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diff --git a/18667.txt b/18667.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e95f7c9 --- /dev/null +++ b/18667.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2269 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Doctor Rabbit and Brushtail the Fox, by +Thomas Clark Hinkle + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Doctor Rabbit and Brushtail the Fox + +Author: Thomas Clark Hinkle + +Illustrator: Milo Winter + +Release Date: June 23, 2006 [EBook #18667] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DOCTOR RABBIT AND BRUSHTAIL *** + + + + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + +_THE GREENWOOD SERIES_ + +DOCTOR RABBIT +AND +BRUSHTAIL THE FOX + +By +THOMAS CLARK HINKLE + +Illustrations by +MILO WINTER + +RAND McNALLY & COMPANY +CHICAGO--NEW YORK + +---------------------------------------------------------------------- + +CONTENTS + +BRUSHTAIL THE FOX COMES TO THE BIG GREEN WOODS 7 +CHATTY RED SQUIRREL IS HEARD SCOLDING LOUDLY 12 +BRUSHTAIL THE FOX PLAYS "POSSUM" 17 +BRUSHTAIL GETS A SCARE 22 +DOCTOR RABBIT SEES SOMETHING INTERESTING 27 +TWO HUNTERS COME TO THE BIG GREEN WOODS 33 +DOCTOR RABBIT INFORMS HIS FRIENDS 37 +WHAT DOCTOR RABBIT SAW 41 +MRS. BRUSHTAIL GETS A HEN 46 +BRUSHTAIL THE FOX FINDS SOME PIECES OF CHEESE 51 +THE GROWLERS COME OUT OF THE THICKET 57 +JACK RABBIT SPRAINS HIS FOOT 62 +DOCTORING LITTLE THOMAS WOODCHUCK 68 +LISTENING TO THE BRUSHTAILS 74 +DOCTOR RABBIT TELLS SOME GOOD NEWS 79 +A FOOLISH OLD HEN 82 +DOCTOR RABBIT LAYS A TRAP 86 +BRUSHTAIL THE FOX IS ALMOST CAUGHT 92 +AN EXCITING CHASE 100 +THE BIG GRAY GOOSE GETS AWAY 105 +BRUSHTAIL THE FOX FINDS THE TRAPS 110 +GETTING TOGETHER 114 +BRUSHTAIL THE FOX DISCOVERS THE COW'S HEAD 119 +WHAT HAPPENED TO BRUSHTAIL THE FOX 123 + +ILLUSTRATIONS + +MY! HOW HE DID JUMP AND YELL! 24 +BRUSHTAIL THE FOX SEIZED HER BY THE NECK 80 +IT WAS A QUEER PROCESSION! 112 + +---------------------------------------------------------------------- + + + + +DOCTOR RABBIT AND BRUSHTAIL THE FOX + +BRUSHTAIL THE FOX COMES TO THE BIG GREEN WOODS + + +Doctor Rabbit and Cheepy Chipmunk were sitting in Doctor Rabbit's +front yard talking. They laughed a good deal as they talked, for it +was a lovely morning in the beautiful Big Green Woods, and everyone +felt happy. + +Finally jolly Doctor Rabbit said he believed he would run over to the +big sycamore tree to eat some more of the tender blue grass that grew +there. It seemed as if he could eat there all day and all night, he +said, because that grass was so good. Cheepy Chipmunk said he was +getting hungry again too, and he guessed he would be going home to eat +the fresh ear of corn he had found that morning. + +Cheepy Chipmunk got up and was starting away, when Doctor Rabbit +seized him and said in a low, frightened whisper that scared Cheepy +half to death, "Come back and sit down and keep as still as anything. +Look out there, will you!" + +Very badly startled, Cheepy Chipmunk came back and sat down, and his +eyes followed Doctor Rabbit's eyes. Cheepy saw an animal such as he +had never seen before. This animal looked somewhat like a dog, but +Cheepy knew right away he was no dog. He was not quite so large as +Ki-yi Coyote, and was of a reddish-brown color, with a large, bushy +tail. The animal was walking along under the trees not far away, and +did not even look in the direction of Doctor Rabbit and little Cheepy +Chipmunk. + +But, although he could not tell why, Cheepy knew at once that that +reddish-brown animal walking along out there under the trees was very +dangerous to chipmunks and rabbits and any number of other little +animals. Yes, sir, Cheepy Chipmunk was dreadfully frightened at once, +for he was certain his life and the lives of Stubby Woodchuck, Chatty +Red Squirrel and all his other friends were in great danger. But he +had never seen such an animal before, so of course he did not know +what it was. + +While Doctor Rabbit and Cheepy Chipmunk looked, the strange animal +walked along just as if he were not interested in anything. He did not +even look toward Doctor Rabbit and Cheepy Chipmunk. This fooled +innocent Cheepy, and he whispered to Doctor Rabbit, "He has not seen +us; let's slip into your house! I don't want him to catch sight of +us." + +"Keep right still!" Doctor Rabbit whispered in reply. "Just sit still. +Yes, he has seen us--don't you fool yourself about that. But he knows +well enough he can't catch us now. He's made up his mind he'll wait +until he gets a better chance. But we won't let him know we see him. +We'll have to try to deceive him at every turn. Yes, sir, Cheepy, +we've got to watch out every minute now; we certainly have. He's one +of the most cunning animals there is. I'm sorry he's come into our +woods." + +Cheepy Chipmunk was so frightened that his teeth were chattering as he +asked, "Who is he?" + +"He's Brushtail the Fox," Doctor Rabbit said. "I saw him a number of +times in the woods up along the Deep River where I used to live. We'll +see more of him--we can count on that. And now, Friend Cheepy, you +must stay right here at my house until we are sure Brushtail has +stopped watching us out of the corner of his eye." + + + + +CHATTY RED SQUIRREL IS HEARD SCOLDING LOUDLY + + +Doctor Rabbit was right. Brushtail the Fox had seen exactly who was in +Doctor Rabbit's front yard, but he did not act as if he knew there was +any one within a mile of him. No, he just kept right on walking slowly +under the trees. And then all of a sudden Chatty Red Squirrel almost +made him look up. Chatty was high up in a big hackberry tree, and from +this safe perch he scolded Brushtail as loudly as he could. + +"Get out of these woods!" Chatty Squirrel shouted angrily. "You have +no right in here. You are just sneaking around trying to catch +somebody. But you can't. I won't let you. I'll tell on you. Look here, +everybody. Here is old Brushtail the Fox. I know you, Mr. Brushtail. +I've seen you before in the woods up along the Deep River. Look out, +everybody! Brushtail is around. He's right under this tree, right this +minute. I can see him. Look out for Mr. Brushtail! Here he is!" + +Well, Doctor Rabbit and Cheepy Chipmunk watched and listened while +Chatty Squirrel scolded Brushtail the Fox so loudly. But Brushtail +paid no attention whatever to Chatty. The fact was that he did hear +every word Chatty Squirrel said and he was pretty angry about it, too, +because you see he did not want all the little creatures of the Big +Green Woods to know he was around. He wanted to get one or two of them +for breakfast before they even dreamed he was anywhere near. + +But even if he was angry, Brushtail knew, of course, that he could not +climb that tree after Chatty Squirrel, so he just ground his teeth and +walked on. He decided that he would make Chatty pay for this, indeed +he would. He would catch him the very first of all. And so as Doctor +Rabbit and Cheepy Chipmunk looked and listened, Brushtail, without +saying a word, walked on and finally slipped out of sight among some +leafy bushes. + +"I'm going home this minute!" Cheepy Chipmunk exclaimed, his voice +trembling with fear; and away he went for his stump as fast as he +could run. + +After Cheepy had gone, Doctor Rabbit said to himself, "Well, I do +declare! So Brushtail the Fox has found the Big Green Woods, and +likely enough intends to live here. If he does we'll certainly all +have to watch out every minute. Indeed we will. I'm glad Chatty +Squirrel is scolding so loudly. Perhaps our friends will all hear and +be on the lookout." + +Chatty Squirrel, who had followed along in the branches of the trees +and kept sight of slinky Brushtail, was now heard quite a distance +away, scolding louder than ever. + +"I wonder what Chatty is scolding about out there now," Doctor Rabbit +said. "It sounds as if he were still talking to Brushtail. Perhaps +Brushtail has stopped out there, and possibly he has caught something +and is eating it. I'm going to slip out that way and see. I'll take +the path that leads past several briar patches, and if Mr. Fox runs +for me I'll just slip into a briar patch. If he tries to follow me in +there he knows what he'll get. He'll get his eyes scratched out with +the briars. My, how Chatty is scolding! He's scolding Brushtail, too. +Brushtail must be doing something unusual or Chatty would not talk so +excitedly." + + + + +BRUSHTAIL THE FOX PLAYS "POSSUM" + + +Doctor Rabbit hurried away from his home toward the place where he +heard Chatty Squirrel scolding Brushtail the Fox. Doctor Rabbit, to +tell the truth, was afraid to venture out there so close to Brushtail, +but then, he reasoned, he would have to go sooner or later and get +something to eat, so he might as well venture out now and see what the +old villain was doing. + +Doctor Rabbit kept in the path that led past several briar patches, +and this made him feel pretty safe. The nearer Doctor Rabbit came to +the place where Chatty Squirrel was scolding, the louder sounded +Chatty's angry voice. Doctor Rabbit crept close, and slipped into a +briar patch. Not more than twenty feet away, lying on the ground as +still as if he were dead, was Brushtail the Fox. But he did not fool +Doctor Rabbit in the least. Doctor Rabbit knew instantly what +Brushtail wanted: he wanted Chatty Squirrel. + +Because Brushtail lay so still and paid not the least attention to his +scolding, Chatty Squirrel became really puzzled. He stopped scolding +and said to himself, "Now I wonder if that old scamp _is_ dead. He +certainly lies there very still, anyway. I believe I'll just slip down +on the ground for a minute and see. If he's just playing dead, he'll +come after me when I get on the ground. Then I'll know for sure, and +I'll go back up the tree in a hurry." + +Chatty Squirrel scrambled down the tree, and as soon as he reached the +ground he began scolding Brushtail the Fox. He thought, of course, +that this would make Brushtail jump up if he were only playing dead; +but Brushtail paid no attention to Chatty. He lay as still as a dead +fox. Chatty Squirrel ran a little way toward him, but was afraid to +venture far. Just then he happened to see Doctor Rabbit hiding under +the briar patch, motioning for him to come over, and looking as though +he knew something very funny. + +There happened to be another tree by the briar patch, so Chatty +Squirrel sprang right over to see what Doctor Rabbit wanted. Doctor +Rabbit whispered something in Chatty's ear, and then they chuckled +softly to themselves. The more Chatty thought about what Doctor Rabbit +had said, the more he laughed--not very loudly, of course, because he +did not want Brushtail the Fox to hear. + +"Hurry along now before he gets up!" Doctor Rabbit whispered, and away +ran Chatty Squirrel back to the tree he had left. Chatty scrambled +back up the tree in a hurry, and began scolding Brushtail louder than +ever. He did not say a word about Doctor