Part 5

"Guess they must," said Old Bob the gardener, "every body says so," and he went away humming to himself,

"Half the corn and half the hay And half the oats on Candlemas day."

BUDDY JIM AND THE CHIPMUNK FAMILY

_The world had turned to silver Sometime throughout the night, Each weed and twig, and shrub and tree Wore robes of daintiest white; The big round sun peeped out and smiled-- The world smiled back; "Oh look!" Cried Buddy Jim, "It's like a page From a fairy picture-book!"_

Of course Buddy knew all about _why_ the world was wearing lacy white dresses; Jack Frost had come and dressed it all up in the night to be sure; but he had not known how lovely it would be. Why, it looked exactly like a whole world full of glittering gems, like those Mother wore in her hair when she was going to a party.

Just then, around the corner, came Old Bob the gardener. He had a sharp and shiny axe in his hand. "Hello, Buddy," said he, "Want to do something for me?" "'Deed I do," said the little boy. He was always anxious to do something for Bob, because the two were great chums.

"I've got an axe to grind," said Old Bob the gardener, "and I want you to turn the grindstone for me. We are going up to the beech woods this forenoon to cut out the dead-and-down trees for wood, and old wood needs sharp axes."

"I like to turn the grindstone," said Buddy, as he started the big wheel slowly turning around on its axis, watching Bob the gardener as he held the axe closely against it, and poured water on the stone from time to time.

"Why do you put water on the stone, Bob?" he asked.

"So it won't get heated by the friction," said Old Bob the gardener, "it would spoil the stone if I didn't wet it, and the axe too, very likely. But there goes the breakfast gong, and the axe is sharp and I am much obliged to you, Buddy."

"You're welcome," said Buddy, as he made a dash for breakfast.

When breakfast was over, Buddy went out of doors, and found Old Bob the gardener just ready to go.

"Know of any youngster who would care to go beech-nutting this morning?" called Bob to Buddy Jim. "If you do, tell him to bring along a sack to put the nuts in, because there'll be beech-nuts a plenty after the fine frost we had last night."

"I certainly do know a youngster who wants to go," said Buddy, "and he will be all ready as soon as he finds a sack for the nuts, and puts on some hiking shoes. So be sure to call him, won't you Bob?"

"I'll sing out when I go by," said Old Bob the gardener. So Buddy asked Mary the cook for a flour sack, and put on warm shoes and stockings, and was quite ready to start when Old Bob the gardener shouted "All aboard!"

Old Dog Sandy stretched himself and looked at Buddy so beseechingly that he hadn't the heart to leave him at home. So he said he could come along if he would promise not to frighten any Little Neighbor.

Old Dog Sandy promised with his eyes, but down deep in his heart he was afraid he couldn't keep the promise, not if he should happen to meet something _really_ interesting. However, permission to go along was all that he wanted, and maybe he wouldn't see any wild thing, so why think about it?

He was a happy old dog as they ran across the crisp fields; there were flocks and flocks of bright-colored thistle birds, chattering and getting their breakfast of seeds from the weeds, but old Dog Sandy didn't count those. They were too small and besides, they were just like the canary that Mary the cook kept in a cage, and made so much fuss over every day. It was a bit more exciting when he picked up Molly Cotton-tail's trail--but of course Buddy whistled him back--he never _could_ have any fun.

Buddy thought he had never seen the beeches look so lovely as they did on this morning, not even in the summer--the leaves were so brown and rustly, and the trunks so smooth and such a lovely gray-green color. The wood cutters were there already, and after Old Bob the gardener had directed them where to work he came back to Buddy, and unrolled a bundle he had brought, which proved to be a blanket which he spread under a big tree.

"Now, Buddy Jim," he said, "I'll give you a boost, and you go up and shake the branches and the nuts will fall down on the blanket, and you will have plenty to do until noon time."

So, with a boost from Old Bob the gardener, up went Buddy, like a little brown monkey, and he began shaking the branches of the tree, so that the nuts fell down in a big shower, burrs and all.

When no more fell, Buddy scrambled back down the tree to fill his sack.

