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Burgess + + +1917 + + +CONTENTS: + +CHAPTER + + I Paddy the Beaver Begins Work. + + II Paddy Plans a Pond. + + III Paddy Has Many Visitors. + + IV Sammy Jay Speaks His Mind. + + V Paddy Keeps His Promise. + + VI Farmer Brown's Boy Grows Curious. + + VII Farmer Brown's Boy Gets Another Surprise. + + VIII Peter Rabbit Gets a Ducking. + + IX Paddy Plans a House. + + X Paddy Starts His House + + XI Peter Rabbit and Jerry Muskrat are Puzzled. + + XII Jerry Muskrat Learns Something. + + XIII The Queer Storehouse. + + XIV A Footprint in the Mud. + + XV Sammy Jay Makes Paddy a Call. + + XVI Old Man Coyote Is Very Crafty. + + XVII Old Man Coyote is Disappointed. + +XVIII Old Man Coyote Tries Another Plan. + + XIX Paddy and Sammy Jay Become Friends. + + XX Sammy Jay Offers To Help Paddy. + + XXI Paddy and Sammy Jay Work Together. + + XXII Paddy Finishes His Harvest. + + +CHAPTER I Paddy the Beaver Begins Work. + + Work, work all the night + While the stars are shining bright; + Work, work all the day; + I have got no time to play. + +This little rhyme Paddy the Beaver made up as he toiled at +building the dam which was to make the pond he so much desired +deep in the Green Forest. Of course it wasn't quite true, that +about working all night and all day. Nobody could do that, you +know, and keep it up. Everybody has to rest and sleep. Yes, and +everybody has to play a little to be at their best. So it wasn't +quite true that Paddy worked all day after working all night. But +it was true that Paddy had no time to play. He had too much to +do. He had had his playtime during the long summer, and now he +had to get ready for the long, cold winter. + +Now, of all the little workers in the Green Forest, on the Green +Meadows, and in the Smiling Pool, none can compare with Paddy the +Beaver, not even his cousin, Jerry Muskrat. Happy Jack Squirrel +and Striped Chipmunk store up food for the long, cold months when +rough Brother North Wind and Jack Frost rule, and Jerry Muskrat +builds a fine house wherein to keep warm and comfortable, but all +this is as nothing to the work of Paddy the Beaver. + +As I said before, Paddy had had a long playtime through the +summer. He had wandered up and down the Laughing Brook. He had +followed it way up to the place where it started. And all the +time he had been studying and studying to make sure that he +wanted to stay in the Green Forest. In the first place, he had to +be sure that there was plenty of the kind of food that he likes. +Then he had to be equally sure that he could make a pond near +where this particular food grew. Last of all, he had to satisfy +himself that if he did make a pond and build a home, he would be +reasonably safe in it. And all these things he had done in his +playtime. Now he was ready to go to work, and when Paddy begins +work, he sticks to it until it is finished. He says that is the +only way to succeed, and you know and I know that he is right. + +Now Paddy the Beaver can see at night just as Reddy Fox and Peter +Rabbit and Bobby Coon can, and he likes the night best, because +he feels safest then. But he can see in the daytime too, and when +he feels that he is perfectly safe and no one is watching, he +works then too. Of course, the first thing to do was to build a +dam across the Laughing Brook to make the pond he so much needed. +He chose a low, open place deep in the Green Forest, around the +edge of which grew many young aspen trees, the bark of which is +his favorite food. Through the middle of this open place flowed +the Laughing Brook. At the lower edge was just the place for a +dam. It would not have to be very long, and when it was finished +and the water was stopped in the Laughing Brook, it would just +have to flow over the low, open place and make a pond there. +Paddy's eyes twinkled when he first saw it. It was right then +that he made up his mind to stay in the Green Forest. + +So now that he was ready to begin his dam he went up the Laughing +Brook to a place where alders and willows grew, and there he +began work; that work was the cutting of a great number of trees +by means of his big front teeth which were given him for just +this purpose. And as he worked, Paddy was happy, for one can +never be truly happy who does no work. + + + +CHAPTER II Paddy Plans a Pond. + +Paddy the Beaver was busy cutting down trees for the dam he had +planned to build. Up in the woods of the North from which he had +come to the Green Forest, he had learned all about tree-cutting +and dam-building and canal-digging and house-building. Paddy's +father and mother had been very wise in the Beaver world, and +Paddy had been quick to learn. So now he knew just what to do and +the best way of doing it. You know, a great many people waste +time and labor doing things the wrong way, so that they have to +be done over again. They forget to be sure they are right, and so +they go ahead until they find they are wrong, and all their work +goes for nothing. + +But Paddy the Beaver isn't this kind. Paddy would never have +leaped into the spring with the steep sides without looking, as +Grandfather Frog did. So now he carefully picked out the trees to +cut. He could not afford to waste time cutting down a tree that +wasn't going to be just what he wanted when it was down. When he +was sure that the tree was right, he looked up at the top to find +out whether, when he had cut it, it would fall clear of other +trees. He had learned to do that when he was quite young and +heedless. He remembered just how he had felt when, after working +hard, oh, so hard, to cut a big tree, he had warned all his +friends to get out of the way so that they would not be hurt when +it fell, and then it hadn't fallen at all because the top had +caught in another tree. He was so mortified that he didn't get +over it for a long time. + +So now he made sure that a tree was going to fall clear and just +where he wanted it. Then he sat up on his hind legs, and with his +great broad tail for a brace, began to make the chips fly. You +know Paddy has the most wonderful teeth for cutting. They are +long and broad and sharp. He would begin by making a deep bite, +and then another just a little way below. Then he would pry out +the little piece of wood between. When he had cut very deep on +one side so that the tree would fall that way, he would work +around to the other side. Just as soon as the tree began to lean +and he was sure that it was going to fall, he would scamper away +so as to be out of danger. He loved to see those tall trees lean +forward slowly, then faster and faster, till they struck the +ground with a crash. + +Just as soon as they were down, he would trim off the branches +until the trees where just long poles. This was easy work, for he +could take off a good-sized branch with one bite. On many he left +their bushy tops. When he had trimmed them to suit him and had +cut them into the right lengths, he would tug and pull them down +to the place where he meant to build his dam. + +There he placed the poles side by side, not across the Laughing +Brook like a bridge, but with the big ends pointing up the +Laughing Brook, which was quite broad but shallow right there. To +keep them from floating away, he rolled stones and piled mud on +the bushy ends. Clear across on both sides he laid those poles +until the water began to rise. Then he dragged more poles and +piled them on top of these and wedged short sticks crosswise +between them. + +And all the time the Laughing Brook was having harder and harder +work to run. Its merry laugh grew less merry and finally almost +stopped, because, you see, the water could not get through +between all those poles and sticks fast enough. It was just about +that time that the little people of the Smiling Pool decided that +it was time to see just what Paddy was doing, and they started up +the Laughing Brook, leaving only Grandfather Frog and the +tadpoles in the Smiling Pool, which for a little while would +smile no more. + + + +CHAPTER III Paddy Has Many Visitors. + +Paddy the Beaver knew perfectly well that he would have visitors +just as soon as he began to build his dam. He expected a lot of +them. You see he knew that none of them ever had seen a Beaver at +work unless perhaps it was Prickly Porky the Porcupine, who also +had come down from the North. So as he worked he kept his ears +open, and he smiled to himself as he heard a little rustle here +and then a little rustle there. He knew just what those little +rustles meant. Each one meant another visitor. Yes, Sir, each +rustle meant another visitor, and yet not one had shown himself. + +Paddy chuckled. "Seems to me that you are dreadfully afraid to +show yourselves," said he in a loud voice, just as if he were +talking to nobody in particular. Everything was still. There +wasn't so much as a rustle after Paddy spoke. He chuckled again. +He could just feel ever so many eyes watching him, though he +didn't see a single pair. And he knew that the reason his +visitors were hiding so carefully was because they were afraid of +him. You see, Paddy was much bigger than most of the little +meadow and forest people, and they didn't know what kind of a +temper he might have. It is always safest to be very distrustful +of strangers. That is one of the very first things taught all +little meadow and forest children. + +Of course, Paddy knew all about this. He had been brought up that +way. "Be sure, and then you'll never be sorry" had been one of +his mother's favorite sayings, and he had always remembered it. +Indeed, it had saved him a great