Rabbit, of course; he just +went right on scolding as if nothing had happened. + +Now Brushtail the Fox was not dead, and as he lay there very still he +thought every minute Chatty Squirrel's curiosity would get the better +of him and Chatty would come down the tree and close enough so that he +could pounce upon him. But Chatty did just exactly what Doctor Rabbit +had told him to do. + +"I wish," he said aloud, "that I knew whether Mr. Fox is really dead. +He lies so still I believe he is, and if he lies there much longer I +shall have to go down and see. Yes, I'll have to go down and poke him +and see!" + +Brushtail the Fox could scarcely keep from smacking his lips when +Chatty said this, but he did not move, of course. He lay perfectly +still, not even winking an eye, for he was very hungry, and he hoped +Chatty Squirrel would decide to hurry and come down. + +And all the time that Chatty Squirrel up in the tree was scolding, +Doctor Rabbit was working at something in the near-by thicket. Chatty, +you see, was going to keep Brushtail's attention until Doctor Rabbit +played a good joke on old Brushtail. + + + + +BRUSHTAIL GETS A SCARE + + +Now, this was what Doctor Rabbit was doing in the near-by thicket. He +gathered some moss, and rolled it into a big ball. Then he took a +bottle of medicine from his medicine case. The bottle had ammonia in +it--spirits of ammonia, it was--and Doctor Rabbit poured the +medicine all over and through the big ball of moss. + +My, but that ammonia smelled strong! I should say it _did_ smell +strong. It was so strong, in fact, that Doctor Rabbit had to turn his +head partly away from the moss while he poured the medicine on it. Now +Doctor Rabbit had to be very, very careful. He picked up the ball of +moss in his front paws and walked toward Brushtail the Fox, who lay on +the ground with his eyes shut tight. + +Chatty Squirrel kept up a very loud scolding as Doctor Rabbit slipped +up to Brushtail. Then when he was very near, Doctor Rabbit threw that +moss with all the terribly strong ammonia right on Brushtail's head +and over his nose. Brushtail got such a big whiff of the medicine that +he almost strangled. My, how he did jump and yell! He was terribly +scared, because he did not know for a minute what had happened. + +Then he heard Chatty up on the limb laughing and shouting for joy. +Doctor Rabbit ran back to the edge of the thicket, and he was laughing +too. It certainly did look funny to see Brushtail the Fox standing and +staring at that moss as if he thought it was something alive. + +When Brushtail saw that a joke had been played on him he was terribly +angry. He knew, of course, he could not get Chatty, so he made a rush +for Doctor Rabbit. + +But Doctor Rabbit skipped into the thicket, picked up his medicine +case and shouted, "Good day, Mr. Fox! I guess you won't have Chatty +for breakfast! You'd better eat the moss ball." + +And away Doctor Rabbit ran. In a twinkling he was out of sight in the +leafy woods. + +Brushtail the Fox ran after Doctor Rabbit as fast as he could go, but +it was no use. He could not find him. Now it happened that Doctor +Rabbit had not gone far at all. He was not far from home, so he just +hid behind a big log. And he was watching Brushtail the Fox all the +time. + +My! How he did jump and yell! + +After a time Brushtail sat down and kept still. His sharp eyes, +however, were looking in every direction. He thought he might see +Doctor Rabbit by keeping quiet and looking about him. + +Doctor Rabbit, as I have said, was so close to his home that he knew +he was safe, so he walked quietly from behind the log, holding his +medicine case and acting just as though he did not know that Brushtail +the Fox was anywhere about. + +Brushtail quickly lay down and was as quiet as possible. + +Then Doctor Rabbit stopped, looked back, and said pleasantly, "It's a +nice morning, Brushy." + +That surely surprised Brushtail, but when he saw Doctor Rabbit's home +tree not far away, he knew he could not catch him. So he smiled and +said, "I've just been playing with you all the time. Do come on over +to my home, Neighbor Rabbit. I have something very fine there to show +you. We'll have some good times together." + +"Ha! ha! ha!" wise Doctor Rabbit laughed, as he started toward his big +tree. "Yes," he continued, "I suppose you have some very cruel teeth +to show me, Mr. Brushtail, but I can see them quite as well as I care +to. Ha! ha! ha!" And Doctor Rabbit ran for his tree. + +Brushtail ran after him, too, but Doctor Rabbit ran fast and reached +his home in safety. There he peeked out and saw Brushtail steal into +some bushes. + + + + +DOCTOR RABBIT SEES SOMETHING INTERESTING + + +Now when Doctor Rabbit ran into the big hollow tree that was his home, +Brushtail the Fox slunk into some leafy bushes near by, and lay down +without making a sound. + +"I'll just wait here," Brushtail whispered to himself, "and that smart +old rabbit will be coming out pretty soon. He won't know that I'm +anywhere about." + +But old Brushtail was very much mistaken, for Doctor Rabbit had peeked +out of his front door just as soon as he was inside his house, and you +remember he saw Brushtail steal into the bushes. No, sir, he wasn't to +be fooled this time. + +For a long time Brushtail lay in the bushes. He lay so quietly that +not a leaf on the branches about him stirred. His glittering eyes were +turned toward Doctor Rabbit's tree, and every little while he showed +his long, sharp teeth as he smiled at the thought of the good meal +that big fat rabbit would make. + +But all the while Doctor Rabbit watched from an upstairs window where +Brushtail could not see him, although Doctor Rabbit could plainly see +the pointed nose and sharp, gleaming eyes of his enemy. + +Presently Doctor Rabbit heard the rustle of leaves and the gay +_chatter_, _chatter_, _chatter_ of Chatty Red Squirrel as he bounded +into the branches of a tree overlooking the bushes that hid Brushtail. + +Doctor Rabbit drew a long breath of relief. He wasn't afraid of +Brushtail the Fox when he was safe in his big hollow tree--oh no, you +mustn't think that, not for a moment. But you see Doctor Rabbit was +getting pretty tired and stiff from watching so cautiously from his +upstairs window, and yet he couldn't quite bring himself to the point +of going downstairs and forgetting Brushtail. No indeed, he couldn't +quite do that. + +So Doctor Rabbit was glad to see Chatty Red Squirrel, for he knew just +what would happen. And sure enough, in a few minutes Chatty Squirrel +saw Brushtail lying low in the bushes, and then how he did scold! + +"Aha, old Brushtail, I see you hiding in the bushes. Thought I +wouldn't see you, didn't you? Thought I wouldn't see you! But I see +you, all right. You can't fool Chatty, no siree. Oh, I know you're +looking for Doctor Rabbit," and Chatty's tone became angrier at the +thought of Brushtail waiting to pounce upon his good friend, Doctor +Rabbit. "You're just waiting for Doctor Rabbit to come home and then +spring out at him. Get out of here, get out, get out of here!" +screamed Chatty. + +Brushtail the Fox was angry. Well, I should say he was. He knew that +Doctor Rabbit would hear Chatty Red Squirrel's scolding, and would +know that he was hiding ready to eat him if he came out of the tree. +Brushtail was so angry that he snarled. But he slunk away through the +bushes without saying a word to Chatty Red. Brushtail is wise enough +to know that there is no use arguing with Chatty Squirrel, for Chatty +is altogether too noisy a talker. I should say he is. + +When Brushtail slunk away through the bushes, Doctor Rabbit called to +Chatty Red Squirrel, but Chatty did not hear him. He had scampered +away to another tree, still talking loudly. + +Then Doctor Rabbit turned quickly and leaned out of his window to +watch Brushtail the Fox. Brushtail was trotting off through the Big +Green Woods in a direction in which Doctor Rabbit seldom went. And +Doctor Rabbit noticed that he seemed to be afraid someone would see +him. He looked on each side of him as he went along, and every now and +then he took a big jump sidewise. Doctor Rabbit was certainly +interested now, for he believed Brushtail the Fox was going to hide +somewhere. Probably he was going to hide in a place where he hid every +day. + +Yes, sir, Brushtail certainly was cautious now, and he must have +jumped to one side as many as five times while Doctor Rabbit was +watching him. Then in a little while he reached a part of the woods +where the brush and leaves were so thick that Doctor Rabbit could just +barely see him as he slipped along. + + + + +TWO HUNTERS COME TO THE BIG GREEN WOODS + + +When Brushtail the Fox slipped into the place where there were so many +leafy bushes, it was very hard for Doctor Rabbit to see him from his +big tree. Sometimes he lost sight of Brushtail altogether, and then +for an instant he would see his long, sharp nose, or his reddish-brown +coat, or his big bushy tail. And all the time Brushtail became more +and more cautious. He moved so slowly and so quietly among the bushes +that Doctor Rabbit had to strain his eyes to see him. Then suddenly +Brushtail jumped high up onto the dead limb of a big fallen tree. He +walked out on this limb, then jumped far out into a dense thicket and +disappeared. + +Yes, sir, Brushtail the Fox was gone! Doctor Rabbit stood by his +window in the tree and looked and looked. He thought he would +presently see a sharp nose or a bushy tail, but he did not. Brushtail +was hiding somewhere in that thicket. + +"Well! well! well!" Doctor Rabbit exclaimed. "I certainly should like +to know what old Brushtail is doing in there. I am positive he is in +that thicket. He never could have slipped out without my seeing him. +Yes, sir, he's in there. And that's probably where he always hides. +Likely enough he has a den in there. I shouldn't be surprised if there +are a lot of rocks in there and Brushtail the Fox has a big hole away +back under them." + +"Well," Doctor Rabbit continued, talking softly to himself, "I'm going +to slip out there as near as possible and keep watch and see if I can +discover anything more about Brushtail. I must not tell anyone as yet +what I have seen. No, if I want to get a lot of information I must +just keep still and do the finding out myself. It isn't safe to trust +too many people." + +Doctor Rabbit ran downstairs and was starting out into the woods to +try to get nearer Brushtail's hiding place when he saw something that +made him keep still and watch. Farmer Roe and his boy were coming +through the woods toward Doctor Rabbit's tree. Just as they went past, +Doctor Rabbit heard Farmer Roe say, "Yes, I'm certain that there is a +fox in these woods. That was a fox's track we saw in the yard this +morning, and that was a fox, I am sure, that took the old white hen +last night. Our chickens will be in danger until we get rid of him." + +"Do you suppose he hides in these woods