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diff --git a/24592-h/24592-h.htm b/24592-h/24592-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..60f23f7 --- /dev/null +++ b/24592-h/24592-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2888 @@ +<!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 Snowball Lamb, by Arthur Scott Bailey. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p {margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + text-indent: 1.25em; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + img {border: 0;} + .tnote {border: dashed 1px; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; padding-right: .5em;} + ins {text-decoration:none; border-bottom: thin dotted gray;} + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + } /* page numbers */ + + .blockquot{margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 10%; text-align: justify;} + + .bbox {border: solid 2px; margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; padding-right: .5em;} + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .caption {font-weight: bold;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + .figleft {float: left; clear: left; margin-left: 0; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: + 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .figright {float: right; clear: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; + margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .unindent {margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + .right {text-align: right;} + .poem {margin-left: 30%; margin-right: 10%; text-align: left;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Tale of Snowball Lamb, by Arthur 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 Snowball Lamb + +Author: Arthur Bailey + +Illustrator: Harry L. Smith + +Release Date: February 13, 2008 [EBook #24592] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TALE OF SNOWBALL LAMB *** + + + + +Produced by Joe Longo, Emmy and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + + + + + + + +<h1>THE TALE OF<br /> +SNOWBALL LAMB</h1> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><div class='bbox'> +<div class='center'><i>SLUMBER-TOWN TALES</i><br /> + +<small>(Trademark Registered)</small><br /> + +BY<br /> + +ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY<br /> + + +<small>AUTHOR OF</small><br /> +<i>SLEEPY-TIME TALES</i><br /> +<small>(Trademark Registered)</small><br /> +<br /> +<i>TUCK-ME-IN TALES</i><br /> +<small>(Trademark Registered)</small><br /> +——————————</div> + + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="SLUMBER-TOWN TALES"> +<tr><td align='left'>THE TALE OF THE MULEY COW</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE TALE OF OLD DOG SPOT</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE TALE OF GRUNTY PIG</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE TALE OF HENRIETTA HEN</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE TALE OF TURKEY PROUDFOOT</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE TALE OF PONY TWINKLEHEELS</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>THE TALE OF MISS KITTY CAT</td></tr> +</table></div> +</div> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 514px;"> +<img src="images/frontend1.jpg" width="514" height="800" alt="Front Endpapers Left" title="Front Endpapers Left" /> +</div> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 510px;"> +<img src="images/frontend2.jpg" width="510" height="800" alt="Front Endpapers Right" title="Front Endpapers Right" /> +</div> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 257px;"> +<img src="images/frontispiece.jpg" width="257" height="400" alt=""You'd Better Git Out of the Way," Said Henrietta Hen." title="—"You'd Better Git Out of the Way," Said Henrietta Hen." /> +<span class="caption">"You'd Better Git Out of the Way," Said Henrietta Hen. +<br /> +<small><i>The Tale of Snowball Lamb.</i></small><br /><i><small>Frontispiece</small></i>—(<a href="#Page_16"><i><small>Page 16</small></i></a>)</span> +</div> + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class='center'><i>SLUMBER-TOWN TALES</i><br /> +<small>(Trademark Registered)</small><br /> +——————————</div> +<h1>THE TALE OF<br /> +SNOWBALL LAMB</h1> + +<h3>BY</h3> +<h2>ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY</h2> +<div class='center'><small>Author of</small><br /> +"SLEEPY-TIME TALES"<br /> +<small>(Trademark Registered)</small><br /> + +<small>and</small><br /> + +"TUCK-ME-IN TALES"<br /> +<small>(Trademark Registered)</small><br /> +<br /><br /> +<small>ILLUSTRATED BY</small><br /> +HARRY L. SMITH<br /> +<br /><br /><br /> +NEW YORK<br /> +<big>GROSSET & DUNLAP</big><br /> +PUBLISHERS<br /> +——————————<br /> +<small>Made in the United States of America</small></div> + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class='center'> +<small>COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY</small><br /> +<small>GROSSET & DUNLAP</small><br /> +</div> + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> + + + + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="Contents"> +<tr><td align='left' colspan='2'><small>CHAPTER</small></td><td align='center'><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>I</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Black and White</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_7">7</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>II</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">A Ride to Town</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_12">12</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>III</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Mrs. Hen Tells Tales</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_17">17</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>IV</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">School Begins</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_22">22</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>V</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Promised Treat</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_29">29</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>VI</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Mr. Crow Explains</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_33">33</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>VII</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Warning the Flock</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_38">38</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>VIII</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Salting the Sheep</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_43">43</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>IX</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Circus Tricks</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_50">50</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>X</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Tiger</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_55">55</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>XI</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Cracked Corn</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_60">60</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>XII</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Accident</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_64">64</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>XIII</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Follow My Leader</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_69">69</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>XIV</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Teasing Uncle Jerry</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_74">74</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>XV</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Uncle Jerry Objects</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_79">79</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>XVI</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Aunt Nancy's Plan</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_84">84</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>XVII</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">A Terrible Mix-up</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_88">88</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>XVIII</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Swing</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_92">92</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>XIX</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Wrong Target</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_97">97</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>XX</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Swimming Hole</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_102">102</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>XXI</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">A Ducking</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_107">107</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>XXII</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">A Great Joke</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_112">112</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>XXIII</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">A Mystery</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_117">117</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='right'>XXIV</td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Half and Half</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_122">122</a></td></tr> +</table></div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span></p> + +<h2>THE TALE OF<br /> +SNOWBALL LAMB</h2> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>I</h2> + +<h3>BLACK AND WHITE</h3> + + +<p>"Hurrah!" Johnnie Green shouted. And he dashed out of the woodshed and +ran to the barnyard as fast as he could scamper.</p> + +<p>There was a good reason for his high spirits and his haste. His father +had just told him he might have a lamb for a pet.</p> + +<p>Farmer Green followed Johnnie at a slower pace. When he reached the +barnyard fence Johnnie was already on the other side of it, trying to +catch a certain black lamb.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span></p> + +<p>Now, Johnnie Green was spry; but this black lamb was sprier. Whenever +Johnnie thought he had the lamb the black rascal always managed to slip +out of his clutches.</p> + +<p>"I'll help you," said Farmer Green. And climbing the fence, he soon had +the lively lamb cornered and caught.</p> + +<p>Then Johnnie lost no time in taking his new pet in his own arms.</p> + +<p>"I'm going to call him——" Johnnie began, as his father let go of the +struggling black armful.</p> + +<p>But Johnnie Green never finished what he had started to say. The first +thing he knew the lamb had squirmed out of his arms and was running up +the lane.</p> + +<p>Johnnie straightened up and gazed after him in dismay.</p> + +<p>"I don't believe I'll call him anything," he murmured, half to himself.</p> + +<p>Farmer Green couldn't help laughing.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span> And then, noticing a very +disappointed look on Johnnie's face, he said, "Cheer up, Johnnie! That +lamb is the youngest one on the farm, but he's too big for a pet. He's a +wild one. Let him run with the flock and we'll see if we can't do +something to make you feel happy."</p> + +<p>Well, Johnnie Green knew that when his father talked like that it was +silly to be glum. So he cried, "All right!" And turning his back upon +the black lamb, which was by this time almost up to the head of the +lane, Johnnie walked back to the woodshed.</p> + +<p>The next day, when Farmer Green came home from a drive over the hill, +Johnnie shouted "Hurrah!" once more. For lying on a bit of hay in the +bottom of the buggy was a white lamb no more than half as big as the +lively black scamp that had got away from Johnnie the day before.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span></p> + +<p>Johnnie Green didn't need to ask whose lamb this was. He knew at once +that it was his own.</p> + +<p>"Where'd you get him?" he demanded.</p> + +<p>"At your uncle's!" his father explained.</p> + +<p>Johnnie lifted the white lamb out of the buggy and set him down gingerly +upon the ground. And the white lamb didn't try to run off. He was only a +tiny thing, with a very soft coat and a very pink nose.</p> + +<p>"I wonder if he's hungry," said Johnnie Green. "I'll get some corn and +see if he wants anything."</p> + +<p>"You'll have to feed him milk in a bottle," his father told him. "He +isn't weaned yet. Bring him into the woodshed!"</p> + +<p>In a little while Johnnie's father had found a baby's bottle, which he +filled with warm milk.</p> + +<p>Then all Johnnie had to do was to hold<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span> the bottle to his new pet's +mouth. The lamb did the rest.</p> + +<p>"I'm going to call him 'Snowball,'" Johnnie announced. And then he began +to laugh.</p> + +<p>"Look at his tail!" he shouted. "He'll switch it off if he isn't +careful."