Buddy Jim

  Little Mermen and Mermaids were playing all around him]

 

  BUDDY JIM, MRS. WEASEL AND LITTLE MOTHER BOB WHITE.

  _The cobwebs were a-glistening, Dew-spangled, all about; As though the fairy folk had spread Their dainty washing out; The wild rose wore her pinkest gown, And saucy old Blue-Jay Called out for all the world to hear, "Strawberries are ripe today!"_

  "That's so, Mr. Blue-Jay," said Old Bob the gardener, as he came by theplace where Buddy Jim was weeding his vegetable garden, "that's so;wild ones too, and I only wish I had time to go and gather some."

  "Why, Bob," said Buddy Jim. "Are wild strawberries any better than thebig ones that you grow in the garden?"

  "Better!" exclaimed Old Bob the gardener, "better! Well I should_think_ so! _Wild_ strawberries are the sweetest things that grow! Onlywish that I were going to have some for my breakfast tomorrow morning."

  "Well, you're going to have some," said Buddy Jim, "if you will tell mewhere they grow, for I'll go and get enough for us both, and we'll eatbreakfast right out here on the porch, together!"

  "Do you see that open patch of ground off yonder in the far field?"asked Old Bob the gardener. "Well, that's where they grow; around theedge of the old stone wall is where the best ones will be."

  "I like to pick berries," said Buddy Jim. "I'll ask Mary to let me havea pail to put them in, and go right away to get them."

  "The dew will be nicely dried up before you get over there," said OldBob the gardener, "and it will be fine picking; if I were not so busyI'd go with you."

  Mary had a pail, all nice and shiny, which used to hold lard, and shewas very glad to lend it to Buddy Jim, who first ran to tell Mothergoodbye, and then, whistling to Old Dog Sandy to come along, was offacross the fields.

  It was a very pleasant run across the dewy meadows and they met no oneat all except Mrs. Black Garter Snake who was out looking for breakfastfor herself and children, and it was not very long before they came tothe place where the berries were, and Buddy Jim began to pick them.They were so large and plentiful that he soon had his pail full. Hecovered them from the heat of the sun with a big burdock leaf which hepicked from the side of the stone wall, and putting them aside he beganpicking some to eat.

  Then he thought he would rest before going home, so he stretched out onhis back and fell fast asleep and dreamed that he was afloat on a calm,blue ocean in a little white boat, surrounded by mermen and maidens.Suddenly he was awakened by Old Dog Sandy who was barking furiously.

  "Now I wonder what's the matter with Sandy?" said he to himself,running as fast as he could go in the direction of the sounds. "Thatisn't a fun bark; that's a business bark!"

  He found Old Dog Sandy doing his best to climb a big hawthorn treethat grew near the side of the old stone wall, all the time barking asloudly as he could. He was not succeeding very well in climbing thetree, but he was sending a very earnest warning to whatever was in thetree that it would be much better not to come down again, or somethingwould be sure to happen.

  "What is it, Sandy?" asked Buddy Jim, but Old Dog Sandy was too busy topay attention to his little master, and besides, he wanted to attend tothis matter himself--the long, slim, brown, cruel _thing_ hidden amongthe branches of the hawthorn tree really _needed_ a good _shaking_, andhe, Old Dog Sandy, was just the dog to give it to him.

  So he paid no attention to his master, and did not answer, but a queer,chuckling little voice from the top of the old stone wall _did_.

  "It was Mrs. Weasel who ran up in the tree," said the chuckling littlevoice. "She was determined that she would have one of my children forlunch, and almost caught one, when your old dog came along and made herstop. Goodness only knows what might have happened if he had not comejust at that moment."

  "You're little Mrs. Bob White, aren't you?" asked Buddy Jim. "Whydidn't you and your children fly away or hide somewhere?"

  "Why," said Mrs. Bob White, "my children cannot fly yet. They'reonly about three weeks old, just little bits of chickens, and asfor _hiding_ from Mrs. Weasel or her young ones, it simply can't bedone--she is so slender she can go _anywhere_, and if we run awayfrom her we are likely to run right into the jaws of one of her youngones--they hunt together you see, and they're almost sure to get one ofus--I don't know _what_ to do. I simply can't move away from here untilthe children are older."

  Buddy Jim thought a minute. It seemed as though there must be some wayto help the little mother. "I'll tell you," he said, "Sandy seems tobe very much interested in Mrs. Weasel, and I'm sure he will be gladto run down here every day, and perhaps Mrs. Weasel will let you alonewhen she sees that you have friends."

  "O thank you, Neighbor," said little Mrs. Bob White. "That will be_such_ a help!"

  Just then came a clear call from across the fields. "Bob White, BobWhite, Bob, Bob White."

  Instantly little Mrs. Bob White answered, "Ooo, ooh! _All_ right, BobWhite."

  "That was Daddy calling to see if we were safe and happy," said thelittle mother. "He always does that if he has to be away from home."

  Just then came another call, "Hoo, oo, Hoo, oo." Buddy Jim laughed."That's Old Bob the gardener calling me home to lunch," said he, "sogoodbye, and the best of luck, Little Mother Quail."

  "Get any berries?" asked Old Bob the gardener. "Lots," answered BuddyJim, "and I'll get some more tomorrow, because I'm going down again.Old Dog Sandy wouldn't come home with me--he has a new job down in thefar field."

  "What sort of a job?" asked Old Bob the gardener. He was always so_interested_ in things.

  "He is going to protect little Mrs. Bob White and her family from Mrs.Weasel," said Buddy Jim.

  "He has his work cut out for him then," said old Bob the gardener,"because Mrs. Weasel is a very clever lady, and fond of small quail. Ifshe is working around here I think I'll set a trap in the chicken yard,just as a hint to her to keep away from _our_ chickens."

  "Would she dare to come up here?" asked Buddy Jim. "She would _so_,"laughed Old Bob the gardener.

  Buddy Jim sighed. "What makes Mrs. Weasel so cruel and dishonest, Bob?"he asked.

  "She isn't 'specially," answered the old man, "she has to get food forher family, and that's her way of doing it."

  "But she frightens little Mrs. Bob White so, and it seems so cruel,"said the little boy, who wanted all his Little Neighbors to be happy.

  "Yes, I know," said Old Bob the gardener, "but I have no doubt that thebugs and caterpillars that little Mrs. Bob White catches feel quite thesame way about her, that _she_ does about Mrs. Weasel.

  "Like to help me transplant some more plants before supper time?"

  "Sure would," said Buddy Jim as he went to give Mother some wildstrawberries for her luncheon.