in the daytime?" asked Farmer +Roe's boy. + +"I shouldn't be surprised," replied Farmer Roe. "In fact, I'm pretty +sure he hides close by. There is one thing that puzzles me, however, +and that is that although Yappy trailed that fox directly from the +chicken yard, he lost the trail right in the woods and could not pick +it up again. The fox has played some trick, of course," said Farmer +Roe, "and we must try and find out what it is. I really shouldn't be +surprised," he went on, "if that fox is lying around close enough to +see us this minute. We'll just keep watch until we discover his hiding +place." + + + + +DOCTOR RABBIT INFORMS HIS FRIENDS + + +Doctor Rabbit did not find out anything more about Brushtail the Fox +that day, nor for several days. But it was only a very short time +until all the little creatures of the Big Green Woods knew that +Brushtail the Fox was around, and they were afraid to poke their noses +out of their homes. + +Stubby Woodchuck had seen Brushtail three times, and he said Brushtail +certainly did look fierce. + +"He looked so fierce he took my appetite away for several hours each +time I saw him," said Stubby Woodchuck, "and I am sure he looks fully +as terrible as Ki-yi Coyote or Tom Wildcat. Yes, sir, we have a very +mean and dangerous enemy in Mr. Brushtail, and we must keep watch +every minute." + +"I wish he'd go away and stay away," said Cheepy Chipmunk, who was +always easily frightened. + +"But he doesn't expect to leave at all," Doctor Rabbit informed his +friends. "He expects to live here in these woods, right along." + +"He does!" exclaimed poor Cheepy Chipmunk, his voice trembling with +fear. "How do you know he expects to live here?" + +"Well," explained Doctor Rabbit, "I have seen quite enough to convince +me that Brushtail expects to make his home in the Big Green Woods. In +fact, I am in position to know that he has a home here right now. It's +all fixed up, and he's living in it. He spends his time there except +when he's out hunting us or after one of Farmer Roe's nice fat hens." + +"Where is old Brushtail's home?" Stubby Woodchuck and Cheepy Chipmunk +demanded in the same breath. + +"Sh!" Doctor Rabbit warned his friends. "Don't talk so loud! Brushtail +might be hiding so near he could hear every word you say. The fact is, +I can't tell you any more at present. It would not help if I told you +more, and it might get out so Brushtail would hear of it. Just keep +still about what I've said and watch for Brushtail every minute you +are out in the woods. In the meantime whenever I get a chance I will +hide in a certain place, where I can see him often enough, I think, to +discover what his plans are. Then when I find out all I can, I will +slip around quietly and tell you." + +"I saw Farmer Roe and his boy passing through our woods this morning," +Stubby Woodchuck said. "I wonder what they were after?" + +"They were after Brushtail," Doctor Rabbit explained. "I heard them +talking and I heard them say they were trying to find out where he +lives." + +"Dear me! I hope they'll run him away so he'll never come back!" said +Cheepy Chipmunk, with a troubled look. + +"They'll probably have to find out first where he lives," said Doctor +Rabbit, "and I believe that is going to be pretty hard for them to do. +But still, Yappy has a very sharp nose, and in time he may find +Brushtail's den." + +It was dinner time, so Doctor Rabbit and Stubby Woodchuck and Cheepy +Chipmunk separated, each slipping home as quietly as he could. + + + + +WHAT DOCTOR RABBIT SAW + + +Doctor Rabbit did not see Brushtail the Fox again for several days. +Then one morning when the sun came up warm and bright and all the +little creatures of the Big Green Woods were feeling very happy, +Doctor Rabbit decided that he would try again. He made up his mind to +slip over to that thicket where he had last seen Brushtail, and see +what he could discover with his sharp eyes. + +There were a good many briar patches along the way, and Doctor Rabbit +kept as near these as possible, so he was safe, even though the way +_was_ a little longer. You can be very sure, too, that Doctor Rabbit +kept his eyes wide open all the time. But he did not see the least +sign of Brushtail the Fox, and decided that he was probably somewhere +in that dense thicket. + +"Perhaps," thought Doctor Rabbit, "old Brushtail is in there right now +eating a chicken he has stolen from Farmer Roe." + +Now the very thought of getting any nearer that thicket made Doctor +Rabbit tremble with fear. Still, there was a fine big briar patch +close to the thicket, and Doctor Rabbit decided he would run for this. +He had hidden in that briar patch several times from various enemies, +and was familiar with every inch of it. He knew he would be safe from +Brushtail in the briar patch, and all Brushtail could do if he saw +Doctor Rabbit hiding there would be just to wait outside. But he would +have to give up in the end, because Doctor Rabbit never would come out +of a briar patch so long as an enemy was waiting for him. + +Doctor Rabbit got all ready, and then he ran for that briar patch. He +ran as hard as he could and dived into the briar patch just as if +Brushtail were very close behind him, because, you see, it might be +that Brushtail _was_ very close. Then Doctor Rabbit crept to the +center of the briar patch and sat down. He decided that if necessary +he would stay in the briar patch all day and watch. He knew Brushtail +the Fox had some kind of a secret in that thicket--a den or +something--else he never would have been so careful about getting +into it. + +Doctor Rabbit waited for about two hours, and he was already getting +tired when all of a sudden he sat as still as a stone. In fact, he sat +so perfectly still that I doubt if you could have seen him even if you +had been looking right at him. + +The reason why Doctor Rabbit sat still so quickly was that he saw a +movement in the leafy thicket. Presently the bushes parted, and who do +you suppose came out? No, it was not Brushtail--it was Mrs. +Brushtail! And now Doctor Rabbit knew exactly why Brushtail had been +so careful about getting into that thicket. It was Mr. and Mrs. +Brushtail's home. And it was here, of course, that Farmer Roe's hens +were disappearing, and this was where Doctor Rabbit and Stubby +Woodchuck and all their friends would go if they didn't watch out! +Yes, sir! This was where a great many of the little creatures of the +Big Green Woods would disappear if Mr. and Mrs. Brushtail did not +leave. While Doctor Rabbit was looking at Mrs. Brushtail she yawned, +showing all of her long, sharp teeth. Although he was safe in the +briar patch, Doctor Rabbit trembled. He was a little too close to old +Mrs. Brushtail to feel quite comfortable. + + + + +MRS. BRUSHTAIL GETS A HEN + + +Of course Doctor Rabbit was greatly surprised to see Mrs. Brushtail in +the thicket. And still, after he thought about it, he was not so +surprised either. You see, it was spring and just the time of year for +Mr. and Mrs. Brushtail to find themselves a new home if they needed +one. + +Mrs. Brushtail stood there looking about in every direction with her +sharp eyes. Then she gave a great spring and landed on the limb of the +fallen tree. She walked along the limb until she came to the end of +it, and then jumped, as Brushtail had done, as far out as she could, +only Mrs. Brushtail did not jump _toward_ the thicket, she jumped away +from it. She stood again looking all around and listening for a +minute, then trotted away through the woods toward Farmer Roe's, and +was soon out of sight. + +Doctor Rabbit thought to himself, "Mrs. Brushtail is going over to the +edge of the woods nearest to Farmer Roe's. She's going to hide there +and see if some foolish hen doesn't come out into the woods to hunt +bugs and grasshoppers." + +And he made up his mind that as long as he was safe he would just wait +where he was and see if Mrs. Brushtail would come back. + +Well, he did not have to wait very long. As he sat in the briar patch +listening, he heard a terrible cackling over toward the edge of the +woods nearest Farmer Roe's. It sounded as if chickens were very much +frightened and were running in every direction. In a short time Doctor +Rabbit saw Mrs. Brushtail coming through the woods. And sure enough, +she had one of Farmer Roe's big white hens in her mouth. + +Mrs. Brushtail held the hen by the neck, and after making a wide +circle and jumping to one side as far as she could she came to the +fallen tree. When she looked up at the high limb she seemed puzzled. +You see, she could not jump so high with the hen. But she was pretty +wise. She laid the hen upon the trunk of the tree, then jumped upon +the limb above, and reaching down, picked up the hen and walked out +along the limb toward the leafy thicket. Then she sprang into the +thicket and disappeared. + +How Doctor Rabbit did want to see the inside of that thicket! And what +made him all the more curious was that he was certain he heard a +number of growls after Mrs. Brushtail disappeared in there. And the +growls did not sound like Mrs. Brushtail's voice, or like Brushtail's +either. + +Yes, sir, there was something very interesting going on in that +thicket, and Doctor Rabbit made up his mind he must see what it was, +if possible. He wondered where Brushtail was. Doctor Rabbit disliked +to go any nearer the thicket unless he knew where that sly old fox +was. + +"But," he said to himself, "likely enough Mr. Brushtail is in the +thicket with Mrs. Brushtail and is helping her eat that chicken. +Anyway, it's only a little distance to that tree with a hole in the +base and a lot of prickly vines around it. I'm going to run for it! +The distance is so short that Brushtail would not have time to get me +even if he saw me. I'll get to the tree, and if Brushtail should come +after me I'll run into the hole at the base of the tree. I'll find out +about old Brushy before he knows it. And the first thing they know +they will be going out of these woods in a hurry. But I must be very, +very careful. I should say I must! I must watch every second. My, how +those animals in that thicket do growl! It sounds almost as if they +were quarreling." + + + + +BRUSHTAIL THE FOX FINDS SOME PIECES OF CHEESE + + +Doctor Rabbit was just ready to run to the tree with the prickly vines +around it when he crouched low and sat very still again. He heard +somebody coming through the woods. Pretty soon he saw that it was +Farmer Roe. + +The farmer stopped when he got close to the briar patch and muttered +to himself, "Every spring I have to rid these woods of a fox or two. I +guess I'll just put out a little bait for them and see how that will +work." + +As soon as Doctor Rabbit heard Farmer Roe coming through the woods he +noticed that everything in the thicket grew very quiet. I should say +it did! There was not the least sound in there--not a single growl. +And there Farmer Roe stood within twenty