One morning, when Johnny Chuck had led the three little Chucks farther from home than usual, Farmer Brown’s boy took it into his head to visit the old orchard.  Johnny Chuck did not see him coming.  You see, the orchard grass had grown so tall that even when he sat up his very straightest, Johnny could not always see over the top of it.  So this morning he failed to see Farmer Brown’s boy coming.

But Sammy Jay, sitting in his snug hiding-place in the top of one of the old apple-trees, saw him.  At first Sammy Jay’s sharp eyes twinkled.  There would be some fun now!  Perhaps Farmer Brown’s boy would catch one of the little Chucks!  Sammy Jay could picture to himself the fright of Johnny Chuck and the three little Chucks.  He fairly hugged himself in delight, for you know Sammy Jay dearly loves to see other people in trouble.

Then he thought of all the fun he had had watching those three little Chucks learn their lessons, and suddenly the thought of anything happening to them made Sammy Jay feel uncomfortable.  Almost without stopping to think, he screamed at the top of his lungs: 

“Run, Johnny Chuck, run!  Here comes Farmer Brown’s boy!”

And Johnny Chuck ran.  He didn’t wait to ask questions or even to look.  He started the three little Chucks ahead of him, and he nipped their heels to make them run faster.  And just in time they reached the snug house under the old apple-tree in the far corner.

Farmer Brown’s boy was just in time to see them disappear.  He watched Sammy Jay flying over to the Green Forest and screaming “Thief! thief!” as he flew.

“I wonder now if that jay warned those chucks purposely,” said he, as he scratched his head thoughtfully.

If Peter Rabbit had been there, he could have told him that Sammy Jay did, for he knows all about Sammy Jay and his tricks.  But Peter wasn’t there.  The fact is, Peter was very busy doing the most foolish of all the foolish things he has ever done—­trying to change his name.  You may read all about it in The Adventures of Peter Cottontail.  You see it takes a whole book to tell all about Peter and his doings.

*** End of the project gutenberg EBOOK, the adventures of Johnny Chuck ***

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