still so full of giggles that he could not get his mouth closed, and
every time just as he went to tap the tree with his bill he would give a
giggle.

"A teasel pick pickles! Ha! Ha! Ha!" laughed Old Mister Woodpecker. "Ho!
Ho! Ho!" and it was four minutes before he could get the corner of his
lips down so that he could get his mouth closed.

So Old Mister Woodpecker could not laugh and work at the same time, and
that may be the reason why only a very few people have ever heard Mister
Woodpecker laugh out loud, and not so very many people have even seen
him smile.

CHAPTER VII

MISTER ROBERT ROBIN AND HIS FAMILY TAKE A VACATION

In the country where Robert Robin lived there were a great many lakes
and streams. The streams ran down through the valleys, and emptied into
the lakes, and the waters from the lakes emptied into larger streams
which flowed into a great lake which looked as large as the sea.

Mister Robert Robin thought that the big lake was the sea, and all the
other robins in his part of the country thought the same thing, so it
was to the shore of the great lake that Robert Robin and his family went
for their vacation.

The children were delighted with the trip across the country. It was
great fun to fly from one woods to another, and then look around to see
what new things could be found. No one was in a hurry to get anywhere.

"We have all the time there is!" said Mrs. Robin.

"Let us not be in a hurry!" said Robert Robin. "When one is taking a
vacation he should never be in a hurry to get where he is going!"

"Much haste, less speed!" said Mrs. Robin. "Children, get your father to
sing you his Wait-a-bit song!"

Then all the youngster robins began to coax Robert Robin to sing his
Wait-a-bit song.

"Daddy! Please sing us your Wait-a-bit song! Daddy! Please sing us your
Wait-a-bit song!"

So at last Robert Robin perched himself in the top of a tall butternut
tree and sang them his Wait-a-bit song:

"Never hurry,
Wait a bit!
Never worry,
Wait a bit!
Do your work!
Never shirk!
Never hurry!
Never worry!
Wait a bit!"

Before Robert Robin had finished singing his Wait-a-bit song Mister
Catbird came rushing over from the edge of a tangled swamp, and perched
himself near Robert Robin, in the top of the tall butternut tree. When
Robert Robin was through with his song, Mister Catbird said: "Mister
Robin, you are a stranger to me but as I have never