feet of the home of Mr. and +Mrs. Brushtail without ever dreaming of it. + +Farmer Roe had gloves on, and he held a number of pieces of cheese on +one hand. He put several of these pieces of cheese under the fallen +tree. Right near the thicket he placed some more cheese, partly under +some dead leaves. Then Farmer Roe went around placing the cheese here +and there where he thought the fox would be most likely to find it. +After a time he put the last piece of cheese under an old log. + +Then he straightened up and said, "There, now! That ought to fix him, +or both of them, if there are two instead of one. I'm glad Yappy has +been trained not to eat anything he finds out in the woods," he added, +"for this bait would be the end of him, too! And that would never do." + +And Farmer Roe walked back through the woods toward his house. After a +while the sound of his heavy footsteps died away. + +Everything in the thicket was perfectly still. There was not a sound. +Doctor Rabbit waited and listened. Then he heard a movement inside the +thicket. Presently Mrs. Brushtail came out, sat down, and looked in +the direction Farmer Roe had taken. While she sat there Mr. Brushtail +came trotting up from somewhere out in the woods. Doctor Rabbit heard +the two talking very rapidly and excitedly, but they talked so low he +could not understand what they said. He wanted very much to know what +they said, but what interested him still more was that he again heard +those growls in the thicket. He wondered who it could be, since +neither Brushtail nor Mrs. Brushtail was in there now. + +Well, after Mr. and Mrs. Brushtail had talked for a while, Brushtail +went right up to the old dead log where Farmer Roe had placed some of +the cheese. Doctor Rabbit was delighted, for he thought this would be +the end of Brushtail the Fox. And we can't blame Doctor Rabbit or +think him cruel, either, for hoping so. You see, Doctor Rabbit, being +a doctor, knew at once that Farmer Roe had poisoned that cheese. Yes, +sir, he had put poison in it for Mr. Fox. And if Mr. and Mrs. +Brushtail should eat just one of those pieces of cheese it would +certainly cause their death. + +But Doctor Rabbit was certainly surprised at what happened. Brushtail +took the piece of cheese carefully in his mouth and carried it to a +small hole a little distance away. Then he hunted around until he +found every piece of poisoned cheese Farmer Roe had put out. And each +time he found a piece of cheese he did just what he did with the first +piece: he carried it to that hole and dropped it in. When he had +finished he stood and looked down at all those pieces of cheese. Then +he began scratching leaves and dirt into the hole. Once in a while he +would turn around and look down into the hole and laugh. Then he would +turn his back again, and just make the leaves and dirt fly into that +hole. + +Well, he scratched and scratched and scratched until there was not a +bit of cheese anywhere to be seen. The hole was full of leaves and +dirt, so you never could have found it. Mrs. Brushtail came out and +smiled at Brushtail, and both of them looked at Farmer Roe's house and +laughed and laughed. + +But Doctor Rabbit was not pleased. I should say he wasn't pleased, and +he wondered how these two terrible creatures would ever be driven away +from the woods. And he wondered more than ever who it was that kept +growling in the thicket. + + + + +THE GROWLERS COME OUT OF THE THICKET + + +After Mr. and Mrs. Brushtail had gone back into the thicket, Doctor +Rabbit wanted to run home. He surely was uncomfortable so near to +Brushtail and Mrs. Brushtail. + +"And still," he thought to himself, "since I am here, I'll just stay a +little longer and discover all I can." + +Well, the growling went on for a while in the thicket, and then +something happened that certainly surprised Doctor Rabbit. Mrs. +Brushtail came out into the open with Farmer Roe's chicken, partly +eaten, and she was followed by four little foxes! + +Mrs. Brushtail dropped the chicken on the ground for the little foxes, +and then she sprang upon a log and just lay there and watched them. +Mr. Fox trotted off into the woods again. + +"He's probably going after another hen," thought Doctor Rabbit, "or +after Stubby Woodchuck or Chatty Red Squirrel or any of us he can +catch." And Doctor Rabbit hoped all his little friends would be on the +lookout. + +While Mrs. Brushtail lay up on the log and looked on proudly, how the +little foxes did pull at that dead chicken and growl! + +"And so there are the growlers I heard in the thicket!" Doctor Rabbit +thought to himself. + +Those little foxes might have looked pretty to some people, they were +so young and so playful and so funny; but they did not look pretty to +Doctor Rabbit. Indeed they did not. They looked like four terrible +monsters. Their little eyes snapped like the eyes of terrible little +savages, and their tiny teeth, sharp as needles, pulled feathers and +sank into the chicken. + +It was certainly true that Mrs. Brushtail was teaching her very small +children how to eat chicken, and as she lay on the log and watched +them, she seemed perfectly satisfied with them. + +After the little foxes had growled and pulled at the chicken for a +good while, Brushtail was seen coming through the woods with something +in his mouth. Then suddenly Doctor Rabbit became almost sick with +fear. He thought for a second that Brushtail had caught Stubby +Woodchuck, but it proved to be no one but a large and ugly old woodrat +that had lately grown so cross and savage that all the little +creatures of the Big Green Woods were afraid of him. + +Doctor Rabbit was very glad indeed that it was that particular old +woodrat, because he had really become dangerous. + +Brushtail dropped the woodrat down before the little foxes, and how +they did did begin pulling and biting him! Mrs. Brushtail up on the +log smiled ever so broadly at this. But it was not a pleasing smile to +Doctor Rabbit, hiding in the briar patch. I should say not! It was a +terrible smile. + +The next instant Yappy came tearing through the woods, right toward +the thicket, and Doctor Rabbit had a moment of hope. But Mrs. +Brushtail just uttered one quick, low growl, and every little fox +scurried into the thicket. That time Doctor Rabbit had a good view of +the inside of the thicket, and he saw what became of the foxes. They +went into a hole under some rocks by a large papaw bush. "So that," +said Doctor Rabbit to himself, "is where Mr. and Mrs. Brushtail and +their little Brushies have their den." + +Brushtail did not run into the thicket with Mrs. Brushtail and the +little foxes. When he saw Yappy coming toward the thicket he ran right +toward the excited dog and then hid behind another thicket. When Yappy +came near, Brushtail sprang right out, and away he ran. Yappy bayed +loudly, and away he went through the woods after Brushtail. You see +now what Brushtail was doing--he was leading Yappy away from that den +of little foxes! + + + + +JACK RABBIT SPRAINS HIS FOOT + + +When Mrs. Brushtail and the four little Brushies ran into the hole in +the thicket and Father Brushtail ran away through the woods with Yappy +in hot pursuit, Doctor Rabbit decided he had better be going. He had +discovered a great deal anyway, and now he wanted to find some of his +friends and tell them about it. + +Doctor Rabbit decided first to go over to the Wide Prairie and see his +friend Jack Rabbit. Doctor Rabbit was not much afraid to cross the +Wide Prairie, now that Ki-yi Coyote was gone and Brushtail the Fox was +busy, for the time at least. + +Doctor Rabbit had not been over to see Jack Rabbit's family for a long +time, and he was considerably surprised to find Jack Rabbit laid up +with a sprained foot. Jack Rabbit said he had sprained his foot the +day before while running from some terrible creature that looked +somewhat like Ki-yi Coyote and just a little like a dog, but not +exactly like either of them. + +"He had a large, bushy tail," Jack Rabbit explained, "and his coat was +a reddish-brown color. He jumped out from behind some bunch grass and +came at me so swiftly that I jumped and turned quickly. And that was +how I sprained my foot. He certainly is a fierce and dangerous +creature, and I wondered if any of the rest of you had seen him," Jack +Rabbit concluded. + +"Indeed we have," Doctor Rabbit replied. "I'll bandage your foot now," +he continued, "and then we can talk about this new enemy. Mrs. Jack +Rabbit," Doctor Rabbit said looking at her over his gold glasses, +"I'll thank you for that bottle of chloroform liniment I left here +some time ago." + +Mrs. Jack Rabbit brought out the bottle of liniment, and after Doctor +Rabbit had bathed Jack Rabbit's foot with some of the liniment he +bandaged it quite snugly. + +"That feels fine!" said Jack Rabbit, getting right up and standing on +all four feet. "I'm so glad you came over, Doctor. That foot feels so +good I know I can dance a little jig!" + +And Jack Rabbit started to dance a little, but he said, "Ouch!" right +away, and everybody laughed, even Jack Rabbit. His foot was not quite +well enough for dancing. + +Then Doctor Rabbit said, "I told you some of the rest of us had seen +that same animal that chased you, Jack Rabbit. I am sure it was the +same animal, from the way you describe him. It is Brushtail the Fox. +He has just lately moved into the Big Green Woods, and intends to make +his home there right along. What makes the matter worse for all of us +is that not only has Mr. Brushtail come, but he has brought his whole +family!" + +"Oh, dear me!" exclaimed Mrs. Jack Rabbit. "I thought _one_ of them +was enough. But all of them--well, that makes it pretty serious for +us." + +"But it might be worse," said Doctor Rabbit, who always sees the +bright side of everything. "You see," he continued, "four of those +foxes are so small that they are harmless. Besides, Farmer Roe and his +boy are on the lookout for that whole Fox family, and they may get rid +of them in a very short time. I thought once," Doctor Rabbit +continued, "of letting Yappy run me right to that thicket where the +Fox family lives. But if I did, Brushtail or Mrs. Brushtail would +surely be right there to lead Yappy away off into the woods. No, if +Farmer Roe or his boy doesn't stumble onto their den, I'll have to +think up some way myself to get rid of that Fox family. I'll bring my +imagination into play," said Doctor Rabbit smilingly, and somewhat +proudly, too. + +"What does 'magination' mean, sir?" little Billy Rabbit asked +wonderingly. + +"It means," said Doctor Rabbit, "that you must think and think and +think until you think out something quite new." + +Then Doctor Rabbit patted all the little rabbits on the head, except +Billy Rabbit whom he chucked under the chin, as he bade them all a +very pleasant good morning. + +"Keep a sharp lookout, and don't worry," Doctor Rabbit said with a +smile as he left. "If Farmer Roe does