all the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind
were turned out of the big bag into the Green Meadows very early indeed,
for they had a lot of errands to do. All over the Green Meadows they
hurried, all through the wood, up and down the Laughing Brook and all
around the Smiling Pool, inviting everybody to meet at the Great Pine
on the hill at nine o'clock to form a committee of the whole--to try to
find the thief who stole Happy Jack's nuts from the hollow in the old
chestnut tree.

And because every one liked Happy Jack every one went to the Great Pine
on the hill--Reddy Fox, Bobby Coon, Jimmy Skunk Striped Chipmunk, who
is Happy Jack's cousin you know, Billy Mink, Little Joe Otter, Jerry
Muskrat, Hooty the Owl, who was almost too sleepy to keep his eyes open,
Blacky the Crow, Johnny Chuck, Peter Rabbit, even old Grandfather Frog.
Of course Sammy Jay was there, looking his handsomest.

When they had all gathered around the Great Pine, Old Mother West Wind
pointed to the old nest way up in the top of it. "Is that your nest?"
she asked Blacky the Crow.

"It was, but I gave it to my cousin, Sammy Jay," said Blacky the Crow.

"Is that your nest, and may I have a stick out of it?" asked Old Mother
West Wind of Sammy Jay.

"It is," said Sammy Jay, with his politest bow, "And you are welcome to
a stick out of it." To himself he thought, "She will only take one from
the top and that won't matter."

Old Mother West Wind suddenly puffed out her cheeks and blew so hard
that she blew a big stick right out of the bottom of the old nest.
Down it fell bumpity-bump on the branches of the Great Pine. After it
fell--what do you think? Why, hickory nuts and chestnuts and acorns and
hazel nuts, such a lot of them!

"Why! Why--e--e!" cried Happy Jack. "There are all my stolen nuts!"

Everybody turned to look at Sammy Jay, but he was flying off through the
wood as fast as he could go. "Stop thief!" cried Old Mother West Wind.
"Stop thief!" cried all the Merry Little Breezes and Johnny Chuck and
Billy Mink and all the rest. But Sammy Jay didn't stop.

Then all began to pick up the nuts that had fallen from the old nest
where Sammy Jay had hidden them. By and by, with Happy Jack leading the
way, they all marched back to the old chestnut tree and there Happy Jack
stored all the nuts away in his snug little hollow once more.

And ever since that day, Sammy Jay, whenever he tries to call, just
screams: "Thief!" "Thief!" "Thief!"