Autumn’s horn blew a lusty chime; For the second time, for the second time! Heed well the call, complying. Fling seed to earth! Fill sack’s full girth! Plump back and side! Pad belt and hide! Hold all wings close for flying!
Then suddenly a terrible bustle arose in the land, for now they all understood.
“Quick,” said Autumn.
The poppy and the bell-flower and the pink stood thin and dry as sticks with their heads full of seed. The dandelion had presented each one of his seeds with a sweet little parachute.
“Come, dear Wind, and shake us!” said the poppy.
“Fly away with my seeds, Wind,” said the dandelion.
And the wind hastened to do as they asked.
But the beech cunningly dropped his shaggy fruit on to the hare’s fur; and the fox got one also on his red coat.
“Quick, now,” said Autumn. “There’s no time here to waste.”
The little brown mice filled their parlors from floor to ceiling with nuts and beech-mast and acorns. The hedgehog had already eaten himself so fat that he could hardly lower his quills. The hare and fox and stag put on clean white woollen things, under their coats. The starling and the thrush and the blackbird saw to their downy clothing and exercised their wings for the long journey.