y does. He lost his appetite. He just sat around and moped.

When Tommy Tit the Chickadee came to call, as he did every day, Happy
Jack found that Tommy was anxious too. Tommy had been up to Farmer
Brown's dooryard several times, and he hadn't seen anything of Farmer
Brown's boy.

"I think he must have gone away," said Tommy.

"He would have come down here first and said good-by," replied Happy
Jack.

"You--you don't suppose something has happened to him, do you?" asked
Tommy.

"I don't know. I don't know what to think," replied Happy Jack, soberly.
"Do you know, Tommy, I've grown very fond of Farmer Brown's boy."

"Of course. Dee, dee, dee, of course. Everybody who really knows him is
fond of him. I've said all along that he is the best friend we've got,
but no one seemed to believe me. I'm glad you've found it out for
yourself. I tell you what, I'll go up to his house and have another look
around." And without waiting for a reply, Tommy was off as fast as his
little wings could take him.

"I hope, I do hope, that nothing has happened to him," mumbled Happy
Jack, as he pretended to hunt for buried nuts while he waited for Tommy
Tit to come back, and by "him" he meant Farmer Brown's boy.

CHAPTER XVII

TOMMY TIT BRINGS NEWS

No one knows too much, but many know too little.

_Happy Jack._

Happy Jack very plainly was not happy. His name was the only happy thing
about him. He fussed about on the edge of the Green Forest. He just
couldn't keep still. When he thought anybody was looking, he pretended
to hunt for some of the nuts he had buried in the fall, and dug holes
down through the snow. But as soon as he thought that no one was
watching, he would scamper up a tree where he could look over to Farmer
Brown's house and look and look. It was very clear that Happy Jack was
watching for some one and that he was anxious, very anxious, indeed.

It was getting late in the afternoon, and soon the Black Shadows would
begin to creep out from the Purple Hills, behind which jolly, round, red
Mr. Sun would go to bed. It would be bedtime for Happy Jack then, for
you know he goes to bed very early, just as soon as it begins to get
dark. The later it got, the more anxious and uneasy Happy Jack grew. He
had just made up his mind that in a few minutes he would have to give up
and go to bed when there was a flit of tiny wings, and Tommy Tit the
Chickadee dropped into the tree beside him.

"Did you find out anythin