</p> + +<p>For as Snowball drank the milk he jerked his stubby tail up and down at +a great rate.</p> + +<p>Old dog Spot, who was stretched upon the woodshed threshold, gazed at +Snowball with a lofty air.</p> + +<p>"That lamb has a queer notion of the way a tail ought to be wagged," he +said deep down in his throat. "He ought to wag it from side to side. But +I suppose he's too young to know better."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>II</h2> + +<h3>A RIDE TO TOWN</h3> + + +<p>Much to old dog Spot's disgust Johnnie Green and his new pet lamb soon +became great friends. It wasn't long before Snowball, as Johnnie called +the white lamb, followed his young master about the yard and even into +the farmhouse—when Mrs. Green wasn't looking.</p> + +<p>It was a remark that Johnnie made about Snowball one day which caused +old Spot to speak his mind plainly to the Muley Cow. Johnnie Green +actually said, in Spot's hearing, "Snowball knows as much as a dog!"</p> + +<p>"I never did have any use for sheep,"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span> Spot told the Muley Cow. +"Everybody knows they're all terribly stupid. So you can imagine how I +felt when Johnnie Green spoke like that to his father."</p> + +<p>The Muley Cow chewed her cud. She had a far-off look in her eyes, as if +she might be thinking about what Spot was saying—or as if she might +not. Anyhow, she did not speak.</p> + +<p>"And to think—" Spot growled—"to think how I used to take care of +Johnnie when he was no more than a baby! Do you suppose this lamb could +take care of a baby? Do you suppose he'd pull a baby out of the mill +pond? Or fight off a bull? Or kill a snake?"</p> + +<p>The Muley Cow turned her calm face upon Spot.</p> + +<p>"If you're jealous——" she began.</p> + +<p>"Jealous!" Spot barked. "Of course I'm not jealous. But I must say that +this<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span> Snowball Lamb is very displeasing to me."</p> + +<p>"Then why don't you——" the Muley Cow began again.</p> + +<p>"I would," Spot interrupted, "I would—only I'm not a sheep-killer. And +I don't intend to become one."</p> + +<p>"This boy," said the Muley Cow, "he'll grow tired of that lamb. The +other boys will begin to tease him because the lamb follows him about. +And that will be too much for Johnnie. . . . I know boys," the Muley +Cow declared.</p> + +<p>Old dog Spot sighed. "I hope you're not mistaken," he remarked. "Time +will tell. Just now anybody can see that Johnnie Green is simply crazy +about that silly new pet of his."</p> + +<p>It was only a few days later that something happened to cause old dog +Spot to lose all hope.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span></p> + +<p>Johnnie Green and his father hitched up the old horse Ebenezer and +started for the village. Of course Spot would have followed them, under +the wagon, if he had been at the barn when they left. But he wasn't. He +was up in the pasture, chasing woodchucks.</p> + +<p>Just as old Ebenezer turned the corner at the foot of the hill Johnnie +Green happened to look back. And there was Snowball, following a little +way behind them!</p> + +<p>Of course it would never do to let him run all the way to the village +and back. And Farmer Green didn't want to turn around and take Snowball +home. So Johnnie Green jumped down and lifted Snowball into the wagon.</p> + +<p>So he rode to the village; and then rode home again.</p> + +<p>Johnnie Green was greatly pleased by<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span> the whole affair. And Snowball was +pleased, too. As soon as he reached the farmyard he began talking about +his trip to the village.</p> + +<p>Everybody listened to Snowball with wonder. That is, everybody wondered +except Henrietta Hen. She began talking in a shrill voice about her +visit to the county fair. And she said spitefully to Snowball, "You'd +better get out of the way before old dog Spot comes back from the +pasture!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>III</h2> + +<h3>MRS. HEN TELLS TALES</h3> + + +<p>Old dog Spot came home from the pasture feeling quite pleased with +himself. He had caught a fat woodchuck. And that was enough to make him +happy.</p> + +<p>Spot hadn't crossed the barnyard when Henrietta Hen came fluttering up +to him. She was a busybody, always trying to get somebody into trouble. +"Snowball went to the village with Johnnie Green and his father!" +Henrietta shrieked.</p> + +<p>"That's good news," said old dog Spot. "I've been hoping to hear +something like that. We're well rid of that Snowball Lamb."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Oh! But they brought him back with them!" Henrietta Hen explained.</p> + +<p>Spot's face fell. "That's a pity," he said.</p> + +<p>Henrietta Hen peered into Spot's face. There was something that she +couldn't understand.</p> + +<p>"Why aren't you angry?" she inquired in her high-pitched voice. "Don't +you realize that Snowball tried to <i>follow the wagon</i> to the village? To +be sure, they picked him up down at the corner. But I want you to know +that he tried to <i>take your place</i>."</p> + +<p>At that old Spot let out a howl of rage.</p> + +<p>"I'll never go woodchuck hunting again!" he cried. "Things have come to +a pretty pass if I can't leave the farmyard for a few hours without +having a lamb insult me like that."</p> + +<p>Henrietta Hen was pleased.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I thought you'd want to know what had happened," she remarked. "And now +I must add that Snowball has been boasting about his trip. Of course, +his journey was nothing, compared with my visit to the county fair last +year. But I don't like to hear a lamb telling about his travels. Can't +you put a stop to it?"</p> + +<p>Old dog Spot shook his head.</p> + +<p>"For once," he said slowly, "I can't help wishing I was a sheep-killer."</p> + +<p>"Well," said Henrietta, "you know you could try."</p> + +<p>"It's not a question of trying," Spot told her. "My family isn't a +sheep-killing one. I have to live up to the family name."</p> + +<p>"Well," Henrietta Hen declared, "if I were you I'd join another +family—at least for a short time."</p> + +<p>But old dog Spot declared that that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span> wouldn't do at all. "We'll have to +be patient," he said. "The Muley Cow claims that Johnnie Green will get +tired of Snowball sooner or later. It may be that she is right. Let us +hope so!"</p> + +<p>"Farmer Green ought to turn that great lamb into the pasture," Henrietta +Hen spluttered.</p> + +<p>That was exactly what Mrs. Green herself thought.</p> + +<p>"Your lamb can't come into my kitchen!" she called at that very moment. +For Johnnie Green was just then entering the doorway, with Snowball at +his heels.</p> + +<p>"Thank goodness," Spot barked, "there's one person on this farm who has +some sense! If it wasn't for Mrs. Green I'd be tempted to run away."</p> + +<p>As Johnnie Green closed the door behind him, leaving Snowball upon the +stone step, Snowball gave a plaintive <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span><i>baa-a-a!</i></p> + +<p>"Ugh!" cackled Henrietta Hen. "Did you ever hear such a silly sound in +all your life?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>IV</h2> + +<h3>SCHOOL BEGINS</h3> + + +<p>After Snowball's trip to the village old dog Spot scarcely stirred from +the farmyard. He left the woodchucks to scurry about the pasture as they +pleased. For he felt that he ought to keep an eye on Snowball.</p> + +<p>The very next time that Snowball started to follow Johnnie Green out of +the yard Spot ran up to him and barked at his heels. "Go back!" Spot +growled. "Don't you dare leave this yard!"</p> + +<p>And then, to Spot's surprise, Johnnie Green picked up a stick and +threatened him with it.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span></p> + +<p>"You let my lamb alone!" Johnnie cried. That was bad enough, according +to old dog Spot's notion. But when Johnnie shouted, "Get out!" at him, +that was worse.</p> + +<p>Spot tucked his tail between his legs and slunk away, to hide himself +under the woodshed. And there he stayed for the rest of the morning and +sulked.</p> + +<p>But in the afternoon he began to feel more cheerful. For Spot had heard +Mrs. Green remark that school began the next day.</p> + +<p>That was good news. At least Spot so thought it.</p> + +<p>"This lamb won't get much notice from Johnnie Green after to-day," Spot +told Henrietta Hen. "He'll be left here in the yard. And it won't be +long now before Mrs. Green tells Farmer Green to put him in the pasture +with the flock. She won't<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> have him in everybody's way. She'll get rid +of him quickly. You know that when Mrs. Green makes up her mind, things +generally happen to suit her."</p> + +<p>Henrietta nodded her handsome head.</p> + +<p>"Just what I've often told the Rooster!" she exclaimed.</p> + +<p>Well, the following morning, as much as an hour after breakfast, Johnnie +Green started up the road with some books under his arm and a lunch +basket in his hand. It was the first day of school. And somehow Johnnie +wasn't feeling very happy. He had dawdled about the house—so his mother +said. It appeared that he was in no hurry to leave home.</p> + +<p>Before Johnnie had reached the barn, which stood beside the road, Mrs. +Green stepped out of the house and looked at him.</p> + +<p>"You'd better get along!" she called<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> after him. "You don't want to be +late the first day of school!"</p> + +<p>So Johnnie Green fell into a jog trot, which he kept up all the way to +the red schoolhouse.</p> + +<p>As he came in sight of the little box-like building he saw other +youngsters hurrying through the doorway. And then Johnnie ran as fast as +he could.</p> + +<p>He burst inside the schoolroom just as the school mistress tapped the +little bell on her desk, which meant that everybody must stop talking, +because school had begun. Johnnie Green hurried to a seat. But before he +reached it all the other pupils burst into a shout.</p> + +<p>Johnnie looked around. And there, trotting across the floor, was +Snowball! He had followed Johnnie all the way from Farmer Green's barn.</p> + +<p>It was some time before things were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> quiet. The teacher had to ring her +little bell a good many times, and even rap upon her desk with a ruler, +before the boys and girls stopped laughing. And then the teacher turned +to Johnnie Green and spoke to him.</p> + +<p>"Mary!" she said. "Is this your little lamb?"</p> + +<p>The teacher seemed surprised because her pupils began to roar at that. +But she made no attempt to silence them. She did not even try to quiet a +certain boy called "Red," who made more noise than all the rest +together.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile Johnnie Green's face looked like a great red apple. And it +grew several shades redder when Snowball walked up to his seat and stood +close beside him.</p> + +<p>"Don't you think—" said the teacher after a while—"don't you think, +Mary,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span> that you'd better take your little lamb home?"</p> + +<p>Johnnie Green did not answer. But he hung his head as he rose and +hurried out of the schoolroom, with Snowball following close behind him.</p> + +<p>Once outside Johnnie could hear the children still laughing. And he even +thought that he could hear the teacher laughing, too.</p> + +<p>That very morning Snowball found himself turned into the pasture where +Farmer Green's flock of sheep were passing the summer. And it wasn't +long before the whole barnyard was filled with the noise of gossiping +tongues.</p> + +<p>"For once," said Henrietta Hen, "the Muley Cow knew what she was talking +about when she said Johnnie Green would grow tired of that white lamb."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span></p> + +<p>As for old dog Spot, he told everybody that he was going up to the +pasture to chase woodchucks.</p> + +<p>And as for Johnnie Green, he told his mother that he didn't believe he'd +go back to school any more.</p> + +<p>But she said he should, and that very morning.</p> + +<p>And things generally happened the way Mrs. Green intended.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>V</h2> + +<h3>THE PROMISED TREAT</h3> + + +<p>Snowball wasn't sorry that Johnnie Green had turned him into the +pasture. He found the pasture a delightful place. He had plenty of +company, for there was a whole flock of sheep with him. And not only did +he soon become acquainted with them. He met other folk, such as Billy +Woodchuck and Jimmy Rabbit and old Mr. Crow. And though some of the +older sheep paid scant heed to so young a lamb as Snowball, Mr. Crow +often went out of his way to stop and talk with him.</p> + +<p>That was because Mr. Crow loved a bit of gossip. And he was willing to +chat with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span> anybody on the chance of picking up some interesting morsel +of news.</p> + +<p>"We're going to have a treat," Snowball informed old Mr. Crow one day.</p> + +<p>The old gentleman cocked his head on one side and looked at Snowball.