her family, and they were now nearly
large enough to fly.
The wheat was ripe and the mother knew that men might come to the field
any day to reap; so she said to her little ones, "I am going out to get
your breakfast. You must keep your ears and eyes wide open while I am
gone; if you see or hear anything strange, you must tell me about it
when I come back."
"All right, mother," said the young larks, "we shall do as you tell us."
The mother had been gone but a few minutes when the farmer who owned
the field and his son came out to look at the wheat.
"This grain is ready to cut," said the farmer to his son. "This evening
go to our neighbor, Mr. White, and ask him to cut it for us to-morrow."
The little larks were much frightened. They could hardly wait for their
mother to get home.
"Oh, mother!" they called out as soon as they saw her; "do take us away
from this field. The farmer has sent for Mr. White to cut this wheat
to-morrow."
"If that is so," said the mother, "you need have no fear. If he waits
for his neighbor to do his work, his wheat will not be cut."
Late the next afternoon while the mother lark was away, the farmer and
his son came to the field again.
"Did you ask Mr. White to reap the grain?" said the farmer.
"Yes," replied his son, "and he promised to come."
"But he has not come," said the farmer, "and it is so late that I know
he will not come to-day. The wheat will spoil if it is not cut. If our
neighbors will not help us, we shall have to call upon our relatives.
Go out this afternoon and ask your uncle John and his sons to cut the
wheat for us to-morrow."
As soon as the mother came home, the little birds said, "The wheat will
surely be cut tomorrow, for the farmer has sent for his relatives to
cut it. Please take us away to-night, mother."
"Don't worry," said the mother; "there is no danger so long as the
farmer waits for his relatives to do the work. We will stay right here
to-night."
About noon the next day, the farmer and his son came to the field
again. "This grain is still standing," said the father. "I told you to
get your uncle John and his sons to cut it today. Why has nothing been
done?"
"I called upon them and asked them to cut the wheat. They said that
they would be here this morning. I do not know why they did not come."
"This grain must not stand another day," said the farmer. "It is
shelling out now. You and I will come out here early to-morrow and cut
it
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