite true." + +Mr. Crow coughed; and he shot a sidelong look at Mr. Red-winged +Blackbird. + +"It must be pleasant to have so many fine names," Mr. Crow then added, +with a smirk. + +"Oh, very!" Mr. Red-winged Blackbird answered for his friend. + +Mr. Crow turned a snapping eye on him, and croaked: + +"There's at least one name you left out among the lot you mentioned to +me. You said he was known as the Reed Bird, the Rice Bird, and the +Butter Bird. But there's one more bird still to be added to the list." + +"Is there?" + +"Yes!" Mr. Crow replied. "Maybe I know more about your chum than you do. +Perhaps you weren't aware that in spite of all the elegant names you've +spoken of, he's nothing but a Skunk Blackbird after all!" And with a +loud haw-haw Mr. Crow rose upon the breeze and flapped into the woods. +That was a favorite trick of his. After making some specially rude +remark he would hurry away before anybody had time to think of a retort. + +"The idea!" Mr. Red-winged Blackbird exclaimed to Bobby Bobolink, gazing +after Mr. Crow with an injured air. "He insulted you!" + +To his great surprise Bobby laughed heartily. + +"Mr. Crow is a wise old bird," he said, "He generally knows what he's +talking about." + +"You don't mean to say that he was telling the truth, do you?" Mr. +Red-winged Blackbird demanded. + +"I do!" Bobby Bobolink admitted. + +Mr. Red-winged Blackbird edged away slightly. Skunks, he knew, would +rather eat a bird than not. And he couldn't help wondering whether a +Skunk Blackbird might be as dangerous. + +"Then some people do call you that!" he faltered. + +"Yes! But I don't care," Bobby Bobolink answered carelessly. "It's only +because of these clothes I'm wearing at present--black, you know, with +stripes of white down each side and meeting on my back." + +Mr. Red-winged Blackbird stared at him. + +"Then," he asked, "that's the only way you're like a Skunk?" + +"Certainly!" said Bobby. And he laughed so merrily that Mr. Red-winged +Blackbird had to believe him. + +"I was scared, for a moment," he confessed. "I was afraid you might take +it into your head to eat me." + +Bobby Bobolink seemed to think that a huge joke. And he sang several +humorous songs before he turned to Mr. Red-winged Blackbird and said: + +"I can tell you one thing. I'd rather be called a Skunk Blackbird than +a Skunk Crow, any day!" + + + + +XIII + +MR. CATBIRD'S TRICK + + +In a clump of lilac bushes near Farmer Green's garden Mr. Catbird made +his home. He was an odd fellow, very friendly toward everybody in the +farmhouse, except the cat, whom he dearly loved to tease. When she +passed through the garden on her way to the meadow to hunt for mice, +Mr. Catbird was quite likely to begin mewing. It always made Miss Kitty +furious to be mocked. And sometimes she crept into the bushes herself, +hoping to surprise Mr. Catbird and teach him a lesson. But she never +caught him. + +Now, the cat was not the only one whose calls Mr. Catbird imitated. +Although he liked almost all his bird neighbors and was especially kind +and helpful when they were in trouble, nothing pleased him more than to +sing their songs. Knowing as they did that he was always ready to feed +any nestlings that were left to fend for themselves, and that he was +quick to help any of the small feathered folk to fight an enemy, his +neighbors did not care how much Mr. Catbird mocked them. It was only +his way of having fun; so they didn't mind. + +Mr. Catbird was always prankish and full of spirits. And feeling all +ready for a lark one morning and not knowing what else to do, he decided +to visit the meadow and play a trick on Bobby Bobolink and his wife. + +So when the Bobolinks were away from home on a short trip Mr. Catbird +flew to their end of the meadow and hid in a bush not far from the spot +where they had built their nest on the ground. + +From his hiding place Mr. Catbird watched closely. And soon he saw Mrs. +Bobolink, followed shortly by her husband, come skimming across the +meadow and settle down in the grass. + +Well, Mr. Catbird was so delighted with the trick he was about to play +on them that first he spread his feathers, and then he tucked them close +about his slim body, while he bobbed about on the branch where he sat, +giving his tail a flirt now and then as if he were so amused that he +simply couldn't keep still. + +After spending some minutes in that fashion Mr. Catbird peeped out of +his bush again and began what he expected would be a perfect imitation +of one of Bobby Bobolink's songs. But somehow there seemed to be +something wrong. They were very strange notes that he uttered. And the +moment she heard them Mrs. Bobolink said aloud to her husband, "What in +the world is that queer call? I