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Burgess</title> +<style type="text/css"> +BODY { color: Black; + background: White; + margin-right: 5%; + margin-left: 10%; + font-size: medium; + font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; + text-align: justify } + +P {text-indent: 4% } + +P.noindent {text-indent: 0% } + +P.poem {text-indent: 0%; + margin-left: 10%; + font-size: small } + +P.letter {font-size: small ; + margin-left: 10% ; + margin-right: 10% } + +P.salutation {font-size: small ; + text-indent: 0%; + margin-left: 10% ; + margin-right: 10% } + +P.closing {font-size: small ; + text-indent: 0%; + margin-left: 10% ; + margin-right: 10% } + +P.footnote {font-size: small ; + text-indent: 0% ; + margin-left: 0% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +P.transnote {font-size: small ; + text-indent: 0% ; + margin-left: 0% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +P.index {font-size: small ; + text-indent: -5% ; + margin-left: 5% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +P.intro {font-size: medium ; + text-indent: -5% ; + margin-left: 5% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +P.dedication {text-indent: 0%; + margin-left: 15%; + text-align: justify } + +P.published {font-size: small ; + text-indent: 0% ; + margin-left: 15% } + +P.quote {font-size: small ; + text-indent: 4% ; + margin-left: 0% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +P.report {font-size: small ; + text-indent: 4% ; + margin-left: 0% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +P.report2 {font-size: small ; + text-indent: 4% ; + margin-left: 10% ; + margin-right: 10% } + +P.finis { text-align: center ; + text-indent: 0% ; + margin-left: 0% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +H3.h3left { margin-left: 0%; + margin-right: 1%; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: left ; + clear: left ; + text-align: center } + +H3.h3right { margin-left: 1%; + margin-right: 0 ; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: right ; + clear: right ; + text-align: center } + +H3.h3center { margin-left: 0; + margin-right: 0 ; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: none ; + clear: both ; + text-align: center } + +H4.h4left { margin-left: 0%; + margin-right: 1%; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: left ; + clear: left ; + text-align: center } + +H4.h4right { margin-left: 1%; + margin-right: 0 ; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: right ; + clear: right ; + text-align: center } + +H4.h4center { margin-left: 0; + margin-right: 0 ; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: none ; + clear: both ; + text-align: center } + +H5.h5left { margin-left: 0%; + margin-right: 1%; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: left ; + clear: left ; + text-align: center } + +H5.h5right { margin-left: 1%; + margin-right: 0 ; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: right ; + clear: right ; + text-align: center } + +H5.h5center { margin-left: 0; + margin-right: 0 ; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: none ; + clear: both ; + text-align: center } + +IMG.imgleft { float: left; + clear: left; + margin-left: 0; + margin-bottom: 0; + margin-top: 1%; + margin-right: 1%; + padding: 0; + text-align: center } + +IMG.imgright {float: right; + clear: right; + margin-left: 1%; + margin-bottom: 0; + margin-top: 1%; + margin-right: 0; + padding: 0; + text-align: center } + +IMG.imgcenter { margin-left: auto; + margin-bottom: 0; + margin-top: 1%; + margin-right: auto; } + +.pagenum { position: absolute; + left: 1%; + font-size: 95%; + text-align: left; + text-indent: 0; + font-style: normal; + font-weight: normal; + font-variant: normal; } + + hr.full { width: 100%; + height: 5px; } + a:link {color:#0000ff; + text-decoration:none; } + link {color:#0000ff; + text-decoration:none; } + a:visited {color:#0000ff; + text-decoration:none; } + a:hover {color:#ff0000; + text-decoration: underline; } + pre {font-size: 75%; } + +</style> +</head> +<body> +<h1 align="center">The Project Gutenberg eBook, Mother West Wind's Children, by Thornton W. +Burgess, Illustrated by George Kerr</h1> +<pre> +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 <a href = "http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre> +<p>Title: Mother West Wind's Children</p> +<p>Author: Thornton W. Burgess</p> +<p>Release Date: March 22, 2007 [eBook #20877]</p> +<p>Language: English</p> +<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> +<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MOTHER WEST WIND'S CHILDREN***</p> +<br><br><center><h3>E-text prepared by Al Haines</h3></center><br><br> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" noshade> +<p> </p> + +<A NAME="img-front"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-front.jpg" ALT=""Yap-yap-yap," barked Reddy Fox, as loud as he could." BORDER="2" WIDTH="572" HEIGHT="392"> +<H3 CLASS="h3center" STYLE="width: 572px"> +"Yap-yap-yap," barked Reddy Fox, as loud as he could. +</H3> +</CENTER> + +<BR><BR> + +<H1 ALIGN="center"> +MOTHER WEST WIND'S CHILDREN +</H1> + +<BR> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +BY +</H3> + +<H2 ALIGN="center"> +THORNTON W. BURGESS +</H2> + +<BR><BR> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +Author of "Old Mother West Wind" +</H3> + +<BR><BR> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +<I>Illustrated by George Kerr</I> +</H3> + +<BR><BR> + +<H4 ALIGN="center"> +GROSSET & DUNLAP +<BR> +Publishers +<BR> +New York +<BR> +By arrangement with Little, Brown and Company +</H4> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<H5 ALIGN="center"> +Copyright, 1911, +<BR> +BY THORNTON W. BURGESS. +<BR> +<I>All rights reserved</I> +</H5> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +TO +<BR> +ALL THE LITTLE FRIENDS +<BR> +OF +<BR> +JOHNNY CHUCK AND REDDY FOX, +<BR> +AND TO +<BR> +ALL WHO LOVE THE GREEN MEADOWS +<BR> +AND THE SMILING POOL, +<BR> +THE LAUGHING BROOK AND THE MERRY LITTLE BREEZES, +<BR> +THIS LITTLE BOOK IS DEDICATED. +</H3> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<H2 ALIGN="center"> +CONTENTS +</H2> + +<BR> + +<CENTER> + +<TABLE WIDTH="100%"> +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">CHAPTER</TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> </TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">I. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap01">DANNY MEADOW MOUSE LEARNS WHY HIS TAIL IS SHORT</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">II. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap02">WHY REDDY FOX HAS NO FRIENDS</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">III. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap03">WHY PETER RABBIT'S EARS ARE LONG</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">IV. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap04">REDDY FOX DISOBEYS</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">V. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap05">STRIPED CHIPMUNK'S POCKETS</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">VI. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap06">REDDY FOX, THE BOASTER</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">VII. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap07">JOHNNY CHUCK'S SECRET</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">VIII. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap08">JOHNNY CHUCK'S GREAT FIGHT</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">IX. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap09">MR. TOAD'S OLD SUIT</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">X. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap10">GRANDFATHER FROG GETS EVEN</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">XI. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap11">THE DISAPPOINTED BUSH</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">XII. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap12">WHY BOBBY COON WASHES HIS FOOD</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">XIII. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap13">THE MERRY LITTLE BREEZES HAVE A BUSY DAY</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">XIV. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap14">WHY HOOTY THE OWL DOES NOT PLAY ON THE GREEN MEADOWS</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">XV. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap15">DANNY MEADOW MOUSE LEARNS TO LAUGH</A></TD> +</TR> + +</TABLE> + +</CENTER> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<H2 ALIGN="center"> +LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS +</H2> + +<BR> + +<H3> +<A HREF="#img-front"> +"YAP-YAP-YAP," BARKED REDDY FOX, AS LOUD<BR> +AS HE COULD . . . . . . . . . . . <I>Frontispiece</I> +</A> +</H3> + +<H3> +<A HREF="#img-054"> +MR. RABBIT HAD A GREAT DEAL OF CURIOSITY,<BR> +A VERY GREAT DEAL, INDEED +</A> +</H3> + +<H3> +<A HREF="#img-102"> +THEN EVERYBODY SHOUTED "HAW! HAW! HAW!" +</A> +</H3> + +<H3> +<A HREF="#img-166"> +HE WAS SO SURPRISED HE FORGOT TO CLOSE IT +</A> +</H3> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap01"></A> + +<H1 ALIGN="center"> +MOTHER WEST WIND'S CHILDREN +</H1> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +I +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +DANNY MEADOW MOUSE LEARNS WHY HIS TAIL IS SHORT +</H3> + +<P> +Danny Meadow Mouse sat in his doorway and looked down the Lone Little +Path across the Green Meadows. Way, way over near the Smiling Pool he +could see Old Mother West Wind's Children, the Merry Little Breezes, at +play. Sammy Jay was sitting on a fence post. He pretended to be +taking a sun bath, but really he was planning mischief. You never see +Sammy Jay that he isn't in mischief or planning it. +</P> + +<P> +Reddy Fox had trotted past an hour before in a great hurry. Up on the +hill Danny Meadow Mouse could just see Jimmy Skunk pulling over every +old stick and stone he could find, no matter whose house it might be, +and excusing himself because he was hungry and was looking for beetles. +</P> + +<P> +Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was playing at hide and seek behind some +fleecy white clouds. All the birds were singing and singing, and the +world was happy—all but Danny Meadow Mouse. +</P> + +<P> +No, Danny Meadow Mouse was not happy. Indeed, he was very far from +happy, and all because his tail was short. +</P> + +<P> +By and by up came old Mr. Toad. It was a warm day and Mr. Toad was +very hot and very, very thirsty. He stopped to rest beside the house +of Danny Meadow Mouse. +</P> + +<P> +"Good morning, Danny Meadow Mouse," said old Mr. Toad, "it's a fine +morning." +</P> + +<P> +"Morning," said Danny Meadow Mouse, grumpily. +</P> + +<P> +"I hope your health is good this morning," continued old Mr. Toad, just +as if he hadn't noticed how short and cross Danny Meadow Mouse had +answered. +</P> + +<P> +Now old Mr. Toad is very ugly to look upon, but the ugliness is all in +his looks. He has the sunniest of hearts and always he is looking for +a chance to help someone. +</P> + +<P> +"Danny Meadow Mouse," said old Mr. Toad, "you make me think of your +grandfather a thousand times removed. You do indeed. You look just as +he did when he lost the half of his tail and realized that he never, +never could get it back again." +</P> + +<P> +Danny Meadow Mouse sat up suddenly. +</P> + +<P> +"What are you talking about, old Mr. Toad? What are you talking +about?" he asked. "Did my grandfather a thousand times removed lose +the half of his tail, and was it shorter then than mine is now? Was +it, old Mr. Toad? And how did he come to lose the half of it?" +</P> + +<P> +Old Mr. Toad laughed a funny silent laugh. "It's a long story," said +old Mr. Toad, "and I'm afraid I can't tell it. Go down to the Smiling +Pool and ask Great-Grandfather Frog, who is my first cousin, how it +happened your grandfather a thousand times removed lost the half of his +tail. But before you go catch three fat, foolish, green flies and take +them with you as a present to Grandfather Frog." +</P> + +<P> +Danny Meadow Mouse could hardly wait for old Mr. Toad to stop speaking. +In fact, he was in such a hurry that he almost forgot his manners. Not +quite, however, for he shouted "Thank you, Mr. Toad, thank you!" over +his shoulder as he rushed off down the Lone Little Path. +</P> + +<P> +You see his short tail had always been a matter of mortification to +Danny Meadow Mouse. All his cousins in the Mouse family and the Rat +family have long, smooth, tapering tails, and they have always been a +source of envy to Danny Meadow Mouse. He had felt his queer short tail +to be a sort of disgrace. So when he would meet one of his cousins +dancing down the Lone Little Path, with his long, slim, tapering tail +behind him, Danny Meadow Mouse would slip out of sight under the long +grass, he was so ashamed of his own little tail. It looked so mean and +small! He had wondered and wondered if the Meadow Mice had always had +short tails. He used to ask everyone who came his way if they had ever +seen a Meadow Mouse with a long tail, but he had never found any one +who had. +</P> + +<P> +"Perhaps," thought Danny Meadow Mouse as he hurried down the Lone +Little Path, "perhaps Grandfather Frog, who is very wise, will know why +my tail is short." +</P> + +<P> +So he hurried this way and he hurried that way over the Green Meadows +in search of fat, foolish, green flies. And when he had caught three, +he caught one more for good measure. Then he started for the Smiling +Pool as fast as his short legs would take him. +</P> + +<P> +When finally he reached the edge of the Smiling Pool he was quite out +of breath. There sat Great-Grandfather Frog on his big, green lily +pad. He was blinking his great goggle eyes at jolly, round, red Mr. +Sun. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, Grandfather Frog," said Danny Meadow Mouse in a very small voice, +for you know he was quite out of breath with running, "Oh, Grandfather +Frog, I've brought you four fat, foolish, green flies." +</P> + +<P> +Grandfather Frog put a hand behind an ear and listened. "Did I hear +someone say 'foolish, green flies?'" asked Grandfather Frog. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, Grandfather Frog, here they are," said Danny Meadow Mouse, still +in a very small voice. Then he gave Grandfather Frog the four fat, +foolish, green flies. +</P> + +<P> +"What is it that you want me to do for you, Danny Meadow Mouse?" asked +Grandfather Frog as he smacked his lips, for he knew that Danny Meadow +Mouse must want something to bring him four fat, foolish, green flies. +</P> + +<P> +"If you please," said Danny Meadow Mouse, very politely, "if you +please, Grandfather Frog, old Mr. Toad told me that you could tell me +how Grandfather Meadow Mouse a thousand times removed lost half of his +tail. Will you, Grandfather Frog—will you?" +</P> + +<P> +"Chug-a-rum," said Grandfather Frog. "My cousin, Mr. Toad, talks too +much." +</P> + +<P> +But he settled himself comfortably on the big lily pad, and this is +what he told Danny Meadow Mouse: +</P> + +<P> +"Once upon a time, when the world was young, Mr. Meadow Mouse, your +grandfather a thousand times removed, was a very fine gentleman. He +took a great deal of pride in his appearance, did Mr. Meadow Mouse, and +they used to say on the Green Meadows that he spent an hour, a full +hour, every day combing his whiskers and brushing his coat. +</P> + +<P> +"Anyway, he was very fine to look upon, was Mr. Meadow Mouse, and not +the least attractive thing about him was his beautiful, long, slim +tail, of which he was very proud. +</P> + +<P> +"Now about this time there was a great deal of trouble on the Green +Meadows and in the Green Forest, for some one was stealing—yes, +stealing! Mr. Rabbit complained first. To be sure, Mr. Rabbit was +lazy and his cabbage patch had grown little more than weeds while he +had been minding other folks' affairs rather than his own, but, then, +that was no reason why he should lose half of the little which he did +raise. And that is just what he said had happened. +</P> + +<P> +"No one really believed what Mr. Rabbit said, for he had such a bad +name for telling things which were not so that when he did tell the +truth no one could be quite sure of it. +</P> + +<P> +"So no one paid much heed to what Mr. Rabbit said until Happy Jack +Squirrel one day went to his snug little hollow in the big chestnut +tree where he stores his nuts and discovered half had been stolen. +Then Striped Chipmunk lost the greater part of his winter store of +corn. A fat trout was stolen from Billy Mink. +</P> + +<P> +"It was a terrible time, for every one suspected every one else, and no +one on the Green Meadows was happy. +</P> + +<P> +"One evening Mr. Meadow Mouse went for a stroll along the Crooked +Little Path up the hill. It was dark, very dark indeed. But just as +he passed Striped Chipmunk's granary, the place where he stores his +supply of corn and acorns for the winter, Mr. Meadow Mouse met his +cousin, Mr. Wharf Rat. Now Mr. Wharf Rat was very big and strong and +Mr. Meadow Mouse had for a long time looked up to and admired him. +</P> + +<P> +"'Good evening, Cousin Meadow Mouse,' said Mr. Wharf Rat, swinging a +bag down from his shoulder. 'Will you do a favor for me?' +</P> + +<P> +"Now Mr. Meadow Mouse felt very much flattered, and as he was a very +obliging fellow anyway, he promptly said he would. +</P> + +<P> +"'All right,' said Mr. Wharf Rat. 'I'm going to get you to tote this +bag down the Crooked Little Path to the hollow chestnut tree. I've got +an errand back on top of the hill.' +</P> + +<P> +"So Mr. Meadow Mouse picked up the bag, which was very heavy, and swung +it over his shoulder. Then he started down the Crooked Little Path. +Half way down he met Striped Chipmunk. +</P> + +<P> +"'Good evening, Mr. Meadow Mouse,' said Striped Chipmunk. 'What are +you toting in the bag across your shoulder?' +</P> + +<P> +"Now, of course, Mr. Meadow Mouse didn't know what was in the bag and +he didn't like to admit that he was working for another, for he was +very proud, was Mr. Meadow Mouse. +</P> + +<P> +"So he said: 'Just a planting of potatoes I begged from Jimmy Skunk, +just a planting of potatoes, Striped Chipmunk.' +</P> + +<P> +"Now no one had ever suspected Mr. Meadow Mouse of stealing—no indeed! +Striped Chipmunk would have gone his way and thought no more about it, +had it not happened that there was a hole in the bag and from it +something dropped at his feet. Striped Chipmunk picked it up and it +<I>wasn't</I> a potato. It was a fat acorn. Striped Chipmunk said nothing +but slipped it into his pocket. +</P> + +<P> +"'Good night,' said Mr. Meadow Mouse, once more shouldering the bag. +</P> + +<P> +"'Good night,' said Striped Chipmunk. +</P> + +<P> +"No sooner had Mr. Meadow Mouse disappeared in the darkness down the +Crooked Little Path than Striped Chipmunk hurried to his granary. Some +one had been there and stolen all his acorns! +</P> + +<P> +"Then Striped Chipmunk ran to the house of his cousin, Happy Jack +Squirrel, and told him how the acorns had been stolen from his granary +and how he had met Mr. Meadow Mouse with a bag over his shoulder and +how Mr. Meadow Mouse had said that he was toting home a planting of +potatoes he had begged from Jimmy Skunk. 'And this,' said Striped +Chipmunk, holding out the fat acorn, 'is what fell out of the bag.' +</P> + +<P> +"Then Striped Chipmunk and Happy Jack Squirrel hurried over to Jimmy +Skunk's house, and, just as they expected, they found that Mr. Meadow +Mouse had not begged a planting of potatoes of Jimmy Skunk. +</P> + +<P> +"So Striped Chipmunk and Happy Jack Squirrel and Jimmy Skunk hurried +over to Mr. Rabbit's and told him all about Mr. Meadow Mouse and the +bag of potatoes that dropped acorns. Mr. Rabbit looked very grave, +very grave indeed. Then Striped Chipmunk and Happy Jack Squirrel and +Jimmy Skunk and Mr. Rabbit started to tell Mr. Coon, who was cousin to +old King Bear. +</P> + +<P> +"On the way they met Hooty the Owl, and because he could fly softly and +quickly, they sent Hooty the Owl to tell all the meadow people who were +awake to come to the hollow chestnut tree. So Hooty the Owl flew away +to tell all the little meadow people who were awake to meet at the +hollow chestnut tree. +</P> + +<P> +"When they reached the hollow chestnut tree whom should they find there +but Mr. Meadow Mouse fast asleep beside the bag he had brought for Mr. +Wharf Rat, who had wisely stayed away. +</P> + +<P> +"Very softly Striped Chipmunk stole up and opened the bag. Out fell +his store of fat acorns. Then they waked Mr. Meadow Mouse and marched +him off to old Mother Nature, where they charged him with being a thief. +</P> + +<P> +"Old Mother Nature listened to all they had to say. She saw the bag of +acorns and she heard how Mr. Meadow Mouse had said that he had a +planting of potatoes. Then she asked him if he had stolen the acorns. +Yes, Sir, she asked him right out if he had stolen the acorns. +</P> + +<P> +"Of course Mr. Meadow Mouse said that he had not stolen the acorns. +</P> + +<P> +"'Then where did you get the bag of acorns?' asked old Mother Nature. +</P> + +<P> +"When she asked this, Mr. Wharf Rat, who was sitting in the crowd of +meadow people, got up and softly tiptoed away when he thought no one +was looking. But old Mother Nature saw him. You can't fool old Mother +Nature. No, Sir, you can't fool old Mother Nature, and it's of no use +to try. +</P> + +<P> +"Mr. Meadow Mouse didn't know what to say. He knew now that Mr. Wharf +Rat must be the thief, but Mr. Wharf Rat was his cousin, and he had +always looked up to him as a very fine gentleman. He couldn't tell the +world that Mr. Wharf Rat was a thief. So Mr. Meadow Mouse said nothing. +</P> + +<P> +"Three times old Mother Nature asked Mr. Meadow Mouse where he got the +bag of acorns, and each time Mr. Meadow Mouse said nothing. +</P> + +<P> +"'Mr. Meadow Mouse,' said old Mother Nature, and her voice was very +stern, 'I know that you did not steal the acorns of Striped Chipmunk. +I know that you did not even guess that there were stolen acorns in +that bag. Everyone else thinks that you are the thief who caused so +much trouble on the Green Meadows and in the Green Forest. But I know +who the real thief is and he is stealing away as fast as he can go down +the Lone Little Path this very minute.' +</P> + +<P> +"All of the little meadow people and forest folks turned to look down +the Lone Little Path, but it was so dark none could see, none but Hooty +the Owl, whose eyes are made to see in the dark. +</P> + +<P> +"'I see him!' cried Hooty the Owl. 'It's Mr. Wharf Rat!' +</P> + +<P> +"'Yes,' said old Mother Nature, 'it's Mr. Wharf Rat—he is the thief. +And this shall be his punishment: Always hereafter he will be driven +out wherever he is found. He shall no longer live in the Green Meadows +or the Green Forest. Everyone will turn their backs upon him. He will +live on what others throw away. He will live in filth and there will +be no one to say a good word for him. He will become an outcast +instead of a fine gentleman.' +</P> + +<P> +"'And you, Mr. Meadow Mouse, in order that you may remember always to +avoid bad company, and that while it is a splendid thing to be loyal to +your friends and not to tell tales, it is also a very, very wrong thing +to shield those who have done wrong when by so doing you simply help +them to keep on doing wrong—you shall no longer have the splendid long +tail of which you are so proud, but it shall be short and stubby.' +</P> + +<P> +"Even while old Mother Nature was speaking, Mr. Meadow Mouse felt his +tail grow shorter and shorter, and when she had finished he had just a +little mean stub of a tail. +</P> + +<P> +"Of course he felt terribly. And while Striped Chipmunk hurried to +tell him how sorry he felt, and while all the other little meadow +people also hurried to tell him how sorry they felt, he could not be +comforted. So he slipped away as quickly as he could, and because he +was so ashamed he crept along underneath the long grass that no one +should see his short tail. And ever since that long ago time when the +world was young," concluded Grandfather Frog, "the Meadow Mice have had +short tails and have always scurried along under cover of the long +grass where no one will see them. And the Wharf Rats have never again +lived in the Green Meadows or in the Green Forest, but have lived on +filth and garbage around the homes of men, with every man's hand +against them." +</P> + +<P> +"Thank you, Grandfather Frog," said Danny Meadow Mouse, very soberly. +"Now I understand why my tail is short and I shall not forget." +</P> + +<P> +"But it isn't your fault at all, Danny Meadow Mouse," cried the Merry +Little Breezes, who had been listening, "and we love you just as much +as if your tail was long!" +</P> + +<P> +Then they played tag with him all the way up the Lone Little Path to +his house, till Danny Meadow Mouse quite forgot that he had wished that +his tail was long. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap02"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +II +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +WHY REDDY FOX HAS NO FRIENDS +</H3> + +<P> +The Green Meadows lay peaceful and still. Mother Moon, sailing high +overhead, looked down upon them and smiled and smiled, flooding them +with her silvery light. All day long the Merry Little Breezes of Old +Mother West Wind had romped there among the asters and goldenrod. They +had played tag through the cat rushes around the Smiling Pool. For +very mischief they had rubbed the fur of the Field Mice babies the +wrong way and had blown a fat green fly right out of Grandfather Frog's +mouth just as his lips came together with a smack. Now they were +safely tucked in bed behind the Purple Hills, and so they missed the +midnight feast at the foot of the Lone Pine. +</P> + +<P> +But Reddy Fox was there. You can always count on Reddy Fox to be about +when mischief or good times are afoot, especially after Mr. Sun has +pulled his nightcap on. +</P> + +<P> +Jimmy Skunk was there. If there is any mischief Reddy Fox does not +think of Jimmy Skunk will be sure to discover it. +</P> + +<P> +Billy Mink was there. Yes indeed, Billy Mink was there! Billy Mink is +another mischief maker. When Reddy Fox and Jimmy Skunk are playing +pranks or in trouble of any kind you are certain to find Billy Mink +close by. That is, you are certain to find him if you look sharp +enough. But Billy Mink is so slim, he moves so quickly, and his wits +are so sharp, that he is not seen half so often as the others. +</P> + +<P> +With Billy Mink came his cousin, Shadow the Weasel, who is sly and +cruel. No one likes Shadow the Weasel. +</P> + +<P> +Little Joe Otter and Jerry Muskrat came. They were late, for the legs +of Little Joe Otter are so short that he is a slow traveler on land, +while Jerry Muskrat feels much more at home in the water than on the +dry ground. +</P> + +<P> +Of course Peter Rabbit was there. Without him no party on the Green +Meadows would be complete, and Peter likes to be abroad at night even +better than by day. With Peter came his cousin, Jumper the Hare, who +had come down from the Pine Forest for a visit. +</P> + +<P> +Boomer the Nighthawk and Hooty the Owl completed the party, though +Hooty had not been invited and no one knew that he was there. +</P> + +<P> +Each was to contribute something to the feast—the thing that he liked +best. Such an array as Mother Moon looked down upon! Reddy Fox had +brought a plump, tender chicken, stolen from Farmer Brown's dooryard. +</P> + +<P> +Very quietly, like a thin, brown shadow, Billy Mink had slipped up to +the duck pond and—alas! Now Mother Quack had one less in her pretty +little flock than when as jolly, round, red Mr. Sun went to bed behind +the Purple Hills, she had counted her babies as they tucked their heads +under their wings. +</P> + +<P> +Little Joe Otter had been fishing and he brought a great fat brother of +the lamented Tommy Trout, who didn't mind. +</P> + +<P> +Jerry Muskrat brought up from the mud of the river bottom some fine +fresh water clams, of which he is very fond. +</P> + +<P> +Jimmy Skunk stole three big eggs from the nest of old Gray Goose. +</P> + +<P> +Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare rolled up a great, tender, fresh +cabbage. +</P> + +<P> +Boomer the Nighthawk said that he was very sorry, but he was on a diet +of insects, which he must swallow one at a time, so to save trouble he +had swallowed them as he caught them. +</P> + +<P> +Now Hooty the Owl is a glutton and is lazy. "Reddy Fox and Jimmy Skunk +and Billy Mink are sure to bring somethink [Transcriber's note: +something?] I like, so what is the use of spending my time hunting for +what someone else will get for me?" said he to himself. So Hooty the +Owl went very early to the Lone Pine and hid among the thick branches +where no one could see him. +</P> + +<P> +Shadow the Weasel is sly and a thief and lives by his wits. So because +he had rather steal than be honest, he too went to the midnight spread +with nothing but his appetite. +</P> + +<P> +Now Reddy Fox is also a glutton and very, very crafty. When he saw the +plump duck brought by Billy Mink, his mouth watered, for Reddy Fox is +very, very fond of young spring ducks. So straightway he began to plan +how he could get possession of Billy Mink's duck. +</P> + +<P> +And when Billy Mink saw the fat trout Little Joe Otter had brought, his +eyes danced and his heart swelled with envy, for Billy Mink is very, +very fond of fish. At once he began to plan how he could secure that +particular fat trout Little Joe Otter guarded so carefully. +</P> + +<P> +Jimmy Skunk was quite contented with the eggs he had stolen from old +Gray Goose—that is, he was until he saw the plump chicken Reddy Fox +had brought from Farmer Brown's dooryard. Then suddenly his stomach +became very empty, very empty indeed for chicken, and Jimmy Skunk began +to think of a way to add the chicken of Reddy Fox to his own stolen +eggs. +</P> + +<P> +Because Reddy Fox is the largest he was given the place of honor at the +head of the table under the Lone Pine. On his right sat Little Joe +Otter and on his left Jerry Muskrat. Shadow the Weasel was next to +Little Joe Otter, while right across from him was Jimmy Skunk. Peter +Rabbit was next, sitting opposite his cousin, Jumper the Hare. At the +extreme end, facing Reddy Fox, sat Billy Mink, with the plump duck +right under his sharp little nose. +</P> + +<P> +Boomer the Nighthawk excused himself on the plea that he needed +exercise to aid digestion, and as he had brought nothing to the feast, +his excuse was politely accepted. +</P> + +<P> +Reddy Fox is very, very cunning, and his crafty brain had been busily +working out a plan to get all these good things for himself. "Little +brothers of the Green Meadows," began Reddy Fox, "we have met here +to-night for a feast of brotherly love." +</P> + +<P> +Reddy Fox paused a moment to look hungrily at Billy Mink's duck. Billy +Mink cast a longing eye at Little Joe Otter's trout, while Jimmy Skunk +stole an envious glance at Reddy Fox's chicken. +</P> + +<P> +"But there is one missing to make our joy complete," continued Reddy +Fox. "Who has seen Bobby Coon?" +</P> + +<P> +No one had seen Bobby Coon. Somehow happy-go-lucky Bobby Coon had been +overlooked when the invitations were sent out. +</P> + +<P> +"I move," continued Reddy Fox, "that because Billy Mink runs swiftly, +and because he knows where Bobby Coon usually is to be found, he be +appointed a committee of one to find Bobby Coon and bring him to the +feast." +</P> + +<P> +Now nothing could have been less to the liking of Billy Mink, but there +was nothing for him to do but to yield as gracefully as he could and go +in search of Bobby Coon. +</P> + +<P> +No sooner had Billy Mink disappeared down the Lone Little Path than +Reddy Fox recalled a nest of grouse eggs he had seen that day under a +big hemlock, and he proposed that inasmuch as Jimmy Skunk already wore +stripes for having stolen a nest of eggs from Mrs. Grouse, he was just +the one to go steal these eggs and bring them to the feast. +</P> + +<P> +Of course there was nothing for Jimmy Skunk to do but to yield as +gracefully as he could and go in search of the nest of eggs under the +big hemlock. +</P> + +<P> +No sooner had Jimmy Skunk started off than Reddy Fox remembered a big +shining sucker Farmer Brown's boy had caught that afternoon and tossed +among the rushes beside the Smiling Pool. Little Joe Otter listened +and his mouth watered and watered until he could sit still no longer. +"If you please," said Little Joe Otter, "I'll run down to the Smiling +Pool and get that sucker to add to the feast." +</P> + +<P> +No sooner was Little Joe Otter out of sight than Reddy Fox was reminded +of a field of carrots on the other side of the Green Meadows. Now +Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare are very fond of tender young carrots +and they volunteered to bring a supply for the feast. So away they +hurried with big jumps down the Lone Little Path and out across the +Green Meadows. +</P> + +<P> +No sooner were Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare fairly started than +Reddy Fox began to tell of some luscious sweet apples he had noticed +under a wild apple tree a little way back on the hill. Now Jerry +Muskrat is quite as fond of luscious sweet apples as of fresh-water +clams, so quietly slipping away, he set out in quest of the wild apple +tree a little way back on the hill. +</P> + +<P> +No sooner was Jerry Muskrat lost in the black shadows than Reddy Fox +turned to speak to Shadow the Weasel. But Shadow the Weasel believes +that a feast in the stomach is worth two banquets untasted, so while +the others had been talking, he had quietly sucked dry the three big +eggs stolen by Jimmy Skunk from old Gray Goose, and then because he is +so slim and so quick and so sly, he slipped away without anyone seeing +him. +</P> + +<P> +So when Reddy Fox turned to speak to Shadow the Weasel, he found +himself alone. At least he thought himself alone, and he smiled a +wicked, selfish smile as he walked over to Billy Mink's duck. He was +thinking how smart he had been to get rid of all the others, and of how +he would enjoy the feast all by himself. +</P> + +<P> +As Reddy Fox stooped to pick up Billy Mink's duck, a great shadow +dropped softly, oh so softly, out of the Lone Pine down onto the plump +chicken. Then without the teeniest, weeniest bit of noise, it floated +back into the Lone Pine and with it went the plump chicken. +</P> + +<P> +Reddy Fox, still with his wicked, selfish smile, trotted back with +Billy Mink's duck, but he dropped it in sheer surprise when he +discovered that his plump chicken had disappeared. Now Reddy Fox is +very suspicious, as people who are not honest themselves are very apt +to be. So he left Billy Mink's duck where he had dropped it and +trotted very, very softly up the Lone Little Path to try to catch the +thief who had stolen his plump chicken. +</P> + +<P> +No sooner was his back turned than down out of the Lone Pine floated +the great shadow, and when a minute later Reddy Fox returned, Billy +Mink's duck had also disappeared. +</P> + +<P> +Reddy Fox could hardly believe his eyes. He didn't smile now. He was +too angry and too frightened. Yes, Reddy Fox was frightened. He +walked in a big circle round and round the place where the plump +chicken and the duck had been, and the more he walked, the more +suspicious he became. He wrinkled and wrinkled his little black nose +in an effort to smell the intruder, but not a whiff could he get. All +was as still and peaceful as could be. Little Joe Otter's trout lay +shining in the moonlight. The big head of cabbage lay just where Peter +Rabbit and Jumper the Hare had left it. Reddy Fox rubbed his eyes to +make sure that he was not dreaming and that the plump chicken and the +duck were not there too. +</P> + +<P> +Just then Bowser the Hound, over at Farmer Brown's, bayed at the moon. +Reddy Fox always is nervous and by this time he was so fidgety that he +couldn't stand still. When Bowser the Hound bayed at the moon Reddy +Fox jumped a foot off the ground and whirled about in the direction of +Farmer Brown's house. Then he remembered that Bowser the Hound is +always chained up at night, so that he had nothing to fear from him. +</P> + +<P> +After listening and looking a moment Reddy Fox decided that all was +safe. "Well," said he to himself, "I'll have that fat trout anyway," +and turned to get it. +</P> + +<P> +But the fat trout he had seen a minute before shining in the moonlight +had also disappeared. Reddy Fox looked and looked until his eyes +nearly popped out of his head. Then he did what all cowards do—ran +home as fast as his legs could carry him. +</P> + +<P> +Now of course Billy Mink didn't find Bobby Coon, and when he came back +up the Lone Little Path he was very tired, very hungry and very cross. +And of course Jimmy Skunk failed to find the nest of Mrs. Grouse, and +Little Joe Otter could find no trace of the shining big sucker among +the rushes beside the Smiling Pool. They also were very tired, very +hungry and very cross. +</P> + +<P> +When the three returned to the Lone Pine and found nothing there but +the big head of cabbage, which none of them liked, the empty egg shells +of old Gray Goose and Jerry Muskrat's clams, they straightway fell to +accusing each other of having stolen the duck and the fat trout and the +eggs and began to quarrel dreadfully. +</P> + +<P> +Pretty soon up came Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare, who had failed to +find the tender young carrots. And up came Jerry Muskrat, who had +found no luscious sweet apples. +</P> + +<P> +"Where is Reddy Fox?" asked Peter Rabbit. +</P> + +<P> +Sure enough, where was Reddy Fox? Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter and +Jimmy Skunk stopped quarreling and looked at each other. +</P> + +<P> +"Reddy Fox is the thief!" they cried all together. +</P> + +<P> +Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare and Jerry Muskrat agreed that Reddy +Fox must be the thief, and had sent them all away on false errands that +he might have the feast all to himself. +</P> + +<P> +So because there was nothing else to do, Billy Mink and Little Joe +Otter, tired and hungry and angry, started for their homes beside the +Laughing Brook. And Jimmy Skunk, also tired and hungry and angry, +started off up the Crooked Little Path to look for some beetles. +</P> + +<P> +But Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare sat down to enjoy the big head of +cabbage, while close beside them sat Jerry Muskrat smacking his lips +over his clams, they tasted so good. Mother Moon looked down and +smiled and smiled, for she knew that each had a clear conscience, for +they had done no harm to anyone. +</P> + +<P> +And up in the thick top of the great pine Hooty the Owl nodded +sleepily, for his stomach was very full of chicken and duck and trout, +although he had not been invited to the party. +</P> + +<P> +And this is why Reddy Fox has no true friends on the Green Meadows. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap03"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +III +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +WHY PETER RABBIT'S EARS ARE LONG +</H3> + +<P> +The Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind were tired. Ever +since she had turned them out of her big bag onto the Green Meadows +early that morning they had romped and played tag and chased +butterflies while Old Mother West Wind herself went to hunt for a +raincloud which had wandered away before it had watered the thirsty +little plants who were bravely trying to keep the Green Meadows lovely +and truly green. Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun wore his broadest smile and +the more he smiled the warmer it grew. Mr. Sun is never thirsty +himself, never the least little bit, or perhaps he would have helped +Old Mother West Wind find the wandering raincloud. +</P> + +<P> +The Merry Little Breezes threw themselves down on the edge of the +Smiling Pool, where the rushes grow tall, and there they took turns +rocking the cradle which held Mrs. Redwing's four babies. +</P> + +<P> +Pretty soon one of the Merry Little Breezes, peeping through the +rushes, spied Peter Rabbit sitting up very straight on the edge of the +Green Meadows. His long ears were pointed straight up, his big eyes +were very wide open and he seemed to be looking and listening with a +great deal of curiosity. +</P> + +<P> +"I wonder why it is that Peter Rabbit has such long ears," said the +Merry Little Breeze. +</P> + +<P> +"Chug-a-rum!" replied a great, deep voice right behind him. +</P> + +<P> +All the Merry Little Breezes jumped up and ran through the rushes to +the very edge of the Smiling Pool. There on a great green lily pad sat +Great-Grandfather Frog, his hands folded across his white and yellow +waistcoat and his green coat shining spick and span. +</P> + +<P> +"Chug-a-rum," said Grandfather Frog. