heard often the sound of his horn as he called the straying sheep to
his side.

But he had not slept the whole night, and he was tired with his long
watch at his mother's bedside, and so in spite of himself the lashes
would droop occasionally over his blue eyes, for he was only a child,
and children feel the loss of sleep more than older people.

Still, Little Boy Blue had no intention of sleeping while he was on
duty, and bravely fought against the drowsiness that was creeping over
him. The sun shone very hot that day, and he walked to the shady side
of a big haystack and sat down upon the ground, leaning his back
against the stack.

The cows and sheep were quietly browsing near him, and he watched them
earnestly for a time, listening to the singing of the birds, and the
gentle tinkling of the bells upon the wethers, and the faraway songs
of the reapers that the breeze brought to his ears.

And before he knew it the blue eyes had closed fast, and the golden
head lay back upon the hay, and Little Boy Blue was fast asleep and
dreaming that his mother was well again and had come to the stile to
meet him.

The sheep strayed near the edge of the meadow and paused, waiting for
the warning sound of the horn. And the breeze carried the fragrance of
the growing corn to the nostrils of the browsing cows and tempted them
nearer and nearer to the forbidden feast. But the silver horn was
silent, and before long the cows were feeding upon the Squire's pet
cornfield and the sheep were enjoying themselves amidst the juicy