</p> + +<p>"How do you know you are?" he demanded. He was a great one for asking +questions.</p> + +<p>"The Muley Cow told me," Snowball explained. "Down in the barn she heard +Farmer Green tell Johnnie about it."</p> + +<p>"Ah, ha!" cried Mr. Crow. "I'll have to keep an eye on things. If +there's going to be a treat I must get my share of it. . . . Where's +it going to be—where do you expect to have this treat?"</p> + +<p>"Right here in this pasture!"</p> + +<p>"That's good!" Mr. Crow exclaimed. "I'm glad of that. I can enjoy it, +then. I feared it might be in the barn. And I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span> like plenty of room if +I'm to enjoy a treat properly."</p> + +<p>Snowball began to feel a bit uneasy.</p> + +<p>"The Muley Cow didn't say anything about your being invited," he +blurted. "In fact she said that this treat was for us sheep only."</p> + +<p>"Don't you worry about that!" the old gentleman assured him. "I know +well enough that if Farmer Green didn't mention inviting me it was +because he forgot it. I know he wouldn't like it if I stayed away."</p> + +<p>Snowball began to wish he hadn't mentioned the treat to Mr. Crow. But +the secret was out. And when Mr. Crow asked when the treat was going to +be Snowball confessed that the Muley Cow had told him the flock would +enjoy it that very day.</p> + +<p>"Ah!" said Mr. Crow with a smirk.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> "Then I must stay where I can see +what's going on. So I'm going to sit in that tall elm over by the stone +wall. When I see the sheep begin to bunch together I'll join you at +once. . . . Please bleat three times when the treat is ready, for I might +be dozing."</p> + +<p>"I will," Snowball promised.</p> + +<p>And then Mr. Crow got ready to fly away.</p> + +<p>"By the way," he said, pausing, "what's the treat to be?"</p> + +<p>"The Muley Cow said she heard Farmer Green tell Johnnie to 'salt the +sheep to-day,'" Snowball explained.</p> + +<p>To his great surprise old Mr. Crow let out a deafening squawk when he +heard that bit of news.</p> + +<p>"Then I'll keep as far away from the pasture as I can get!" he cried.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>VI</h2> + +<h3>MR. CROW EXPLAINS</h3> + + +<p>Snowball couldn't understand old Mr. Crow's rage. Mr. Crow had invited +himself to the treat that Johnnie Green was going to give the flock. But +the moment the old gentleman heard that the treat was going to be <i>salt</i> +he had squalled at the top of his hoarse voice that he was going to stay +as far from the pasture as he could get.</p> + +<p>"What's the matter?" Snowball asked Mr. Crow. "Don't you like salt?"</p> + +<p>Mr. Crow made a wry face.</p> + +<p>"No, I don't!" he spluttered.</p> + +<p>"Well, just because you don't happen<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span> to care for salt is no reason for +your being so angry," Snowball told him.</p> + +<p>And then Mr. Crow almost took his breath away.</p> + +<p>"I agree with you," he said gruffly! And Mr. Crow was a person who was +never known to agree with anybody! So that was an astonishing remark for +him to make.</p> + +<p>"Then I suppose you'll get over being angry, at once," Snowball +ventured.</p> + +<p>"I won't!" Mr. Crow thundered. "And take a bit of advice, young fellow: +Don't go near the salting party! It will be dangerous," he added darkly.</p> + +<p>"Why will it be dangerous?" Snowball inquired.</p> + +<p>The old gentleman shook his head and put on a very wise look.</p> + +<p>"I don't believe you've ever been at a salting party," he said.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span></p> + +<p>And Snowball confessed that he hadn't.</p> + +<p>Whereat Mr. Crow nodded his head up and down several times and looked +even wiser than before.</p> + +<p>"It's lucky for you, my lad, that you told me about this affair," he +declared. "For I'm going to keep you out of a peck of trouble. Don't you +go near the party! Keep just as far away from it as you can! When you +see Johnnie Green come inside the pasture you scramble over the stone +wall and hide!" And now he shook his head.</p> + +<p>"It's a pity—" he sighed—"a pity you can't fly, or climb a tree."</p> + +<p>He was so gloomy that Snowball couldn't help feeling uncomfortable. And +all he could manage to say was one word which he had hard work to +stammer out. It was "W-w-why?"</p> + +<p>"Because it's just a trick!" Mr. Crow<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span> explained. "It's a trick to catch +you. This trick of salting the sheep is as old as the hills. But I +suppose you're so young you never have happened to hear of it. I must +say," he added, "I'm surprised that the Muley Cow didn't take the +trouble to tell you all about it."</p> + +<p>"Maybe she's too young to know about it, too," Snowball suggested.</p> + +<p>"Young!" Mr. Crow cried with a short, mirthless laugh. "The Muley Cow's +not young. She's the oldest cow on the farm. If the truth must be told, +she's so old that Farmer Green wouldn't keep her if it weren't that +Johnnie Green thinks she belongs to him. And he'd raise a terrible row +if his father sold her."</p> + +<p>"Are you too young to explain about this trick that you just warned me +against?" Snowball asked. "I'd like to know how there can be any danger +in salt.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span> How can anybody be caught with salt?"</p> + +<p>"Well, you <i>are</i> a silly!" cried Mr. Crow. "Can't you guess that Johnnie +Green is going to put salt on everybody's tail?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>VII</h2> + +<h3>WARNING THE FLOCK</h3> + + +<p>Snowball Lamb was puzzled. He didn't understand old Mr. Crow's answer at +all.</p> + +<p>"What if Johnnie Green should put salt on my tail?" he asked Mr. Crow. +"What harm would that do?"</p> + +<p>The old gentleman stared at Snowball as if he couldn't quite believe +that anybody could be so stupid.</p> + +<p>"Haven't you ever heard that that's the way to catch people?" cried Mr. +Crow at last. "Why, there isn't a boy in Pleasant Valley who doesn't +know that; and many of 'em carry salt about in their pockets all the +time, hoping to get a chance some day<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span> to put the salt on my tail, and +capture me!" Mr. Crow's bright eyes snapped. And his bill snapped, too. +For the mere thought of such scheming always made him terribly angry.</p> + +<p>And then Snowball said something that made Mr. Crow more impatient than +ever.</p> + +<p>"I don't care if Johnnie Green does catch me," Snowball declared. +"Johnnie wouldn't hurt me. We've always been great friends."</p> + +<p>"He wouldn't, eh?" Mr. Crow retorted. "How do you know he wouldn't hurt +you?"</p> + +<p>"He never <i>has</i> hurt me," Snowball replied.</p> + +<p>"Perhaps not! Perhaps not!" Mr. Crow croaked. "But you never can tell. +You never can tell what a boy will do. And if you go to the salting +party and get into trouble, don't say I didn't warn<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span> you!" As the old +fellow flew off he looked as if all the cares in the world were weighing +him down. Snowball noticed that he flew heavily. It took a great amount +of flapping of his broad wings to lift him out of the pasture. And when +he was well up in the air he gave a glum <i>caw, caw</i> as he wheeled and +sailed away down the wind.</p> + +<p>Well, Snowball couldn't help being somewhat disturbed by Mr. Crow's +grave actions and his graver remarks. "I wonder," thought Snowball, "if +Mr. Crow knows what he's talking about. I'll ask the flock!"</p> + +<p>So Snowball ran down the hillside pasture to the place where the flock +had gathered to graze. And to his astonishment some of the flock didn't +even lift their heads from the grass when he related all that Mr. Crow +had said. Those that did<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> pause and listen to Snowball only giggled and +went to feeding again. No! there was one that spoke to him. Aunt Nancy +Ewe spoke up a bit tartly.</p> + +<p>"If you're worried you'd better stay away when Johnnie Green comes to +salt us," she told him. "<i>We</i> all expect to have a very pleasant time," +she added.</p> + +<p>"Have you ever had salt put on your tail?" Snowball asked the old lady.</p> + +<p>"Certainly not!" she snapped. And she glared at Snowball so fiercely +that he fell back several steps. "Are you trying to insult me?" she +cried.</p> + +<p>He did not answer. It was plain to him that Aunt Nancy didn't know +anything about the trick of putting salt on one's tail. Yes! Mr. Crow +must be wiser than she was.</p> + +<p>"They'll all get into trouble," Snow<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span>ball thought. And then he said +something that was almost exactly like what Mr. Crow had said to him. +"They can't say I didn't warn them!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>VIII</h2> + +<h3>SALTING THE SHEEP</h3> + + +<p>Snowball Lamb stood in the pasture apart from the rest of the flock. +Aunt Nancy Ewe had returned to her grazing. And not one of her +companions acted as if some dreadful peril hung over him. Nobody would +have thought, to look at the flock, that they were about to have salt +put on their tails. But Snowball knew that it was so. Far down the +valley he could hear old Mr. Crow's warning <i>caw</i>, <i>caw</i>, telling him +again to beware of Johnnie Green.</p> + +<p>And just then Johnnie squirmed through the pasture bars and pulled a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> +sack after him. Presently he began to call to the sheep. And Snowball +watched while they went, one and all, on a dead run towards the bars.</p> + +<p>Then Snowball turned and ran the other way, straight for the stone wall. +He didn't even look back once, but scrambled over the wall and lost +himself in the tangle of berry bushes that grew in a rocky old pasture +that hadn't been used for years.</p> + +<p>"He's salting them by this time," Snowball muttered to himself. "Johnnie +Green is salting the sheep. And I'm glad Mr. Crow warned me, for I +shouldn't want salt put on my tail. It must be terrible to be caught +that way."</p> + +<p>"What's that you're saying?" said a lively voice near-by.</p> + +<p>Snowball leaped back; then stood still and stared at a pair of antlers +which stuck up from behind a berry bush.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span></p> + +<p>The antlers rose a little higher. And then Snowball saw the face of +Nimble Deer beneath them.</p> + +<p>"What were you murmuring about <i>salt?</i>" Nimble inquired pleasantly.</p> + +<p>"Johnnie Green is salting the sheep over in our pasture," Snowball +explained.</p> + +<p>"He is, eh?" cried Nimble Deer. "Then why aren't you there with the +rest?"</p> + +<p>Snowball shook his head.</p> + +<p>"It's too dangerous," he said. "I don't want salt put on my tail."</p> + +<p>Nimble Deer gave him a queer look.</p> + +<p>"It is dangerous, while Johnnie Green is there—or it would be dangerous +if he had a gun," Nimble admitted. "But what's this you say about salt +on your tail?"</p> + +<p>"Johnnie Green is putting salt on the tail of every sheep in the flock," +Snowball declared.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span></p> + +<p>"That's odd," said Nimble. "I'll have to look into this matter—after +Johnnie Green has left the pasture."</p> + +<p>Snowball did not follow Nimble as he moved nearer the stone wall. But he +stood still and watched. Presently he saw Nimble leap the wall. After +that Snowball could no longer see him.</p> + +<p>It was some time later when Nimble jumped back over the wall and landed +lightly on the ledge that ran alongside it. And Snowball noticed that +his face wore a very cheerful look.</p> + +<p>"Well?" said Snowball.</p> + +<p>"That was as good salt as I ever tasted," Nimble remarked, running his +tongue over his lips. "If you hurry you'll be able to get a taste even +now."</p> + +<p>"I've never eaten any salt," said Snowball.</p> + +<p>"Then hurry, by all means!" cried Nim<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span>ble Deer. "You don't know what +you're missing."</p> + +<p>"Has Johnnie gone?" Snowball inquired.</p> + +<p>"Long ago!"</p> + +<p>"I suppose he spilled some of the salt on the ground," said Snowball. +"You know he's a very careless boy."</p> + +<p>"He spilled heaps of it," Nimble Deer replied. "But the sheep are eating +it fast."</p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 259px;"> +<img src="images/illus-001.jpg" width="259" height="400" alt="Aunt Nancy Scolded Snowball" title="Aunt Nancy Scolded Snowball" /> +<span class="caption">Aunt Nancy Scolded Snowball<br /> +<small><i>The Tale of Snowball Lamb.</i></small> <small><a href="#Page_48"><i>Page</i> 48</a></small></span> +</div><p>Well, Snowball was puzzled. How could the sheep be eating salt if +Johnnie Green had caught them? It was more than he could understand. But +if Nimble Deer had been with them—and come back safely—there couldn't +be any great danger.</p> + +<p>So Snowball hurried over the stone wall and scampered down to the place +near the bars, where the flock still lingered.