Old Dog Sandy wandered off by himself, talking to himself down deep in his throat about what would be likely to happen if he ever _should_ happen to meet that Pin Cushiony Person again. There must be some spot on him not covered up with pins! "And _then_ they'd see!"

Buddy lay face down on the blanket, busily separating the nuts from the burrs, and wondering how it could be possible that such a big tree could ever have grown from such a tiny, three-cornered little seed, when he became aware of voices just above his head.

"I am positive this is the tree that was so full of nuts yesterday," said a small voice, "because I marked it especially for this morning's work. And now there's only one or two clusters left!"

"Never mind, Mother dear," said another little voice, "perhaps the Red Squirrels got here first."

"Ssh," said the first voice, "it was not the Red Squirrels--I smell dog--and I smell man--and they're not far away, either. Look! what is that, on the ground at the foot of the tree?" Buddy looked up, just as the Little Neighbors in the tree looked down. "Hurray," said he, softly, "that's Mother Chipmunk and her family, and they have always been so shy I couldn't get acquainted!" So he kept very still knowing that the curiosity of the little people was so great that they would just have to come down to see what he was doing.

"That's a boy down there, and he has taken all our beech-nuts," said Mother Chipmunk. "That's a shame. He surely doesn't need them, and we do."

"Come on down, Little Neighbors," called Buddy. "I won't hurt you. Come on down and help yourselves."

The Chipmunks looked at each other, half made up their minds to take Buddy at his word, ran part of the way down, and then ran back to the sheltering brown leaves again.

Buddy sat very still, until, making up their minds to have those nuts anyway, the timid, beautiful little animals ran down the trunk of the tree head first and jumped right in the middle of the blanket full of beech-nuts.

They paid no attention at all to Buddy, but went busily to work, filling their _pockets_ full of nuts, selecting only the full-meated ones, and as fast as their pockets were full, running away, and hurrying back for more.

"You must live near here," said Buddy. "We do," said one little fellow, "That's why we needed the nuts on this tree, so we should not have to make such long trips home and back."

"I've always wanted to know," said Buddy, "what you do with the dirt that you take out of your burrows." Little Chipmunk started to speak, but his mouth was too full. "Chuck, chuck, chuck, chuck," warned his mother, "don't talk so much, children, and work faster."

"All right, little old lady," said Buddy, "keep your secrets. Goodbye! I'm going to find another tree, and you may have this one."

"Bob," said Buddy, when they were walking home, "do the Chipmunks sleep all winter, like the bears and the wood-chucks?"

"'Deed they do not," said Old Bob the gardener, "they couldn't keep still that long. They're too restless, and they like to know too well what is going on in the world."

"Cunning little things, aren't they?" said Buddy. "Yes, they are," said Old Bob the gardener, "and they talk a lot without saying much."

Buddy Jim smiled. He was remembering that he had not found out very much about the friendly little Chipmunk people after all. Not from them!

BUDDY JIM GOES CAMPING

_The wild geese all were flying south, Because 'twas time to go; And the Thistle Fairies all in white Were dancing to and fro; The Bittersweet hung crimson beads Upon the brown old oak; "To leave all this" said Buddy Jim "Is cert'nly not a joke."_

For Buddy was going home tomorrow! Back to the city! He just had to laugh when he thought how he had not wanted to come to the country; and what a perfectly splendid time he had been having all summer in spite of that. Old Bob the gardener was _such_ a good chum! And then there were all the Little Neighbors. He wondered if when he got back home that he would see Reddy Bat again. He hoped so; he wanted to thank him. He was glad he was going to have his happy summer to remember, and he was more glad that he was coming back next year. While he was thinking about all these things, there came, around the corner, Old Bob the gardener. He had on his high boots and an old sheepskin-lined, short coat. "_Hello_, Buddy," he called. "Want to go camping?" "O, Bob, do you mean it?" asked the little boy in delight. "Of course I mean it," said Old Bob the gardener, "You've got just time to get ready. Put on your warmest clothes, and your thickest boots. I'm going to harness old Maud. We are going down-stream after pickerel, and we are going to stay all night, so we'll need Mrs. Mare to carry enough blankets and food."

