Mother Noah wrung
her hands and said, 'Oh, dear! We'll all be lost. We'll never get
ashore!'

"Just then my ancestor began to whistle, and the next minute a beam of
sunshine broke through the clouds and settled upon him.

"'My dear, we are reproved,' said Father Noah. 'The little bird has more
courage than we have. Hear him whistle.'

"Then everybody turned to look at the brave little whistler. He was so
embarrassed that he BLUSHED--we were gray before that time, they
say--blushed so very deeply that our feathers have never lost their
bright red from that day to this."

"Well, well," exclaimed the little rabbit. "When do you go away for the
winter?"

"I'm not going away--I'm going to stay right here," answered Red Bird.

"You'll find it pretty breezy up there," said Little Jack Rabbit with a
twinkle of his pink nose.

"Oh, I don't know. I've got on my double-breasted red coat."

"But what will you find to eat when the berries are all gone?" asked the
little rabbit.

"I'll pick up crumbs at the Old Farm House," replied Red Bird
cheerfully.

"You've got a sunshiny disposition," said Little Jack Rabbit admiringly.
"I guess your ancestors handed down something besides a red coat--some
of that sunshine that turned his feathers red must have crept into his
heart."

"I don't know," replied Red Bird.

"Maybe it doesn't make much difference how you got it, as long as you
keep it," said the little bunny as he hopped back into the Old Bramble
Patch to tell his mother all about it.

TURKEY TIM

TURKEY TIM in his turban-colored comb strutted about the Old Farmyard,
spreading his tail like a Japanese fan to the bright light that Mr.
Merry Sun sent down from the Big Blue Sky.

"I wonder what makes Turkey Tim so proud?" asked Henny Penny.

Little Jack Rabbit wiggled his pink nose, but said nothing.

"Is it because the Kind Farmer is buying chestnuts for him from Chippy
Chipmunk?"

Still the little rabbit made no reply.

"Please tell me," begged Henny Penny. "You can whisper in my ear."

"Turkey Tim thinks the Kind Farmer is fond of him, but that's not the
reason," answered the little rabbit.

"What is the reason?" asked Henny Penny, who you see by this time was a
very curious little hen.

"Turkey Tim wouldn't believe me if I told him," said the little rabbit.

"Wouldn't he?" exclaimed the little hen, her feathers ruffled with
excitement and curiosity.

"It's a big secret," whispered the little