bulrushes grow they found poor Mrs. Redwing in great distress.
She was afraid that Tommy Brown would find her dear little nest,
for he was very, very near it, and his eyes were very, very
sharp.

"Oh," cried the Merry Little Breezes, "we must help Mrs. Redwing
save her pretty speckled eggs from bad Tommy Brown!"

So one of the Merry Little Breezes whisked Tommy Brown's old
straw hat off his head over into the Green Meadows. Of course
Tommy ran after it. Just as he stooped to pick it up another
little Breeze ran away with it. Then they took turns, first one
little Breeze, then another little Breeze running away with the
old straw hat just as Tommy Brown would almost get his hands on
it. Down past the Smiling Pool and across the Laughing Brook they
raced and chased the old straw hat, Tommy Brown running after it,
very cross, very red in the face, and breathing very hard. Way
across the Green Meadows they ran to the edge of the wood, where
they hung the old straw hat in the middle of a thorn tree. By
the time Tommy Brown had it once more on his head he had
forgotten all about Mrs. Redwing and her dear little nest.
Besides, he heard the breakfast horn blowing just then, so off he
started for home up the Lone Little Path through the wood.

And all the Merry Little Breezes danced away across the Green
Meadows to the swamp where the bulrushes grow to see the new
speckled egg in the dear little nest where Mrs. Redwing was
singing for joy. And while she sang the Merry Little Breezes
danced among the bulrushes, for they knew, and Mrs. Redwing knew,
that some day out of that pretty new speckled egg would come a