he had finished his morning chores, Bobby took his sled and slid
down the little hill at the side of the house, as he had done nearly
every day all Winter. Twenty-seven times he slid down the hill.

Then he and Rover, the Big Shepherd Dog, went across the field to the
snowdrifts in the fence corners. Bobby slid down a huge snowbank, which
gave his sled such a start that he went skimming over the field on the
hard snow. Eight long slides he took there.

In the afternoon, he went skating on the Duck Pond. It was shiny and
smooth and beautiful for skating. Twenty times across the pond he went.

When he went into the house, Mother said, "Well, Bobby, you have had a
busy day."

"I've had lots of fun," said Bobby. "I shall go sliding and skating
every day all Winter."

"That will not be long," said Mother.

"Oh, yes, it will," said Bobby. "Just see all the snow and ice."

If Bobby had only noticed, he would have known that even then the wind
had changed to the south and it was becoming warmer. Soon the snow and
ice began to melt. All night they kept melting.

The next day, Bobby was wakened again by Robin Redbreast. He looked out
and saw the sun shining brightly. All that morning the snow melted so
fast that by noon there were little rivers and pools of water
everywhere.

Bobby tried to slide down the little hill; but there was a bare spot
half way down, so his sled stuck on the ground and would not go any
farther.

"This isn't any fun," thought Bobby. "I'll go over and slide down the
snowbanks." He and Rover started across the field; but at every step
they went down through the soft snow into the water beneath.

"This isn't any fun either. Is it?" said he to Rover.

Rover looked up into Bobby's face and seemed to say, "I don't care for
it much myself." So they went back to the house.

Rover lay down by the fire to dry off; but Bobby took his skates and
went to the Duck Pond. When he got there, he found the ice on the Duck
Pond covered with pools of water.

"I'll wait till another day to skate," he thought.

He was just starting back to the house, when there came to his ears the
same sound he had heard the last two mornings, "Chirp, chirp, chirp."

Bobby looked across the pond. There, on the ground under the willow
tree, was a robin.

[Illustration: "Hello, Robin Redbreast," called Bobby. "I'm glad you are
back again"]

"Hello, Robin Redbreast," called Bobby. "I'm glad you are back again.
But you'll be