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span></p> + +<p>As Snowball joined them he saw that they were all busily eating +something white that lay in little piles upon the ground.</p> + +<p>He tasted of the stuff, carefully. It was delicious. And wasting no more +time, he gobbled up all of the salt that he could get.</p> + +<p>When it was gone Snowball turned to old Aunt Nancy Ewe.</p> + +<p>"May I lick the salt off your tail?" he asked her politely.</p> + +<p>She gave him a haughty stare.</p> + +<p>"Have you no respect for your elders?" Aunt Nancy asked him severely.</p> + +<p>"Pardon me!" said Snowball. "Maybe I'm mistaken, but Mr. Crow told +me——"</p> + + + +<p>"Mr. Crow!" Aunt Nancy cried, before Snowball could finish. "So it's Mr. +Crow that's been putting queer ideas into your head! I might have known +it. After this don't ever listen to him! He's been the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span> means of your +almost missing a fine treat—and one that doesn't come every day in the +year."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span></p> +<h2>IX</h2> + +<h3>CIRCUS TRICKS</h3> + + +<p>Johnnie Green had been to the circus. And of course he wanted to try a +good many tricks that he had learned there. At first he made old dog +Spot perform for him. But when he attempted to get Spot to jump through +a hoop of fire the old dog refused flatly to play any more.</p> + +<p>That was why Johnnie went to the pasture and brought Snowball Lamb back +to the farmyard.</p> + +<p>"Now, Snowball," said Johnnie Green, "I've been to the circus and seen +ever so many kinds of trained animals—horses and elephants and dogs and +monkeys and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span> seals. But I didn't see any trained lamb. If you pay +attention and learn what I try to teach you maybe you and I can join the +circus next year."</p> + +<p>Snowball Lamb answered, "<i>Baa-a-a!</i>"</p> + +<p>"All right!" cried Johnnie. "Now you just jump through this wooden +hoop!"</p> + +<p>But it didn't prove to be as easy as all that. Johnnie Green had to work +a long, long time before he succeeded at last in teaching Snowball to +obey him. And then, after Snowball jumped through the hoop in as +graceful a manner as anybody could have asked for, Johnnie was not quite +satisfied.</p> + +<p>"You'll have to learn to jump through a paper hoop if we're ever going +to be taken along with the circus," he told Snowball.</p> + +<p>Again Snowball answered, "<i>Baa-a-a!</i>"</p> + +<p>"All right!" said Johnnie. "I'll make<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span> some paper hoops. And to-morrow +we'll see what you can do."</p> + +<p>So back to the pasture went Snowball. And into the woodshed went Johnnie +Green. There he stayed all the rest of the afternoon, knocking old +barrels apart, chopping and sawing and hammering. He laid newspapers +down upon the floor and trimmed them neatly with his mother's shears. He +made flour paste in the kitchen. And when milking time came he had four +fine hoops all covered with newspaper.</p> + +<p>Johnnie wanted to make one more. But his father came along and happened +to pick up a barrel stave, remarking that it was just the thing to make +a boy jump to his work. So Johnnie decided, for some reason or other, +that four hoops would be enough to practice with. Of course when he and +Snowball joined the circus they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span> would need dozens of hoops. But there +wasn't really any hurry about that.</p> + +<p>So he went for a milk pail and trotted off to the barn, where he sat +down on his three-legged stool and began milking the Muley Cow.</p> + +<p>He couldn't help thinking, as he sat there and sent streams of milk +tinkling down upon the bottom of the tin pail, what a fine scheme it +would be to build a hoop big enough for the Muley Cow to jump through. +It ought to be easy to teach her. For everybody knew that she was a +famous jumper. She made more trouble, jumping the fence, than all the +rest of Farmer Green's herd.</p> + +<p>Johnnie Green got to thinking so intently about the matter that he began +to dawdle. And if there was one thing that the Muley Cow didn't like it +was to have to stand still while a slow milker puttered<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span> at his work. So +she suddenly gave her tail a switch and brought the end of it across +Johnnie Green's cheek.</p> + +<p>It was a stinging smack. And Johnnie Green cried, "Ouch!"</p> + +<p>After that he stopped his day-dreaming until milking was over. And then +he went back to the woodshed and gazed at the four paper hoops leaning +against the woodpile.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>X</h2> + +<h3>THE TIGER</h3> + + +<p>In the same pasture with Snowball was a black lamb. He was the black +lamb that Farmer Green once gave to Johnnie for a pet. But he ran away +up the lane the very first time Johnnie tried to hold him in his arms.</p> + +<p>After that the black lamb had always stayed with the flock. He was a +wild, unruly fellow, bigger and older than Snowball. And he was quite +outspoken—and not always careful of his language.</p> + +<p>This black lamb chanced to be near Snowball when Johnnie Green came into +the pasture on a certain fine morning.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span> And when Johnnie began calling +to Snowball the black lamb said, "Why don't you run the other way? +That's what I always do when boys call me."</p> + +<p>Snowball made no answer. He stood and looked at Johnnie Green, who was +walking towards him with outstretched hand.</p> + +<p>"Come on!" cried the black lamb. "I'll run with you."</p> + +<p>"No!" said Snowball. "Johnnie may have something good for me to eat. +Some salt, maybe!"</p> + +<p>"Huh!" said the black lamb. "Don't be stupid! What if he has brought you +a little salt? He'll want you to jump through that hoop again for him, +the way he did yesterday." Snowball had told the black lamb about the +strange proceeding of the afternoon before.</p> + +<p>"Well—" Snowball murmured, as he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span> hesitated, not knowing whether to +obey the black lamb or Johnnie Green.</p> + +<p>"Well! Are you coming with me?" the black lamb demanded. "<i>I'm</i> not +going to stay here where that boy can grab me. <i>I</i> don't intend to spend +my time jumping through any old hoop. <i>I'm</i> not quite so silly as to do +that."</p> + +<p>"I believe I'll let Johnnie catch me," Snowball told him. "Johnnie said +something yesterday about our joining the circus. No doubt you've +noticed the circus posters on the side of the barn?"</p> + +<p>"I have," said the black lamb with something like a sneer. "No doubt +you've noticed the picture of the tiger?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, I have," Snowball admitted.</p> + +<p>"My uncle joined a circus once," said the black lamb.</p> + +<p>"Is that so?" cried Snowball. "Tell me—did he enjoy it?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I can't say," the black lamb replied. "He never came back again. They +fed him to the tiger—so I have been told."</p> + +<p>And then the black lamb started to run. And suddenly Snowball whisked +about and followed him.</p> + +<p>Johnnie Green wondered what had come over Snowball. Was this the pet +that had once followed him all the way to school?</p> + +<p>"I'll keep him tied up in the barn for a few days—once I catch him," +thought Johnnie. If he intended to teach circus tricks to Snowball he +certainly didn't want to spend valuable time chasing him all around the +pasture.</p> + +<p>At last Johnnie Green had Snowball cornered. At last he slipped a rope +about Snowball's neck. And then he led his pet towards the bars.</p> + +<p>"<i>Baa-a-a!</i>" called the black lamb.</p> + +<p>It sounded so much like a jeer that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span> Johnnie turned around and made a +face at the black rascal.</p> + +<p>In the barnyard Johnnie brought forth a paper-covered hoop. He held it +up in front of Snowball. "Jump!" he cried.</p> + +<p>But Snowball drew back.</p> + +<p>"<i>Baa-a-a!</i>" he bleated. "How do I know that there isn't a tiger behind +that thing?"</p> + +<p>"Come!" Johnnie urged him. "Jump! Jump!"</p> + +<p>Snowball only moved further away.</p> + +<p>And then Johnnie Green lowered the paper-covered hoop and stepped +forward to grasp Snowball by his fleece.</p> + +<p>As Johnnie's hand let the hoop fall Snowball gave a frightened blat. +Staring right at him, and grinning horribly, was a tiger pasted upon the +side of the barn.</p> + +<p>Snowball turned and ran towards the gate.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>XI</h2> + +<h3>CRACKED CORN</h3> + + +<p>The next time Johnnie Green dragged Snowball into the farmyard he shut +the gate carefully behind him.</p> + +<p>"We'll never join the circus if you're going to behave like this," +Johnnie told Snowball severely. "Now, you pay attention!"</p> + +<p>He held up a bare hoop—not a paper-covered one—and when he said, +"Jump!" Snowball showed that he had not forgotten his lesson of the +afternoon before.</p> + +<p>"That's better!" cried Johnnie Green. "Jump again!" And when Snowball +jumped once more Johnnie was so pleased<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span> that he went into the chicken +house and came back with a handful of cracked corn. "Here!" he said to +Snowball. "There's more like it if you behave yourself."</p> + +<p>Snowball munched his corn contentedly.</p> + +<p>"The black lamb would like this," he thought. "I'll tell him about this +corn the next time I see him. Then maybe he won't be so quick to call me +stupid."</p> + +<p>Somehow the cracked corn made Snowball forget all about the frightful +picture of the tiger that grinned from the side of the barn. And at last +Johnnie succeeded in getting Snowball to jump through one of the paper +hoops which he had so carefully made the day before.</p> + +<p>"There!" Johnnie cried. "You've done it at last!" And he was so +delighted that he went once more to the chicken house. And this time he +brought back two handfuls of cracked corn.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span></p> + +<p>Unluckily, just as he came out of the chicken house he met his father +going in.</p> + +<p>"Here!" Farmer Green exclaimed. "What are you doing with my chicken +feed?"</p> + +<p>"I'm giving a little to Snowball," Johnnie told him.</p> + +<p>"Ah!" cried Farmer Green with a sly smile. "Fattening your lamb for +market, eh?"</p> + +<p>Johnnie's face fell. "No!" he replied. "Of course not! I wouldn't sell +Snowball. He's—he's too valuable."</p> + +<p>Farmer Green guffawed.</p> + +<p>"He's a circus lamb!" Johnnie cried hotly. "He's learning circus +tricks!"</p> + +<p>"Well," said his father, "maybe I have some circus hens in here, for all +I know. Don't you feed my corn to that lamb!"</p> + +<p>"Can your hens jump through paper hoops?" Johnnie asked.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Can your lamb?" demanded Farmer Green.</p> + +<p>"Watch!" said Johnnie then. And, holding up another of the paper-covered +hoops, he persuaded Snowball to leap through it neatly.</p> + +<p>"Well, I'll be jiggered!" cried Farmer Green—whatever that may mean.</p> + +<p>Johnnie Green thought it was a good time to ask a question.</p> + +<p>"Mayn't I give him a little corn once in a while?" he begged.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I suppose so," said his father. "But if you get him too fat he +won't be much of a jumper."</p> + +<p>"But jumping ought to keep him thin," Johnnie insisted.</p> + +<p>Just then Snowball gave a plaintive bleat: "<i>Baa-a-a-a!</i>"</p> + +<p>"There!" Johnnie exclaimed. "He thinks so, too!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>XII</h2> + +<h3>THE ACCIDENT</h3> + + +<p>Snowball was quick to learn one thing. He soon found that jumping +through Johnnie Green's paper-covered hoops brought him plenty of +cracked corn.</p> + +<p>No longer did Snowball run away from his young master when Johnnie +entered the pasture and called to him. Nothing that the rascally black +lamb said could persuade Snowball to lead Johnnie Green a chase.</p> + +<p>Much to the black lamb's disgust Snowball would start for the bars the +moment Johnnie appeared there. "Johnnie wants to give me a treat!" +Snowball would ex<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span>claim. "There's cracked corn waiting for me!" And off +he would go.</p> + +<p>Strange as it may seem, Johnnie tired of the circus tricks before +Snowball did. It wasn't long before several days would go by without +Johnnie's once holding up a hoop for Snowball to jump through. And often +Snowball would moon about the farmyard <i>wishing</i> that Johnnie would do +that very thing.</p> + +<p>"I hope the cracked corn isn't getting low," said Snowball to himself. +And he cried, "<i>Ba-a-a-a-a!</i>" But Johnnie Green paid no heed to him. +Though Johnnie was at that very moment in the swing he never once looked +at Snowball as he roamed mournfully about.</p> + +<p>So Snowball crossed the road and strolled up the steep bank opposite the +farmhouse. And having nothing better to do he was about to stroll down +again when<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span> he spied something that made him stop short.