never heard anything like it in all my +days!" + +Bobby Bobolink couldn't tell her. And since they had no idea who was +lurking near their home nor exactly where he was, they kept quite still, +hidden as they were by the tall grasses. + +Mr. Catbird had heard what they said. And he was slightly upset, for he +had intended that they should think there was a strange Bobolink in the +meadow. + +"I'll have to try again," he said to himself. "Next time I'll do +better." + + + + +XIV + +FRIGHTENING MRS. BOBOLINK + + +Not knowing who gave the strange cry near their home, Bobby Bobolink and +his wife held their breaths and waited. They never dreamed that it was +their good friend, Mr. Catbird, hidden in a bush near-by, who was trying +to imitate one of Bobby's songs. + +Meanwhile that fun-loving fellow smiled broadly to himself. And giving +his tail an upward toss he opened his mouth once more, only to give +voice to one of the oddest sounds that was ever heard in Pleasant +Valley. + +Mr. Catbird knew right away that he hadn't caught the trick of mocking +Bobby Bobolink. So he stopped short. + +"I wonder what's the matter with me," he murmured. "Can it be that I've +caught a cold and didn't know it?" + +He cleared his throat and made ready to attempt Bobby Bobolink's song +once more. But he waited a moment, for he could hear Bobby talking to +his wife. + +"Don't be alarmed!" he was saying. "It sounded to me as if somebody had +a frog in his throat." + +"I hope you're not mistaken," was Mrs. Bobolink's somewhat doubting +answer. + +"I thought I heard him choke a moment ago," Bobby told her. "We'll keep +still until we know where the noise comes from." + +Mr. Catbird winced. He was not used to hearing anybody speak of his +singing as "noise." And he made up his mind that he would sing a song +in Bobby Bobolink's best manner. So again he opened his mouth. + +He hadn't sung half a dozen notes before Bobby Bobolink's wife gave a +shrill scream. + +"Oh, dear!" she cried. "That's a terrible noise. It hurts my ears to +hear it." + +Mr. Catbird had stopped when Mrs. Bobolink screamed. A puzzled look came +over his face. + +"I don't see what's the matter with me to-day," he said under his +breath. "This is the first time I ever tried to mock anybody and made +such a bungle of it.... Perhaps I'm trying to sing too fast," he added. +"So I'll sing slower next time." + +But his slow notes were queerer still. Though he tried to make them +rollicking and merry, he succeeded only in giving a number of doleful +whines. + +"That won't do!" he exclaimed. "I declare, I haven't caught the trick +yet." And to his great distress he heard Mrs. Bobolink weeping. + +Now, Mr. Catbird had only wanted to have a jolly time with the Bobolink +family. He had intended to sing one of Bobby's songs a few times, until +they were puzzled; and then he had expected to dash out of the bush +where he was hiding and have a good laugh with Mr. and Mrs. Bobolink. +But somehow his plans were turning out all wrong. + +"What shall I do?" Mr. Catbird groaned. "Here I've gone and frightened +Bobby Bobolink's wife! Something's the matter with my voice. And I don't +dare to try another song for fear she'll fall into a faint." + +Then an idea flashed into his head. "If she knows who's hiding in this +bush Mrs. Bobolink won't be frightened!" And thereupon he mewed almost +exactly like Farmer Green's cat. But the sound was just different enough +for Bobby Bobolink to know at once who made it. + +"It's all right!" he told his wife merrily. "Don't worry! Mr. Catbird is +hiding somewhere. He has been teasing us!" + +Then Mr. Catbird came out of the bush and apologized like the gentleman +he was. + +"I didn't mean to frighten Mrs. Bobolink," he explained. "I was only +trying to mock you. But there's something wrong with my voice. I think +I'll have to go and see Aunt Polly Woodchuck, the herb doctor." + +Bobby Bobolink only laughed harder than ever. + +"There's nothing the matter with you!" he cried. "There isn't anybody +that can imitate my songs--unless it's one of the Bobolink family. I +sing too fast for you--that's the trouble." + +Well, Mr. Catbird looked vastly relieved. + +"I'm glad to know that," he said. "And I'll never try to mock you +again." + +"I should hope not!" Mrs. Bobolink told him. "For I never heard such a +frightful noise in all my days." + + + + +XV + +HAYING TIME + + +BY the time the Bobolink youngsters were beginning to learn to fly +Mrs. Bobolink noticed something about her husband that caused her +some uneasiness. Bobby Bobolink was unusually jolly. And since his +wife didn't know of anything to make him feel happier than he had +always been, she couldn't help worrying for fear something was +troubling him. For Bobby