chanced that Mr. and Mrs. Gobbler, the first of the Turkey
family, chose a certain little grove of trees in which to make their
home, and it became known as Turkey Wood. There, in course of time, Mrs.
Turkey made her nest on the ground, well hidden among some bushes, and
in it laid twelve big eggs. It was the day on which she laid the twelfth
big egg that old Mr. Bob-cat, who, of course, wasn't old then, took it
into his head to prowl about in Turkey Wood. Already Mr. Bob-cat had
begun to form a sneaky habit of stealth. He was very fond of watching
his neighbors to find out what they were about, and it was this fondness
of minding the business of other people instead of his own that was
making him sneaky and stealthy, for of course he didn't want any one to
know what he was doing.

"It happened that as he stole into Turkey Wood, Mrs. Gobbler left her
nest to get a bite to eat. Mr. Bob-cat saw her, but she didn't see him.
He crouched flat until she was out of sight.

"'She seemed mighty careful about how she slipped out of those bushes,'
thought Mr. Bob-cat. 'She acted as if she didn't want to be seen. I
wonder why. I wonder if she has a secret hidden in those bushes. I
suppose the way to find out is to look.'

"First making sure that no one saw him, Mr. Bob-cat crept in his sneaky
way into the bushes, and it didn't take him long to find that nest with
the twelve big eggs. He didn't know what they were, for they were the
first eggs he had ever seen. He stared at them and wondered if they were
good to eat. He glanced this way and that way to be sure that no one was
watching him.

"'Don't touch them,' warned something inside of him. 'These belong to
Mrs. Gobbler, and Old Mother Nature has put you on your honor not to
interfere with others or their affairs.'

"'It won't do any harm just to touch them and see what they are like,'
said another little tempting voice inside of him.

"'Remember your honor,' warned the first little voice.

"'Bother my honor! I'm not going to do any harm,' muttered Mr. Bob-cat,
and picked up one of the eggs in his mouth. He tried it with his teeth
to see if it was hard, and of course he put his teeth right through the
shell. He started to put it back in a hurry, but just then he noticed a
good taste in his mouth. The inside of that egg was good to eat, very
good indeed!

"'One won't be missed,' thought Mr. Bob-cat, and then, fearing that Mrs.
Gobbler would return, he bounded away, taking