</p> + +<p>Was that a paper-covered hoop that he saw, right there at the top of the +bank? He wondered. It was round. And it was certainly covered with +something that looked like paper.</p> + +<p>For a moment Snowball thought he would walk around the hoop—if it was +one—and examine it. He couldn't see anybody holding it up on edge. But +there it was, just waiting for somebody to come along and jump through +it!</p> + +<p>"It's a hoop!" Snowball muttered to himself. "There's no doubt about +that." And lowering his head he ran at the hoop—and jumped.</p> + +<p>There was a splitting sound and a crash, both at the same time.</p> + +<p>Instead of bursting through a thin paper shell and clearing the hoop +neatly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span> Snowball found himself wedged inside something. Though he didn't +know it, he had butted the end of a barrel, knocking in its head and +plunging headlong inside it.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile Johnnie Green had stopped swinging. He looked across the road +just in time to see the barrel totter on the edge of the steep bank. Not +only totter; but begin to roll down hill!</p> + +<p>Out of the barrel stuck two woolly legs, both kicking frantically.</p> + +<p>"What in the world——" Johnnie Green exclaimed. He leaped from the +swing and ran towards the strange sight. But he was too late to help.</p> + +<p>The barrel fast gathered headway. It crossed the road like some live +thing, to bring up against the farmhouse with a terrific smash.</p> + +<p>Instantly the barrel fell into a dozen pieces as its staves caved in. +And out of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span> the wreck rose Snowball. He gave one frightened bleat. And +then he tore off towards the pasture as fast as he could run. He didn't +even wait to see if Johnnie Green would give him a treat of cracked +corn.</p> + +<p>As he ran he said to himself, "There may have been a tiger inside that +thing. . . . I don't know! . . . I wouldn't join the circus for all the +cracked corn in the world!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>XIII</h2> + +<h3>FOLLOW MY LEADER</h3> + + +<p>There was one game of which Farmer Green's sheep never seemed to tire. +They called it "Follow My Leader." And even the oldest members of the +flock played it every day. Though they had grand-children—many of +them—and were quite solemn and sedate, they still continued to run +anywhere whenever somebody happened to lead the way.</p> + +<p>You wouldn't suppose they could have enjoyed leaving good pasturage to +go tearing off to goodness knows where, just because some empty-headed +sheep chanced to break into a run.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span></p> + +<p>When Snowball first joined the flock in the pasture he tried to do just +as every one else did. So whenever he saw the flock get under way +suddenly he hastened to keep up with the rest.</p> + +<p>At first Snowball was curious to know why they were all running. But +nobody could tell him the reason. And in time he ceased to wonder.</p> + +<p>At last he decided, one day, to see if the flock would follow him. He +looked about at his neighbors. They were feeding quietly.</p> + +<p>"I hope they'll play the game when I start it," Snowball said under his +breath.</p> + +<p>And then, <i>baaing</i> his loudest, he began to run.</p> + +<p>The flock stopped eating instantly. For a moment nobody moved.</p> + +<p>"They aren't going to play!" thought Snowball.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span></p> + +<p>But an old ewe suddenly wheeled about and followed him.</p> + +<p>That was enough for the others. Out of the corner of his eye Snowball +could see them all jump and come crowding after him.</p> + +<p>He was headed for the stone wall. Beyond it lay a rough, rocky stretch +of waste land, covered by a tangle of raspberry bushes.</p> + +<p>"I wonder if they'll follow me over the wall!" Snowball muttered.</p> + +<p>He didn't jump the wall. It was too high for that. But he scrambled over +it without any trouble, for his little feet found plenty of footholds +amid the jutting rocks.</p> + +<p>Snowball had already landed on the further side of the wall when <i>thud! +thud! thud!</i> other members of the flock came thumping down upon the +ledge beside<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span> him. He moved aside a little way, because he didn't want +to be stepped on.</p> + +<p>Then, all at once, a squeaky, frightened voice cried, "What's the +matter? Is there an earthquake?"</p> + +<p>Though Snowball looked all about he couldn't see the speaker anywhere.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile there sounded a <i>patter, patter! patter!</i> which came from +hurrying feet in the pasture. And there sounded a <i>click! click! click!</i> +which came from scrambling feet climbing over the wall. And there +sounded further <i>thuds</i> which came from those same feet as they +thundered down upon the ledge.</p> + +<p>At last the slowest sheep had joined Snowball. He still searched for the +squeaky voice.</p> + +<p>"This is queer!" Snowball murmured. "I don't see where that odd voice +came from!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span></p> + +<p>He soon found out. For as he picked his way to the foot of the ledge, to +nibble at the grass that grew down below, he saw peering out of a hole +in the ground the face of a fat old gentleman whom he had sometimes met +in the pasture.</p> + +<p>This person's name was Uncle Jerry Chuck. And he looked terribly scared. +His teeth were chattering. His nose was twitching.</p> + +<p>Somehow Uncle Jerry's fright seized Snowball, too. With a bleat of +terror he turned and fled up the ledge, scurried over the wall, and ran +back where he had just come from.</p> + +<p>Like one sheep the whole flock turned tail and followed Snowball with +frantic <i>baas</i>.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>XIV</h2> + +<h3>TEASING UNCLE JERRY</h3> + + +<p>Farmer Green's flock of sheep had followed Snowball over the stone wall +and back into the pasture. And soon every one of them was grazing again +as if nothing had happened.</p> + +<p>Now, Snowball was greatly pleased. It was the first time he had ever +started that game called Follow My Leader. And there wasn't a sheep nor +a lamb that hadn't gone chasing after him when he showed them the way.</p> + +<p>Snowball saw many merry games ahead of him. "I'll give them some good +runs!" he promised himself.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span></p> + +<p>And he did. Before that morning was over he led the flock up to the +furthest corner of the pasture in a mad scramble. And before the +afternoon was over he took them on a brisk run to the bars.</p> + +<p>That made three times for the day.</p> + +<p>On each summer's day that followed Snowball played Follow My Leader +oftener than he had the day before. So it happened that by the end of a +week, when evening came, the older sheep were weary from all the running +they had done, all the scrambling over the stone wall. For Snowball's +favorite trick was to lead the sheep over the wall and into the tangle +of raspberry bushes where Uncle Jerry Chuck lived.</p> + +<p>Snowball had soon learned that there was nothing to fear over there. He +discovered that it was the noise the flock made when leaping down upon +the ledge<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span> that alarmed Uncle Jerry Chuck. Drowsing in his underground +chamber Uncle Jerry had thought there must be an earthquake. That was +why his teeth chattered. That was why his nose twitched, when he peeped +out of his doorway.</p> + +<p>As soon as Snowball learned all this he took great pains to land upon +the ledge as heavily as he could. He liked to hear Uncle Jerry Chuck's +teeth chatter; he liked to see Uncle Jerry shiver; he liked the sound of +Uncle Jerry's squeaky voice asking what was the matter.</p> + +<p>So Snowball enjoyed his days in the pasture—or <i>in and out</i> of it. In +fact he enjoyed them more than anybody else in the flock. For the others +began to grow tired of being led helter-skelter in a headlong flight. +And the old folks especially became annoyed because Snowball took them +so often over the stone wall.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span></p> + +<p>At last the old dame known as "Aunt Nancy," all hung with great folds of +thick fleece, spoke her mind plainly to Snowball himself.</p> + +<p>"You're making a nuisance of yourself," she told him. "In all my days I +never knew another youngster—a mere lamb!—to lead the flock. And here +you're making us run our legs off every day! When I was your age we +children never started a game of Follow My Leader. We <i>followed</i> behind +the rest of the flock. We never <i>led</i>."</p> + +<p>All this was a great surprise for Snowball. "D-don't you like the game?" +he stammered.</p> + +<p>"The game's all right," the old lady said. "But nobody cares to play it +a dozen times a day. And nobody enjoys having to clamber over the stone +wall again and again."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span></p> + +<p>Snowball said nothing for a few minutes. He was thinking.</p> + +<p>"When I run, why do you follow me if you don't wish to?" he inquired at +last.</p> + +<p>"I don't know," the old lady confessed. "Maybe I fell into the habit of +following when I was young. Anyhow, I can't help myself now. I just have +to go along with the others."</p> + +<p>Poor lady!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>XV</h2> + +<h3>UNCLE JERRY OBJECTS</h3> + + +<p>Snowball really <i>meant</i> to be kind to the elderly dame, Aunt Nancy, who +had objected to being led on the wild goose chases in which he +delighted.</p> + +<p>"I mustn't start another game of Follow My Leader," he said to himself. +"Aunt Nancy says she can't help following. And for a person of her years +it must be hard work to run."</p> + +<p>But Snowball soon learned that he had set himself a hard task. Soon +afterward he found himself suddenly running. He hadn't <i>meant</i> to run. +Yet there he was, bounding along towards the stone wall as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span> fast as he +could jump! And the whole flock was following him, with Aunt Nancy +puffing hard among the stragglers, doing her best to keep up.</p> + +<p>Over the wall went Snowball. Over the wall went all the rest. Aunt Nancy +was the last to leap down upon the ledge where Snowball had stopped. And +he could see that she was upset. He edged away from her. But she +shouldered her friends aside (she was a huge person!) and walked +straight up to him.</p> + +<p>"You're a spoiled child," she told Snowball. "Here you've gone and led +us over this wall again! And I just told you I didn't want to run +anywhere—over this wall least of all places!"</p> + +<p>Snowball felt much ashamed.</p> + +<p>"I—I didn't mean to do it," he faltered. "Something set my feet +a-going. I <i>had</i> to go along with them!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Is that so?" she cried in dismay. "My goodness! You've been and gone +and got the habit of being leader! And you can't stop! . . . I don't know +what I'm going to do!" she wailed. "There'll be nothing left of me if +this keeps up. I'll be nothing but fleece and bones if I have to run so +much."</p> + +<p>Somehow her friends didn't seem alarmed. Aunt Nancy was very fat. In +fact she was so very, very fat that nobody thought she <i>could</i> waste +away. And everybody smiled a little.</p> + +<p>But she didn't notice that. And then a squeaky voice piped up:</p> + +<p>"Is there an earthquake?"</p> + +<p>It was Uncle Jerry Chuck peeping out of his hole, with his teeth +chattering so fast that it seemed as if they must all drop out of his +mouth.</p> + +<p>"There's no earthquake," Aunt Nancy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> told him. "We just jumped off the +wall upon this ledge—that's all."</p> + +<p>"I was sure there was an earthquake," he said. "And the last quake was +the worst of all."</p> + +<p>There were more smiles then, for Aunt Nancy herself had been the last of +the flock to plump down off the wall.</p> + +<p>"I wish—" said Uncle Jerry Chuck—"I wish, when you folks jump the +wall, you'd pick out a different place. You disturb me a dozen times a +day. I'm losing lots of sleep on your account. And if I continue to lose +my rest I'll be nothing but fur and bones."</p> + +<p>Well, Uncle Jerry was fat, too. He looked as if it would do him a world +of good to be thinner. But Aunt Nancy felt sorry for him.</p> + +<p>"Whoever leads the way over the wall must pick out another spot," she +declared,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span> looking straight at Snowball as she spoke. "It's a shame to +annoy this gentleman."</p> + +<p>Everybody agreed with her good-naturedly. And Snowball said meekly that +if he found himself running towards the wall he would try to turn his +steps in another direction.</p> + +<p>No one said anything more about the matter. For somebody suddenly cried, +"<i>Baa! baa!</i>" and scrambled over the wall.</p> + +<p>Of course the whole flock followed instantly, leaving Uncle Jerry Chuck +to creep out of his hole and watch the last tail of all bob out of +sight.