VI

FARMER BROWN'S BOY VISITS THE SMILING POOL


Farmer Brown's boy had heard Welcome Robin singing in the Old
Orchard quite as soon as Peter Rabbit had, and that song of "Cheer
up! Cheer up! Cheer up! Cheer!" had awakened quite as much gladness
in his heart as it had in Peter's heart. It meant that Mistress
Spring really had arrived, and that over in the Green Forest and
down on the Green Meadows there would soon be shy blue, and just
as shy white violets to look for, and other flowers almost if not
quite as sweet and lovely. It meant that his feathered friends would
soon be busy house-hunting and building. It meant that his little
friends in fur would also be doing something very similar, if
they had not already done so. It meant that soon there would be a
million lovely things to see and a million joyous sounds to hear.

So the sound of Welcome Robin's voice made the heart of Farmer Brown's
boy even more happy than it was before, and as Welcome Robin just
HAD to sing, so Farmer Brown's boy just HAD to whistle. When his
work was finished, it seemed to Farmer Brown's boy that something
was calling him, calling him to get out on the Green Meadows or over
in the Green Forest and share in the happiness of all the little
people there. So presently he decided that he would go down to the
Smiling Pool to find out how Jerry Muskrat was, and if Grandfather