COCKLE BURR, THE ROUGH-NECK 127 



that clung to the mud of the wagon wheels. These 

 grew and thrived unmolested. The burrs that Peter 

 Rabbit carried over to Farmer Brown's clover field 

 grew also, but were cut down with the clover before 

 reaching maturity. However, the burrs that Reddy 

 Fox pulled off in Farmer Smith's corn field grew to 

 maturity in the oat field that followed the corn. 



One day during the autumn season a peculiar thing 

 happened to a cockle burr that was growing all by 

 itself on the edge of one of Farmer Careless's fields. 

 One of the army aviators with his great airplane 

 landed in the field, to make some slight adjustment, 

 and the cockle burr thought how wonderful it would 

 be to take a trip in the clouds if such a thing was 

 only possible. However, it is usually the unex- 

 pected that happens. The motor of the big ship was 

 soon started; the pilot taxied across the field, then 

 turned into the wind, and came with a rush directly 

 toward the cockle burr, all a-tremble at the sight of 

 this great bird tearing toward him. 



"I'm going to take a chance if it kills me," said 

 Cockle Burr to himself. Cockle Burr came from a 

 family that was used to taking all kinds of chances, 

 in order to get into new territory, and he felt that 

 here was a chance to make a name for himself, so 

 just as the big ship was about upon him, he stretched 