not get rid of that Fox family, +I'll think out some way myself." + +And he ran like a gray streak back across the Wide Prairie toward the +Big Green Woods. + + + + +DOCTORING LITTLE THOMAS WOODCHUCK + + +The next morning quite early Doctor Rabbit received a call to visit a +new Woodchuck family that had recently moved into the north part of +the Big Green Woods. Doctor Rabbit told Father Woodchuck, who came +over after him, that he would be along in a very few moments. Then he +shut the door and began to get ready. + +Doctor Rabbit always dressed with especial care when he was called to +a new family. He got out his silk hat and brushed it carefully. He +curled his mustache until it looked just right. Then he put on his +finest pair of gold glasses, which he kept laid away for such +occasions. + +He looked very handsome, I can tell you, in his new blue coat, his +bright red trousers, and his finest pair of soft white shoes. He +surely did. + +Doctor Rabbit was ready. He picked up his best medicine case, filled +with the finest of medicines, and started toward the home of the new +family of Woodchucks. + +When Doctor Rabbit reached the place he found it was one of the +youngsters who was sick. In fact, it was Thomas Woodchuck, the pet of +the family. His name was not just Tommy; it was Thomas, and everybody +called him that. Doctor Rabbit sat down by the bed and said, "Let me +see your tongue, Thomas." You see, Doctor Rabbit had asked what +Thomas' name was. He always did this. It helped the children not to +feel afraid of him. + +Little Thomas Woodchuck put out his tongue. + +"I see! I see! That will do, Thomas," said Doctor Rabbit cheerfully. +"Your tongue is badly coated. Your pulse is pretty rapid, too." + +Then Doctor Rabbit thumped all around over little Thomas Woodchuck, +just as the men doctors thump around over little boys and girls when +they are sick. Only Doctor Rabbit did not have to thump so long. He +could always find out in a hurry what was the trouble. + +Doctor Rabbit looked very wisely over his fine gold glasses at all the +rest of the family who were standing about and said, "Mr. and Mrs. +Woodchuck, your son has some stomach trouble from eating too many of +those raw peanuts Farmer Roe has stored in his cob house!" + +Well, sir, that was exactly the truth. They all wondered how Doctor +Rabbit knew what Thomas had eaten. But Doctor Rabbit just had his eyes +open, and put two and two together. He knew the peanuts were in Farmer +Roe's cob house because he had taken a few of them himself now and +then. And then he saw a lot of peanut hulls right under the cover of +the bed where little Thomas Woodchuck lay. + +"Thomas," said Doctor Rabbit, laughing, "you must not eat so many of +those peanuts. Why, there will be none left for me!" + +Then little Thomas Woodchuck and the whole family laughed, and they +all felt better. But Doctor Rabbit gave Thomas three big black pills +and told him to swallow them all at once. Thomas did, and they were so +bitter he tried to spit them out after he had swallowed them, but he +could not do it, of course, and so they went right to work curing him. + +"You will be quite well tomorrow, Thomas," Doctor Rabbit said +cheerfully, and the whole Woodchuck family breathed easier. + +Then Mrs. Woodchuck said, "Doctor, I hear two terrible foxes have come +into our woods." + +Doctor Rabbit frowned at Mrs. Woodchuck to make her keep still about +the foxes near Thomas, for fear he might be frightened. He was always +very careful about this when visiting his patients. "Well, I must be +going. Goodbye, Thomas," Doctor Rabbit said, just as if he had not +heard Mrs. Woodchuck. + +Then when he was out in the kitchen he whispered very low to Father +and Mother Woodchuck: "Yes, two terrible foxes have come into the Big +Green Woods, but I did not want Thomas to hear. But don't you worry, +Mrs. Woodchuck," Doctor Rabbit went on, because he saw how troubled +she looked, "don't you worry a bit, I thought of a scheme to get rid +of Ki-yi Coyote and also of Tom Wildcat, and if Farmer Roe does not +get rid of Mr. and Mrs. Brushtail, I will. Good morning!" And Doctor +Rabbit slipped out of the door and was gone. + + + + +LISTENING TO THE BRUSHTAILS + + +It was a mighty good thing that Doctor Rabbit kept a sharp lookout on +his way home from the Woodchuck house. If he had not been watching he +might have run right into Mr. and Mrs. Brushtail, who stood talking +behind a large elm tree. + +Doctor Rabbit heard them and saw them at the same time. He was so +close that he was afraid even to run. So he crept noiselessly under a +dense leafy thicket near at hand. Doctor Rabbit was pretty badly +scared, because there was not a briar patch anywhere near. So he did +the safest thing. He crouched down on the ground, kept still, and +listened. + +Mr. and Mrs. Brushtail, talking behind the tree, never dreamed, of +course, that there was anybody close by listening. They talked pretty +softly, but Doctor Rabbit was so near that he could hear every word +they said. Brushtail was talking. "Yes," he said, "that dog has a very +sharp nose, and he is bound to find our den sooner or later. So I +think, Mrs. Fox, we had better move you and the children clear out of +these woods. I'll take you to a new den in the woods away off up the +river. There is not much in the way of rabbits and woodchucks and +chickens up there, but I'll keep on spending most of my time down +here. You see, I can catch the rabbits and woodchucks and chickens, +and carry them up to you." + +"Very well, dear," said Mrs. Brushtail, "I think that is an excellent +plan. When shall we move?" + +"This very day," Brushtail said. "We'll get the young foxes right away +and start off with them. The sooner we get them out of here, the +better it will be for all of us." + +Mr. and Mrs. Brushtail trotted off toward the thicket in which they +had their den. Doctor Rabbit was still a little scared, but he +believed he would follow at a distance and see for himself whether Mr. +and Mrs. Brushtail actually did move the little foxes. + +Mr. and Mrs. Brushtail went into the thicket, and in a very short time +came out again. And sure enough, each of them carried a little fox by +the back of its neck. + +They walked across the shallow Murmuring Brook and laid the two little +Brushies down on the other side in a thicket. Then they came back and +carried the other two little Brushies over in the same way. + +As they went past him this last time Doctor Rabbit heard Brushtail say +to Mrs. Brushtail, "You can just wait with them in the thicket on the +other side of Murmuring Brook until I carry two of them up the river +to the new den. When I come back we can carry the other two." + +You see, foxes can carry their baby Foxes by the back of the neck and +not hurt them at all. + +Well, Doctor Rabbit was glad and hungry at the same time. He now +hurried right over to the nice, tender blue grass under the big +sycamore tree. There he found Chatty Red Squirrel, Cheepy Chipmunk, +and quite a number of his other friends, who all wanted to know at +once if Doctor Rabbit had found out anything more about Mr. Fox. +Doctor Rabbit did know a great deal, as you know, and he told his +friends he would tell them. But he added that he was so hungry he +would have to eat while he talked. Doctor Rabbit is a great person to +eat grass, anyway. + +"It seems as though I never can get enough!" he said every now and +then. + + + + +DOCTOR RABBIT TELLS SOME GOOD NEWS + + +Chatty Red Squirrel, Cheepy Chipmunk, and all the rest of Doctor +Rabbit's friends who were gathered under the big sycamore tree were +certainly very happy when Doctor Rabbit told them that Mrs. Brushtail +and all the little Brushies were leaving the Big Green Woods for good. + +"As the matter stands now," Doctor Rabbit said, "we've nobody but +Brushtail to look out for. But he's surely enough! I should say he is! +And if Farmer Roe does not get him soon, I'm going to keep right on +thinking of some plan to get him out of here. We can't scare him as we +did Tom Wildcat. Brushtail is too cunning for that. He'd just laugh at +us if we painted signs and put them up on our doors, no matter _what_ +was painted on the signs. I heard Brushtail tell Mrs. Brushtail that +he would not live in that thicket any more. He said he would get +himself a new den not far off and probably a little nearer to the +Murmuring Brook. So you see we could not lead Yappy to Brushtail now +if we wanted to. And I am afraid Yappy will be a good while in finding +Brushtail's new den. I may find it," Doctor Rabbit continued, "but I'd +never risk trying to lead Yappy to it, and Jack Rabbit has a sprained +foot, so he can't. But from the way he talked to me, I don't think +he'd be willing to try it even if his foot weren't sprained." + +Brushtail the Fox seized her by the neck + +"Possibly," suggested Chatty Red Squirrel, "Brushtail will not have a +fallen tree near his new den, nor any other way of making Yappy lose +the trail. And possibly Yappy will smell along old Brushtail's trail +and find him right in his den." + +"Don't you ever think Brushtail will be foolish enough to walk +straight along the ground to his den," said Doctor Rabbit. "He's far +too wise for that, no matter where his den is. No, sir, he will make +big jumps sidewise and walk back on his trail and walk in big circles, +and better still, walk for a distance in the Murmuring Brook. Ah! +he'll do a whole lot of things before he goes into his den. Of +course," Doctor Rabbit said softly, "it is possible Farmer Roe may +trap old Brushtail. I saw him working with a trap only this morning." + + + + +A FOOLISH OLD HEN + + +Several days after Doctor Rabbit had talked to his friends under the +big sycamore tree he was hopping along near the edge of the Big Green +Woods when he saw Brushtail the Fox hiding behind a tree and looking +toward Farmer Roe's house. + +Doctor Rabbit crept under a big brush pile and looked in the same +direction. What do you suppose Brushtail was watching? Well, he was +looking at a big Plymouth Rock hen coming across the field right +toward the place where he lay hidden. + +Now, if Doctor Rabbit had had something better than a brush pile to +hide under, he might have made some sort of noise and warned the hen. +But if he had made the least sound, Brushtail would have come diving +under that brush pile in a second, for he isn't afraid of brush piles +as he is of briar patches. + +Pretty soon the hen reached the woods. She stretched up her neck and +looked around, but not seeing anything she started into the woods for +some crickets. She had gone only a few steps when Brushtail the Fox +bounded out, seized her by the neck, and ran off through the Big Green +Woods. + +Doctor Rabbit followed along behind, going hoppity, hoppity, hoppity, +and presently he saw Brushtail splashing along in the Murmuring Brook. +He was trotting along in the brook for a distance, for, you see, a +hound cannot