Bobolink almost never let anything dash +his high spirits. He often said that there was nothing so uplifting +as a rousing song--unless it was a good pair of wings! + +Mrs. Bobolink thought and thought. But so far as she could see +everything was going smoothly. Already the children gave promise +of becoming fine fliers, taking as naturally to the air as ducks +to water. And it was a great year for grasshoppers; so Bobby +Bobolink couldn't be worrying about a scarcity of food. + +Bobby's wife thought of this, that and the other thing. But she could +hit on nothing that wasn't exactly as it should be. So at last she +decided to ask her husband what it was that was troubling him and +making him so remarkably cheerful. + +"I don't like to upset you, my dear," he said in response to her +question. "But I may as well tell you that we ought to move at the +earliest possible moment." + +"Move!" she cried. "Oh, no! I don't want to move. I'm quite contented +with this house. It's in just the place I like." + +"I'm sorry," said Bobby. "But we shall have to move all the same. And +when I tell you why, I think you'll agree with me that the sooner we +move the better it will be for us." + +Little Mrs. Bobolink replied very firmly that she would have to hear a +good reason before she would consent to move an inch. + +So Bobby told her. "Haying time has come!" + +"What of that?" his wife inquired. "Farmer Green doesn't expect us to +help him, does he?" + +"Oh, no!" Bobby answered with a short laugh. "But he'll cut the grass +all over the meadow. And even if our children should escape with their +lives, there's still Henry Hawk to think of. He could see them easily +enough, with the grass all gone from above the nest." + +That was reason enough for Mrs. Bobolink. She wanted to move right +away. But there was something to prevent that. + +"We certainly can't leave here till the children have learned to fly +better than they do now," she said. "But as soon as they can handle +themselves well enough we'll go. We'll know--won't we--when Farmer Green +begins to mow?" + +"Indeed we will!" Bobby cried. "The mowing-machine makes a terrible +clatter. And we'll have to quit the neighborhood in a hurry when we hear +it, for it moves fast, and cuts the grass down like fire." + +Mrs. Bobolink was all a-flutter. And she spent so much time teaching her +children to fly that they learned surprisingly fast. By the time an odd +_clackety-clack_ sounded across the meadow early one fine morning the +Bobolink family was all ready to move. + +Mrs. Bobolink was gathering her children hastily about her when Bobby +came hurrying back from a trip to the farm buildings. He had seen--as +well as heard--the mowing-machine. And he knew there was no time to +waste. + +"Are you ready?" he called as he fluttered quickly down beside his +family. + +"Yes!" said Mrs. Bobolink. + +"You haven't forgotten anything?" + +She counted her children carefully before answering. + +"No!" she said. "There are five of them here." And then, a look of +dismay came over her face. + +"My goodness!" she exclaimed. "I've forgotten to pick out a place to +move to!" + + + + +XVI + +MR. FROG IS AMUSED + + +WITH the clatter of the mowing-machine growing louder every moment, +Bobby Bobolink didn't stop to ask his wife to what place she would like +to move. + +"Follow me!" he cried. And rising quickly he headed for Cedar Swamp, +with Mrs. Bobolink and their five children trailing after him. + +It was the quickest move you ever saw--if you had only seen it! In a few +minutes they were settled in the swamp. And to Bobby Bobolink's relief +his wife declared that she liked their new home, because it was in a +good damp place and there was plenty of good water to drink. + +After moving to Cedar Swamp Bobby Bobolink often met a spry gentleman +who lived there. His name was Ferdinand Frog. And being a tailor, he +always took special notice of everybody's clothes. For himself Mr. Frog +preferred a dark green suit, somewhat spotted, and a white waistcoat. +And since he spent a great deal of his time in the water, his white +waistcoat always looked very spick-and-span. Yes! Ferdinand Frog was an +elegant person. And being somewhat shallow-brained, he was rather vain +of his appearance, and was likely to snicker at other people if their +clothes seemed to him the least bit odd. + +Now, Bobby Bobolink had noticed from the first that whenever he met Mr. +Frog he began to titter. But since Bobby was always ready with a laugh +himself, he supposed that Mr. Ferdinand Frog was merely bubbling over +with good spirits. So he used to pass the time of day with the gay +tailor and maybe sing a jolly song for him. + +And all the while Mr. Frog would grin widely and giggle. + +At