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, Grandfather Frog," cried the Merry Little Breezes all together, +"do tell us why it is that Peter Rabbit has such long ears." +</P> + +<P> +Grandfather Frog cleared his throat. He looked to the east and cleared +his throat again. Then he looked to the west, and cleared his throat. +He looked north and he looked south, and each time he cleared his +throat, but said nothing. Finally he folded his hands once more over +his white and yellow waistcoat, and looking straight up at jolly, +round, red Mr. Sun he remarked in his very deepest Voice and to no one +in particular: +</P> + +<P> +"If I had four fat, foolish, green flies, it is just possible that I +might remember how it happens that Peter Rabbit has such long ears." +</P> + +<P> +Then up jumped all the Merry Little Breezes and away they raced. Some +of them went east, some of them went west, some of them went north, +some of them went south, all looking for fat, foolish, green flies for +Grandfather Frog. +</P> + +<P> +By and by they came skipping back, one by one, to the edge of the +Smiling Pool, each with a fat, foolish, green fly, and each stopping to +give Mrs. Redwing's cradle a gentle push. +</P> + +<P> +When Grandfather Frog had swallowed all the fat, foolish, green flies +brought by the Merry Little Breezes, he settled himself comfortably on +his big lily pad once more and began: +</P> + +<P> +"Once upon a time, very long ago, when the world was young, Mr. +Rabbit—not our Peter Rabbit, but his grandfather a thousand times +removed—had short ears like all the other meadow people, and also his +four legs were all of the same length, just exactly the same length. +</P> + +<P> +"Now Mr. Rabbit had a great deal of curiosity, a very great deal, +indeed. He was forever pushing his prying little nose into other +people's affairs, which, you know, is a most unpleasant habit. In +fact, Mr. Rabbit had become a nuisance." +</P> + +<A NAME="img-054"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-054.jpg" ALT="Mr. Rabbit had a great deal of curiosity, a very great deal, indeed." BORDER="2" WIDTH="379" HEIGHT="451"> +<H3 CLASS="h3center" STYLE="width: 379px"> +Mr. Rabbit had a great deal of curiosity, a very great deal, indeed. +</H3> +</CENTER> + +<P> +"Whenever Billy Mink stopped to pass the time of day with Jerry Muskrat +they were sure to find Mr. Rabbit standing close by, listening to all +they said. If Johnny Chuck's mother ran over to have a few minutes' +chat with Jimmy Skunk's mother, the first thing they knew Mr. Rabbit +would be squatting down in the grass right behind them. +</P> + +<P> +"The older he grew the worse Mr. Rabbit became. He would spend his +evenings going from house to house, tiptoeing softly up to the windows +to listen to what the folks inside were saying. And the more he heard +the more Mr. Rabbit's curiosity grew. +</P> + +<P> +"Now, like most people who meddle in other folks' affairs, Mr. Rabbit +had no time to tend to his own business. His cabbage patch grew up to +weeds. His house leaked, his fences fell to pieces, and altogether his +was the worst looking place on the Green Meadows. +</P> + +<P> +"Worse still, Mr. Rabbit was a trouble maker. He just couldn't keep +his tongue still. And like most gossips, he never could tell the exact +truth. +</P> + +<P> +"Dear me! dear me!" said Grandfather Frog, shaking his head solemnly. +"Things had come to a dreadful pass on the Green Meadows. Reddy Fox +and Bobby Coon never met without fighting. Jimmy Skunk and Johnny +Chuck turned their backs on each other. Jerry Muskrat, Little Joe +Otter, and Billy Mink called each other bad names. All because Mr. +Rabbit had told so many stories that were not true. +</P> + +<P> +"Now when old Mother Nature visited the Green Meadows she soon saw what +a dreadful state all the meadow people were in, and she began to +inquire how it all came about. +</P> + +<P> +"'It's all because of Mr. Rabbit,' said Reddy Fox. +</P> + +<P> +"'No one is to blame but Mr. Rabbit,' said Striped Chipmunk. +</P> + +<P> +"Everywhere old Mother Nature inquired it was the same—Mr. Rabbit, Mr. +Rabbit, Mr. Rabbit. +</P> + +<P> +"So then old Mother Nature sent for blustering great Mr. North Wind, +who is very strong. And she sent for Mr. Rabbit. +</P> + +<P> +"Mr. Rabbit trembled in his shoes when he got old Mother Nature's +message. He would have liked to run away and hide. But he did not +dare do that, for he knew that there was nowhere he could hide that +Mother Nature would not find him sooner or later. And besides, his +curiosity would give him no peace. He just <I>had</I> to know what old +Mother Nature wanted. +</P> + +<P> +"So Peter Rabbit put on his best suit, which was very shabby, and set +out for the Lone Pine to see what old Mother Nature wanted. When he +got there, he found all the little people of the Green Meadows and all +the little folks of the Green Forest there before him. There were +Reddy Fox, Johnny Chuck, Striped Chipmunk, Happy Jack Squirrel, Mr. +Black Snake, old Mr. Crow, Sammy Jay, Billy Mink, Little Joe Otter, +Jerry Muskrat, Spotty the Turtle, old King Bear, his cousin, Mr. Coon, +and all the other little people. +</P> + +<P> +"When he saw all who had gathered under the Lone Pine, and how they all +looked crossly at him, Mr. Rabbit was so frightened that his heart went +pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, and he wanted more than ever to run +away. But he didn't dare to. No, Sir, he didn't dare to. And then he +was so curious to know what it all meant that he wouldn't have run if +he had dared. +</P> + +<P> +"Old Mother Nature made Mr. Rabbit sit up on an old log where all could +see him. Then in turn she asked each present who was the cause of all +the trouble on the Green Meadows. And each in turn answered 'Mr. +Rabbit.' +</P> + +<P> +"'Mr. Rabbit,' said old Mother Nature, 'you are lazy, for your cabbage +patch has all gone to weeds. You are shiftless, for your house leaks. +You are a sneak, for you creep up where you are not wanted and listen +to things which do not concern you. You are a thief, for you steal the +secrets of others. You are a prevaricator, for you tell things which +are not so. Mr. Rabbit, you are all these—a lazy, shiftless sneak, +thief and prevaricator.' +</P> + +<P> +"It was dreadful. Mother Nature paused, and Mr. Rabbit felt oh so +ashamed. He did not look up, but he felt, he just <I>felt</I>, all the eyes +of all the little meadow people and forest folk burning right into him. +So he hung his head and two great tears fell splash, right at his feet. +You see Mr. Rabbit wasn't altogether bad. It was just this dreadful +curiosity. +</P> + +<P> +"Old Mother Nature knew this and down in her heart she loved Mr. Rabbit +and was oh so sorry for him. +</P> + +<P> +"'Mr. Rabbit,' continued old Mother Nature, 'because your curiosity is +so great, your ears shall be made long, that every one who sees you may +know that it is not safe to talk when you are near. Because you are a +sneak and steal up to people unseen, your-hind legs shall be made long, +so that whenever you sit up straight you will be tall and every one can +see you, and whenever you run, you will go with great jumps, and every +one will know who it is running away. And because you are shiftless +and your house leaks, you will hereafter live in a hole in the ground.' +</P> + +<P> +"Then old Mother Nature took Mr. Rabbit by his two ears and big, strong +Mr. North Wind took Peter Rabbit by his hind legs, and they both +pulled. And when they put him down Peter Rabbit's ears and his hind +legs were long, many times longer than they used to be. When he tried +to run away to hide his shame, he found that the only way he could go +was with great jumps, and you may be sure he jumped as fast as he could. +</P> + +<P> +"And ever since that long ago time, when the world was young, rabbits +have had long ears and long hind legs, all because of the curiosity of +their grandfather a thousand times removed. And now you know why Peter +Rabbit's ears are long, and why he is always sitting up and listening," +concluded Great-Grandfather Frog. +</P> + +<P> +"Thank you, thank you, Grandfather Frog!" shouted all the Merry Little +Breezes, and raced away to help old Mother West Wind drive up the +wandering raincloud, which she had found at last. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap04"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +IV +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +REDDY FOX DISOBEYS +</H3> + +<P> +On the brow of the hill by the Lone Pine sat Reddy Fox. Every few +moments he pointed his little black nose up at the round, yellow moon +and barked. Way over across the broad White Meadows, which in summer +time are green, you know, in the dooryard of Farmer Brown's house, +Bowser the Hound sat and barked at the moon, too. +</P> + +<P> +"Yap-yap-yap," barked Reddy Fox, as loud as he could. +</P> + +<P> +"Bow-wow-wow," said Bowser the Hound in his deepest voice. +</P> + +<P> +Then both would listen and watch the million little stars twinkle and +twinkle in the frosty sky. Now just why Reddy Fox should bark at the +moon he did not know. He just had to. Every night for a week he had +sat at the foot of the Lone Pine and barked and barked until his throat +was sore. Every night old Mother Fox had warned him that noisy +children would come to no good end, and every night Reddy had promised +that he would bark no more. But every night when the first silver +flood of witching light crept over the hill and cast strange shadows +from the naked branches of the trees, Reddy forgot all about his +promise. Deep down under his little red coat was a strange feeling +which he could not explain. He simply <I>must</I> bark, so up to the Lone +Pine he would go and yap and yap and yap, until all the little meadow +people who were not asleep knew just where Reddy Fox was. +</P> + +<P> +Bowser the Hound knew, too, and he made up his mind that Reddy Fox was +making fun of him. Now Bowser did not like to be made fun of any more +than little boys and girls do, and he made up his mind that if ever he +could break his chain, or that if ever Farmer Brown forgot to chain him +up, he would teach Reddy Fox a lesson that Reddy would never forget. +</P> + +<P> +"Yap-yap-yap," barked Reddy Fox, and then listened to hear Bowser's +deep voice reply. But this time there was no reply. Reddy listened, +and listened, and then tried it again. Way off on a distant hill he +could hear Hooty the Owl. Close by him Jack Frost was busy snapping +sticks. Down on the White Meadows he could see Jimmy Skunk prowling +about. Once he heard a rooster crow sleepily in Farmer Brown's +hen-house, but he thought of Bowser the Hound, and though his mouth +watered, he did not dare risk a closer acquaintance with the big dog. +So he sat still and barked, and pretty soon he forgot all else but the +moon and the sound of his own voice. +</P> + +<P> +Now Bowser the Hound had managed to slip his collar. "Aha," thought +Bowser, "now I'll teach Reddy Fox to make fun of me," and like a shadow +he slipped through the fence and across the White Meadows towards the +Lone Pine. +</P> + +<P> +Reddy Fox had just barked for the hundreth time when he heard a twig +crack just back of him. It had a different sound from the noisy crack +of Jack Frost, and Reddy stopped a yap right in the middle and whirled +about to see what it might be. There was Bowser the Hound almost upon +him, his eyes flashing fire, his great, red jaws wide open, and every +hair on his back bristling with rage. +</P> + +<P> +Reddy Fox didn't wait to say "Good evening," or to see more. Oh, no! +He turned a back somersault and away he sped over the hard, snowy crust +as fast as his legs could carry him. Bowser baying at the moon he +liked to hear, but Bowser baying at his heels was another matter, and +Reddy ran as he had never run before. Down across the White Meadows he +sped, Bowser frightening all the echoes with the roar of his big voice +as he followed in full cry. +</P> + +<P> +How Reddy did wish that he had minded Mother Fox! How safe and snug +and warm was his home under the roots of the old hickory tree, and how +he did wish that he was safely there! But it would never do to go +there now, for that would tell Bowser where he lived, and Bowser would +take Farmer Brown there, and that would be the end of Reddy Fox and of +Mother Fox and of all the brother and sister foxes. +</P> + +<P> +So Reddy twisted and turned, and ran this way and ran that way, and the +longer he ran, the shorter his breath grew. It was coming in great +pants now. His bushy tail, of which he was so proud, had become very +heavy. How Reddy Fox did wish and wish that he had minded Mother Fox! +He twisted and turned, and doubled this way and that way, and all the +time Bowser the Hound got closer and closer. +</P> + +<P> +Now way off on the hill behind the White Meadows Mother Fox had been +hunting for her supper. She had heard the "Yap-yap-yap" of Reddy Fox +as he barked at the moon, and she had heard Bowser baying over in the +barnyard of Farmer Brown. Then she had heard the "yap" of Reddy Fox +cut short in the middle and the roar of Bowser's big voice as he +started to chase Reddy Fox. She knew that Reddy could run fast, but +she also knew that Bowser the Hound had a wonderful nose, and that +Bowser would never give up. So Mother Fox pattered down the Crooked +Little Path onto the White Meadows, where she could see the chase. +When she got near enough, she barked twice to tell Reddy that she would +help him. +</P> + +<P> +Now Reddy Fox was so tired that he was almost in despair when he heard +Mother Fox bark. But he knew that Mother Fox was so wise, and she had +so often fooled Bowser the Hound, that if he could hold out just a +little longer she would help him. So for a few minutes he ran faster +than ever and he gained a long way on Bowser the Hound. As he passed a +shock of corn that had been left standing on the White Meadows, Mother +Fox stepped out from behind it. "Go home, Reddy Fox," said she, +sharply, "go home and stay there until I come." Then she deliberately +sat down in front of the shock of corn to wait until Bowser the Hound +should come in sight. +</P> + +<P> +Now Bowser the Hound kept his eyes and nose on the track of Reddy Fox, +looking up only once in a while to see where he was going, so he did +not see Reddy Fox slip behind the corn shock, and when he did look up, +he saw only Mother Fox sitting there waiting for him. +</P> + +<P> +Now Bowser the Hound thinks slowly. When he saw old Mother Fox sitting +there, he did not stop to think that it was not Reddy Fox whom he had +been following, or he would have known better than to waste his time +following old Mother Fox. He would have just hunted around until he +had found where Reddy had gone to. But Bowser the Hound thinks slowly. +When he saw old Mother Fox sitting there, he thought it was Reddy Fox +and that now he had him. +</P> + +<P> +With a great roar of his big voice, he sprang forward. Mother Fox +waited until he was almost upon her, then springing to one side, she +trotted off a little way. At once Bowser the Hound started after her. +She pretended to be very tired. Every time he rushed forward she +managed to just slip out of his grasp. +</P> + +<P> +Little by little she led him across the White Meadows back towards +Farmer Brown's barnyard. Pretty soon old Mother Fox began to run as +fast as she could, and that is very fast indeed. She left Bowser the +Hound a long, long way behind. When she came to a stone wall she +jumped up on the stone wall and ran along it, just like a squirrel. +Every once in a while she would make a long jump and then trot along a +little way again. She knew that stones do not carry the scent well, +and that Bowser the Hound would have hard work to smell her on the +stone wall. Way down at the end of the pasture an old apple tree +stretched a long limb out towards the stone wall. When she got +opposite to this she jumped onto this long limb and ran up into the +tree. There in the crotch, close to the trunk, she sat and watched. +</P> + +<P> +Bowser the Hound, making a tremendous noise, followed her trail up to +the stone wall. Then he was puzzled. He sniffed this way, and he +sniffed that way, but he could not tell where Mother Fox had +disappeared to. He looked up at old Mother Moon and bayed and bayed, +but old Mother Moon did not help him a bit. Then he jumped over the +stone wall and looked, and looked, and smelled, and smelled, but no +track of Mother Fox could he find. Then he ran up along the stone wall +a little way, and then down along the stone wall a little way, but +still he could not find a track of Mother Fox. The longer he hunted, +the angrier he grew. +</P> + +<P> +Old Mother Fox, sitting in the apple tree, watched him and laughed and +laughed to herself. Then when she grew tired of watching him, she made +a long jump out into the field and trotted off home to punish Reddy Fox +for his disobedience. When she got there she found Reddy Fox very much +ashamed, very tired and very sorrowful, and since that time Reddy Fox +has never barked at the moon. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap05"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +V +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +STRIPED CHIPMUNK'S POCKETS +</H3> + +<P> +It was one of Striped Chipmunk's busy days. Every day is a busy day +with Striped Chipmunk at this season of the year, for the sweet acorns +are ripe and the hickory nuts rattle down whenever Old Mother West Wind +shakes the trees, while every night Jack Frost opens chestnut burrs +just to see the squirrels scamper for the plump brown nuts the next +morning. +</P> + +<P> +So Striped Chipmunk was very busy, very busy indeed! He whisked in and +out of the old stone wall along one edge of the Green Meadows. Back +and forth, back and forth, sometimes to the old hickory tree, sometimes +to the hollow chestnut tree, sometimes to the great oak on the edge of +the Green Forest Striped Chipmunk scampered. +</P> + +<P> +Old Mother West Wind, coming down from the Purple Hills very early in +the morning, had found Striped Chipmunk up before her and hard at work. +Later, when jolly, round, red Mr. Sun had climbed up into the sky, the +Merry Little Breezes had spied Striped Chipmunk whisking along the old +stone wall and had raced over to play with him, for the Merry Little +Breezes are very fond of Striped Chipmunk. They got there just in time +to see him disappear under a great stone in the old wall. In a minute +he was out again and off as fast as he could go to the old hickory tree. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, Striped Chipmunk, come play with us," shouted the Merry Little +Breezes, running after him. +</P> + +<P> +But Striped Chipmunk just flirted his funny little tail and winked with +both his bright eyes at them. +</P> + +<P> +"Busy! busy! busy!" said Striped Chipmunk, hurrying along as fast as +his short legs could take him. +</P> + +<P> +The Merry Little Breezes laughed, and one of them, dancing ahead, +pulled the funny little tail of Striped Chipmunk. +</P> + +<P> +"It's a beautiful day; do come and play with us," cried the Merry +Little Breeze. +</P> + +<P> +But Striped Chipmunk flirted his tail over his back once more. +</P> + +<P> +"Busy! busy! busy!" he shouted over his shoulder and ran faster than +ever. +</P> + +<P> +In a few minutes he was back again, but such a queer-looking fellow as +he was! His head was twice as big as it had been before and you would +hardly have known that it was Striped Chipmunk but for the saucy way he +twitched his funny little tail and the spry way he scampered along the +old stone wall. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, Striped Chipmunk's got the mumps!" shouted the Merry Little +Breezes. +</P> + +<P> +But Striped Chipmunk said never a word. He couldn't. He ran faster +than ever until he disappeared under the big stone. When he popped his +head out again he was just his usual saucy little self. +</P> + +<P> +"Say, Striped Chipmunk," cried the Merry Little Breezes, rushing over +to him, "tell us how you happen to have pockets in your cheeks." +</P> + +<P> +But Striped Chipmunk just snapped his bright eyes at them and said +"Busy! busy! busy!" as he scuttled over to the hollow chestnut tree. +</P> + +<P> +The Merry Little Breezes saw that it was no use at all to try to tempt +Striped Chipmunk to play with them or to answer questions. +</P> + +<P> +"I tell you what," cried one, "let's go ask Great-Grandfather Frog how +Striped Chipmunk happens to have pockets in his cheeks. He'll know." +</P> + +<P> +So away they started, after they had raced over to the big hollow +chestnut tree and sent a shower of brown nuts rattling down to Striped +Chipmunk from the burrs that Jack Frost had opened the night before. +</P> + +<P> +"Good-bye, Striped Chipmunk," they shouted as they romped across the +Green Meadows. And Striped Chipmunk stopped long enough to shout +"Good-bye" before he filled his pockets with the brown nuts. +</P> + +<P> +Old Grandfather Frog sat on his big green lily pad blinking in the sun. +It was very still, very, very still indeed. Suddenly out of the brown +bulrushes burst the Merry Little Breezes and surrounded old Grandfather +Frog. And every one of them had brought to him a fat, foolish, green +fly. +</P> + +<P> +Grandfather's big goggly eyes sparkled and he gave a funny little hop +up into the air as he caught each foolish green fly. When the last one +was safely inside his white and yellow waistcoat he settled himself +comfortably on the big green lily pad and folded his hands over the +foolish green flies. +</P> + +<P> +"Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog. "What is it you want this +morning?" +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, Grandfather Frog," cried the Merry Little Breezes, "tell us how it +happens that Striped Chipmunk has pockets in his cheeks. Do tell us, +Grandfather Frog. Please do!" +</P> + +<P> +"Chug-a-rum," said Grandfather Frog. "How should I know?" +</P> + +<P> +"But you do know, Grandfather Frog, you know you do. Please tell us!" +cried the Merry Little Breezes as they settled themselves among the +rushes. +</P> + +<P> +And presently Grandfather Frog began: +</P> + +<P> +"Once upon a time—a long, long while ago—" +</P> + +<P> +"When the world was young?" asked a mischievous little Breeze. +</P> + +<P> +Grandfather Frog pretended to be very much put out by the interruption, +and tried to look very severe. But the Merry Little Breezes were all +giggling, so that presently he had to smile too. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes," said he, "it was when the world was young, before old King Bear +became king. Mr. Chipmunk, Striped Chipmunk's +great-great-great-grandfather a thousand times removed, was the +smallest of the squirrels, just as Striped Chipmunk is now. But he +didn't mind that, not the least little bit. Mr. Gray Squirrel was four +times as big and had a handsome tail, Mr. Fox Squirrel was four times +as big and he also had a handsome tail, Mr. Red Squirrel was twice as +big and he thought his tail was very good to see. But Mr. Chipmunk +didn't envy his big cousins their fine tails; not he! You see he had +himself a beautiful striped coat of which he was very proud and which +he thought much more to be desired than a big tail. +</P> + +<P> +"So Mr. Chipmunk went his way happy and contented and he was such a +merry little fellow and so full of fun and cut such funny capers that +everybody loved Mr. Chipmunk. +</P> + +<P> +"One day, when the nights were cool and all the trees had put on their +brilliant colors, old Mother Nature sent word down across the Green +Meadows that every squirrel should gather for her and store away until +she came a thousand nuts. Now the squirrels had grown fat and lazy +through the long summer, all but Mr. Chipmunk, who frisked about so +much that he had no chance to grow fat. +</P> + +<P> +"Mr. Gray Squirrel grumbled. Mr. Fox Squirrel grumbled. Mr. Red +Squirrel grumbled. But they didn't dare disobey old Mother Nature, so +they all set out, each to gather a thousand nuts. And Mr. Chipmunk +alone was pleasant and cheerful. +</P> + +<P> +"When they reached the nut trees, what do you suppose they discovered? +Why, that they had been so greedy that they had eaten most of the nuts +and it was going to be hard work to find and store a thousand nuts for +old Mother Nature. Then they began to hurry, did Mr. Gray Squirrel and +Mr. Fox Squirrel and Mr. Red Squirrel, each trying to make sure of his +thousand nuts. They quarreled and they fought over the nuts on the +ground and even up in the trees. And because they were so big and so +strong, they pushed Mr. Chipmunk this way and they pushed him that way +and often just as he was going to pick up a fat nut one of them would +knock him over and make off with the prize. +</P> + +<P> +"Poor Mr. Chipmunk kept his temper and was as polite as ever, but how +he did work! His cousins are great climbers and could get the nuts +still left on the trees, but Mr. Chipmunk is a poor climber, so he had +to be content with those on the ground. Of course he could carry only +one nut at a time and his legs were so short that he had to run as fast +as ever he could to store each nut in his secret store-house and get +back for another. And while the others quarreled and fought, he +hurried back and forth, back and forth, from early morning until jolly, +round, red Mr. Sun pulled his night cap on behind the Purple Hills, +hunting for nuts and putting them away in his secret store-house. +</P> + +<P> +"But the nuts grew scarcer and scarcer on the ground and harder to +find, for the other squirrels were picking them up too, and then they +did not have so far to carry them. +</P> + +<P> +"Sometimes one of his cousins up in the trees would drop a nut, but Mr. +Chipmunk never would take it, not even when he was having hard work to +find any, 'for,' said he to himself, 'if my cousin drops a nut, it is +his nut just the same.' +</P> + +<P> +"Finally Mr. Gray Squirrel announced that he had got his thousand nuts. +Then Mr. Fox Squirrel announced that he had got his thousand nuts. The +next day Mr. Red Squirrel stopped hunting because he had his thousand +nuts. +</P> + +<P> +"But Mr. Chipmunk had hardly more than half as many. And that night he +made a dreadful discovery—some one had found his secret store-house +and had <I>stolen</I> some of his precious nuts. +</P> + +<P> +"'It's of no use to cry over what can't be helped,' said Mr. Chipmunk, +and the next morning he bravely started out again. He had worked so +hard that he had grown thinner and thinner until now he was only a +shadow of his old self. But he was as cheerful as ever and kept right +on hunting and hunting for stray nuts. Mr. Gray Squirrel and Mr. Fox +Squirrel and Mr. Red Squirrel sat around and rested and made fun of +him. Way up in the tops of the tallest trees a few nuts still clung, +but his cousins did not once offer to go up and shake them down for Mr. +Chipmunk. +</P> + +<P> +"And then old Mother Nature came down across the Green Meadows. First +Mr. Gray Squirrel took her to his storehouse and she counted his +thousand nuts. Then Mr. Fox Squirrel led her to his storehouse and she +counted his thousand nuts. Then Mr. Red Squirrel showed her his +store-house and she counted his thousand nuts. +</P> + +<P> +"Last of all Mr. Chipmunk led her to his secret store-house and showed +her the pile of nuts he had worked so hard to get. Old Mother Nature +didn't need to count them to see that there were not a thousand there. +</P> + +<P> +"'I've done the best I could,' said Mr. Chipmunk bravely, and he +trembled all over, he was so tired. +</P> + +<P> +"Old Mother Nature said never a word but went out on the Green Meadows +and sent the Merry Little Breezes to call together all the little +meadow people and all the little forest folks. When they had all +gathered before her she suddenly turned to Mr. Gray Squirrel. +</P> + +<P> +"'Go bring me a hundred nuts from your store-house,' said she. +</P> + +<P> +"Then she turned to Mr. Fox Squirrel. +</P> + +<P> +"'Go bring me a hundred nuts from your store-house,' said she. +</P> + +<P> +"Last of all she called Mr. Red Squirrel out where all could see him. +Mr. Red Squirrel crept out very slowly. His teeth chattered and his +tail, of which he was so proud, dragged on the ground, for you see Mr. +Red Squirrel had something on his mind. +</P> + +<P> +"Then old Mother Nature told how she had ordered each squirrel to get +and store for her a thousand nuts. She told just how selfish Mr. Gray +Squirrel and Mr. Fox Squirrel had been. She told just how hard Mr. +Chipmunk had worked and then she told how part of his precious store +had been stolen. +</P> + +<P> +"'And there,' said old Mother Nature in a loud voice so that every one +should hear, 'there is the thief!' +</P> + +<P> +"Then she commanded Mr. Red Squirrel to go to his store-house and bring +her half of the biggest and best nuts he had there! +</P> + +<P> +"Mr. Red Squirrel sneaked off with his head hanging, and began to bring +the nuts. And as he tramped back and forth, back and forth, all the +little meadow people and all the little forest folks pointed their +fingers at him and cried 'Thief! Thief! Thief!' +</P> + +<P> +"When all the nuts had been brought to her by Mr. Gray Squirrel and Mr. +Fox Squirrel and Mr. Red Squirrel, old Mother Nature gathered them all +up and put them in the secret store-house of Mr. Chipmunk. Then she +set Mr. Chipmunk up on an old stump where all could see him and she +said: +</P> + +<P> +"'Mr. Chipmunk, because you have been faithful, because you have been +cheerful, because you have done your best, henceforth you shall have +two pockets, one in each cheek, so that you can carry two nuts at once, +that you may not have to work so hard the next time I tell you to store +a thousand nuts.' +</P> + +<P> +"And all the little meadow people and all the little forest folks +shouted 'Hurrah for Mr. Chipmunk!' All but his cousins, Mr. Gray +Squirrel and Mr. Fox Squirrel and Mr. Red Squirrel, who hid themselves +for shame. +</P> + +<P> +"And ever since that time long ago, when the world was young, the +Chipmunks have had pockets in their cheeks. +</P> + +<P> +"You can't fool old Mother Nature," concluded Great-Grandfather Frog. +"No, Sir, you can't fool old Mother Nature and it's no use to try." +</P> + +<P> +"Thank you, thank you," cried the Merry Little Breezes, clapping their +hands. Then they all raced across the Green Meadows to shake down some +more nuts for Striped Chipmunk. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap06"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +VI +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +REDDY FOX, THE BOASTER +</H3> + +<P> +Johnny Chuck waddled down the Lone Little Path across the Green +Meadows. Johnny Chuck was very fat and rolly-poly. His yellow brown +coat fitted him so snugly that it seemed as if it must burst. Johnny +Chuck was feeling very happy—very happy indeed, for you see Johnny +Chuck long ago found the best thing in the world, which is contentment. +</P> + +<P> +Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun, looking down from the sky, smiled and smiled +to see Johnny Chuck waddling down the Lone Little Path, for he loved +the merry-hearted little fellow, as do all the little meadow +people—all but Reddy Fox, for Reddy Fox has not forgotten the surprise +Johnny Chuck once gave him and how he called him a "'fraid cat." +</P> + +<P> +Once in a while Johnny Chuck stopped to brush his coat carefully, for +he is very particular about his appearance, is Johnny Chuck. By and by +he came to the old butternut tree down by the Smiling Pool. He could +see it a long time before he reached it, and up in the top of it he +could see Blacky the Crow flapping his wings and cawing at the top of +his voice. +</P> + +<P> +"There must be something going on," said Johnny Chuck to himself, and +began to waddle faster. He looked so very queer when he tried to hurry +that jolly round, red Mr. Sun smiled more than ever. +</P> + +<P> +When he was almost to the old butter-nut tree Johnny Chuck sat up very +straight so that his head came just above the tall meadow grasses +beside the Lone Little Path. He could see the Merry Little Breezes +dancing and racing under the old butternut tree and having such a good +time! And he could see the long ears of Peter Rabbit standing up +straight above the tall meadow grasses. One of the Merry Little +Breezes spied Johnny Chuck. +</P> + +<P> +"Hurry up, Johnny Chuck!" he shouted, and Johnny Chuck hurried. +</P> + +<P> +When he reached the old butternut tree he was all out of breath. He +was puffing and blowing and he was so warm that he wished just for a +minute, a single little minute, that he could swim like Billy Mink and +Jerry Muskrat and Little Joe Otter, so that he could jump into the +Smiling Pool and cool off. +</P> + +<P> +"Hello, Johnny Chuck!" shouted Peter Rabbit. +</P> + +<P> +"Hello yourself, and see how you like it!" replied Johnny Chuck. +</P> + +<P> +"Hello myself!" said Peter Rabbit. +</P> + +<P> +And then because it was so very foolish everybody laughed. It is a +good thing to feel foolishly happy on a beautiful sunshiny day, +especially down on the Green Meadows. +</P> + +<P> +Jimmy Skunk was there. He was feeling very, very good indeed, was +Jimmy Skunk, for he had found some very fine beetles for his breakfast. +</P> + +<P> +Little Joe Otter was there, and Billy Mink and Jerry Muskrat and Happy +Jack Squirrel, and of course Reddy Fox was there. Oh my, yes, of +course Reddy Fox was there! Reddy Fox never misses a chance to show +off. He was wearing his very newest red coat and his whitest +waistcoat. He had brushed his tail till it looked very handsome, and +every few minutes he would turn and admire it. Reddy Fox thought +himself a very fine gentleman. He admired himself and he wanted every +one else to admire him. +</P> + +<P> +"Let's do stunts," said Peter Rabbit. "I can jump farther than anybody +here!" +</P> + +<P> +Then Peter Rabbit jumped a tremendously long jump. Then everybody +jumped, everybody but Reddy Fox. Even Johnny Chuck jumped, and because +he was so rolly-poly he tumbled over and over and everybody laughed and +Johnny Chuck laughed loudest of all. +</P> + +<P> +And because his hind legs are long and meant for jumping Peter Rabbit +had jumped farther than any one else. +</P> + +<P> +"I can climb to the top of the old butternut tree quicker than anybody +else," cried Happy Jack Squirrel, and away he started with Bobby Coon +and Billy Mink after him, for though Billy Mink is a famous swimmer and +can run swiftly, he can also climb when he has to. But Happy Jack +Squirrel was at the top of the old butternut tree almost before the +others had started. +</P> + +<P> +The Merry Little Breezes clapped their hands and everybody shouted for +Happy Jack Squirrel, everybody but Reddy Fox. +</P> + +<P> +"I can swim faster than anybody here," shouted Little Joe Otter. +</P> + +<P> +In a flash three little brown coats splashed into the Smiling Pool so +suddenly that they almost upset Great-Grandfather Frog watching from +his big green lily pad. They belonged to Little Joe Otter, Billy Mink +and Jerry Muskrat. Across the Smiling Pool and back again they raced +and Little Joe Otter was first out on the bank. +</P> + +<P> +"Hurrah for Little Joe Otter!" shouted Blacky the Crow. +</P> + +<P> +And everybody shouted "Hurrah!" Everybody but Reddy Fox. +</P> + +<P> +"What can you do, Jimmy Skunk?" asked Peter Rabbit, dancing up and +down, he was so excited. +</P> + +<P> +Jimmy Skunk yawned lazily. +</P> + +<P> +"I can throw a wonderful perfume farther than anybody here," said Jimmy +Skunk. +</P> + +<P> +"We know it! We know it!" shouted the Merry Little Breezes as +everybody tumbled heels over head away from Jimmy Skunk, even Reddy +Fox. "But please don't!" +</P> + +<P> +And Jimmy Skunk didn't. +</P> + +<P> +Then they all came back, Reddy Fox carefully brushing his handsome red +coat which had become sadly mussed, he had fled in such a hurry. +</P> + +<P> +Now for the first time in his life Johnny Chuck began to feel just a +wee, wee bit discontented. What was there he could do better than any +one else? He couldn't jump and he couldn't climb and he couldn't swim. +He couldn't even run fast, because he was so fat and round and +rolly-poly. He quite forgot that he was so sunny-hearted and +good-natured that everybody loved him, everybody but Reddy Fox. +</P> + +<P> +Just then Reddy Fox began to boast, for Reddy Fox is a great boaster. +"Pooh!" said Reddy Fox, "pooh! Anybody could jump if their legs were +made for jumping. And what's the good of climbing trees anyway? Now I +can run faster than anybody here—faster than anybody in the whole +world!" said Reddy Fox, puffing himself out. +</P> + +<P> +"Chug-a-rum," said Grandfather Frog. "You can't beat Spotty the +Turtle." +</P> + +<P> +Then everyone shouted and rolled over and over in the grass, they were +so tickled, for every one remembered how Spotty the Turtle had once won +a race from Reddy Fox. +</P> + +<P> +For a minute Reddy Fox looked very foolish. Then he lost his temper, +which is a very unwise thing to do, for it is hard to find again. He +swelled himself out until every hair stood on end and he looked twice +as big as he did before. He strutted up and down and glared at each in +turn. +</P> + +<P> +"And I'm not afraid of any living thing on the Green Meadows!" boasted +Reddy Fox. +</P> + +<P> +"Chug-a-rum," said Grandfather Frog. "Do I see Bowser the Hound?" +</P> + +<P> +Every hair on Reddy Fox suddenly fell back into place. He whirled +about nervously and anxiously looked over the Green Meadows. Then +everybody shouted again and rolled over and over in the grass and held +on to their sides, for you see Bowser the Hound wasn't there at all. +</P> + +<P> +But everybody took good care to keep away from Reddy Fox, everybody but +Johnny Chuck. He just sat still and chuckled and chuckled till his fat +sides shook. +</P> + +<P> +"What are you laughing at?" demanded Reddy Fox. +</P> + +<P> +"I was just thinking," said Johnny Chuck, "that though you can run so +fast, you can't even catch me." +</P> + +<P> +Reddy Fox just glared at him for a minute, he was so mad. Then he +sprang straight at Johnny Chuck. +</P> + +<P> +"I'll show you!" he snarled. +</P> + +<P> +Now Johnny Chuck had been sitting close beside a hole that Grandfather +Chuck had dug a long time before and which was empty. In a flash +Johnny Chuck disappeared head first in the hole. Now the hole was too +small for Reddy Fox to enter, but he was so angry that he straightway +began to dig it larger. My, how the sand did fly! It poured out +behind Reddy Fox in a stream of shining yellow. +</P> + +<P> +Johnny Chuck ran down the long tunnel underground until he reached the +end. Then when he heard Reddy Fox digging and knew that he was really +coming, Johnny Chuck began to dig, too, only instead of digging down he +dug up towards the sunshine and the blue sky. +</P> + +<P> +My, how his short legs did fly and his stout little claws dug into the +soft earth! His little forepaws flew so fast that if you had been +there you could hardly have seen them at all. And with his strong hind +legs he kicked the sand right back into the face of Reddy Fox. +</P> + +<P> +All the little meadow people gathered around the hole where Johnny +Chuck and Reddy Fox had disappeared. They were very anxious, very +anxious indeed. Would Reddy Fox catch Johnny Chuck? And what would he +do to him? Was all their fun to end in something terrible to +sunny-hearted, merry Johnny Chuck, whom everybody loved? +</P> + +<P> +All of a sudden, pop! right out of the solid earth among the daisies +and buttercups, just like a jack-in-the-box, came Johnny Chuck! He +looked very warm and a little tired, but he was still chuckling as he +scampered across to another hole of Grandfather Chuck's. +</P> + +<P> +By and by something else crawled out of the hole Johnny Chuck had made. +Could it be Reddy Fox? Where were his white waistcoat and beautiful +red coat? And was that thing dragging behind him his splendid tail? +</P> + +<P> +He crept out of the hole and then just lay down and panted for breath. +He was almost too tired to move. Then he began to spit sand out of his +mouth and blow it out of his nose and try to wipe it out of his eyes. +The long hair of his fine coat was filled full of sand and no one would +ever have guessed that this was Reddy Fox. +</P> + +<P> +"Haw! haw! haw!" shouted Blacky the Crow. +</P> + +<P> +Then everybody shouted "Haw! haw! haw!" and began to roll in the grass +and hold on to their sides once more; everybody but Reddy Fox. When he +could get his breath he didn't look this way or that way, but just +sneaked off to his home under the big hickory. +</P> + +<A NAME="img-102"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-102.jpg" ALT="Then everybody shouted "Haw! haw! haw!"" BORDER="2" WIDTH="510" HEIGHT="385"> +<H3 CLASS="h3center" STYLE="width: 510px"> +Then everybody shouted "Haw! haw! haw!" +</H3> +</CENTER> + +<P> +And when Old Mother West Wind came with her big bag to take the Merry +Little Breezes to their home behind the Purple Hills, Johnny Chuck +waddled back up the Lone Little Path chuckling to himself, for that +little feeling of discontent was all gone. He had found that after all +he could do something better than anybody else on the Green Meadows, +for in his heart he knew that none could dig so fast as he. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap07"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +VII +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +JOHNNY CHUCK'S SECRET +</H3> + +<P> +Johnny Chuck pushed up the last bit of gravel from the hole he had dug +between the roots of the old apple tree in a corner of the Green +Meadows. He smoothed it down on the big, yellow mound he had made in +front of his door. Then he sat up very straight on top of the mound, +brushed his coat, shook the sand from his trousers and carefully +cleaned his hands. +</P> + +<P> +After he had rested a bit, he turned around and looked at his new home, +for that is what it was, although he had not come there to live yet, +and no one knew of it, no one but jolly, round, red Mr. Sun, who, +peeping between the branches of the old apple tree, had caught Johnny +Chuck at work. But <I>he</I> wouldn't tell, not jolly Mr. Sun! Looking +down from the blue sky every day he sees all sorts of queer things and +he learns all kinds of secrets, does Mr. Sun, but he never, never +tells. No, Sir! Mr. Sun never tells one of them, not even to Old +Mother West Wind when at night they go down together behind the Purple +Hills. +</P> + +<P> +So jolly, round, red Mr. Sun just smiled and smiled when he discovered +Johnny Chuck's secret, for that is just what the new home under the +apple tree was—a secret. Not even the Merry Little Breezes, who find +out almost everything, had discovered it. +</P> + +<P> +Johnny Chuck chuckled to himself as he planned a back door, a beautiful +back door, hidden behind a tall clump of meadow grass where no one +would think to look for a door. When he had satisfied himself as to +just where he would put it, he once more sat up very straight on his +nice, new mound and looked this way and looked that way to be sure that +no one was near. Then he started for his old home along a secret +little path he had made for himself. +</P> + +<P> +Pretty soon he came to the Lone Little Path that went past his own +home. He danced and he skipped along the Lone Little Path, and, +because he was so happy, he tried to turn a somersault. But Johnny +Chuck was so round and fat and rolly-poly that he just tumbled over in +a heap. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, well, well! What's the matter with you?" said a voice close +beside him before he could pick himself up. It was Jimmy Skunk, who +was out looking for some beetles for his dinner. +</P> + +<P> +Johnny Chuck scrambled to his feet and looked foolish, very foolish +indeed. +</P> + +<P> +"There's nothing the matter with me, Jimmy Skunk," said Johnny. +"There's nothing the matter with me. It's just because I've got a +secret." +</P> + +<P> +"A secret!" cried Jimmy Skunk. "What is it?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, a secret, a really, truly secret," said Johnny Chuck, and looked +very important. +</P> + +<P> +"Tell me, Johnny Chuck. Come on, tell just <I>me</I>, and then we'll have +the secret together," begged Jimmy Skunk. +</P> + +<P> +Now Johnny Chuck was so tickled with his secret that it seemed as if he +<I>must</I> share it with some one. He just couldn't keep it to himself any +longer. +</P> + +<P> +"You won't tell any one?" said Johnny Chuck. +</P> + +<P> +Jimmy Skunk promised that he wouldn't tell a soul. +</P> + +<P> +"Cross your heart," commanded Johnny Chuck. +</P> + +<P> +Jimmy Skunk crossed his heart. +</P> + +<P> +Then Johnny Chuck looked this way and looked that way to be sure that +no one was listening. Finally he whispered in Jimmy Skunk's ear: +</P> + +<P> +"I've got a new home under the old apple tree in a corner of the Green +Meadows," said Johnny Chuck. +</P> + +<P> +Of course Jimmy Skunk was very much surprised and very much interested, +so Johnny Chuck told him all about it. +</P> + +<P> +"Now, remember, it's a secret," said Johnny Chuck, as Jimmy Skunk +started off down the Lone Little Path across the Green Meadows, to look +for some beetles. +</P> + +<P> +"I'll remember," said Jimmy Skunk. +</P> + +<P> +"And don't tell!" called Johnny Chuck. +</P> + +<P> +Jimmy Skunk promised that he wouldn't tell. Then Johnny Chuck started +off up the Lone Little Path, whistling, and Jimmy Skunk trotted down +the Lone Little Path onto the Green Meadows. +</P> + +<P> +Jimmy Skunk was thinking so much about Johnny Chuck's new home that he +quite forgot to look for beetles, and he almost ran into Peter Rabbit. +</P> + +<P> +"Hello, Jimmy Skunk," said Peter Rabbit, "can't you see where you are +going? It must be you have something on your mind; what is it?" +</P> + +<P> +"I was thinking of Johnny Chuck's new home," said Jimmy Skunk. +</P> + +<P> +"Johnny Chuck's new home!" exclaimed Peter Rabbit. "Has Johnny Chuck +got a new home? Where is it?" +</P> + +<P> +"Under the roots of the old apple tree in a corner of the Green +Meadows," said Jimmy Skunk, and then he clapped both hands over his +mouth. You see he hadn't really meant to tell. It just slipped out. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, but it's a secret!" cried Jimmy Skunk. "It's a secret, and you +mustn't tell. I guess Johnny Chuck won't mind if you know, Peter +Rabbit, but you mustn't tell any one else." Peter Rabbit promised he +wouldn't. +</P> + +<P> +Now Peter Rabbit is very inquisitive, very inquisitive indeed. So as +soon as he had parted from Jimmy Skunk he made up his mind that he must +see the new home of Johnny Chuck. So off he started as fast as he +could go towards the old apple tree in a corner of the Green Meadows. +Half way there he met Reddy Fox. +</P> + +<P> +"Hello, Peter Rabbit! Where are you going in such a hurry?" asked +Reddy Fox. +</P> + +<P> +"Over to the old apple tree to see Johnny Chuck's new home," replied +Peter Rabbit as he tried to dodge past Reddy Fox. Then of a sudden he +remembered and clapped both hands over his mouth. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, but it's a secret, Reddy Fox. It's a secret, and you mustn't +tell!" cried Peter Rabbit. +</P> + +<P> +But Reddy Fox wouldn't promise that he wouldn't tell, for in spite of +his handsome coat and fine manners, Reddy Fox is a scamp. And, +besides, he has no love for Johnny Chuck, for he has not forgotten how +Johnny Chuck once made him run and called him a "'fraid cat." +</P> + +<P> +So when Reddy Fox left Peter Rabbit he grinned a wicked grin and +hurried off to find Bobby Coon. He met him on his way to the Laughing +Brook. Reddy Fox told Bobby Coon all about Johnny Chuck's secret and +then hurried away after Peter Rabbit, for Reddy Fox also is very +inquisitive. +</P> + +<P> +Bobby Coon went on down to the Laughing Brook. There he met Billy Mink +and told him about the new home Johnny Chuck had made under the old +apple tree in a corner of the Green Meadows. +</P> + +<P> +Pretty soon Billy Mink met Little Joe Otter and told him. +</P> + +<P> +Then Little Joe Otter met Jerry Muskrat and told him. +</P> + +<P> +Jerry Muskrat saw Blacky the Crow and told him, and Great-Grandfather +Frog heard him. +</P> + +<P> +Blacky the Crow met his first cousin, Sammy Jay, and told him. +</P> + +<P> +Sammy Jay met Happy Jack Squirrel and told him. +</P> + +<P> +Happy Jack met his cousin, Striped Chipmunk, and told him. +</P> + +<P> +Striped Chipmunk passed the house of old Mr. Toad and told him. +</P> + +<P> +The next morning, very early, before Old Mother West Wind had come down +from the Purple Hills, Johnny Chuck stole over to his new home to begin +work on his new back door. He had hardly begun to dig when he heard +some one cough right behind him. He whirled around and there sat Peter +Rabbit looking as innocent and surprised as if he had really just +discovered the new home for the first time. +</P> + +<P> +"What a splendid new home you have, Johnny Chuck!" said Peter Rabbit. +</P> + +<P> +"Y—e—s," said Johnny Chuck, slowly. "It's a secret," he added +suddenly. "You won't tell, will you, Peter Rabbit?" +</P> + +<P> +Peter Rabbit promised that he wouldn't tell. Then Johnny Chuck felt +better and went back to work as soon as Peter Rabbit left. +</P> + +<P> +He had hardly begun, however, when some one just above him said: "Good +morning, Johnny Chuck." +</P> + +<P> +Johnny Chuck looked up and there in the old apple tree sat Blacky the +Crow and his cousin, Sammy Jay. +</P> + +<P> +Just then there was a rustle in the grass and out popped Billy Mink and +Little Joe Otter and Jerry Muskrat and Happy Jack Squirrel and Striped +Chipmunk and Bobby Coon. When Johnny Chuck had recovered from his +surprise and looked over to the doorway of his new home there sat Reddy +Fox on Johnny Chuck's precious new mound. It seemed as if all the +little meadow people were there, all but Jimmy Skunk, who wisely stayed +away. +</P> + +<P> +"We've come to see your new home," said Striped Chipmunk, "and we think +it's the nicest home we've seen for a long time." +</P> + +<P> +"It's so nicely hidden away, it's really quite secret," said Reddy Fox, +grinning wickedly. +</P> + +<P> +Just then up raced the Merry Little Breezes and one of them had a +message for Johnny Chuck from Great-Grandfather Frog. It was this: +</P> + +<P> +"Whisper a secret to a friend and you shout it in the ear of the whole +world." +</P> + +<P> +After every one had admired the new home, they said good-bye and +scattered over the Green Meadows. Then Johnny Chuck began to dig +again, but this time he wasn't making his new back door. No indeed! +Johnny Chuck was digging at that new mound of yellow gravel of which he +had been so proud. Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun blinked to be sure that +he saw aright, for Johnny Chuck was <I>filling up his new home</I> between +the roots of the old apple tree. When he got through, there wasn't any +new home. +</P> + +<P> +Then Johnny Chuck brushed his coat carefully, shook the sand out of his +trousers, wiped his hands and started off for his old home. And this +time he didn't take his special hidden path, for Johnny Chuck didn't +care who saw him go. +</P> + +<P> +Late that afternoon, Johnny Chuck sat on his old doorstep, with his +chin in his hands, watching Old Mother West Wind gathering her Merry +Little Breezes into the big bag in which she carries them to their home +behind the Purple Hills. +</P> + +<P> +"'Whisper a secret to a friend and you shout it in the ear of the whole +world.' Now what did Grandfather Frog mean by that?" thought Johnny +Chuck. "Now I didn't tell anybody but Jimmy Skunk and Jimmy Skunk +didn't tell anyone but Peter Rabbit and—and—" +</P> + +<P> +Then Johnny Chuck began to chuckle and finally to laugh. "'Whisper a +secret to a friend and you shout it in the ear of the whole world.' My +gracious, what a loud voice I must have had and didn't know it!" said +Johnny Chuck, wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes. +</P> + +<P> +And the next day Johnny Chuck started to make a new home. Where? Oh, +that's Johnny Chuck's secret. And no one but jolly, round, red Mr. Sun +has found it out yet. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap08"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +VIII +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +JOHNNY CHUCK'S GREAT FIGHT +</H3> + +<P> +Johnny Chuck sat on the doorstep of his new home, looking away across +the Green Meadows. Johnny Chuck felt very well satisfied with himself +and with all the world. He yawned lazily and stretched and stretched +and then settled himself comfortably to watch the Merry Little Breezes +playing down by the Smiling Pool. +</P> + +<P> +By and by he saw Peter Rabbit go bobbing along down the Lone Little +Path. Lipperty, lipperty, lip, went Peter Rabbit and every other jump +he looked behind him. +</P> + +<P> +"Now what is Peter Rabbit up to?" said Johnny Chuck to himself, "and +what does he keep looking behind him for?" +</P> + +<P> +Johnny Chuck sat up a little straighter to watch Peter Rabbit hop down +the Lone Little Path. Then of a sudden he caught sight of something +that made him sit up straighter than ever and open his eyes very wide. +Something was following Peter Rabbit. Yes, Sir, something was bobbing +along right at Peter Rabbit's heels. +</P> + +<P> +Johnny Chuck forgot the Merry Little Breezes. He forgot how warm it +was and how lazy he felt. He forgot everything else in his curiosity +to learn what it could be following so closely at Peter Rabbit's heels. +</P> + +<P> +Presently Peter Rabbit stopped and sat up very straight and +then—Johnny Chuck nearly tumbled over in sheer surprise! He rubbed +his eyes to make sure that he saw aright, for there were two Peter +Rabbits! Yes, Sir, there were <I>two</I> Peter Rabbits, only one was very +small, very small indeed. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh!" said Johnny Chuck, "that must be Peter Rabbit's baby brother!" +</P> + +<P> +Then he began to chuckle till his fat sides shook. There sat Peter +Rabbit with his funny long ears standing straight up, and there right +behind him, dressed exactly like him, sat Peter Rabbit's baby brother +with <I>his</I> funny little long ears standing straight up. When Peter +Rabbit wiggled <I>his</I> right ear, his baby brother wiggled his right ear. +When Peter Rabbit scratched his left ear, his baby brother scratched +<I>his</I> left ear. Whatever Peter Rabbit did, his baby brother did too. +</P> + +<P> +Presently Peter Rabbit started on down the Lone Little Path—lipperty, +lipperty, lip, and right at his heels went his baby brother—lipperty, +lipperty, lip. Johnny Chuck watched them out of sight, and then he +settled himself on his doorstep once more to enjoy a sun bath. Every +once in a while he chuckled to himself as he remembered how funny Peter +Rabbit's baby brother had looked. Presently Johnny Chuck fell asleep. +</P> + +<P> +Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun had climbed quite high in the sky when Johnny +Chuck awoke. He yawned and stretched and stretched and yawned, and +then he sat up to look over the Green Meadows. Then he became wide +awake, very wide awake indeed! Way down on the Green Meadows he caught +a glimpse of something red jumping about in the long meadow grass. +</P> + +<P> +"That must be Reddy Fox," thought Johnny Chuck. "Yes, it surely is +Reddy Fox. Now I wonder what mischief he is up to." +</P> + +<P> +Then he saw all the Merry Little Breezes racing towards Reddy Fox as +fast as they could go. And there was Sammy Jay screaming at the top of +his voice, and his cousin, Blacky the Crow. Happy Jack Squirrel was +dancing up and down excitedly on the branch of an old elm close by. +</P> + +<P> +Johnny Chuck waited to see no more, but started down the Lone Little +Path to find out what it all was about. Half way down the Lone Little +Path he met Peter Rabbit running as hard as he could. His long ears +were laid flat back, his big eyes seemed to pop right out of his head, +and he was running as Johnny Chuck had never seen him run before. +</P> + +<P> +"What are you running so for, Peter Rabbit?" asked Johnny Chuck. +</P> + +<P> +"To get Bowser the Hound," shouted Peter Rabbit over his shoulder, as +he tried to run faster. +</P> + +<P> +"Now what can be the matter?" said Johnny Chuck to himself, "to send +Peter Rabbit after Bowser the Hound?" He knew that, like all the other +little meadow people, there was nothing of which Peter Rabbit was so +afraid as Farmer Brown's great dog, Bowser the Hound. +</P> + +<P> +Johnny Chuck hurried down the Lone Little Path as fast as his short +legs could take his fat, rolly-poly self. +</P> + +<P> +Presently he came out onto the Green Meadows, and there he saw a sight +that set every nerve in his round little body a-tingle with rage. +</P> + +<P> +Reddy Fox had found Peter Rabbit's baby brother and was doing his best +to frighten him to death. +</P> + +<P> +"I'm going to eat you now," shouted Reddy Fox, and then he sprang on +Peter Rabbit's baby brother and gave him a cuff that sent him heels +over head sprawling in the grass. +</P> + +<P> +"Coward! Coward, Reddy Fox!" shrieked Sammy Jay. +</P> + +<P> +"Shame! Shame!" shouted the Merry Little Breezes. +</P> + +<P> +"You're nothing but a great big bully!" yelled Blacky the Crow. +</P> + +<P> +But no one did anything to help Peter Rabbit's baby brother, for Reddy +Fox is so much bigger than any of the rest of them, except Bobby Coon, +that all the little meadow people are afraid of him. +</P> + +<P> +But Reddy Fox just laughed at them, and nipped the long ears of Peter +Rabbit's little brother so hard that he cried with the pain. +</P> + +<P> +Now all were so intent watching Reddy Fox torment the baby brother of +Peter Rabbit that no one had seen Johnny Chuck coming down the Lone +Little Path. And for a few minutes no one recognized the furious +little yellow-brown bundle that suddenly knocked Reddy Fox over and +seized him by the throat. You see it didn't look a bit like Johnny +Chuck. Every hair was standing on end, he was so mad, and this made +him appear twice as big as they had ever seen him before. +</P> + +<P> +"Coward! Coward! Coward!" shrieked Johnny Chuck as he shook Reddy Fox +by the throat. And then began the greatest fight that the Green +Meadows had ever seen. +</P> + +<P> +Now Johnny Chuck is not naturally a fighter. Oh my, no! He is so +good-natured and so sunny-hearted that he seldom quarrels with any one. +But when he has to fight, there isn't a cowardly hair on him, not the +teeniest, weeniest one. No one ever has a chance to cry, "'Fraid cat! +Cry baby!" after Johnny Chuck. +</P> + +<P> +So though, like all the other little meadow people, he was usually just +a little afraid of Reddy Fox, because Reddy is so much bigger, he +forgot all about it as soon as he caught sight of Reddy Fox tormenting +Peter Rabbit's little brother. He didn't stop to think of what might +happen to himself. He didn't stop to think at all. He just gritted +his teeth and in a flash had Reddy Fox on his back. +</P> + +<P> +Such a fight was never seen before on the Green Meadows! Reddy Fox is +a bully and a coward, for he never fights with any one of his own size +if he can help it, but when he has to fight, he fights hard. And he +certainly had to fight now. +</P> + +<P> +"Bully!" hissed Johnny Chuck as with his stout little hind feet he +ripped the bright red coat of Reddy Fox. "You great big bully!" +</P> + +<P> +Over and over they rolled, Johnny Chuck on top, then Reddy Fox on top, +then Johnny Chuck up again, clawing and snarling. +</P> + +<P> +It seemed as if news of the fight had gone over all the Green Meadows, +for the little meadow people came running from every direction—Billy +Mink, Little Joe Otter, Jerry Muskrat, Striped Chipmunk, Jimmy Skunk, +old Mr. Toad. Even Great-Grandfather Frog, who left his big lily pad, +and came hurrying with great jumps across the Green Meadows. They +formed a ring around Reddy Fox and Johnny Chuck and danced with +excitement. And all wanted Johnny Chuck to win. +</P> + +<P> +Peter Rabbit's poor little brother, so sore and lame from the knocking +about from Reddy Fox, and so frightened that he hardly dared breathe, +lay flat on the ground under a little bush and was forgotten by all but +the Merry Little Breezes, who covered him up with some dead grass, and +kissed him and whispered to him not to be afraid now. How Peter +Rabbit's little brother did hope that Johnny Chuck would win! His +great, big, round, soft eyes were wide with terror as he thought of +what might happen to him if Reddy Fox should whip Johnny Chuck. +</P> + +<P> +But Reddy Fox wasn't whipping Johnny Chuck. Try as he would, he could +not get a good hold on that round, fat, little body. And Johnny +Chuck's stout claws were ripping his red coat and white vest and Johnny +Chuck's sharp teeth were gripping him so that they could not be shaken +loose. Pretty soon Reddy Fox began to think of nothing but getting +away. Every one was shouting for Johnny Chuck. Every time Reddy Fox +was underneath, he would hear a great shout from all the little meadow +people, and he knew that they were glad. +</P> + +<P> +Now Johnny Chuck was round and fat and rolly-poly, and when one is +round and fat and rolly-poly, one's breath is apt to be short. So it +was with Johnny Chuck. He had fought so hard that his breath was +nearly gone. Finally he loosed his hold on Reddy Fox for just a second +to draw in a good breath. Reddy Fox saw his chance, and, with a quick +pull and spring, he broke away. +</P> + +<P> +How all the little meadow people did scatter! You see they were very +brave, very brave indeed, so long as Johnny Chuck had Reddy Fox down, +but now that Reddy Fox was free, each one was suddenly afraid and +thought only of himself. Jimmy Skunk knocked Jerry Muskrat flat in his +hurry to get away. Billy Mink trod on Great-Grandfather Frog's big +feet and didn't even say "Excuse me." Striped Chipmunk ran head first +into a big thistle and squealed as much from fear as pain. +</P> + +<P> +But Reddy Fox paid no attention to any of them. He just wanted to get +away, and off he started, limping as fast as he could go up the Lone +Little Path. Such a looking sight! His beautiful red coat was in +tatters. His face was scratched. He hobbled as he ran. And just as +he broke away, Johnny Chuck made a grab and pulled a great mouthful of +hair out of the splendid tail Reddy Fox was so proud of. +</P> + +<P> +When the little meadow people saw that Reddy Fox was actually running +away, they stopped running themselves, and all began to shout: "Reddy +Fox is a coward and a bully! Coward! Coward!" Then they crowded +around Johnny Chuck and all began talking at once about his great fight. +</P> + +<P> +Just then they heard a great noise up on the hill. They saw Reddy Fox +coming back down the Lone Little Path, and he was using his legs just +as well as he knew how. Right behind him, his great mouth open and +waking all the echoes with his big voice, was Bowser the Hound. +</P> + +<P> +You see, although Peter Rabbit couldn't fight for his little baby +brother and is usually very, very timid, he isn't altogether a coward. +Indeed, he had been very brave, very brave indeed. He had gone up to +Farmer Brown's and had jumped right under the nose of Bowser the Hound. +Now that is something that Bowser the Hound never can stand. So off he +had started after Peter Rabbit. And Peter Rabbit had started back for +the Green Meadows as fast as his long legs could take him, for he knew +that if once Bowser the Hound caught sight of Reddy Fox, he would +forget all about such a little thing as a saucy rabbit. +</P> + +<P> +Sure enough, half way down the Lone Little Path they met Reddy Fox +sneaking off home, and, when Bowser the Hound saw him, he straightway +forgot all about Peter Rabbit, and, with a great roar, started after +Reddy Fox. +</P> + +<P> +When Johnny Chuck had carefully brushed his coat and all the little +meadow people had wished him good luck, he started off up the Lone +Little Path for home, the Merry Little Breezes dancing ahead and Peter +Rabbit coming lipperty, lipperty, lip behind, and right between them +hopped Peter Rabbit's little brother, who thought Johnny Chuck the +greatest hero in the world. +</P> + +<P> +When they reached Johnny Chuck's old home, Peter Rabbit and Peter +Rabbit's little brother tried to tell him how thankful they were to +him, but Johnny Chuck just laughed and said: "It was nothing at all, +just nothing at all." +</P> + +<P> +When at last all had gone, even the Merry Little Breezes, Johnny Chuck +slipped away to his new home, which is his secret, you know, which no +one knows but jolly, round, red Mr. Sun, who won't tell. +</P> + +<P> +"I hope," said Johnny Chuck, as he stretched himself out on the mound +of warm sand by his doorway, for he was very tired, "I hope," said +Johnny Chuck, sighing contentedly, "that Reddy Fox got away from Bowser +the Hound!" +</P> + +<P> +And Reddy Fox did. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap09"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +IX +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +MR. TOAD'S OLD SUIT +</H3> + +<P> +Peter Rabbit was tired and very sleepy as he hopped along the Crooked +Little Path down the hill. He could see Old Mother West Wind just +emptying her Merry Little Breezes out of her big bag onto the Green +Meadows to play all the bright summer day. Peter Rabbit yawned and +yawned again as he watched them dance over to the Smiling Pool. Then +he hopped on down the Crooked Little Path towards home. +</P> + +<P> +Sammy Jay, sitting on a fence post, saw him coming. +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +"Peter Rabbit out all night!<BR> +Oh my goodness what a sight!<BR> +Peter Rabbit, reprobate!<BR> +No good end will be your fate!"<BR> +</P> + +<P> +shouted Sammy Jay. +</P> + +<P> +Peter Rabbit ran out his tongue at Sammy Jay. +</P> + +<P> +"Who stole Happy Jack's nuts? Thief! Thief! Thief!" shouted Peter +Rabbit at Sammy Jay, and kept on down the Crooked Little Path. +</P> + +<P> +It was true—Peter Rabbit had been out all night playing in the +moonlight, stealing a midnight feast in Farmer Brown's cabbage patch +and getting into mischief with Bobby Coon. Now when most of the little +meadow people were just waking up Peter Rabbit was thinking of bed. +</P> + +<P> +Presently he came to a big piece of bark which is the roof of Mr. +Toad's house. Mr. Toad was sitting in his doorway blinking at jolly, +round, red Mr. Sun, who had just begun to climb up the sky. +</P> + +<P> +"Good morning, Mr. Toad," said Peter Rabbit. +</P> + +<P> +"Good morning," said Mr. Toad. +</P> + +<P> +"You're looking very fine this morning, Mr. Toad," said Peter Rabbit. +</P> + +<P> +"I'm feeling very fine this morning," said Mr. Toad. +</P> + +<P> +"Why, my gracious, you have on a new suit, Mr. Toad!" exclaimed Peter +Rabbit. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, what if I have, Peter Rabbit?" demanded Mr. Toad. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, nothing, nothing, nothing at all, Mr. Toad, nothing at all," said +Peter Rabbit hastily, "only I didn't know you ever had a new suit. +What have you done with your old suit, Mr. Toad?" +</P> + +<P> +"Swallowed it," said Mr. Toad shortly, turning his back on Peter Rabbit. +</P> + +<P> +And that was all Peter Rabbit could get out of Mr. Toad, so he started +on down the Crooked Little Path. Now Peter Rabbit has a great deal of +curiosity and is forever poking into other people's affairs. The more +he thought about it the more he wondered what Mr. Toad could have done +with his old suit. Of course he hadn't <I>swallowed</I> it! Who ever heard +of such a thing! The more he thought of it the more Peter Rabbit felt +that he must know what Mr. Toad had done with his old suit. By this +time he had forgotten that he had been out all night. He had forgotten +that he was sleepy. He had got to find out about Mr. Toad's old suit. +</P> + +<P> +"I'll just run over to the Smiling Pool and ask Grandfather Frog. +He'll surely know what Mr. Toad does with his old suits," said Peter +Rabbit, and began to hop faster. +</P> + +<P> +When he reached the Smiling Pool there sat Great-Grandfather Frog on +his big green lily pad as usual. There was a hungry look in his big +goggly eyes, for it was so early that no foolish, green flies had come +his way yet. But Peter Rabbit was too full of curiosity in Mr. Toad's +affairs to notice this. +</P> + +<P> +"Good morning, Grandfather Frog," said Peter Rabbit. +</P> + +<P> +"Good morning," replied Grandfather Frog a wee bit gruffly. +</P> + +<P> +"You're looking very fine this morning, Grandfather Frog," said Peter +Rabbit. +</P> + +<P> +"Not so fine as I'd feel if I had a few fat, foolish, green flies," +said Grandfather Frog. +</P> + +<P> +"I've just met your cousin, Mr. Toad, and he has on a new suit," said +Peter Rabbit. +</P> + +<P> +"Indeed!" replied Grandfather Frog. "Well, I think it's high time." +</P> + +<P> +"What does Mr. Toad do with his old suit, Grandfather Frog?" asked +Peter Rabbit. +</P> + +<P> +"Chug-a-rum! It's none of my business. Maybe he swallows it," replied +Grandfather Frog crossly, and turned his back on Peter Rabbit. +</P> + +<P> +Peter Rabbit saw that his curiosity must remain unsatisfied. He +suddenly remembered that he had been out all night and was very, very +sleepy, so he started off home across the Green Meadows. +</P> + +<P> +Now the Merry Little Breezes had heard all that Peter Rabbit and +Grandfather Frog had said, and they made up their minds that they would +find out from Grandfather Frog what Mr. Toad really did do with his old +suit. First of all they scattered over the Green Meadows. Presently +back they all came, each blowing ahead of him a fat, foolish, green +fly. Right over to the big green lily pad they blew the green flies. +</P> + +<P> +"Chug-a-rum! Chug-a-rum! Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog, as each +fat, foolish, green fly disappeared inside his white and yellow +waistcoat. When the last one was out of sight, all but a leg which was +left sticking out of a corner of Grandfather Frog's big mouth, one of +the Merry Little Breezes ventured to ask him what became of Mr. Toad's +old suit. +</P> + +<P> +Grandfather Frog settled himself comfortably on the big green lily pad +and folded his hands across his white and yellow waistcoat. +</P> + +<P> +"Chug-a-rum," began Grandfather Frog. "Once upon a time—" +</P> + +<P> +The Merry Little Breezes clapped their hands and settled themselves +among the buttercups and daisies, for they knew that soon they would +know what Mr. Toad did with his old suit. +</P> + +<P> +"Once upon a time," began Grandfather Frog again, "when the world was +young, old King Bear received word that old Mother Nature would visit +the Green Meadows and the Green Forest. Of course old King Bear wanted +his kingdom and his subjects to look their very best, so he issued a +royal order that every one of the little meadow people and every one of +the little forest folk should wear a new suit on the day that old +Mother Nature was to pay her visit. +</P> + +<P> +"Now like old King Bear, every one wanted to appear his very best +before old Mother Nature, but as no one knew the exact day she was to +come, every one began at once to wear his best suit, and to take the +greatest care of it. Old King Bear appeared every day in a suit of +glossy black. Lightfoot the Deer, threw away his dingy gray suit, and +put on a coat of beautiful red and fawn. Mr. Mink, Mr. Otter, Mr. +Muskrat, Mr. Rabbit, Mr. Woodchuck, Mr. Coon, who you know was first +cousin to old King Bear, Mr. Gray Squirrel, Mr. Fox Squirrel, Mr. Red +Squirrel, all put on brand new suits. Mr. Skunk changed his black and +white stripes for a suit of all black, very handsome, very handsome +indeed. Mr. Chipmunk took care to see that his new suit had the most +beautiful stripes to be obtained. +</P> + +<P> +"Mr. Jay, who was something of a dandy, had a wonderful new coat that +looked for all the world as it if had been cut from the bluest patch of +sky and trimmed with edging taken from the whitest clouds. Even Mr. +Crow and Mr. Owl took pains to look their very best. +</P> + +<P> +"But Mr. Toad couldn't see the need of such a fuss. He thought his +neighbors spent altogether too much time and thought on dress. To be +sure he was anxious to look his best when old Mother Nature came, so he +got a new suit all ready. But Mr. Toad couldn't afford to sit around +in idleness admiring his new clothes. No indeed! Mr. Toad had too +much to do. He was altogether too busy. He had a large garden to take +care of, had Mr. Toad, and work in a garden is very hard on clothes. +So Mr. Toad just wore his old suit over his new one and went on about +his business. +</P> + +<P> +"By and by the great day came when old Mother Nature arrived to inspect +the kingdom of old King Bear. All the little meadow people and all the +little forest folk hastened to pay their respects to old Mother Nature +and to strut about in their fine clothes—all but Mr. Toad. He was so +busy that he didn't even know that old Mother Nature had arrived. +</P> + +<P> +"Late in the afternoon, Mr. Toad stopped to rest. He had just cleared +his cabbage patch of the slugs which threatened to eat up his crop and +he was very tired. Presently he happened to look up the road, and who +should he see but old Mother Nature herself coming to visit his garden +and to find out why Mr. Toad had not been to pay her his respects. +</P> + +<P> +"Suddenly Mr. Toad remembered that he had on his working clothes, which +were very old, very dirty and very ragged. For just a minute he didn't +know what to do. Then he dived under a cabbage leaf and began to pull +off his old suit. But the old suit stuck! He was in such a hurry and +so excited that he couldn't find the buttons. Finally he got his +trousers off. Then he reached over and got hold of the back of his +coat and tugged and hauled until finally he pulled his old coat off +right over his head just as if it were a shirt. +</P> + +<P> +"Mr. Toad gave a great sigh of relief as he stepped out in his new +suit, for you remember that he had been wearing that new suit +underneath the old one all the time. +</P> + +<P> +"Mr. Toad was very well pleased with himself until he thought how +terribly untidy that ragged old suit looked lying on the ground. What +should he do with it? He couldn't hide it in the garden, for old +Mother Nature's eyes are so sharp that she would be sure to see it. +What should he do? +</P> + +<P> +"Then Mr. Toad had a happy thought. Every one made fun of his big +mouth. But what was a big mouth for if not to use? He would swallow +his old suit! In a flash Mr. Toad dived under the cabbage leaf and +crammed his old suit into his mouth. +</P> + +<P> +"When old Mother Nature came into the garden, Mr. Toad was waiting in +the path to receive her. Very fine he looked in his new suit and you +would have thought he had been waiting all day to receive old Mother +Nature, but for one thing—swallow as much and as hard as he would, he +couldn't get down quite all of his old suit, and a leg of his trousers +hung out of a corner of his big mouth. +</P> + +<P> +"Of course old Mother Nature saw it right away. And how she did laugh! +And of course Mr. Toad felt very much mortified. But Mother Nature was +so pleased with Mr. Toad's garden and with Mr. Toad's industry that she +quite overlooked the ragged trousers leg hanging from the corner of Mr. +Toad's mouth. +</P> + +<P> +"'Fine clothes arc not to be compared with fine work,' said old Mother +Nature. 'I herewith appoint you my chief gardener, Mr. Toad. And as a +sign that all may know that this is so, hereafter you shall always +swallow your old suit whenever you change your clothes!' +</P> + +<P> +"And from that day to this the toads have been the very best of +gardeners. And in memory of their great, great, great-grandfather a +thousand times removed they have always swallowed their old suits. +</P> + +<P> +"Now you know what my cousin, old Mr. Toad, did with his old suit just +before Peter Rabbit passed his house this morning," concluded +Great-Grandfather Frog. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh," cried the Merry Little Breezes, "thank you, thank you, +Grandfather Frog!" +</P> + +<P> +Then they raced away across the Green Meadows and up the Crooked Little +Path to see if old Mr. Toad was gardening. And Peter Rabbit still +wonders what old Mr. Toad did with his old suit. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap10"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +X +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +GRANDFATHER FROG GETS EVEN +</H3> + +<P> +Old Grandfather Frog sat on his big green lily pad in the Smiling Pool +dreaming of the days when the world was young and the frogs ruled the +world. His hands were folded across his white and yellow waistcoat. +Round, red, smiling Mr. Sun sent down his warmest rays on the back of +Grandfather Frog's green coat. +</P> + +<P> +Very early that morning Old Mother West Wind, hurrying down from the +Purple Hills on her way to help the white-sailed ships across the great +ocean, had stopped long enough to blow three or four fat, foolish, +green flies over to the big lily pad, and they were now safely inside +the white and yellow waistcoat. A thousand little tadpoles, the great, +great-grandchildren of Grandfather Frog, were playing in the Smiling +Pool, and every once in a while wriggling up to the big lily pad to +look with awe at Grandfather Frog and wonder if they would ever be as +handsome and big and wise as he. +</P> + +<P> +And still old Grandfather Frog sat dreaming and dreaming of the days +when all the frogs had tails and ruled the world. +</P> + +<P> +Presently Billy Mink came hopping and skipping down the Laughing Brook. +Sometimes he swam a little way and sometimes he ran a little way along +the bank, and sometimes he jumped from stone to stone. Billy Mink was +feeling very good—very good indeed. He had caught a fine fat trout +for breakfast. He had hidden two more away for dinner in a snug little +hole no one knew of but himself. Now he had nothing to do but get into +mischief. You can always depend upon Billy Mink to get into mischief. +He just can't help it. +</P> + +<P> +So Billy Mink came hopping and skipping down the Laughing Brook to the +Smiling Pool. Then he stopped, as still as the rock he was standing +on, and peeped through the bulrushes. Billy Mink is very cautious, +very cautious indeed. He always looks well before he shows himself, +that nothing may surprise him. +</P> + +<P> +So Billy Mink looked all over the Smiling Pool and the grassy banks. +He saw the sunbeams dancing on the water. He saw the tadpoles having +such a good time in the Smiling Pool. He saw the Merry Little Breezes +kissing the buttercups and daisies on the bank, and he saw old +Grandfather Frog with his hands folded across his white, and yellow +waistcoat sitting on the green lily pad, dreaming of the days when the +world was young. +</P> + +<P> +Then Billy Mink took a long breath, a very long breath, and dived into +the Smiling Pool. Now, Billy Mink can swim very fast, very fast +indeed. For a little way he can swim even faster than Mr. Trout. And +he can stay under water a long time. +</P> + +<P> +Straight across the Smiling Pool, with not even the tip of his nose out +of water, swam Billy Mink. The thousand little tadpoles saw him coming +and fled in all directions to bury themselves in the mud at the bottom +of the Smiling Pool, for when he thinks no one is looking Billy Mink +sometimes gobbles up a fat tadpole for breakfast. +</P> + +<P> +Straight across the Smiling Pool swam Billy Mink toward the big green +lily pad where Grandfather Frog sat dreaming of the days when the world +was young. When he was right under the big green lily pad he suddenly +kicked up hard with his hind feet. Up went the big green lily pad, +and, of course, up went Grandfather Frog—up and over flat on his back, +with a great splash into the Smiling Pool! +</P> + +<P> +Now, Grandfather Frog's mouth is very big. Indeed, no one else has so +big a mouth, unless it be his cousin, old Mr. Toad. And when +Grandfather Frog went over flat on his back, splash in the Smiling +Pool, his mouth was wide open. +</P> + +<P> +You see he was so surprised he forgot to close it. So, of course, +Grandfather Frog swallowed a great deal of water, and he choked and +spluttered and swam around in foolish little circles trying to find +himself. Finally he climbed out on his big green lily pad. +</P> + +<A NAME="img-166"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-166.jpg" ALT="He was so surprised he forgot to close it." BORDER="2" WIDTH="396" HEIGHT="472"> +<H3 CLASS="h3center" STYLE="width: 396px"> +He was so surprised he forgot to close it. +</H3> +</CENTER> + +<P> +"Chug-a-rum?" said Grandfather Frog, and looked this way and looked +that way. Then he gave a funny hop and turned about in the opposite +direction and looked this way and looked that way, but all he saw was +the Smiling Pool dimpling and smiling, Mrs. Redwing bringing a fat worm +to her hungry little babies in their snug nest in the bulrushes, and +the Merry Little Breezes hurrying over to see what the trouble might be. +</P> + +<P> +"Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog. "It is very strange. I must have +fallen asleep and had a bad dream." +</P> + +<P> +Then he once more settled himself comfortably on the big green lily +pad, folded his hands across his white and yellow waistcoat, and seemed +to be dreaming again, only his big goggly eyes were not dreaming. No, +indeed! They were very much awake, and they saw all that was going on +in the Smiling Pool. Great-Grandfather Frog was just pretending. You +may fool him once, but Grandfather Frog has lived so long that he has +become very wise, and though Billy Mink is very smart, it takes some +one a great deal smarter than Billy Mink to fool Grandfather Frog twice +in the same way. +</P> + +<P> +Billy Mink, hiding behind the Big Rock, had laughed and laughed till he +had to hold his sides when Grandfather Frog had choked and spluttered +and hopped about on the big lily pad trying to find out what it all +meant. He thought it such a good joke that he couldn't keep it to +himself, so when he saw Little Joe Otter coming to try his slippery +slide he swam across to tell him all about it. Little Joe Otter +laughed and laughed until he had to hold his sides. Then they both +swam back to hide behind the Big Rock to watch until Grandfather Frog +should forget all about it, and they could play the trick over again. +</P> + +<P> +Now, out of the corner of one of his big goggly eyes, Grandfather Frog +had seen Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter with their heads close +together, laughing and holding their sides, and he saw them swim over +behind the Big Rock. Pretty soon one of the Merry Little Breezes +danced over to see if Grandfather Frog had really gone to sleep. +Grandfather Frog didn't move, not the teeniest, weeniest bit, but he +whispered something to the Merry Little Breeze, and the Merry Little +Breeze flew away, shaking with laughter, to where the other Merry +Little Breezes were playing with the buttercups and daisies. +</P> + +<P> +Then all the Merry Little Breezes clapped their hands and laughed too. +They left the buttercups and daisies and began to play tag across the +Smiling Pool. +</P> + +<P> +Now, right on the edge of the Big Rock lay a big stick. Pretty soon +the Merry Little Breezes danced over to the Big Rock, and then, +suddenly, all together they gave the big stick a push. Off it went, +and then such a splashing and squealing as there was behind the Big +Rock! +</P> + +<P> +In a few moments Little Joe Otter crept out beside his slippery slide +and slipped away holding on to his head. And, sneaking through the +bulrushes, so as not to be seen, crawled Billy Mink, back towards his +home on the Laughing Brook. Billy Mink wasn't laughing now. Oh, no! +He was limping and he was holding on to his head. Little Joe Otter and +Billy Mink had been sitting right underneath the big stick. +</P> + +<P> +"Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog and held on to his sides and opened +his mouth very wide in a noiseless laugh, for Grandfather Frog never +makes a sound when he laughs. +</P> + +<P> +"Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog once more. Then he folded his +hands across his white and yellow waistcoat and began again to dream of +the days when the frogs had long tails and ruled the world. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap11"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +XI +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +THE DISAPPOINTED BUSH +</H3> + +<P> +Way down beside the Laughing Brook grew a little bush. It looked a +whole lot like other little bushes all around it. But really it was +quite different, as you shall see. When in the spring warm, jolly, +round Mr. Sun brought back the birds and set them singing, when the +little flowers popped their heads out of the ground to have a look +around, then all the little bushes put out their green leaves. +</P> + +<P> +This little bush of which I am telling you put out its green leaves +with the rest. The little leaves grew bigger and bigger on all the +little bushes. By and by on some of the other little bushes, little +brown buds began to appear and grow and grow. Then on more and more of +the little bushes the little brown buds came and grew and grew. But on +this little bush of which I am telling you no little brown buds +appeared. The little bush felt very sad indeed. +</P> + +<P> +Pretty soon all the little brown buds on the other little brown bushes +burst their brown coats, and then all the little bushes were covered +with little flowers. Some were white and some were yellow and some +were pink; and the air was filled with the sweet odor of all the little +flowers. It brought the bees from far, far away to gather the honey, +and all the little bushes were very happy indeed. +</P> + +<P> +But the little bush of which I am telling you had no little flowers, +for you see it had had no little buds, and it felt lonely and shut away +from the other little bushes, and very sad indeed. But it bravely kept +on growing and growing and growing. Its little leaves grew bigger and +bigger and bigger, and it tried its best not to mind because it had no +little flowers. +</P> + +<P> +Then one by one, and two by two, and three by three, and finally in +whole showers, the little flowers of all the other little bushes fell +off, and they looked very much like the little bush of which I am +telling you, so that the little bush no longer felt sad. +</P> + +<P> +All summer long all the little bushes grew and grew and grew. The +birds came and built their nests among them. Peter Rabbit and his +brothers and sisters scampered under them. The butterflies flew over +them. +</P> + +<P> +By and by came the fall, and with the fall came Jack Frost. He went +about among the little bushes, pinching the leaves. Then the little +green leaves turned to brown and red and yellow and pretty soon they +fluttered down to the ground, the Merry Little Breezes blew them about +and all the little bushes were bare. They had no leaves at all to +cover their little naked brown limbs. +</P> + +<P> +The little bush of which I am telling you lost its leaves with the +rest. But all the summer long this little bush had been growing some +of those little brown buds, which the other bushes had had in the +spring, and now, when all the other little bushes had lost all the +green leaves, and had nothing at all upon their little brown twigs, +behold! one beautiful day, the little bush of which I am telling you +was covered with gold, for each little brown bud had burst its little +brown coat and there was a beautiful little yellow flower. Such a +multitude of these little yellow flowers! They covered the little bush +from top to bottom. Then the little bush felt very happy indeed, for +it was the only bush which had any flowers. And every one who passed +that way stopped to look at it and to praise it. +</P> + +<P> +Colder grew the weather and colder. Johnny Chuck tucked himself away +to sleep all winter. Grandfather Frog went deep, deep down in the mud, +not to come out again until spring. By and by the little yellow +flowers dropped off the little bush, just as the other little flowers +in spring had dropped off the other bushes. But they left behind them +tiny little packages, one for every little flower that had been on the +bush. All winter long these little packages clung to the little bush. +In the spring when the little leaves burst forth in all the little +bushes, these little packages on the little bush of which I am telling +you grew and grew and grew. While the other little bushes had a lot of +little flowers as they had had the year before, these little brown +packages on the little bush of which I am telling you kept on growing. +And they comforted the little bush because it felt that it really had +something worth while. +</P> + +<P> +All the summer long the little brown packages grew and grew until they +looked like little nuts. When the fall came again and all the little +leaves dropped off all the little bushes, and the little bush of which +I am telling you was covered with another lot of little yellow flowers +and was very happy, then these little brown nuts, one bright autumn +day, suddenly popped open! And out of each one flew two brown shiny +little seeds. You never saw such a popping and a snapping and a +jumping! Pop! pop! snap! snap! hippetty hop! they went, faster than +the corn pops in the corn popper. Reddy Fox, who always is suspicious, +thought some one was shooting at him. Down on the ground fell the +little brown shining seeds and tucked themselves into the warm earth +under the warm leaves, there to stay all winter long. +</P> + +<P> +And when the third spring came with all its little birds and all its +little flowers and the warm sunshine, every one of these little brown +seeds which had tucked themselves into the warm earth, burst its little +brown skin, and up into the sunshine came a little green plant, which +would grow and grow and grow, and by and by become just like the little +bush I am telling you about. +</P> + +<P> +When the little bush looked down and saw all these little green +children popping out of the ground, it was very happy indeed, for it +knew that it would no longer be lonely. It no longer felt bad when all +the other bushes were covered with flowers, for it knew that by and by +when all the other little bushes had lost all their leaves and all +their flowers, then would come its turn, and it knew that for a whole +year its little brown children would be held safe on its branches. +</P> + +<P> +Now, what do you think is the name of this little bush? Why, it is the +witch hazel. And sometime when you fall down and bump yourself hard +grandma will go to the medicine closet and will bring out a bottle, and +from that bottle she will pour something on that little sore place and +it will make it feel better. Do you know what it is? It is the gift +of the witch hazel bush to little boys and big men to make them feel +better when they are hurt. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap12"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +XII +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +WHY BOBBY COON WASHES HIS FOOD +</H3> + +<P> +Happy-Go-Lucky Bobby Coon sat on the edge of the Laughing Brook just as +round, red Mr. Sun popped up from behind the Purple Hills and Old +Mother West Wind turned all her Merry Little Breezes out to romp on the +Green Meadows. +</P> + +<P> +Bobby Coon had been out all night. You see Bobby Coon is very apt to +get into mischief, and because usually it is safer to get into mischief +under cover of the darkness Bobby Coon prefers the night wherein to go +abroad. Not that Bobby Coon is really bad! Oh my, no! Everybody +likes Bobby Coon. But he can no more keep out of mischief than a duck +can keep out of water. +</P> + +<P> +So Bobby Coon sat on the edge of the Laughing Brook and he was very +busy, very busy indeed. He was washing his breakfast. Really, it was +his dinner, for turning night into day just turns everything +topsy-turvy. So Bobby Coon eats dinner when most of the little meadow +people are eating breakfast. +</P> + +<P> +This morning he was very busy washing a luscious ear of sweet corn just +in the milk. He dipped it in the water and with one little black paw +rubbed it thoroughly. Then he looked it over carefully before, with a +sigh of contentment, he sat down to put it in his empty little stomach. +When he had finished it to the last sweet, juicy kernel, he ambled +sleepily up the Lone Little Path to the big hollow chestnut tree where +he lives, and in its great hollow in a soft bed of leaves Bobby Coon +curled himself up in a tight little ball to sleep the long, bright day +away. +</P> + +<P> +One of the Merry Little Breezes softly followed him. When he had +crawled into the hollow chestnut and only his funny, ringed tail hung +out, the Merry Little Breezes tweaked it sharply just for fun, and then +danced away down the Lone Little Path to join the other Merry Little +Breezes around the Smiling Pool. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh! Grandfather Frog," cried a Merry Little Breeze, "tell us why it +is that Bobby Coon always washes his food. He never eats it where he +gets it or takes it home to his hollow in the big chestnut, but always +comes to the Laughing Brook to wash it. None of the other meadow +people do that." +</P> + +<P> +Now Great-Grandfather Frog is counted very wise. He is very, very old +and he knows the history of all the tribes of little meadow people way +back to the time when the frogs ruled the world. +</P> + +<P> +When the Merry Little Breeze asked him why Bobby Coon always washes his +food, Grandfather Frog stopped to snap up a particularly fat, foolish, +green fly that came his way. Then, while all the Merry Little Breezes +gathered around him, he settled himself on his big green lily pad and +began: +</P> + +<P> +"Once upon a time, when the world was young, old King Bear ruled in the +Green Forest. Of course old Mother Nature, who was even more beautiful +then than she is now, was the real ruler, but she let old King Bear +think he ruled so long as he ruled wisely. +</P> + +<P> +"All the little Green Forest folk and all the little people of the +Green Meadows used to take presents of food to old King Bear, so that +he never had to hunt for things to eat. He grew fatter and fatter and +fatter until it seemed as if his skin must burst. And the fatter he +grew the lazier he grew." +</P> + +<P> +Grandfather Frog paused with an expectant far-away look in his great +bulging eyes. Then he leaped into the air so far that when he came +down it was with a great splash in the Smiling Pool. But as he swam +back to his big lily pad the leg of a foolish green fly could be seen +sticking out of one corner of his big mouth, and he settled himself +with a sigh of great contentment. +</P> + +<P> +"Old King Bear," continued Grandfather Frog, just as if there had been +no interruption, "grew fatter and lazier every day, and like a great +many other fat and lazy people who have nothing to do for themselves +but are always waited on by others, he grew shorter and shorter in +temper and harder and harder to please. +</P> + +<P> +"Now perhaps you don't know it, but the Bear family and the Coon family +are very closely related. In fact, they are second cousins. Old Mr. +Coon, Bobby Coon's father with a thousand greats tacked on before, was +young then, and he was very, very proud of being related to old King +Bear. He began to pass some of his old playfellows on the Green +Meadows without seeing them. He spent a great deal of time brushing +his coat and combing his whiskers and caring for his big ringed tail. +He held his head very high and he put on such airs that pretty soon he +could see no one at all but members of his own family and of the royal +family of Bear. +</P> + +<P> +"Now as old King Bear grew fat and lazy he grew fussy, so that he was +no longer content to take everything brought him, but picked out the +choicest portions for himself and left the rest. Mr. Coon took charge +of all the things brought as tribute to old King Bear and of course +where there were so many goodies left he got all he wanted without +working. +</P> + +<P> +"So just as old King Bear had grown fat and lazy and selfish, Mr. Coon +grew fat and lazy and selfish. Pretty soon he began to pick out the +best things for himself and hide them before old King Bear saw them. +When old King Bear was asleep he would go get them and stuff himself +like a greedy pig. And because he was stealing and wanted no one to +see him he always ate his stolen feasts at night. +</P> + +<P> +"Now old Mother Nature is, as you all know, very, very wise, oh very +wise indeed. One of the first laws she made when the world was young +is that every living thing shall work for what it has, and the harder +it works the stronger it shall grow. So when Old Mother Nature saw how +fat and lazy and selfish old King Bear was getting and how fat and lazy +and dishonest his cousin, Mr. Coon, was becoming, she determined that +they should be taught a lesson which they would remember for ever and +ever and ever. +</P> + +<P> +"First she proclaimed that old King Bear should be king no longer, and +no more need the little folks of the Green Forest and the little people +of the Green Meadows bring him tribute. +</P> + +<P> +"Now when old Mother Nature made this proclamation old King Bear was +fast asleep. It was just on the edge of winter and he had picked out a +nice warm cave with a great pile of leaves for a bed. Old Mother +Nature peeped in at him. He was snoring and probably dreaming of more +good things to eat. 'If he is to be king no longer, there is no use in +waking him now,' said old Mother Nature to herself, 'he is so fat and +so stupid. He shall sleep until gentle Sister South Wind comes in the +spring to kiss away the snow and ice. Then he shall waken with a lean +stomach and a great appetite and there shall be none to feed him.' +</P> + +<P> +"Now old Mother Nature always has a warm heart and she was very fond of +Bobby Coon's grandfather a thousand times removed. So when she saw +what a selfish glutton and thief he had become she decided to put him +to sleep just as she had old King Bear. But first she would teach Mr. +Coon that stolen food is not the sweetest. +</P> + +<P> +"So old Mother Nature found some tender, juicy corn just in the milk +which Mr. Coon had stolen from old King Bear. Then she went down on +the Green Meadows where the wild mustard grows and gathering a lot of +this she rubbed the juice into the corn and then put it back where Mr. +Coon had left it. +</P> + +<P> +"Now I have told you that it was night when Mr. Coon had his stolen +feasts, for he wanted no one to see him. So no one was there when he +took a great bite of the tender, juicy corn old Mother Nature had put +back for him. Being greedy and a glutton, he swallowed the first +mouthful before he had fairly tasted it, and took a second, and then +such a time as there was on the edge of the Green Forest! Mr. Coon +rolled over and over with both of his forepaws clasped over his stomach +and groaned and groaned and groaned. He had rubbed his eyes and of +course had got mustard into them and could not see. He waked up all +the little Green Forest folk who sleep through the night, as good +people should, and they all gathered around to see what was the matter +with Mr. Coon. +</P> + +<P> +"Finally old Mother Nature came to his relief and brought him some +water. Then she led him to his home in the great hollow in the big +chestnut tree, and when she had seen him curled up in a tight little +ball among the dried leaves she put him into the long sleep as she had +old King Bear. +</P> + +<P> +"In the spring, when gentle Sister South Wind kissed away all the snow +and ice, old King Bear, who was king no longer, and Mr. Coon awoke and +both were very thin, and both were very hungry, oh very, very hungry +indeed. Old King Bear, who was king no longer, wasn't the least mite +fussy about what he had to eat, but ate gladly any food he could find. +</P> + +<P> +"But Mr. Coon remembered the burning of his stomach and mouth and could +not forget it. So whenever he found anything to eat he first took it +to the Laughing Brook or the Smiling Pool and washed it very carefully, +lest there be some mustard on it. +</P> + +<P> +"And ever since that long ago time, when the world was young, the Coon +family has remembered that experience of Mr. Coon, who was second +cousin to old King Bear, and that is why Bobby Coon washes his food, +travels about at night, and sleeps all winter," concluded Grandfather +Frog, fixing his great goggle eyes on a foolish green fly headed his +way. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh thank you, thank you, Grandfather Frog," cried the Merry Little +Breezes as they danced away over the Green Meadows. But one of them +slipped back long enough to get behind the foolish green fly and blow +him right up to Grandfather Frog's big lily pad. +</P> + +<P> +"Chug-a-rum," said Grandfather Frog, smacking his lips. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap13"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +XIII +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +THE MERRY LITTLE BREEZES HAVE A BUSY DAY +</H3> + +<P> +Old Mother West Wind came down from the Purple Hills in the shadowy +coolness of the early morning, before even jolly, round, red Mr. Sun +had thrown off his rosy coverlids for his daily climb up through the +blue sky. The last little star was blinking sleepily as Old Mother +West Wind turned her big bag upside down on the Green Meadows and all +her children, the Merry Little Breezes, tumbled out on the soft green +grass. +</P> + +<P> +Then Old Mother West Wind kissed them all around and hurried away to +hunt for a rain cloud which had gone astray. The Merry Little Breezes +watched her go. Then they played hide and seek until jolly, round, red +Mr. Sun had climbed out of bed and was smiling down on the Green +Meadows. +</P> + +<P> +Pretty soon along came Peter Rabbit, lipperty-lipperty-lip. +</P> + +<P> +"Hello, Peter Rabbit!" shouted the Merry Little Breezes. "Come play +with us!" +</P> + +<P> +"Can't," said Peter Rabbit. "I have to go find some tender young +carrots for my breakfast," and away be hurried, lipperty-lipperty-lip. +</P> + +<P> +In a few minutes Jimmy Skunk came in sight and he seemed to be almost +hurrying along the Crooked Little Path down the hill. The Merry Little +Breezes danced over to meet him. +</P> + +<P> +"Hello, Jimmy Skunk!" they cried. "Come play with us!" +</P> + +<P> +Jimmy Skunk shook his head. "Can't," said he. "I have to go look for +some beetles for my breakfast," and off he went looking under every old +stick and pulling over every stone not too big for his strength. +</P> + +<P> +The Merry Little Breezes watched him for a few minutes and then raced +over to the Laughing Brook. There they found Billy Mink stealing +softly down towards the Smiling Pool. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, Billy Mink, come play with us," begged the Merry Little Breezes. +</P> + +<P> +"Can't," said Billy Mink. "I have to catch a trout for Grandfather +Mink's breakfast," and he crept on towards the Smiling Pool. +</P> + +<P> +Just then along came Bumble the Bee. Now Bumble the Bee is a lazy +fellow who always makes a great fuss, as if he was the busiest and most +important fellow in the world. +</P> + +<P> +"Good morning, Bumble," cried the Merry Little Breezes. "Come play +with us!" +</P> + +<P> +"Buzz, buzz, buzz," grumbled Bumble the Bee. "Can't, for I have to get +a sack of honey," and off he hurried to the nearest dandelion. +</P> + +<P> +Then the Merry Little Breezes hunted up Johnny Chuck. But Johnny Chuck +was busy, too busy to play. Bobby Coon was asleep, for he had been out +all night. Reddy Fox also was asleep. Striped Chipmunk was in such a +hurry to fill the pockets in his cheeks that he could hardly stop to +say good morning. Happy Jack Squirrel just flirted his big tail and +rushed away as if he had many important things to attend to. +</P> + +<P> +Finally the Merry Little Breezes gave it up and sat down among the +buttercups and daisies to talk it over. Every one seemed to have +something to do, every one but themselves. It was such a busy world +that sunshiny morning! Pretty soon one of the Merry Little Breezes +hopped up very suddenly and began the maddest little dance among the +buttercups. +</P> + +<P> +"As we haven't anything to do for ourselves let's do something for +somebody else!" he shouted. +</P> + +<P> +Up jumped all the Little Breezes, clapping their hands. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh let's!" they shouted. +</P> + +<P> +Way over across the Green Meadows they could see two long ears above +the nodding daisies. +</P> + +<P> +"There's Peter Rabbit," cried one. "Let's help him find those tender +young carrots!" +</P> + +<P> +No sooner proposed than off they all raced to see who could reach Peter +first. Peter was sitting up very straight, looking this way and +looking that way for some tender young carrots, but not one had he +found, and his stomach was empty. The Merry Little Breezes stopped +just long enough to tickle his long ears and pull his whiskers, then +away they raced, scattering in all directions, to see who could first +find a tender young carrot for Peter Rabbit. By and by when one of +them did find a field of tender young carrots he rushed off, taking the +smell of them with him to tickle the nose of Peter Rabbit. +</P> + +<P> +Peter wriggled his nose, his funny little nose, very fast when it was +tickled with the smell of tender young carrots, and the Merry Little +Breeze laughed to see him. +</P> + +<P> +"Come on, Peter Rabbit, for this is my busy day!" he cried. +</P> + +<P> +Peter Rabbit didn't have to be invited twice. Away he went, +lipperty-lipperty-lip, as fast as his long legs could take him after +the Merry Little Breeze. And presently they came to the field of +tender young carrots. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh thank you, Merry Little Breeze!" cried Peter Rabbit, and +straightway began to eat his breakfast. +</P> + +<P> +Another Merry Little Breeze, slipping up the Crooked Little Path on the +hill, spied the hind legs of a fat beetle sticking out from under a +flat stone. At once the Little Breeze remembered Jimmy Skunk, who was +hunting for beetles for his breakfast. Off rushed the Little Breeze in +merry whirls that made the grasses sway and bend and the daisies nod. +</P> + +<P> +When after a long, long hunt he found Jimmy Skunk, Jimmy was very much +out of sorts. In fact Jimmy Skunk was positively cross. You see, he +hadn't had any breakfast, for hunt as he would he couldn't find a +single beetle. +</P> + +<P> +When the Merry Little Breeze danced up behind Jimmy Skunk and, just in +fun, rumpled up his black and white coat, Jimmy quite lost his temper. +In fact he said some things not at all nice to the Merry Little Breeze. +But the Merry Little Breeze just laughed. The more he laughed the +crosser Jimmy Skunk grew, and the crosser Jimmy Skunk grew the more the +Merry Little Breeze laughed. It was such a jolly laugh that pretty +soon Jimmy Skunk began to grin a little sheepishly, then to really +smile and finally to laugh outright in spite of his empty stomach. You +see it is very hard, very hard indeed and very foolish, to remain cross +when someone else is perfectly good natured. +</P> + +<P> +Suddenly the Merry Little Breeze danced up to Jimmy Skunk and whispered +in his right ear. Then he danced around and whispered in his left ear. +Jimmy Skunk's eyes snapped and his mouth began to water. +</P> + +<P> +"Where, Little Breeze, where?" he begged. +</P> + +<P> +"Follow me," cried the Merry Little Breeze, racing off up the Crooked +Little Path so fast that Jimmy Skunk lost his breath trying to keep up, +for you know Jimmy Skunk seldom hurries. +</P> + +<P> +When they came to the big flat stone Jimmy Skunk grasped it with both +hands and pulled and pulled. Up came the stone so suddenly that Jimmy +Skunk fell over flat on his back. When he had scrambled to his feet +there were beetles and beetles, running in every direction to find a +place to hide. +</P> + +<P> +"Thank you, thank you, Little Breeze," shouted Jimmy Skunk as he +started to catch beetles for his breakfast. +</P> + +<P> +And the Little Breeze laughed happily as he danced away to join the +other Merry Little Breezes on the Green Meadows. There he found them +very, very busy, very busy indeed, so busy that they could hardly find +time to nod to him. What do you think they were doing? They were +toting <I>gold</I>! Yes, Sir, toting gold! And this is how it happened: +</P> + +<P> +While the first Little Breeze was showing Peter Rabbit the field of +tender young carrots, and while the second Little Breeze was leading +Jimmy Skunk to the flat stone and the beetles, the other Merry Little +Breezes had found Bumble the Bee. Now Bumble the Bee is a lazy fellow, +though he pretends to be the busiest fellow in the world, and they +found him grumbling as he buzzed with a great deal of fuss from one +flower to another. +</P> + +<P> +"What's the matter, Bumble?" cried the Merry Little Breezes. +</P> + +<P> +"Matter enough," grumbled Bumble the Bee. "I've got to make a sack of +honey, and as if that isn't enough, old Mother Nature has ordered me to +carry a sack of gold from each flower I visit to the next flower I +visit. If I don't I can get no honey. Buzz-buzz-buzz," grumbled +Bumble the Bee. +</P> + +<P> +The Merry Little Breezes looked at the million little flowers on the +Green Meadows, each waiting a sack of gold to give and a sack of gold +to receive. Then they looked at each other and shouted happily, for +they too would now be able to cry "busy, busy, busy." +</P> + +<P> +From flower to flower they hurried, each with a bag of gold over his +shoulder. Wherever they left a bag they took a bag, and all the little +flowers nodded happily to see the Merry Little Breezes at work. +</P> + +<P> +Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun climbed higher and higher and higher in the +blue sky, where he can look down and see all things, great and small. +His smile was broader than ever as he watched the hurrying, scurrying +Little Breezes working instead of playing. Yet after all it was a kind +of play, for they danced from flower to flower and ran races across +bare places where no flowers grew. +</P> + +<P> +By and by the Merry Little Breezes met Peter Rabbit. Now Peter Rabbit +had made a good breakfast of tender young carrots, so he felt very +good, very good indeed. +</P> + +<P> +"Hi!" shouted Peter Rabbit, "come play with me." +</P> + +<P> +"Can't," cried the Merry Little Breezes all together, "we have work to +do!" +</P> + +<P> +Off they hurried, while Peter Rabbit stretched himself out full length +in a sunny spot, for Peter Rabbit also is a lazy fellow. +</P> + +<P> +Down the Crooked Little Path onto the Green Meadows came Jimmy Skunk. +</P> + +<P> +"Ho!" shouted Jimmy Skunk as soon as he saw the Little Breezes, "come +play with me." +</P> + +<P> +"Can't," cried the Little Breezes, "for we are busy, busy, busy," and +they laughed happily. +</P> + +<P> +When they reached the Laughing Brook they found Billy Mink curled up in +a round ball, fast asleep. It isn't often that Billy Mink is caught +napping, but he had had a good breakfast of trout, he had found no one +to play with and, as he never works and the day was so bright and warm, +he had first looked for a place where he thought no one would find him +and had then curled himself up to sleep, One of the Little Breezes laid +down the bag of gold he was carrying and creeping ever so softly over +to Billy Mink began to tickle one of Billy's ears with a straw. +</P> + +<P> +At first Billy Mink didn't open his eyes, but rubbed his ear with a +little black hand. Finally he jumped to his feet wide awake and ready +to fight whoever was bothering him. But all he saw was a laughing +Little Breeze running away with a bag of gold on his back. +</P> + +<P> +So all day long, till Old Mother West Wind came with her big bag to +carry them to their home behind the Purple Hills, the Merry Little +Breezes hurried this way and that way over the Green Meadows. No wee +flower was too tiny to give and receive its share of gold, and not one +was overlooked by the Merry Little Breezes. +</P> + +<P> +Old Mother Nature, who knows everything, heard of the busy day of the +Merry Little Breezes. Nobody knows how she heard of it. Perhaps +jolly, round, red Mr. Sun told her. Perhaps—but never mind. You +can't fool old Mother Nature anyway and it's of no use to try. +</P> + +<P> +So old Mother Nature visited the Green Meadows to see for herself, and +when she found how the Merry Little Breezes had distributed the gold +she was so pleased that straightway she announced to all the world that +thenceforth and for all time the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother +West Wind should have charge of the distribution of the gold of the +flowers on the Green Meadows, which they have to this day. +</P> + +<P> +And since that day the Merry Little Breezes have been merrier than +ever, for they have found that it is not nearly so much fun to play all +the time, but that to work for some good in the world is the greatest +fun of all. +</P> + +<P> +So every year when the gold of the flowers, which some people do not +know is gold at all but call pollen, is ready you will find the Merry +Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind very, very busy among the +flowers on the Green Meadows. And this is the happiest time of all. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap14"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +XIV +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +WHY HOOTY THE OWL DOES NOT PLAY ON THE GREEN MEADOWS +</H3> + +<P> +The Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind were having a +good-night game of tag down on the Green Meadows. They were having +<I>such</I> a jolly time while they waited for Old Mother West Wind and her +big bag to take them to their home behind the Purple Hills. Jolly, +round, red Mr. Sun had already put his nightcap on. Black shadows +crept softly out from the Purple Hills onto the Green Meadows. The +Merry Little Breezes grew sleepy, almost too sleepy to play, for Old +Mother West Wind was very, very late. +</P> + +<P> +Farther and farther and farther out onto the Green Meadows crept the +black shadows. Suddenly one seemed to separate from the others. +Softly, oh so softly, yet swiftly, it floated over towards the Merry +Little Breezes. One of them happened to look up and saw it coming. It +was the same Little Breeze who one time stayed out all night. When he +looked up and saw this seeming shadow moving so swiftly he knew that it +was no shadow at all. +</P> + +<P> +"Here comes Hooty the Owl," cried the Little Breeze. +</P> + +<P> +Then all the Merry Little Breezes stopped their game of tag to look at +Hooty the Owl. It is seldom they have a chance to see him, for usually +Hooty the Owl does not come out on the Green Meadows until after the +Merry Little Breezes are snugly tucked in bed behind the Purple Hills. +</P> + +<P> +"Perhaps Hooty the Owl will tell us why it is that he never comes out +to play with us," said one of the Little Breezes. +</P> + +<P> +But just as Hooty the Owl floated over to them up came Old Mother West +Wind, and she was in a great hurry, for she was late, and she was +tired. She had had a busy day, a very busy day indeed, hunting for a +rain cloud which had gone astray. So now she just opened her big bag +and tumbled all the Merry Little Breezes into it as fast as she could +without giving them so much as a chance to say "Good evening" to Hooty +the Owl. Then she took them off home behind the Purple Hills. +</P> + +<P> +Of course the Merry Little Breezes were disappointed, very much +disappointed. But they were also very sleepy, for they had played hard +all day. +</P> + +<P> +"Never mind," said one of them, drowsily, "to-morrow we'll ask +Great-Grandfather Frog why it is that Hooty the Owl never comes out to +play with us on the Green Meadows. He'll know." +</P> + +<P> +The next morning Old Mother West Wind was late in coming down from the +Purple Hills. When she finally did turn the Merry Little Breezes out +of her big bag onto the Green Meadows jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was +already quite high in the blue sky. The Merry Little Breezes waited +just long enough to say "Good-by" to Old Mother West Wind, and then +started a mad race to see who could reach the Smiling Pool first. +</P> + +<P> +There they found Great-Grandfather Frog sitting on his big green lily +pad as usual. He was very contented with the world, was Grandfather +Frog, for fat green flies had been more foolish than usual that morning +and already he had all that he could safely tuck inside his white and +yellow waistcoat. +</P> + +<P> +"Good morning, Grandfather Frog," shouted the Merry Little Breezes. +"Will you tell us why it is that Hooty the Owl never comes out to play +with us on the Green Meadows?" +</P> + +<P> +"Chug-a-rum," said Great-Grandfather Frog, gruffly, "how should I know?" +</P> + +<P> +You see, Grandfather Frog likes to be teased a little. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, but you do know, for you are so old and so very wise," cried the +Merry Little Breezes all together. +</P> + +<P> +Grandfather Frog smiled, for he likes to be thought very wise, and also +he was feeling very good, very good indeed that morning. +</P> + +<P> +"Chug-a-rum," said Grandfather Frog. "If you'll sit perfectly still +I'll tell you what I know about Hooty the Owl. But remember, you must +sit perfectly still, <I>per-fect-ly</I> still." +</P> + +<P> +The Merry Little Breezes sighed, for it is the hardest thing in the +world for them to keep perfectly still unless they are asleep. But +they promised that they would, and when they had settled down, each one +in the heart of a great white water lily, Grandfather Frog began: +</P> + +<P> +"Once upon a time, when the world was young, Hooty the Owl's +grandfather a thousand times removed used to fly about in daylight with +the other birds. He was very big and very strong and very fierce, was +Mr. Owl. He had great big claws and a hooked bill, just as Hooty the +Owl has now, and he was afraid of nothing and nobody. +</P> + +<P> +"Now when people are very big and very strong and afraid of nothing and +nobody they are very apt to care for nothing and nobody but themselves. +So it was with Mr. Owl. Whatever he saw that he wanted he took, no +matter to whom it belonged, for there was no one to stop him. +</P> + +<P> +"As I have already told you, Mr. Owl was very big and very strong and +very fierce and he was a very great glutton. It took a great many +little birds and little animals to satisfy his appetite. But he didn't +stop there! No, Sir, he didn't stop there! He used to kill harmless +little meadow people just for the fun of killing, and because he could. +Every day he grew more savage. Finally no one smaller than himself +dared stir on the Green Meadows when he was around. The little birds +no longer sang. The Fieldmice children no longer played among the +meadow grasses. Those were sad days, very sad days indeed on the Green +Meadows," said Grandfather Frog, with a sigh. +</P> + +<P> +"At last old Mother Nature came to visit the Green Meadows and she soon +saw what a terrible state things were in. No one came to meet her, for +you see no one dared to show himself for fear of fierce old Mr. Owl. +</P> + +<P> +"Now I have told you that Mr. Owl was afraid of nothing and nobody, but +this is not quite true, for he was afraid, very much afraid of old +Mother Nature. When he saw her coming he was sitting on top of a tall +dead stump and he at once tried to look very meek and very innocent. +</P> + +<P> +"Old Mother Nature wasted no time. 'Where are all my little meadow +people and why do they not come to give me greeting?' demanded old +Mother Nature of Mr. Owl. +</P> + +<P> +"Mr. Owl bowed very low. 'I'm sure I don't know. I think they must +all be taking a nap,' said he. +</P> + +<P> +"Now you can't fool old Mother Nature and it's of no use to try. No, +Sir, you can't fool old Mother Nature. She just looked at Mr. Owl and +she looked at the feathers and fur scattered about the foot of the dead +stump. Mr. Owl stood first on one foot and then on the other. He +tried to look old Mother Nature in the face, but he couldn't. You see, +Mr. Owl had a guilty conscience and a guilty conscience never looks +anyone straight in the face. He did wish that Mother Nature would say +something, did Mr. Owl. But she didn't. She just looked and looked +and looked and looked straight at Mr. Owl. The longer she looked the +uneasier he got and the faster he shifted from one foot to the other. +Finally he shifted so fast that he seemed to be dancing on top of the +old stump. +</P> + +<P> +"Gradually, a few at a time, the little meadow people crept out from +their hiding places and formed a great circle around the old dead +stump. With old Mother Nature there they felt sure that no harm could +come to them. Then they began to laugh at the funny sight of fierce +old Mr. Owl hopping from one foot to the other on top of the old dead +stump. It was the first laugh on the Green Meadows for a long, long, +long time. +</P> + +<P> +"Of course Mr. Owl saw them laughing at him, but he could think of +nothing but the sharp eyes of old Mother Nature boring straight through +him, and he danced faster than ever. The faster he danced the funnier +he looked, and the funnier he looked the harder the little meadow +people laughed. +</P> + +<P> +"Finally old Mother Nature slowly raised a hand and pointed a long +forefinger at Mr. Owl. All the little meadow people stopped laughing +to hear what she would say. +</P> + +<P> +"'Mr. Owl,' she began, 'I know and you know why none of my little +meadow people were here to give me greeting. And this shall be your +punishment: From now on your eyes shall become so tender that they +cannot stand the light of day, so that hereafter you shall fly about +only after round, red Mr. Sun has gone to bed behind the Purple Hills. +No more shall my little people who play on the Green Meadows all the +day long have cause to fear you, for no more shall you see to do them +harm.' +</P> + +<P> +"When she ceased speaking all the little meadow people gave a great +shout, for they knew that it would be even as Mother Nature had said. +Then began such a frolic as the Green Meadows had not known for many a +long day. +</P> + +<P> +"But Mr. Owl flew slowly and with difficulty over to the darkest part +of the deep wood, for the light hurt his eyes dreadfully and he could +hardly see. And as he flew the little birds flew around him in a great +cloud and plucked out his feathers and tormented him for he could not +see to harm them." +</P> + +<P> +Grandfather Frog paused and looked dreamily across the Smiling Pool. +Suddenly he opened his big mouth and then closed it with a snap. One +more foolish green fly had disappeared inside the white and yellow +waistcoat. +</P> + +<P> +"Chug-a-rum," said Grandfather Frog, "those were sad days, sad days +indeed for Mr. Owl. He couldn't hunt for his meals by day, for the +light blinded him. At night he could see but little in the darkness. +So he got little to eat and he grew thinner and thinner and thinner +until he was but a shadow of his former self. He was always hungry, +was Mr. Owl, always hungry. No one was afraid of him now, for it was +the easiest thing in the world to keep out of his way. +</P> + +<P> +"At last old Mother Nature came again to visit the Green Meadows and +the Green Forest. Far, far in the darkest part of the deep wood she +found Mr. Owl. When she saw how very thin and how very, very miserable +he was her heart was moved to pity, for old Mother Nature loves all her +subjects, even the worst of them. All the fierceness was gone from Mr. +Owl. He was so weak that he just sat huddled in the thickest part of +the great pine. You see he had been able to catch very little to eat. +</P> + +<P> +"'Mr. Owl,' said old Mother Nature gently, 'you now know something of +the misery and the suffering which you have caused others, and I think +you have been punished enough. No more may you fly abroad over the +Green Meadows while the day is bright, for still is the fear of you in +the hearts of all my little meadow people, but hereafter you shall not +find it so difficult to get enough to eat. Your eyes shall grow big, +bigger than the eyes of any other bird, so that you shall be able to +see in the dusk and even in the dark. Your ears shall grow large, +larger than the ears of any of the little forest or meadow people, so +that you can hear the very least sound. Your feathers shall become as +soft as down, so that when you fly none shall hear you.' +</P> + +<P> +"And from that day it was even so. Mr. Owl's eyes grew big and bigger +until he could see as well in the dusk as he used to see in the full +light of day. His ears grew large and larger until his hearing became +so keen that he could hear the least rustle, even at a long distance. +And when he flew he made no sound, but floated like a great shadow. +</P> + +<P> +"The little meadow people no longer feared him by day, but when the +shadows began to creep out from the Purple Hills each night and they +heard his voice 'Whoo-too-whoo-hoo-hoo' they felt all the old fear of +him. If they were wise they did not stir, but if they were foolish and +so much as shivered Mr. Owl was sure to hear them and silently pounce +upon them. +</P> + +<P> +"So once more Mr. Owl grew strong and fierce. But only at night had +anyone cause to fear him, and then only the foolish and timid. +</P> + +<P> +"And now you know," concluded Grandfather Frog, "why it is that Hooty +the Owl never comes out to play with you on the Green Meadows, and why +his eyes are so big and his ears so large." +</P> + +<P> +"Thank you, thank you, Grandfather Frog!" cried the Merry Little +Breezes, springing up from the white water lilies and stretching +themselves. "We'll bring you the first foolish green fly we can find." +</P> + +<P> +Then away they rushed to hunt for it. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap15"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +XV +</H3> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +DANNY MEADOW MOUSE LEARNS TO LAUGH +</H3> + +<P> +Danny Meadow Mouse sat on his doorstep and sulked. The Merry Little +Breezes of Old Mother West Wind ran past, one after another, and +pointing their fingers at him cried: +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +"Fie, Danny Meadow Mouse!<BR> +Better go inside the house!<BR> +Babies cry—oh my! oh my!<BR> +You're a baby—go and cry!"<BR> +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +Pretty soon along the Lone Little Path came Peter Rabbit. Peter Rabbit +looked at Danny Meadow Mouse. Then he pointed a finger at him and said: +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +"Cry, Danny, cry!<BR> +Mammy'll whip you by and by!<BR> +Then we'll all come 'round to see<BR> +How big a baby you can be.<BR> +Cry, Danny, cry!"<BR> +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +Danny Meadow Mouse began to snivel. He cried softly to himself as +Peter Rabbit hopped off down the Lone Little Path. Soon along came +Reddy Fox. He saw Danny Meadow Mouse sitting on his doorstep crying +all by himself. Reddy Fox crept up behind a tall bunch of grass. Then +suddenly he jumped out right in front of Danny Meadow Mouse. +</P> + +<P> +"Boo!" cried Reddy Fox. +</P> + +<P> +It frightened Danny Meadow Mouse. He jumped almost out of his skin, +and ran into the house crying at the top of his voice. +</P> + +<P> +"Ha, ha, ha," laughed Reddy Fox +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +"Danny, Danny, crying Dan<BR> +Boo-hoo-hooed and off he ran!"