UNDER GREEN LEAVES 59 
did come when Jemmy was about seldom went away 
again. The clock was a good one, but the bird had 
not shouted properly for some time ; one day he 
would tune up all right, and the next he was mute. 
Mother said she really must have it cleaned, but she 
never could make up her mind to let it go out of the 
house. One day, the very day when this really was 
going to be done, a boy came rushing from the 
farmyard into the kitchen, where Jemmy was having 
his snack of lunch alone, to tell him ' Something had 
come, and he'd best be quick, for it was on the move- 
like.' Jemmy opened the clock-case, and hurriedly 
caught up the gun, as he had done scores of times 
before, but not with the same result. In the haste 
of the moment he touched one of the weights, it 
swayed, the hammer of his gun hit the bottom of the 
weight, which threw it back, and off she went, Bang ! 
right through the works. Down fell the cuckoo. 
The mother was upstairs when she heard the report ; 
her first thoughts were for Jemmy. ' Jem, my boy, 
what have you done ? ' she cried. For a moment he 
looked speechless at the wreck, then he shouted 
back, 'All right, mother, I've only cleaned the 
clock ! ' 
To return to our creatures : having permission to 
fish I may as well avail myself of it, for the stream is 