last Bobby Bobolink noticed that Mr. Frog's bulging eyes were always +looking him up and down, from head to feet. And before long it dawned on +Bobby Bobolink that the tailor was not laughing _with_ him. + +No! There was no doubt that Ferdinand Frog was laughing _at_ him. And +there is a great difference between these two kinds of laughter. + +All at once Bobby Bobolink began to feel uncomfortable. And though he +had intended to sing another song for Mr. Frog, he did not do it. +Instead he said a hasty good-day and hurried home to his wife. + +"My dear," Bobby said to Mrs. Bobolink in an anxious voice, "do you see +anything queer about my appearance?" + +She looked him over carefully. + +"Why, no!" she answered at last. "Why do you ask me such an odd +question?" + +"Well," said Bobby, "Mr. Frog, the tailor, is always staring at me in +the oddest fashion and snickering as if he saw something that amused +him." + +"Don't worry about that simpleton!" Mrs. Bobolink cried. "You look a +great deal better than he does. And as for your voices, there's really +no comparison. Yours is one of the finest in Pleasant Valley; but +Ferdinand Frog's is nothing but a croak. It's even worse than old Mr. +Crow's!" + +After that Bobby Bobolink felt better. He knew that his wife was +particular. And if she said he looked all right then he was sure he +could have no cause to be uneasy. + +"It must be only Mr. Frog's queer eyes," he said to Mrs. Bobolink. "I've +been thinking that he saw something strange about me. But I must be +mistaken." + +Nevertheless, the very next time Bobby met Mr. Frog the tailor burst out +laughing, right in his face. And again his eyes rolled from Bobby's head +to his feet, and back again, in a most unpleasant leer. + +"What on earth do you see to laugh at?" Bobby Bobolink demanded. + +"Tee-hee!" Mr. Frog giggled. "Don't you know?" + +"No, I don't!" Bobby snapped. + +"It's your clothes!" Mr. Frog told him. "You've got them on upside +down!" + + + + +XVII + +TURNING THE TABLES + + +MR. FROG had given Bobby Bobolink a great surprise. He had said that +Bobby was wearing his clothes upside down. + +After making that unpleasant remark Mr. Frog burst into a gale of +laughter. And it was some time before he could say anything more. +While he held his sides and laughed, Bobby Bobolink tried to look +at his own reflection in a pool of water. But so far as he could +see there was nothing unusual about his suit. He was puzzled; but +there was no use asking Mr. Frog any questions just then Bobby +knew that he would have to wait until the silly tailor's fit of +laughing had passed. + +At last Mr. Frog grew calmer. He drew forth a big handkerchief from +his sleeve and wiped his eyes. + +"You're certainly the funniest sight I've ever seen!" he exclaimed. + +"I wish you'd explain about my suit being upside down," Bobby said. +"I've worn it this way for almost two months. And only yesterday my wife +told me there was nothing wrong with it." + +"Ah!" Mr. Frog cried. "She doesn't know about the styles. If she did, +she'd know what was the matter. Your waistcoat is black; and you wear +bright colors on your back. Anybody that follows the fashions as I do +could tell you that your coat should be black, and that the yellow and +white ought to be on your waistcoat. That's one of the rules: Coat dark, +waistcoat bright and gay! Look at me!" And Mr. Frog drew himself up +proudly and leaned against a stump, with his feet crossed, exactly as if +he was having his picture taken. + +Bobby Bobolink looked at him. And all at once he burst out laughing. + +Now it was Mr. Frog's turn to feel uncomfortable. + +"What's the matter?" he asked. "Isn't my tie straight?" + +"Oh, I dare say your tie's correct," Bobby Bobolink told him. "But +there's something queer about you. Maybe it's because your feet are so +big!" And he laughed harder than ever; for Mr. Frog certainly looked +funny. + +Now, Mr. Frog's feet were a great trial to him. He had always wanted +small ones. But somehow he had never been able to change them. + +"They aren't really as big as they look," he remarked, gazing down at +his feet mournfully. "You see, trousers are being worn very tight this +summer. And that always makes the feet seem bigger.... My feet can't +look peculiar." + +"Then," said Bobby Bobolink, "it must be something else that amuses me. +It must be your mouth!" + +"My mouth!" Mr. Frog repeated, as his jaw dropped. "What's the matter +with that?" + +"It's so big!" Bobby cried. + +Now, Mr. Frog had always been terribly sensitive about the size of his +mouth. + +"I'll tell you something about my mouth," he said. "Once it was smaller +than yours. But I've smiled so much it has stretched a bit, though I +hoped nobody had noticed