<BR> +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +Then Reddy Fox chased his tail all the way down the Lone Little Path +onto the Green Meadows. +</P> + +<P> +By and by Danny Meadow Mouse came out again and sat on his doorstep. +He had stopped crying, but he looked very unhappy and cross and sulky. +Hopping and skipping down the Lone Little Path came Striped Chipmunk. +</P> + +<P> +"Come play with me," called Danny Meadow Mouse. +</P> + +<P> +Striped Chipmunk kept right on hopping and skipping down the Lone +Little Path. +</P> + +<P> +"Don't want to," said Striped Chipmunk, sticking his tongue in his +cheek. +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +"Cry-baby Danny<BR> +Never'll be a manny!<BR> +Run to mamma, Danny, dear,<BR> +And she will wipe away your tear!"<BR> +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +Striped Chipmunk hopped and skipped out of sight, and Danny Meadow +Mouse began to cry again because Striped Chipmunk would not play with +him. +</P> + +<P> +It was true, dreadfully true! Danny Meadow Mouse <I>was</I> a cry-baby and +no one wanted to play with him. If he stubbed his toe he cried. If +Striped Chipmunk beat him in a race he cried. If the Merry Little +Breezes pulled his whiskers just in fun he cried. It had come to such +a pass that all the little meadow people delighted to tease him just to +make him cry. Nowhere on all the Green Meadows was there such a +cry-baby as Danny Meadow Mouse. +</P> + +<P> +So Danny sat on his doorstep and cried because no one would play with +him and he was lonely. The more he thought how lonely he was, the more +he cried. +</P> + +<P> +Presently along came old Mr. Toad. Now Mr. Toad looks very grumpy and +out of sorts, but that is because you do not know old Mr. Toad. When +he reached the house of Danny Meadow Mouse he stopped right in front of +Danny. He put his right hand behind his right ear and listened. Then +he put his left hand behind his left ear and listened some more. +Finally he put both hands on his hips and began to laugh. +</P> + +<P> +Now Mr. Toad's mouth is very big indeed, and when he opens it to laugh +he opens it very wide indeed. +</P> + +<P> +"Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Toad. +</P> + +<P> +Danny Meadow Mouse cried harder than ever, and the harder he cried the +harder old Mr. Toad laughed. By and by Danny Meadow Mouse stopped +crying long enough to say to Mr. Toad: +</P> + +<P> +"What are you laughing for, Mr. Toad?" +</P> + +<P> +Mr. Toad stopped laughing long enough to reply: +</P> + +<P> +"I'm laughing, Danny Meadow Mouse, because you are crying at me. What +are you crying for?" +</P> + +<P> +"I'm crying," said Danny Meadow Mouse, "because you are laughing at +me." Then Danny began to cry again, and Mr. Toad began to laugh again. +</P> + +<P> +"What's all this about?" demanded some one right behind them. +</P> + +<P> +It was Jimmy Skunk. +</P> + +<P> +"It's a new kind of game," said old Mr. Toad. "Danny Meadow Mouse is +trying to see if he can cry longer than I can laugh." +</P> + +<P> +Then old Mr. Toad once more opened his big mouth and began to laugh +harder than ever. Jimmy Skunk looked at him for just a minute and he +looked so funny that Jimmy Skunk began to laugh too. +</P> + +<P> +Now a good honest laugh is like whooping cough—it is catching. The +first thing Danny Meadow Mouse knew his tears would not come. It's a +fact, Danny Meadow Mouse had run short of tears. The next thing he +knew he wasn't crying at all—he was laughing. Yes, Sir, he actually +was laughing. He tried to cry, but it was of no use at all; he just +<I>had</I> to laugh. +</P> + +<P> +The more he laughed the harder old Mr. Toad laughed. And the harder +Mr. Toad laughed the funnier he looked. Pretty soon all three of them, +Danny Meadow Mouse, old Mr. Toad and Jimmy Skunk, were holding their +sides and rolling over and over in the grass, they were laughing so +hard. +</P> + +<P> +By and by Mr. Toad stopped laughing. +</P> + +<P> +"Dear me, dear me, this will never do!" said Mr. Toad. "I must get +busy in my garden. +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +"The little slugs, they creep and crawl<BR> +And eat and eat from spring to fall<BR> +They never stop to laugh nor cry,<BR> +And really couldn't if they'd try.<BR> +</P> + +<P> +So if you'll excuse me I'll hurry along to get them out of my garden." +</P> + +<P> +Mr. Toad started down the Lone Little Path. After a few hops he paused +and turned around. +</P> + +<P> +"Danny Meadow Mouse," said old Mr. Toad, "an honest laugh is like +sunshine; it brightens the whole world. Don't forget it." +</P> + +<P> +Jimmy Skunk remembered that he had started out to find some beetles, so +still chuckling he started for the Crooked Little Path up the hill. +Danny Meadow Mouse, once more alone, sat down on his doorstep. His +sides were sore, he had laughed so hard, and somehow the whole world +had changed. The grass seemed greener than he had ever seen it before. +The sunshine was brighter and the songs of the birds were sweeter. +Altogether it was a very nice world, a very nice world indeed to live +in. Somehow he felt as if he never wanted to cry again. +</P> + +<P> +Pretty soon along came the Merry Little Breezes again, chasing +butterflies. When they saw Danny Meadow Mouse sitting on his doorstep +they pointed their fingers at him, just as before, and shouted: +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +"Fie, Danny Meadow Mouse!<BR> +Better go inside the house!<BR> +Babies cry—oh my! oh my!<BR> +You're a baby—go and cry!"<BR> +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +For just a little minute Danny Meadow Mouse wanted to cry. Then he +remembered old Mr. Toad and instead began to laugh. +</P> + +<P> +The Merry Little Breezes didn't know just what to make of it. They +stopped chasing butterflies and crowded around Danny Meadow Mouse. +They began to tease him. They pulled his whiskers and rumpled his +hair. The more they teased the more Danny Meadow Mouse laughed. +</P> + +<P> +When they found that Danny Meadow Mouse really wasn't going to cry, +they stopped teasing and invited him to come play with them in the long +meadow grass. Such a good frolic as they did have! When it was over +Danny Meadow Mouse once more sat down on his doorstep to rest. +</P> + +<P> +Hopping and skipping back up the Lone Little Path came Striped +Chipmunk. When he saw Danny Meadow Mouse he stuck his tongue in his +cheek and cried: +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +"Cry-baby Danny<BR> +Never'll be a manny!<BR> +Run to mamma, Danny dear,<BR> +And she will wipe away your tear!"<BR> +</P> + +<BR> + +<P> +Instead of crying Danny Meadow Mouse began to laugh. Striped Chipmunk +stopped and took his tongue out of his cheek. Then he began to laugh +too. +</P> + +<P> +"Do you want me to play with you?" asked Striped Chipmunk, suddenly. +</P> + +<P> +Of course Danny did, and soon they were having the merriest kind of a +game of hide and seek. Right in the midst of it Danny Meadow Mouse +caught his left foot in a root and twisted his ankle. My, how it did +hurt! In spite of himself tears did come into his eyes. But he winked +them back and bravely began to laugh. +</P> + +<P> +Striped Chipmunk helped him back to his doorstep and cut funny capers +while Mother Meadow Mouse bound up the hurt foot, and all the time +Danny Meadow Mouse laughed until pretty soon he forgot that his foot +ached at all. +</P> + +<P> +When Peter Rabbit came jumping along up the Lone Little Path he began +to shout as soon as he saw Danny Meadow Mouse: +</P> + +<P CLASS="poem"> +"Cry, Danny, cry!<BR> +Mammy'll whip you by and by!<BR> +Then we'll all come 'round to see<BR> +How big a baby you can be.<BR> +Cry, Danny, cry!"<BR> +</P> + +<P> +But Danny didn't cry. My, no! He laughed instead. Peter Rabbit was +so surprised that he stopped to see what had come over Danny Meadow +Mouse. When he saw the bandaged foot and heard how Danny had twisted +his ankle Peter Rabbit sat right down on the doorstep beside Danny +Meadow Mouse and told him how sorry he was, for happy-go-lucky Peter +Rabbit is very tender-hearted. Then he told Danny all about the +wonderful things he had seen in his travels, and of all the scrapes he +had gotten into. When Peter Rabbit finally started off home Danny +Meadow Mouse still sat on his doorstep. But no longer was he lonely. +He watched Old Mother West Wind trying to gather her Merry Little +Breezes into her big bag to take to their home behind the Purple Hills, +and he laughed right out when he saw her catch the last mischievous +Little Breeze and tumble him, heels over head, in with the others. +</P> + +<P> +"Old Mr. Toad was right, just exactly right," thought Danny Meadow +Mouse, as he rocked to and fro on his doorstep. "It <I>is</I> much better, +oh very much better, to laugh than to cry." +</P> + +<P> +And since that day when Danny Meadow Mouse learned to laugh, no one has +had a chance to point a finger at him and call him a cry-baby. Instead +every one has learned to love merry little Danny Meadow Mouse, and now +they call him "Laughing Dan." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR><BR> + +<hr class="full" noshade> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MOTHER WEST WIND'S CHILDREN***</p> +<p>******* This file should be named 20877-h.txt or 20877-h.zip *******</p> +<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> +<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/0/8/7/20877">http://www.gutenberg.org/2/0/8/7/20877</a></p> +<p>Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed.</p> + +<p>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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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: Mother West Wind's Children + + +Author: Thornton W. Burgess + + + +Release Date: March 22, 2007 [eBook #20877] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MOTHER WEST WIND'S CHILDREN*** + + +E-text prepared by Al Haines + + + +Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this + file which includes the original illustrations. + See 20877-h.htm or 20877-h.zip: + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/0/8/7/20877/20877-h/20877-h.htm) + or + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/0/8/7/20877/20877-h.zip) + + + + + +MOTHER WEST WIND'S CHILDREN + +by + +THORNTON W. BURGESS + +Author of "Old Mother West Wind" + +Illustrated by George Kerr + + + + + + + +[Frontispiece: "Yap-yap-yap," barked Reddy Fox, as loud as he could.] + + + + +Grosset & Dunlap +Publishers +New York +By arrangement with Little, Brown and Company + +Copyright, 1911, +by Thornton W. Burgess. +All rights reserved + + + + +TO + +ALL THE LITTLE FRIENDS + +OF + +JOHNNY CHUCK AND REDDY FOX, + +AND TO + +ALL WHO LOVE THE GREEN MEADOWS + +AND THE SMILING POOL, + +THE LAUGHING BROOK AND THE MERRY LITTLE BREEZES, + +THIS LITTLE BOOK IS DEDICATED. + + + + +CONTENTS + + + CHAPTER + + I. DANNY MEADOW MOUSE LEARNS WHY HIS TAIL IS SHORT + II. WHY REDDY FOX HAS NO FRIENDS + III. WHY PETER RABBIT'S EARS ARE LONG + IV. REDDY FOX DISOBEYS + V. STRIPED CHIPMUNK'S POCKETS + VI. REDDY FOX, THE BOASTER + VII. JOHNNY CHUCK'S SECRET + VIII. JOHNNY CHUCK'S GREAT FIGHT + IX. MR. TOAD'S OLD SUIT + X. GRANDFATHER FROG GETS EVEN + XI. THE DISAPPOINTED BUSH + XII. WHY BOBBY COON WASHES HIS FOOD + XIII. THE MERRY LITTLE BREEZES HAVE A BUSY DAY + XIV. WHY HOOTY THE OWL DOES NOT PLAY ON THE GREEN MEADOWS + XV. DANNY MEADOW MOUSE LEARNS TO LAUGH + + + + +LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS + + + "YAP-YAP-YAP," BARKED REDDY FOX, AS LOUD + AS HE COULD . . . . . . . . . . . . _Frontispiece_ + + MR. RABBIT HAD A GREAT DEAL OF CURIOSITY, + A VERY GREAT DEAL, INDEED + + THEN EVERYBODY SHOUTED "HAW! HAW! HAW!" + + HE WAS SO SURPRISED HE FORGOT TO CLOSE IT + + + + +MOTHER WEST WIND'S CHILDREN + + +I + +DANNY MEADOW MOUSE LEARNS WHY HIS TAIL IS SHORT + +Danny Meadow Mouse sat in his doorway and looked down the Lone Little +Path across the Green Meadows. Way, way over near the Smiling Pool he +could see Old Mother West Wind's Children, the Merry Little Breezes, at +play. Sammy Jay was sitting on a fence post. He pretended to be +taking a sun bath, but really he was planning mischief. You never see +Sammy Jay that he isn't in mischief or planning it. + +Reddy Fox had trotted past an hour before in a great hurry. Up on the +hill Danny Meadow Mouse could just see Jimmy Skunk pulling over every +old stick and stone he could find, no matter whose house it might be, +and excusing himself because he was hungry and was looking for beetles. + +Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was playing at hide and seek behind some +fleecy white clouds. All the birds were singing and singing, and the +world was happy--all but Danny Meadow Mouse. + +No, Danny Meadow Mouse was not happy. Indeed, he was very far from +happy, and all because his tail was short. + +By and by up came old Mr. Toad. It was a warm day and Mr. Toad was +very hot and very, very thirsty. He stopped to rest beside the house +of Danny Meadow Mouse. + +"Good morning, Danny Meadow Mouse," said old Mr. Toad, "it's a fine +morning." + +"Morning," said Danny Meadow Mouse, grumpily. + +"I hope your health is good this morning," continued old Mr. Toad, just +as if he hadn't noticed how short and cross Danny Meadow Mouse had +answered. + +Now old Mr. Toad is very ugly to look upon, but the ugliness is all in +his looks. He has the sunniest of hearts and always he is looking for +a chance to help someone. + +"Danny Meadow Mouse," said old Mr. Toad, "you make me think of your +grandfather a thousand times removed. You do indeed. You look just as +he did when he lost the half of his tail and realized that he never, +never could get it back again." + +Danny Meadow Mouse sat up suddenly. + +"What are you talking about, old Mr. Toad? What are you talking +about?" he asked. "Did my grandfather a thousand times removed lose +the half of his tail, and was it shorter then than mine is now? Was +it, old Mr. Toad? And how did he come to lose the half of it?" + +Old Mr. Toad laughed a funny silent laugh. "It's a long story," said +old Mr. Toad, "and I'm afraid I can't tell it. Go down to the Smiling +Pool and ask Great-Grandfather Frog, who is my first cousin, how it +happened your grandfather a thousand times removed lost the half of his +tail. But before you go catch three fat, foolish, green flies and take +them with you as a present to Grandfather Frog." + +Danny Meadow Mouse could hardly wait for old Mr. Toad to stop speaking. +In fact, he was in such a hurry that he almost forgot his manners. Not +quite, however, for he shouted "Thank you, Mr. Toad, thank you!" over +his shoulder as he rushed off down the Lone Little Path. + +You see his short tail had always been a matter of mortification to +Danny Meadow Mouse. All his cousins in the Mouse family and the Rat +family have long, smooth, tapering tails, and they have always been a +source of envy to Danny Meadow Mouse. He had felt his queer short tail +to be a sort of disgrace. So when he would meet one of his cousins +dancing down the Lone Little Path, with his long, slim, tapering tail +behind him, Danny Meadow Mouse would slip out of sight under the long +grass, he was so ashamed of his own little tail. It looked so mean and +small! He had wondered and wondered if the Meadow Mice had always had +short tails. He used to ask everyone who came his way if they had ever +seen a Meadow Mouse with a long tail, but he had never found any one +who had. + +"Perhaps," thought Danny Meadow Mouse as he hurried down the Lone +Little Path, "perhaps Grandfather Frog, who is very wise, will know why +my tail is short." + +So he hurried this way and he hurried that way over the Green Meadows +in search of fat, foolish, green flies. And when he had caught three, +he caught one more for good measure. Then he started for the Smiling +Pool as fast as his short legs would take him. + +When finally he reached the edge of the Smiling Pool he was quite out +of breath. There sat Great-Grandfather Frog on his big, green lily +pad. He was blinking his great goggle eyes at jolly, round, red Mr. +Sun. + +"Oh, Grandfather Frog," said Danny Meadow Mouse in a very small voice, +for you know he was quite out of breath with running, "Oh, Grandfather +Frog, I've brought you four fat, foolish, green flies." + +Grandfather Frog put a hand behind an ear and listened. "Did I hear +someone say 'foolish, green flies?'" asked Grandfather Frog. + +"Yes, Grandfather Frog, here they are," said Danny Meadow Mouse, still +in a very small voice. Then he gave Grandfather Frog the four fat, +foolish, green flies. + +"What is it that you want me to do for you, Danny Meadow Mouse?" asked +Grandfather Frog as he smacked his lips, for he knew that Danny Meadow +Mouse must want something to bring him four fat, foolish, green flies. + +"If you please," said Danny Meadow Mouse, very politely, "if you +please, Grandfather Frog, old Mr. Toad told me that you could tell me +how Grandfather Meadow Mouse a thousand times removed lost half of his +tail. Will you, Grandfather Frog--will you?" + +"Chug-a-rum," said Grandfather Frog. "My cousin, Mr. Toad, talks too +much." + +But he settled himself comfortably on the big lily pad, and this is +what he told Danny Meadow Mouse: + +"Once upon a time, when the world was young, Mr. Meadow Mouse, your +grandfather a thousand times removed, was a very fine gentleman. He +took a great deal of pride in his appearance, did Mr. Meadow Mouse, and +they used to say on the Green Meadows that he spent an hour, a full +hour, every day combing his whiskers and brushing his coat. + +"Anyway, he was very fine to look upon, was Mr. Meadow Mouse, and not +the least attractive thing about him was his beautiful, long, slim +tail, of which he was very proud. + +"Now about this time there was a great deal of trouble on the Green +Meadows and in the Green Forest, for some one was stealing--yes, +stealing! Mr. Rabbit complained first. To be sure, Mr. Rabbit was +lazy and his cabbage patch had grown little more than weeds while he +had been minding other folks' affairs rather than his own, but, then, +that was no reason why he should lose half of the little which he did +raise. And that is just what he said had happened. + +"No one really believed what Mr. Rabbit said, for he had such a bad +name for telling things which were not so that when he did tell the +truth no one could be quite sure of it. + +"So no one paid much heed to what Mr. Rabbit said until Happy Jack +Squirrel one day went to his snug little hollow in the big chestnut +tree where he stores his nuts and discovered half had been stolen. +Then Striped Chipmunk lost the greater part of his winter store of +corn. A fat trout was stolen from Billy Mink. + +"It was a terrible time, for every one suspected every one else, and no +one on the Green Meadows was happy. + +"One evening Mr. Meadow Mouse went for a stroll along the Crooked +Little Path up the hill. It was dark, very dark indeed. But just as +he passed Striped Chipmunk's granary, the place where he stores his +supply of corn and acorns for the winter, Mr. Meadow Mouse met his +cousin, Mr. Wharf Rat. Now Mr. Wharf Rat was very big and strong and +Mr. Meadow Mouse had for a long time looked up to and admired him. + +"'Good evening, Cousin Meadow Mouse,' said Mr. Wharf Rat, swinging a +bag down from his shoulder. 'Will you do a favor for me?' + +"Now Mr. Meadow Mouse felt very much flattered, and as he was a very +obliging fellow anyway, he promptly said he would. + +"'All right,' said Mr. Wharf Rat. 'I'm going to get you to tote this +bag down the Crooked Little Path to the hollow chestnut tree. I've got +an errand back on top of the hill.' + +"So Mr. Meadow Mouse picked up the bag, which was very heavy, and swung +it over his shoulder. Then he started down the Crooked Little Path. +Half way down he met Striped Chipmunk. + +"'Good evening, Mr. Meadow Mouse,' said Striped Chipmunk. 'What are +you toting in the bag across your shoulder?' + +"Now, of course, Mr. Meadow Mouse didn't know what was in the bag and +he didn't like to admit that he was working for another, for he was +very proud, was Mr. Meadow Mouse. + +"So he said: 'Just a planting of potatoes I begged from Jimmy Skunk, +just a planting of potatoes, Striped Chipmunk.' + +"Now no one had ever suspected Mr. Meadow Mouse of stealing--no indeed! +Striped Chipmunk would have gone his way and thought no more about it, +had it not happened that there was a hole in the bag and from it +something dropped at his feet. Striped Chipmunk picked it up and it +_wasn't_ a potato. It was a fat acorn. Striped Chipmunk said nothing +but slipped it into his pocket. + +"'Good night,' said Mr. Meadow Mouse, once more shouldering the bag. + +"'Good night,' said Striped Chipmunk. + +"No sooner had Mr. Meadow Mouse disappeared in the darkness down the +Crooked Little Path than Striped Chipmunk hurried to his granary. Some +one had been there and stolen all his acorns! + +"Then Striped Chipmunk ran to the house of his cousin, Happy Jack +Squirrel, and told him how the acorns had been stolen from his granary +and how he had met Mr. Meadow Mouse with a bag over his shoulder and +how Mr. Meadow Mouse had said that he was toting home a planting of +potatoes he had begged from Jimmy Skunk. 'And this,' said Striped +Chipmunk, holding out the fat acorn, 'is what fell out of the bag.' + +"Then Striped Chipmunk and Happy Jack Squirrel hurried over to Jimmy +Skunk's house, and, just as they expected, they found that Mr. Meadow +Mouse had not begged a planting of potatoes of Jimmy Skunk. + +"So Striped Chipmunk and Happy Jack Squirrel and Jimmy Skunk hurried +over to Mr. Rabbit's and told him all about Mr. Meadow Mouse and the +bag of potatoes that dropped acorns. Mr. Rabbit looked very grave, +very grave indeed. Then Striped Chipmunk and Happy Jack Squirrel and +Jimmy Skunk and Mr. Rabbit started to tell Mr. Coon, who was cousin to +old King Bear. + +"On the way they met Hooty the Owl, and because he could fly softly and +quickly, they sent Hooty the Owl to tell all the meadow people who were +awake to come to the hollow chestnut tree. So Hooty the Owl flew away +to tell all the little meadow people who were awake to meet at the +hollow chestnut tree. + +"When they reached the hollow chestnut tree whom should they find there +but Mr. Meadow Mouse fast asleep beside the bag he had brought for Mr. +Wharf Rat, who had wisely stayed away. + +"Very softly Striped Chipmunk stole up and opened the bag. Out fell +his store of fat acorns. Then they waked Mr. Meadow Mouse and marched +him off to old Mother Nature, where they charged him with being a thief. + +"Old Mother Nature listened to all they had to say. She saw the bag of +acorns and she heard how Mr. Meadow Mouse had said that he had a +planting of potatoes. Then she asked him if he had stolen the acorns. +Yes, Sir, she asked him right out if he had stolen the acorns. + +"Of course Mr. Meadow Mouse said that he had not stolen the acorns. + +"'Then where did you get the bag of acorns?' asked old Mother Nature. + +"When she asked this, Mr. Wharf Rat, who was sitting in the crowd of +meadow people, got up and softly tiptoed away when he thought no one +was looking. But old Mother Nature saw him. You can't fool old Mother +Nature. No, Sir, you can't fool old Mother Nature, and it's of no use +to try. + +"Mr. Meadow Mouse didn't know what to say. He knew now that Mr. Wharf +Rat must be the thief, but Mr. Wharf Rat was his cousin, and he had +always looked up to him as a very fine gentleman. He couldn't tell the +world that Mr. Wharf Rat was a thief. So Mr. Meadow Mouse said nothing. + +"Three times old Mother Nature asked Mr. Meadow Mouse where he got the +bag of acorns, and each time Mr. Meadow Mouse said nothing. + +"'Mr. Meadow Mouse,' said old Mother Nature, and her voice was very +stern, 'I know that you did not steal the acorns of Striped Chipmunk. +I know that you did not even guess that there were stolen acorns in +that bag. Everyone else thinks that you are the thief who caused so +much trouble on the Green Meadows and in the Green Forest. But I know +who the real thief is and he is stealing away as fast as he can go down +the Lone Little Path this very minute.' + +"All of the little meadow people and forest folks turned to look down +the Lone Little Path, but it was so dark none could see, none but Hooty +the Owl, whose eyes are made to see in the dark. + +"'I see him!' cried Hooty the Owl. 'It's Mr. Wharf Rat!' + +"'Yes,' said old Mother Nature, 'it's Mr. Wharf Rat--he is the thief. +And this shall be his punishment: Always hereafter he will be driven +out wherever he is found. He shall no longer live in the Green Meadows +or the Green Forest. Everyone will turn their backs upon him. He will +live on what others throw away. He will live in filth and there will +be no one to say a good word for him. He will become an outcast +instead of a fine gentleman.' + +"'And you, Mr. Meadow Mouse, in order that you may remember always to +avoid bad company, and that while it is a splendid thing to be loyal to +your friends and not to tell tales, it is also a very, very wrong thing +to shield those who have done wrong when by so doing you simply help +them to keep on doing wrong--you shall no longer have the splendid long +tail of which you are so proud, but it shall be short and stubby.' + +"Even while old Mother Nature was speaking, Mr. Meadow Mouse felt his +tail grow shorter and shorter, and when she had finished he had just a +little mean stub of a tail. + +"Of course he felt terribly. And while Striped Chipmunk hurried to +tell him how sorry he felt, and while all the other little meadow +people also hurried to tell him how sorry they felt, he could not be +comforted. So he slipped away as quickly as he could, and because he +was so ashamed he crept along underneath the long grass that no one +should see his short tail. And ever since that long ago time when the +world was young," concluded Grandfather Frog, "the Meadow Mice have had +short tails and have always scurried along under cover of the long +grass where no one will see them. And the Wharf Rats have never again +lived in the Green Meadows or in the Green Forest, but have lived on +filth and garbage around the homes of men, with every man's hand +against them." + +"Thank you, Grandfather Frog," said Danny Meadow Mouse, very soberly. +"Now I understand why my tail is short and I shall not forget." + +"But it isn't your fault at all, Danny Meadow Mouse," cried the Merry +Little Breezes, who had been listening, "and we love you just as much +as if your tail was long!" + +Then they played tag with him all the way up the Lone Little Path to +his house, till Danny Meadow Mouse quite forgot that he had wished that +his tail was long. + + + + +II + +WHY REDDY FOX HAS NO FRIENDS + +The Green Meadows lay peaceful and still. Mother Moon, sailing high +overhead, looked down upon them and smiled and smiled, flooding them +with her silvery light. All day long the Merry Little Breezes of Old +Mother West Wind had romped there among the asters and goldenrod. They +had played tag through the cat rushes around the Smiling Pool. For +very mischief they had rubbed the fur of the Field Mice babies the +wrong way and had blown a fat green fly right out of Grandfather Frog's +mouth just as his lips came together with a smack. Now they were +safely tucked in bed behind the Purple Hills, and so they missed the +midnight feast at the foot of the Lone Pine. + +But Reddy Fox was there. You can always count on Reddy Fox to be about +when mischief or good times are afoot, especially after Mr. Sun has +pulled his nightcap on. + +Jimmy Skunk was there. If there is any mischief Reddy Fox does not +think of Jimmy Skunk will be sure to discover it. + +Billy Mink was there. Yes indeed, Billy Mink was there! Billy Mink is +another mischief maker. When Reddy Fox and Jimmy Skunk are playing +pranks or in trouble of any kind you are certain to find Billy Mink +close by. That is, you are certain to find him if you look sharp +enough. But Billy Mink is so slim, he moves so quickly, and his wits +are so sharp, that he is not seen half so often as the others. + +With Billy Mink came his cousin, Shadow the Weasel, who is sly and +cruel. No one likes Shadow the Weasel. + +Little Joe Otter and Jerry Muskrat came. They were late, for the legs +of Little Joe Otter are so short that he is a slow traveler on land, +while Jerry Muskrat feels much more at home in the water than on the +dry ground. + +Of course Peter Rabbit was there. Without him no party on the Green +Meadows would be complete, and Peter likes to be abroad at night even +better than by day. With Peter came his cousin, Jumper the Hare, who +had come down from the Pine Forest for a visit. + +Boomer the Nighthawk and Hooty the Owl completed the party, though +Hooty had not been invited and no one knew that he was there. + +Each was to contribute something to the feast--the thing that he liked +best. Such an array as Mother Moon looked down upon! Reddy Fox had +brought a plump, tender chicken, stolen from Farmer Brown's dooryard. + +Very quietly, like a thin, brown shadow, Billy Mink had slipped up to +the duck pond and--alas! Now Mother Quack had one less in her pretty +little flock than when as jolly, round, red Mr. Sun went to bed behind +the Purple Hills, she had counted her babies as they tucked their heads +under their wings. + +Little Joe Otter had been fishing and he brought a great fat brother of +the lamented Tommy Trout, who didn't mind. + +Jerry Muskrat brought up from the mud of the river bottom some fine +fresh water clams, of which he is very fond. + +Jimmy Skunk stole three big eggs from the nest of old Gray Goose. + +Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare rolled up a great, tender, fresh +cabbage. + +Boomer the Nighthawk said that he was very sorry, but he was on a diet +of insects, which he must swallow one at a time, so to save trouble he +had swallowed them as he caught them. + +Now Hooty the Owl is a glutton and is lazy. "Reddy Fox and Jimmy Skunk +and Billy Mink are sure to bring somethink [Transcriber's note: +something?] I like, so what is the use of spending my time hunting for +what someone else will get for me?" said he to himself. So Hooty the +Owl went very early to the Lone Pine and hid among the thick branches +where no one could see him. + +Shadow the Weasel is sly and a thief and lives by his wits. So because +he had rather steal than be honest, he too went to the midnight spread +with nothing but his appetite. + +Now Reddy Fox is also a glutton and very, very crafty. When he saw the +plump duck brought by Billy Mink, his mouth watered, for Reddy Fox is +very, very fond of young spring ducks. So straightway he began to plan +how he could get possession of Billy Mink's duck. + +And when Billy Mink saw the fat trout Little Joe Otter had brought, his +eyes danced and his heart swelled with envy, for Billy Mink is very, +very fond of fish. At once he began to plan how he could secure that +particular fat trout Little Joe Otter guarded so carefully. + +Jimmy Skunk was quite contented with the eggs he had stolen from old +Gray Goose--that is, he was until he saw the plump chicken Reddy Fox +had brought from Farmer Brown's dooryard. Then suddenly his stomach +became very empty, very empty indeed for chicken, and Jimmy Skunk began +to think of a way to add the chicken of Reddy Fox to his own stolen +eggs. + +Because Reddy Fox is the largest he was given the place of honor at the +head of the table under the Lone Pine. On his right sat Little Joe +Otter and on his left Jerry Muskrat. Shadow the Weasel was next to +Little Joe Otter, while right across from him was Jimmy Skunk. Peter +Rabbit was next, sitting opposite his cousin, Jumper the Hare. At the +extreme end, facing Reddy Fox, sat Billy Mink, with the plump duck +right under his sharp little nose. + +Boomer the Nighthawk excused himself on the plea that he needed +exercise to aid digestion, and as he had brought nothing to the feast, +his excuse was politely accepted. + +Reddy Fox is very, very cunning, and his crafty brain had been busily +working out a plan to get all these good things for himself. "Little +brothers of the Green Meadows," began Reddy Fox, "we have met here +to-night for a feast of brotherly love." + +Reddy Fox paused a moment to look hungrily at Billy Mink's duck. Billy +Mink cast a longing eye at Little Joe Otter's trout, while Jimmy Skunk +stole an envious glance at Reddy Fox's chicken. + +"But there is one missing to make our joy complete," continued Reddy +Fox. "Who has seen Bobby Coon?" + +No one had seen Bobby Coon. Somehow happy-go-lucky Bobby Coon had been +overlooked when the invitations were sent out. + +"I move," continued Reddy Fox, "that because Billy Mink runs swiftly, +and because he knows where Bobby Coon usually is to be found, he be +appointed a committee of one to find Bobby Coon and bring him to the +feast." + +Now nothing could have been less to the liking of Billy Mink, but there +was nothing for him to do but to yield as gracefully as he could and go +in search of Bobby Coon. + +No sooner had Billy Mink disappeared down the Lone Little Path than +Reddy Fox recalled a nest of grouse eggs he had seen that day under a +big hemlock, and he proposed that inasmuch as Jimmy Skunk already wore +stripes for having stolen a nest of eggs from Mrs. Grouse, he was just +the one to go steal these eggs and bring them to the feast. + +Of course there was nothing for Jimmy Skunk to do but to yield as +gracefully as he could and go in search of the nest of eggs under the +big hemlock. + +No sooner had Jimmy Skunk started off than Reddy Fox remembered a big +shining sucker Farmer Brown's boy had caught that afternoon and tossed +among the rushes beside the Smiling Pool. Little Joe Otter listened +and his mouth watered and watered until he could sit still no longer. +"If you please," said Little Joe Otter, "I'll run down to the Smiling +Pool and get that sucker to add to the feast." + +No sooner was Little Joe Otter out of sight than Reddy Fox was reminded +of a field of carrots on the other side of the Green Meadows. Now +Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare are very fond of tender young carrots +and they volunteered to bring a supply for the feast. So away they +hurried with big jumps down the Lone Little Path and out across the +Green Meadows. + +No sooner were Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare fairly started than +Reddy Fox began to tell of some luscious sweet apples he had noticed +under a wild apple tree a little way back on the hill. Now Jerry +Muskrat is quite as fond of luscious sweet apples as of fresh-water +clams, so quietly slipping away, he set out in quest of the wild apple +tree a little way back on the hill. + +No sooner was Jerry Muskrat lost in the black shadows than Reddy Fox +turned to speak to Shadow the Weasel. But Shadow the Weasel believes +that a feast in the stomach is worth two banquets untasted, so while +the others had been talking, he had quietly sucked dry the three big +eggs stolen by Jimmy Skunk from old Gray Goose, and then because he is +so slim and so quick and so sly, he slipped away without anyone seeing +him. + +So when Reddy Fox turned to speak to Shadow the Weasel, he found +himself alone. At least he thought himself alone, and he smiled a +wicked, selfish smile as he walked over to Billy Mink's duck. He was +thinking how smart he had been to get rid of all the others, and of how +he would enjoy the feast all by himself. + +As Reddy Fox stooped to pick up Billy Mink's duck, a great shadow +dropped softly, oh so softly, out of the Lone Pine down onto the plump +chicken. Then without the teeniest, weeniest bit of noise, it floated +back into the Lone Pine and with it went the plump chicken. + +Reddy Fox, still with his wicked, selfish smile, trotted back with +Billy Mink's duck, but he dropped it in sheer surprise when he +discovered that his plump chicken had disappeared. Now Reddy Fox is +very suspicious, as people who are not honest themselves are very apt +to be. So he left Billy Mink's duck where he had dropped it and +trotted very, very softly up the Lone Little Path to try to catch the +thief who had stolen his plump chicken. + +No sooner was his back turned than down out of the Lone Pine floated +the great shadow, and when a minute later Reddy Fox returned, Billy +Mink's duck had also disappeared. + +Reddy Fox could hardly believe his eyes. He didn't smile now. He was +too angry and too frightened. Yes, Reddy Fox was frightened. He +walked in a big circle round and round the place where the plump +chicken and the duck had been, and the more he walked, the more +suspicious he became. He wrinkled and wrinkled his little black nose +in an effort to smell the intruder, but not a whiff could he get. All +was as still and peaceful as could be. Little Joe Otter's trout lay +shining in the moonlight. The big head of cabbage lay just where Peter +Rabbit and Jumper the Hare had left it. Reddy Fox rubbed his eyes to +make sure that he was not dreaming and that the plump chicken and the +duck were not there too. + +Just then Bowser the Hound, over at Farmer Brown's, bayed at the moon. +Reddy Fox always is nervous and by this time he was so fidgety that he +couldn't stand still. When Bowser the Hound bayed at the moon Reddy +Fox jumped a foot off the ground and whirled about in the direction of +Farmer Brown's house. Then he remembered that Bowser the Hound is +always chained up at night, so that he had nothing to fear from him. + +After listening and looking a moment Reddy Fox decided that all was +safe. "Well," said he to himself, "I'll have that fat trout anyway," +and turned to get it. + +But the fat trout he had seen a minute before shining in the moonlight +had also disappeared. Reddy Fox looked and looked until his eyes +nearly popped out of his head. Then he did what all cowards do--ran +home as fast as his legs could carry him. + +Now of course Billy Mink didn't find Bobby Coon, and when he came back +up the Lone Little Path he was very tired, very hungry and very cross. +And of course Jimmy Skunk failed to find the nest of Mrs. Grouse, and +Little Joe Otter could find no trace of the shining big sucker among +the rushes beside the Smiling Pool. They also were very tired, very +hungry and very cross. + +When the three returned to the Lone Pine and found nothing there but +the big head of cabbage, which none of them liked, the empty egg shells +of old Gray Goose and Jerry Muskrat's clams, they straightway fell to +accusing each other of having stolen the duck and the fat trout and the +eggs and began to quarrel dreadfully. + +Pretty soon up came Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare, who had failed to +find the tender young carrots. And up came Jerry Muskrat, who had +found no luscious sweet apples. + +"Where is Reddy Fox?" asked Peter Rabbit. + +Sure enough, where was Reddy Fox? Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter and +Jimmy Skunk stopped quarreling and looked at each other. + +"Reddy Fox is the thief!" they cried all together. + +Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare and Jerry Muskrat agreed that Reddy +Fox must be the thief, and had sent them all away on false errands that +he might have the feast all to himself. + +So because there was nothing else to do, Billy Mink and Little Joe +Otter, tired and hungry and angry, started for their homes beside the +Laughing Brook. And Jimmy Skunk, also tired and hungry and angry, +started off up the Crooked Little Path to look for some beetles. + +But Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare sat down to enjoy the big head of +cabbage, while close beside them sat Jerry Muskrat smacking his lips +over his clams, they tasted so good. Mother Moon looked down and +smiled and smiled, for she knew that each had a clear conscience, for +they had done no harm to anyone. + +And up in the thick top of the great pine Hooty the Owl nodded +sleepily, for his stomach was very full of chicken and duck and trout, +although he had not been invited to the party. + +And this is why Reddy Fox has no true friends on the Green Meadows. + + + + +III + +WHY PETER RABBIT'S EARS ARE LONG + +The Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind were tired. Ever +since she had turned them out of her big bag onto the Green Meadows +early that morning they had romped and played tag and chased +butterflies while Old Mother West Wind herself went to hunt for a +raincloud which had wandered away before it had watered the thirsty +little plants who were bravely trying to keep the Green Meadows lovely +and truly green. Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun wore his broadest smile and +the more he smiled the warmer it grew. Mr. Sun is never thirsty +himself, never the least little bit, or perhaps he would have helped +Old Mother West Wind find the wandering raincloud. + +The Merry Little Breezes threw themselves down on the edge of the +Smiling Pool, where the rushes grow tall, and there they took turns +rocking the cradle which held Mrs. Redwing's four babies. + +Pretty soon one of the Merry Little Breezes, peeping through the +rushes, spied Peter Rabbit sitting up very straight on the edge of the +Green Meadows. His long ears were pointed straight up, his big eyes +were very wide open and he seemed to be looking and listening with a +great deal of curiosity. + +"I wonder why it is that Peter Rabbit has such long ears," said the +Merry Little Breeze. + +"Chug-a-rum!" replied a great, deep voice right behind him. + +All the Merry Little Breezes jumped up and ran through the rushes to +the very edge of the Smiling Pool. There on a great green lily pad sat +Great-Grandfather Frog, his hands folded across his white and yellow +waistcoat and his green coat shining spick and span. + +"Chug-a-rum," said Grandfather Frog. + +"Oh, Grandfather Frog," cried the Merry Little Breezes all together, +"do tell us why it is that Peter Rabbit has such long ears." + +Grandfather Frog cleared his throat. He looked to the east and cleared +his throat again. Then he looked to the west, and cleared his throat. +He looked north and he looked south, and each time he cleared his +throat, but said nothing. Finally he folded his hands once more over +his white and yellow waistcoat, and looking straight up at jolly, +round, red Mr. Sun he remarked in his very deepest Voice and to no one +in particular: + +"If I had four fat, foolish, green flies, it is just possible that I +might remember how it happens that Peter Rabbit has such long ears." + +Then up jumped all the Merry Little Breezes and away they raced. Some +of them went east, some of them went west, some of them went north, +some of them went south, all looking for fat, foolish, green flies for +Grandfather Frog. + +By and by they came skipping back, one by one, to the edge of the +Smiling Pool, each with a fat, foolish, green fly, and each stopping to +give Mrs. Redwing's cradle a gentle push. + +When Grandfather Frog had swallowed all the fat, foolish, green flies +brought by the Merry Little Breezes, he settled himself comfortably on +his big lily pad once more and began: + +"Once upon a time, very long ago, when the world was young, Mr. +Rabbit--not our Peter Rabbit, but his grandfather a thousand times +removed--had short ears like all the other meadow people, and also his +four legs were all of the same length, just exactly the same length. + +"Now Mr. Rabbit had a great deal of curiosity, a very great deal, +indeed. He was forever pushing his prying little nose into other +people's affairs, which, you know, is a most unpleasant habit. In +fact, Mr. Rabbit had become a nuisance." + +[Illustration: Mr. Rabbit had a great deal of curiosity, a very great +deal, indeed.] + +"Whenever Billy Mink stopped to pass the time of day with Jerry Muskrat +they were sure to find Mr. Rabbit standing close by, listening to all +they said. If Johnny Chuck's mother ran over to have a few minutes' +chat with Jimmy Skunk's mother, the first thing they knew Mr. Rabbit +would be squatting down in the grass right behind them. + +"The older he grew the worse Mr. Rabbit became. He would spend his +evenings going from house to house, tiptoeing softly up to the windows +to listen to what the folks inside were saying. And the more he heard +the more Mr. Rabbit's curiosity grew. + +"Now, like most people who meddle in other folks' affairs, Mr. Rabbit +had no time to tend to his own business. His cabbage patch grew up to +weeds. His house leaked, his fences fell to pieces, and altogether his +was the worst looking place on the Green Meadows. + +"Worse still, Mr. Rabbit was a trouble maker. He just couldn't keep +his tongue still. And like most gossips, he never could tell the exact +truth. + +"Dear me! dear me!" said Grandfather Frog, shaking his head solemnly. +"Things had come to a dreadful pass on the Green Meadows. Reddy Fox +and Bobby Coon never met without fighting. Jimmy Skunk and Johnny +Chuck turned their backs on each other. Jerry Muskrat, Little Joe +Otter, and Billy Mink called each other bad names. All because Mr. +Rabbit had told so many stories that were not true. + +"Now when old Mother Nature visited the Green Meadows she soon saw what +a dreadful state all the meadow people were in, and she began to +inquire how it all came about. + +"'It's all because of Mr. Rabbit,' said Reddy Fox. + +"'No one is to blame but Mr. Rabbit,' said Striped Chipmunk. + +"Everywhere old Mother Nature inquired it was the same--Mr. Rabbit, Mr. +Rabbit, Mr. Rabbit. + +"So then old Mother Nature sent for blustering great Mr. North Wind, +who is very strong. And she sent for Mr. Rabbit. + +"Mr. Rabbit trembled in his shoes when he got old Mother Nature's +message. He would have liked to run away and hide. But he did not +dare do that, for he knew that there was nowhere he could hide that +Mother Nature would not find him sooner or later. And besides, his +curiosity would give him no peace. He just _had_ to know what old +Mother Nature wanted. + +"So Peter Rabbit put on his best suit, which was very shabby, and set +out for the Lone Pine to see what old Mother Nature wanted. When he +got there, he found all the little people of the Green Meadows and all +the little folks of the Green Forest there before him. There were +Reddy Fox, Johnny Chuck, Striped Chipmunk, Happy Jack Squirrel, Mr. +Black Snake, old Mr. Crow, Sammy Jay, Billy Mink, Little Joe Otter, +Jerry Muskrat, Spotty the Turtle, old King Bear, his cousin, Mr. Coon, +and all the other little people. + +"When he saw all who had gathered under the Lone Pine, and how they all +looked crossly at him, Mr. Rabbit was so frightened that his heart went +pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, and he wanted more than ever to run +away. But he didn't dare to. No, Sir, he didn't dare to. And then he +was so curious to know what it all meant that he wouldn't have run if +he had dared. + +"Old Mother Nature made Mr. Rabbit sit up on an old log where all could +see him. Then in turn she asked each present who was the cause of all +the trouble on the Green Meadows. And each in turn answered 'Mr. +Rabbit.' + +"'Mr. Rabbit,' said old Mother Nature, 'you are lazy, for your cabbage +patch has all gone to weeds. You are shiftless, for your house leaks. +You are a sneak, for you creep up where you are not wanted and listen +to things which do not concern you. You are a thief, for you steal the +secrets of others. You are a prevaricator, for you tell things which +are not so. Mr. Rabbit, you are all these--a lazy, shiftless sneak, +thief and prevaricator.' + +"It was dreadful. Mother Nature paused, and Mr. Rabbit felt oh so +ashamed. He did not look up, but he felt, he just _felt_, all the eyes +of all the little meadow people and forest folk burning right into him. +So he hung his head and two great tears fell splash, right at his feet. +You see Mr. Rabbit wasn't altogether bad. It was just this dreadful +curiosity. + +"Old Mother Nature knew this and down in her heart she loved Mr. Rabbit +and was oh so sorry for him. + +"'Mr. Rabbit,' continued old Mother Nature, 'because your curiosity is +so great, your ears shall be made long, that every one who sees you may +know that it is not safe to talk when you are near. Because you are a +sneak and steal up to people unseen, your-hind legs shall be made long, +so that whenever you sit up straight you will be tall and every one can +see you, and whenever you run, you will go with great jumps, and every +one will know who it is running away. And because you are shiftless +and your house leaks, you will hereafter live in a hole in the ground.' + +"Then old Mother Nature took Mr. Rabbit by his two ears and big, strong +Mr. North Wind took Peter Rabbit by his hind legs, and they both +pulled. And when they put him down Peter Rabbit's ears and his hind +legs were long, many times longer than they used to be. When he tried +to run away to hide his shame, he found that the only way he could go +was with great jumps, and you may be sure he jumped as fast as he could. + +"And ever since that long ago time, when the world was young, rabbits +have had long ears and long hind legs, all because of the curiosity of +their grandfather a thousand times removed. And now you know why Peter +Rabbit's ears are long, and why he is always sitting up and listening," +concluded Great-Grandfather Frog. + +"Thank you, thank you, Grandfather Frog!" shouted all the Merry Little +Breezes, and raced away to help old Mother West Wind drive up the +wandering raincloud, which she had found at last. + + + + +IV + +REDDY FOX DISOBEYS + +On the brow of the hill by the Lone Pine sat Reddy Fox. Every few +moments he pointed his little black nose up at the round, yellow moon +and barked. Way over across the broad White Meadows, which in summer +time are green, you know, in the dooryard of Farmer Brown's house, +Bowser the Hound sat and barked at the moon, too. + +"Yap-yap-yap," barked Reddy Fox, as loud as he could. + +"Bow-wow-wow," said Bowser the Hound in his deepest voice. + +Then both would listen and watch the million little stars twinkle and +twinkle in the frosty sky. Now just why Reddy Fox should bark at the +moon he did not know. He just had to. Every night for a week he had +sat at the foot of the Lone Pine and barked and barked until his throat +was sore. Every night old Mother Fox had warned him that noisy +children would come to no good end, and every night Reddy had promised +that he would bark no more. But every night when the first silver +flood of witching light crept over the hill and cast strange shadows +from the naked branches of the trees, Reddy forgot all about his +promise. Deep down under his little red coat was a strange feeling +which he could not explain. He simply _must_ bark, so up to the Lone +Pine he would go and yap and yap and yap, until all the little meadow +people who were not asleep knew just where Reddy Fox was. + +Bowser the Hound knew, too, and he made up his mind that Reddy Fox was +making fun of him. Now Bowser did not like to be made fun of any more +than little boys and girls do, and he made up his mind that if ever he +could break his chain, or that if ever Farmer Brown forgot to chain him +up, he would teach Reddy Fox a lesson that Reddy would never forget. + +"Yap-yap-yap," barked Reddy Fox, and then listened to hear Bowser's +deep voice reply. But this time there was no reply. Reddy listened, +and listened, and then tried it again. Way off on a distant hill he +could hear Hooty the Owl. Close by him Jack Frost was busy snapping +sticks. Down on the White Meadows he could see Jimmy Skunk prowling +about. Once he heard a rooster crow sleepily in Farmer Brown's +hen-house, but he thought of Bowser the Hound, and though his mouth +watered, he did not dare risk a closer acquaintance with the big dog. +So he sat still and barked, and pretty soon he forgot all else but the +moon and the sound of his own voice. + +Now Bowser the Hound had managed to slip his collar. "Aha," thought +Bowser, "now I'll teach Reddy Fox to make fun of me," and like a shadow +he slipped through the fence and across the White Meadows towards the +Lone Pine. + +Reddy Fox had just barked for the hundreth time when he heard a twig +crack just back of him. It had a different sound from the noisy crack +of Jack Frost, and Reddy stopped a yap right in the middle and whirled +about to see what it might be. There was Bowser the Hound almost upon +him, his eyes flashing fire, his great, red jaws wide open, and every +hair on his back bristling with rage. + +Reddy Fox didn't wait to say "Good evening," or to see more. Oh, no! +He turned a back somersault and away he sped over the hard, snowy crust +as fast as his legs could carry him. Bowser baying at the moon he +liked to hear, but Bowser baying at his heels was another matter, and +Reddy ran as he had never run before. Down across the White Meadows he +sped, Bowser frightening all the echoes with the roar of his big voice +as he followed in full cry. + +How Reddy did wish that he had minded Mother Fox! How safe and snug +and warm was his home under the roots of the old hickory tree, and how +he did wish that he was safely there! But it would never do to go +there now, for that would tell Bowser where he lived, and Bowser would +take Farmer Brown there, and that would be the end of Reddy Fox and of +Mother Fox and of all the brother and sister foxes. + +So Reddy twisted and turned, and ran this way and ran that way, and the +longer he ran, the shorter his breath grew. It was coming in great +pants now. His bushy tail, of which he was so proud, had become very +heavy. How Reddy Fox did wish and wish that he had minded Mother Fox! +He twisted and turned, and doubled this way and that way, and all the +time Bowser the Hound got closer and closer. + +Now way off on the hill behind the White Meadows Mother Fox had been +hunting for her supper. She had heard the "Yap-yap-yap" of Reddy Fox +as he barked at the moon, and she had heard Bowser baying over in the +barnyard of Farmer Brown. Then she had heard the "yap" of Reddy Fox +cut short in the middle and the roar of Bowser's big voice as he +started to chase Reddy Fox. She knew that Reddy could run fast, but +she also knew that Bowser the Hound had a wonderful nose, and that +Bowser would never give up. So Mother Fox pattered down the Crooked +Little Path onto the White Meadows, where she could see the chase. +When she got near enough, she barked twice to tell Reddy that she would +help him. + +Now Reddy Fox was so tired that he was almost in despair when he heard +Mother Fox bark. But he knew that Mother Fox was so wise, and she had +so often fooled Bowser the Hound, that if he could hold out just a +little longer she would help him. So for a few minutes he ran faster +than ever and he gained a long way on Bowser the Hound. As he passed a +shock of corn that had been left standing on the White Meadows, Mother +Fox stepped out from behind it. "Go home, Reddy Fox," said she, +sharply, "go home and stay there until I come." Then she deliberately +sat down in front of the shock of corn to wait until Bowser the Hound +should come in sight. + +Now Bowser the Hound kept his eyes and nose on the track of Reddy Fox, +looking up only once in a while to see where he was going, so he did +not see Reddy Fox slip behind the corn shock, and when he did look up, +he saw only Mother Fox sitting there waiting for him. + +Now Bowser the Hound thinks slowly. When he saw old Mother Fox sitting +there, he did not stop to think that it was not Reddy Fox whom he had +been following, or he would have known better than to waste his time +following old Mother Fox. He would have just hunted around until he +had found where Reddy had gone to. But Bowser the Hound thinks slowly. +When he saw old Mother Fox sitting there, he thought it was Reddy Fox +and that now he had him. + +With a great roar of his big voice, he sprang forward. Mother Fox +waited until he was almost upon her, then springing to one side, she +trotted off a little way. At once Bowser the Hound started after her. +She pretended to be very tired. Every time he rushed forward she +managed to just slip out of his grasp. + +Little by little she led him across the White Meadows back towards +Farmer Brown's barnyard. Pretty soon old Mother Fox began to run as +fast as she could, and that is very fast indeed. She left Bowser the +Hound a long, long way behind. When she came to a stone wall she +jumped up on the stone wall and ran along it, just like a squirrel. +Every once in a while she would make a long jump and then trot along a +little way again. She knew that stones do not carry the scent well, +and that Bowser the Hound would have hard work to smell her on the +stone wall. Way down at the end of the pasture an old apple tree +stretched a long limb out towards the stone wall. When she got +opposite to this she jumped onto this long limb and ran up into the +tree. There in the crotch, close to the trunk, she sat and watched. + +Bowser the Hound, making a tremendous noise, followed her trail up to +the stone wall. Then he was puzzled. He sniffed this way, and he +sniffed that way, but he could not tell where Mother Fox had +disappeared to. He looked up at old Mother Moon and bayed and bayed, +but old Mother Moon did not help him a bit. Then he jumped over the +stone wall and looked, and looked, and smelled, and smelled, but no +track of Mother Fox could he find. Then he ran up along the stone wall +a little way, and then down along the stone wall a little way, but +still he could not find a track of Mother Fox. The longer he hunted, +the angrier he grew. + +Old Mother Fox, sitting in the apple tree, watched him and laughed and +laughed to herself. Then when she grew tired of watching him, she made +a long jump out into the field and trotted off home to punish Reddy Fox +for his disobedience. When she got there she found Reddy Fox very much +ashamed, very tired and very sorrowful, and since that time Reddy Fox +has never barked at the moon. + + + + +V + +STRIPED CHIPMUNK'S POCKETS + +It was one of Striped Chipmunk's busy days. Every day is a busy day +with Striped Chipmunk at this season of the year, for the sweet acorns +are ripe and the hickory nuts rattle down whenever Old Mother West Wind +shakes the trees, while every night Jack Frost opens chestnut burrs +just to see the squirrels scamper for the plump brown nuts the next +morning. + +So Striped Chipmunk was very busy, very busy indeed! He whisked in and +out of the old stone wall along one edge of the Green Meadows. Back +and forth, back and forth, sometimes to the old hickory tree, sometimes +to the hollow chestnut tree, sometimes to the great oak on the edge of +the Green Forest Striped Chipmunk scampered. + +Old Mother West Wind, coming down from the Purple Hills very early in +the morning, had found Striped Chipmunk up before her and hard at work. +Later, when jolly, round, red Mr. Sun had climbed up into the sky, the +Merry Little Breezes had spied Striped Chipmunk whisking along the old +stone wall and had raced over to play with him, for the Merry Little +Breezes are very fond of Striped Chipmunk. They got there just in time +to see him disappear under a great stone in the old wall. In a minute +he was out again and off as fast as he could go to the old hickory tree. + +"Oh, Striped Chipmunk, come play with us," shouted the Merry Little +Breezes, running after him. + +But Striped Chipmunk just flirted his funny little tail and winked with +both his bright eyes at them. + +"Busy! busy! busy!" said Striped Chipmunk, hurrying along as fast as +his short legs could take him. + +The Merry Little Breezes laughed, and one of them, dancing ahead, +pulled the funny little tail of Striped Chipmunk. + +"It's a beautiful day; do come and play with us," cried the Merry +Little Breeze. + +But Striped Chipmunk flirted his tail over his back once more. + +"Busy! busy! busy!" he shouted over his shoulder and ran faster than +ever. + +In a few minutes he was back again, but such a queer-looking fellow as +he was! His head was twice as big as it had been before and you would +hardly have known that it was Striped Chipmunk but for the saucy way he +twitched his funny little tail and the spry way he scampered along the +old stone wall. + +"Oh, Striped Chipmunk's got the mumps!" shouted the Merry Little +Breezes. + +But Striped Chipmunk said never a word. He couldn't. He ran faster +than ever until he disappeared under the big stone. When he popped his +head out again he was just his usual saucy little self. + +"Say, Striped Chipmunk," cried the Merry Little Breezes, rushing over +to him, "tell us how you happen to have pockets in your cheeks." + +But Striped Chipmunk just snapped his bright eyes at them and said +"Busy! busy! busy!" as he scuttled over to the hollow chestnut tree. + +The Merry Little Breezes saw that it was no use at all to try to tempt +Striped Chipmunk to play with them or to answer questions. + +"I tell you what," cried one, "let's go ask Great-Grandfather Frog how +Striped Chipmunk happens to have pockets in his cheeks. He'll know." + +So away they started, after they had raced over to the big hollow +chestnut tree and sent a shower of brown nuts rattling down to Striped +Chipmunk from the burrs that Jack Frost had opened the night before. + +"Good-bye, Striped Chipmunk," they shouted as they romped across the +Green Meadows. And Striped Chipmunk stopped long enough to shout +"Good-bye" before he filled his pockets with the brown nuts. + +Old Grandfather Frog sat on his big green lily pad blinking in the sun. +It was very still, very, very still indeed. Suddenly out of the brown +bulrushes burst the Merry Little Breezes and surrounded old Grandfather +Frog. And every one of them had brought to him a fat, foolish, green +fly. + +Grandfather's big goggly eyes sparkled and he gave a funny little hop +up into the air as he caught each foolish green fly. When the last one +was safely inside his white and yellow waistcoat he settled himself +comfortably on the big green lily pad and folded his hands over the +foolish green flies. + +"Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog. "What is it you want this +morning?" + +"Oh, Grandfather Frog," cried the Merry Little Breezes, "tell us how it +happens that Striped Chipmunk has pockets in his cheeks. Do tell us, +Grandfather Frog. Please do!" + +"Chug-a-rum," said Grandfather Frog. "How should I know?" + +"But you do know, Grandfather Frog, you know you do. Please tell us!" +cried the Merry Little Breezes as they settled themselves among the +rushes. + +And presently Grandfather Frog began: + +"Once upon a time--a long, long while ago--" + +"When the world was young?" asked a mischievous little Breeze. + +Grandfather Frog pretended to be very much put out by the interruption, +and tried to look very severe. But the Merry Little Breezes were all +giggling, so that presently he had to smile too. + +"Yes," said he, "it was when the world was young, before old +King Bear became king. Mr. Chipmunk, Striped Chipmunk's +great-great-great-grandfather a thousand times removed, was the +smallest of the squirrels, just as Striped Chipmunk is now. But he +didn't mind that, not the least little bit. Mr. Gray Squirrel was four +times as big and had a handsome tail, Mr. Fox Squirrel was four times +as big and he also had a handsome tail, Mr. Red Squirrel was twice as +big and he thought his tail was very good to see. But Mr. Chipmunk +didn't envy his big cousins their fine tails; not he! You see he had +himself a beautiful striped coat of which he was very proud and which +he thought much more to be desired than a big tail. + +"So Mr. Chipmunk went his way happy and contented and he was such a +merry little fellow and so full of fun and cut such funny capers that +everybody loved Mr. Chipmunk. + +"One day, when the nights were cool and all the trees had put on their +brilliant colors, old Mother Nature sent word down across the Green +Meadows that every squirrel should gather for her and store away until +she came a thousand nuts. Now the squirrels had grown fat and lazy +through the long summer, all but Mr. Chipmunk, who frisked about so +much that he had no chance to grow fat. + +"Mr. Gray Squirrel grumbled. Mr. Fox Squirrel grumbled. Mr. Red +Squirrel grumbled. But they didn't dare disobey old Mother Nature, so +they all set out, each to gather a thousand nuts. And Mr. Chipmunk +alone was pleasant and cheerful. + +"When they reached the nut trees, what do you suppose they discovered? +Why, that they had been so greedy that they had eaten most of the nuts +and it was going to be hard work to find and store a thousand nuts for +old Mother Nature. Then they began to hurry, did Mr. Gray Squirrel and +Mr. Fox Squirrel and Mr. Red Squirrel, each trying to make sure of his +thousand nuts. They quarreled and they fought over the nuts on the +ground and even up in the trees. And because they were so big and so +strong, they pushed Mr. Chipmunk this way and they pushed him that way +and often just as he was going to pick up a fat nut one of them would +knock him over and make off with the prize. + +"Poor Mr. Chipmunk kept his temper and was as polite as ever, but how +he did work! His cousins are great climbers and could get the nuts +still left on the trees, but Mr. Chipmunk is a poor climber, so he had +to be content with those on the ground. Of course he could carry only +one nut at a time and his legs were so short that he had to run as fast +as ever he could to store each nut in his secret store-house and get +back for another. And while the others quarreled and fought, he +hurried back and forth, back and forth, from early morning until jolly, +round, red Mr. Sun pulled his night cap on behind the Purple Hills, +hunting for nuts and putting them away in his secret store-house. + +"But the nuts grew scarcer and scarcer on the ground and harder to +find, for the other squirrels were picking them up too, and then they +did not have so far to carry them. + +"Sometimes one of his cousins up in the trees would drop a nut, but Mr. +Chipmunk never would take it, not even when he was having hard work to +find any, 'for,' said he to himself, 'if my cousin drops a nut, it is +his nut just the same.' + +"Finally Mr. Gray Squirrel announced that he had got his thousand nuts. +Then Mr. Fox Squirrel announced that he had got his thousand nuts. The +next day Mr. Red Squirrel stopped hunting because he had his thousand +nuts. + +"But Mr. Chipmunk had hardly more than half as many. And that night he +made a dreadful discovery--some one had found his secret store-house +and had _stolen_ some of his precious nuts. + +"'It's of no use to cry over what can't be helped,' said Mr. Chipmunk, +and the next morning he bravely started out again. He had worked so +hard that he had grown thinner and thinner until now he was only a +shadow of his old self. But he was as cheerful as ever and kept right +on hunting and hunting for stray nuts. Mr. Gray Squirrel and Mr. Fox +Squirrel and Mr. Red Squirrel sat around and rested and made fun of +him. Way up in the tops of the tallest trees a few nuts still clung, +but his cousins did not once offer to go up and shake them down for Mr. +Chipmunk. + +"And then old Mother Nature came down across the Green Meadows. First +Mr. Gray Squirrel took her to his storehouse and she counted his +thousand nuts. Then Mr. Fox Squirrel led her to his storehouse and she +counted his thousand nuts. Then Mr. Red Squirrel showed her his +store-house and she counted his thousand nuts. + +"Last of all Mr. Chipmunk led her to his secret store-house and showed +her the pile of nuts he had worked so hard to get. Old Mother Nature +didn't need to count them to see that there were not a thousand there. + +"'I've done the best I could,' said Mr. Chipmunk bravely, and he +trembled all over, he was so tired. + +"Old Mother Nature said never a word but went out on the Green Meadows +and sent the Merry Little Breezes to call together all the little +meadow people and all the little forest folks. When they had all +gathered before her she suddenly turned to Mr. Gray Squirrel. + +"'Go bring me a hundred nuts from your store-house,' said she. + +"Then she turned to Mr. Fox Squirrel. + +"'Go bring me a hundred nuts from your store-house,' said she. + +"Last of all she called Mr. Red Squirrel out where all could see him. +Mr. Red Squirrel crept out very slowly. His teeth chattered and his +tail, of which he was so proud, dragged on the ground, for you see Mr. +Red Squirrel had something on his mind. + +"Then old Mother Nature told how she had ordered each squirrel to get +and store for her a thousand nuts. She told just how selfish Mr. Gray +Squirrel and Mr. Fox Squirrel had been. She told just how hard Mr. +Chipmunk had worked and then she told how part of his precious store +had been stolen. + +"'And there,' said old Mother Nature in a loud voice so that every one +should hear, 'there is the thief!' + +"Then she commanded Mr. Red Squirrel to go to his store-house and bring +her half of the biggest and best nuts he had there! + +"Mr. Red Squirrel sneaked off with his head hanging, and began to bring +the nuts. And as he tramped back and forth, back and forth, all the +little meadow people and all the little forest folks pointed their +fingers at him and cried 'Thief! Thief! Thief!' + +"When all the nuts had been brought to her by Mr. Gray Squirrel and Mr. +Fox Squirrel and Mr. Red Squirrel, old Mother Nature gathered them all +up and put them in the secret store-house of Mr. Chipmunk. Then she +set Mr. Chipmunk up on an old stump where all could see him and she +said: + +"'Mr. Chipmunk, because you have been faithful, because you have been +cheerful, because you have done your best, henceforth you shall have +two pockets, one in each cheek, so that you can carry two nuts at once, +that you may not have to work so hard the next time I tell you to store +a thousand nuts.' + +"And all the little meadow people and all the little forest folks +shouted 'Hurrah for Mr. Chipmunk!' All but his cousins, Mr. Gray +Squirrel and Mr. Fox Squirrel and Mr. Red Squirrel, who hid themselves +for shame. + +"And ever since that time long ago, when the world was young, the +Chipmunks have had pockets in their cheeks. + +"You can't fool old Mother Nature," concluded Great-Grandfather Frog. +"No, Sir, you can't fool old Mother Nature and it's no use to try." + +"Thank you, thank you," cried the Merry Little Breezes, clapping their +hands. Then they all raced across the Green Meadows to shake down some +more nuts for Striped Chipmunk. + + + + +VI + +REDDY FOX, THE BOASTER + +Johnny Chuck waddled down the Lone Little Path across the Green +Meadows. Johnny Chuck was very fat and rolly-poly. His yellow brown +coat fitted him so snugly that it seemed as if it must burst. Johnny +Chuck was feeling very happy--very happy indeed, for you see Johnny +Chuck long ago found the best thing in the world, which is contentment. + +Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun, looking down from the sky, smiled and smiled +to see Johnny Chuck waddling down the Lone Little Path, for he loved +the merry-hearted little fellow, as do all the little meadow +people--all but Reddy Fox, for Reddy Fox has not forgotten the surprise +Johnny Chuck once gave him and how he called him a "'fraid cat." + +Once in a while Johnny Chuck stopped to brush his coat carefully, for +he is very particular about his appearance, is Johnny Chuck. By and by +he came to the old butternut tree down by the Smiling Pool. He could +see it a long time before he reached it, and up in the top of it he +could see Blacky the Crow flapping his wings and cawing at the top of +his voice. + +"There must be something going on," said Johnny Chuck to himself, and +began to waddle faster. He looked so very queer when he tried to hurry +that jolly round, red Mr. Sun smiled more than ever. + +When he was almost to the old butter-nut tree Johnny Chuck sat up very +straight so that his head came just above the tall meadow grasses +beside the Lone Little Path. He could see the Merry Little Breezes +dancing and racing under the old butternut tree and having such a good +time! And he could see the long ears of Peter Rabbit standing up +straight above the tall meadow grasses. One of the Merry Little +Breezes spied Johnny Chuck. + +"Hurry up, Johnny Chuck!" he shouted, and Johnny Chuck hurried. + +When he reached the old butternut tree he was all out of breath. He +was puffing and blowing and he was so warm that he wished just for a +minute, a single little minute, that he could swim like Billy Mink and +Jerry Muskrat and Little Joe Otter, so that he could jump into the +Smiling Pool and cool off. + +"Hello, Johnny Chuck!" shouted Peter Rabbit. + +"Hello yourself, and see how you like it!" replied Johnny Chuck. + +"Hello myself!" said Peter Rabbit. + +And then because it was so very foolish everybody laughed. It is a +good thing to feel foolishly happy on a beautiful sunshiny day, +especially down on the Green Meadows. + +Jimmy Skunk was there. He was feeling very, very good indeed, was +Jimmy Skunk, for he had found some very fine beetles for his breakfast. + +Little Joe Otter was there, and Billy Mink and Jerry Muskrat and Happy +Jack Squirrel, and of course Reddy Fox was there. Oh my, yes, of +course Reddy Fox was there! Reddy Fox never misses a chance to show +off. He was wearing his very newest red coat and his whitest +waistcoat. He had brushed his tail till it looked very handsome, and +every few minutes he would turn and admire it. Reddy Fox thought +himself a very fine gentleman. He admired himself and he wanted every +one else to admire him. + +"Let's do stunts," said Peter Rabbit. "I can jump farther than anybody +here!" + +Then Peter Rabbit jumped a tremendously long jump. Then everybody +jumped, everybody but Reddy Fox. Even Johnny Chuck jumped, and because +he was so rolly-poly he tumbled over and over and everybody laughed and +Johnny Chuck laughed loudest of all. + +And because his hind legs are long and meant for jumping Peter Rabbit +had jumped farther than any one else. + +"I can climb to the top of the old butternut tree quicker than anybody +else," cried Happy Jack Squirrel, and away he started with Bobby Coon +and Billy Mink after him, for though Billy Mink is a famous swimmer and +can run swiftly, he can also climb when he has to. But Happy Jack +Squirrel was at the top of the old butternut tree almost before the +others had started. + +The Merry Little Breezes clapped their hands and everybody shouted for +Happy Jack Squirrel, everybody but Reddy Fox. + +"I can swim faster than anybody here," shouted Little Joe Otter. + +In a flash three little brown coats splashed into the Smiling Pool so +suddenly that they almost upset Great-Grandfather Frog watching from +his big green lily pad. They belonged to Little Joe Otter, Billy Mink +and Jerry Muskrat. Across the Smiling Pool and back again they raced +and Little Joe Otter was first out on the bank. + +"Hurrah for Little Joe Otter!" shouted Blacky the Crow. + +And everybody shouted "Hurrah!" Everybody but Reddy Fox. + +"What can you do, Jimmy Skunk?" asked Peter Rabbit, dancing up and +down, he was so excited. + +Jimmy Skunk yawned lazily. + +"I can throw a wonderful perfume farther than anybody here," said Jimmy +Skunk. + +"We know it! We know it!" shouted the Merry Little Breezes as +everybody tumbled heels over head away from Jimmy Skunk, even Reddy +Fox. "But please don't!" + +And Jimmy Skunk didn't. + +Then they all came back, Reddy Fox carefully brushing his handsome red +coat which had become sadly mussed, he had fled in such a hurry. + +Now for the first time in his life Johnny Chuck began to feel just a +wee, wee bit discontented. What was there he could do better than any +one else? He couldn't jump and he couldn't climb and he couldn't swim. +He couldn't even run fast, because he was so fat and round and +rolly-poly. He quite forgot that he was so sunny-hearted and +good-natured that everybody loved him, everybody but Reddy Fox. + +Just then Reddy Fox began to boast, for Reddy Fox is a great boaster. +"Pooh!" said Reddy Fox, "pooh! Anybody could jump if their legs were +made for jumping. And what's the good of climbing trees anyway? Now I +can run faster than anybody here--faster than anybody in the whole +world!" said Reddy Fox, puffing himself out. + +"Chug-a-rum," said Grandfather Frog. "You can't beat Spotty the +Turtle." + +Then everyone shouted and rolled over and over in the grass, they were +so tickled, for every one remembered how Spotty the Turtle had once won +a race from Reddy Fox. + +For a minute Reddy Fox looked very foolish. Then he lost his temper, +which is a very unwise thing to do, for it is hard to find again. He +swelled himself out until every hair stood on end and he looked twice +as big as he did before. He strutted up and down and glared at each in +turn. + +"And I'm not afraid of any living thing on the Green Meadows!" boasted +Reddy Fox. + +"Chug-a-rum," said Grandfather Frog. "Do I see Bowser the Hound?" + +Every hair on Reddy Fox suddenly fell back into place. He whirled +about nervously and anxiously looked over the Green Meadows. Then +everybody shouted again and rolled over and over in the grass and held +on to their sides, for you see Bowser the Hound wasn't there at all. + +But everybody took good care to keep away from Reddy Fox, everybody but +Johnny Chuck. He just sat still and chuckled and chuckled till his fat +sides shook. + +"What are you laughing at?" demanded Reddy Fox. + +"I was just thinking," said Johnny Chuck, "that though you can run so +fast, you can't even catch me." + +Reddy Fox just glared at him for a minute, he was so mad. Then he +sprang straight at Johnny Chuck. + +"I'll show you!" he snarled. + +Now Johnny Chuck had been sitting close beside a hole that Grandfather +Chuck had dug a long time before and which was empty. In a flash +Johnny Chuck disappeared head first in the hole. Now the hole was too +small for Reddy Fox to enter, but he was so angry that he straightway +began to dig it larger. My, how the sand did fly! It poured out +behind Reddy Fox in a stream of shining yellow. + +Johnny Chuck ran down the long tunnel underground until he reached the +end. Then when he heard Reddy Fox digging and knew that he was really +coming, Johnny Chuck began to dig, too, only instead of digging down he +dug up towards the sunshine and the blue sky. + +My, how his short legs did fly and his stout little claws dug into the +soft earth! His little forepaws flew so fast that if you had been +there you could hardly have seen them at all. And with his strong hind +legs he kicked the sand right back into the face of Reddy Fox. + +All the little meadow people gathered around the hole where Johnny +Chuck and Reddy Fox had disappeared. They were very anxious, very +anxious indeed. Would Reddy Fox catch Johnny Chuck? And what would he +do to him? Was all their fun to end in something terrible to +sunny-hearted, merry Johnny Chuck, whom everybody loved? + +All of a sudden, pop! right out of the solid earth among the daisies +and buttercups, just like a jack-in-the-box, came Johnny Chuck! He +looked very warm and a little tired, but he was still chuckling as he +scampered across to another hole of Grandfather Chuck's. + +By and by something else crawled out of the hole Johnny Chuck had made. +Could it be Reddy Fox? Where were his white waistcoat and beautiful +red coat? And was that thing dragging behind him his splendid tail? + +He crept out of the hole and then just lay down and panted for breath. +He was almost too tired to move. Then he began to spit sand out of his +mouth and blow it out of his nose and try to wipe it out of his eyes. +The long hair of his fine coat was filled full of sand and no one would +ever have guessed that this was Reddy Fox. + +"Haw! haw! haw!" shouted Blacky the Crow. + +Then everybody shouted "Haw! haw! haw!" and began to roll in the grass +and hold on to their sides once more; everybody but Reddy Fox. When he +could get his breath he didn't look this way or that way, but just +sneaked off to his home under the big hickory. + +[Illustration: Then everybody shouted "Haw! haw! haw!"] + +And when Old Mother West Wind came with her big bag to take the Merry +Little Breezes to their home behind the Purple Hills, Johnny Chuck +waddled back up the Lone Little Path chuckling to himself, for that +little feeling of discontent was all gone. He had found that after all +he could do something better than anybody else on the Green Meadows, +for in his heart he knew that none could dig so fast as he. + + + + +VII + +JOHNNY CHUCK'S SECRET + +Johnny Chuck pushed up the last bit of gravel from the hole he had dug +between the roots of the old apple tree in a corner of the Green +Meadows. He smoothed it down on the big, yellow mound he had made in +front of his door. Then he sat up very straight on top of the mound, +brushed his coat, shook the sand from his trousers and carefully +cleaned his hands. + +After he had rested a bit, he turned around and looked at his new home, +for that is what it was, although he had not come there to live yet, +and no one knew of it, no one but jolly, round, red Mr. Sun, who, +peeping between the branches of the old apple tree, had caught Johnny +Chuck at work. But _he_ wouldn't tell, not jolly Mr. Sun! Looking +down from the blue sky every day he sees all sorts of queer things and +he learns all kinds of secrets, does Mr. Sun, but he never, never +tells. No, Sir! Mr. Sun never tells one of them, not even to Old +Mother West Wind when at night they go down together behind the Purple +Hills. + +So jolly, round, red Mr. Sun just smiled and smiled when he discovered +Johnny Chuck's secret, for that is just what the new home under the +apple tree was--a secret. Not even the Merry Little Breezes, who find +out almost everything, had discovered it. + +Johnny Chuck chuckled to himself as he planned a back door, a beautiful +back door, hidden behind a tall clump of meadow grass where no one +would think to look for a door. When he had satisfied himself as to +just where he would put it, he once more sat up very straight on his +nice, new mound and looked this way and looked that way to be sure that +no one was near. Then he started for his old home along a secret +little path he had made for himself. + +Pretty soon he came to the Lone Little Path that went past his own +home. He danced and he skipped along the Lone Little Path, and, +because he was so happy, he tried to turn a somersault. But Johnny +Chuck was so round and fat and rolly-poly that he just tumbled over in +a heap. + +"Well, well, well! What's the matter with you?" said a voice close +beside him before he could pick himself up. It was Jimmy Skunk, who +was out looking for some beetles for his dinner. + +Johnny Chuck scrambled to his feet and looked foolish, very foolish +indeed. + +"There's nothing the matter with me, Jimmy Skunk," said Johnny. +"There's nothing the matter with me. It's just because I've got a +secret." + +"A secret!" cried Jimmy Skunk. "What is it?" + +"Yes, a secret, a really, truly secret," said Johnny Chuck, and looked +very important. + +"Tell me, Johnny Chuck. Come on, tell just _me_, and then we'll have +the secret together," begged Jimmy Skunk. + +Now Johnny Chuck was so tickled with his secret that it seemed as if he +_must_ share it with some one. He just couldn't keep it to himself any +longer. + +"You won't tell any one?" said Johnny Chuck. + +Jimmy Skunk promised that he wouldn't tell a soul. + +"Cross your heart," commanded Johnny Chuck. + +Jimmy Skunk crossed his heart. + +Then Johnny Chuck looked this way and looked that way to be sure that +no one was listening. Finally he whispered in Jimmy Skunk's ear: + +"I've got a new home under the old apple tree in a corner of the Green +Meadows," said Johnny Chuck. + +Of course Jimmy Skunk was very much surprised and very much interested, +so Johnny Chuck told him all about it. + +"Now, remember, it's a secret," said Johnny Chuck, as Jimmy Skunk +started off down the Lone Little Path across the Green Meadows, to look +for some beetles. + +"I'll remember," said Jimmy Skunk. + +"And don't tell!" called Johnny Chuck. + +Jimmy Skunk promised that he wouldn't tell. Then Johnny Chuck started +off up the Lone Little Path, whistling, and Jimmy Skunk trotted down +the Lone Little Path onto the Green Meadows. + +Jimmy Skunk was thinking so much about Johnny Chuck's new home that he +quite forgot to look for beetles, and he almost ran into Peter Rabbit. + +"Hello, Jimmy Skunk," said Peter Rabbit, "can't you see where you are +going? It must be you have something on your mind; what is it?" + +"I was thinking of Johnny Chuck's new home," said Jimmy Skunk. + +"Johnny Chuck's new home!" exclaimed Peter Rabbit. "Has Johnny Chuck +got a new home? Where is it?" + +"Under the roots of the old apple tree in a corner of the Green +Meadows," said Jimmy Skunk, and then he clapped both hands over his +mouth. You see he hadn't really meant to tell. It just slipped out. + +"Oh, but it's a secret!" cried Jimmy Skunk. "It's a secret, and you +mustn't tell. I guess Johnny Chuck won't mind if you know, Peter +Rabbit, but you mustn't tell any one else." Peter Rabbit promised he +wouldn't. + +Now Peter Rabbit is very inquisitive, very inquisitive indeed. So as +soon as he had parted from Jimmy Skunk he made up his mind that he must +see the new home of Johnny Chuck. So off he started as fast as he +could go towards the old apple tree in a corner of the Green Meadows. +Half way there he met Reddy Fox. + +"Hello, Peter Rabbit! Where are you going in such a hurry?" asked +Reddy Fox. + +"Over to the old apple tree to see Johnny Chuck's new home," replied +Peter Rabbit as he tried to dodge past Reddy Fox. Then of a sudden he +remembered and clapped both hands over his mouth. + +"Oh, but it's a secret, Reddy Fox. It's a secret, and you mustn't +tell!" cried Peter Rabbit. + +But Reddy Fox wouldn't promise that he wouldn't tell, for in spite of +his handsome coat and fine manners, Reddy Fox is a scamp. And, +besides, he has no love for Johnny Chuck, for he has not forgotten how +Johnny Chuck once made him run and called him a "'fraid cat." + +So when Reddy Fox left Peter Rabbit he grinned a wicked grin and +hurried off to find Bobby Coon. He met him on his way to the Laughing +Brook. Reddy Fox told Bobby Coon all about Johnny Chuck's secret and +then hurried away after Peter Rabbit, for Reddy Fox also is very +inquisitive. + +Bobby Coon went on down to the Laughing Brook. There he met Billy Mink +and told him about the new home Johnny Chuck had made under the old +apple tree in a corner of the Green Meadows. + +Pretty soon Billy Mink met Little Joe Otter and told him. + +Then Little Joe Otter met Jerry Muskrat and told him. + +Jerry Muskrat saw Blacky the Crow and told him, and Great-Grandfather +Frog heard him. + +Blacky the Crow met his first cousin, Sammy Jay, and told him. + +Sammy Jay met Happy Jack Squirrel and told him. + +Happy Jack met his cousin, Striped Chipmunk, and told him. + +Striped Chipmunk passed the house of old Mr. Toad and told him. + +The next morning, very early, before Old Mother West Wind had come down +from the Purple Hills, Johnny Chuck stole over to his new home to begin +work on his new back door. He had hardly begun to dig when he heard +some one cough right behind him. He whirled around and there sat Peter +Rabbit looking as innocent and surprised as if he had really just +discovered the new home for the first time. + +"What a splendid new home you have, Johnny Chuck!" said Peter Rabbit. + +"Y--e--s," said Johnny Chuck, slowly. "It's a secret," he added +suddenly. "You won't tell, will you, Peter Rabbit?" + +Peter Rabbit promised that he wouldn't tell. Then Johnny Chuck felt +better and went back to work as soon as Peter Rabbit left. + +He had hardly begun, however, when some one just above him said: "Good +morning, Johnny Chuck." + +Johnny Chuck looked up and there in the old apple tree sat Blacky the +Crow and his cousin, Sammy Jay. + +Just then there was a rustle in the grass and out popped Billy Mink and +Little Joe Otter and Jerry Muskrat and Happy Jack Squirrel and Striped +Chipmunk and Bobby Coon. When Johnny Chuck had recovered from his +surprise and looked over to the doorway of his new home there sat Reddy +Fox on Johnny Chuck's precious new mound. It seemed as if all the +little meadow people were there, all but Jimmy Skunk, who wisely stayed +away. + +"We've come to see your new home," said Striped Chipmunk, "and we think +it's the nicest home we've seen for a long time." + +"It's so nicely hidden away, it's really quite secret," said Reddy Fox, +grinning wickedly. + +Just then up raced the Merry Little Breezes and one of them had a +message for Johnny Chuck from Great-Grandfather Frog. It was this: + +"Whisper a secret to a friend and you shout it in the ear of the whole +world." + +After every one had admired the new home, they said good-bye and +scattered over the Green Meadows. Then Johnny Chuck began to dig +again, but this time he wasn't making his new back door. No indeed! +Johnny Chuck was digging at that new mound of yellow gravel of which he +had been so proud. Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun blinked to be sure that +he saw aright, for Johnny Chuck was _filling up his new home_ between +the roots of the old apple tree. When he got through, there wasn't any +new home. + +Then Johnny Chuck brushed his coat carefully, shook the sand out of his +trousers, wiped his hands and started off for his old home. And this +time he didn't take his special hidden path, for Johnny Chuck didn't +care who saw him go. + +Late that afternoon, Johnny Chuck sat on his old doorstep, with his +chin in his hands, watching Old Mother West Wind gathering her Merry +Little Breezes into the big bag in which she carries them to their home +behind the Purple Hills. + +"'Whisper a secret to a friend and you shout it in the ear of the whole +world.' Now what did Grandfather Frog mean by that?" thought Johnny +Chuck. "Now I didn't tell anybody but Jimmy Skunk and Jimmy Skunk +didn't tell anyone but Peter Rabbit and--and--" + +Then Johnny Chuck began to chuckle and finally to laugh. "'Whisper a +secret to a friend and you shout it in the ear of the whole world.' My +gracious, what a loud voice I must have had and didn't know it!" said +Johnny Chuck, wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes. + +And the next day Johnny Chuck started to make a new home. Where? Oh, +that's Johnny Chuck's secret. And no one but jolly, round, red Mr. Sun +has found it out yet. + + + + +VIII + +JOHNNY CHUCK'S GREAT FIGHT + +Johnny Chuck sat on the doorstep of his new home, looking away across +the Green Meadows. Johnny Chuck felt very well satisfied with himself +and with all the world. He yawned lazily and stretched and stretched +and then settled himself comfortably to watch the Merry Little Breezes +playing down by the Smiling Pool. + +By and by he saw Peter Rabbit go bobbing along down the Lone Little +Path. Lipperty, lipperty, lip, went Peter Rabbit and every other jump +he looked behind him. + +"Now what is Peter Rabbit up to?" said Johnny Chuck to himself, "and +what does he keep looking behind him for?" + +Johnny Chuck sat up a little straighter to watch Peter Rabbit hop down +the Lone Little Path. Then of a sudden he caught sight of something +that made him sit up straighter than ever and open his eyes very wide. +Something was following Peter Rabbit. Yes, Sir, something was bobbing +along right at Peter Rabbit's heels. + +Johnny Chuck forgot the Merry Little Breezes. He forgot how warm it +was and how lazy he felt. He forgot everything else in his curiosity +to learn what it could be following so closely at Peter Rabbit's heels. + +Presently Peter Rabbit stopped and sat up very straight and +then--Johnny Chuck nearly tumbled over in sheer surprise! He rubbed +his eyes to make sure that he saw aright, for there were two Peter +Rabbits! Yes, Sir, there were _two_ Peter Rabbits, only one was very +small, very small indeed. + +"Oh!" said Johnny Chuck, "that must be Peter Rabbit's baby brother!" + +Then he began to chuckle till his fat sides shook. There sat Peter +Rabbit with his funny long ears standing straight up, and there right +behind him, dressed exactly like him, sat Peter Rabbit's baby brother +with _his_ funny little long ears standing straight up. When Peter +Rabbit wiggled _his_ right ear, his baby brother wiggled his right ear. +When Peter Rabbit scratched his left ear, his baby brother scratched +_his_ left ear. Whatever Peter Rabbit did, his baby brother did too. + +Presently Peter Rabbit started on down the Lone Little Path--lipperty, +lipperty, lip, and right at his heels went his baby brother--lipperty, +lipperty, lip. Johnny Chuck watched them out of sight, and then he +settled himself on his doorstep once more to enjoy a sun bath. Every +once in a while he chuckled to himself as he remembered how funny Peter +Rabbit's baby brother had looked. Presently Johnny Chuck fell asleep. + +Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun had climbed quite high in the sky when Johnny +Chuck awoke. He yawned and stretched and stretched and yawned, and +then he sat up to look over the Green Meadows. Then he became wide +awake, very wide awake indeed! Way down on the Green Meadows he caught +a glimpse of something red jumping about in the long meadow grass. + +"That must be Reddy Fox," thought Johnny Chuck. "Yes, it surely is +Reddy Fox. Now I wonder what mischief he is up to." + +Then he saw all the Merry Little Breezes racing towards Reddy Fox as +fast as they could go. And there was Sammy Jay screaming at the top of +his voice, and his cousin, Blacky the Crow. Happy Jack Squirrel was +dancing up and down excitedly on the branch of an old elm close by. + +Johnny Chuck waited to see no more, but started down the Lone Little +Path to find out what it all was about. Half way down the Lone Little +Path he met Peter Rabbit running as hard as he could. His long ears +were laid flat back, his big eyes seemed to pop right out of his head, +and he was running as Johnny Chuck had never seen him run before. + +"What are you running so for, Peter Rabbit?" asked Johnny Chuck. + +"To get Bowser the Hound," shouted Peter Rabbit over his shoulder, as +he tried to run faster. + +"Now what can be the matter?" said Johnny Chuck to himself, "to send +Peter Rabbit after Bowser the Hound?" He knew that, like all the other +little meadow people, there was nothing of which Peter Rabbit was so +afraid as Farmer Brown's great dog, Bowser the Hound. + +Johnny Chuck hurried down the Lone Little Path as fast as his short +legs could take his fat, rolly-poly self. + +Presently he came out onto the Green Meadows, and there he saw a sight +that set every nerve in his round little body a-tingle with rage. + +Reddy Fox had found Peter Rabbit's baby brother and was doing his best +to frighten him to death. + +"I'm going to eat you now," shouted Reddy Fox, and then he sprang on +Peter Rabbit's baby brother and gave him a cuff that sent him heels +over head sprawling in the grass. + +"Coward! Coward, Reddy Fox!" shrieked Sammy Jay. + +"Shame! Shame!" shouted the Merry Little Breezes. + +"You're nothing but a great big bully!" yelled Blacky the Crow. + +But no one did anything to help Peter Rabbit's baby brother, for Reddy +Fox is so much bigger than any of the rest of them, except Bobby Coon, +that all the little meadow people are afraid of him. + +But Reddy Fox just laughed at them, and nipped the long ears of Peter +Rabbit's little brother so hard that he cried with the pain. + +Now all were so intent watching Reddy Fox torment the baby brother of +Peter Rabbit that no one had seen Johnny Chuck coming down the Lone +Little Path. And for a few minutes no one recognized the furious +little yellow-brown bundle that suddenly knocked Reddy Fox over and +seized him by the throat. You see it didn't look a bit like Johnny +Chuck. Every hair was standing on end, he was so mad, and this made +him appear twice as big as they had ever seen him before. + +"Coward! Coward! Coward!" shrieked Johnny Chuck as he shook Reddy Fox +by the throat. And then began the greatest fight that the Green +Meadows had ever seen. + +Now Johnny Chuck is not naturally a fighter. Oh my, no! He is so +good-natured and so sunny-hearted that he seldom quarrels with any one. +But when he has to fight, there isn't a cowardly hair on him, not the +teeniest, weeniest one. No one ever has a chance to cry, "'Fraid cat! +Cry baby!" after Johnny Chuck. + +So though, like all the other little meadow people, he was usually just +a little afraid of Reddy Fox, because Reddy is so much bigger, he +forgot all about it as soon as he caught sight of Reddy Fox tormenting +Peter Rabbit's little brother. He didn't stop to think of what might +happen to himself. He didn't stop to think at all. He just gritted +his teeth and in a flash had Reddy Fox on his back. + +Such a fight was never seen before on the Green Meadows! Reddy Fox is +a bully and a coward, for he never fights with any one of his own size +if he can help it, but when he has to fight, he fights hard. And he +certainly had to fight now. + +"Bully!" hissed Johnny Chuck as with his stout little hind feet he +ripped the bright red coat of Reddy Fox. "You great big bully!" + +Over and over they rolled, Johnny Chuck on top, then Reddy Fox on top, +then Johnny Chuck up again, clawing and snarling. + +It seemed as if news of the fight had gone over all the Green Meadows, +for the little meadow people came running from every direction--Billy +Mink, Little Joe Otter, Jerry Muskrat, Striped Chipmunk, Jimmy Skunk, +old Mr. Toad. Even Great-Grandfather Frog, who left his big lily pad, +and came hurrying with great jumps across the Green Meadows. They +formed a ring around Reddy Fox and Johnny Chuck and danced with +excitement. And all wanted Johnny Chuck to win. + +Peter Rabbit's poor little brother, so sore and lame from the knocking +about from Reddy Fox, and so frightened that he hardly dared breathe, +lay flat on the ground under a little bush and was forgotten by all but +the Merry Little Breezes, who covered him up with some dead grass, and +kissed him and whispered to him not to be afraid now. How Peter +Rabbit's little brother did hope that Johnny Chuck would win! His +great, big, round, soft eyes were wide with terror as he thought of +what might happen to him if Reddy Fox should whip Johnny Chuck. + +But Reddy Fox wasn't whipping Johnny Chuck. Try as he would, he could +not get a good hold on that round, fat, little body. And Johnny +Chuck's stout claws were ripping his red coat and white vest and Johnny +Chuck's sharp teeth were gripping him so that they could not be shaken +loose. Pretty soon Reddy Fox began to think of nothing but getting +away. Every one was shouting for Johnny Chuck. Every time Reddy Fox +was underneath, he would hear a great shout from all the little meadow +people, and he knew that they were glad. + +Now Johnny Chuck was round and fat and rolly-poly, and when one is +round and fat and rolly-poly, one's breath is apt to be short. So it +was with Johnny Chuck. He had fought so hard that his breath was +nearly gone. Finally he loosed his hold on Reddy Fox for just a second +to draw in a good breath. Reddy Fox saw his chance, and, with a quick +pull and spring, he broke away. + +How all the little meadow people did scatter! You see they were very +brave, very brave indeed, so long as Johnny Chuck had Reddy Fox down, +but now that Reddy Fox was free, each one was suddenly afraid and +thought only of himself. Jimmy Skunk knocked Jerry Muskrat flat in his +hurry to get away. Billy Mink trod on Great-Grandfather Frog's big +feet and didn't even say "Excuse me." Striped Chipmunk ran head first +into a big thistle and squealed as much from fear as pain. + +But Reddy Fox paid no attention to any of them. He just wanted to get +away, and off he started, limping as fast as he could go up the Lone +Little Path. Such a looking sight! His beautiful red coat was in +tatters. His face was scratched. He hobbled as he ran. And just as +he broke away, Johnny Chuck made a grab and pulled a great mouthful of +hair out of the splendid tail Reddy Fox was so proud of. + +When the little meadow people saw that Reddy Fox was actually running +away, they stopped running themselves, and all began to shout: "Reddy +Fox is a coward and a bully! Coward! Coward!" Then they crowded +around Johnny Chuck and all began talking at once about his great fight. + +Just then they heard a great noise up on the hill. They saw Reddy Fox +coming back down the Lone Little Path, and he was using his legs just +as well as he knew how. Right behind him, his great mouth open and +waking all the echoes with his big voice, was Bowser the Hound. + +You see, although Peter Rabbit couldn't fight for his little baby +brother and is usually very, very timid, he isn't altogether a coward. +Indeed, he had been very brave, very brave indeed. He had gone up to +Farmer Brown's and had jumped right under the nose of Bowser the Hound. +Now that is something that Bowser the Hound never can stand. So off he +had started after Peter Rabbit. And Peter Rabbit had started back for +the Green Meadows as fast as his long legs could take him, for he knew +that if once Bowser the Hound caught sight of Reddy Fox, he would +forget all about such a little thing as a saucy rabbit. + +Sure enough, half way down the Lone Little Path they met Reddy Fox +sneaking off home, and, when Bowser the Hound saw him, he straightway +forgot all about Peter Rabbit, and, with a great roar, started after +Reddy Fox. + +When Johnny Chuck had carefully brushed his coat and all the little +meadow people had wished him good luck, he started off up the Lone +Little Path for home, the Merry Little Breezes dancing ahead and Peter +Rabbit coming lipperty, lipperty, lip behind, and right between them +hopped Peter Rabbit's little brother, who thought Johnny Chuck the +greatest hero in the world. + +When they reached Johnny Chuck's old home, Peter Rabbit and Peter +Rabbit's little brother tried to tell him how thankful they were to +him, but Johnny Chuck just laughed and said: "It was nothing at all, +just nothing at all." + +When at last all had gone, even the Merry Little Breezes, Johnny Chuck +slipped away to his new home, which is his secret, you know, which no +one knows but jolly, round, red Mr. Sun, who won't tell. + +"I hope," said Johnny Chuck, as he stretched himself out on the mound +of warm sand by his doorway, for he was very tired, "I hope," said +Johnny Chuck, sighing contentedly, "that Reddy Fox got away from Bowser +the Hound!" + +And Reddy Fox did. + + + + +IX + +MR. TOAD'S OLD SUIT + +Peter Rabbit was tired and very sleepy as he hopped along the Crooked +Little Path down the hill. He could see Old Mother West Wind just +emptying her Merry Little Breezes out of her big bag onto the Green +Meadows to play all the bright summer day. Peter Rabbit yawned and +yawned again as he watched them dance over to the Smiling Pool. Then +he hopped on down the Crooked Little Path towards home. + +Sammy Jay, sitting on a fence post, saw him coming. + + "Peter Rabbit out all night! + Oh my goodness what a sight! + Peter Rabbit, reprobate! + No good end will be your fate!" + +shouted Sammy Jay. + +Peter Rabbit ran out his tongue at Sammy Jay. + +"Who stole Happy Jack's nuts? Thief! Thief! Thief!" shouted Peter +Rabbit at Sammy Jay, and kept on down the Crooked Little Path. + +It was true--Peter Rabbit had been out all night playing in the +moonlight, stealing a midnight feast in Farmer Brown's cabbage patch +and getting into mischief with Bobby Coon. Now when most of the little +meadow people were just waking up Peter Rabbit was thinking of bed. + +Presently he came to a big piece of bark which is the roof of Mr. +Toad's house. Mr. Toad was sitting in his doorway blinking at jolly, +round, red Mr. Sun, who had just begun to climb up the sky. + +"Good morning, Mr. Toad," said Peter Rabbit. + +"Good morning," said Mr. Toad. + +"You're looking very fine this morning, Mr. Toad," said Peter Rabbit. + +"I'm feeling very fine this morning," said Mr. Toad. + +"Why, my gracious, you have on a new suit, Mr. Toad!" exclaimed Peter +Rabbit. + +"Well, what if I have, Peter Rabbit?" demanded Mr. Toad. + +"Oh, nothing, nothing, nothing at all, Mr. Toad, nothing at all," said +Peter Rabbit hastily, "only I didn't know you ever had a new suit. +What have you done with your old suit, Mr. Toad?" + +"Swallowed it," said Mr. Toad shortly, turning his back on Peter Rabbit. + +And that was all Peter Rabbit could get out of Mr. Toad, so he started +on down the Crooked Little Path. Now Peter Rabbit has a great deal of +curiosity and is forever poking into other people's affairs. The more +he thought about it the more he wondered what Mr. Toad could have done +with his old suit. Of course he hadn't _swallowed_ it! Who ever heard +of such a thing! The more he thought of it the more Peter Rabbit felt +that he must know what Mr. Toad had done with his old suit. By this +time he had forgotten that he had been out all night. He had forgotten +that he was sleepy. He had got to find out about Mr. Toad's old suit. + +"I'll just run over to the Smiling Pool and ask Grandfather Frog. +He'll surely know what Mr. Toad does with his old suits," said Peter +Rabbit, and began to hop faster. + +When he reached the Smiling Pool there sat Great-Grandfather Frog on +his big green lily pad as usual. There was a hungry look in his big +goggly eyes, for it was so early that no foolish, green flies had come +his way yet. But Peter Rabbit was too full of curiosity in Mr. Toad's +affairs to notice this. + +"Good morning, Grandfather Frog," said Peter Rabbit. + +"Good morning," replied Grandfather Frog a wee bit gruffly. + +"You're looking very fine this morning, Grandfather Frog," said Peter +Rabbit. + +"Not so fine as I'd feel if I had a few fat, foolish, green flies," +said Grandfather Frog. + +"I've just met your cousin, Mr. Toad, and he has on a new suit," said +Peter Rabbit. + +"Indeed!" replied Grandfather Frog. "Well, I think it's high time." + +"What does Mr. Toad do with his old suit, Grandfather Frog?" asked +Peter Rabbit. + +"Chug-a-rum! It's none of my business. Maybe he swallows it," replied +Grandfather Frog crossly, and turned his back on Peter Rabbit. + +Peter Rabbit saw that his curiosity must remain unsatisfied. He +suddenly remembered that he had been out all night and was very, very +sleepy, so he started off home across the Green Meadows. + +Now the Merry Little Breezes had heard all that Peter Rabbit and +Grandfather Frog had said, and they made up their minds that they would +find out from Grandfather Frog what Mr. Toad really did do with his old +suit. First of all they scattered over the Green Meadows. Presently +back they all came, each blowing ahead of him a fat, foolish, green +fly. Right over to the big green lily pad they blew the green flies. + +"Chug-a-rum! Chug-a-rum! Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog, as each +fat, foolish, green fly disappeared inside his white and yellow +waistcoat. When the last one was out of sight, all but a leg which was +left sticking out of a corner of Grandfather Frog's big mouth, one of +the Merry Little Breezes ventured to ask him what became of Mr. Toad's +old suit. + +Grandfather Frog settled himself comfortably on the big green lily pad +and folded his hands across his white and yellow waistcoat. + +"Chug-a-rum," began Grandfather Frog. "Once upon a time--" + +The Merry Little Breezes clapped their hands and settled themselves +among the buttercups and daisies, for they knew that soon they would +know what Mr. Toad did with his old suit. + +"Once upon a time," began Grandfather Frog again, "when the world was +young, old King Bear received word that old Mother Nature would visit +the Green Meadows and the Green Forest. Of course old King Bear wanted +his kingdom and his subjects to look their very best, so he issued a +royal order that every one of the little meadow people and every one of +the little forest folk should wear a new suit on the day that old +Mother Nature was to pay her visit. + +"Now like old King Bear, every one wanted to appear his very best +before old Mother Nature, but as no one knew the exact day she was to +come, every one began at once to wear his best suit, and to take the +greatest care of it. Old King Bear appeared every day in a suit of +glossy black. Lightfoot the Deer, threw away his dingy gray suit, and +put on a coat of beautiful red and fawn. Mr. Mink, Mr. Otter, Mr. +Muskrat, Mr. Rabbit, Mr. Woodchuck, Mr. Coon, who you know was first +cousin to old King Bear, Mr. Gray Squirrel, Mr. Fox Squirrel, Mr. Red +Squirrel, all put on brand new suits. Mr. Skunk changed his black and +white stripes for a suit of all black, very handsome, very handsome +indeed. Mr. Chipmunk took care to see that his new suit had the most +beautiful stripes to be obtained. + +"Mr. Jay, who was something of a dandy, had a wonderful new coat that +looked for all the world as it if had been cut from the bluest patch of +sky and trimmed with edging taken from the whitest clouds. Even Mr. +Crow and Mr. Owl took pains to look their very best. + +"But Mr. Toad couldn't see the need of such a fuss. He thought his +neighbors spent altogether too much time and thought on dress. To be +sure he was anxious to look his best when old Mother Nature came, so he +got a new suit all ready. But Mr. Toad couldn't afford to sit around +in idleness admiring his new clothes. No indeed! Mr. Toad had too +much to do. He was altogether too busy. He had a large garden to take +care of, had Mr. Toad, and work in a garden is very hard on clothes. +So Mr. Toad just wore his old suit over his new one and went on about +his business. + +"By and by the great day came when old Mother Nature arrived to inspect +the kingdom of old King Bear. All the little meadow people and all the +little forest folk hastened to pay their respects to old Mother Nature +and to strut about in their fine clothes--all but Mr. Toad. He was so +busy that he didn't even know that old Mother Nature had arrived. + +"Late in the afternoon, Mr. Toad stopped to rest. He had just cleared +his cabbage patch of the slugs which threatened to eat up his crop and +he was very tired. Presently he happened to look up the road, and who +should he see but old Mother Nature herself coming to visit his garden +and to find out why Mr. Toad had not been to pay her his respects. + +"Suddenly Mr. Toad remembered that he had on his working clothes, which +were very old, very dirty and very ragged. For just a minute he didn't +know what to do. Then he dived under a cabbage leaf and began to pull +off his old suit. But the old suit stuck! He was in such a hurry and +so excited that he couldn't find the buttons. Finally he got his +trousers off. Then he reached over and got hold of the back of his +coat and tugged and hauled until finally he pulled his old coat off +right over his head just as if it were a shirt. + +"Mr. Toad gave a great sigh of relief as he stepped out in his new +suit, for you remember that he had been wearing that new suit +underneath the old one all the time. + +"Mr. Toad was very well pleased with himself until he thought how +terribly untidy that ragged old suit looked lying on the ground. What +should he do with it? He couldn't hide it in the garden, for old +Mother Nature's eyes are so sharp that she would be sure to see it. +What should he do? + +"Then Mr. Toad had a happy thought. Every one made fun of his big +mouth. But what was a big mouth for if not to use? He would swallow +his old suit! In a flash Mr. Toad dived under the cabbage leaf and +crammed his old suit into his mouth. + +"When old Mother Nature came into the garden, Mr. Toad was waiting in +the path to receive her. Very fine he looked in his new suit and you +would have thought he had been waiting all day to receive old Mother +Nature, but for one thing--swallow as much and as hard as he would, he +couldn't get down quite all of his old suit, and a leg of his trousers +hung out of a corner of his big mouth. + +"Of course old Mother Nature saw it right away. And how she did laugh! +And of course Mr. Toad felt very much mortified. But Mother Nature was +so pleased with Mr. Toad's garden and with Mr. Toad's industry that she +quite overlooked the ragged trousers leg hanging from the corner of Mr. +Toad's mouth. + +"'Fine clothes arc not to be compared with fine work,' said old Mother +Nature. 'I herewith appoint you my chief gardener, Mr. Toad. And as a +sign that all may know that this is so, hereafter you shall always +swallow your old suit whenever you change your clothes!' + +"And from that day to this the toads have been the very best of +gardeners. And in memory of their great, great, great-grandfather a +thousand times removed they have always swallowed their old suits. + +"Now you know what my cousin, old Mr. Toad, did with his old suit just +before Peter Rabbit passed his house this morning," concluded +Great-Grandfather Frog. + +"Oh," cried the Merry Little Breezes, "thank you, thank you, +Grandfather Frog!" + +Then they raced away across the Green Meadows and up the Crooked Little +Path to see if old Mr. Toad was gardening. And Peter Rabbit still +wonders what old Mr. Toad did with his old suit. + + + + +X + +GRANDFATHER FROG GETS EVEN + +Old Grandfather Frog sat on his big green lily pad in the Smiling Pool +dreaming of the days when the world was young and the frogs ruled the +world. His hands were folded across his white and yellow waistcoat. +Round, red, smiling Mr. Sun sent down his warmest rays on the back of +Grandfather Frog's green coat. + +Very early that morning Old Mother West Wind, hurrying down from the +Purple Hills on her way to help the white-sailed ships across the great +ocean, had stopped long enough to blow three or four fat, foolish, +green flies over to the big lily pad, and they were now safely inside +the white and yellow waistcoat. A thousand little tadpoles, the great, +great-grandchildren of Grandfather Frog, were playing in the Smiling +Pool, and every once in a while wriggling up to the big lily pad to +look with awe at Grandfather Frog and wonder if they would ever be as +handsome and big and wise as he. + +And still old Grandfather Frog sat dreaming and dreaming of the days +when all the frogs had tails and ruled the world. + +Presently Billy Mink came hopping and skipping down the Laughing Brook. +Sometimes he swam a little way and sometimes he ran a little way along +the bank, and sometimes he jumped from stone to stone. Billy Mink was +feeling very good--very good indeed. He had caught a fine fat trout +for breakfast. He had hidden two more away for dinner in a snug little +hole no one knew of but himself. Now he had nothing to do but get into +mischief. You can always depend upon Billy Mink to get into mischief. +He just can't help it. + +So Billy Mink came hopping and skipping down the Laughing Brook to the +Smiling Pool. Then he stopped, as still as the rock he was standing +on, and peeped through the bulrushes. Billy Mink is very cautious, +very cautious indeed. He always looks well before he shows himself, +that nothing may surprise him. + +So Billy Mink looked all over the Smiling Pool and the grassy banks. +He saw the sunbeams dancing on the water. He saw the tadpoles having +such a good time in the Smiling Pool. He saw the Merry Little Breezes +kissing the buttercups and daisies on the bank, and he saw old +Grandfather Frog with his hands folded across his white, and yellow +waistcoat sitting on the green lily pad, dreaming of the days when the +world was young. + +Then Billy Mink took a long breath, a very long breath, and dived into +the Smiling Pool. Now, Billy Mink can swim very fast, very fast +indeed. For a little way he can swim even faster than Mr. Trout. And +he can stay under water a long time. + +Straight across the Smiling Pool, with not even the tip of his nose out +of water, swam Billy Mink. The thousand little tadpoles saw him coming +and fled in all directions to bury themselves in the mud at the bottom +of the Smiling Pool, for when he thinks no one is looking Billy Mink +sometimes gobbles up a fat tadpole for breakfast. + +Straight across the Smiling Pool swam Billy Mink toward the big green +lily pad where Grandfather Frog sat dreaming of the days when the world +was young. When he was right under the big green lily pad he suddenly +kicked up hard with his hind feet. Up went the big green lily pad, +and, of course, up went Grandfather Frog--up and over flat on his back, +with a great splash into the Smiling Pool! + +Now, Grandfather Frog's mouth is very big. Indeed, no one else has so +big a mouth, unless it be his cousin, old Mr. Toad. And when +Grandfather Frog went over flat on his back, splash in the Smiling +Pool, his mouth was wide open. + +You see he was so surprised he forgot to close it. So, of course, +Grandfather Frog swallowed a great deal of water, and he choked and +spluttered and swam around in foolish little circles trying to find +himself. Finally he climbed out on his big green lily pad. + +[Illustration: He was so surprised he forgot to close it.] + +"Chug-a-rum?" said Grandfather Frog, and looked this way and looked +that way. Then he gave a funny hop and turned about in the opposite +direction and looked this way and looked that way, but all he saw was +the Smiling Pool dimpling and smiling, Mrs. Redwing bringing a fat worm +to her hungry little babies in their snug nest in the bulrushes, and +the Merry Little Breezes hurrying over to see what the trouble might be. + +"Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog. "It is very strange. I must have +fallen asleep and had a bad dream." + +Then he once more settled himself comfortably on the big green lily +pad, folded his hands across his white and yellow waistcoat, and seemed +to be dreaming again, only his big goggly eyes were not dreaming. No, +indeed! They were very much awake, and they saw all that was going on +in the Smiling Pool. Great-Grandfather Frog was just pretending. You +may fool him once, but Grandfather Frog has lived so long that he has +become very wise, and though Billy Mink is very smart, it takes some +one a great deal smarter than Billy Mink to fool Grandfather Frog twice +in the same way. + +Billy Mink, hiding behind the Big Rock, had laughed and laughed till he +had to hold his sides when Grandfather Frog had choked and spluttered +and hopped about on the big lily pad trying to find out what it all +meant. He thought it such a good joke that he couldn't keep it to +himself, so when he saw Little Joe Otter coming to try his slippery +slide he swam across to tell him all about it. Little Joe Otter +laughed and laughed until he had to hold his sides. Then they both +swam back to hide behind the Big Rock to watch until Grandfather Frog +should forget all about it, and they could play the trick over again. + +Now, out of the corner of one of his big goggly eyes, Grandfather Frog +had seen Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter with their heads close +together, laughing and holding their sides, and he saw them swim over +behind the Big Rock. Pretty soon one of the Merry Little Breezes +danced over to see if Grandfather Frog had really gone to sleep. +Grandfather Frog didn't move, not the teeniest, weeniest bit, but he +whispered something to the Merry Little Breeze, and the Merry Little +Breeze flew away, shaking with laughter, to where the other Merry +Little Breezes were playing with the buttercups and daisies. + +Then all the Merry Little Breezes clapped their hands and laughed too. +They left the buttercups and daisies and began to play tag across the +Smiling Pool. + +Now, right on the edge of the Big Rock lay a big stick. Pretty soon +the Merry Little Breezes danced over to the Big Rock, and then, +suddenly, all together they gave the big stick a push. Off it went, +and then such a splashing and squealing as there was behind the Big +Rock! + +In a few moments Little Joe Otter crept out beside his slippery slide +and slipped away holding on to his head. And, sneaking through the +bulrushes, so as not to be seen, crawled Billy Mink, back towards his +home on the Laughing Brook. Billy Mink wasn't laughing now. Oh, no! +He was limping and he was holding on to his head. Little Joe Otter and +Billy Mink had been sitting right underneath the big stick. + +"Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog and held on to his sides and opened +his mouth very wide in a noiseless laugh, for Grandfather Frog never +makes a sound when he laughs. + +"Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog once more. Then he folded his +hands across his white and yellow waistcoat and began again to dream of +the days when the frogs had long tails and ruled the world. + + + + +XI + +THE DISAPPOINTED BUSH + +Way down beside the Laughing Brook grew a little bush. It looked a +whole lot like other little bushes all around it. But really it was +quite different, as you shall see. When in the spring warm, jolly, +round Mr. Sun brought back the birds and set them singing, when the +little flowers popped their heads out of the ground to have a look +around, then all the little bushes put out their green leaves. + +This little bush of which I am telling you put out its green leaves +with the rest. The little leaves grew bigger and bigger on all the +little bushes. By and by on some of the other little bushes, little +brown buds began to appear and grow and grow. Then on more and more of +the little bushes the little brown buds came and grew and grew. But on +this little bush of which I am telling you no little brown buds +appeared. The little bush felt very sad indeed. + +Pretty soon all the little brown buds on the other little brown bushes +burst their brown coats, and then all the little bushes were covered +with little flowers. Some were white and some were yellow and some +were pink; and the air was filled with the sweet odor of all the little +flowers. It brought the bees from far, far away to gather the honey, +and all the little bushes were very happy indeed. + +But the little bush of which I am telling you had no little flowers, +for you see it had had no little buds, and it felt lonely and shut away +from the other little bushes, and very sad indeed. But it bravely kept +on growing and growing and growing. Its little leaves grew bigger and +bigger and bigger, and it tried its best not to mind because it had no +little flowers. + +Then one by one, and two by two, and three by three, and finally in +whole showers, the little flowers of all the other little bushes fell +off, and they looked very much like the little bush of which I am +telling you, so that the little bush no longer felt sad. + +All summer long all the little bushes grew and grew and grew. The +birds came and built their nests among them. Peter Rabbit and his +brothers and sisters scampered under them. The butterflies flew over +them. + +By and by came the fall, and with the fall came Jack Frost. He went +about among the little bushes, pinching the leaves. Then the little +green leaves turned to brown and red and yellow and pretty soon they +fluttered down to the ground, the Merry Little Breezes blew them about +and all the little bushes were bare. They had no leaves at all to +cover their little naked brown limbs. + +The little bush of which I am telling you lost its leaves with the +rest. But all the summer long this little bush had been growing some +of those little brown buds, which the other bushes had had in the +spring, and now, when all the other little bushes had lost all the +green leaves, and had nothing at all upon their little brown twigs, +behold! one beautiful day, the little bush of which I am telling you +was covered with gold, for each little brown bud had burst its little +brown coat and there was a beautiful little yellow flower. Such a +multitude of these little yellow flowers! They covered the little bush +from top to bottom. Then the little bush felt very happy indeed, for +it was the only bush which had any flowers. And every one who passed +that way stopped to look at it and to praise it. + +Colder grew the weather and colder. Johnny Chuck tucked himself away +to sleep all winter. Grandfather Frog went deep, deep down in the mud, +not to come out again until spring. By and by the little yellow +flowers dropped off the little bush, just as the other little flowers +in spring had dropped off the other bushes. But they left behind them +tiny little packages, one for every little flower that had been on the +bush. All winter long these little packages clung to the little bush. +In the spring when the little leaves burst forth in all the little +bushes, these little packages on the little bush of which I am telling +you grew and grew and grew. While the other little bushes had a lot of +little flowers as they had had the year before, these little brown +packages on the little bush of which I am telling you kept on growing. +And they comforted the little bush because it felt that it really had +something worth while. + +All the summer long the little brown packages grew and grew until they +looked like little nuts. When the fall came again and all the little +leaves dropped off all the little bushes, and the little bush of which +I am telling you was covered with another lot of little yellow flowers +and was very happy, then these little brown nuts, one bright autumn +day, suddenly popped open! And out of each one flew two brown shiny +little seeds. You never saw such a popping and a snapping and a +jumping! Pop! pop! snap! snap! hippetty hop! they went, faster than +the corn pops in the corn popper. Reddy Fox, who always is suspicious, +thought some one was shooting at him. Down on the ground fell the +little brown shining seeds and tucked themselves into the warm earth +under the warm leaves, there to stay all winter long. + +And when the third spring came with all its little birds and all its +little flowers and the warm sunshine, every one of these little brown +seeds which had tucked themselves into the warm earth, burst its little +brown skin, and up into the sunshine came a little green plant, which +would grow and grow and grow, and by and by become just like the little +bush I am telling you about. + +When the little bush looked down and saw all these little green +children popping out of the ground, it was very happy indeed, for it +knew that it would no longer be lonely. It no longer felt bad when all +the other bushes were covered with flowers, for it knew that by and by +when all the other little bushes had lost all their leaves and all +their flowers, then would come its turn, and it knew that for a whole +year its little brown children would be held safe on its branches. + +Now, what do you think is the name of this little bush? Why, it is the +witch hazel. And sometime when you fall down and bump yourself hard +grandma will go to the medicine closet and will bring out a bottle, and +from that bottle she will pour something on that little sore place and +it will make it feel better. Do you know what it is? It is the gift +of the witch hazel bush to little boys and big men to make them feel +better when they are hurt. + + + + +XII + +WHY BOBBY COON WASHES HIS FOOD + +Happy-Go-Lucky Bobby Coon sat on the edge of the Laughing Brook just as +round, red Mr. Sun popped up from behind the Purple Hills and Old +Mother West Wind turned all her Merry Little Breezes out to romp on the +Green Meadows. + +Bobby Coon had been out all night. You see Bobby Coon is very apt to +get into mischief, and because usually it is safer to get into mischief +under cover of the darkness Bobby Coon prefers the night wherein to go +abroad. Not that Bobby Coon is really bad! Oh my, no! Everybody +likes Bobby Coon. But he can no more keep out of mischief than a duck +can keep out of water. + +So Bobby Coon sat on the edge of the Laughing Brook and he was very +busy, very busy indeed. He was washing his breakfast. Really, it was +his dinner, for turning night into day just turns everything +topsy-turvy. So Bobby Coon eats dinner when most of the little meadow +people are eating breakfast. + +This morning he was very busy washing a luscious ear of sweet corn just +in the milk. He dipped it in the water and with one little black paw +rubbed it thoroughly. Then he looked it over carefully before, with a +sigh of contentment, he sat down to put it in his empty little stomach. +When he had finished it to the last sweet, juicy kernel, he ambled +sleepily up the Lone Little Path to the big hollow chestnut tree where +he lives, and in its great hollow in a soft bed of leaves Bobby Coon +curled himself up in a tight little ball to sleep the long, bright day +away. + +One of the Merry Little Breezes softly followed him. When he had +crawled into the hollow chestnut and only his funny, ringed tail hung +out, the Merry Little Breezes tweaked it sharply just for fun, and then +danced away down the Lone Little Path to join the other Merry Little +Breezes around the Smiling Pool. + +"Oh! Grandfather Frog," cried a Merry Little Breeze, "tell us why it +is that Bobby Coon always washes his food. He never eats it where he +gets it or takes it home to his hollow in the big chestnut, but always +comes to the Laughing Brook to wash it. None of the other meadow +people do that." + +Now Great-Grandfather Frog is counted very wise. He is very, very old +and he knows the history of all the tribes of little meadow people way +back to the time when the frogs ruled the world. + +When the Merry Little Breeze asked him why Bobby Coon always washes his +food, Grandfather Frog stopped to snap up a particularly fat, foolish, +green fly that came his way. Then, while all the Merry Little Breezes +gathered around him, he settled himself on his big green lily pad and +began: + +"Once upon a time, when the world was young, old King Bear ruled in the +Green Forest. Of course old Mother Nature, who was even more beautiful +then than she is now, was the real ruler, but she let old King Bear +think he ruled so long as he ruled wisely. + +"All the little Green Forest folk and all the little people of the +Green Meadows used to take presents of food to old King Bear, so that +he never had to hunt for things to eat. He grew fatter and fatter and +fatter until it seemed as if his skin must burst. And the fatter he +grew the lazier he grew." + +Grandfather Frog paused with an expectant far-away look in his great +bulging eyes. Then he leaped into the air so far that when he came +down it was with a great splash in the Smiling Pool. But as he swam +back to his big lily pad the leg of a foolish green fly could be seen +sticking out of one corner of his big mouth, and he settled himself +with a sigh of great contentment. + +"Old King Bear," continued Grandfather Frog, just as if there had been +no interruption, "grew fatter and lazier every day, and like a great +many other fat and lazy people who have nothing to do for themselves +but are always waited on by others, he grew shorter and shorter in +temper and harder and harder to please. + +"Now perhaps you don't know it, but the Bear family and the Coon family +are very closely related. In fact, they are second cousins. Old Mr. +Coon, Bobby Coon's father with a thousand greats tacked on before, was +young then, and he was very, very proud of being related to old King +Bear. He began to pass some of his old playfellows on the Green +Meadows without seeing them. He spent a great deal of time brushing +his coat and combing his whiskers and caring for his big ringed tail. +He held his head very high and he put on such airs that pretty soon he +could see no one at all but members of his own family and of the royal +family of Bear. + +"Now as old King Bear grew fat and lazy he grew fussy, so that he was +no longer content to take everything brought him, but picked out the +choicest portions for himself and left the rest. Mr. Coon took charge +of all the things brought as tribute to old King Bear and of course +where there were so many goodies left he got all he wanted without +working. + +"So just as old King Bear had grown fat and lazy and selfish, Mr. Coon +grew fat and lazy and selfish. Pretty soon he began to pick out the +best things for himself and hide them before old King Bear saw them. +When old King Bear was asleep he would go get them and stuff himself +like a greedy pig. And because he was stealing and wanted no one to +see him he always ate his stolen feasts at night. + +"Now old Mother Nature is, as you all know, very, very wise, oh very +wise indeed. One of the first laws she made when the world was young +is that every living thing shall work for what it has, and the harder +it works the stronger it shall grow. So when Old Mother Nature saw how +fat and lazy and selfish old King Bear was getting and how fat and lazy +and dishonest his cousin, Mr. Coon, was becoming, she determined that +they should be taught a lesson which they would remember for ever and +ever and ever. + +"First she proclaimed that old King Bear should be king no longer, and +no more need the little folks of the Green Forest and the little people +of the Green Meadows bring him tribute. + +"Now when old Mother Nature made this proclamation old King Bear was +fast asleep. It was just on the edge of winter and he had picked out a +nice warm cave with a great pile of leaves for a bed. Old Mother +Nature peeped in at him. He was snoring and probably dreaming of more +good things to eat. 