Sammy was a little surprised when he saw Happy Jack jump over on to the window-sill.  Still, he had been on that window-sill more than once himself, when he had made sure that no one was near, and had helped himself to the cracked nuts he had found there.

“Come on!” called Happy Jack, his eyes twinkling.

Sammy Jay chuckled.  “He thinks I don’t dare go over there,” he thought.  “Well, I’ll fool him.”

With a hasty look to see that no danger was near, he spread his wings to follow Happy Jack on to the window-sill.  Happy Jack waited to make sure that he really was coming and then slipped in at the open window and scampered over to a table on the farther side of the room and helped himself from a dish of nuts there.

When Sammy saw Happy Jack disappear inside he gave a little gasp.  When he looked inside and saw Happy Jack making himself quite at home, he gasped again.  And when he saw a door open and Farmer Brown’s boy enter, and still Happy Jack did not run, he was too upset for words.  He didn’t dare stay to see more, and for once in his life was quite speechless as he flew back to the Green Forest.

CHAPTER XXIV

A DREAM COMES TRUE

    What are all our dreams made up of
      That they often are so queer? 
    Wishes, hopes, and fond desires
      All mixed up with foolish fears.

    Happy Jack.

Which is worse, to have a very beautiful dream never come true, or to have a bad dream really come true?  Happy Jack Squirrel says the latter is worse, much worse.  Dreams do come true once in a great while, you know.  One of Happy Jack’s did.  It came true, and it made a great difference in Happy Jack’s life.  You see, it was like this: 

Happy Jack had had so many things to think of that he had almost forgotten about Shadow the Weasel.  Happy Jack hadn’t seen or heard anything of him since Farmer Brown’s boy had chased him into the Green Forest and so saved Happy Jack’s life.  Since then life had been too full of pleasant things to think of anything so unpleasant as Shadow the Weasel.  But one night Happy Jack had a bad dream.  Yes, Sir, it was a very bad dream.  He dreamed that once more Shadow the Weasel was after him, and this time there was no Farmer Brown’s boy to run to for help.  Shadow was right at his heels and in one more jump would have him.  Happy Jack opened his mouth to scream, and—­awoke.

He was all ashake with fright.  It was a great relief to find that it was only a dream, but even then he couldn’t get over it right away.  He was glad that it was almost morning, and just as soon as it was light enough to see, he crept out.  It was too early to go over to Farmer Brown’s house; Farmer Brown’s boy wouldn’t be up yet.  So Happy Jack ran over to one of his favorite lookouts, a tall chestnut tree, and there, with his back against the trunk, high above the ground, he watched the Green Forest wake as the first Sunbeams stole through it.  But all the time he kept thinking of that dreadful dream.