everybody goes to school;

that's the universal rule.

mother nature long ago

said it always should be so.

of course there are all kinds of schools, but to one kind or another everybody has to go. a lot of people don't know they are going to school, but they are, just the same. if you should ask them what school they go to, they would tell you they don't go to any. but they do just the same. they go to the hardest school of all, the school of experience. that is the school in which we all learn how to live and take care of ourselves. it is just the same with the little meadow and forest people. the four babies of johnny and polly chuck went to school in the old orchard just as soon as they were big enough to run around. it was the same way with the children of peter rabbit in the dear old briar-patch and the youngsters of danny and nanny meadow mouse on the green meadows and une' billy possum's lively family in the green forest and little joe otter's two hopefuls in the laughing brook. so of course all the little bob whites started in to go to school almost as soon as they were out of their shells.

the very first thing they learned was to mind their parents, which is the very first lesson all little folks must learn. “you see, my dears,” explained mrs. bob, as they nestled under her wings, “the great world is full of dangers, especially for little bob whites, and so if you want to live to grow up to be as handsome and smart as your father, you must mind instantly when we speak to you.”

so as every one of the fifteen little bob whites wanted to five to grow up to be as handsome and smart as their father, each one took the greatest care to mind the very second bob or mrs. bob spoke. while they were in the dear old briar-patch they were quite safe, but just the same every little while mrs. bob would give the danger signal, which meant to squat and keep perfectly still, or another call that meant to come running to her as fast as ever they could. it wasn't until she was sure that they had learned to mind instantly that she led them out on to the green meadows among the grasses and the weeds.

then there was always real danger as she took great pains to tell them. there was danger from the air where old redtail the hawk sailed round and round, watching below for heedless and careless little folks. there was danger from reddy and granny fox and old man coyote, prowling about with sharp eyes and keen ears and wonderful noses, all the time hunting for heedless little people. and there was danger from mr. blacksnake and some of his cousins, slipping silently through the grass.

so the little bob whites learned to be always on the watch as they ran this way and that way, hunting for bugs and worms and seeds. at the least little unknown sound they squatted and waited for mrs. bob's signal that all was well. she taught them to know ol' mistah buzzard, who wouldn't hurt a feather of them, from old redtail the hawk by the way he sailed and sailed without flapping his wings. just as soon as they could fly a little, she taught them to make sure just where the nearest bushes or trees were so that they could fly to them in case of sudden danger on the ground. she taught them how to find the safest places in which to spend the night. oh, there was a great deal for those little bob whites to learn! yes, indeed. and it didn't do to forget a single thing. forgetting just once might mean a dreadful thing. so they didn't forget. bob white himself taught them many things, for bob is wise in the ways of the great world, and he is the best of fathers. so the little bob whites grew and grew until they were too big to nestle under the wings of mrs. bob and could fly on swift strong wings. and all the time they were at school without knowing it.