Bobby and the Big Road  by Maud Lindsay

The Walk

B OBBY'S father thought the Big Road was always saying, "Come and go with me."

So the very first day that he and Mother and Bobby lived in the country they went for a walk on the road.

The sun was shining, and the west wind blowing, and wherever they looked there were wonderful things to see.

"I see a brown butterfly with gold spots on his wings," said Bobby.

"I see a locust-tree full of white blossoms," said Mother.

"I see a lizard sunning himself on a stone," said Father.

It was as nice as playing a game to tell what they saw along the Big Road.

Mother spied two blackbirds on a rail fence. Bobby found a spotted toad in the grass, and when the road turned into a wood Father called:

"Look, look, there is a grey squirrel."

Mother and Bobby looked as quickly as they could but the grey squirrel was quicker than they.

Whisk, whisk he ran up into a tall hickory-tree. They did not even catch a glimpse of him.

"If we sit down on this log and keep as still as mice perhaps you may see him yet," said Father.

So they sat down on the log and waited and watched, and watched and waited till Bobby thought he could not keep still another minute.

Just then the grey squirrel peeped down from the tree.

"Any danger down there?" his bright eyes seemed to ask.

Mother and Father and Bobby scarcely dared to breathe; they were so afraid of startling him.

What a cunning grey squirrel he was with his big bushy tail and his little round nose!

He came a little way down the tree and then stopped to look and listen. Then he came a little farther down. Then, hurry, scurry, he jumped to the ground almost at Bobby's feet and scampered away into the woods.

He jumped to the ground almost at Bobby's feet.

Bobby talked about him all the way home.

"Do you suppose he knew we were waiting for him?" he asked.

"I cannot tell you that," said Father, "but one thing I know, he will very soon find out that we are his friends."

And sure enough, before the summer was over the grey squirrel would take nuts from Bobby's hand.