Buddy was sure that there never had before been such a ride as that was; across smooth meadows, through bumpy wood roads, over little running brooks, under tall trees, and low-hanging firs and spruces, with Old Dog Sandy trotting along behind, barking at everything he saw. Once, in the woods, Buddy heard a noise he thought must be thunder. But Old Bob the gardener had said, "No, it was just old Mr. Partridge drumming, just to let Mrs. Partridge know that he was not far away." Old Bob the gardener always seemed to know everything. And pretty soon, sure enough they came upon the Partridge family eating their lunch of birch buds, and when old Dog Sandy barked at them, as you might be sure he would, they all flew away with a great whirring of wings.

When they got to the camping ground it was great fun to cut the fir branches for their beds. "Shall we use the hunting cabin, Buddy?" asked Old Bob the gardener, "or shall we sleep out of doors?"

"O, please, Bob, out of doors," said the little boy. "I have never really slept out of doors." So they brought up lots of dry wood for a camp-fire, and made their beds near it. They were going to light it when they got their supper. When everything was ready they went fishing in the boat that was always kept there. And they soon had plenty of fish for lunch and old Bob made a small fire and broiled them. My! but they were good!

After lunch Old Bob said he was going to have a nap, so as Buddy Jim was not sleepy he went down stream to find what he could. He wanted to get some spruce gum to take to the boys, so he stopped at every big tree to dig off what he could reach. He got some fine clear lumps! Presently Buddy heard voices. He knew that it was some Little Neighbor, because it was that kind of a voice.

So he told Old Dog Sandy to keep quiet. "Always the way," muttered the old dog, as he dropped on the ground, "Just as soon as anything interesting comes along I'm supposed to be deaf and dumb; no fun in being a dog anyway, woof!" Buddy crept along the edge of the stream and peeped through the undergrowth. It was a very busy sight that met his eyes. There were actually dozens of Little Neighbors busily at work.

Some were cutting down trees and some were pushing rafts through the water, and some were pounding clay with their flat tails to mend a hole in a dam they were making, and some were working on huts.

There was one larger than the others who seemed to be the Master Workman. Buddy was so much interested that he forgot to be quiet, and snapped a twig that he was holding, and immediately every one of the Little Neighbors dropped out of sight in the stream.

Pretty soon the Master Workman came out. "Hello, Little Neighbor," said Buddy. "I'm sorry that I interrupted your work. You were all working like Beavers, weren't you?"

"Of course we were," said the Little Neighbor, a bit crossly, Buddy thought, "what else could we work like?"

"Are you Beavers?" asked Buddy, "I never saw one before."

"Then what made you say we worked like Beavers?" asked the Master Workman. "Why, that's what folks always say about people who are very 'ndus'trous," said Buddy, stumbling a bit over the big word. "Why did your crew jump in the water as soon as they saw me?"

"Wouldn't you get out of sight if you saw an enemy coming?" asked the Master Workman. "'Course I would," answered Buddy, "but I'm not your enemy." "Well," said the Master Workman, "you _are_ very small, but of course you've got somebody grown up with you. What are you doing down here if you did not come to hunt us?"

"Old Bob the gardener brought me down, to camp out all night," said Buddy. "And you need not be afraid of us at all. My father owns all this land around here, and he never allows any Little Neighbor to be disturbed."

"That's good news," said the Master Workman, and just then Buddy heard Old Bob the gardener calling him. So he said goodbye, and ran back to camp. "What are you trying to do, Buddy?" asked the old chap, laughing, "lose yourself in the woods?" "I couldn't get lost just following the stream," said Buddy. "I could always follow it back. I found old Mr. Beaver and his crew working down there fixing up their houses for winter."

"Well, let's have supper now and get to bed," said Old Bob the gardener.

Buddy meant to stay awake all night. He wanted to tell the boys at home how it felt to sleep outdoors. He saw the stars come out one by one, and the slender new moon began sailing in the sky like a little silver boat almost before the sun had gone to bed.

