The cows and sheep were quietly browsing near him, and he watched them earnestly for a time, listening to the singing of the birds, and the gentle tinkling of the cowbells, and the faraway songs of the farmers that the breeze brought to his ears.

And before he knew it the blue eyes had closed fast, and the golden head lay back upon the hay, and Little Boy Blue was fast asleep and dreaming that his mother was well again and had come to the gate to meet him.

The sheep strayed near the edge of the meadow and paused, waiting for the warning sound of the horn.  And the breeze carried the fragrance of the growing corn to the nostrils of the browsing cows and tempted them nearer and nearer to the forbidden feast.  But the silver horn was silent, and before long the cows were feeding upon the Squire's cornfield and the sheep were enjoying themselves amidst the juicy grasses of the meadows.

The Squire himself was returning from a long, weary ride over his farms, and when he came to the cornfield and saw the cows trampling down the corn and feeding upon the golden stalks he was very angry.

"Little Boy Blue!" he cried; "Ho!  Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn!" 

But there was no reply.  He rode on and now discovered that the sheep were deep within the meadows, and that made him more angry still.