Happy Jack stared at him very hard.  “My goodness, I didn’t know he carried his food that way!” he exclaimed.  “I should think it would be dreadfully uncomfortable.”

If Farmer Brown’s boy could have heard that, he certainly would have tried to laugh, and if he had—­well, it was bad enough when he tried to smile at the sight of Tommy Tit and Happy Jack.  He didn’t smile at all but made up an awful face instead and clapped both hands to his cheeks.  Happy Jack and Tommy Tit didn’t know what to make of it, and it was some time before they made up their minds that it really was Farmer Brown’s boy, and that they had nothing to fear.  But when they finally ventured on to the sill and, as they helped themselves to nuts, saw the smile in his eyes, though he did not smile with his mouth at all, they knew that it was he, and that he was glad that they had called.  Then they were glad too.

But what was the matter with Farmer Brown’s boy?  Happy Jack puzzled over it all the rest of the day, and then gave it up.

CHAPTER XXI

HAPPY JACK SQUIRREL GROWS VERY BOLD

    When you find a friend in trouble
      Pass along a word of cheer. 
    Often it is very helpful
      Just to feel a friend is near.

    Happy Jack.

Every day Happy Jack visited the window sill of Farmer Brown’s house to call on Farmer Brown’s boy, who was always waiting for him just inside the window.  In fact Happy Jack had got into the habit of getting his breakfast there, for always there were fat, delicious nuts on the window-sill, and it was much easier and more comfortable to breakfast there than to hunt up his own hidden supplies and perhaps have to dig down through the snow to get them.  Most people are just like Happy Jack—­they do the easiest thing.

Each day Farmer Brown’s boy looked more and more like himself.  His cheeks stuck out less and less, and finally did not stick out at all.  And now he smiled at Happy Jack with his mouth as well as with his eyes.  You know when his cheeks had stuck out so, he couldn’t smile at all except with his eyes.  Happy Jack didn’t know what had been the matter with Farmer Brown’s boy, but whatever it was, he was better now, and that made Happy Jack feel better.

One morning he got a surprise.  When he ran out along the branch of the tree that led to the window-sill he suddenly discovered something wrong.  There were no nuts on the sill!  More than this there was something very suspicious looking about the window.  It didn’t look just right.  The truth is it was partly open, but Happy Jack didn’t understand this, not then, anyway.  He stopped short and scolded, a way he has when things don’t suit him.  Farmer Brown’s boy came to the window and called to him.  Then he thrust a hand out, and in it were some of the fattest nuts Happy Jack ever had seen.  His mouth watered right away.  There might be something wrong with the window, but certainly the sill was all right.  It would do no harm to go that far.