that." + +"Well," Bobby Bobolink told him, "I'm better off than you are, Mr. Frog. +For I expect to have a new suit this fall. But how are you going to +change your mouth--or your feet, either?" + +That was a question that Mr. Frog couldn't answer. He made no attempt to +reply, but plunged into the water and swam away. + +And he never again laughed at anybody's clothes all that summer. + + + + +XVIII + +TIMOTHY TURTLE'S COMPLAINT + + +IT happened that the Bobolink family moved to Cedar Swamp just when +Timothy Turtle had arrived there for a short outing. It was Mr. Turtle's +custom to leave his home in Black Creek now and than and spend a few +days in some other neighborhood. He said that after living in the creek +as many years as he had it did him good to get a change once in a while. +About every forty years he paid a visit to the Beaver Pond on the other +side of Blue Mountain. But he visited Cedar Swamp oftener than that, +because it was nearer his home. + +There was scarcely anybody that was glad to see Mr. Turtle. He was +a snappish, surly old chap. And he was forever finding fault with +everybody and everything. It seemed as if you couldn't please him, +no matter how much you tried. He had spent less than a week in Cedar +Swamp before every one voted him a nuisance. And he had invitations, +daily, to go back where he came from. + +But Timothy Turtle announced in no uncertain tones that he wouldn't go +till he was ready. He said that it was a waste of breath to urge him to +leave, and that those that didn't care for his company might move. He +promised that he wouldn't stop anybody--unless he happened to get hold +of him! + +Naturally every one took pains to keep out of Timothy Turtle's reach. It +was well known that when his powerful jaws closed upon a person's leg, +for instance, its unlucky owner might as well not try to get away till +Timothy was ready to let him go. And if it happened to be his head that +Timothy Turtle seized--well, then he was unluckier still! + +If Timothy Turtle was grumpy before Bobby Bobolink moved to Cedar Swamp, +it would be hard to say what he was afterward. For Bobby Bobolink's +happy songs drove Timothy Turtle almost crazy. He said that if he had +known he would have to listen to such merry singing he would have taken +his outing in the Beaver Pond, though he wasn't really due there for +thirty-nine years, because he had visited the Beaver colony only the +summer before. + +When Timothy heard Bobby Bobolink's song ringing through the swamp he +hurried as fast as he could toward the place where it seemed to come +from. Timothy did that, not because he wanted to hear the singing +better, but because he had something to say to the singer. He wanted to +tell him to keep still. And he had a good many disagreeable remarks on +the tip of his tongue, all ready to fling at Bobby Bobolink. + +But somehow Mr. Turtle never succeeded in finding Bobby. After Mr. +Turtle had swum in one direction he was sure to hear the song in +another. Sometimes he would even leave the water and crawl over the +soggy, boggy turf; and that was slow work for Timothy Turtle. You +may be sure it did not improve his temper to find that his journeying +had been all in vain. + +It happened that at last somebody told Bobby Bobolink that Mr. Turtle +wanted to speak to him. And being most obliging, Bobby set out to find +Timothy. "It's a shame," he said, "to disappoint an old gentleman." + +Anybody could tell, from that remark, that he didn't know Timothy +Turtle. + + + + +XIX + +BOBBY'S MISTAKE + + +AFTER a good deal of searching Bobby Bobolink discovered Timothy Turtle +in a pool in Cedar Swamp, sunning himself on an old stump that was half +under water. + +"Good morning, Mr. Turtle!" Bobby cried. "Is it true that you have +something to say to me?" + +And feeling quite happy and care-free, Bobby began to sing one of his +most sprightly songs. For Mr. Turtle was a slow old fellow. It took him +some time to answer a question, especially when he was dozing. + +But the moment Bobby Bobolink began to sing old Mr. Timothy Turtle came +to life instantly. And he was so angry at hearing that rollicking song +that much as he wanted to, he couldn't speak. Somehow the words seemed +to stick in his throat. + +And for a few moments Timothy was afraid he was going to choke. + +Now Bobby Bobolink was such a lively person that he couldn't keep +still long. Especially when he was singing he liked to be on the +move. So when he saw that Timothy Turtle wasn't going to speak +immediately Bobby leaped from the bush where he was perched and +began flying joyously over the swamp. + +All the time he sang with all his might, making so much music that he +could not hear Timothy Turtle calling to him