Old Mother West Wind | Page 4

in his snug little house under ground, and Farmer
Brown would wonder and wonder why it was that he never, never
could get near enough to shoot Johnny Chuck. But he never, never

could.
When the Merry Little Breezes left Johnny Chuck they raced across the
Green Meadows to the Smiling Pool to say good morning to
Grandfather Frog who sat on a big lily pad watching for green flies for
breakfast.
"Chug-arum," said Grandfather Frog, which was his way of saying
good morning.
Just then along came a fat green fly and up jumped Grandfather Frog.
When he sat down again on the lily pad the fat green fly was nowhere
to be seen, but Grandfather Frog looked very well satisfied indeed as he
contentedly rubbed his white waistcoat with one hand.
"What is the news, Grandfather Frog?" cried the Merry Little Breezes.
"Mrs. Redwing has a new speckled egg in her nest in the bulrushes,"
said Grandfather Frog.
"We must see it," cried the Merry Little Breezes, and away they all ran
to the swamp where the bulrushes grow.
Now someone else had heard of Mrs. Redwing's dear little nest in the
bulrushes, and he had started out bright and early that morning to try
and find it, for he wanted to steal the little speckled eggs just because
they were pretty. It was Tommy Brown, the farmer's boy.
When the Merry Little Breezes reached the swamp where the bulrushes
grow they found poor Mrs. Redwing in great distress. She was afraid
that Tommy Brown would find her dear little nest, for he was very,
very near it, and his eyes were very, very sharp.
"Oh," cried the Merry Little Breezes, "we must help Mrs. Redwing
save her pretty speckled eggs from bad Tommy Brown!"
So one of the Merry Little Breezes whisked Tommy Brown's old straw
hat off his head over into the Green Meadows. Of course Tommy ran
after it. Just as he stooped to pick it up another little Breeze ran away
with it. Then they took turns, first one little Breeze, then another little
Breeze running away with the old straw hat just as Tommy Brown
would almost get his hands on it. Down past the Smiling Pool and
across the Laughing Brook they raced and chased the old straw hat,
Tommy Brown running after it, very cross, very red in the face, and
breathing very hard. Way across the Green Meadows they ran to the
edge of the wood, where they hung the old straw hat in the middle of a
thorn tree. By the time Tommy Brown had it once more on his head he

had forgotten all about Mrs. Redwing and her dear little nest. Besides,
he heard the breakfast horn blowing just then, so off he started for
home up the Lone Little Path through the wood.
And all the Merry Little Breezes danced away across the Green
Meadows to the swamp where the bulrushes grow to see the new
speckled egg in the dear little nest where Mrs. Redwing was singing for
joy. And while she sang the Merry Little Breezes danced among the
bulrushes, for they knew, and Mrs. Redwing knew, that some day out
of that pretty new speckled egg would come a wee baby Redwing.

CHAPTER II
WHY GRANDFATHER FROG HAS NO TAIL
Old Mother West Wind had gone to her day's work, leaving all the
Merry Little Breezes to play in the Green Meadows. They had played
tag and run races with the Bees and played hide and seek with the Sun
Beams, and now they had gathered around the Smiling Pool where on a
green lily pad sat Grandfather Frog.
Grandfather Frog was old, very old, indeed, and very, very wise. He
wore a green coat and his voice was very deep. When Grandfather Frog
spoke everybody listened very respectfully. Even Billy Mink treated
Grandfather Frog with respect, for Billy Mink's father and his father's
father could not remember when Grandfather Frog had not sat on the
lily pad watching for green flies.
Down in the Smiling Pool were some of Grandfather Frog's
great-great-great-great-great grandchildren. You wouldn't have known
that they were his grandchildren unless some one told you. They didn't
look the least bit like Grandfather Frog. They were round and fat and
had long tails and perhaps this is why they were called Pollywogs.
"Oh Grandfather Frog, tell us why you don't have a tail as you did
when you were young," begged one of the Merry Little Breezes.
Grandfather Frog snapped up a foolish green fly and settled himself on
his big lily pad, while all the Merry Little Breezes gathered round to
listen.
"Once on a time," began Grandfather Frog, "the Frogs ruled the world,
which was mostly water. There was