Part 2 (2/2)

Robert Robin could hardly wait until Mrs Robin got back to their tree

He was in such a hurry The moment she settled herself on the nest he darted away across the fields, straight to where the row of cherry trees bordered the fararden

He wanted to see if the cherries were ripe But he was surprised to find that the cherries were all green and hard, and were too sour to even taste like a cherry

”What ht to himself ”It does seeo, that it is high time for them to be ready with their cherries!”

Robert Robin was sitting in the top of one of the farht to be ripe when he saw a cat in the far Maltese cat It was a pretty cat, but Mister Robert Robin could not see anything pretty about a cat, and he did not like the looks of this one

”I never saw this cat before!” thought Robert Robin ”The farmer must have a new cat! I hope it is a house-cat instead of a cat that goes prowling around the fields and woods!”

The big Maltese cat went over to the strawberry bed and lay down on soarden, and there was a little boy with her He was her sister's boy, and he was going to spend the summer at the farmer's home The boy had a tin whistle, and once in a while he would blow upon it The faroes to bed to-night, I a to hide that whistle where he can't find it!” But she did not say a word to the little boy about the whistle

The little boy saw the big Maltese cat lying on the strawberry bed, and the little boy went up close to the cat and blew his tin whistle at the cat The big Maltese cat did not like to hear the whistle so close to his ears; it made his ears hurt, so he said ”Meow!” and started to walk away, and the naughty little boy laughed, and blew the whistle with all his ht Then the farmer's wife said: ”Do not tease the kitty, Donald!”

But Donald had not been taught to do as he was told, so he blew the whistle again and again and chased the Maltese cat across the lettuce bed, and over ts of radishes

The far the tin whistle and following the Maltese cat, but the next thing he knew the farmer's wife took his tin whistle away froht up and down on the celery plants, and the farjack, and Donald was so surprised to think that anyone would dare shake hiht where he was, and then the far man! You may as well know at the very start that if you want to be a bad little boy you will have a tough row to hoe, but if you want to s will be different! I thought I ht as well make that plain to you now as later!”

Then Donald wiped his eyes on the farmer's wife's apron, and helped her weed thole rows of carrots, and the big Maltese cat went to sleep under the gooseberry bush, and Robert Robin flew back to the woods and told Mrs Robin that the farmer had a new cat and that the farmer's wife had a new baby that didn't like cats

CHAPTER III

ROBERT ROBIN AND WIDOW BLUNT'S STUFFED OWL

It was a disun, and when the faint light had at last dawned in the east, the rain still pattered down on the leaves of Mister Robert Robin's big basswood tree, and fell in great drops from their tips Robert Robin did not like the weather He had not even sung his ”Hurry up!” song, and the rain had pelted down so furiously that his every feather et, and he was soaked to his shi+vering skin

Mrs Robin was afraid that the raindrops would fall inside the nest and wet the eggs, so she kept her wings spread out so far that her shoulders ached

”It is very unco in this cramped position!” she said to Robert Robin ”I aet the rheus for you!” said Robert Robin

”With your feathers all wet?” exclais dry and warm!”

”Let me try it once!” said Robert Robin

”No! Thank you, dear! your intentions are good, but you are so clus, and to-day is the day they will hatch!”

”I wish that it would stop raining!” said Robert Robin

”Why not sing your 'Dry Weather' song?” asked Mrs Robin ”The rainyour 'Dry Weather' song!”