In a tree top near by, a big old owl wanted to know "who, who, who?" and he could hear the sleepy twitter of the chick-a-dee birds.

He was _glad_ he was there. Then he snuggled closer under the blankets, and the Little Neighbors came softly and tiptoed up and looked at him, and then tiptoed softly away again. They were sorry too, that he was going back to the city tomorrow! But they were sure he would return with the springtime, and then how glad would they all be to welcome him back.

For Buddy Jim was the _right_ kind of a boy! And they appreciated him! And were glad to be his Little Neighbors.

RACKY RACCOON

"Thank Goodness," chuckled Racky Raccoon, "that Old Dog Sandy has gone back to the city, and I can get down on the ground and stretch my legs in the daytime if I want to.

"He's been snooping around here all summer, so that _nearly_ I didn't _get_ in this book at all.

"But better late than never, and it's been worth being up a tree all summer, to get in here with Buddy Jim and all the rest of the Little Neighbors.

"But hungry! I haven't had a bite since twelve o'clock by the moon last night, and I see that Old Bob the gardener has thoughtfully left some nice yellow pumpkins on the hillside for me. You didn't know I liked pumpkins? No more _do_ I; only the seeds.

"How do I get the pumpkins open? Say, what do you s'pose my claws are for?

"And after I get the seeds I have to take them to the brook and wash 'em. What for? O, my mother told me never to eat anything without first washing it.

"S'long! See you later."

VOLLAND "NATURE CHILDREN" BOOKS

The Volland Ideal is that books for children should contain nothing to cause fright, suggest fear, glorify mischief, excuse malice or condone cruelty. That is why they are called "Books Good for Children."

_The Volland "Nature Children" Books are_:

REALLY-SO STORIES. By ELIZABETH GORDON, illustrated by JOHN RAE.

BUDDY JIM. By ELIZABETH GORDON, illustrated by JOHN RAE.

THE TURNED INTO'S. By ELIZABETH GORDON, illustrated by JANET LAURA SCOTT.

WHISK AWAY ON A SUNBEAM. By OLIVE BEAUPRE MILLER, illustrated by MAGINEL WRIGHT ENRIGHT.

WILD FLOWER CHILDREN. By ELIZABETH GORDON, illustrated by JANET LAURA SCOTT.

FABLES IN RHYME. By WM. TROWBRIDGE LARNED, illustrated by JOHN RAE.

FLOWER CHILDREN. By ELIZABETH GORDON, illustrated by M. T. ROSS.

BIRD CHILDREN. By ELIZABETH GORDON, illustrated by M. T. ROSS.

ANIMAL CHILDREN. By EDITH BROWN KIRKWOOD, illustrated by M. T. ROSS.

You can get any of these delightful books from your book man. If he hasn't them, write to us.

THE P. F. VOLLAND COMPANY _Publishers of Books Good for Children_ JOLIET, ILLINOIS NEW YORK BOSTON

SOME UNUSUALLY SUCCESSFUL VOLLAND BOOKS

RAGGEDY ANN'S WISHING PEBBLE Written and illustrated by JOHNNY GRUELLE

RAGGEDY ANN AND THE PAPER DRAGON Written and illustrated by JOHNNY GRUELLE

RAGGEDY ANN AND ANDY AND THE CAMEL WITH THE WRINKLED KNEES Written and illustrated by JOHNNY GRUELLE

THE CAT WHOSE WHISKERS SLIPPED Written by RUTH CAMPBELL, illustrated by VE ELIZABETH CADIE

REYNARD THE FOX AND OTHER FABLES Re-written by W. T. LARNED, illustrated by JOHN RAE

REALLY-SO STORIES Written by ELIZABETH GORDON, illustrated by JOHN RAE

_If your book man should be out of these new books, you can get them by writing directly to us._

THE P. F. VOLLAND COMPANY _Publishers of Books Good for Children_ JOLIET, ILLINOIS NEW YORK BOSTON

Transcriber's Note:

Possible printer errors have been changed.