deal of trouble. So now he was +perfectly willing to go right on working and let his hidden +visitors watch him until they were sure that he meant them no +harm. You see, he himself felt quite sure that none of them was +big enough to do him any harm. Little Joe Otter was the only one +he had any doubts about, and he felt quite sure that Little Joe +wouldn't try to pick a quarrel. So he kept right on cutting +trees, trimming off the branches, and hauling the trunks down to +the dam he was building. Some of them he floated down the +Laughing Brook. This was easier. + +Now when the little people of the Smiling Pool, who were the +first to find out that Paddy the Beaver had come to the Green +Forest, had started up the Laughing Brook to see what he was +doing, they had told the Merry Little Breezes where they were +going. The Merry Little Breezes had been greatly excited. They +couldn't understand how a stranger could have been living in the +Green Forest without their knowledge. You see, they quite forgot +that they very seldom wandered to the deepest part of the Green +Forest. Of course they started at once, as fast as they could go, +to tell all the other little people who live on or around the +Green Meadows, all but Old Man Coyote. For some reason they +thought it best not to tell him. They were a little doubtful +about Old Man Coyote. He was so big and strong and so sly and +smart that all his neighbors were afraid of him. Perhaps the +Merry Little Breezes had this fact in mind, and knew that none +would dare go to call on the stranger if they knew that Old Man +Coyote was going too. Anyway, they simply passed the time of day +with Old Mr. Coyote and hurried on to tell everyone else, and the +very last one they met was Sammy Jay. + + + +CHAPTER IV Sammy Jay Speaks His Mind + +When Sammy Jay reached the place deep in the Green Forest Where +Paddy the Beaver was so hard at work, he didn't hide as had the +little four-footed people. You see, of course, he had no reason +to hide, because he felt perfectly safe. Paddy had just cut a big +tree, and it fell with a crash as Sammy came hurrying up. Sammy +was so surprised that for a minute he couldn't find his tongue. +He had not supposed that anybody but Farmer Brown or Farmer +Brown's boy could cut down so large a tree as that, and it quite +took his breath away. But he got it again in a minute. He was +boiling with anger, anyway, to think that he should have been the +last to learn that Paddy had come down from the North to make his +home in the Green Forest, and here was a chance to speak his +mind. + +"Thief! thief! thief!" He screamed in his harshest voice. + +Paddy the Beaver looked up with a twinkle in his eyes. "Hello, +Mr. Jay. I see you haven't any better manners than your cousin +who lives up where I come from," said he. + +"Thief! thief! thief!" screamed Sammy, hopping up and down, he was +so angry. + +"Meaning yourself, I suppose," said Paddy. "I never did see an +honest Jay, and I don't suppose I ever will." + +"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Peter Rabbit, who had quite forgotten that +he was hiding. + +"Oh, how do you do, Mr. Rabbit? I'm very glad you have called on +me this morning," said Paddy, just as if he hadn't known all the +time just where Peter was. "Mr. Jay seems to have gotten out of +the wrong side of his bed this morning." + +Peter laughed again. "He always does," said he. "If he didn't, he +wouldn't be happy. You wouldn't think it to look at him, but he +is happy right now. He doesn't know it, but he is. He always is +happy when he can show what a bad temper he has." + +Sammy Jay glared down at Peter. Then he glared at Paddy. And all +the time he still shrieked "Thief!" as hard as ever he could. +Paddy kept right on working, paying no attention to Sammy. This +made Sammy more angry than ever. He kept coming nearer and nearer +until at last he was in the very tree that Paddy happened to be +cutting. Paddy's eyes twinkled. + +"I'm no thief!" he exclaimed suddenly. + +"You are! You are! Thief! Thief!" shrieked Sammy. "You're +steeling our trees!" + +"They're not your trees," retorted Paddy. "They belong to the +Green Forest, and the Green Forest belongs to all who love it, +and we all have a perfect right to take what we need from it. I +need these trees, and I've just as much right to take them as you +have to take the fat acorns that drop in the fall." + +"No such thing!" screamed Sammy. You know he can't talk without +screaming, and the more excited he gets, the louder he screams. +"No such thing! Acorns are food. They are meant to eat. I have to +have them to live. But you are cutting down whole trees. You are +spoiling the Green Forest. You don't belong here. Nobody invited +you, and nobody wants you. You're a thief!" + +Then up spoke Jerry Muskrat who, you know, is cousin to Paddy the +Beaver. + +"Don't you mind him," said he, pointing at Sammy Jay. "Nobody +does. He's the greatest trouble-maker in the Green Forest or on +the Green Meadows. He would steal from his own relatives. Don't +mind what he says, Cousin Paddy." + +Now all this time Paddy had been working away just as if no one +was around. Just as Jerry stopped speaking, Paddy thumped the +ground with his tail, which is his way of warning people to watch +out, and suddenly scurried away as fast as he could run. Sammy +Jay was so surprised that he couldn't find his tongue for a +minute, and he didn't notice anything peculiar about that tree. +Then suddenly he felt himself falling. With a frightened scream, +he spread his wings to fly, but branches of the tree swept him +down with them right into the Laughing Brook. You see, while +Sammy had been speaking his mind, Paddy the Beaver had cut down +the very tree in which he was sitting. + +Sammy wasn't hurt, but he was wet and muddy and terribly +frightened--the most miserable-looking Jay that ever was seen. It +was too much for all the little people who were hiding. They just +had to laugh. Then they all came out to pay their respects to +Paddy the Beaver. + + + +CHAPTER V Paddy Keeps His Promise. + +Paddy the Beaver kept right on working just as if he hadn't any +visitors. You see, it is a big undertaking to build a dam. And +when that was done there was a house to build and a supply of +food for the winter to cut and store. Oh, Paddy the Beaver had no +time for idle gossip, you may be sure! So he kept right on +building his dam. It didn't look much like a dam at first, and +some of Paddy's visitors turned up their noses when they first +saw it. They had heard stories of what a wonderful dam-builder +Paddy was, and they had expected to see something like the +smooth, grass-covered bank with which Farmer Brown kept the Big +River from running back on his low lands. Instead, all they saw +was a great pile of poles and sticks which looked like anything +but a dam. + +"Pooh!" exclaimed Billy Mink, "I guess we needn't worry about the +Laughing Brook and the Smiling Pool, if that is the best Paddy +can do. Why, the water of the Laughing Brook will work through +that in no time." + +Of course Paddy heard him, but he said nothing, just kept right +on working. + +"Just look at the way he has laid those sticks!" continued Billy +Mink. "Seems as if anyone would know enough to lay them across +the Laughing Brook instead of just the other way. I could build a +better dam than that." + +Paddy said nothing; he just kept right on working. + +"Yes, Sir," Billy boasted. "I could build a better dam than that. +Why, that pile of sticks will never stop the water." + +"Is something the matter with your eyesight, Billy Mink?" +inquired Jerry Muskrat. + +"Of course not!" retorted Billy indignantly. "Why?" + +"Oh, nothing much, only you don't seem to notice that already the +Laughing Brook is over its banks above Paddy's dam," replied +Jerry, who had been studying the dam with a great deal of +interest. + +Billy looked a wee bit foolish, for sure enough there was a +little pool just above the dam, and it was growing bigger. + +Sammy was terribly put out to think that anything should be going +on that he didn't know about first. You know he is very fond of +prying into the affairs of other people, and he loves dearly to +boast that there is nothing going on in the Green Forest or on +the Green Meadows that he doesn't know about. So now his pride +was hurt, and he was in a terrible rage as he started after the +Merry Little Breezes for the place deep in the Green Forest where +they said Paddy the Beaver was at work. He didn't believe a word +of it, but he would see for himself. + +Paddy still kept at work, saying nothing. He was digging in front +of the dam now, and the mud and grass he dug up he stuffed in +between the ends of the sticks and patted them down with his +hands. He did this all along the front of the dam and on top of +it, too, wherever he thought it was needed. Of course this made +it harder for the water to work through, and the little pond +above the dam began to grow faster. It wasn't a great while +before it was nearly to the top of the dam, which at first was +very low. Then Paddy brought more sticks. This was easier now, +because he could float them down from where he was cutting. He +would put them in place on the top of the dam, then hurry for +more. Wherever it was needed, he would put in mud. He even rolled +a few stones in to help hold the mass. + +So the dam grew and grew, and so did the pond above the dam. Of +course, it took a good many days to build so big a dam, and a lot +of hard work! Every morning the little people of the Green Forest +and the Green Meadow would visit it, and every