Among the Farmyard People | Page 2

TAIL 12
THE WONDERFUL SHINY EGG 20
THE DUCKLING WHO DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO 33
THE FUSSY QUEEN BEE 47
THE BAY COLT LEARNS TO MIND 64
THE TWIN LAMBS 82
THE VERY SHORT STORY OF THE FOOLISH LITTLE MOUSE
96
THE LONELY LITTLE PIG 106
THE KITTEN WHO LOST HERSELF 116
THE CHICKEN WHO WOULDN'T EAT GRAVEL 136
THE GOOSE WHO WANTED HER OWN WAY 149
WHY THE SHEEP RAN AWAY 160
THE FINE YOUNG RAT AND THE TRAP 172
THE QUICK-TEMPERED TURKEY GOBBLER 186
THE BRAGGING PEACOCK 199
THE DISCONTENTED GUINEA HEN 213
THE OXEN TALK WITH THE CALVES 232

ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE THE SWALLOWS ARE COMING 2
THE LAMB WITH THE LONGEST TAIL 16
THEY HAD A GOOD SWIM 40
HAD A SORE MOUTH FROM JERKING ON THE LINES 77
FEEDING THE LAMBS 84
EVERY BROWN PIG RAN OFF 110
"I AM THE WHITE KITTEN" 130
THE GRAY GOOSE TRIED TO GO THROUGH 156
COLLIE AND THE BELL-WETHER 170
THE BIG GOBBLER CAME PUFFING TOWARD HER.
Frontispiece 194
THE PEACOCK WAS STANDING ON THE FENCE, 208
THE RED CALF AND THE WHITE CALF 243

THE STORY THAT THE SWALLOW DIDN'T TELL
"Listen!" said the Nigh Ox, "don't you hear some friends coming?"
The Off Ox raised his head from the grass and stopped to brush away a
Fly, for you never could hurry either of the brothers. "I don't hear any
footfalls," said he.
"You should listen for wings, not feet," said the Nigh Ox, "and for
voices, too."

Even as he spoke there floated down from the clear air overhead a soft
"tittle-ittle-ittle-ee," as though some bird were laughing for happiness.
There was not a cloud in the sky, and the meadow was covered with
thousands and thousands of green grass blades, each so small and
tender, and yet together making a most beautiful carpet for the feet of
the farmyard people, and offering them sweet and juicy food after their
winter fare of hay and grain. Truly it was a day to make one laugh
aloud for joy. The alder tassels fluttered and danced in the spring
breeze, while the smallest and shyest of the willow pussies crept from
their little brown houses on the branches to grow in the sunshine.
[Illustration: THE SWALLOWS ARE COMING.]
"Tittle-ittle-ittle-ee! Tittle-ittle-ittle-ee!" And this time it was louder
and clearer than before.
"The Swallows!" cried the Oxen to each other. Then they straightened
their strong necks and bellowed to the Horses, who were drawing the
plow in the field beyond, "The Swallows are coming!"
As soon as the Horses reached the end of the furrow and could rest a
minute, they tossed their heads and whinnied with delight. Then they
looked around at the farmer, and wished that he knew enough of the
farmyard language to understand what they wanted to tell him. They
knew he would be glad to hear of their friends' return, for had they not
seen him pick up a young Swallow one day and put him in a safer
place?
"Tittle-ittle-ittle-ee!" and there was a sudden darkening of the sky
above their heads, a whirr of many wings, a chattering and laughing of
soft voices, and the Swallows had come. Perched on the ridge-pole of
the big barn, they rested and visited and heard all the news.
The Doves were there, walking up and down the sloping sides of the
roof and cooing to each other about the simple things of every-day life.
You know the Doves stay at home all winter, and so it makes a great
change when their neighbors, the Swallows, return. They are firm
friends in spite of their very different ways of living. There was never a

Dove who would be a Swallow if he could, yet the plump, quiet, gray
and white Doves dearly love the dashing Swallows, and happy is the
Squab who can get a Swallow to tell him stories of the great world.
"Isn't it good to be home, home, home!" sang one Swallow. "I never set
my claws on another ridge-pole as comfortable as this."
"I'm going to look at my old nest," said a young Swallow, as she
suddenly flew down to the eaves.
"I think I'll go, too," said another young Swallow, springing away from
his perch. He was a handsome fellow, with a glistening dark blue head
and back, a long forked tail which showed a white stripe on the under
side, a rich buff vest, and a deep blue collar, all of the finest feathers.
He loved the young Swallow whom he was following, and he wanted
to tell her so.
"There is the nest where I was hatched," she said. "Would you think I
was ever crowded in there with five brothers and sisters? It was a
comfortable nest, too, before