</p> + +<p>It was Aunt Nancy's.</p> + +<p>"They're a queer lot," Uncle Jerry said aloud. He gave a long whistle. +"I'm glad I'm not one of 'em," he added.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>XVI</h2> + +<h3>AUNT NANCY'S PLAN</h3> + + +<p>All was quiet once more, after the race from the ledge near Uncle Jerry +Chuck's home. The flock was feeding again. And if you hadn't noticed how +Aunt Nancy Ewe puffed from her fast running you wouldn't have supposed +there had just been a wild scramble over the stone wall and back.</p> + +<p>Aunt Nancy was still feeling sorry for Uncle Jerry Chuck, whose rest had +been disturbed by the thud of hoofs above his head. "Remember!" she said +to Snowball sternly. "Don't go near Uncle Jerry's home again!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I won't!" he promised. "That is," he added, "I won't if I can help it. +If I find myself running that way I may not be able to stop myself."</p> + +<p>Now, that sort of promise wasn't enough for Aunt Nancy.</p> + +<p>"You must turn aside!" she told Snowball. "Just make believe that +there's a bear beyond the stone wall, instead of Uncle Jerry Chuck! +<i>Then</i>—" she said—"<i>then</i> you'll turn quickly enough!"</p> + +<p>"That's a good idea!" cried Snowball. "If only I don't forget it!"</p> + +<p>Aunt Nancy's words never left his mind all the rest of the morning. Just +thinking about bears made Snowball frightfully uneasy. Whenever one of +the flock happened to stray up behind him Snowball jumped, fearing for a +moment that it was a bear.</p> + +<p>If anybody said <i>baa</i> in his ear he leaped<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> to one side, expecting the +<i>baa</i> to turn into a <i>woof!</i></p> + +<p>He began to wish that Aunt Nancy hadn't told him of her idea.</p> + +<p>And all at once, when somebody came up behind him and gave him a nudge, +Snowball started to run.</p> + +<p>"There's a bear behind me!" he thought.</p> + +<div class="figright" style="width: 257px;"> +<img src="images/illus-002.jpg" width="257" height="400" alt="Snowball Gave A Frantic Blat." title="Snowball Gave A Frantic Blat." /> +<span class="caption">Snowball Gave A Frantic Blat.<br /> +<small><i>The Tale of Snowball Lamb.</i></small> <small><a href="#Page_87"><i>Page</i> 87</a></small> +</span> +</div><p>Of course the rest of the flock thought he was only playing Follow My +Leader. So they followed him, every one of them.</p> + +<p>Snowball went bounding across the pasture towards the stone wall, headed +straight for the spot where Uncle Jerry Chuck had his home. When he was +only a few jumps away from the wall he glanced back. He saw then that +there was no bear behind him. But he did notice Aunt Nancy Ewe, doing +her best to keep up with the rest. And then Snowball re<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span>membered what +she had said to him. If a bear—instead of Uncle Jerry Chuck—lived in +the hole at the foot of the ledge!</p> + +<p>Well, that thought was enough to make Snowball swerve sharply to his +right. And a few moments later he bobbed over the wall a little further +up the hillside.</p> + +<p>Just beyond the wall grew a tangle of berry bushes. And into the midst +of them Snowball jumped. And out of the midst of them, right in front of +him, there rose up on his hind legs—a bear!</p> + +<p>Snowball gave a frightened, frantic blat. The next instant he was +scrambling back over the wall.</p> + +<p>The foremost of the oncoming flock of sheep saw him. They couldn't think +what had happened. Anyhow, they couldn't stop. Close behind them pressed +the flock, all bunched together and hurrying blindly on.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>XVII</h2> + +<h3>A TERRIBLE MIX-UP</h3> + + +<p>There was a terrible mix-up. Some sheep were trying to cross the stone +wall in one direction. Some were trying to cross it in the other. And in +the midst of the fleecy tangle Snowball struggled in vain. He found +himself face to face with Aunt Nancy Ewe, who was so huge that he +couldn't budge her. He pushed and shoved until she cried out, "Where are +your manners, young man?"</p> + +<p>"I—I don't know," Snowball stammered. "Maybe I left them in the berry +bushes, with the bear."</p> + + +<p>Well, the moment she heard the word<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span> <i>bear</i> Aunt Nancy blatted at the +top of her lungs. With a mighty heave she turned about on the top of the +wall, sweeping Snowball off it as if he were nothing but a fly.</p> + +<p>He fell backwards among the raspberry bushes, fully expecting to be +eaten by the bear. He shut his eyes and held his breath, and lay with +his feet in the air, waiting for the bear to seize him.</p> + +<p>"Oh, dear!" he groaned. "I wonder if he'll begin with my head or my +tail!"</p> + +<p>Just then he felt a terrible nip at the end of his tail.</p> + +<p>"He's begun! The bear has begun to eat me!" Snowball thought.</p> + +<p>As for the bear, he didn't say a single word. And that seemed odd. +Somehow Snowball didn't quite like it because the bear didn't exclaim +how nice and tender he was. His tail was still held fast. And<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> that was +as much as Snowball knew.</p> + +<p>At last he slowly opened his eyes. To his astonishment he saw no bear. +In fact he saw nobody at all. For the last of Farmer Green's flock of +sheep had vanished. And Snowball noticed, resting on the tip of his +tail, a stone. Though he did not know it, the last sheep to leave had +kicked it down upon him purely by accident.</p> + +<p>Snowball gave a <i>baa</i> of surprise and relief. With a little effort he +managed to jerk his tail from under the stone. Then he sprang to his +feet. And since there was no knowing where the bear was, Snowball made +all haste to get on the other side of the stone wall and join the flock +of sheep once more.</p> + +<p>When Aunt Nancy saw him she did not act half as pleased as he had +expected she would.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span></p> + +<p>"You got us into a pickle, young man!" she greeted him.</p> + +<p>"It seems to me," he replied, "that you are the one that made all the +trouble. If you hadn't made me jump the wall——"</p> + +<p>"If <i>I</i> hadn't made <i>you</i>——" Aunt Nancy interrupted. And turning to +her companions she cried, "Did you ever hear anything like that in all +your days?"</p> + +<p>And everybody said, "No!"</p> + +<p>And then somebody asked, "Where's the bear?"</p> + +<p>But nobody could answer that question.</p> + +<p>The only one that could have answered it was Cuffy Bear himself. And he +was way up under the mountain—and still running.</p> + +<p>There wasn't a sheep in the flock that had been more frightened than +he.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>XVIII</h2> + +<h3>THE SWING</h3> + + +<p>As Snowball grew older he began to enjoy a fine, new sport. At least +this sport was new to him. All the old rams had enjoyed it for years. +But it was not until Snowball's horns began to grow that he became +interested in having fun in this way.</p> + +<p>The new sport was <i>butting</i>. Snowball was careful not to butt any sheep +that were much bigger than he was. For instance, he never even +threatened to butt the black lamb, who was some months the older of the +two. And Snowball didn't butt Johnnie Green; for Snowball was fond of +him.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span></p> + +<p>Snowball didn't feel the same toward other boys. Other boys liked to +tease him. A neighbor's boy called "Red" was the biggest tease of them +all. He never missed a chance to bother Snowball—unless Johnnie Green +objected.</p> + +<p>So it was only to be expected that Snowball should want to butt Red. +More than once he had stolen up behind Red and butted him as hard as he +could butt.</p> + +<p>At first Red only laughed. But as Snowball grew bigger—and heavier—Red +no longer found anything to laugh at in Snowball's favorite sport. +Instead of laughing, Red was more likely to go to rubbing himself where +Snowball had struck him.</p> + +<p>"You'll have to get rid of this pet of yours!" Red said to Johnnie +Green. "That is, you'll have to if you expect me to come to your place +any longer."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I won't get rid of Snowball," Johnnie Green declared. "It serves you +right if he butts you. You've teased him too often. I don't blame +Snowball at all."</p> + +<p>"Send him away, now; or I'll go home," Red threatened.</p> + +<p>At that Johnnie Green drove Snowball behind the barn. But he wouldn't +stay there. He came trotting back to the farmyard in no time.</p> + +<p>"Leave him alone! Don't pay any attention to him and he won't touch +you!" Johnnie advised Red.</p> + +<p>However, that young man was uneasy. But he said nothing more about the +matter. And turning to the swing under the big old apple tree he cried, +"Come on, Johnnie! I'll swing you."</p> + +<p>Now, Johnnie Green had swung in that swing thousands of times. But it +wasn't often anybody was willing to stand and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span> push him until he went +up, up, up, high among the leafy branches.</p> + +<p>"All right!" he said. "None of your tricks, now!"</p> + +<p>Red only grinned. And he began pushing Johnnie. He pushed so hard that +for once Johnnie was satisfied. Once he thought the swing seat—with him +on it—was going to turn completely over.</p> + +<p>The whole thing was most strange. It was most unusual. Red was always +ready to be swung. Never had he been willing, before, to swing anybody +else. So Johnnie decided to enjoy the fun while he could. Back and forth +he rode in long sweeps.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile Snowball kept edging nearer. He was behind Red. And all the +time Red kept a careful eye on him. But of this Johnnie Green saw +nothing. For of course his back was turned to Red and to Snowball, too.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span></p> + +<p>There was no doubt that Snowball wanted to take a hand in the sport—or +perhaps it would be better to say <i>take a horn</i>. Anyhow he lowered his +head now and then, and shook it. And at last he stamped upon the ground.</p> + +<p>"Hang tight, Johnnie!" Red cried. "Here comes the biggest push of all!" +And he gave Johnnie a mighty shove.</p> + +<p>Then Red waved his tattered hat almost in Snowball's face.</p> + +<p>That was a deadly insult. At least so Snowball thought. He gathered his +legs beneath him. He shot forward.</p> + +<p>Already Johnnie Green had begun his long backward swing.</p> + +<p>For a moment you would have thought Red was going to get caught in a +tight place. Johnnie Green was almost upon him. Snowball was almost upon +him.</p> + +<p>And then Red jumped.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>XIX</h2> + +<h3>THE WRONG TARGET</h3> + + +<p>"Give me another push like that one!" Johnnie Green shouted from the +swing.</p> + +<p>Little did he dream that Snowball was rushing towards him from behind, +rushing with head lowered in his best butting style.</p> + +<p>Of course when the boy Red slipped out of the way there was only one +thing that could happen. A moment after Johnnie shouted, Snowball struck +the swing seat.</p> + +<p>Crash! Bang! Split! A terrible cry from Johnnie Green! And a second or +two later a dull thud!</p> + +<p>The crash, bang and split came when Snowball's head met the swing seat. +The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span> thud followed when Johnnie hit the ground.</p> + +<p>Then all was quiet, except for a low moaning from the spot where Johnnie +Green lay.</p> + +<p>Red had climbed spryly into a wagon which stood near-by. But he soon saw +that he needn't have gone to that trouble. For Snowball plainly had no +more butts left in him for the time being. He stood still in a dazed +fashion and stared dully about him. The heavy oaken swing seat had been +no soft mark to hit, sailing swiftly through the air with eighty pounds +of boy upon it.</p> + +<p>Red had given one great shout. But now he too was very quiet. He jumped +out of the wagon and ran to Johnnie Green, and lifted Johnnie's head.</p> + +<p>"Are you hurt, Johnnie?" he asked.</p> + +<p>But it was almost a minute before<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span> Johnnie Green could speak. It was +almost as long as that before he could even breathe. He lay there +gasping, with his hands clutched across his stomach. His eyes rolled +about in the queerest way. If Red hadn't been frightened he would have +laughed in Johnnie's face.</p> + +<p>At last Johnnie Green spoke.</p> + +<p>"Wh-wh-what happened?" he asked in a halting whisper. "Did the ropes +break?"</p> + +<p>"No!" Red answered. "The ropes held—though it's a wonder."</p> + +<p>"Can't you tell me what happened?" Johnnie begged him. "If it wasn't the +ropes, what was it?"</p> + +<p>"It was Snowball," said Red. "He butted you."</p> + +<p>"I don't believe it," cried Johnnie. "He never butted me in his whole +life."</p> + +<p>Johnnie Green was sitting up now. And<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span> since he didn't seem to be much +hurt the boy Red couldn't help grinning.