morning they would +find that it had grown a great deal in the night, for that is +when Paddy likes best to work. + +By this time, the Laughing Brook had stopped laughing, and down +in the Smiling Pool there was hardly water enough for the minnows +to feel safe a minute. Billy Mink had stopped making fun of the +dam, and all the little people who live in the Laughing Brook and +Smiling Pool were terribly worried. + +To be sure, Paddy had warned them of what he was going to do, and +had promised that as soon as his pond was big enough, the water +would once more run in the Laughing Brook. They tried to believe +him, but they couldn't help having just a wee bit of fear that he +might not be wholly honest. You see, they didn't know him, for he +was a stranger. Jerry Muskrat was the only one who seemed +absolutely sure that everything would be all right. Perhaps that +was because Paddy is his cousin, and Jerry couldn't help feeling +proud of such a big cousin and one who was so smart. + +So day by day the dam grew, and pond grew, and one morning +Grandfather Frog, down in what had once been the Smiling Pool, +heard a sound that made his heart jump for joy. It was a murmur +that kept growing and growing, until at last it was the merry +laugh of the Laughing Brook. Then he knew that Paddy had kept his +word, and water would once more fill the Smiling Pool. + + + +CHAPTER VI Farmer Brown's Boy Grows Curious. + +Now it happened that the very day before Paddy the Beaver decided +that his pond was big enough, and so allowed the water to run in +the Laughing Brook once more, Farmer Brown's boy took it into his +head to go fishing in the Smiling Pool. Just as usual he went +whistling down across the Green Meadows. Somehow, when he goes +fishing, he always feels like whistling. Grandfather Frog heard +him coming and dived into the little bit of water remaining in +the Smiling Pool and stirred up the mud at the bottom so that +Farmer Brown's boy shouldn't see him. + +Nearer and nearer drew the whistle. Suddenly it stopped right +short off. Farmer Brown's boy had come in sight of the Smiling +Pool or rather, it was what used to be the Smiling Pool. Now +there wasn't any Smiling Pool, for the very little pool left was +too small and sickly looking to smile. There were great banks of +mud, out of which grew the bulrushes. The lily pads were +forlornly stretched out toward the tiny pool of water remaining. +Where the banks were steep and high, the holes that Jerry Muskrat +and Billy Mink knew so well were plain to see. Over at one side +stood Jerry Muskrat's house, wholly out of water. + +Somehow, it seemed to Farmer Brown's boy that he must be +dreaming. He never, never had seen anything like this before, not +even in the very driest weather of the hottest part of the +summer. He looked this way and looked that way. The Green Meadows +looked just as usual. The Green Forest looked just as usual. The +Laughing Brook--ha! What was the matter with the Laughing Brook? +He couldn't hear it and that, you know, was very unusual. He +dropped his rod and ran over to the Laughing Brook. There wasn't +any brook. No, sir, there wasn't any brook; just pools of water +with the tiniest of streams trickling between. Big stones over +which he had always seen the water running in the prettiest of +little white falls were bare and dry. In the little pools +frightened minnows were darting about. + +Farmer Brown's boy scratched his head in a puzzled way. "I don't +understand it," said he. "I don't understand it at all. Something +must have gone wrong with the springs that supply the water for +the Laughing Brook. They must have failed. Yes, Sir, that is just +what must have happened. But I never heard of such a thing +happening before, and I really don't see how it could happen. He +stared up into the Green Forest just as if he thought he could +see those springs. Of course, he didn't think anything of the +kind. He was just turning it all over in his mind. "I know what +I'll do, I'll go up to those springs this afternoon and find out +what the trouble is," he said out loud. "They are way over almost +on the other side of the Green Forest, and the easiest way to get +there will be to start from home and cut across the Old Pasture +up to the edge of the Mountain behind the Green Forest. If I try +to follow up the Laughing Brook now, it will take too long, +because it winds and twists so. Besides, it is too hard work." + +With that, Farmer Brown's boy went back and picked up his rod. +Then he started for home across the Green Meadows, and for once +he wasn't whistling. You see, he was too busy thinking. In fact, +he was so busy thinking that he didn't see Jimmy Skunk until he +almost stepped on him, and then he gave a frightened jump and +ran, for without a gun he was just as much afraid of Jimmy as +Jimmy was of him when he did have a gun. + +Jimmy just grinned and went on about his business. It always +tickles Jimmy to see people run away from him, especially people +so much bigger than himself; they look so silly. + +"I should think that they would have learned by this time that if +they don't bother me, I won't bother them, he muttered as he +rolled over a stone to look for fat beetles. "Somehow, folks +never seem to understand me." + + + +CHAPTER VII Farmer Brown's Boy Gets Another Surprise. + +Across the Old Pasture to the foot of the Mountain back of the +Green Forest tramped Farmer Brown's boy. Ahead of him trotted +Bowser the Hound, sniffing and snuffing for the tracks of Reddy +or Granny Fox. Of course he didn't find them, for Reddy and +Granny hadn't been up in the Old Pasture for a long time. But he +did find old Jed Thumper, the big gray Rabbit who had made things +so uncomfortable for Peter Rabbit once upon a time and gave old +Jed such a fright that he didn't look where he was going and +almost ran head-first into Farmer Brown's boy. + +"Hi, there, you old cottontail!" yelled Farmer Brown's boy, and +this frightened off Jed still more, so that he actually ran right +past his own castle of bullbriars without seeing it. + +Farmer Brown's boy kept on his way, laughing at the fright of old +Jed Thumper. Presently he reached the springs from which came the +water that made the very beginning of the Laughing Brook. He +expected to find them dry, for way down on the Green Meadows the +Smiling Pool was nearly dry, and the Laughing Brook was nearly +dry, and he had supposed that of course the reason was that the +springs where the Laughing Brook started were no longer bubbling. + +But they were! The clear cold water came bubbling up out of the +ground just as it always had, and ran off down into the Green +Forest in a little stream that would grow and grow as it ran and +became the Laughing Brook. Farmer Brown's boy took off his ragged +old straw hat and scowled down at the bubbling water just as if +it had no business to be bubbling there. + +Of course, he didn't think just that. The fact is, he didn't know +just what he did think. Here were the springs bubbling away just +as they always had. There was the little stream starting off down +into the Green Forest with a gurgle that by and by would become a +laugh, just as it always had. And yet down on the Green Meadows +on the other side of the Green Forest there was no longer a +Laughing Brook or a Smiling Pool. He felt as if he ought to pinch +himself to make sure that he was awake and not dreaming. + +"I don't know what it means," said he, talking out loud. "No, +Sir, I don't know what it means at all, but I'm going to find +out. There's a cause for everything in this world, and when a +fellow doesn't know a thing, it is his business to find out all +about it. I'm going to find out what has happened to the Laughing +Brook, if it takes me a year!" + +With that he started to follow the little stream which ran +gurgling down into the Green Forest. He had followed that little +stream more than once, and now he found it just as he remembered +it. The farther it ran, the larger it grew, until at last it +became the Laughing Brook, merrily tumbling over rocks and making +deep pools in which the trout loved to hide. At last he came to +the edge of a little open hollow in the very heart of the Green +Forest. He knew what splendid deep holes there were in the +Laughing Brook here, and how the big trout loved to lie in them +because they were deep and cool. He was thinking of these trout +now and wishing that he had brought along his fishing rod. He +pushed his way through a thicket of alders and then--Farmer +Brown's boy stopped suddenly and fairly gasped! He had to stop +because there right in front of him was a pond! + +He rubbed his eyes and looked again. Then he stooped down and put +his hand in the water to see if it was real. There was no doubt +about it. It was real water--a real pond where there never had +been a pond before. It was very still there in the heart of the +Green Forest. It was always very still there, but it seemed +stiller than usual as he tramped around the edge of this strange +pond. He felt as if it were all a dream. He wondered if pretty +soon he wouldn't wake up and find it all untrue. But he didn't, +so he kept on tramping until presently he came to a dam--a +splendid dam of logs and sticks and mud. Over the top of it the +water was running, and down in the Green Forest below he could +hear the Laughing Brook just beginning to laugh once more. Farmer +Brown's boy sat down with his elbows on his knees and his chin in +his hands. He was almost too much surprised to even think. + + + +CHAPTER VIII Peter Rabbit Gets a Ducking. + +Farmer Brown's boy sat with his