XIII
THE MERRY LITTLE BREEZES HAVE A BUSY DAY
Old Mother West Wind came down from the Purple Hills in the shadowycoolness of the early morning, before even jolly, round, red Mr. Sunhad thrown off his rosy coverlids for his daily climb up through theblue sky. The last little star was blinking sleepily as Old MotherWest Wind turned her big bag upside down on the Green Meadows and allher children, the Merry Little Breezes, tumbled out on the soft greengrass.
Then Old Mother West Wind kissed them all around and hurried away tohunt for a rain cloud which had gone astray. The Merry Little Breezeswatched her go. Then they played hide and seek until jolly, round, redMr. Sun had climbed out of bed and was smiling down on the GreenMeadows.
Pretty soon along came Peter Rabbit, lipperty-lipperty-lip.
"Hello, Peter Rabbit!" shouted the Merry Little Breezes. "Come playwith us!"
"Can't," said Peter Rabbit. "I have to go find some tender youngcarrots for my breakfast," and away be hurried, lipperty-lipperty-lip.
In a few minutes Jimmy Skunk came in sight and he seemed to be almosthurrying along the Crooked Little Path down the hill. The Merry LittleBreezes danced over to meet him.
"Hello, Jimmy Skunk!" they cried. "Come play with us!"
Jimmy Skunk shook his head. "Can't," said he. "I have to go look forsome beetles for my breakfast," and off he went looking under every oldstick and pulling over every stone not too big for his strength.
The Merry Little Breezes watched him for a few minutes and then racedover to the Laughing Brook. There they found Billy Mink stealingsoftly down towards the Smiling Pool.
"Oh, Billy Mink, come play with us," begged the Merry Little Breezes.
"Can't," said Billy Mink. "I have to catch a trout for GrandfatherMink's breakfast," and he crept on towards the Smiling Pool.
Just then along came Bumble the Bee. Now Bumble the Bee is a lazyfellow who always makes a great fuss, as if he was the busiest and mostimportant fellow in the world.
"Good morning, Bumble," cried the Merry Little Breezes. "Come playwith us!"
"Buzz, buzz, buzz," grumbled Bumble the Bee. "Can't, for I have to geta sack of honey," and off he hurried to the nearest dandelion.
Then the Merry Little Breezes hunted up Johnny Chuck. But Johnny Chuckwas busy, too busy to play. Bobby Coon was asleep, for he had been outall night. Reddy Fox also was asleep. Striped Chipmunk was in such ahurry to fill the pockets in his cheeks that he could hardly stop tosay good morning. Happy Jack Squirrel just flirted his big tail andrushed away as if he had many important things to attend to.
Finally the Merry Little Breezes gave it up and sat down among thebuttercups and daisies to talk it over. Every one seemed to havesomething to do, every one but themselves. It was such a busy worldthat sunshiny morning! Pretty soon one of the Merry Little Breezeshopped up very suddenly and began the maddest little dance among thebuttercups.
"As we haven't anything to do for ourselves let's do something forsomebody else!" he shouted.
Up jumped all the Little Breezes, clapping their hands.
"Oh let's!" they shouted.
Way over across the Green Meadows they could see two long ears abovethe nodding daisies.
"There's Peter Rabbit," cried one. "Let's help him find those tenderyoung carrots!"
No sooner proposed than off they all raced to see who could reach Peterfirst. Peter was sitting up very straight, looking this way andlooking that way for some tender young carrots, but not one had hefound, and his stomach was empty. The Merry Little Breezes stoppedjust long enough to tickle his long ears and pull his whiskers, thenaway they raced, scattering in all directions, to see who could firstfind a tender young carrot for Peter Rabbit. By and by when one ofthem did find a field of tender young carrots he rushed off, taking thesmell of them with him to tickle the nose of Peter Rabbit.
Peter wriggled his nose, his funny little nose, very fast when it wastickled with the smell of tender young carrots, and the Merry LittleBreeze laughed to see him.
"Come on, Peter Rabbit, for this is my busy day!" he cried.
Peter Rabbit didn't have to be invited twice. Away he went,lipperty-lipperty-lip, as fast as his long legs could take him afterthe Merry Little Breeze. And presently they came to the field oftender young carrots.
"Oh thank you, Merry Little Breeze!" cried Peter Rabbit, andstraightway began to eat his breakfast.
Another Merry Little Breeze, slipping up the Crooked Little Path on thehill, spied the hind legs of a fat beetle sticking out from under aflat stone. At once the Little Breeze remembered Jimmy Skunk, who washunting for beetles for his breakfast. Off rushed the Little Breeze inmerry whirls that made the grasses sway and bend and the daisies nod.
When after a long, long hunt he found Jimmy Skunk, Jimmy was very muchout of sorts. In fact Jimmy Skunk was positively cross. You see, hehadn't had any breakfast, for hunt as he would he couldn't find asingle beetle.
When the Merry Little Breeze danced up behind Jimmy Skunk and, just infun, rumpled up his black and white coat, Jimmy quite lost his temper.In fact he said some things not at all nice to the Merry Little Breeze.But the Merry Little Breeze just laughed. The more he laughed thecrosser Jimmy Skunk grew, and the crosser Jimmy Skunk grew the more theMerry Little Breeze laughed. It was such a jolly laugh that prettysoon Jimmy Skunk began to grin a little sheepishly, then to reallysmile and finally to laugh outright in spite of his empty stomach. Yousee it is very hard, very hard indeed and very foolish, to remain crosswhen someone else is perfectly good natured.
