TOMMY TIT AND HAPPY JACK PAY A VISIT
As grows the mighty elm tree,
From just a tiny seed,
So often great things happen
From just a kindly deed.
_Happy Jack._
Great things were happening to Happy Jack Squirrel. He was actually on
his way to Farmer Brown's house, and he had a feeling that other things
were likely to happen when he got there. Now you may not think that it
was anything very great that Happy Jack should be on his way to Farmer
Brown's house. Very likely you are saying, "Pooh! that's nothing!" This
may be true, and then again it may not. Suppose you do a little
supposing. Suppose you had all your life been terribly afraid of a great
giant fifty times bigger than you. Suppose that great giant had stopped
hunting you and by little deeds of kindness had at last won your love.
Suppose you learned that something was the matter with him, and you made
up your mind to visit him at his great castle where there were other
great giants whom you did not know. Wouldn't you think that great things
were happening to you?
Well, that is exactly the way it was with Happy Jack Squirrel, as he
and Tommy Tit the Chickadee started to go over to Farmer Brown's house
to look for Farmer Brown's boy. Tommy Tit had been there often, so he
didn't think anything about it, but Happy Jack never had been there, and
if the truth were known, his heart was going pitapat, pitapat, with
excitement and perhaps just a little fear. Through the Old Orchard they
went, Tommy Tit flitting ahead and keeping a sharp watch for danger.
When they reached the old stone wall on the edge of Farmer Brown's
dooryard, Tommy told Happy Jack to hide there while he went to see if
the way was clear. He was back in a few minutes.
"Dee, dee, everything is all right," said he. "Bowser the Hound is
eating; his breakfast out back where he can't see you at all, and Black
Pussy is nowhere about. All you have to do is to follow me over to that
big tree close to the house, and I will show you where Farmer Brown's
boy is."
"I--I'm afraid," confessed Happy Jack.
"Pooh! There's nothing to be afraid of," asserted Tommy Tit in the most
positive way. "Don't be a coward. Remember how Farmer Brown's boy saved
you from Shadow the Weasel. Come on! Dee, dee, dee, come on!" With that
Tommy flew across to the tree close by the house.
Happy Jack scrambled up on the old stone wall and looked this way and
looked that way. He couldn't see a thing to be afraid of. He jumped down
and ran a few steps. Then his heart failed, and he scampered back to the
old stone wall in a panic. After a few minutes he tried again, and once
more a foolish fear sent him back. The third time he gritted his teeth,
said to himself over and over, "I will! I will! I will!" and ran with
all his might. In no time at all he was across the dooryard and up in
the big tree, his heart pounding with excitement.
"Dee, dee, dee," called Tommy Tit.
Happy Jack looked over to the house, and there sat Tommy on a
window-sill, helping himself to the most delicious-looking cracked nuts.
The sight of them made Happy Jack's mouth water. A long branch hung down
over the window and almost touched the sill. Happy Jack ventured half
way and stopped. Somehow it seemed very dangerous to go so close to that
window.
"Come on! Come on! What are you afraid of?" called Tommy.
Something like shame that such a little fellow as Tommy Tit should dare
to go where he did not, crept into Happy Jack's heart. With a quick
little run and jump he was on the sill, and a second later he was
staring in at all the strange things inside. At first he didn't see
anything of Farmer Brown's boy, but in a few minutes he made him out. He
was lying down all covered over except his head. There _was_ something
the matter with him. Happy Jack didn't need to be told that, and a great
pity filled his heart. He wanted to do something for Farmer Brown's boy.