chin in his hands staring at the +new pond in the Green Forest and at the dam which had made it. +That dam puzzled him. Who could have built it? What did they +build it for? Why hadn't he heard them chopping? He looked +carelessly at the stump of one of the trees, and then a still +more puzzled look made deep furrows between his eyes. It looked-- +yes, it looked very much as if teeth, and not an axe, had cut +down that tree. Farmer Brown's boy stared and stared, his mouth +gaping wide open. He looked so funny that Peter Rabbit, who was +hiding under an old pile of brush close by, nearly laughed right +out. + +But Peter didn't laugh. No, Sir, Peter didn't laugh, for just +that very minute something happened. Sniff! Sniff! That was right +behind him at the very edge of the old brushpile, and every hair +on Peter stood on end with fright. + +"Bow, wow, wow!" It seemed to Peter that the great voice was +right in his very ears. It frightened him so that he just had to +jump. He didn't have time to think. And so he jumped right out +from under the pile of brush and of course right into plain +sight. And the very instant he jumped there came another great +roar behind him. Of course it was from Bowser the Hound. You see, +Bowser had been following the trail of his master, but as he +always stops to sniff at everything he passes, he had been some +distance behind. When he came to the pile of brush under which +Peter was hiding he had sniffed at that, and of course he had +smelled Peter right away. + +Now when Peter jumped out so suddenly, he had landed right at one +end of the dam. The second roar of Bowser's great voice +frightened him still more, and he jumped right up on the dam. +There was nothing for him to do now but go across, and it wasn't +the best of going. No, indeed, it wasn't the best of going. You +see, it was mostly a tangle of sticks. Happy Jack Squirrel or +Chatterer the Red Squirrel or Striped Chipmunk would have skipped +across it without the least trouble. But Peter Rabbit has no +sharp little claws with which to cling to logs and sticks, and +right away he was in a peck of trouble. He slipped down between +the sticks, scrambled out, slipped again, and then, trying to +make a long jump, he lost his balance and--tumbled heels over +head into the water. + +Poor Peter Rabbit! He gave himself up for lost this time. He +could swim, but at best he is a poor swimmer and doesn't like the +water. He couldn't dive and keep out of sight like Jerry Muskrat +or Billy Mink. All he could do was to paddle as fast as his legs +would go. The water had gone up his nose and down his throat so +that he choked, and all the time he felt sure that Bowser the +Hound would plunge in after him and catch him. And if he +shouldn't why Farmer Brown's boy would simply wait for him to +come ashore and then catch him. + +But Farmer Brown's boy didn't do anything of the kind. No, Sir, +he didn't. Instead he shouted to Bowser and called him away. +Bowser didn't want to come, but he long ago learned to obey, and +very slowly he walked over to where his master was sitting. + +"You know it wouldn't be fair, old fellow, to try to catch Peter +now. It wouldn't be fair at all, and we never want to do anything +unfair, do we?" said he. Perhaps Bowser didn't agree, but he +wagged his tail as if he did, and sat down beside his master to +watch Peter swim. + +It seemed to Peter as if he never, never would reach the shore, +though really it was only a very little distance that he had to +swim. When he did scramble out, he was a sorry-looking Rabbit. He +didn't waste any time, but started for home as fast as he could +go, lipperty-lipperty-lip. And Farmer Brown's boy and Bowser the +Hound just laughed and didn't try to catch him at all. + +"Well, I never!" exclaimed Sammy Jay, who had seen it all from +the top of a pine tree. "Well, I never! I guess Farmer Brown's +boy isn't so bad, after all." + + + +CHAPTER IX Paddy Plans a House. + +Paddy the Beaver sat on his dam, and his eyes shone with +happiness as he looked out over the shining water of the pond he +had made. All around the edge of it grew the tall trees of the +Green Forest. It was very beautiful and very still and very +lonesome. That is, it would have seemed lonesome to almost anyone +but Paddy the Beaver. But Paddy never is lonesome. You see, he +finds company in the trees and flowers and all the little plants. + +It was still, very, very still. Over on one side was a beautiful +rosy glow in the water. It was the reflection from jolly, round, +red Mr. Sun. Paddy couldn't see him because of the tall trees, +but he knew exactly what Mr. Sun was doing. He was going to bed +behind the Purple Hills. Pretty soon the little stars would come +out and twinkle down at him. He loves the little stars and always +watches for the first one. + +Yes, Paddy the Beaver was very happy. He would have been +perfectly happy except for one thing. Farmer Brown's boy had +found his dam and pond that very afternoon, and Paddy wasn't +quite sure what Farmer Brown's boy might do. He had kept himself +snugly hidden while Farmer Brown's boy was there, and he felt +quite sure that Farmer Brown's boy didn't know who had built the +dam. But for this reason he might, he just might, try to find out +all about it, and that would mean that Paddy would always have to +be on the watch. + +"But what's the use of worrying over troubles that haven't come +yet, and may never come? Time enough to worry when they do come," +said Paddy to himself, which shows that Paddy has a great deal of +wisdom in his little brown head. "The thing for me to do now is +to get ready for winter, and that means a great deal of work," he +continued. "Let me see, I've got to build a house, a big, stout, +warm house, where I will be warm and safe when my pond is frozen +over. And I've got to lay in a supply of food, enough to last me +until gentle Sister South Wind comes to prepare the way for +lovely Mistress Spring. My, my, I can't afford to be sitting here +dreaming when there is so much to be done!" + +With that Paddy slipped into the water and swam all around his +new pond to make sure of just the best place to build his house. +Now, placing one's house in just the right place is a very +important matter. Some people are dreadfully careless about this. +Jimmy Skunk, for instance, often makes the mistake of digging his +house (you know Jimmy makes his house underground) right where +everyone who happens along that way will see it. Perhaps that is +because Jimmy is so independent that he doesn't care who knows +where he lives. + +But Paddy the Beaver never is careless. He always chooses just +the very best place. He makes sure that it is best before he +begins. So now, although he was quite positive just where his +house should be, he swam around the pond to make doubly sure. +Then, when he was quite satisfied, he swam over to the place he +had chosen. It was where the water was quite deep. + +"There mustn't be the least chance that the ice will ever get +thick enough too close up my doorway, said he, "and I'm sure it +never will here. I must make the foundations strong and the walls +thick. I must have plenty of mud to plaster with, and inside, up +above the water, I must have the snuggest, warmest room where I +can sleep in comfort. This is the place to build it, and it is +high time I was at work." + +With that Paddy swam over to the place where he had cut the trees +for his dam, and his heart was light, for he had long ago learned +that the surest way to be happy is to be busy. + + + +CHAPTER X Paddy Starts His House. + +Jerry Muskrat was very much interested when he found that Paddy +the Beaver, who you know, is his cousin, was building a house. +Jerry is a house-builder himself, and down deep in his heart he +very much doubted if Paddy could build as good a house as he +could. His house was down in the Smiling Pool, and Jerry thought +it a very wonderful house indeed, and was very proud of it. It +was built of mud and sod and little alder and willow twigs and +bulrushes. Jerry had spent one winter in it, and he had decided +to spend another there after he had fixed it up a little. So, as +long as he didn't have to build a brand-new house, he could +afford the time to watch his cousin Paddy. Perhaps he hoped that +Paddy would ask his advice. + +But Paddy did nothing of the kind. He had seen Jerry Muskrat's +house, and he had smiled. But he had taken great pains not to +let Jerry see that smile. He wouldn't have hurt Jerry's feelings +for the world. He is too polite and good-natured to do anything +like that. So Jerry sat on the end of an old log and watched +Paddy work. The first thing to build was the foundation. This was +of mud and grass with sticks worked into it to hold it together. +Paddy dug the mud from the bottom of his new pond. And because +the pond was new, there was a great deal of grassy sod there, +which was just what Paddy needed. It was very convenient. + +Jerry watched a little while and then, because Jerry is a worker +himself, he just had to get busy and help. Rather timidly he told +his big cousin that he would like to have a share in building the +new house. + +"All right," replied Paddy, "that will be fine. You can bring mud +while I am getting the sticks and grass." + +So Jerry dived down to the bottom of the pond and dug up mud and +piled it on the foundation and was happy. The little stars looked +down and twinkled merrily as they watched the two workers. So the +foundation grew and grew down under the water. Jerry was very +much surprised at the size of it. It was ever and ever so much +bigger than