"You're welcome," said Buddy, as he made a dash for breakfast.
When breakfast was over, Buddy went out of doors, and found Old Bob the gardener just ready to go.
"Know of any youngster who would care to go beech-nutting this morning?" called Bob to Buddy Jim. "If you do, tell him to bring along a sack to put the nuts in, because there'll be beech-nuts a plenty after the fine frost we had last night."
"I certainly do know a youngster who wants to go," said Buddy, "and he will be all ready as soon as he finds a sack for the nuts, and puts on some hiking shoes. So be sure to call him, won't you Bob?"
"I'll sing out when I go by," said Old Bob the gardener. So Buddy asked Mary the cook for a flour sack, and put on warm shoes and stockings, and was quite ready to start when Old Bob the gardener shouted "All aboard!"
Old Dog Sandy stretched himself and looked at Buddy so beseechingly that he hadn't the heart to leave him at home. So he said he could come along if he would promise not to frighten any Little Neighbor.
Old Dog Sandy promised with his eyes, but down deep in his heart he was afraid he couldn't keep the promise, not if he should happen to meet something really interesting. However, permission to go along was all that he wanted, and maybe he wouldn't see any wild thing, so why think about it?
He was a happy old dog as they ran across the crisp fields; there were flocks and flocks of bright-colored thistle birds, chattering and getting their breakfast of seeds from the weeds, but old Dog Sandy didn't count those. They were too small and besides, they were just like the canary that Mary the cook kept in a cage, and made so much fuss over every day. It was a bit more exciting when he picked up Molly Cotton-tail's trail—but of course Buddy whistled him back—he never could have any fun.
Buddy thought he had never seen the beeches look so lovely as they did on this morning, not even in the summer—the leaves were so brown and rustly, and the trunks so smooth and such a lovely gray-green color. The wood cutters were there already, and after Old Bob the gardener had directed them where to work he came back to Buddy, and unrolled a bundle he had brought, which proved to be a blanket which he spread under a big tree.
"Now, Buddy Jim," he said, "I'll give you a boost, and you go up and shake the branches and the nuts will fall down on the blanket, and you will have plenty to do until noon time."