</p> + +<p>"Look at that swing seat!" he exclaimed, pointing to the splintered bit +of oak board near Johnnie. "You don't think—do you?—that I split that +thing with <i>my</i> head?"</p> + +<p>And then Johnnie Green just had to believe him. And Johnnie began to get +angry, too.</p> + +<p>"You must have seen Snowball coming," he growled. "Why didn't you warn +me?"</p> + +<p>Red swallowed a few times as he tried to think of a good answer.</p> + +<p>"Well," he replied finally, "I didn't <i>know</i> he was going to butt you, +did I? Didn't you just say yourself that he never <i>had</i> butted you?"</p> + +<p>To all this Johnnie Green made no answer.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span></p> + +<p>"If you ask me," Red went on more easily, "I should say you were lucky. +You were lucky to have that swing seat under you."</p> + +<p>Johnnie Green rose slowly to his feet.</p> + +<p>"There's something queer about this," he declared.</p> + +<p>"That's so," Red agreed. "There is. You'd just asked for another hard +push. . . . And you got one—a harder one than I could have given +you. . . . So I don't see what you're complaining about."</p> + +<p>And then he pretended that he didn't understand why Johnnie Green tried +to hit him.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>XX</h2> + +<h3>THE SWIMMING HOLE</h3> + + +<p>After the affair at the swing it was as much as a week before Johnnie +Green saw anything of his neighbor Red.</p> + +<p>It was almost a week before Snowball felt like butting anybody. Even +when other sheep bullied him Snowball edged away from them; and once he +would have run into them head first.</p> + +<p>Somehow he couldn't forget that frightful jolt he had received when he +knocked Johnnie Green out of the swing.</p> + +<p>At last, however, he tried a gentle butt one day against the soft side +of one of his mates. And finding only pleasure, and no<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span> pain, in the +trick he became once more one of the most active butters in Farmer +Green's whole flock.</p> + +<p>Now, Johnnie Green had noticed that for a few days Snowball was +unusually well behaved. And Snowball's gentleness did not please him. +For Johnnie had hoped that sometime Snowball would butt the neighbor's +boy Red.</p> + +<p>So Johnnie Green began to whistle a merry tune a little later, when he +chanced to see Snowball charging the hired man as he crossed the +pasture.</p> + +<p>Not long after that Johnnie Green went swimming. He found other boys at +the swimming hole, which they had made by damming Broad Brook where it +cut across the end of the meadow. Among the swimmers was the boy Red. It +was the first time Johnnie had seen him since that day when Snowball +butted Johnnie.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span></p> + +<p>When Johnnie spied Red in the water he thought for a moment or two that +he would find Red's clothes on the bank and tie knots in them. That was +a favorite trick of Red's—tying hard knots in other boys' clothes. +Sometimes he even wet the knots, to make them harder to untie.</p> + +<p>But Johnnie Green decided that he wouldn't knot Red's clothes. Besides, +Red seemed to be keeping a watchful eye on them.</p> + +<p>Johnnie slipped out of his own clothes quickly and soon he had dived off +a flat rock and joined the boys in the swimming hole.</p> + +<p>Red had called "Hullo!" pleasantly enough. And then Johnnie was sure he +said something in an undertone to the others. Anyhow they all grinned. +And one boy cried, "I didn't expect to see you down here. I thought +you'd be swinging.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span> Wouldn't you rather swing than swim?"</p> + +<p>Johnnie Green gave a sickly smile.</p> + +<p>"Why didn't you bring your lamb with you?" another inquired. "Doesn't he +follow you any more?"</p> + +<p>But Johnnie Green had ducked down where he couldn't hear and was +swimming under water. When he came up everybody yelled at him. That is, +everybody yelled except Red. <i>He</i> looked very innocent, as if he didn't +know what the joke was.</p> + +<p>Well, Johnnie Green had a good swim, anyhow. And the boys soon stopped +teasing him. They had several swimming races, with a good deal of +splashing mixed in. And there was so much fun that nobody noticed when +Red crawled out upon the bank and slipped away behind the drooping +willows that overhung the stream.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span></p> + +<p>The boys saw him plainly enough a little while afterward. Fully dressed +he stood on the bank and jeered at them. And they knew what that meant. +It meant that he had tied plenty of knots in everybody's clothes.</p> + +<p>All the boys except Johnnie Green yelled at him.</p> + +<p>"We'll fix you when we catch you!" they cried.</p> + +<p>As for Johnnie, he said never a word. In fact he didn't even look angry. +On the contrary, he smiled. For he saw something that his friends had +overlooked.</p> + +<p>Some distance behind Red Johnnie saw the willows part. And a white face +peered out.</p> + +<p>It was Snowball's.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>XXI</h2> + +<h3>A DUCKING</h3> + + +<p>As he stood there on the great flat rock over the swimming hole Red +never guessed that Snowball was behind him. But the swimmers soon +noticed Snowball. And they all began to call to Red. They didn't care +what they said, so long as they could keep Red so busy answering them +that he wouldn't turn around and discover Snowball. They splashed about, +and hooted, and on the whole made such an uproar that Red couldn't have +heard the Muley Cow had she walked up behind him.</p> + +<p>Now, there was nothing that Red enjoyed any more than a wordy battle.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span> +Whenever a boy called him a name Red hurled a worse one back at him. It +seemed as if he actually took pride in making blood curdling retorts. +Certainly he didn't mean to leave, so long as anybody gave him an excuse +for a jibe.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile Snowball had spied Red. And to Snowball he was a tempting +sight. As Snowball drew nearer Red leaned forward with his hands upon +his knees and taunted Johnnie Green: "You'd better keep that ole +ram-lamb of yours out of my way! If he ever comes near me I'll——"</p> + +<p>Nobody ever found out what it was that Red meant to do. His threat stuck +fast in his throat. For before he could utter it Snowball lowered his +head and dashed at him. He gave Red a butt that lifted him off the rock +and sent him sailing through the air with arms and legs waving wildly, +to fall with a great splash into the swim<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span>ming hole, where the water was +deepest.</p> + +<p>There was a howl of delight. But it did not come from Red. He was +somewhere between the surface of the water and the mucky bottom.</p> + +<p>Presently he appeared, spluttering and blowing and gasping. For once in +his life Red had nothing to say in answer to the jibes and jeers of his +mates.</p> + +<p>His hat was floating near him. Johnnie Green snatched it up, scooped it +full of water and clapped it upon Red's head.</p> + +<p>Even then Red didn't say a word.</p> + +<p>But when Snowball looked blandly down at the boys from the great flat +rock and said, "<i>Baa-a-a!</i>"—then Red spoke.</p> + +<p>He spoke his mind very freely and at some length. And he dared Johnnie +to come out upon the bank with him.</p> + +<p>Johnnie Green promptly swam towards the bank where Snowball stood.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Not that side!" cried Red. "The other one!"</p> + +<p>But Johnnie remarked mildly that he supposed of course Red meant the +side towards home. "You've got all your clothes on," said Johnnie. "You +wouldn't want to have to cross the brook, later, and get them wet."</p> + +<p>Now, since Red's clothes were as wet as clothes could be, that seemed a +very stupid remark. And Red told Johnnie Green—well, he told him a +number of things. And then Red scrambled up the opposite bank from the +one where Snowball stood, and started off, leaving a trail of water +behind him.</p> + +<p>Johnnie Green and his friends forsook the swimming hole and took their +clothes out upon the flat rock, which was warm in the sunshine. And +there they spent a pleasant time untying the knots that Red<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span> had made in +them. But first the boys made Johnnie Green drive Snowball away.</p> + +<p>"Red will catch it when he gets home," said one of them. "His father +told him not to go swimming to-day."</p> + +<p>And not one of them said he was sorry.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>XXII</h2> + +<h3>A GREAT JOKE</h3> + + +<p>Farmer Green played a great joke on his flock of sheep. At least that +was what Snowball thought. Since he was not really one of Farmer Green's +flock, but belonged to Johnnie Green, he escaped this joke himself. And +that was the reason why he was able to laugh so heartily at all his +companions.</p> + + + +<p>The joke was this: Farmer Green and the hired man sheared the sheep. +Close clipped as they were, the flock looked very odd. When Snowball +caught his first glimpse of the young black ram, after Farmer Green had +sheared him and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span> turned him back into the pasture, minus his fleece, +Snowball did not know him. Just for a moment Snowball thought the young +black ram was a new kind of dog.</p> + +<p>"Old dog Spot won't care for this stranger," Snowball thought. He was +about to warn the stranger to leave the farm at once, when he saw that +he wasn't a dog after all. For Snowball noticed that he ate grass.</p> + +<p>"He's a queer creature. And whatever he may be, Spot's sure to dislike +him. So I'll advise him to run along, anyhow," Snowball decided.</p> + +<p>So Snowball called out, "There's an old dog on this farm that will chase +you if he catches you here. You'd better go away before he finds you."</p> + +<p>To Snowball's amazement the stranger looked at him boldly and said, +"<i>Baa-a-a!</i>" Then, in a flash, Snowball knew that it<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span> was the voice of +the young black ram, and no other.</p> + +<p>"What's happened to you?" Snowball cried, as soon as he could speak.</p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 253px;"> +<img src="images/illus-003.jpg" width="253" height="400" alt="Snowball and the Black Ram Met Head to Head." title="Snowball and the Black Ram Met Head to Head." /> +<span class="caption">Snowball and the Black Ram Met Head to Head.<br /><small><i>The Tale of Snowball Lamb.</i></small> <small><a href="#Page_115"><i>Page</i> 115</a></small> +</span> +</div><p>"Haven't you heard the news?" the black ram asked him. "Didn't you know +that Farmer Green and the hired man had begun to shear us?"</p> + +<p>"No!" Snowball exclaimed.</p> + +<p>"Well, they have," said the black ram. "And Farmer Green paid me the +honor of shearing me himself, the first of all."</p> + +<p>"The honor!" Snowball repeated. "I don't see why you think it's an +<i>honor</i>. Why, you're the queerest looking animal on the farm." And he +began to laugh at the black ram, and blat at him.</p> + +<p>Now, the black ram was a peppery chap. He promptly lost his temper and +stamped his feet and shook his head at Snowball.</p> + +<p>"I'll butt you for that!" he bawled.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span></p> + +<p>Once Snowball would have retreated. The black ram had always been both +older and bigger than he. But now, though the black ram was still older, +he looked smaller. That, of course, was because he had lost his thick +fleece. He looked so much smaller that Snowball was no longer afraid of +him.</p> + +<p>For the first time since he had come to the farm to live Snowball +lowered his head at the black ram. And he didn't even wait for the black +ram to make the first move. Instead, Snowball charged him.</p> + +<p>A moment later they met, head to head, with a shock that knocked +Snowball off his feet.</p> + +<p>"My goodness!" Snowball exclaimed as he picked himself up. "You're +bigger than you look."</p> + +<p>"Do you want any more?" the black ram demanded fiercely. "I've done you<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span> +the honor to knock you down. Is once enough?"</p> + +<p>Snowball thought once was even too much. He left the black ram hurriedly +and ran down toward the bars.</p> + +<p>Some very odd looking creatures were entering the pasture.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>XXIII</h2> + +<h3>A MYSTERY</h3> + + +<p>As Snowball drew near the pasture bars he forgot about the blow on the +head that the black ram had given him. The strange sights that greeted +his eyes drove all unpleasant things out of his mind.</p> + +<p>Snowball knew that the sheep he saw before him must be his old +companions. But they were so changed, by shearing, that he couldn't tell +who was who.</p> + +<p>He stood still and stared at them and grinned.