When it was all over he was put into a box with a bed of soft clean hay,a little dish of water which he could reach by just stretching out hishead, and a handful of wheat, and then he was left alone. He was toosick and weary to want to do anything but squat down in that bed of hayand rest. He was still afraid of what might happen to him, but it wasnot such a great fear as before, for there had been something comfortingin the gentle touch of Farmer Brown's boy. He didn't understand at allwhat those strange wrappings about his body meant, but a lot of the acheand pain had gone from the broken wing.
So he drank gratefully of the water, for he had been burning withthirst, and then settled himself as comfortably as possible and in notime at all was asleep. Yes, Sir, he was asleep! You see, he was so wornout with fright and pain that he couldn't keep his eyes open. Ever somany times during the day Farmer Brown's boy came to see how he wasgetting along, and was so very gentle and whistled to him so softly thathis little heart no longer went pita-pat with fear.
The next morning the little Bob White felt so much better that he wasup bright and early and made a good breakfast of the wheat left for him.But it seemed very queer not to be able to move his wings. He couldn'tlift them even the teeniest, weeniest bit because, you see, FarmerBrown's boy had bound them to his sides with strips of cloth so that hecouldn't even try to fly. This was so that that broken wing might getwell and strong again.
Now of course the little Bob White had lived out of doors all his life,and Farmer Brown's boy knew that he never could be quite happy in thehouse. So he made a wire pen in the henyard, and in one end he made thenicest little shelter of pine-boughs under which the little Bob Whitecould hide. He put a little dish of clean water in the pen and scatteredwheat on the ground, and then he put the little Bob White in there.
As soon as he was left quite alone the little Bob White ran all aboutto see what his new home was like. You see, there was nothing the matterwith his legs.
"I can't get out," thought he, when he had been all around the pen, "butneither can any one get in, so I am safe and that is something to bethankful for. This two-legged creature is not at all like the one withthe terrible fire-stick, and I am beginning to like him. I haven't gotto fear Reddy Fox or Old Man Coyote or Redtail the Hawk. I guess thatreally I am a lot better off than if I were out on the Green Meadowsunable to fly. Perhaps, when my wing gets well, I will be allowed to go.I wonder where my father and mother and brothers and sisters are and ifany of them were hurt by that terrible fire-stick."
XXII. A JOYOUS DAY FOR THE BOB WHITES
````Thrice blessed be the girl or boy
````Who fills another's heart with joy.=
|ONE day just by chance Bob White flew up in a tree where he could lookdown in Fanner Brown's henyard, and there he discovered the lost littleBob and talked with him. Then Bob White flew back to the Green Meadowswhere little Mrs. Bob was anxiously waiting for him, and his heart waslight. Mrs. Bob was watching for him and flew to meet him.
"It's all right!" cried Bob. "I found him over in Fanner Brown'shenyard." Of course "him" meant the young Bob White who had been givenup as killed. "What?" exclaimed Mrs. Bob.
"What is a henyard, and what is he doing there?"
"A henyard is a place where Farmer Brown keeps a lot of big foolishbirds," explained Bob, "and little Bob is a prisoner there."
"How dreadful!" cried Mrs. Bob. "If he's a prisoner, how can you sayit's all right?"
"Because it is," replied Bob. "He's perfectly safe there, and hewouldn't be if he were here with us. You see, he can't fly. One of hiswings was broken by the shot from that terrible gun. Farmer Brown's boyfound him and has been very kind to him. He fixed that wing so that Ibelieve it is going to get quite as well as ever. You know quite aswell as I do how much chance little Bob would have had over here with abroken wing. Reddy Fox or Redtail the Hawk or some one else would havebeen sure to get him sooner or later. But up there they can't, becausehe is in a wire pen. He can't get out, but neither can they get in, andso he is safe. He and Farmer Brown's boy are great friends. With my owneyes I saw him feed from the hand of Farmer Brown's boy. Do you know, Ibelieve that boy is really and truly our friend and can be trusted."
"That is what Peter Rabbit is always saying, but after all we'vesuffered from them, I can't quite make up my mind that any of thosegreat two-legged creatures are to be trusted," said little Mrs. Bob."I've got to see for myself."
"You shall," declared Bob. "Tomorrow morning you shall go up there andI'll stay here to look after the rest of the youngsters. I am afraid ifwe left them alone some of them would be careless or foolish enough togo where the hunters with terrible guns would find them."
So the next morning Mrs. Bob went up to visit young Bob, and she saw allthat Bob had seen the day before. She returned with a great load offher mind. She knew that Bob was right, and that Fanner Brown's boy hadproved himself a true friend from whom there was nothing to fear. Thenext day Bob and Mrs. Bob took the whole family up there, for FannerBrown's boy had scattered food for them just outside the henyard wherethe biddies could not get it, and Bob was smart enough to know thatno hunter would dare look for them so close to Farmer Brown's house.Morning after morning they went up there to get their breakfast, andthey didn't even fly when Farmer Brown's boy and Farmer Brown himselfcame out to watch them eat.
Then one morning a wonderful thing happened. Farmer Brown's boy tookyoung Bob out of his pen in the hen-yard. Young Bob looked quite himselfby this time, for the strips of cloth which had bound his broken wingin place had been taken off, and his wing was as good as ever. FannerBrown's boy took him outside the henyard and gently put him down on theground.
"There you are! Now go and join your family and in the future keep outof the way of hunters," said he, and laughed to see young Bob scamperover to join his brothers and sisters.
Such a fuss as they made over him! Suddenly Bob White flew up to thetop of a post, threw back his head and whistled with all his might, "BobWhite! Bob White! Bob White!" You see, he just had to tell all the GreatWorld of the joy in his heart, although this was not the time of year inwhich he usually whistles.
And this is how it happened that Bob White and his whole family cameregularly to Farmer Brown's for their breakfasts, and no hunter everhad another chance to carry fright and suffering and sorrow into theirmidst.
So this is all about Bob White and his family because Ol' Mistah Buzzardhas come all the way up from Ol' Virginny for me to tell you about himand his adventures. I've promised to do it in the very next book.
THE END
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