t I give her those eyes she has? And didn't the robin give
her his own throat? And hasn't she a sunbeam inside, that shines all
through? And didn't Miss June roll up all the flowers she had, and a
dozen birds beside, and wrap the whole bundle up in Scrubby's brown
skin? I don't call that being so very poor, do you? Anyhow, she is not
so poor but that she could make me feel jolly every time she came
out-doors last summer to run after me and chatter to me."

The rabbit had been standing all this time with one cold foot wrapped
up in his ear. He unfolded his ear now, and wiped his eyes with it.

"She almost cried," he said. "Just think of one of my little bunnies
wanting anything she couldn't get, and crying about it! It just breaks
my heart."

"Tree!" chirped the chicken.

"Yes," said Mrs. Squirrel, "why don't you go and get a tree for
Scrubby? What do you all stand here for, chattering and doing nothing?
I'd give her mine, only that great beech couldn't be got into the
house."

"We wanted your advice," the sparrow suggested.

"Advice! You don't need any advice. Why don't you give her your own
tree? That little Norway spruce is just the thing. Come along, and
don't be so selfish!"

"I'm not selfish; but really Norway is not fit, and, besides, I don't
believe he'll go."

"Nonsense! He's a beautiful tree, only there isn't much green on him;
and of course he'll go, for we'll make him go," answered the very
decided Mrs. Squirrel.

So they all whisked away to the sparrow's roosting-place. Norway was
not in good health, that was evident. He was very thin, and his temper
was in bad condition too; for when the sparrow asked him if he would
please step out and come with them, he answered:

"Not much I wont! It's bad enough standing here in the ground, poorly
as I am, without coming out there in the snow; and I'll not do it for
anybody."

"Oh dear! Scrubby will be _so_ disappointed! What will she do?" they
all cried out at once.

"What's that about Scrubby? What has Scrubby got to do with my catching
my death-cold, anyhow?" asked Norway.

And then they told him the whole story. He hardly waited for them to
get through before he broke out talking very fast.

"Why didn't you say so? How should I know it was for Scrubby? Of
course, I'll go! I'd do anything for her. She did enough for me, I
should think,"--and, as quickly as he could, he pulled his one foot out
of the ground and hopped into the snow beside the horse.