So Happy Jack nimbly jumped across to the window-sill.  Farmer Brown’s boy’s hand with the fat nuts was still there, and Happy Jack lost no time in getting one.  Then he sat up on the sill to eat it.  My, but it was good!  It was just as good as it had looked.  Happy Jack’s eyes twinkled as he ate.  When he had finished that nut, he wanted another.  But now Farmer Brown’s boy had drawn his hand inside the window.  He was still holding it out with the nuts in it, but to get them Happy Jack must go inside, and he couldn’t get it out of his head that that was a very dangerous thing to do.  What if that window should be closed while he was in there?  Then he would be a prisoner.

So he sat up and begged.  He knew that Farmer Brown’s boy knew what he wanted.  But Farmer Brown’s boy kept his hand just where it was.

“Come on, you little rascal,” said he.  “You ought to know me well enough by this time to know that I won’t hurt you or let any harm come to you.  Hurry up, because I can’t stand here all day.  You see, I’ve just got over the mumps, and if I should catch cold I might be sick again.  Come along now, and show how brave you are.”

Of course Happy Jack couldn’t understand what he said.  If he could have, he might have guessed that it was the mumps that had made Farmer Brown’s boy look so like Striped Chipmunk when he has his cheeks stuffed with nuts.  But if he couldn’t understand what Farmer Brown’s boy said, he had no difficulty in understanding that if he wanted those nuts he would have to go after them.  So at last he screwed up his courage and put his head inside.  Nothing happened, so he went wholly in and sat on the inside sill.  Then by reaching out as far as he could without tumbling off, he managed to get one of those nuts, and as soon as he had it, he dodged outside to eat it.

Farmer Brown’s boy laughed, and putting the rest of the nuts outside, he closed the window.  Happy Jack ate his fill and then scampered back to the Green Forest.  He felt all puffed up with pride.  He felt that he had been very, very bold, and he was anxious to tell Tommy Tit the Chickadee, who had not been with him that morning, how bold he had been.

“Pooh, that’s nothing!” replied Tommy, when he had heard about it.  “I’ve done that often.”

CHAPTER XXII

HAPPY JACK DARES TOMMY TIT

    A wise philosopher is he
    Who takes things as they chance to be,
    And in them sees that which is best
    While trying to forget the rest.

    Happy Jack.

Somehow Happy Jack’s day had been spoiled.  He knew that he had no business to allow it to be spoiled, but it was, just the same.  You see, he had been all puffed up with pride because he thought himself a very bold fellow because he had really been inside Farmer Brown’s house.  He couldn’t help feeling quite puffed up about it.  But when he told Tommy Tit the Chickadee about it, Tommy had said, “Pooh!  I’ve done that often.”