the foundation for his own house. You see, he had +forgotten how much bigger Paddy is. + +Each night Jerry and Paddy worked, resting during the daytime. +Occasionally Bobby Coon or Reddy Fox or Unc' Billy Possum or +Jimmy Skunk would come to the edge of the pond to see what was +going on. Peter Rabbit came every night. But they couldn't see +much because, you know, Paddy and Jerry were working under water. + +But at last Peter was rewarded. There, just above the water, was +a splendid platform of mud and grass and sticks. A great many +sticks were carefully laid as soon as the platform was above the +water, for Paddy was very particular about this. You see, it was +to be the floor for the splendid room he was planning to build. +When it suited him, he began to pile mud in the very middle. + +Jerry puzzled and puzzled over this. Where was Paddy's room going +to be, if he piled up the mud that way? But he didn't like to ask +questions, so he kept right on helping. Paddy would dive down to +the bottom and then come up with double handfuls of mud, which he +held against his chest. He would scramble out onto the platform +and waddle over to the pile in the middle, where he would put the +mud and pat it down. Then back to the bottom for more. + +And so the mud pile grew and grew, until it was quite two feet +high. + +"Now," said Paddy, "I'll build the walls, and I guess you can't +help me much with those. I'm going to begin them tomorrow night. +Perhaps you will like to see me do it, Cousin Jerry." + +"I certainly will," replied Jerry, still puzzling over that pile +of mud in the middle. + + + +CHAPTER XI Peter Rabbit and Jerry Muskrat Are Puzzled. + +Jerry Muskrat was more and more sure that his big cousin, Paddy +the Beaver, didn't know quite so much as he might about +house-building. Jerry would have liked to offer some suggestions, +but he didn't quite dare. You see, he was very anxious not to +displease his big cousin. But he felt that he simply had got to +speak his mind to someone, so he swam across to where he had seen +Peter Rabbit almost every night since Paddy began to build. Sure +enough, Peter was there, sitting up very straight and staring +with big round eyes at the platform of mud and sticks out in the +water where Paddy the Beaver was at work. + +"Well, Peter, what do you think of it?" asked Jerry + +"What is it?" asked Peter innocently. "Is it another dam?" + +Jerry threw back his head and laughed and laughed. + +Peter looked at him suspiciously. "I don't see anything to laugh +at," said he. + +"Why, it's a house, you stupid. It's Paddy's new house," replied +Jerry, wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes. + +"I'm not stupid!" retorted Peter. "How was I to know that that +pile of mud and sticks is meant for a house? It certainly doesn't +look it. Where is the door?" + +"To tell you the truth, I don't think it is much of a house +myself," replied Jerry. "It has got a door, all right. In fact it +has got three. You can't see them because they are under water, +and there is a passage from each right up through that platform +of mud and sticks, which is the foundation of the house. It +really is a very fine foundation, Peter; it really is. But what +I can't understand is what Paddy is thinking of by building that +great pile of mud right in the middle. When he gets his walls +built, where will his bedroom be? There won't be any room at all. +It won't be a house at all--just a big useless pile of sticks and +mud. + +Peter scratched his head and then pulled his whiskers thoughtfully +as he gazed out at the pile in the water where Paddy the Beaver +was at work. + +"It does look foolish, that's a fact," said he. "Why don't you +point out to him the mistake he is making, Jerry? You have built +such a splendid house yourself that you ought to be able to help +Paddy and show him his mistakes." + +Jerry had smiled a very self-satisfied smile when Peter mentioned +his fine house, but he shook his head at the suggestion that he +should give Paddy advice. + +"I--I don't just like to," he confessed. "You know, he might not +like it and--and it doesn't seem as if it would be quite polite. + +Peter sniffed. "That wouldn't trouble me any if he were my +cousin," said he. + +Jerry shook his head, "No, I don't believe it would," he replied, +"but it does trouble me and--and--well, I think I'll wait +awhile." + +Now all this time Paddy had been hard at work. He was bringing +the longest branches which he had cut from the trees out of which +he had built his dam, and a lot of slender willow and alder +poles. He pushed these ahead of him as he swam. When he reached +the foundation of his house, he would lean them against the pile +of mud in the middle with their big ends resting on the +foundation. So he worked all the way around until by and by the +mud pile in the middle couldn't be seen. It was completely +covered with sticks, and they were cunningly fastened together at +the tops. + + + +CHAPTER XII Jerry Muskrat Learns Something + + If you think you know it all + You are riding for a fall. + Use your ears and use your eyes, + But hold your tongue and you'll be wise. + +Jerry Muskrat will tell you that is as true as true can be. Jerry +knows. He found it out for himself. Now he is very careful what +he says about other people or what they are doing. But he wasn't +so careful when his cousin, Paddy the Beaver, was building his +house. No, Sir, Jerry wasn't so careful then. He though he knew +more about building a house than Paddy did. He was sure of it +when he watched Paddy heap up a great pile of mud right in the +middle where his room ought to be, and then build a wall of +sticks around it. He said as much to Peter Rabbit. + +Now it is never safe to say anything to Peter Rabbit that you +don't care to have others know. Peter has a great deal of respect +for Jerry Muskrat's opinion on house-building. You see, he very +much admires Jerry's snug house in the Smiling Pool. It really is +a very fine house, and Jerry may be excused for being proud of +it. But that doesn't excuse Jerry for thinking that he knows all +there is to know about house-building. Of course Peter told +everyone he met that Paddy the Beaver was making a foolish +mistake in building his house, and that Jerry Muskrat, who ought +to know, said so. + +So whenever they got the chance, the little people of the Green +Forest and Green Meadows would steal up to the shore of Paddy's +new pond and chuckle as they looked out at the great pile of +sticks and mud which Paddy had built for a house, but in which he +had forgotten to make a room. At least they supposed that he had +forgotten this very important thing. He must have, for there +wasn't any room. It was a great joke. They laughed a lot about +it, and they lost a great deal of the respect for Paddy which +they had had since he built his wonderful dam. + +Jerry and Peter sat in the moonlight talking it over. Paddy had +stopped bringing sticks for his wall. He had dived down out of +sight, and he was gone a long time. Suddenly Jerry noticed that +the water had grown very, very muddy all around Paddy's new +house. He wrinkled his brows trying to think what Paddy could be +doing. Presently Paddy came up for air. Then he went down again, +and the water grew muddier than ever. This went on for a long +time. Every little while Paddy would come up for air and a few +minutes of rest. Then down he would go, and the water would grow +muddier and muddier. + +At last Jerry could stand it no longer. He just had to see what +was going on. He slipped into the water and swam over to where +the water was muddiest. Just as he got there up came Paddy. + +"Hello, Cousin Jerry!" said he. "I was just going to invite you +over to see what you think of my house inside. Just follow me." + +Paddy dived, and Jerry dived after him. He followed Paddy in at +one of the three doorways under water and up a smooth hall right +into the biggest, nicest bedroom Jerry had ever seen in all his +life. He just gasped in sheer surprise. He couldn't do anything +else. He couldn't find his tongue to say a word. Here he was in +this splendid great room up above the water, and he had been so +sure that there wasn't any room at all! He just didn't know what +to make of it. + +Paddy's eyes twinkled. "Well," said he, "what do you think of +it?" + +"I--I--think it is splendid, just perfectly splendid! But I don't +understand it at all, Cousin Paddy. I--I--Where is that great +pile of mud I helped you build in the middle?" Jerry looked as +foolish as he felt when he asked this. + +"Why, I've dug it all away. That's what made the water so muddy," +replied Paddy. + +"But what did you build it for in the first place?" Jerry asked. + +"Because I had to have something solid to rest my sticks against +while I was building my walls, of course," replied Paddy. When I +got the tops fastened together for a roof, they didn't need a +support any longer, and then I dug it away to make this room. I +couldn't have built such a big room any other way. I see you +don't know very much about house-building, Cousin Jerry." + +"I--I'm afraid I don't," confessed Jerry sadly. + + + +CHAPTER XIII The Queer Storehouse. + +Everybody knew that Paddy the Beaver was laying up a supply of +food for the winter, and everybody thought it was queer food. +That is, everybody but Prickly Porky the Porcupine thought so. +Prickly Porky likes the same kind of food, but he never lays up a +supply. He just goes out and gets it when he wants it, winter or +summer. What kind of food was it? Why, bark, to be sure. Yes, +Sir, it was just bark--the bark of certain