“Now it chanced that Mr. and Mrs. Gobbler, the first of the Turkey family, chose a certain little grove of trees in which to make their home, and it became known as Turkey Wood.  There, in course of time, Mrs. Turkey made her nest on the ground, well hidden among some bushes, and in it laid twelve big eggs.  It was the day on which she laid the twelfth big egg that old Mr. Bob-cat, who, of course, wasn’t old then, took it into his head to prowl about in Turkey Wood.  Already Mr. Bob-cat had begun to form a sneaky habit of stealth.  He was very fond of watching his neighbors to find out what they were about, and it was this fondness of minding the business of other people instead of his own that was making him sneaky and stealthy, for of course he didn’t want any one to know what he was doing.

“It happened that as he stole into Turkey Wood, Mrs. Gobbler left her nest to get a bite to eat.  Mr. Bob-cat saw her, but she didn’t see him.  He crouched flat until she was out of sight.

“‘She seemed mighty careful about how she slipped out of those bushes,’ thought Mr. Bob-cat.  ’She acted as if she didn’t want to be seen.  I wonder why.  I wonder if she has a secret hidden in those bushes.  I suppose the way to find out is to look.’

“First making sure that no one saw him, Mr. Bob-cat crept in his sneaky way into the bushes, and it didn’t take him long to find that nest with the twelve big eggs.  He didn’t know what they were, for they were the first eggs he had ever seen.  He stared at them and wondered if they were good to eat.  He glanced this way and that way to be sure that no one was watching him.

“‘Don’t touch them,’ warned something inside of him.  ’These belong to Mrs. Gobbler, and Old Mother Nature has put you on your honor not to interfere with others or their affairs.’

“‘It won’t do any harm just to touch them and see what they are like,’ said another little tempting voice inside of him.

“‘Remember your honor,’ warned the first little voice.

“‘Bother my honor!  I’m not going to do any harm,’ muttered Mr. Bob-cat, and picked up one of the eggs in his mouth.  He tried it with his teeth to see if it was hard, and of course he put his teeth right through the shell.  He started to put it back in a hurry, but just then he noticed a good taste in his mouth.  The inside of that egg was good to eat, very good indeed!

“‘One won’t be missed,’ thought Mr. Bob-cat, and then, fearing that Mrs. Gobbler would return, he bounded away, taking the egg with him.

“When Mrs. Gobbler returned, she did miss that egg.  She looked all about for it, but there was nothing to show what had become of it.  With a troubled mind she began to sit on her eggs.  She was so worried that she didn’t leave them until she simply had to get something to eat.

“Meanwhile Mr. Bob-cat had eaten that egg, and it had tasted so good that he could think of nothing but how he could get another.  So at the first opportunity he sneaked back to Turkey Wood, and without making a sound crept in among the bushes until he could see Mrs. Gobbler sitting on her eggs.  There he lay and watched and watched until Mrs. Gobbler left to get something to eat.  No sooner was she out of sight than Mr. Bob-cat stole to the nest.