'If he is to be king no longer, there is no use in +waking him now,' said old Mother Nature to herself, 'he is so fat and +so stupid. He shall sleep until gentle Sister South Wind comes in the +spring to kiss away the snow and ice. Then he shall waken with a lean +stomach and a great appetite and there shall be none to feed him.' + +"Now old Mother Nature always has a warm heart and she was very fond of +Bobby Coon's grandfather a thousand times removed. So when she saw +what a selfish glutton and thief he had become she decided to put him +to sleep just as she had old King Bear. But first she would teach Mr. +Coon that stolen food is not the sweetest. + +"So old Mother Nature found some tender, juicy corn just in the milk +which Mr. Coon had stolen from old King Bear. Then she went down on +the Green Meadows where the wild mustard grows and gathering a lot of +this she rubbed the juice into the corn and then put it back where Mr. +Coon had left it. + +"Now I have told you that it was night when Mr. Coon had his stolen +feasts, for he wanted no one to see him. So no one was there when he +took a great bite of the tender, juicy corn old Mother Nature had put +back for him. Being greedy and a glutton, he swallowed the first +mouthful before he had fairly tasted it, and took a second, and then +such a time as there was on the edge of the Green Forest! Mr. Coon +rolled over and over with both of his forepaws clasped over his stomach +and groaned and groaned and groaned. He had rubbed his eyes and of +course had got mustard into them and could not see. He waked up all +the little Green Forest folk who sleep through the night, as good +people should, and they all gathered around to see what was the matter +with Mr. Coon. + +"Finally old Mother Nature came to his relief and brought him some +water. Then she led him to his home in the great hollow in the big +chestnut tree, and when she had seen him curled up in a tight little +ball among the dried leaves she put him into the long sleep as she had +old King Bear. + +"In the spring, when gentle Sister South Wind kissed away all the snow +and ice, old King Bear, who was king no longer, and Mr. Coon awoke and +both were very thin, and both were very hungry, oh very, very hungry +indeed. Old King Bear, who was king no longer, wasn't the least mite +fussy about what he had to eat, but ate gladly any food he could find. + +"But Mr. Coon remembered the burning of his stomach and mouth and could +not forget it. So whenever he found anything to eat he first took it +to the Laughing Brook or the Smiling Pool and washed it very carefully, +lest there be some mustard on it. + +"And ever since that long ago time, when the world was young, the Coon +family has remembered that experience of Mr. Coon, who was second +cousin to old King Bear, and that is why Bobby Coon washes his food, +travels about at night, and sleeps all winter," concluded Grandfather +Frog, fixing his great goggle eyes on a foolish green fly headed his +way. + +"Oh thank you, thank you, Grandfather Frog," cried the Merry Little +Breezes as they danced away over the Green Meadows. But one of them +slipped back long enough to get behind the foolish green fly and blow +him right up to Grandfather Frog's big lily pad. + +"Chug-a-rum," said Grandfather Frog, smacking his lips. + + + + +XIII + +THE MERRY LITTLE BREEZES HAVE A BUSY DAY + +Old Mother West Wind came down from the Purple Hills in the shadowy +coolness of the early morning, before even jolly, round, red Mr. Sun +had thrown off his rosy coverlids for his daily climb up through the +blue sky. The last little star was blinking sleepily as Old Mother +West Wind turned her big bag upside down on the Green Meadows and all +her children, the Merry Little Breezes, tumbled out on the soft green +grass. + +Then Old Mother West Wind kissed them all around and hurried away to +hunt for a rain cloud which had gone astray. The Merry Little Breezes +watched her go. Then they played hide and seek until jolly, round, red +Mr. Sun had climbed out of bed and was smiling down on the Green +Meadows. + +Pretty soon along came Peter Rabbit, lipperty-lipperty-lip. + +"Hello, Peter Rabbit!" shouted the Merry Little Breezes. "Come play +with us!" + +"Can't," said Peter Rabbit. "I have to go find some tender young +carrots for my breakfast," and away be hurried, lipperty-lipperty-lip. + +In a few minutes Jimmy Skunk came in sight and he seemed to be almost +hurrying along the Crooked Little Path down the hill. The Merry Little +Breezes danced over to meet him. + +"Hello, Jimmy Skunk!" they cried. "Come play with us!" + +Jimmy Skunk shook his head. "Can't," said he. "I have to go look for +some beetles for my breakfast," and off he went looking under every old +stick and pulling over every stone not too big for his strength. + +The Merry Little Breezes watched him for a few minutes and then raced +over to the Laughing Brook. There they found Billy Mink stealing +softly down towards the Smiling Pool. + +"Oh, Billy Mink, come play with us," begged the Merry Little Breezes. + +"Can't," said Billy Mink. "I have to catch a trout for Grandfather +Mink's breakfast," and he crept on towards the Smiling Pool. + +Just then along came Bumble the Bee. Now Bumble the Bee is a lazy +fellow who always makes a great fuss, as if he was the busiest and most +important fellow in the world. + +"Good morning, Bumble," cried the Merry Little Breezes. "Come play +with us!" + +"Buzz, buzz, buzz," grumbled Bumble the Bee. "Can't, for I have to get +a sack of honey," and off he hurried to the nearest dandelion. + +Then the Merry Little Breezes hunted up Johnny Chuck. But Johnny Chuck +was busy, too busy to play. Bobby Coon was asleep, for he had been out +all night. Reddy Fox also was asleep. Striped Chipmunk was in such a +hurry to fill the pockets in his cheeks that he could hardly stop to +say good morning. Happy Jack Squirrel just flirted his big tail and +rushed away as if he had many important things to attend to. + +Finally the Merry Little Breezes gave it up and sat down among the +buttercups and daisies to talk it over. Every one seemed to have +something to do, every one but themselves. It was such a busy world +that sunshiny morning! Pretty soon one of the Merry Little Breezes +hopped up very suddenly and began the maddest little dance among the +buttercups. + +"As we haven't anything to do for ourselves let's do something for +somebody else!" he shouted. + +Up jumped all the Little Breezes, clapping their hands. + +"Oh let's!" they shouted. + +Way over across the Green Meadows they could see two long ears above +the nodding daisies. + +"There's Peter Rabbit," cried one. "Let's help him find those tender +young carrots!" + +No sooner proposed than off they all raced to see who could reach Peter +first. Peter was sitting up very straight, looking this way and +looking that way for some tender young carrots, but not one had he +found, and his stomach was empty. The Merry Little Breezes stopped +just long enough to tickle his long ears and pull his whiskers, then +away they raced, scattering in all directions, to see who could first +find a tender young carrot for Peter Rabbit. By and by when one of +them did find a field of tender young carrots he rushed off, taking the +smell of them with him to tickle the nose of Peter Rabbit. + +Peter wriggled his nose, his funny little nose, very fast when it was +tickled with the smell of tender young carrots, and the Merry Little +Breeze laughed to see him. + +"Come on, Peter Rabbit, for this is my busy day!" he cried. + +Peter Rabbit didn't have to be invited twice. Away he went, +lipperty-lipperty-lip, as fast as his long legs could take him after +the Merry Little Breeze. And presently they came to the field of +tender young carrots. + +"Oh thank you, Merry Little Breeze!" cried Peter Rabbit, and +straightway began to eat his breakfast. + +Another Merry Little Breeze, slipping up the Crooked Little Path on the +hill, spied the hind legs of a fat beetle sticking out from under a +flat stone. At once the Little Breeze remembered Jimmy Skunk, who was +hunting for beetles for his breakfast. Off rushed the Little Breeze in +merry whirls that made the grasses sway and bend and the daisies nod. + +When after a long, long hunt he found Jimmy Skunk, Jimmy was very much +out of sorts. In fact Jimmy Skunk was positively cross. You see, he +hadn't had any breakfast, for hunt as he would he couldn't find a +single beetle. + +When the Merry Little Breeze danced up behind Jimmy Skunk and, just in +fun, rumpled up his black and white coat, Jimmy quite lost his temper. +In fact he said some things not at all nice to the Merry Little Breeze. +But the Merry Little Breeze just laughed. The more he laughed the +crosser Jimmy Skunk grew, and the crosser Jimmy Skunk grew the more the +Merry Little Breeze laughed. It was such a jolly laugh that pretty +soon Jimmy Skunk began to grin a little sheepishly, then to really +smile and finally to laugh outright in spite of his empty stomach. You +see it is very hard, very hard indeed and very foolish, to remain cross +when someone else is perfectly good natured. + +Suddenly the Merry Little Breeze danced up to Jimmy Skunk and whispered +in his right ear. Then he danced around and whispered in his left ear. +Jimmy Skunk's eyes snapped and his mouth began to water. + +"Where, Little Breeze, where?" he begged. + +"Follow me," cried the Merry Little Breeze, racing off up the Crooked +Little Path so fast that Jimmy Skunk lost his breath trying to keep up, +for you know Jimmy Skunk seldom hurries. + +When they came to the big flat stone Jimmy Skunk grasped it with both +hands and pulled and pulled. Up came the stone so suddenly that Jimmy +Skunk fell over flat on his back. When he had scrambled to his feet +there were beetles and beetles, running in every direction to find a +place to hide. + +"Thank you, thank you, Little Breeze," shouted Jimmy Skunk as he +started to catch beetles for his breakfast. + +And the Little Breeze laughed happily as he danced away to join the +other Merry Little Breezes on the Green Meadows. There he found them +very, very busy, very busy indeed, so busy that they could hardly find +time to nod to him. What do you think they were doing? They were +toting _gold_! Yes, Sir, toting gold! And this is how it happened: + +While the first Little Breeze was showing Peter Rabbit the field of +tender young carrots, and while the second Little Breeze was leading +Jimmy Skunk to the flat stone and the beetles, the other Merry Little +Breezes had found Bumble the Bee. Now Bumble the Bee is a lazy fellow, +though he pretends to be the busiest fellow in the world, and they +found him grumbling as he buzzed with a great deal of fuss from one +flower to another. + +"What's the matter, Bumble?" cried the Merry Little Breezes. + +"Matter enough," grumbled Bumble the Bee. "I've got to make a sack of +honey, and as if that isn't enough, old Mother Nature has ordered me to +carry a sack of gold from each flower I visit to the next flower I +visit. If I don't I can get no honey. Buzz-buzz-buzz," grumbled +Bumble the Bee. + +The Merry Little Breezes looked at the million little flowers on the +Green Meadows, each waiting a sack of gold to give and a sack of gold +to receive. Then they looked at each other and shouted happily, for +they too would now be able to cry "busy, busy, busy." + +From flower to flower they hurried, each with a bag of gold over his +shoulder. Wherever they left a bag they took a bag, and all the little +flowers nodded happily to see the Merry Little Breezes at work. + +Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun climbed higher and higher and higher in the +blue sky, where he can look down and see all things, great and small. +His smile was broader than ever as he watched the hurrying, scurrying +Little Breezes working instead of playing. Yet after all it was a kind +of play, for they danced from flower to flower and ran races across +bare places where no flowers grew. + +By and by the Merry Little Breezes met Peter Rabbit. Now Peter Rabbit +had made a good breakfast of tender young carrots, so he felt very +good, very good indeed. + +"Hi!" shouted Peter Rabbit, "come play with me." + +"Can't," cried the Merry Little Breezes all together, "we have work to +do!" + +Off they hurried, while Peter Rabbit stretched himself out full length +in a sunny spot, for Peter Rabbit also is a lazy fellow. + +Down the Crooked Little Path onto the Green Meadows came Jimmy Skunk. + +"Ho!" shouted Jimmy Skunk as soon as he saw the Little Breezes, "come +play with me." + +"Can't," cried the Little Breezes, "for we are busy, busy, busy," and +they laughed happily. + +When they reached the Laughing Brook they found Billy Mink curled up in +a round ball, fast asleep. It isn't often that Billy Mink is caught +napping, but he had had a good breakfast of trout, he had found no one +to play with and, as he never works and the day was so bright and warm, +he had first looked for a place where he thought no one would find him +and had then curled himself up to sleep, One of the Little Breezes laid +down the bag of gold he was carrying and creeping ever so softly over +to Billy Mink began to tickle one of Billy's ears with a straw. + +At first Billy Mink didn't open his eyes, but rubbed his ear with a +little black hand. Finally he jumped to his feet wide awake and ready +to fight whoever was bothering him. But all he saw was a laughing +Little Breeze running away with a bag of gold on his back. + +So all day long, till Old Mother West Wind came with her big bag to +carry them to their home behind the Purple Hills, the Merry Little +Breezes hurried this way and that way over the Green Meadows. No wee +flower was too tiny to give and receive its share of gold, and not one +was overlooked by the Merry Little Breezes. + +Old Mother Nature, who knows everything, heard of the busy day of the +Merry Little Breezes. Nobody knows how she heard of it. Perhaps +jolly, round, red Mr. Sun told her. Perhaps--but never mind. You +can't fool old Mother Nature anyway and it's of no use to try. + +So old Mother Nature visited the Green Meadows to see for herself, and +when she found how the Merry Little Breezes had distributed the gold +she was so pleased that straightway she announced to all the world that +thenceforth and for all time the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother +West Wind should have charge of the distribution of the gold of the +flowers on the Green Meadows, which they have to this day. + +And since that day the Merry Little Breezes have been merrier than +ever, for they have found that it is not nearly so much fun to play all +the time, but that to work for some good in the world is the greatest +fun of all. + +So every year when the gold of the flowers, which some people do not +know is gold at all but call pollen, is ready you will find the Merry +Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind very, very busy among the +flowers on the Green Meadows. And this is the happiest time of all. + + + + +XIV + +WHY HOOTY THE OWL DOES NOT PLAY ON THE GREEN MEADOWS + +The Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind were having a +good-night game of tag down on the Green Meadows. They were having +_such_ a jolly time while they waited for Old Mother West Wind and her +big bag to take them to their home behind the Purple Hills. Jolly, +round, red Mr. Sun had already put his nightcap on. Black shadows +crept softly out from the Purple Hills onto the Green Meadows. The +Merry Little Breezes grew sleepy, almost too sleepy to play, for Old +Mother West Wind was very, very late. + +Farther and farther and farther out onto the Green Meadows crept the +black shadows. Suddenly one seemed to separate from the others. +Softly, oh so softly, yet swiftly, it floated over towards the Merry +Little Breezes. One of them happened to look up and saw it coming. It +was the same Little Breeze who one time stayed out all night. When he +looked up and saw this seeming shadow moving so swiftly he knew that it +was no shadow at all. + +"Here comes Hooty the Owl," cried the Little Breeze. + +Then all the Merry Little Breezes stopped their game of tag to look at +Hooty the Owl. It is seldom they have a chance to see him, for usually +Hooty the Owl does not come out on the Green Meadows until after the +Merry Little Breezes are snugly tucked in bed behind the Purple Hills. + +"Perhaps Hooty the Owl will tell us why it is that he never comes out +to play with us," said one of the Little Breezes. + +But just as Hooty the Owl floated over to them up came Old Mother West +Wind, and she was in a great hurry, for she was late, and she was +tired. She had had a busy day, a very busy day indeed, hunting for a +rain cloud which had gone astray. So now she just opened her big bag +and tumbled all the Merry Little Breezes into it as fast as she could +without giving them so much as a chance to say "Good evening" to Hooty +the Owl. Then she took them off home behind the Purple Hills. + +Of course the Merry Little Breezes were disappointed, very much +disappointed. But they were also very sleepy, for they had played hard +all day. + +"Never mind," said one of them, drowsily, "to-morrow we'll ask +Great-Grandfather Frog why it is that Hooty the Owl never comes out to +play with us on the Green Meadows. He'll know." + +The next morning Old Mother West Wind was late in coming down from the +Purple Hills. When she finally did turn the Merry Little Breezes out +of her big bag onto the Green Meadows jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was +already quite high in the blue sky. The Merry Little Breezes waited +just long enough to say "Good-by" to Old Mother West Wind, and then +started a mad race to see who could reach the Smiling Pool first. + +There they found Great-Grandfather Frog sitting on his big green lily +pad as usual. He was very contented with the world, was Grandfather +Frog, for fat green flies had been more foolish than usual that morning +and already he had all that he could safely tuck inside his white and +yellow waistcoat. + +"Good morning, Grandfather Frog," shouted the Merry Little Breezes. +"Will you tell us why it is that Hooty the Owl never comes out to play +with us on the Green Meadows?" + +"Chug-a-rum," said Great-Grandfather Frog, gruffly, "how should I know?" + +You see, Grandfather Frog likes to be teased a little. + +"Oh, but you do know, for you are so old and so very wise," cried the +Merry Little Breezes all together. + +Grandfather Frog smiled, for he likes to be thought very wise, and also +he was feeling very good, very good indeed that morning. + +"Chug-a-rum," said Grandfather Frog. "If you'll sit perfectly still +I'll tell you what I know about Hooty the Owl. But remember, you must +sit perfectly still, _per-fect-ly_ still." + +The Merry Little Breezes sighed, for it is the hardest thing in the +world for them to keep perfectly still unless they are asleep. But +they promised that they would, and when they had settled down, each one +in the heart of a great white water lily, Grandfather Frog began: + +"Once upon a time, when the world was young, Hooty the Owl's +grandfather a thousand times removed used to fly about in daylight with +the other birds. He was very big and very strong and very fierce, was +Mr. Owl. He had great big claws and a hooked bill, just as Hooty the +Owl has now, and he was afraid of nothing and nobody. + +"Now when people are very big and very strong and afraid of nothing and +nobody they are very apt to care for nothing and nobody but themselves. +So it was with Mr. Owl. Whatever he saw that he wanted he took, no +matter to whom it belonged, for there was no one to stop him. + +"As I have already told you, Mr. Owl was very big and very strong and +very fierce and he was a very great glutton. It took a great many +little birds and little animals to satisfy his appetite. But he didn't +stop there! No, Sir, he didn't stop there! He used to kill harmless +little meadow people just for the fun of killing, and because he could. +Every day he grew more savage. Finally no one smaller than himself +dared stir on the Green Meadows when he was around. The little birds +no longer sang. The Fieldmice children no longer played among the +meadow grasses. Those were sad days, very sad days indeed on the Green +Meadows," said Grandfather Frog, with a sigh. + +"At last old Mother Nature came to visit the Green Meadows and she soon +saw what a terrible state things were in. No one came to meet her, for +you see no one dared to show himself for fear of fierce old Mr. Owl. + +"Now I have told you that Mr. Owl was afraid of nothing and nobody, but +this is not quite true, for he was afraid, very much afraid of old +Mother Nature. When he saw her coming he was sitting on top of a tall +dead stump and he at once tried to look very meek and very innocent. + +"Old Mother Nature wasted no time. 'Where are all my little meadow +people and why do they not come to give me greeting?' demanded old +Mother Nature of Mr. Owl. + +"Mr. Owl bowed very low. 'I'm sure I don't know. I think they must +all be taking a nap,' said he. + +"Now you can't fool old Mother Nature and it's of no use to try. No, +Sir, you can't fool old Mother Nature. She just looked at Mr. Owl and +she looked at the feathers and fur scattered about the foot of the dead +stump. Mr. Owl stood first on one foot and then on the other. He +tried to look old Mother Nature in the face, but he couldn't. You see, +Mr. Owl had a guilty conscience and a guilty conscience never looks +anyone straight in the face. He did wish that Mother Nature would say +something, did Mr. Owl. But she didn't. She just looked and looked +and looked and looked straight at Mr. Owl. The longer she looked the +uneasier he got and the faster he shifted from one foot to the other. +Finally he shifted so fast that he seemed to be dancing on top of the +old stump. + +"Gradually, a few at a time, the little meadow people crept out from +their hiding places and formed a great circle around the old dead +stump. With old Mother Nature there they felt sure that no harm could +come to them. Then they began to laugh at the funny sight of fierce +old Mr. Owl hopping from one foot to the other on top of the old dead +stump. It was the first laugh on the Green Meadows for a long, long, +long time. + +"Of course Mr. Owl saw them laughing at him, but he could think of +nothing but the sharp eyes of old Mother Nature boring straight through +him, and he danced faster than ever. The faster he danced the funnier +he looked, and the funnier he looked the harder the little meadow +people laughed. + +"Finally old Mother Nature slowly raised a hand and pointed a long +forefinger at Mr. Owl. All the little meadow people stopped laughing +to hear what she would say. + +"'Mr. Owl,' she began, 'I know and you know why none of my little +meadow people were here to give me greeting. And this shall be your +punishment: From now on your eyes shall become so tender that they +cannot stand the light of day, so that hereafter you shall fly about +only after round, red Mr. Sun has gone to bed behind the Purple Hills. +No more shall my little people who play on the Green Meadows all the +day long have cause to fear you, for no more shall you see to do them +harm.' + +"When she ceased speaking all the little meadow people gave a great +shout, for they knew that it would be even as Mother Nature had said. +Then began such a frolic as the Green Meadows had not known for many a +long day. + +"But Mr. Owl flew slowly and with difficulty over to the darkest part +of the deep wood, for the light hurt his eyes dreadfully and he could +hardly see. And as he flew the little birds flew around him in a great +cloud and plucked out his feathers and tormented him for he could not +see to harm them." + +Grandfather Frog paused and looked dreamily across the Smiling Pool. +Suddenly he opened his big mouth and then closed it with a snap. One +more foolish green fly had disappeared inside the white and yellow +waistcoat. + +"Chug-a-rum," said Grandfather Frog, "those were sad days, sad days +indeed for Mr. Owl. He couldn't hunt for his meals by day, for the +light blinded him. At night he could see but little in the darkness. +So he got little to eat and he grew thinner and thinner and thinner +until he was but a shadow of his former self. He was always hungry, +was Mr. Owl, always hungry. No one was afraid of him now, for it was +the easiest thing in the world to keep out of his way. + +"At last old Mother Nature came again to visit the Green Meadows and +the Green Forest. Far, far in the darkest part of the deep wood she +found Mr. Owl. When she saw how very thin and how very, very miserable +he was her heart was moved to pity, for old Mother Nature loves all her +subjects, even the worst of them. All the fierceness was gone from Mr. +Owl. He was so weak that he just sat huddled in the thickest part of +the great pine. You see he had been able to catch very little to eat. + +"'Mr. Owl,' said old Mother Nature gently, 'you now know something of +the misery and the suffering which you have caused others, and I think +you have been punished enough. No more may you fly abroad over the +Green Meadows while the day is bright, for still is the fear of you in +the hearts of all my little meadow people, but hereafter you shall not +find it so difficult to get enough to eat. Your eyes shall grow big, +bigger than the eyes of any other bird, so that you shall be able to +see in the dusk and even in the dark. Your ears shall grow large, +larger than the ears of any of the little forest or meadow people, so +that you can hear the very least sound. Your feathers shall become as +soft as down, so that when you fly none shall hear you.' + +"And from that day it was even so. Mr. Owl's eyes grew big and bigger +until he could see as well in the dusk as he used to see in the full +light of day. His ears grew large and larger until his hearing became +so keen that he could hear the least rustle, even at a long distance. +And when he flew he made no sound, but floated like a great shadow. + +"The little meadow people no longer feared him by day, but when the +shadows began to creep out from the Purple Hills each night and they +heard his voice 'Whoo-too-whoo-hoo-hoo' they felt all the old fear of +him. If they were wise they did not stir, but if they were foolish and +so much as shivered Mr. Owl was sure to hear them and silently pounce +upon them. + +"So once more Mr. Owl grew strong and fierce. But only at night had +anyone cause to fear him, and then only the foolish and timid. + +"And now you know," concluded Grandfather Frog, "why it is that Hooty +the Owl never comes out to play with you on the Green Meadows, and why +his eyes are so big and his ears so large." + +"Thank you, thank you, Grandfather Frog!" cried the Merry Little +Breezes, springing up from the white water lilies and stretching +themselves. "We'll bring you the first foolish green fly we can find." + +Then away they rushed to hunt for it. + + + + +XV + +DANNY MEADOW MOUSE LEARNS TO LAUGH + +Danny Meadow Mouse sat on his doorstep and sulked. The Merry Little +Breezes of Old Mother West Wind ran past, one after another, and +pointing their fingers at him cried: + + "Fie, Danny Meadow Mouse! + Better go inside the house! + Babies cry--oh my! oh my! + You're a baby--go and cry!" + + +Pretty soon along the Lone Little Path came Peter Rabbit. Peter Rabbit +looked at Danny Meadow Mouse. Then he pointed a finger at him and said: + + "Cry, Danny, cry! + Mammy'll whip you by and by! + Then we'll all come 'round to see + How big a baby you can be. + Cry, Danny, cry!" + + +Danny Meadow Mouse began to snivel. He cried softly to himself as +Peter Rabbit hopped off down the Lone Little Path. Soon along came +Reddy Fox. He saw Danny Meadow Mouse sitting on his doorstep crying +all by himself. Reddy Fox crept up behind a tall bunch of grass. Then +suddenly he jumped out right in front of Danny Meadow Mouse. + +"Boo!" cried Reddy Fox. + +It frightened Danny Meadow Mouse. He jumped almost out of his skin, +and ran into the house crying at the top of his voice. + +"Ha, ha, ha," laughed Reddy Fox + + "Danny, Danny, crying Dan + Boo-hoo-hooed and off he ran!" + + +Then Reddy Fox chased his tail all the way down the Lone Little Path +onto the Green Meadows. + +By and by Danny Meadow Mouse came out again and sat on his doorstep. +He had stopped crying, but he looked very unhappy and cross and sulky. +Hopping and skipping down the Lone Little Path came Striped Chipmunk. + +"Come play with me," called Danny Meadow Mouse. + +Striped Chipmunk kept right on hopping and skipping down the Lone +Little Path. + +"Don't want to," said Striped Chipmunk, sticking his tongue in his +cheek. + + "Cry-baby Danny + Never'll be a manny! + Run to mamma, Danny, dear, + And she will wipe away your tear!" + + +Striped Chipmunk hopped and skipped out of sight, and Danny Meadow +Mouse began to cry again because Striped Chipmunk would not play with +him. + +It was true, dreadfully true! Danny Meadow Mouse _was_ a cry-baby and +no one wanted to play with him. If he stubbed his toe he cried. If +Striped Chipmunk beat him in a race he cried. If the Merry Little +Breezes pulled his whiskers just in fun he cried. It had come to such +a pass that all the little meadow people delighted to tease him just to +make him cry. Nowhere on all the Green Meadows was there such a +cry-baby as Danny Meadow Mouse. + +So Danny sat on his doorstep and cried because no one would play with +him and he was lonely. The more he thought how lonely he was, the more +he cried. + +Presently along came old Mr. Toad. Now Mr. Toad looks very grumpy and +out of sorts, but that is because you do not know old Mr. Toad. When +he reached the house of Danny Meadow Mouse he stopped right in front of +Danny. He put his right hand behind his right ear and listened. Then +he put his left hand behind his left ear and listened some more. +Finally he put both hands on his hips and began to laugh. + +Now Mr. Toad's mouth is very big indeed, and when he opens it to laugh +he opens it very wide indeed. + +"Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Toad. + +Danny Meadow Mouse cried harder than ever, and the harder he cried the +harder old Mr. Toad laughed. By and by Danny Meadow Mouse stopped +crying long enough to say to Mr. Toad: + +"What are you laughing for, Mr. Toad?" + +Mr. Toad stopped laughing long enough to reply: + +"I'm laughing, Danny Meadow Mouse, because you are crying at me. What +are you crying for?" + +"I'm crying," said Danny Meadow Mouse, "because you are laughing at +me." Then Danny began to cry again, and Mr. Toad began to laugh again. + +"What's all this about?" demanded some one right behind them. + +It was Jimmy Skunk. + +"It's a new kind of game," said old Mr. Toad. "Danny Meadow Mouse is +trying to see if he can cry longer than I can laugh." + +Then old Mr. Toad once more opened his big mouth and began to laugh +harder than ever. Jimmy Skunk looked at him for just a minute and he +looked so funny that Jimmy Skunk began to laugh too. + +Now a good honest laugh is like whooping cough--it is catching. The +first thing Danny Meadow Mouse knew his tears would not come. It's a +fact, Danny Meadow Mouse had run short of tears. The next thing he +knew he wasn't crying at all--he was laughing. Yes, Sir, he actually +was laughing. He tried to cry, but it was of no use at all; he just +_had_ to laugh. + +The more he laughed the harder old Mr. Toad laughed. And the harder +Mr. Toad laughed the funnier he looked. Pretty soon all three of them, +Danny Meadow Mouse, old Mr. Toad and Jimmy Skunk, were holding their +sides and rolling over and over in the grass, they were laughing so +hard. + +By and by Mr. Toad stopped laughing. + +"Dear me, dear me, this will never do!" said Mr. Toad. "I must get +busy in my garden. + + "The little slugs, they creep and crawl + And eat and eat from spring to fall + They never stop to laugh nor cry, + And really couldn't if they'd try. + +So if you'll excuse me I'll hurry along to get them out of my garden." + +Mr. Toad started down the Lone Little Path. After a few hops he paused +and turned around. + +"Danny Meadow Mouse," said old Mr. Toad, "an honest laugh is like +sunshine; it brightens the whole world. Don't forget it." + +Jimmy Skunk remembered that he had started out to find some beetles, so +still chuckling he started for the Crooked Little Path up the hill. +Danny Meadow Mouse, once more alone, sat down on his doorstep. His +sides were sore, he had laughed so hard, and somehow the whole world +had changed. The grass seemed greener than he had ever seen it before. +The sunshine was brighter and the songs of the birds were sweeter. +Altogether it was a very nice world, a very nice world indeed to live +in. Somehow he felt as if he never wanted to cry again. + +Pretty soon along came the Merry Little Breezes again, chasing +butterflies. When they saw Danny Meadow Mouse sitting on his doorstep +they pointed their fingers at him, just as before, and shouted: + + "Fie, Danny Meadow Mouse! + Better go inside the house! + Babies cry--oh my! oh my! + You're a baby--go and cry!" + + +For just a little minute Danny Meadow Mouse wanted to cry. Then he +remembered old Mr. Toad and instead began to laugh. + +The Merry Little Breezes didn't know just what to make of it. They +stopped chasing butterflies and crowded around Danny Meadow Mouse. +They began to tease him. They pulled his whiskers and rumpled his +hair. The more they teased the more Danny Meadow Mouse laughed. + +When they found that Danny Meadow Mouse really wasn't going to cry, +they stopped teasing and invited him to come play with them in the long +meadow grass. Such a good frolic as they did have! When it was over +Danny Meadow Mouse once more sat down on his doorstep to rest. + +Hopping and skipping back up the Lone Little Path came Striped +Chipmunk. When he saw Danny Meadow Mouse he stuck his tongue in his +cheek and cried: + + "Cry-baby Danny + Never'll be a manny! + Run to mamma, Danny dear, + And she will wipe away your tear!" + + +Instead of crying Danny Meadow Mouse began to laugh. Striped Chipmunk +stopped and took his tongue out of his cheek. Then he began to laugh +too. + +"Do you want me to play with you?" asked Striped Chipmunk, suddenly. + +Of course Danny did, and soon they were having the merriest kind of a +game of hide and seek. Right in the midst of it Danny Meadow Mouse +caught his left foot in a root and twisted his ankle. My, how it did +hurt! In spite of himself tears did come into his eyes. But he winked +them back and bravely began to laugh. + +Striped Chipmunk helped him back to his doorstep and cut funny capers +while Mother Meadow Mouse bound up the hurt foot, and all the time +Danny Meadow Mouse laughed until pretty soon he forgot that his foot +ached at all. + +When Peter Rabbit came jumping along up the Lone Little Path he began +to shout as soon as he saw Danny Meadow Mouse: + + "Cry, Danny, cry! + Mammy'll whip you by and by! + Then we'll all come 'round to see + How big a baby you can be. + Cry, Danny, cry!" + +But Danny didn't cry. My, no! He laughed instead. Peter Rabbit was +so surprised that he stopped to see what had come over Danny Meadow +Mouse. When he saw the bandaged foot and heard how Danny had twisted +his ankle Peter Rabbit sat right down on the doorstep beside Danny +Meadow Mouse and told him how sorry he was, for happy-go-lucky Peter +Rabbit is very tender-hearted. Then he told Danny all about the +wonderful things he had seen in his travels, and of all the scrapes he +had gotten into. When Peter Rabbit finally started off home Danny +Meadow Mouse still sat on his doorstep. But no longer was he lonely. +He watched Old Mother West Wind trying to gather her Merry Little +Breezes into her big bag to take to their home behind the Purple Hills, +and he laughed right out when he saw her catch the last mischievous +Little Breeze and tumble him, heels over head, in with the others. + +"Old Mr. Toad was right, just exactly right," thought Danny Meadow +Mouse, as he rocked to and fro on his doorstep. "It _is_ much better, +oh very much better, to laugh than to cry." + +And since that day when Danny Meadow Mouse learned to laugh, no one has +had a chance to point a finger at him and call him a cry-baby. Instead +every one has learned to love merry little Danny Meadow Mouse, and now +they call him "Laughing Dan." + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MOTHER WEST WIND'S CHILDREN*** + + +******* This file should be named 20877.txt or 20877.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/0/8/7/20877 + + + +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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