."

Father said to Hobson, "I'm ready for the children now."

Hobson lifted Bobby to the foot of the little ladder which is at the
front of a hay-rack. Bobby climbed up the ladder and Father reached down
and pulled him up to the top of the load.

"Here's a safe place for you," said Father, as he put Bobby in the big
nest.

Then Hobson lifted Baby Betty. "You had better bring her all the way
up," said Father. "She is too little to climb the ladder."

Hobson carried her up the ladder and put her in the nest.

"You may drive," said Father to Hobson. "I'll stay with the children."
So there they were in the nest, Father and Bobby and Betty, on top of
the big load of hay.

All the way up the lane they rode.

"We must be close to the sky," said Bobby.

"We're on top of the world," said Father.

Finally, they came to the Red Barn. The big front doors were open. Very
wide and high they were, but the load of hay reached almost to the top.

"We must all scooch down," said Father, "or it will strike us."

So they all bent over flat on the hay, while Prince and Daisy drew them
safely into the big barn.

"Now we must climb down the ladder," said Bobby.

"Wait a minute," said Father. "Sit quietly until I call you."

Father climbed down.

"Ready, Hobson," he called.

Hobson took Bobby over to the side of the load. There was Father
standing below him, waiting with outstretched arms.

"Slide down, Bobby; I'll catch you," said Father.

Down the side of the load of hay slid Bobby, straight into Father's
arms.

Then it came Betty's turn.

"It's so high," she said. "I'm 'fraid."

"Don't be scared; I'll catch you," said Father.

"Father'll catch you," called up Bobby.

Betty took courage.

Down she slid, down the side of the load of hay, straight into Father's
arms.

After that load was pitched into the hay-mow, they went for another, and
then another, all day long.

Every time, Bobby and Betty rode in the nest on top of the load of hay.

[Illustration: BOBBY FORGETS]

IX

In a chicken coop in the back yard at Cloverfield Farm, lived Old
Speckle with her ten chickens.

It was Bobby's duty to feed them. Three times a day--morning, noon and
night--he would take the basin of corn meal and water which Mother had
stirred up, and would throw it by spoonfuls into the coop for the
chickens.

Old Speckle would call, "Cluck, cluck, cluck!" and the ten little chicks
would come running to eat.

He wou