Part 7 (2/2)

When he was a very tiny Chuck, old Mother Chuck had taught him this:

”When work there is that must be done Don't fret and whine and spoil the day!

The quicker that you do your work The longer tiotten this, and when it is really necessary that he should work, no one works harder than he does But he always first makes sure that it is necessary work and that he will not be wasting his tis

And now Johnny Chuck was the busiest he had ever been in all his life

If he felt lazy these beautiful spring days, he didn't have time to think about it No, Sir, he actually didn't have time to remember that he is naturally lazy You see, he had a fa clover for and to teach all the things that every Chuck should know, and to watch out for, that no harm should come to them So Johnny Chuck was busy, so busy that he hardly had ti Johnny would coan his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky He would look this way and look that way to make sure that Reddy Fox or Granny Fox or Redtail the Hawk or Bowser the Hound or any other danger was nowhere near And he never forgot to look up in the apple-trees to make sure that Sammy Jay was not there Then he would call to Polly Chuck and the three baby Chucks

Polly Chuck would come out with a very worried air, and after her would come the three funny little baby Chucks, ould roll and tuht they had played enough, Johnny Chuck would lead the way along a little private path which he had rass After him, one behind another, would trot the three little Chucks, and behind them would march Polly Chuck, to see that none went astray

When they reached the patch of tender, sweet, young clover, Johnny Chuck would sit up very straight and still, watching as sharp as he kne for the least sign of danger When the three little sto clover, he would proudly lead the way hoht and watch for danger, while the three baby Chucks sprawledout on the doorstep for a sun-nap

Oh, those were busy days for Johnny Chuck, and anxious days, too! You see he had not forgotten that Sammy Jay had found out his secret, and he hadn't the least doubt in the world that Sa in the ht, Johnny Chuck was on the watch for danger

And all the tih Johnny didn't know it, a pair of sharp eyes atching hi-place in one of the old apple-trees Whose were they? Why, Sammy Jay's, to be sure You see, Sareat secret, after all

XXIII THE SCHOOL IN THE OLD ORCHARD

Little Foxes, little Chucks, Little Squirrels, Mice and Mink, Just like little boys and girls, Go to school to learn to think

You didn't know that, did you? Well, it's a fact Yes, Sir, it's a fact All the babies born in the Green Forest or on the Green Meadows or around the S enough to leave their own doorsteps They go to the greatest school in the world, and it is called the School of Experience

Old Mother Nature has charge of it, but the teachers usually are father and mother for the first feeeks, anyway After that Old Mother Nature herself gives them a few lessons, and a very stern teacher she is They just HAVE to learn her lessons If they don't, so dreadful is almost sure to happen

Of course Sao to school when he was a little fellow So Sa-place in one of the old apple-trees, he discovered that there was a school in Farmer Brown's old orchard Johnny Chuck was the teacher and his three baby Chucks were the pupils Sammy Jay was so interested in that funny little school in the old orchard that he quite forgot to think about mischief

The very first lesson that the three little Chucks had to learn was obedience Johnny Chuck was very particular about that You see he knew that unless they learned this first of all, none of the other lessons would do theood Theyquestions Dear me, dearthose three little Chucks to mind! They were such lively little chaps, and there was so much that was new and wonderful to see, that it was dreadfully hard work to sit perfectly still, just because Johnny Chuck told them to But if they didn't mind instantly, they were sure to have their ears soundly boxed, and sometimes were sent back to the house without a taste of the sweet, tender, young clover of which they were so fond

After a few lessons of this kind, they found out that it was always best to obey instantly, and then Johnny began to teach thes which it is very important that every Chuck should know

First, there were signals When Johnny whistled a certain way, it er!”

Then each little Chuck would sit up very straight and not move the teeniest, weeniest bit, so that from a little distance they looked for all the world like tiny stu this way and that way, to see what the danger ive another little whistle, which in to fill their little sto clover

Sometimes, however, Johnny would whistle sharply That meant ”Run!” Then they would sca the nearest little path to the house under the old apple-tree in the far corner, and never once look around They would dive head first, one after the other, in at the doorway, and not show their noses outside again until Johnny or Polly Chuck told them they could

Then there was a still different whistle It er very near; lie low!” When they heard that, they flattened therass just wherever they happened to be, and held their breath and didn't ht Of course, there never was any real danger Johnny was just teaching theer did come, as it surely would, sooner or later, they would know just what to do

It surely was a funny little school, and soht out