They go to the greatest school in the world , and it is called the School of Experience . Old Mother Nature has charge of it , but the teachers usually are father and mother for the first few weeks , anyway . After that Old Mother Nature herself gives them a few lessons , and a very stern teacher she is . They just HAVE to learn her lessons . If they do n't , something dreadful is almost sure to happen . Of course Sammy Jay knew all this , because he had had to go to school when he was a little fellow . So Sammy was not much surprised when , from his snug hiding-place in one of the old apple-trees , he discovered that there was a school in Farmer Brown 's old orchard . Johnny Chuck was the teacher and his three baby Chucks were the pupils . Sammy Jay was so interested in that funny little school in the old orchard that he quite forgot to think about mischief . The very first lesson that the three little Chucks had to learn was obedience . Johnny Chuck was very particular about that . You see he knew that unless they learned this first of all , none of the other lessons would do them much good . They must first learn to mind instantly , without asking questions . Dear me , dear me , Johnny Chuck certainly did have his hands full , teaching those three little Chucks to mind ! They were such lively little chaps , and there was so much that was new and wonderful to see , that it was dreadfully hard work to sit perfectly still , just because Johnny Chuck told them to . But if they did n't mind instantly , they were sure to have their ears soundly boxed , and sometimes were sent back to the house without a taste of the sweet , tender , young clover of which they were so fond . After a few lessons of this kind , they found out that it was always best to obey instantly , and then Johnny began to teach them other things , things which it is very important that every Chuck should know . First , there were signals . When Johnny whistled a certain way , it meant `` A stranger in sight ; possible danger ! '' Then each little Chuck would sit up very straight and not move the teeniest , weeniest bit , so that from a little distance they looked for all the world like tiny stumps .
But all the time their sharp little eyes would be looking this way and that XXXXX , to see what the danger might be .
Chuck hands lesson lessons none obedience signals stumps taste way