"Long, long ago when the world was new," said he, "the first Bob Lincoln
family lived in a beautiful country in the distant north. In that country
it was always summer. None of those who dwelt in that land knew what
winter was.
"Ke-honk-a the Gray Goose, who spent half the year in northern
Greenland, had mentioned it, but the people of the Summer Land did not
understand him. They had never felt winds or seen ice or snow.
"But there came a time when Ke-honk-a said, as he flew over, 'Winter is
coming, winter is coming.' But nobody understood and nobody cared. Why
should they care about winter when they did not know what it was?
"Soon after this the people of the Summer Land noticed a change in the
weather. One half of the year was cooler than the other half. The first
time this happened they did not mind it at all. Indeed, they rather
liked it. It was pleasant to have a change.
"The next year it was cooler and the next still cooler. And so it went
on for some years, each winter getting colder than that which had gone
before.
"One day a dull, gray cloud came up out of the north and hid the face of
the sun. Out of its gray bosom there came floating to earth a whole
flock of big, white snowflakes. The people of the Summer Land were
amazed.
"As the great flakes came wavering lazily down through the air, they
looked at them and thought that they must be some new kind of winged
creatures. 'What a lot of them,' thought they, 'there must be to make
that great cloud which hides the sun!'
"In a short time the sun shone out from behind the gray cloud. In the
twinkling of an eye all the snowflakes were gone. 'Strange, strange!'
thought the people of the Summer Land. 'What has become of all those
white-winged creatures?'
"The next winter so many snowflakes fell that they hid the brown earth
for many weeks. This happened again and again, and the people of the
Summer Land began to understand what winter was. The snow became so deep
for months at a time that they found it hard to get food.
"After a while life became so hard for them that they felt that
something must be done. So they summoned a Great Council to consider the
matter. After much talk they decided to send a messenger to the Master
of Life, who lived far away among the western mountains, to beg him to
come and help them. For their messenger they chose the swallow, the
swiftest of all the birds.
"The swallow flew for many days, until at last he reached the lodge of
the Master of Life, and told his story.
"'Go back,' said the Master when he had heard it, 'and after four moons
I will come to visit you. Summon all the people of the Summer Land to a
Great Council and I will tell them what they must do.'
"At the time appointed, the Master of Life came. When all the people of
the Summer Land had assembled, he spoke to them and said, 'I have heard
of your troubles and have thought of a plan to help you.
"'Henceforth, so long as the world shall last, there shall be summer and
winter in this land. Half the year shall be summer and half the year
shall be winter.
"'While summer reigns, this is a pleasant land, and you may live here
and find plenty of food. Before winter comes, you must leave this land
and journey far away to the south, to another country where summer
always reigns. But when the snow melts and winter returns to his home in
the distant north, summer shall come again to this land, and so it shall
be every year.
"'When summer comes back, you may return with it and dwell in your own
home until it is time for the return of winter.'
"When the people of the Summer Land heard this, some were glad, some
were sorry, and some were angry.
"'What!' said the angry ones, 'shall we leave our pleasant homes on
account of winter? No, indeed; we will stay.' And so they did.
"When summer was over and the cold winds began to blow, the Bob Lincoln
family, obeying the command of the Master of Life, set out for the
Southland. On and on they traveled for many days.
"At last they came to the end of the land, and before them was the
great, salt sea. But far on to the southward, they could dimly see
islands rising out of the salt water.
"So they flew bravely on across the great, salt sea, till they reached
the islands; and beyond these islands they saw others. On and on they
flew from island to island until they reached another great land like
the home they had left behind them. In it there were vast meadows and
forests, mountains and rivers. In that land it is always summer and food
is plenty all the year round. There in the pleasant meadows, the Bob
Lincolns stopped and there they lived happily for half a year.
"When it was time for summer to revisit the Summer Land, the Bob
Lincolns returned also and this they did every year.
"In those days all the Bob Lincolns wore black and white clothes
like mine. But, as you see, this black and white dress is very
con-spic'-u-ous.
"Now it happened that in their journeyings to and fro, the Bob Lincolns
met many enemies, and these enemies wrought sad havoc in their ranks.
When they were flying in the air, the hawks and the eagles would swoop
upon them and kill them. If they sat upon the ground, the weazels and
the minks, the wildcats and other four-footed prowlers, would pounce
upon them and devour them. Even the Red Men, with their feathered
arrows, would shoot them. So many of them were killed that they began
to fear that soon none of their family would be left alive.
"So they called a family council, to consider their sad state and
decide what it was best to do. When they were all assembled together,
they talked the matter over and decided to go and ask aid from the
Master of Life.
"'I have heard your complaint,' said the Master of Life when they
had finished, 'and I am willing to assist you. But first you must
understand that the cause of all your trouble is your love of fine
clothes. Your black and white uniforms are very beautiful, but they
are too con-spic'-u-ous for your safety. By day your enemies can spy
you afar because you are black; by night they can see you because you
are white.
"'Hereafter you shall wear different clothing. No longer shall your
feathers be black and white; they shall be black and brown and yellow.
When you sit upon the ground you shall look like the dry, brown grass,
and when you fly through the air your enemies shall not be able to mark
your flight from a distance. Thus it shall come to pass that, if you act
wisely, you shall live in peace and safety.'
"When they heard this the Bob Lincolns were grieved at heart. They
loved their gay black and white uniforms and sorrowed at the thought of
parting with them. So they humbly begged the Master of Life to let them
keep their gay clothing and tell them some other way of escaping their
enemies.
"'There is no other way,' said he. 'But tell me, when do you suffer
least from your enemies? Is it when you are dwelling in your old
northern home, or when you are dwelling in the sunny Southland?'
'When we are dwelling in our old homes,' answered the Bob Lincolns.
"'Very well, then,' said the Master of Life, 'while you are dwelling in
your old home, all the male Bob Lincolns may wear their black and white
garments. Nevertheless they shall suffer for their vanity, for their
enemies shall find and slay many of them.
"'But your wives and sisters must be content with a quieter dress. It is
they who have the most to do with tending your nests and rearing your
young ones. If they should wear your gay black and white garments, your
enemies would find and kill you all, and the Bob Lincoln family would
perish from the earth,'
"That is the story," said Bob Lincoln, "that my grandfather told me
long ago in our distant winter home in the Southland. If you keep watch,
little boy, for a month or so, you will see me put off my black and
white suit for one just like Mrs. Bob Lincoln's. Then you will know that
we are getting ready for our journey to our distant winter home in the
sunny Southland, far away across the great, salt sea."
"Now," said Bob Lincoln, when he had finished his story, "it's time for
me to be off to see how Mrs. Bob Lincoln is getting along."
And off he flew before little Luke had time to thank him for his
pleasant story. The little boy sat quietly for a while under the old
apple tree. Then he got up and went slowly back to the house.