smell a fox's tracks in the water; and so Yappy could not +track him. + +Doctor Rabbit stopped and looked. + +He saw Brushtail finally cross to the other side of the Murmuring +Brook. Brushtail then turned and looked back to see if anybody was +following him. He did not see anyone, so, still holding the dead hen +in his mouth, he trotted out of sight among the trees. + +Of course Doctor Rabbit knew what Brushtail was going to do. He was +going to take that hen up the river to Mrs. Brushtail and the little +Brushies. + +When Brushtail had passed out of sight, Doctor Rabbit did not go home +at once. No, he sat down to think. He was trying to think out a way to +drive old Brushtail out of the Big Green Woods. He sat there and +thought ever and ever so long. Sometimes he thought so hard he +scratched his head without knowing it. At other times he curled his +mustache. + +So he thought and thought, but after a long time he said he would have +to give it up for this time. He was not discouraged, for he could tell +from the various things he had thought of that something would turn up +after a while to help him work out a plan that would get rid of +Brushtail the Fox. That was one fine thing about Doctor Rabbit--he +would not give up. He kept right on trying. + +Well, for the next two days Doctor Rabbit was busy doctoring the +little Chipmunk children. They had got into Farmer Roe's apple orchard +and had eaten a lot of green apples, in spite of the fact that Mother +Chipmunk had told Jimmy Chipmunk, her oldest, that he and the rest of +the children should not eat green apples. + + + + +DOCTOR RABBIT LAYS A TRAP + + +The day after Doctor Rabbit cured the little Chipmunk children, he +thought of a new plan for catching Brushtail the Fox, and he decided +to try it at once. + +Doctor Rabbit knew very well that somehow he must drive Brushtail out +of the Big Green Woods. None of the little creatures would be safe for +a moment until this was done. Yes, cruel, sly old Brushtail must be +driven away, and everything depended on our clever Doctor Rabbit. + +As Doctor Rabbit started hopping along through the woods he said +quietly to himself, "Of course this scheme I have in mind may not +work. But it is worth trying anyway. I won't tell any of my friends +about it, and then if I don't catch Brushtail they won't be +disappointed. But if I _do_ catch him!" + +Right here Doctor Rabbit stopped and laughed and laughed. "My," he +continued, "if I _do_ catch him, won't Stubby Woodchuck and Cheepy +Chipmunk and all the others be surprised! Well, I should say they +_will_ be surprised!" + +And Doctor Rabbit went hopping along, chuckling to himself and feeling +mighty fine. He is always happy when he has thought of a plan to get +rid of some big, cruel animal. + +Doctor Rabbit kept going until he came to a part of the Big Green +Woods where the Murmuring Brook was widest and deepest. He knew just +what he was looking for, too. You see, Farmer Roe's boy had been +setting his fishing lines here every night. Each morning he would pull +his lines out of the water, take the fish off, and then leave one or +two of the lines lying on the bank until evening. + +Doctor Rabbit wanted one of these fishing lines, and when he reached +the place, sure enough, there was a long, stout fishing line lying +right on the ground. There were some hooks on the end of the line, but +Doctor Rabbit did not want these, so with his sharp teeth he cut them +off. Then he picked up the line and took it some distance away to a +big thicket. Here Doctor Rabbit began making a loop in one end of that +fishing line and chuckling as he worked. + +Well, in just a little while he had that loop all fixed. Then he +spread out the loop, which was made so it would slip, on a nice patch +of open ground near the thicket. The other end of the line he hid in +the thicket. Then he went over to the edge of the Murmuring Brook. He +moved along the edge of the brook and watched ever so carefully. Now +what do you suppose Doctor Rabbit was looking for this time? Well, +sir, he was looking for a live fish. He saw several and made a grab +for them, but they all got away. But Doctor Rabbit is very patient, +and presently he seized a nice one and carried it, wiggling in his +mouth, back to the loop he had made in that line. He dropped the small +fish in the center of the loop. The fish didn't jump much now; it only +wiggled and flapped its tail a little, and that was just what Doctor +Rabbit wanted it to do. + +He ran into the thicket where the other end of the line was and waited +for Brushtail the Fox to come along. + +As Doctor Rabbit waited and listened he heard footsteps approaching. +He peeped out to see who it was. It wasn't Brushtail at all; it was +Ray Coon. And my, you should have seen Mr. Coon run for that fish when +he saw it! + +"Hurrah!" Ray Coon shouted. "Some one has lost a fish. Here's my +breakfast right here!" + +And he was just about to pounce upon the fish when he was almost +scared out of his wits by Doctor Rabbit calling out, "Boo! Let that +fish alone, Neighbor! I put it there to catch Brushtail the Fox! Come +here, into the thicket." + +And so Ray Coon, looking rather foolish, went into the thicket where +Doctor Rabbit was hiding. + +"Keep right still!" Doctor Rabbit whispered to his friend. "I was +going to try to catch old Brushtail all by myself," he continued, "but +now that you have happened along you'd better stay, for I may need +some help." + +"How are you going to catch him, Doctor Rabbit?" Ray Coon asked. And +Doctor Rabbit just pointed one foot out toward the loop and the +squirming fish. Then Ray Coon understood, and how he did chuckle! He +was just as much amused as was Doctor Rabbit and they both laughed and +laughed, but they had to be very quiet, of course, because at any +minute Brushtail might come along. + +Suddenly Doctor Rabbit peeked out and whispered, "Sh! sh! Keep as +still as anything! There comes old Brushy now. And yes, he's coming +this way!" + + + + +BRUSHTAIL THE FOX IS ALMOST CAUGHT + + +Doctor Rabbit and Ray Coon kept perfectly quiet in the thicket and +watched Brushtail the Fox as he came creeping along. When he saw the +fish lying in that loop, my, how wide Brushtail's eyes did open! The +fish jumped and squirmed just enough to make Brushtail want it very +badly. He was so delighted that he stood up on his hind legs and +danced toward the fish. + +"Ha! ha!" he laughed. "It was probably old Bald Eagle who flew over +the woods and dropped his fish! Ha! ha! ha! That's luck for me--a +fine fish for breakfast. And I did not have to get my feet wet to +catch it." Then Brushtail began to sing: + +"Great flying Bald Eagle caught a fish, +And flew away to eat him; +But down it fell through green treetops, +And Brushy Fox will cheat him!" + +Brushtail finished his song and jumped for the fish. He jumped, of +course, right into that loop Doctor Rabbit had made in the stout +fishing cord. Well, sir, just as soon as Brushtail's feet touched the +ground inside that loop, Doctor Rabbit and Ray Coon jerked the line as +quickly and as firmly as they could. The loop slipped up and caught +Brushtail around the body. My, but he was surprised and scared! I +should say he was! He forgot the fish instantly, and he yelled ever so +loud, "Let me go," although he did not know, of course, just what it +was that had caught him. + +The way he yelled and started pulling to get away was so funny that +Doctor Rabbit and Ray Coon laughed until they could scarcely hold the +line. + +They wrapped the line around their paws and held on as hard as ever +they could. And my, how Brushtail did dig his claws into the ground +and pull! + +When he found he couldn't free himself he was more frightened than +ever and shouted (because, you see, he could not see what held him), +"You let go of me, you old ghost, or goblin man! You let go of me or +I'll claw you to pieces! Let go of me or I'll come back there and pull +all your hair out, and I'll throw you in the briars so far you'll +never get out and they will stick you forever!" + +And all the time Brushtail was talking this he was digging his claws +into the ground and pulling with all his might. + +Doctor Rabbit could not have held him alone, but Ray Coon is pretty +plump and stout, and he helped a great deal. But Brushtail pulled so +hard that he pulled them right out of the thicket before they knew it! + +Doctor Rabbit was so anxious to hold Brushtail that he cried right +out, "Hold him, Ray Coon! Hold on to him! Hold on to him!" + +Then Doctor Rabbit saw his mistake, for when Brushtail the Fox heard +that voice he stopped pulling and turned around quickly. When he +turned toward them, Ray Coon seized the fish, and he and Doctor Rabbit +ran for their lives. And Brushtail was close behind them. + +Doctor Rabbit skipped away as easily as could be, and Ray Coon, with +the fish in his mouth, started up a tree. Brushtail ran for Ray Coon +and gave a big spring for him. He almost got him, too, for he bit him +on the hind foot. But Ray Coon managed to get up on a limb just out of +reach. Brushtail was so angry at losing the fish and being completely +fooled that he jumped several times as high as he could, but he could +not jump quite high enough. So Ray Coon just sat there and ate that +fish right before Brushtail's eyes. + +"This is an extra good fish," Ray Coon called down, as he gobbled it +up. "It's extra good, Brushy. But you didn't want it anyway, did you? +Ha! ha! ha!" + +Then old Brushtail was angrier than before. He pulled the loop off of +his body with his teeth and snarled, "All right for this time--you +and that big fat rabbit fooled me. He's pretty clever, but he'll not +fool me again. And the _next_ time I'll get both of you. I'll eat +rabbit and coon both at one meal. In about three days I'll get both of +you!" And with an angry growl old Brushtail the Fox went off into the +woods. + +After a while Doctor Rabbit ventured out of his hiding place and +hopped over to the tree which Ray Coon had climbed. + +"Brushtail has gone off toward the Murmuring Brook," Doctor Rabbit +said. "Come on down and let me doctor your foot where he bit you. I +see it's bleeding a little." + +Ray Coon came right down and laughed as he said, "My foot isn't hurt +much, Doctor, and it will soon be well if you put some of your yellow +salve on it." + +"Of course it will," Doctor Rabbit agreed, as he took some salve from +his medicine case. + +He bandaged Ray's foot in a few minutes. But all the time that he was +bandaging it, he kept a sharp lookout for Brushtail. + +"He's very sly," Doctor Rabbit said, "and I am certain that right this +minute he is planning some scheme to catch us or some of our friends." + +"That's so," Ray Coon replied, looking at the bushes around him +somewhat nervously. "I do wish," he continued, "that we could think of +some plan to get rid of him for good. Then we could live happily and +have our fun as we used to do." + +"Don't