That trouble's mostly in your mind.

 

 

 

ITS a fact. More than three fourths of the troubles that worry people are not real troubles at all. They are all in the mind. They are things that people are afraid are going to happen, and worry about until they are sure they will happen,—and then they do not happen at all. Very, very often things that seem bad turn out to be blessings¹. All of us do a great deal of worrying for nothing. I know I do. Bobby Coon did when he took his strange journey which I am going to tell you about.

 

Farmer Brown and Farmer Brown's boy and Bowser the Hound² had watched Bobby crawl out of his ruined house and start off to seek a new home. Of course, they had seen right away that something was wrong with Bobby, for he walked on three legs and held the fourth one up.

 

“The poor little chap,” murmured Farmer Brown's boy pityingly. “That leg must have been hurt when the tree fell. I hope it isn't badly hurt. We'll wait a few minutes and see what he does.”

 

So they waited in their hiding-place and watched Bobby. They saw him go to the foot of a tree as if to climb it. They saw him try and fail, because he couldn't climb with only three legs, and they saw him crouch³ down then that Farmer Brown's boy was sure that Bobby's hurt was really serious.

 

“We can't let that little fellow go to suffer and perhaps die,” said Farmer Brown's boy, and ran forward while Farmer Brown held Bowser.

 

Bobby heard him coming and promptly⁴ faced about ready to fight bravely. When he got near enough, Farmer Brown's boy threw his coat over Bobby and then, in spite⁵ of Bobby's frantic⁶ struggles, gathered him up and wrapped the coat about him so that he could neither bite nor scratch. Bobby was quite helpless.

 

“I'm going to take him home, and when I've made him quite comfortable, I'll come back,” cried Farmer Brown's boy.

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