Suddenly the Merry Little Breeze danced up to Jimmy Skunk and whisperedin his right ear. Then he danced around and whispered in his left ear.Jimmy Skunk's eyes snapped and his mouth began to water.
"Where, Little Breeze, where?" he begged.
"Follow me," cried the Merry Little Breeze, racing off up the CrookedLittle Path so fast that Jimmy Skunk lost his breath trying to keep up,for you know Jimmy Skunk seldom hurries.
When they came to the big flat stone Jimmy Skunk grasped it with bothhands and pulled and pulled. Up came the stone so suddenly that JimmySkunk fell over flat on his back. When he had scrambled to his feetthere were beetles and beetles, running in every direction to find aplace to hide.
"Thank you, thank you, Little Breeze," shouted Jimmy Skunk as hestarted to catch beetles for his breakfast.
And the Little Breeze laughed happily as he danced away to join theother Merry Little Breezes on the Green Meadows. There he found themvery, very busy, very busy indeed, so busy that they could hardly findtime to nod to him. What do you think they were doing? They weretoting _gold_! Yes, Sir, toting gold! And this is how it happened:
While the first Little Breeze was showing Peter Rabbit the field oftender young carrots, and while the second Little Breeze was leadingJimmy Skunk to the flat stone and the beetles, the other Merry LittleBreezes had found Bumble the Bee. Now Bumble the Bee is a lazy fellow,though he pretends to be the busiest fellow in the world, and theyfound him grumbling as he buzzed with a great deal of fuss from oneflower to another.
"What's the matter, Bumble?" cried the Merry Little Breezes.
"Matter enough," grumbled Bumble the Bee. "I've got to make a sack ofhoney, and as if that isn't enough, old Mother Nature has ordered me tocarry a sack of gold from each flower I visit to the next flower Ivisit. If I don't I can get no honey. Buzz-buzz-buzz," grumbledBumble the Bee.
The Merry Little Breezes looked at the million little flowers on theGreen Meadows, each waiting a sack of gold to give and a sack of goldto receive. Then they looked at each other and shouted happily, forthey too would now be able to cry "busy, busy, busy."
From flower to flower they hurried, each with a bag of gold over hisshoulder. Wherever they left a bag they took a bag, and all the littleflowers nodded happily to see the Merry Little Breezes at work.
Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun climbed higher and higher and higher in theblue sky, where he can look dow
n and see all things, great and small.His smile was broader than ever as he watched the hurrying, scurryingLittle Breezes working instead of playing. Yet after all it was a kindof play, for they danced from flower to flower and ran races acrossbare places where no flowers grew.
By and by the Merry Little Breezes met Peter Rabbit. Now Peter Rabbithad made a good breakfast of tender young carrots, so he felt verygood, very good indeed.
"Hi!" shouted Peter Rabbit, "come play with me."
"Can't," cried the Merry Little Breezes all together, "we have work todo!"
Off they hurried, while Peter Rabbit stretched himself out full lengthin a sunny spot, for Peter Rabbit also is a lazy fellow.
Down the Crooked Little Path onto the Green Meadows came Jimmy Skunk.
"Ho!" shouted Jimmy Skunk as soon as he saw the Little Breezes, "comeplay with me."
"Can't," cried the Little Breezes, "for we are busy, busy, busy," andthey laughed happily.
When they reached the Laughing Brook they found Billy Mink curled up ina round ball, fast asleep. It isn't often that Billy Mink is caughtnapping, but he had had a good breakfast of trout, he had found no oneto play with and, as he never works and the day was so bright and warm,he had first looked for a place where he thought no one would find himand had then curled himself up to sleep, One of the Little Breezes laiddown the bag of gold he was carrying and creeping ever so softly overto Billy Mink began to tickle one of Billy's ears with a straw.
At first Billy Mink didn't open his eyes, but rubbed his ear with alittle black hand. Finally he jumped to his feet wide awake and readyto fight whoever was bothering him. But all he saw was a laughingLittle Breeze running away with a bag of gold on his back.
So all day long, till Old Mother West Wind came with her big bag tocarry them to their home behind the Purple Hills, the Merry LittleBreezes hurried this way and that way over the Green Meadows. No weeflower was too tiny to give and receive its share of gold, and not onewas overlooked by the Merry Little Breezes.
Old Mother Nature, who knows everything, heard of the busy day of theMerry Little Breezes. Nobody knows how she heard of it. Perhapsjolly, round, red Mr. Sun told her. Perhaps--but never mind. Youcan't fool old Mother Nature anyway and it's of no use to try.
So old Mother Nature visited the Green Meadows to see for herself, andwhen she found how the Merry Little Breezes had distributed the goldshe was so pleased that straightway she announced to all the world thatthenceforth and for all time the Merry Little Breezes of Old MotherWest Wind should have charge of the distribution of the gold of theflowers on the Green Meadows, which they have to this day.
And since that day the Merry Little Breezes have been merrier thanever, for they have found that it is not nearly so much fun to play allthe time, but that to work for some good in the world is the greatestfun of all.
So every year when the gold of the flowers, which some people do notknow is gold at all but call pollen, is ready you will find the MerryLittle Breezes of Old Mother West Wind very, very busy among theflowers on the Green Meadows. And this is the happiest time of all.