you worry, Neighbor Coon," Doctor Rabbit chuckled as he picked +up his medicine case and looked at Ray Coon over his big glasses. +"Don't you worry," he repeated, "I'll have a plan all in good time, +and right now I'm going in the direction he went, to see what he is up +to!" + +Ray Coon seemed a little nervous again as he said, "Well, do be +careful, whatever you do, Doctor, because he looked terribly cruel, +you remember." + +"Ha! ha! ha!" jolly Doctor Rabbit laughed as he started away, waving a +paw at Ray Coon, "I'll take care of myself--never fear. And I'll take +care of old Brushy Fox, too! Ha! ha! ha! Yes, I'll see what he's doing +now. Perhaps I shall catch him right away." And Doctor Rabbit slipped +away in the direction in which Brushtail had gone. + + + + +AN EXCITING CHASE + + +You remember that Doctor Rabbit started out to find Brushtail the Fox +and watch him. Well, it was not long before Brushtail was found, and +it certainly was exciting for Doctor Rabbit to watch what happened. +This is the way it happened. It was Yappy who found Brushtail. Doctor +Rabbit was hopping along, looking for Brushtail, when Yappy came +tearing through the woods and almost ran into Brushtail. + +You see, Brushtail saw Yappy coming, but he thought Yappy would pass +by because he had not as yet smelled the trail. These things Brushtail +always knows. But Yappy passed so close he smelled fox, and then +Brushtail certainly did have to jump and run. + +Doctor Rabbit just sprang up on the trunk of a fallen tree to watch +the race. All of a sudden he saw Farmer Roe and his boy running toward +Yappy, and with them was another big dog which joined in the chase +after Brushtail. + +"It's a fox! a fox! It's that old fox!" shouted Farmer Roe's boy. +"Catch him, Yappy! Catch him! catch him!" The second big hound turned +Brushtail back so that he almost ran into Farmer Roe before he saw +him. + +Farmer Roe threw a stick at Brushtail but missed him. + +"Catch him, Yappy, catch him!" shouted Farmer Roe. "He'll steal all my +hens if you don't." + +Away they all ran after Brushtail the Fox--Farmer Roe and his boy +yelling, and both hounds barking. + +"My!" exclaimed Doctor Rabbit as he sat on the fallen tree, "I +certainly do hope they'll catch him!" + +And just at that moment it looked as if they _would_ catch Brushtail. +He was in such a great hurry that in trying to jump across a wide +ditch in the woods he fell right into it. And Yappy was almost upon +him. + +"Yappy's got him!" shouted Farmer Roe's boy. "Yappy's got him!" + +But Brushtail was not to be caught so easily. He sprang out of that +hole in a flash, and away he ran like the wind. + +As Doctor Rabbit watched, Brushtail ran out of sight in the woods, and +the barking of the hounds and the voices of Farmer Roe and his boy +sounded farther and farther away. Doctor Rabbit sat and waited, for he +thought they might turn Brushtail back and run him past the fallen +tree. But after a while they seemed farther away than ever, and he +could just barely hear Yappy barking on the trail. Doctor Rabbit just +sat still and waited. He knew that Brushtail the Fox was one of the +slyest creatures in the woods, and he was pretty sure now that he +would get away for this time at least. + +"I should not be surprised if he came sneaking back right around here. +And still," Doctor Rabbit said hopefully, "Yappy _may_ get him. I'll +just wait for a time and see what does happen." + +Several times as Doctor Rabbit sat there he heard a noise in the +bushes near by and each time he looked quickly in that direction. But +it must have been the wind blowing the leaves, for he did not see +anything. + +Once, however, Doctor Rabbit was really startled. A big woodrat ran +through some dead leaves and made a good deal of noise. He stopped and +looked at Doctor Rabbit and asked, "Are you waiting for some one?" + +"Yes," Doctor Rabbit replied, "I'm waiting for Brushtail the Fox; I'm +expecting him any time." + +"Brushtail the Fox!" exclaimed the Woodrat. "Well, _I'm_ not going to +wait for him!" And he hurried away as fast as he could. + +Then Doctor Rabbit heard another noise. Some creature was creeping +through the bushes not far off. He was coming nearer, too. + + + + +THE BIG GRAY GOOSE GETS AWAY + + +Doctor Rabbit sat on the trunk of the fallen tree and never moved a +muscle as he listened to the animal creeping through the thicket. +Every now and then it would stop, and there was not a sound; then it +would move again, and all the time it kept coming nearer and nearer. + +Doctor Rabbit has a way of twitching his nose most of the time, but as +he sat there he did not even move his nose. No, sir! He was as still +as the tree trunk on which he sat. He kept his eyes right on the place +from which the sounds of the creeping animal came. + +And then his heart gave a thump and beat very fast--for out of the +thicket came old Brushtail himself! He looked all about carefully, and +then sat down panting, tired out from his long run. + +But after he was somewhat rested, Brushtail got up and grinned. He +looked out in the woods in the direction where Yappy and the other +hound were still running and barking. + +"Ha! ha! ha!" Brushtail chuckled softly. "They've lost my trail. I +knew they would when I walked down the Murmuring Brook. Well," he +continued, "I'll just look around a bit for something to eat. Perhaps +I can find that big fat rabbit." + +It happened that Brushtail started right for the fallen tree where +Doctor Rabbit sat, and Doctor Rabbit was just about to spring off and +run when something else happened. Farmer Roe's big gray goose came +near. She was eating some tender green grass blades and never dreamed +that a fox was near. But Brushtail saw her and started creeping toward +her. + +Doctor Rabbit could not bear to see that big gray goose gobbled up, so +he shouted as loud as he could, "Look out, Gray Goose! Brushtail the +Fox is going to get you! He's coming! He's coming!" + +Now, as you may know, a tame goose cannot fly very far, but many of +them can fly a short distance, and fly fairly high too. The gray goose +was terribly frightened, and instantly began flapping her great wings. +She flew just high enough in the air so that Brushtail missed him when +he sprang. If the Murmuring Brook had not been near, that gray goose +would surely have been caught, because, as I have said, she cannot fly +very far; but as it was she managed to fly across the brook. Then she +came to the ground again and ran screaming and flapping her wings +toward Farmer Roe's. She got out of the woods in a few moments and +Brushtail the Fox did not catch her. + +Now when Doctor Rabbit shouted, Brushtail turned quickly and saw him, +but knowing that he could not catch both of them, he sprang for the +gray goose. But Brushtail did not swim across Murmuring Brook. He knew +it would take him too long, and he saw that he could not catch the +gray goose after all. So he turned from the edge of the brook and +started back after Doctor Rabbit. + +My, but Brushtail was angry at Doctor Rabbit! + +"It was that big fat rabbit that made me miss my dinner!" snarled +Brushtail. + +"I saw him sitting on that fallen tree. It was he who warned that +silly goose!" + +And Brushtail ran swiftly to the fallen tree, and darted quickly all +around it. He sprang into the near-by thickets and charged under some +small brush piles. In fact, he raced around and hunted in every spot +where he thought Doctor Rabbit might be hiding, and all the time he +kept up an angry growl. + +"I'll get him; I'll get him," Brushtail kept snarling. "I'll get that +big fat rabbit if it takes me a week!" + + + + +BRUSHTAIL THE FOX FINDS THE TRAPS + + +A few days after Doctor Rabbit had helped Farmer Roe's big gray goose +to escape from Brushtail the Fox, Doctor Rabbit saw something that +interested him greatly. Farmer Roe was working at something out in the +woods. There was a briar patch near by, so Doctor Rabbit crept into +this and watched. + +Yes, sir! Farmer Roe was actually setting a trap, or rather, he was +setting four traps. And he was surely arranging things so that if +Brushtail could ever be fooled at all he could be fooled here, or so +it seemed, at least. Farmer Roe had chosen a low place in the woods, +full of the finest white sand. He staked the traps and set them in the +sand, and covered them all over with sand so that they could not be +seen. Then he dragged an old cow's head right in the center of the +four traps. + +Now, you see, it looked just as if some animal had been eating the +cow's head and had left it right in that nice fine white sand. And if +Mr. Fox should happen along, it looked as if he might try to go right +up to that head. Then he would be sure to step into one of those +traps! + +Well, all the rest of that day and most of the night Doctor Rabbit +watched those traps and that cow's head. At last, far along in the +night, he heard a noise in the bushes close by. The moon shone very +brightly through the trees, and on that patch of white sand and the +cow's head. A dark form came slipping out of the shadows and kept +coming nearer. Pretty soon Doctor Rabbit saw who it was. It was +Brushtail the Fox. + +Brushtail sniffed toward the cow's head and said, "Well, well, fresh +beef! This is pretty fine!" And he began walking around and around +that cow's head. But he seemed a little suspicious, for he did not +walk right up to the head. Still, he kept getting closer and closer. +And then, all of a sudden, he stumbled over something. + +"Hello! What's this!" Brushtail exclaimed. He dug around a little in +the sand, then said, "Oho, I see! It's a stake I stumbled over, and +here is a chain and--why sure enough! There's a trap fastened to the +chain. Ha! ha! ha! No beef to-night, thank you! I'll just wait. +Perhaps some foolish animal will drag that head away and hide it. Then +I'll just help myself. Sooner or later I'll get that head!" And +Brushtail trotted away. + +It was a queer procession! + +But he did not go far until he stopped and sniffed again in the +direction of the cow's head. + +"My!" exclaimed Brushtail, "That meat certainly does smell good, so +good that I am almost tempted to go back and try to get it. But I'm +afraid. I'll just wait as I said. And I'll get that cow's head as sure +as anything." + +And laughing to himself because he believed he was so clever, +Brushtail stole softly away into the woods. + +Well, Brushtail _is_ clever, but some one else was just a bit +cleverer, and that was Doctor Rabbit. + + + + +GETTING TOGETHER + + +Of course Doctor Rabbit was greatly disappointed when Brushtail the +Fox discovered that there was a trap set in the sand, because he had +thought surely Brushtail would be caught. Then, after Brushtail had +gone away, Doctor Rabbit suddenly thought of something. Yes, sir! It +came to him in an instant--a plan to get rid of Brushtail the Fox! +And the plan was suggested to Doctor Rabbit by Brushtail's