it surprised him to learn
that all winter long deep snow lay upon the ground, and cold winds
blew, and fierce storms often raged.

Though it was a hot summer's day, Major Monkey shivered at the mere
mention of such things. And he pulled his red cap further down upon
his head.

"If that's the case," he said, "I certainly don't want to spend the
winters here.... I don't see how you manage to live through them."

Jolly Robin laughed merrily. "Bless you!" he cried. "I don't stay here
the year 'round. As soon as it begins to grow chilly I go South, where
it's warm."

Now, Major Monkey looked worried when he heard about the bitter
winters in Pleasant Valley. His queer face had screwed itself into
even more wrinkles than it usually wore. But as soon as Jolly Robin
spoke of going to a warmer place, the Major brightened at once.

"I'm going South too!" he cried. "And if you've no objection we'll
travel together."

Jolly Robin said that nothing would please him more.

"I shall be glad to go with you--if my wife doesn't object," he assured
the Major.

"Oh! She won't mind," said Major Monkey. "She can go with us. We'll
make up a party.... She'll be lucky to go anywhere with such a famous
traveller as I am."

Jolly Robin said somewhat doubtfully that he hoped Mrs. Robin would
accept their plan. And then he dashed Major Monkey's high hopes by
remarking, "Of course, we always fly when we go South."

The Major's face fell. He looked careworn and unhappy again.

"I don't know how to fly," he faltered. "But if you'll fly low, and
slowly enough, perhaps I can run through the tree-tops fast enough to
keep up with you. I hope it isn't a long trip," he added somewhat
anxiously.

"It's about a thousand miles," Jolly Robin told him.

XIX

The Major's Scheme

"I never can run a thousand miles through the tree-tops," Major Monkey
told Jolly Robin in a tone of great disappointment. "I don't see how I
can spend the winter in the South; and I certainly don't want to stay
here, if it's as cold as you say." The poor Major looked so glum that
Jolly Robin was sorry for him.

"Can't you get a ride?" he asked.

"I could ride a horse, if I had one," Major Monkey replied.

"That's not a bad idea," Jolly Robin said. "But I'm afraid you'd have
trouble finding a horse. Farmer Green would scarcely care to spare one
of his horses for so long a trip."

"Well, I could ride a dog," said Major Monkey. "There's that dog at
the farm