at last. + +Once in a while Bobby wheeled above Mr. Turtle, so that the old fellow +might enjoy his best notes. He little knew that Mr. Turtle was crying to +him to stop, for goodness' sake! And noticing that Timothy's mouth was +moving, Bobby Bobolink said to himself: + +"He looks terribly fierce; but of course he's only commanding me not to +stop singing." + +It was no wonder that Bobby Bobolink thought as he did, because his +neighbors were always begging him to sing something for them. + +"It must be that Mr. Turtle wanted to see me so he could ask me to sing +some songs for him," Bobby thought. And wishing to please Timothy +Turtle, Bobby Bobolink sang as he hadn't sung all summer long. + +At last Timothy Turtle felt that he couldn't bear to hear another note. +And flopping off the stump, he splashed into the water and sank to the +bottom of the swamp, where he buried his head in the mud. + +And there he stayed until he dared hope that Bobby Bobolink had stopped +singing, or gone away to a distant part of the country. + +"Has anybody seen Timothy Turtle?" Bobby Bobolink kept calling as soon +as he noticed that Mr. Turtle had vanished. But no one knew where the +old fellow was. And at last Bobby gave up looking for him. But he +thought it strange that Timothy hadn't waited to hear the rest of his +song. + +"I hope he isn't ill," Bobby told his friends. + +But they only laughed. + +"Timothy Turtle is altogether too old and tough to have much the matter +with him," they said. "If he's ill, it's nothing but ill temper." + + + + +XX + +A HERMIT'S ADVICE + + +THERE was another, besides Timothy Turtle, who was not pleased when +Bobby Bobolink moved to Cedar Swamp at haying time. But this was a +very different sort of person. It was Jolly Robin's cousin, Mr. Hermit +Thrush. Everybody called him "the Hermit" for short, because he was a +quiet gentleman, who did not like to attract attention, but preferred +to spend his time in a thicket on the edge of the swamp. He had a +beautiful, sweet song, which he sang in a calm, unruffled fashion when +he thought nobody was near. + +The Hermit loathed noisy, boisterous people. And he disliked loud +clothes, too--no matter who wore them. He had even been known to speak +in a slighting way of his cousin, Jolly Robin, not only because he was +so sprightly and cheerful, but because he always wore a red waistcoat. + +The Hermit himself clung to more sober colors. His coat was olive-brown, +his tail somewhat paler in hue, and his waistcoat of quite a light +shade, spotted with black. + +As a rule he had little to say to his neighbors. But soon after Bobby +Bobolink came to the swamp to live the Hermit began to talk more freely. +He began to make complaints, saying that he had chosen Cedar Swamp as a +quiet place to live and it was upsetting to him to have any one as +harum-scarum as Bobby Bobolink settle in the neighborhood. + +And one day the Hermit even spoke to Bobby Bobolink himself and took him +to task, although nobody had introduced Bobby to him. And generally the +Hermit wouldn't speak to anybody who hadn't made his acquaintance like +that. + +"Young man!" said the Hermit solemnly, when he chanced to meet the +newcomer near the thicket where the Hermit lived, "I'm going to give +you a bit of advice. I'm going to warn you that if you don't behave +differently you'll come to some bad end." + +Now, Bobby Bobolink supposed that of course the speaker was only joking. +He knew that some people could joke when they wore a long face. So he +laughed heartily. And thinking what a jolly chap the stranger in the +spotted waistcoat was, he began to sing. + +"There you go!" the Hermit exclaimed as a look of pain crossed his +refined face. "You can't even keep still long enough to hear a little +valuable advice. Do stop that annoying noise of yours and listen to +what I have to say!" + +Bobby Bobolink was so surprised to hear anybody speak in such a way of +his singing that he broke right off in the middle of a note, making a +squeaky sound that caused the Hermit to shudder. + +"Now try to control yourself," said the Hermit. "And if you can only +learn to stop making that jingling, jangling music perhaps you'll be +able to save yourself from a sad fate." + +Bobby Bobolink stared at the Hermit as if he couldn't believe what his +own ears told him. + +"What are you talking about?" he demanded. + +With great care the Hermit flicked a bit of moss off his waistcoat +before answering. And then he said, "Don't you know that some day when +you're in the midst of a frenzy of song you're going to explode? And +then there'll be nothing left of you except a cloud of feathers!" + + + + +XXI + +HOW TO TAKE BAD NEWS + + +FOR once Bobby Bobolink's heart seemed to come