kinds of trees. + +Now Prickly Porky can climb the trees and eat the bark right +there, but Paddy the Beaver cannot climb, and if he would just +eat the bark that he can reach from the ground, it would take +such a lot of trees to keep him filled up that he would soon +spoil the Green Forest. You know, when the bark is taken off a +tree all the way around, the tree dies. That is because all the +things that a tree draws out of the ground to make it grow and +keep it alive are carried up from the roots in the sap, and the +sap cannot go up the tree trunks and into the branches when the +bark is taken off, because it is up the inside of the bark that +it travels. So when the bark is taken from a tree all the way +around the trunk, the tree just starves to death. + +Now Paddy the Beaver loves the Green Forest as dearly as you and +I do, and perhaps even a little more dearly. You see, it is his +home. Besides, Paddy never is wasteful. So he cuts down a tree so +that he can get all the bark instead of killing a whole lot of +trees for a very little bark, as he might do if he were lazy. +There isn't a lazy bone in him--not one. The bark he likes best +is from the aspen. When he cannot get that, he will eat the bark +from the poplar, the alder, the willow, and even the birch. But +he likes the aspen so much better that he will work very hard to +get it. Perhaps it tastes better because he does have to work so +hard for it. + +There were some aspen trees growing right on the edge of the pond +Paddy had made in the Green Forest. These he cut just as he had +cut the trees for his dam. As soon as a tree was down, he would +cut it into short lengths, and with these swim out to where the +water was deep, close to his new house. He took them one by one +and carried the first ones to the bottom, where he pushed them +into the mud just enough to hold them. Then, as fast as he +brought more, he piled them on the first ones. And so the pile +grew and grew. + +Jerry Muskrat, Peter Rabbit, Bobby Coon, and the other little +people of the Green Forest watched him with the greatest interest +and curiosity. They couldn't quite make out what he was doing. It +was almost as if he were building the foundation for another +house. + +"What's he doing, Jerry?" demanded Peter, when he could keep +still no longer. + +"I don't exactly know," replied Jerry. "He said that he was going +to lay in a supply of food for the winter, just as I told you, +and I suppose that is what he is doing. But I don't quite +understand what he is taking it all out into the pond for. I +believe I'll go ask him." + +"Do, and then come tell us," begged Peter, who was growing so +curious that he couldn't sit still. + +So Jerry swam out to where Paddy was so busy. "Is this your food +supply, Cousin Paddy?" he asked. + +"Yes," replied Paddy, crawling up on the side of his house to +rest. "Yes, this is my food supply. Isn't it splendid?" + +"I guess it is," replied Jerry, trying to be polite, "though I +like lily roots and clams better. But what are you going to do +with it? Where is your storehouse?" + +"This pond is my storehouse," replied Paddy. "I will make a great +pile right here close to my house, and the water will keep it +nice and fresh all winter. When the pond is frozen over, all I +will have to do is to slip out of one of my doorways down there +on the bottom, swim over here and get a stick, and fill my +stomach. Isn't it handy?" + + + +CHAPTER XIV A Footprint in the Mud. + +Very early one morning Paddy the Beaver heard Sammy Jay making a +terrible fuss over in the aspen trees on the edge of the pond +Paddy had made in the Green Forest. Paddy couldn't see because he +was inside his house, and it has no window, but he could hear. He +wrinkled up his brows thoughtfully. + +"Seems to me that Sammy is very much excited this morning," said +he, a way he has because he is so much alone. "When he screams +like that, Sammy is usually trying to do two things at once--make +trouble for somebody and keep somebody else out of trouble; and +when you come to think of it, that's rather a funny way of doing. +It shows that he isn't all bad, and at the same time he is a long +way from being all good. Now, I should say from the sounds that +Sammy has discovered Reddy Fox trying to steal up on someone over +where my aspen trees are growing. Reddy is afraid of me, but I +suspect that he knows that Peter Rabbit has been hanging around +here a lot lately, watching me work, and he thinks perhaps he can +watch Peter. I shall have to whisper in one of Peter's long ears +and tell him to watch out." + +After a while he heard Sammy Jay's voice growing fainter and +fainter in the Green Forest. Finally he couldn't hear it at all. +"Whoever was here has gone away, and Sammy has followed just to +torment them," thought Paddy. He was very busy making a bed. He +is very particular about his bed, is Paddy the Beaver. He makes +it of fine splinters of wood which he splits off with those +wonderful great cutting teeth of his. This makes the driest kind +of a bed. It requires a great deal of patience and work, but +patience is one of the first things a little Beaver learns, and +honest work well done is one of the greatest pleasures in the +world, as Paddy long ago found out for himself. So he kept at +work on his bed for some time after all was still outside. + +At last Paddy decided that he would go over to his aspen trees +and look them over to decide which ones he would cut the next +night. He slid down one of his long halls, out the doorway at the +bottom on the pond, and then swam up to the surface, where he +floated for a few minutes with just his head out of water. And +all the time his eyes and nose and ears were busy looking, +smelling, and listening for any sign of danger. Everything was +still. Sure that he was quite safe, Paddy swam across to the +place where the aspen trees grew, and waddled out on the shore. + +Paddy looked this way and looked that way. He looked up in the +treetops, and he looked off up the hill, but most of all he +looked at the ground. Yes, Sir, Paddy just studied the ground. +You see, he hadn't forgotten the fuss Sammy Jay had been making +there, and he was trying to find out what it was all about. At +first he didn't see anything unusual, but by and by he happened +to notice a little wet place, and right in the middle of it was +something that made Paddy's eyes open wide. It was a footprint! +Someone had carelessly stepped in the mud. + +"Ha!" exclaimed Paddy, and the hair on his back lifted ever so +little, and for a minute he had a prickly feeling all over. The +footprint was very much like that of Reddy Fox, only it was +larger. + +"Ha!" said Paddy again. "That certainly is the foot print of Old +Man Coyote! I see I have got to watch out more sharply than I had +thought for. All right, Mr. Coyote; now that I know you are +about, you'll have to be smarter than I think you are to catch +me. You certainly will be back here tonight looking for me, so I +think I'll do my cutting right now in the daytime." + + + +CHAPTER XV Sammy Jay Makes Paddy a Call. + +Paddy the Beaver was hard at work. He had just cut down a good- +sized aspen tree and now he was gnawing it into short lengths to +put in his food pile in the pond. As he worked, Paddy was doing a +lot of thinking about the footprint of Old Man Coyote in a little +patch of mud, for he knew that meant that Old Man Coyote had +discovered his pond, and would be hanging around, hoping to catch +Paddy off his guard. Paddy knew it just as well as if Old Man +Coyote had told him so. That was why he was at work cutting his food +supply in the daytime. Usually he works at night, and he knew +that Old Man Coyote knew it. + +"He'll try to catch me then," thought Paddy, "so I'll do my working +on land now and fool him." + +The tree he was cutting began to sway and crack. Paddy cut out +One more big chip, then hurried away to a safe place while the +tree fell with a crash. + +"Thief! thief! thief!" screamed a voice just back of Paddy. + +"Hello, Sammy Jay! I see you don't feel any better than usual +this morning," said Paddy. "Don't you want to sit up in this tree +while I cut it down?" + +Sammy grew black in the face with anger, for he knew that Paddy +was laughing at him. You remember how only a few days before he +had been so intent on calling Paddy bad names that he actually +hadn't noticed that Paddy was cutting the very tree in which he +was sitting, and so when it fell he had had a terrible fright. + +"You think you are very smart, Mr. Beaver, but you'll think +differently one of these fine days!" screamed Sammy. "If you knew +what I know, you wouldn't be so well satisfied with yourself." + +"What do you know?" asked Paddy, pretending to be very much +alarmed. + +"I'm not going to tell you what I know," retorted Sammy Jay. +"You'll find out soon enough. And when you do find out, you'll +never steal another tree from our Green Forest. Somebody is going +to catch you, and it isn't Farmer Brown's boy either!" + +Paddy pretended to be terribly frightened. "Oh, who is it? Please +tell me, Mr. Jay," he begged. + +Now to be called Mr. Jay made Sammy feel very important. Nearly +everybody else called him Sammy. He swelled himself out trying to +look as important as he felt, and his eyes snapped with pleasure. +He was actually making Paddy the Beaver afraid. At least, he +thought he was. + +"No, Sir, I won't tell you," he replied. "I wouldn't be you for a +great deal, though! Somebody who is smarter than you are is going +to catch you, and when he gets through with you, there won't be +anything left but a