remark, +"Perhaps some foolish animal will drag that head away and hide it. +Then I'll just help myself." + +Well, as soon as it was daylight, Doctor Rabbit hurried right over to +Jack Rabbit's, told him what his plan was, and brought Jack Rabbit +back with him. Then Doctor Rabbit hurried around through the Big Green +Woods telling his friends. He told Stubby Woodchuck, Cheepy Chipmunk, +Chatty Red Squirrel, Frisky Grey Squirrel, Robin-the-Red, O. Possum, +busy Blue Jay, Jim Crow, and quite a number of others. He asked them +all to come about the middle of the forenoon to the place where Farmer +Roe had placed the cow's head, as he would need every one of them at +about that time. + +Immediately Doctor Rabbit and Jack Rabbit hurried away toward Farmer +Roe's back lot. They squeezed under a board fence and began looking +for something. + +"Here it is!" Doctor Rabbit said, picking up a stout piece of rope +that had been part of a clothes-line. + +"I knew it was in here somewhere," Jack Rabbit said, "for I saw it +just yesterday." + +"Now," said Doctor Rabbit, "let's go back to the woods and find that +slim hickory tree that has a grapevine hanging from the top." + +They ran into the woods, and after a little search found the hickory. +They hid the rope they had found and hurried over to the cow's head in +the sand. There they found all the other little creatures. After a +great deal of very careful work, Doctor Rabbit, Jack Rabbit, and O. +Possum managed to get the cow's head outside the circle of traps. Then +every one of Doctor Rabbit's friends helped to pull and push the cow's +head. It was a queer procession! + +After quite a while they succeeded in pushing and pulling the cow's +head to the slim hickory tree. Doctor Rabbit told them now to push it +into a near-by thicket, and they did. + +Fat O. Possum exclaimed, "Whew, I'm tired. Now let's eat the head!" + +Everybody but O. Possum laughed at that, and Doctor Rabbit said, "No, +Brother Possum, not just yet, but you are helping wonderfully, and +tomorrow morning I think you can have this head all to yourself. I +think we'll be rid of Brushtail the Fox by that time." + +Doctor Rabbit now grabbed hold of the grapevine that hung from the top +of the hickory, and he and all his friends pulled and pulled until +they bent the top of the hickory down to the thicket. Then, while his +friends held the tree-top down, Doctor Rabbit made a snare or loop of +the rope he had found, and arranged it in the thicket so that if +Brushtail got to the cow's head he would have to step through the +snare, or slip noose. Finally, Doctor Rabbit tied the tree rather +loosely to a small twig of the thicket and told his friends to step +back carefully, because the least thing would make the tree fly up as +it was before and take that snare with it. + + + + +BRUSHTAIL THE FOX DISCOVERS THE COW'S HEAD + + +Doctor Rabbit and all his friends stood back and watched to see +whether the tree would fly back, but it did not. It held as firm and +quiet as could be. + +"Now," said Doctor Rabbit, "old Brushy will come back to where that +head was, and, seeing it gone, he will naturally think that O. Possum +or somebody has dragged it away. So Brushtail will smell along the +ground where we have dragged the head, and he will finally find it +right here. I have hidden the noose in the thicket so that Mister Fox +will not notice it, and he'll walk right in to get that head. In doing +so, he'll put his head through that noose and pull on it, trying to +get to the head. Well, when Mr. Brushtail pulls, he'll break that +slender twig that holds the tree down, because that twig is about +ready to break as it is. Then we'll see what'll happen!" + +"Let's hurry away now," Doctor Rabbit added. "If foxy Brushtail +happened to see all of us here at once he might become suspicious. +I'll come back soon and watch, and if anything happens I'll let all of +you know at once." + +So away went Stubby Woodchuck and O. Possum and all the others, +talking quietly yet excitedly, and now and then laughing a little. +They said they hoped Brushtail would come soon, and they also said +that something just told them away down deep in their hearts that +Brushtail was surely going to be caught this time. And all that day +they could scarcely eat, they were so eager to know whether Brushtail +would get caught in that noose in the thicket. + +Doctor Rabbit hid not far from the cow's head and waited all day. Then +he went to supper and came quickly back. Pretty soon night came, and +the big round moon came up. Along about midnight Doctor Rabbit heard a +sound. Pit-a-pat! pit-a-pat! pit-a-pat! Some one was coming along +slowly through the woods! Then, as the form came nearer, Doctor Rabbit +saw Brushtail the Fox trotting along with his sharp nose to the +ground, smelling the trail where that cow's head had been dragged. + +Well, sir, Brushtail went right up to the thicket where the noose was. +Then he laughed and laughed and laughed. + +"Well, well, well!" said Brushtail. "I guess I'm just a little too +smart for anybody around these woods. Ha! ha! ha! It's just as I +thought. That silly old fat possum or somebody has been foolish enough +to walk right in among those traps that Farmer Roe set and drag that +head up here. Well, I'll just go on into this thicket and bring that +head out and take charge of it myself. There's enough meat to last me +several days." And Brushtail started into the thicket. + + + + +WHAT HAPPENED TO BRUSHTAIL THE FOX + + +When Brushtail the Fox started into the thicket to get the cow's head +he never dreamed, of course, that there was anything there to catch +him. So he plunged right into the thicket. _Swish!_ Up went that tall, +slim hickory tree, and Brushtail with it! You never heard such a yell +as Brushtail gave. He yelled so loudly that all the little creatures +of the Big Green Woods were awakened, and Doctor Rabbit did not have +to call them. They all came running toward the place where the snare +had been set. + +Even Jack Rabbit, away out in the Wide Prairie, heard Brushtail yell, +and here came Jack Rabbit running as fast as he could. + +In a little time all the little creatures of the Big Green Woods were +there. Now, you see, Brushtail had put his front legs through that +noose, so that it held him around the body just behind his fore legs. +The rope did not hurt him much, although it pulled considerably. So he +dangled up there and howled, while all the little creatures below +shouted and danced for joy. + +Of course, when Brushtail saw all the little creatures come so +quickly, he knew a trick had been played upon him, but he was too +badly scared to be angry. I should say he was! He was about scared out +of his wits when that tree jerked him up into the air, and he was +about as badly scared now as ever, because he could not see how he was +ever going to get down from there. + +"Let me down! Let me down! Let me down!" Brushtail shouted, clawing +wildly at the air. + +"Oh yes!" said Doctor Rabbit. "I suppose we'll let you down, foxy +Brushy. I suppose we know what you would do to us mighty quick if you +caught us. Yes, it's likely we'll let you down. Ha! ha! ha!" And +Doctor Rabbit and all his friends danced around under the tree and +laughed and laughed. + +"I'll go out of these woods and never, never, never come back if +you'll just let me down!" Brushtail promised; and he really meant it. +This was just what Doctor Rabbit was waiting to hear Brushtail say. + +But Doctor Rabbit said, "We'll go over to my house for a little while +and talk the matter over." + +And, with Brushtail begging them to come back and let him down, they +all hurried over to Doctor Rabbit's house in the big tree. When they +were inside Doctor Rabbit seated them all in his best chairs. + +Then he stood up and said, "My friends, I just wanted to have you all +come over here and stay until morning. The fact is, that while +Brushtail is pretty badly scared, he is not hurt much yet, and we must +hurt him, at least a little, or he may forget his promise and come +back to our woods. By morning, however, I think he will have learned a +lesson he never will forget, and I think he'll keep out." + +So they talked and had a good time at Doctor Rabbit's until morning. +It was just daylight when they went back to the slim hickory. +Brushtail was still hanging there, and when he saw them how he did +yell to be let down! + +"Very well, Brother Brushy," Doctor Rabbit said, "we'll let you down, +and if you ever come back into our woods again--" + +"Oh," yelled Brushtail before Doctor Rabbit could say another word, +"I'll never, never, never come back if I can get down. I'd rather live +on crickets and bugs all my life than to take chances." But Brushtail +did not say any more, because he wanted to get down right away. + +"O. Possum," said Doctor Rabbit, "if you'll go up and gnaw that rope +in two so that old Brushtail can drop to the ground, you may have that +cow's head all for yourself." + +"I'll do that," O. Possum said, and he began climbing the tree. +Presently O. Possum was above Brushtail, and began gnawing the rope. + +"Oh, dear me!" shouted Brushtail after O. Possum had gnawed for a +time. "It's an awfully long way to the ground, I'm afraid!" + +And then O. Possum got the rope gnawed right in two. _Plunk_! +Brushtail struck the ground. Well, sir, he got right up and started to +run. He was so stiff he could not run well at first, but the farther +he went the faster he ran. After he got across the Murmuring Brook he +went away through the woods on the other side like a streak. I don't +know of anything that could have scared Brushtail and made him _stay_ +scared as that snare did. + +Brushtail the Fox never came around the Big Green Woods after that. +Doctor Rabbit and his friends were certainly glad and happy. + +---------------------------------------------------------------------- + +THE GREENWOODS SERIES + +Doctor Rabbit and Tom Wildcat +Doctor Rabbit and Ki-Yi Coyote +Doctor Rabbit and Grumpy Bear +Doctor Rabbit and Brushtail the Fox +Doctor Rabbit and Slinky the Black Wolf +Doctor Rabbit and Old Bill Horned Owl + +---------------------------------------------------------------------- + +TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES + +1. Punctuation has been normalized to contemporary standards. +2. "THE GREENWOODS SERIES" relocated from before title page to end of + text. +3. "Contents" and "Illustrations" lists were not present in original + text. +4. Repeated word in original "did did" ("how they did begin"). + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Doctor Rabbit and Brushtail the Fox, by +Thomas Clark Hinkle + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DOCTOR RABBIT AND BRUSHTAIL *** + +***** This file should be named 18667.txt or 18667.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/8/6/6/18667/ + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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