But she did not find the little mice. They were hiding away under the big stone.
And she did not find Sammy. He was safe in the pine tree.
Of course she knew where the mice were hiding.
She saw them when they ran into the hole.
But the stone was too heavy for her to move.
She sat down beside the hole and waited and waited, but not one little mouse put out his nose.
At last the cat grew tired of waiting, and walked back along the path to the house.
She found a saucer of milk on the kitchen floor.
And the best of it was that it could not run away and hide like the mice and squirrels.
A SUMMER SHOWER
I
"Rain, rain, rain!" called Robin Redbreast.
"Rain, rain, rain! I wish it would rain."
The pretty flowers heard the robin calling for rain.
They lifted up their heads and listened.
They were wishing it would rain, too. The ground was so dry they could not find a drop of water to drink.
Mr. Green Frog wished it would rain.
The brook was almost dry, and he did not like that very well.
"Rain, rain, rain!" Robin Redbreast called again.
"Don"t call for rain," said Bunny Rabbit. "I like to have the sun shine all the time."
"So do I," said Sammy Red Squirrel. "I do not like to have it rain on my fur coat."
"See how the flowers hang down their heads," said the robin.
"I am sure they would like to have a drink of fresh water."
"The flowers are sleepy," said Bunny. "That is why they hang their heads."
"Quack, quack, quack!" said Mrs. Duck. "Come, children, we will go down to the brook."
The duck and all the little ducks waddled across the road and into the meadow.
Bunny saw them coming and hopped over to meet them.
"Good-morning, Mrs. Duck," he said. "Where are you going?"
"We are going to the brook to have a swim," said the duck. "Will you come with us??
"No, no!" answered Bunny. "I can not swim. You did not teach me."
"Perhaps I could teach you this morning," said the duck. "There is not much water in the brook to-day."
"I don"t want to learn to swim," answered Bunny, and he hopped off to find Bobtail.
But he could not find Bobtail, and he could not find Billy.
So at last Bunny sat down under the oak tree to take a nap.
Mrs. Duck and all the little ducks waddled along the path until they came to the brook.
It was just a very tiny brook, now. It was really nothing but mud.
"Oh, dear me!" said Mrs. Duck "I wish it would rain to-day."
"Rain, rain, rain!" called Robin Redbreast. "I wish it would rain."
"I think it will rain," said Mr. Green Frog. "And I think it will rain to-day."
[Ill.u.s.tration: "I think it will rain to-day."]
Mrs. Duck let the little ducks play in the muddy brook.
They pushed their flat bills into the mud to find something to eat.
Their little yellow feet were black with mud, but they liked it.
Mr. Sun looked down and smiled at them. He smiled his brightest smile.
Then a cloud came and hid the sun.
A gentle wind began to blow over the tall gra.s.s in the field.
"Bow your heads!" the wind said to the flowers and gra.s.s.
Then the wind puffed out its cheeks and blew harder.
It rushed along to the woods.