right up into his mouth. +Usually he never let anything dash his high spirits. If matters didn't +go exactly as they should with him he would laugh and say that probably +they would be different to-morrow. And more likely than not he would +burst into the jolliest song he knew. Singing like that always helped +him amazingly, when a good many people would have moped and looked glum. +But now the gloomy warning of Jolly Robin's mournful cousin, the Hermit +Thrush, threw a sudden dread into him. + +"Why"--he asked the Hermit in a quavering voice--"why do you think I'm +likely to explode some day when I'm singing?" + +"I don't _think_ that. I _know_ it," the Hermit corrected him. "No +bird can crowd one note upon another the way you do without running +a terrible risk. If you don't do differently, some fine day your +wife is going to miss you. And when the neighbors search for you, +and find nothing but a few feathers scattered on the ground, they'll +know what has happened to you." + +Bobby Bobolink actually began to tremble as the Hermit described the +terrible end that awaited him. He was so alarmed that all he could say +was, "My goodness!" + +"I thought I ought to tell you," the Hermit went on. "I thought maybe +you didn't understand. And now that you've a wife and children, too, +of course you ought to take care of yourself. You won't want any such +accident to happen to you." + +"No, indeed!" Bobby Bobolink assured him. "And you must tell me how I +can sing fast--as I always do--and yet do it safely." + +"Ah!" the Hermit exclaimed. "That can't be done. You must sing more +slowly, as I do. Take plenty of time for every note. And above all, +don't sing very often!" + +"Oh! I never could sing that way!" Bobby Bobolink cried. "I have to sing +joyful songs. And you know you always sing that kind in quick time." + +"Pardon me!" said the Hermit, who was a most polite person. "I never +sing joyful songs. So you see you are mistaken." + +"Well, if you sang the sort I do you'd know that they have to be given +in a lively fashion," Bobby told him. "I don't see how it would be +possible to make a song sound merry if it had to be sung slowly." + +The Hermit pondered over that speech. + +"There's only one thing for you to do," he said at last. "You must +select only mournful songs.... You know you sing them in slow time." + +"Pardon me!" Bobby Bobolink said, for he was determined to be just as +polite as the Hermit. "I never sing mournful songs. So you see you are +mistaken." + +Now, for some reason the Hermit thought that a rude remark, though it +was quite like one that he had made himself but a few moments before. He +drew himself up stiffly and said that he didn't care to talk with Bobby +Bobolink any further. "You know," he added, "we haven't been +introduced." + +Somehow that amused Bobby. Before he knew what he was doing he had +laughed aloud. And the moment he laughed he felt so happy once more that +he couldn't help singing. So he started right in the middle of a song, +where it was the liveliest. And finding, when he had finished, that he +hadn't exploded, but felt better for the effort, he never paid any more +heed to the Hermit's solemn warning. + +As for the Hermit, he went straight off to the other side of Cedar Swamp +to live. He claimed that he simply had to have quiet. And there was no +such thing, with Bobby Bobolink around. + + + + +XXII + +A NOISY QUARREL + + +One odd thing marked Bobby Bobolink's flights. He never flew in a +straight course, as old Mr. Crow did, but darted this way and that, +crossing and turning and wheeling, until it seemed sometimes--to +onlookers--that he was sure to skid into a tree and meet with an +accident. And usually Bobby Bobolink would sing with such zest +while he was frisking about in the air that it was a marvel to +many how he could do two things like that, at the same time, and +yet put so much life into each. + +Old Mr. Crow claimed that the reason why Bobby Bobolink didn't fly +straight was because he had his mind too much on his singing. + +"He's nothing but a music-box with wings," Mr. Crow often croaked. "As a +flier he couldn't even beat crazy Benjamin Bat." + +It was the general opinion that Benjamin Bat could make a longer journey +between two points than anybody else in Pleasant Valley. And there were +some that disputed Mr. Crow's statement. Jasper Jay even went out of his +way to tell Mr. Crow that he had heard of his remark, and that he was +mistaken. And they had such a wrangle that they annoyed Mr. Hermit +Thrush, way over on the other side of Cedar Swamp. Old Mr. Crow and +Jasper Jay were cousins. And everybody knows that there is nothing +worse than a cousinly quarrel. + +In order to quiet them, the Hermit left his