Buddy Jim Read online

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  BUDDY JIM

  _By_ ELIZABETH GORDON

  _Pictures by_ JOHN RAE

  _Published by_ THE P.F. VOLLAND COMPANY JOLIET, ILLINOIS NEW YORK BOSTON

  Copyright, 1922 P. F. VOLLAND COMPANY CHICAGO, U.S.A.

  All rights reserved

  Copyright Great Britain, 1922

  Printed in U.S.A.

  _Twenty-third Edition_

  Foreword

  Out in the Park one day, children, I met a little boy not bigger thanyou are, who told me that he liked stories about a boy and a dog andthe things they did together.

  He said that it must be a _real boy_ and a _real dog_, and there mustbe other animals in the story, not great, big, fierce ones, but just_neighborly_ ones--animals a boy might, perhaps, meet when he went forwalks in the woods--and take pictures of and get to know.

  So this is the story of the way a _real boy_ and a _real dog_ spenttheir first summer in the _real country_; and the fun they had together.

  Buddy Jim and old Dog Sandy are waiting for us over on the front page.

  Your very own, Elizabeth Gordon

  They were going to get an early start]

 

  LEAVING HOME IN THE CITY

  _"We're going to the Country," Said little Buddy Jim. And all his little play-mates said, "How dull 'twill be, for him." "It's like a great, big, vacant lot, Just land and air and sky!" "No boys! No games! Oh dear!" said Jim, "Don't want to say Goodbye!"_

  But he had to say "Goodbye," because all the other boys' Mothers werecalling them in to go to bed, and as Buddy Jim and his family weregoing to get an early start for their trip to the country in theirautomobile, there would be no time for saying farewells in the morning.

  So all the boys ran home, shouting last messages to Buddy Jim as theywent. "Bring us a tame bull-frog," said one, and "I'd like a greysquirrel to keep in a cage," said another.

  As Buddy Jim heard the last door close behind the last small boy hefelt very lonely indeed; so he sat down on the porch swing to think itover.

  He could hear Daddy moving around in the house, getting everythingready for the early morning start, and he knew that it would not bevery many minutes before he would be called in to go to bed; and hewanted to get his thinking done first, so he had to do it quickly.

  There was one thing that he was very sure of; he did _not_ want to goaway and leave all his play-mates behind. "Course," he thought, "therewould prob'ly be _some_ fun in the country,"--but he _knew_ that therewas loads and _loads_ of it in the city, base ball and three old cat,and swimming in the lake, and chasing butterflies, and working in theschool gardens, helping Alex the crippled boy in the wheel chair totrain his bull-pups, and "Oh, Goodness' Sakes! So _many_ things! Somany _int'resting_ things to do."

  "I don't _want_ to go," he murmured aloud. "There'll be no one to playwith; three whole months, and no one to play with! Not much fun tothink about! I'll prob'ly just fade away and _die_!" he wailed.

  Then somebody laughed, "Ha, ha, ha!" To be sure, it was a queer,squeaky little laugh, and Buddy Jim had never heard anything like itbefore, but it sounded very jolly.

  "Now I wonder," said Buddy Jim, "what _that_ was? It _sounded_ justlike somebody laughing! But there's no one here 'cept me."

  "Hello, Buddy Jim," said the same squeaky little voice, "Hello! Can'tyou see me? Here I am, up above you, in the corner of the porchceiling, hanging on a nail."

  Buddy Jim peered up into the darkness above him, and sure enough he sawa funny, fussy little body, hanging head downward, so that a pair oflittle eyes, in a funny little fox-like face, were laughing down at him.

  "Why!" said Buddy Jim in surprise, "Why! Who are you?"

  "I? Oh! I'm just Reddy Bat, and when I heard you say that you weresad because you were going to the Country to live this summer, I justcouldn't help laughing. I just laughed right out loud! Why, I'd almostgive my right wing to go to the Country to live."

  "Then why don't you?" asked Buddy Jim. It's "not very far." "Can't"said Reddy Bat, "Can't, I've got a family to support. Can't afford toleave these good hunting grounds just for the pleasure of living in thecountry."

  "What do you hunt, here?" asked Buddy Jim, politely.

  "Oh, flies and mosquitoes, and dragon flies, and bugs of all sorts,"said Reddy Bat. "Don't you ever hear us swooping around after dark?"

  "Now I come to think of it," said Buddy Jim, "I think I have. But Ithought you were some night bird. Anyway, do you really think therewill be any fun in the Country?"

  "There will be if you make it," said Reddy Bat, "there never _is_ anyfun anywhere _unless_ one makes it for himself. But _I_ could have agood time there. I've some cousins who live there, and if you happen tomeet them, just give them my best wishes, will you, like a good chap?"

  "Why yes, I certainly will," said Buddy Jim, "if I _see_ them," headded. "But maybe I won't see them! I've never seen you before in allmy life until now, you know."

  Reddy Bat laughed again. "I know it," he said, "and I live right hereon your front lawn, in your own oak trees, and bring my family out forsupper and exercise every evening."

  "Where do you leave your children when you come out?"

  "Leave the _children_!" said Reddy Bat in surprise. "Leave the precious_children_! Why, we wouldn't _think_ of such a thing. Mrs. Reddy Batalways takes our children with her when we leave home. Why we wouldnot have an easy moment all the time we were away if we left _them_ athome!"

  "I think you are very tender-hearted," said Buddy Jim. "Most folks saythe Bats are ugly and not friendly." "Well," said Reddy Bat, "_I know_we are _not_ very beautiful to look at, but I suppose we are very muchlike other people; we try to defend ourselves when we are molested. Butif people treat _us_ kindly, we treat _them_ kindly."

  "But, Reddy Bat," said Buddy Jim, "tell me what fun _is_ there in theCountry?"

  "You'll see," laughed Reddy Bat, "living in the Country will make youreyes open wide so that you _can_ see! And now Goodnight and Goodbye,Buddy Jim. It's time for me to go to work and for you to go to bed."And Reddy Bat unhooked the tip of his wing from the nail in the cornerof the porch roof, and flew past Buddy with a laugh and a whizz and wasgone!

  Buddy Jim sat up and looked after him. He felt much happier! Just thenDaddy called, "Bedtime, Son!"

  "Dad," said the little boy, "I b'lieve I'm going to like living in theCountry, after all!"

  "Sure to, Son," said Daddy, and they gravely shook hands on it.