few bones. No, Sir, nothing but a few bones!" + +"Oh, Mr. Jay, this is terrible news! Whatever am I to do?" cried +Paddy, all the time keeping on at work cutting another tree. + +"There's nothing you can do," replied Sammy, grinning wickedly at +Paddy's fright. "There's nothing you can do unless you go right +straight back to the North where you came from. You think you are +very smart, but--" + +Sammy didn't finish. Crack! Over fell the tree Paddy had been +cutting and the top of it fell straight into the alder in which +Sammy was sitting. "Oh! Oh! Help!" shrieked Sammy, spreading his +wings and flying away just in time. + +Paddy sat down and laughed until his sides ached. "Come make me +another call someday, Sammy!" he said. "And when you do, please +bring some real news. I know all about Old Man Coyote. You can +tell him for me that when he is planning to catch people he +should be careful not to leave footprints to give himself away." + +Sammy didn't reply. He just sneaked off through the Green Forest, +looking quite as foolish as he felt. + + + +CHAPTER XVI Old Man Coyote is Very Crafty. + + Coyote has a crafty brain; + His wits are sharp his ends to gain. + +There is nothing in the world more true than that. Old Man Coyote +has the craftiest brain of all the little people of the Green +Forest or the Green Meadows. Sharp as are the wits of old Granny +Fox, they are not quite so sharp as the wits of Old Man Coyote. +If you want to fool him, you will have to get up very early in +the morning, and then it is more than likely that you will be the +one fooled, not he. There is very little going on around him that +he doesn't know about. But once in a while something escapes him. +The coming of Paddy the Beaver to the Green Forest was one of +these things. He didn't know a thing about Paddy until Paddy had +finished his dam and his house, and was cutting his supply of +food for the winter. + +You see, it was this way: When the Merry Little Breezes of Old +Mother West Wind first heard what was going on in the Green Forest +and hurried around over the Green Meadows and through the Green +Forest to spread the news, as is their way, they took the +greatest pains not to even hint it to Old Man Coyote because they +were afraid that he would make trouble and perhaps drive Paddy +away. The place that Paddy had chosen to build his dam was so +deep in the Green Forest that Old Man Coyote seldom went that +way. So it was that he knew nothing about Paddy, and Paddy knew +nothing about him for some time. + +But after awhile Old Man Coyote noticed that the little people of +the Green Meadows were not about as much as usual. They seemed to +have a secret of some kind. He mentioned the matter to his +friend, Digger the Badger. + +Digger had been so intent on his own affairs that he hadn't +noticed anything unusual, but when Old Man Coyote mentioned the +matter he remembered that Blacky the Crow headed straight for the +Green Forest every morning. Several times he had seen Sammy Jay +flying in the same direction as if in a great hurry to get +somewhere. + +Old Man Coyote grinned. "That's all I need to know, friend +Digger," said he. "When Blacky the Crow and Sammy Jay visit a +place more than once, something interesting is going on there. I +think I'll take a stroll up through the Green Forest and have a +look around." + +With that, off Old Man Coyote started. But he was too sly and +crafty to go straight to the Green Forest. He pretended to hunt +around over the Green Meadows just as he usually did, all the +time working nearer and nearer to the Green Forest. When he +reached the edge of it, he slipped in among the trees, and when +he felt that no one was likely to see him, he began to run this +way and that way with his nose to the ground. + +"Ha!" he exclaimed presently, "Reddy Fox has been this way +lately." + +Pretty soon he found another trail. "So," said he, "Peter Rabbit +has been over here a good deal of late, and his trail goes in the +same direction as that of Reddy Fox. I guess all I have to do now +is to follow Peter's trail, and it will lead me to what I want to +find out." + +So Old Man Coyote followed Peter's trail, and he presently came +to the pond of Paddy the Beaver. "Ha!" said he, as he looked out +and saw Paddy's new house. "So there is a newcomer to the Green +Forest! I have always heard that Beaver is very good eating. My +stomach begins to feel empty this very minute." His mouth began +to water, and a fierce, hungry look shone in his eyes. + +It was just then that Sammy Jay saw him and began to scream at +the top of his lungs so that Paddy the Beaver over in his house +heard him. Old Man Coyote knew that it was of no use to stay +longer with Sammy Jay about, so he took a hasty look at the pond +and found where Paddy came ashore to cut his food. Then, shaking +his fist at Sammy Jay, he started straight back for the Green +Meadows. "I'll just pay a visit here in the night," said he, "and +give Mr. Beaver a surprise while he is at work." + +But with all his craft, Old Man Coyote didn't notice that he left +a footprint in the mud. + + + +CHAPTER XVII Old Man Coyote is Disappointed. + +Old Man Coyote lay stretched out in his favorite napping place on +the Green Meadows. He was thinking of what he had found out up in +the Green Forest that morning--that Paddy the Beaver was living +there. Old Man Coyote's thoughts seemed very pleasant to +himself, though really they were very dreadful thoughts. You see, +he was thinking how easy it was going to be to catch Paddy the +Beaver, and what a splendid meal he would make. He licked his +chops at the thought. + +"He doesn't know I know he's here," thought Old Man Coyote. "In +fact, I don't believe heaven knows that I am anywhere around. Of +course he won't be watching for me. He cuts his trees at night, +so all I will have to do is to hide right close by where he is at +work, and he'll walk right into my mouth. Sammy Jay knows I was +up there this morning, but Sammy sleeps at night, so he will not +give the alarm. My, my, how good that Beaver will taste!" He +licked his chops once more, then yawned and closed his eyes for a +nap. + +Old Man Coyote waited until jolly, round red Mr. Sun had gone to +bed behind the Purple Hills, and the Black Shadows had crept out +across the Green Meadows. Then, keeping in the blackest of them, +and looking very much like a shadow of himself, he slipped into +the Green Forest. It was dark in there, and he made straight for +Paddy's new pond, trotting along swiftly without making a sound. +When he was near the aspen trees which he knew Paddy was planning +to cut, he crept forward very slowly and carefully. Everything +was still as still could be. + +"Good!" thought Old Man Coyote. "I am here first, and now all I +need do is to hide and wait for Paddy to come ashore." + +So he stretched himself flat behind some brush close beside the +little path Paddy had made up from the edge of the water and +waited. It was very still, so still that it seemed almost as if +he could hear his heart beat. He could see the little stars +twinkling in the sky and their own reflections twinkling back at +them from the water of Paddy's pond. Old Man Coyote waited and +waited. He is very patient when there is something to gain by it. +For such a splendid dinner as Paddy the Beaver would make, he +felt that he could well afford to be patient. So he waited and +waited, and everything was as still as if no living thing but the +trees where there. Even the trees seemed to be asleep. + +At last, after a long, long time, he heard just the faintest +splash. He pricked up his ears and peeped out on the pond with +the hungriest look in his yellow eyes. There was a little line of +silver coming straight toward him. He knew that it was made by +Paddy the Beaver swimming. Nearer and nearer it drew. Old Man +Coyote chuckled way down deep inside, without making a sound. He +could see Paddy's head now, and Paddy was coming straight in, as +if he hadn't a fear in the world. + +Almost to the edge of the pond swam Paddy. Then he stopped. In a +few minutes he began to swim again, but this time it was back in +the direction of his house, and he seemed to be carrying +something. It was one of the little food logs he had cut that +day, and he was taking it out to his storehouse. Then back he +came for another. And so he kept on, never once coming ashore. +Old Man Coyote waited until Paddy had carried the last log to his +storehouse and then, with a loud whack on the water with his +broad tail, had dived and disappeared in his house. + +Then Old Man Coyote arose and started elsewhere to look for his +dinner, and in his heart was bitter disappointment. + + + +CHAPTER XVIII Old Man Coyote Tries Another Plan. + +For three nights Old Man Coyote had stolen up through the green +Forest with the coming of the Black Shadows and had hidden among +the aspen trees where Paddy the Beaver cut his food, and for +three nights Paddy had failed to come ashore. Each night he had +seemed to have enough food logs in the water to keep him busy +without cutting more. Old Man Coyote lay there, and the hungry +look in his eyes changed to one of doubt and then to suspicion. +Could it be that Paddy the Beaver was smarter than he thought? It +began to look very much as if Paddy knew perfectly well that he +was hiding there each night. Yes, Sir, that's the way it looked. +For three nights Paddy hadn't cut a single tree, and yet each +night he had plenty of food logs ready to take to his storehouse +in the pond. + +"That means that he comes ashore in the daytime and cuts his +trees," thought