FARMER'S MALTESE CAT

It was a beautiful morning. The sun had just lifted his bright face
above the eastern hills; the dew was still glistening on the leaves, and
Mister Robert Robin was perched in the very top of his big basswood tree
singing his "Sun-up" song.

He looked very handsome in his dark brown topcoat and his red vest, as
he finished singing his "Sun-up" song and looked around to see what he
could see.

From the meadow came the sound of Bob-o-link's "Spingle! Spangle!" song,
and David Songsparrow was singing his seven morning songs, and even
Jeremiah Yellowbird was doing his best to make his little voice ring
through the woods as Robert Robin's mellow notes had sounded a moment
before.

But Robert Robin was not listening to the other birds, he was looking to
see what he could see.

The fields were green, for rain had fallen the day before, and the
tangle of wild-rose bushes along the fence had burst into bloom. From
the high place where he sat, Robert Robin could see the pink blossoms,
and when the wind blew from their direction, he could smell the perfume
of the flowers.

The farmer's sheep were in their pasture, and the little lambs were
frisking and playing with each other. A pile of lumber lay near the
pasture gate, and the little lambs were running and jumping off the
lumber pile. They were having great fun, and Robert Robin felt like
laughing as he watched them.

Suddenly Robert Robin sat up very straight and jerked his tail up and
down three times and said, "Tut! Tut! Tut!" He saw the farmer's Maltese
cat walking along on the rail fence, and the cat was coming towards the
woods.

"I am afraid that big cat is coming over here!" said Robert Robin to
himself. Mrs. Robin heard Robert Robin saying, "Tut! Tut! Tut!" so she
came to see what was the matter.

"There is a big Maltese cat coming towards our tree!" said Robert Robin.

"Where is it?" asked Mrs. Robin, who was very much excited.

"On the rail fence!" said Robert Robin. "It is the same cat that I saw
in the farmer's garden!"

"That terrible cat will eat our baby robins!" said Mrs. Robin. "You must
fly right at him and scare him away!"

"Perhaps it would be better to wait and see if something doesn't
happen!" said Robert Robin.

The big cat did not seem to be in any hurry. He walked slowly along the
rail fence until he came to the brook. There were no rails across the
brook, only a panel of wire fencing--so the big cat sprang to t