When she was dozing on the doorstep he liked to steal very close, wake her with a sharp bark, and then race for the nearest tree, and there scold her to his heart’s content.  He had made friends with Mrs. Brown and with Farmer Brown, and he even felt almost friends with Bowser the Hound.  Sometimes he would climb up on the roof of Bowser’s little house and drop nutshells on Bowser’s head when he was asleep.  The funny thing was Bowser never seemed to mind.  He would lazily open his eyes and wink one of them at Happy Jack and thump with his tail.  He seemed to feel that now Happy Jack was one of the family, just as he was.

So Happy Jack was just as happy as a fat Gray Squirrel with nothing to worry him could be.  He was so happy that Sammy Jay actually became jealous.  You know Sammy is a born trouble maker.  He visited Happy Jack every morning, and while he helped himself to the good things that he always found spread for him, for Farmer Brown’s boy always had something for the little feathered folk to eat, he would hint darkly that such goodness and kindness was not to be trusted, and that something was sure to happen.  That is just the way with some folks; they always are suspicious.

But nothing that Sammy Jay could say troubled Happy Jack; and Sammy would fly away quite put out because he couldn’t spoil Happy Jack’s happiness the least little bit.

CHAPTER XXXIII

SAMMY JAY UPSETS HAPPY JACK

A good deed well done often is overlooked,
but you never are allowed to forget a mistake.

Happy Jack.

Sammy Jay chuckled as he flew across the snow-covered Green Meadows on his way to his home in the Green Forest.  He chuckled and he chuckled.  To have heard him you would have thought that either he had thought of something very pleasant, or something very pleasant had happened to him.  Once he turned in the direction of Farmer Brown’s house, but changed his mind as he saw the Black Shadows creeping out from the Purple Hills, and once more headed for the Green Forest.

“Too late to-day.  Time I was home now.  It’ll keep until to-morrow,” he muttered.  Then he chuckled, and he was still chuckling when he reached the big hemlock tree, among the thick branches of which he spent each night.

“Don’t know what started me off to the Old Pasture this afternoon, but I’m glad I went.  My, my, my, but I’m glad I went,” said he, as he fluffed out his feathers and prepared to tuck his head under his wing.  “It pays to snoop around in this world and see what is going on.  I learned a long time ago not to believe everything I hear, and that the surest way to make sure of things is to find out for myself.  Nothing like using my own eyes and my own ears.  Well, I must get to sleep.”  He began to chuckle again, and he was still chuckling as he fell asleep.

The next morning Sammy Jay was astir at the very first sign of light.  He waited just long enough to see that every feather was in place, for Sammy is a bit vain, and very particular about his dress.  Then he headed straight for Farmer Brown’s house.  Just as he expected he found Happy Jack Squirrel was awake, for Happy Jack is an early riser.