Bobby of Cloverfield Farm Part 1

Bobby of Cloverfield Farm.

by Helen Fuller Orton.

I

One cold morning in March, Bobby Hill was wakened by a sound he had not heard since last Fall, "Chirp, chirp, cheer-up."

"That sounds just like a robin," he thought.

He sat up in bed and looked out of the window. It was a cold, dark, stormy morning. Heavy clouds covered the sky. The North wind was blowing the snow hither and thither.

Bobby leaned nearer the window so he could see the ground. There was the snow like a blanket of white over the yard and the road and the fields.

There were the snowdrifts like mountains and castles along the fences.

Bobby shivered as he looked at it and snuggled back under the covers.

"I must have been dreaming," he thought. "It isn't time for robins."

But he had no sooner settled down for another nap than he heard it again, "Chirp, chirp, cheer-up."

He got up and dressed quickly and went downstairs.

"Mother," he said, "I heard something that sounded just like a robin.

What could it have been?"

"It _was_ a robin," said Mother. "Come here and see him."

Bobby ran to the Big South Window. There on a branch of the maple tree was Robin Redbreast singing merrily.

"I thought the robins always stayed down South until Spring," said Bobby. "Why did he come back in the dead of Winter?"

"Spring is almost here," said Mother.

"Oh, indeed it can't be," said Bobby, "it is so cold and snowy."

"Robin knows," said Mother.

But Bobby looked out and saw the fields still covered with snow, and saw the huge snowdrifts like mountains and castles along the fences and the whirling snowflakes in the air, and thought, "Robin is mistaken this time."

After he had finished his morning ch.o.r.es, 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 s...o...b..nk, 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 s...o...b..nks." 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "h.e.l.lo, Robin Redbreast," called Bobby. "I'm glad you are back again"]

"h.e.l.lo, Robin Redbreast," called Bobby. "I'm glad you are back again.

But you'll be very cold up here. It isn't Spring yet."

"Chirp, chirp," said Robin. "Cheer-up, cheer-y." And he flew up to a branch of the willow tree.

Bobby's eyes followed Robin into the willow tree. What were all those little gray things on the twigs around Robin?

Bobby looked more closely. "Why I do believe--I do believe--can it be those are p.u.s.s.y willows?" he exclaimed.

Around the pond to the tree he ran. Sure enough! p.u.s.s.y willows they were.

Bobby reached up and picked some of the twigs. Then he ran to the house as fast as he could run.

"Oh, Mother," he exclaimed, "see the p.u.s.s.y willows! I believe Spring _is_ almost here."

"Robin knew," said Mother.

"Good!" said Bobby. Then he added, "But there won't be any more sleigh-rides, or sliding down hill, or skating."

"Just wait and see what fun Summer will bring," Mother replied.