Part 10 (2/2)

”As though you did not enjoy life!” answered his wife. ”Still, I could not wish any young Mole such a husband as this fellow. It is a great undertaking to marry a grumpy bachelor and teach him the happiness of living for others.” And she looked very solemn.

”I suppose you found it so?” said Mr. Ground Hog, sidling up toward her.

”What a tease you are!” said his wife. ”You know that I am happy.” And really, of all the couples on whom the moon looked that night, there was not a happier one than this pair of Ground Hogs; and there was not a lonelier or more miserable person than the Mole, who guarded his own rights and told people what he thought of them. But it is always so.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

THE WILD TURKEYS COME

The Wild Turkeys are a wandering people, and stay in one place only long enough to rear their young. One could hardly say that they lived in the Forest, but every year when the acorns and beechnuts were ripe, they came for a visit. It is always an exciting time when the Turkeys are seen gathering on the farther side of the river and making ready to fly over. Some of the Forest People have started for the warmer country in the South, and those who still remain are either talking over their plans for flight, or working hard, if they are to spend the winter in the North, to get their stores of food ready.

It was so this year. One morning a Red-headed Woodp.e.c.k.e.r brought the news that the Turkeys were gathering. The Ground Hog heard of it just as he was going to sleep after a night of feeding and rambling in the edge of the meadow. One of the young Rabbits told him, and coaxed him to stay up to see the newcomers.

”I've never seen Turkeys in my life,” said the young Rabbit, ”and they say it is great fun to watch them. Oh, please come with me to the river-bank and see the Turkeys cross over. Please do!”

”Ah-h-h,” yawned the Ground Hog. ”You might better ask somebody who has not been up all night. I am too sleepy.”

”You won't be sleepy when you reach the river-bank,” said the Rabbit.

”Beside, I think there should be someone there to meet them.”

At this, the Ground Hog raised his drooping head, opened his blinking eyes, and answered with great dignity: ”There should indeed be someone.

I will go at once.”

When they reached the river-bank there was a sight well worth seeing. On the farther side of the water were a great many Turkeys. Old Gobblers were there, and the mother Turkeys with their broods of children, all looking as fine as you please, in their s.h.i.+ning black coats. When they stood in the shadow, one might think that they wore no color but the brilliant red of their heads and necks, where there were no feathers to cover their wrinkled skin. When they walked out into the suns.h.i.+ne, however, their feathers showed gleams of beautiful purple and green, and the Rabbit thought them the most wonderful great creatures he had ever seen.

”Look at them now!” he cried. ”Why do those largest ones walk up and down in front of the rest and scold them?”

”They are the Gobblers,” answered the Ground Hog, ”and they are doing that to show that they are not afraid to cross the river. They strut and gobble, and strut and gobble, and say: 'Who's-afraid? Who's-afraid?'

until the rest are ready to fly over.”

”Now the others are doing the same thing,” said the Rabbit, as the mothers and young Turkeys began to strut back and forth.

”That shows that they are willing to cross,” answered the Ground Hog.

”Now they will fly up to the very tops of the trees on the hill and visit there for a time. It is always so. They start from the highest point they can find. It will be some time before they come over, and I will take a short nap. Be sure to awaken me when they start. I want to welcome them to the Forest.” And the Ground Hog curled himself up beside a log and went to sleep.

The Rabbit wandered around and ate all the good things he could find.

Then he fell to wondering how it would feel to be a bird. He thought it would be great fun to fly. To pa.s.s so swiftly through the air must be delightful, and then to sweep grandly down and alight softly on the ground without having people know that you were coming!

He had a good mind to try it. There was n.o.body to watch him, and he crept up the trunk of a fallen tree which leaned over against its neighbors. It was a foolish thing to do, and he knew it, but young Rabbits are too full of mischief to always be wise.

”I will hold my hind legs very still,” he thought, ”and flap my forelegs for wings.” With that he jumped off and came cras.h.i.+ng down upon the dry leaves. He felt weak and dizzy, and as he picked himself up and looked around he hoped that n.o.body had seen him. ”It may be a great deal of fun to fly,” he said, ”but it is no fun alighting from your flight unless you have real feather wings. It is too b.u.mpy when you fly with your legs.”

At this minute he heard an old Gobbler call out, and saw the flock of Turkeys coming toward him. ”Wake up! Wake up!” he cried to the Ground Hog. But the Ground Hog never moved.

Still the Turkeys came nearer. The Rabbit could see that the fat old ones were getting ahead of the others, and that here and there a young or weak Turkey had to drop into the river and swim, because his wings were tired. They got so near that he could see the queer little tufts of wiry feathers which the Gobblers wear hanging from their breast, and could see the swaying scarlet wattles under their beaks. He called again to the Ground Hog, and getting no answer, poked him three times with his head.

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