mossy retreat, in a dense +thicket, found the two cousins, and asked them, "What are you two +quarrelling about now?" + +Neither Jasper Jay nor Mr. Crow was noted for his gentlemanly manners. +They both tried to explain at the same time. And it made the Hermit +wince to listen to their loud, harsh voices. He was himself a quiet +bird; his voice was very sweet. + +"There's only one way to settle your dispute," the Hermit said when the +two cousins had succeeded in making their trouble clear. "You must +arrange a race between this Bobolink person and Benjamin Bat." + +"Impossible! You don't know what you're talking about!" Jasper Jay and +Mr. Crow both cried at the same time. + +The Hermit shuddered. He was not accustomed to such language. It hurt +his gentle nature to be spoken to like that. But he managed to stay +there while the cousins told him that such a race as he had suggested +couldn't be arranged, because Benjamin Bat was always asleep in the +daytime, and Bobby Bobolink took his rest at night. The two could +never meet. + +"Perhaps," said the Hermit, "I could persuade Benjamin Bat to change his +habits for once. Maybe he would be willing to stay awake some day, just +to oblige me." + +"Bobby Bobolink is an obliging fellow," Jasper Jay remarked. "Why don't +you ask him to stay awake some night?" + +But the Hermit said that that wouldn't suit him at all. "The Bobolink +person would be sure to sing his most boisterous song," he said, "and it +would wake me up and spoil my night's sleep. Let me speak to Benjamin +Bat!" he urged the two cousins. + +And in the end they let him have his way. + + + + +XXIII + +SLEEPY BENJAMIN BAT + + +LEAVING the two noisy cousins (Jasper Jay and old Mr. Crow) Mr. Hermit +Thrush hurried back across Cedar Swamp and went straight to an old +hemlock tree, where he knew he would find Benjamin Bat asleep. + +Hanging by his heels head downward from a limb, Benjamin Bat did not +hear the Hermit speak to him until that soft-spoken gentleman had called +to him several times. + +But at last Benjamin Bat opened his eyes and stared around in a +bewildered fashion. It was broad daylight. And he couldn't see +what had disturbed him. He seemed somewhat alarmed too, until +the Hermit said, "Don't be frightened! It's only I!" + +Well, Benjamin Bat knew right away that nobody but the Hermit would +speak in just that way. And he was much relieved to know that it wasn't +Solomon Owl that had awakened him. + +"I'm glad you roused me," he said, "though generally I hate to have my +sleep broken. But just now I was having a nightmare. I was dreaming that +a monstrous Katydid was chasing me. And if you hadn't called to me I +don't know what would have happened.... I think," he added, "I must have +dined too heartily--on Katydids--last night." + +The Hermit couldn't help looking a bit shocked. He had never approved of +Benjamin Bat, who prowled about at night when all respectable people +were at home and asleep. And as for over-eating, that was something the +Hermit wouldn't think of doing. But if he must choose between Benjamin +Bat and Bobby Bobolink for a neighbor, of the two the Hermit preferred +Benjamin Bat, because Benjamin was always asleep in the daytime, while +at night he never disturbed the Hermit's rest. + +"I've come to ask a favor of you," Mr. Hermit Thrush explained. "Perhaps +you don't know there's a noisy nuisance hereabouts who calls himself +Bobby Bobolink?" + +"I do," Benjamin Bat admitted. "But I've never seen him--nor even heard +him." + +"Then you are a sound sleeper indeed," the Hermit observed. "He's always +a-jingling and a-jangling." + +"That sounds as if he might be a bell," Benjamin Bat remarked. + +"He's a bird," the Hermit explained. And then he proceeded to tell +Benjamin Bat how Mr. Crow and Jasper Jay had quarrelled because +Mr. Crow said that Bobby Bobolink couldn't beat Benjamin Bat in +a race, while Jasper Jay claimed that he could. "What I'd like +you to do is to have a race with Bobby Bobolink to-morrow," the +Hermit announced. + +But Benjamin Bat shook his head. + +"It doesn't interest me," he said. "Let Mr. Crow and Jasper Jay quarrel +all they want to!" + +And before the Hermit had time to coax him to change his mind, Benjamin +Bat fell fast asleep. Nor could the Hermit rouse him again. + + +THE END + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Tale of Bobby Bobolink, by Arthur Scott Bailey + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TALE OF BOBBY BOBOLINK *** + +***** This file should be named 21412.txt or 21412.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/1/4/1/21412/ + +Produced by Joe Longo and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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