alf," said Father, as he put the number down in
a book.

"How do they make the wool into clothes?" asked Bobby.

"It is first spun into yarn," said Father. "Do you remember the old
spinning wheel we have up in the attic?"

"Oh, yes," said Bobby. "That is what I turn my buzz-saw with."

"Well," said Father, "your grandmother used that wheel to spin yarn from
wool like this."

"And then they knit stockings from the yarn," said Bobby.

"Yes," said Father; "but my grandmother used to weave the yarn into
cloth on a loom. And she made the cloth into clothes for her children to
wear."

"I wish Mother would spin yarn and make clothes," said Bobby.

"We find it cheaper to sell the wool and buy our clothes," said Father.

"And perhaps Mother has enough to do," said Bobby.

Then they went back to get another fleece.

When the sheep were all sheared, Rover drove them down the long lane to
their pasture.

And it was not long before the whole flock were once more nibbling grass
in the meadow.

[Illustration: RED TOP]

VI

The proudest creature on Cloverfield Farm was Red Top, the big rooster.

He was called Red Top because of his beautiful, big red comb.

Red Top was proud of his big red comb. He was proud of his glossy
reddish-brown feathers. He was proud of his crow.

"Just hear those silly hens," he would say. "All they can do is to
cackle. But listen to my beautiful song. Cock-a-doodle-doo,
cock-a-doodle-doo! Was there ever a grander sound?"

Every morning, on his perch in the hen-house, he would waken and crow
before the break of day. Then he would go out in front of the hen-house
and crow three or four times.

But the place he liked best for crowing was a little mound near the
house. Farmer Hill's window was just above the little mound. John's
window was near by.

Before they were awake, every morning in Summer, Red Top would go there
and crow at the top of his voice.

Farmer Hill would waken and say, "There is Red Top. It is time to get
up."

John would waken and say, "I wish Red Top would crow somewhere else."

Then there came a holiday when they did not need to get up so early.
The evening before, Farmer Hill said, "I wish some one would keep Red
Top from crowing under my window to-morrow morning, so I could sleep."

"I'll keep him away," said Bobby.

"You will have to watch or he will get there in spite of you," said
Father.

"I don't believe you _could_ keep him away," said John.