</p> + +<p>"What amuses you, young man?" one of them asked him in a tart voice. The +speaker was a big old dame. Even with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span> her fleece closely cropped she +looked undeniably fat. Yet she was wrinkled, too. And her neck had a +scrawny look.</p> + +<p>Not until she spoke did Snowball guess that this person was Aunt Nancy +Ewe. The moment he heard her voice he knew her. And he couldn't help +laughing right in her face.</p> + +<p>"Don't be rude, young man!" Aunt Nancy scolded. "Anybody would think you +had never seen a sheared flock before."</p> + +<p>"I haven't," Snowball answered. "You're all so funny that I can't keep +my face straight."</p> + +<p>"Well," she said, "you'll have a chance to laugh at yourself a little +later. For you'll certainly be sheared too."</p> + +<p>Snowball turned sober instantly.</p> + +<p>"Oh! Do you think so?" he cried.</p> + +<p>"They'll never let you keep that fleece on all summer," Aunt Nancy +declared.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span></p> + +<p>She had scarcely finished speaking when Farmer Green came into the +pasture. And Snowball was sure that Farmer Green looked directly at him. +But before Snowball could make up his mind to run, Johnnie Green came +hurrying after his father, and shouting.</p> + +<p>"Don't touch Snowball!" he called. "Don't you shear him!"</p> + +<p>"Why not?" his father asked him.</p> + +<p>"Because," said Johnnie, "I want to shear him myself. He belongs to me."</p> + +<p>"Very well!" his father replied. "Now we're here we may as well catch +him. And you can begin shearing him. It will probably take you all day, +because you've never sheared a sheep before."</p> + +<p>"I don't want to shear him now," said Johnnie. "I'm going fishing +to-day. I'll do it to-morrow."</p> + +<p>Then Farmer Green and Johnnie went<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span> away. And they hadn't passed the +bars when a great uproar broke out. The whole flock crowded around +Snowball. And everybody except him said, "<i>Baa!</i>"</p> + +<p>"He laughs best who laughs last," Aunt Nancy remarked to him. "To-morrow +we'll laugh best—at you!"</p> + +<p>But Snowball stood his ground and shook his head.</p> + +<p>"I'm not going to be sheared," he declared. "I guess you don't know what +Johnnie Green's 'to-morrow' means. . . . It means 'never!'"</p> + +<p>Snowball really thought he was right about that.</p> + +<p>The next morning he found that he had been mistaken. For Johnnie Green +came and cornered—and caught—him. And amid a chorus of <i>baas</i> Johnnie +led Snowball to the barn.</p> + +<p>"Let's wait at the bars until Johnnie<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span> brings Snowball back!" cried the +young black ram, who bad knocked Snowball down the day before. "We want +to give him a good welcome when he comes back without his fleece."</p> + +<p>"It's useless to wait," said Aunt Nancy. "You know Farmer Green said it +would take Johnnie all day to shear him."</p> + +<p>Along toward noon the black ram came hurrying to the upper end of the +pasture, where most of the sheep were feeding.</p> + +<p>"Snowball's here!" he blatted. "And he's sheared, too!"</p> + +<p>And just then Aunt Nancy Ewe came puffing and panting to join the +others.</p> + +<p>"Snowball's back in the pasture!" she gasped. "And he isn't sheared at +all!"</p> + +<p>Well, nobody knew what to think of that.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>XXIV</h2> + +<h3>HALF AND HALF</h3> + + +<p>All the sheep in the pasture hurried down the hillside toward the bars +to look at Snowball. And soon dozens of disputes might have been heard: +"He is!" "He isn't!" "He's sheared!" "He's not!" About half the flock +were sure Johnnie Green had sheared Snowball; while the other half were +just as sure that Snowball still wore his fleece.</p> + +<p>At last Aunt Nancy Ewe went close to Snowball and walked all the way +around him. And when she joined her friends she announced that she had +solved the mystery.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Snowball is sheared on one side only!" she exclaimed.</p> + +<p>It was true. And the moment the flock learned what had happened they set +up a deafening <i>baaing</i>. "<i>Baa-ha-ha-ha-ha!</i>" they laughed. "Now who's a +sight?" they asked Snowball. "Now who looks funny?"</p> + +<p>Poor Snowball couldn't say a word. He hung his head. For he was terribly +ashamed of his appearance.</p> + +<p>"It's not my fault," he wailed at last. "When Johnnie Green had me half +sheared that horrid boy Red came along and asked Johnnie to go fishing. +And you know Johnnie Green! He can't miss a fishing trip. . . . He said +he'd finish shearing me to-morrow."</p> + +<p>"Ha!" cried Aunt Nancy Ewe. And she flung at Snowball the very words he +had used the day before. "Johnnie<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span> Green's 'to-morrow' means 'never!'"</p> + +<p>"Oh! I hope not!" cried Snowball. "That would be awful!"</p> + +<p>Somehow Snowball managed to get through that first dreadful day. But the +following day he gave up all hope; for Johnnie Green never came near +him. Nor did he come the next day, nor the next, nor the next.</p> + +<p>Little by little the sheep stopped teasing Snowball. Little by little he +became used to having one side of him sheared and the other side thick +with fleece.</p> + +<p>For some time he tried to keep as much out of sight as possible, grazing +along the stone wall where he could bury himself in the bushes whenever +one of the flock strayed near him. Or if he couldn't hide, he took pains +to stand so that only one side of him should show.</p> + +<p>It was a long while before his neighbors<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span> stopped smiling when they saw +him. But finally there were only two in the flock that couldn't seem to +forget how ridiculous Snowball looked. These were the young black ram +and old Aunt Nancy Ewe. And perhaps they can't be blamed, because +Snowball had once openly made fun of them. When they were near him +Snowball was very uncomfortable. But with the rest of the flock he felt +more at his ease. And sometimes he even went so far as to say that he +<i>enjoyed</i> being half sheared.</p> + +<p>"On a cool day I find it pleasant to turn my clipped side toward the +sun," he would remark. "And if there's a chilly wind I don't have to +shiver. I let it blow against my fleecy side; and I never feel it."</p> + +<p>In two weeks Snowball was claiming that he <i>preferred</i> to be only half +sheared.</p> + +<p>Maybe that was true. Maybe he was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span> only trying to make himself think it +was. Anyhow, when Johnnie Green came into the pasture one day and called +to him Snowball bounded down the grassy slope toward the bars.</p> + +<p>And when he came back to the pasture, some time later, he didn't look +very different from his companions. One side of him, however, showed a +pinkish tinge, because Johnnie Green had just sheared that side very +close. And the fleece on his other side had already begun to grow out a +bit.</p> + +<p>But Snowball didn't mind that. He had a pink nose, always. And he said +that pink was his favorite color.</p> + +<p>And never again did he laugh at anybody, no matter how queer a person +might look.</p> + + +<h3>THE END</h3> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class='center'><big><b>SLUMBER-TOWN TALES</b></big><br /> + +<small>(Trademark Registered.)</small><br /> + +By ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY<br /> + + +<small>AUTHOR OF THE</small><br /> +<small>SLEEPY-TIME TALES and TUCK-ME-IN TALES</small><br /> +—————————————————————————<br /> +<b><small>Colored Wrapper and Text Illustrations Drawn by HARRY L. SMITH</small></b><br /> +—————————————————————————<br /> +</div> +<p>These are fascinating stories of farmyard folk for boys and girls from +about four to eight years of age.</p> + + +<div class='unindent'><br />THE TALE OF MISS KITTY CAT</div> + +<p>When Mrs. Rat saw Miss Kitty Cat washing her face, she knew it meant +rain. And she wouldn't let her husband leave home without his umbrella.</p> + + +<div class='unindent'><br />THE TALE OF HENRIETTA HEN</div> + +<p>Henrietta Hen was an empty-headed creature with strange notions. She +never laid an egg without making a great fuss about it.</p> + + +<div class='unindent'><br />THE TALE OF THE MULEY COW</div> + +<p>The Muley Cow belonged to Johnnie Green. He often milked her; and she +seldom put her foot in the milk pail.</p> + + +<div class='unindent'><br />THE TALE OF TURKEY PROUDFOOT</div> + +<p>A vain fellow was Turkey Proudfoot. He loved to strut about the farmyard +and spread his tail, which he claimed was the most elegant one in the +neighborhood.</p> + + +<div class='unindent'><br />THE TALE OF PONY TWINKLEHEELS</div> + +<p>Pony Twinkleheels trotted so fast you could scarcely tell one foot from +another. Everybody had to step lively to get out of his way.</p> + + +<div class='unindent'><br />THE TALE OF OLD DOG SPOT</div> + +<p>Old dog Spot had a keen nose. He was always ready to chase the wild +folk. And he always looked foolish when they got away from him.</p> + + +<div class='unindent'><br />THE TALE OF GRUNTY PIG</div> + +<p>Grunty pig was a great trial to his mother. He found it hard not to put +his feet right in the feeding trough at meal time.</p> + +<div class='center'> +—————————————————————————<br /> +<span class='smcap'>Grosset & Dunlap, Publishers, New York</span></div> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class='center'><big><b>TUCK-ME-IN TALES</b></big><br /> + +<small>(Trademark Registered)</small><br /> + +By ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY<br /> + +<small>AUTHOR OF THE</small><br /> +<small>SLEEPY-TIME TALES and SLUMBER-TOWN TALES</small><br /> +—————————————————————————<br /> +<b><small>Colored Wrapper and Text Illustrations Drawn by HARRY L. SMITH</small></b><br /> +—————————————————————————<br /> +</div> +<div class='blockquot'> +<p>A delightful and unusual series of bird and insect stories for boys and +girls from three to eight years old, or thereabouts.</p> + + +<div class='unindent'><br />THE TALE OF JOLLY ROBIN</div> + +<p>Jolly Robin spreads happiness everywhere with his merry song.</p> + + +<div class='unindent'><br />THE TALE OF OLD MR. CROW</div> + +<p>A wise bird was Mr. Crow. He'd laugh when any one tried to catch him.</p> + + +<div class='unindent'><br />THE TALE OF SOLOMON OWL</div> + +<p>Solomon Owl looked so solemn that many people thought he knew +everything.</p> + + +<div class='unindent'><br />THE TALE OF JASPER JAY</div> + +<p>Jasper Jay was very mischievous. But many of his neighbors liked him.</p> + + +<div class='unindent'><br />THE TALE OF RUSTY WREN</div> + +<p>Rusty Wren fought bravely to keep all strangers out of his house.</p> + + +<div class='unindent'><br />THE TALE OF DADDY LONG-LEGS</div> + +<p>Daddy Long-Legs could point in all directions at once—with his +different legs.</p> + + +<div class='unindent'><br />THE TALE OF KIDDIE KATYDID</div> + +<p>He was a musical person and chanted all night during the autumn.</p> + + +<div class='unindent'><br />THE TALE OF BETSY BUTTERFLY</div> + +<p>Betsy spent most of her time among the flowers.</p> + + +<div class='unindent'><br />THE TALE OF BUSTER BUMBLEBEE</div> + +<p>Buster was clumsy and blundering, but was known far and wide.</p> + + +<div class='unindent'><br />THE TALE OF FREDDIE FIREFLY</div> + +<p>Freddie had great sport dancing in the meadow and flashing his light.</p> + + +<div class='unindent'><br />THE TALE OF BOBBY BOBOLINK</div> + +<p>Bobby had a wonderful voice and loved to sing.</p> + + +<div class='unindent'><br />THE TALE OF CHIRPY CRICKET</div> + +<p><ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'Crirpy'">Chirpy</ins> loved to stroll about after dark and "chirp."</p> + + +<div class='unindent'><br />THE TALE OF MRS. LADYBUG</div> + +<p>Mrs. Ladybug loved to find out what her neighbors were doing and to give +them advice.</p> +</div> +<div class='center'> +—————————————————————————<br /> +<span class='smcap'>Grosset & Dunlap, Publishers, New York</span></div> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 514px;"> +<img src="images/backendpapers1.jpg" width="514" height="800" alt="Back Endpapers Left" title="Back Endpapers Left" /> +</div> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 530px;"> +<img src="images/backendpapers2.jpg" width="530" height="800" alt="Back Endpapers Right" title="Back Endpapers Right" /> +</div> + +<hr style='width: 65%;' /> +<div class='tnote'><h3>Transcriber's Notes:</h3> +<p>Obvious punctuation errors repaired.</p> + +<p>The remaining corrections made are indicated by dotted lines under the corrections. Scroll the mouse over the word and the original text will <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'apprear'">appear</ins>.</p></div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Tale of Snowball Lamb, by Arthur Bailey + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TALE OF SNOWBALL LAMB *** + +***** This file should be named 24592-h.htm or 24592-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/5/9/24592/ + +Produced by Joe Longo, Emmy and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://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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