y was ready to let him go. And if it happened to be his head that
Timothy Turtle seized--well, then he was unluckier still!

If Timothy Turtle was grumpy before Bobby Bobolink moved to Cedar Swamp,
it would be hard to say what he was afterward. For Bobby Bobolink's
happy songs drove Timothy Turtle almost crazy. He said that if he had
known he would have to listen to such merry singing he would have taken
his outing in the Beaver Pond, though he wasn't really due there for
thirty-nine years, because he had visited the Beaver colony only the
summer before.

When Timothy heard Bobby Bobolink's song ringing through the swamp he
hurried as fast as he could toward the place where it seemed to come
from. Timothy did that, not because he wanted to hear the singing
better, but because he had something to say to the singer. He wanted to
tell him to keep still. And he had a good many disagreeable remarks on
the tip of his tongue, all ready to fling at Bobby Bobolink.

But somehow Mr. Turtle never succeeded in finding Bobby. After Mr.
Turtle had swum in one direction he was sure to hear the song in
another. Sometimes he would even leave the water and crawl over the
soggy, boggy turf; and that was slow work for Timothy Turtle. You
may be sure it did not improve his temper to find that his journeying
had been all in vain.

It happened that at last somebody told Bobby Bobolink that Mr. Turtle
wanted to speak to him. And being most obliging, Bobby set out to find
Timothy. "It's a shame," he said, "to disappoint an old gentleman."

Anybody could tell, from that remark, that he didn't know Timothy
Turtle.

XIX

BOBBY'S MISTAKE

AFTER a good deal of searching Bobby Bobolink discovered Timothy Turtle
in a pool in Cedar Swamp, sunning himself on an old stump that was half
under water.

"Good morning, Mr. Turtle!" Bobby cried. "Is it true that you have
something to say to me?"

And feeling quite happy and care-free, Bobby began to sing one of his
most sprightly songs. For Mr. Turtle was a slow old fellow. It took him
some time to answer a question, especially when he was dozing.

But the moment Bobby Bobolink began to sing old Mr. Timothy Turtle came
to life instantly. And he was so angry at hearing that rollicking song
that much as he wanted to, he couldn't speak. Somehow the words seemed
to stick in his throat.

And for a few moments Timothy was afraid he was going to choke.

Now Bobby Bobolink was such a lively pe