Old Man Coyote as, tired and with black anger in +his heart, he trotted home the third night. "He couldn't have +found out about me himself; he isn't smart enough. It must be +that someone has told him. And nobody knows that I have been over +there but Sammy Jay. It must be he who has been the tattletale. I +think I'll visit Paddy by daylight tomorrow, and then we'll see!" + +Now the trouble with some smart people is that they are never +able to believe that others may be as smart as they. Old Man +Coyote didn't know that the first time he had visited Paddy's +pond he had left behind him a footprint in a little patch of soft +mud. If he had known it, he wouldn't have believed that Paddy +would be smart enough to guess what that footprint meant. So Old +Man coyote laid all the blame at the door of Sammy Jay, and that +very morning, when Sammy came flying over the Green Meadows, Old +Man Coyote accused him of being a tattletale and threatened the +most dreadful things to Sammy if ever he caught him. + +Now Sammy had flown down to the green Meadows to tell Old Man +Coyote how Paddy was doing all his work on land in the daytime. +But when Old Man Coyote began to call him a tattletale and +accuse him of having warned Paddy, and to threaten dreadful +things, he straightway forgot all his anger at Paddy and turned +it all on Old Man Coyote. He called him everything he could think +of, and this was a great deal, for Sammy has a wicked tongue. +When he hadn't any breath left, he flew over to the Green Forest, +and there he hid where he could watch all that was going on. + +That afternoon Old Man Coyote tried his new plan. He slipped into +the Green Forest, looking this way and that way to be sure that +no one saw him. Then very, very softly, he crept up through the +Green Forest toward the pond of Paddy the Beaver. As he drew +near, he heard a crash, and it make him smile. He knew what it +meant. It meant that Paddy was at work cutting down trees. With +his stomach almost on the ground, he crept forward little by +little, little by little, taking the greatest care not to rustle +so much as a leaf. Presently he reached a place where he could +see the aspen trees, and there, sure enough, was Paddy, sitting +up on his hind legs and hard at work cutting another tree. + +Old Man Coyote lay down for a few minutes to watch. Then he +wriggled a little nearer. Slowly and carefully he drew his legs +under him and made ready for a rush. Paddy the Beaver was his at +last! At just that very minute a harsh scream rang out right over +his head: + +"Thief! thief! thief!" + +It was Sammy Jay, who had followed him all the way. Paddy the +Beaver didn't stop to even look around. He knew what that meant, +and he scrambled down his little path to the water as he never +had scrambled before. And as he dived with a great splash, Old Man +Coyote landed with a great jump on the very edge of the pond. + + + +CHAPTER XIX Paddy and Sammy Jay Become Friends. + +Paddy the Beaver floated in his pond and grinned in the most +provoking way at Old Man Coyote, who had so nearly caught him. Old +Man Coyote fairly danced with anger on the bank. He had felt so +sure of Paddy that time that it was hard work to believe that Paddy +had really gotten away from him. He bared his long, cruel teeth, +and he looked very fierce and ugly. + +"Come on in; the water's fine!" called Paddy. + +Now, of course this wasn't a nice thing for Paddy to do, for it +only made Old Man Coyote all the angrier. You see, Paddy knew +perfectly well that he was absolutely safe, and he just couldn't +resist the temptation to say some unkind things. He had had to be +on the watch for days lest he should be caught, and so he hadn't +been able to work quite so well as he could have done with +nothing to fear, and he still had a lot of preparations to make +for winter. So he told Old Man Coyote just what he thought of +him, and that he wasn't as smart as he thought he was or he never +would have left a foot print in the mud to give him away. + +When Sammy Jay, who was listening and chuckling as he listened, +heard that, he flew down where he would be just out of reach of +Old Man Coyote, and then he just turned that tongue of his loose, +and you know that some people say that Sammy's tongue is hung in +the middle and wags at both ends. Of course this isn't really so, +but when he gets to abusing people it seems as if it must be +true. He called Old Man Coyote every bad name he could think of. +He called him a sneak, a thief, a coward, a bully, and a lot of +other things. + +"You said I had warned Paddy that you were trying to catch him +and that was why you failed to find him at work at night, and all +the time you had warned him yourself!" screamed Sammy. "I used to +think that you were smart, but I know better now. Paddy is twice +as smart as you are. + + "Mr. Coyote is every so sly; + Mr. Coyote is clever and spry; + If you believe all you hear. + + Mr. Coyote is naught of the kind; + Mr. Coyote is stupid and blind; + He can't catch a flea on his ear." + +Paddy the Beaver laughed till the tears came at Sammy's foolish +verse, but it made Old Man Coyote angrier than ever. He was angry +with Paddy for escaping from him, and he was angry with Sammy, +terribly angry, and the worst of it was he couldn't catch either +one, for one was at home in the water and the other was at home +in the air and he couldn't follow in either place. Finally he saw +it was of no use to stay there to be laughed at, so, muttering +and grumbling, he started for the Green Meadows. + +As soon as he was out of sight Paddy turned to Sammy Jay. + +"Mr. Jay," said he, knowing how it pleased Sammy to be called +mister. "Mr. Jay, you have done me a mighty good turn today, and +I am not going to forget it. You can call me what you please and +scream at me all you please, but you won't get any satisfaction +out of it, because I simply won't get angry. I will say to +myself, 'Mr. Jay saved my life the other day,' and then I won't +mind your tongue." + +Now this made Sammy feel very proud and very happy. You know it +is very seldom that he hears anything nice said of him. He flew +down on the stump of one of the trees Paddy had cut. "Let's be +friends," said he. + +"With all my heart!" replied Paddy. + + + +CHAPTER XX Sammy Jay Offers To Help Paddy. + +Paddy sat looking thoughtfully at the aspen trees he would have +to cut to complete his store of food for the winter. All those +near the edge of his pond had been cut. The others were scattered +about some little distance away. "I don't know," said Paddy out +loud. "I don't know." + +"What don't you know?" asked Sammy Jay, who, now that he and +Paddy had become friends, was very much interested in what Paddy +was doing. + +"Why," replied Paddy, "I don't know just how I am going to get +those trees. Now that Old Man Coyote is watching for me, it isn't +safe for me to go very far from my pond. I suppose I could dig a +canal up to some of the nearest trees and then float them down to +the pond, but it is hard to work and keep watch for enemies at +the same time. I guess I'll have to be content with some of these +alders growing close to the water, but he bark of aspens is so +much better that I--I wish I could get them." + +"What's a canal?" asked Sammy abruptly. + +"A canal? Why a canal is a kind of ditch in which water can run," +replied Paddy. + +Sammy nodded. "I've seen Farmer Brown dig one over on the Green +Meadows, but it looked like a great deal of work. I didn't +suppose that anyone else could do it. Do you really mean that you +can dig a canal, Paddy?" + +"Of course I mean it," replied Paddy, in a surprised tone of +voice. "I have helped dig lots of canals. You ought to see some +of them back where I came from." + +"I'd like to," replied Sammy. "I think it is perfectly wonderful. +I don't see how you do it." + +"It's easy enough when you know how," replied Paddy. "If I dared +to, I'd show you." + +Sammy had a sudden idea. It almost made him gasp. "I tell you +what, you work and I'll keep watch!" he cried. "You know my eyes +are very sharp." + +"Will you?" cried Paddy eagerly. "That would be perfectly +splendid. You have the sharpest eyes of anyone whom I know, and I +would feel perfectly safe with you on watch. But I don't want to +put you to all to that trouble, Mr. Jay." + +"Of course I will," replied Sammy, "and it won't be any trouble +at all. I'll just love to do it." You see, it made Sammy feel +very proud to have Paddy say that he had such sharp eyes. "When +will you begin?" + +"Right away, if you will just take a look around and see that it +is perfectly safe for me to come out on land." + +Sammy didn't wait to hear more. He spread his beautiful blue +wings and started off over the Green Forest straight for the +Green Meadows. Paddy watched him go with a puzzled and +disappointed air. "That's funny," thought he. "I thought he +really meant it, and now off he goes without even saying +good-by." + +In a little while back came Sammy, all out of breath. "It's all +right," he panted. "You can go to work just as soon as you +please." + +Paddy looked more puzzled than ever. "How do you know?" he asked. +"I haven't seen you looking around." + +"I did better than that," replied Sammy. "If Old Man Coyote had +been hiding somewhere in the Green Forest, it might have taken me +some time to find him. But he isn't. You see, I flew straight +over to his home in the Green Meadows to see if he is there, and +he is. He's taking a sun bath and looking as cross as two sticks. +I don't think he'll be back here this morning, but I'll keep a +sharp watch while you work." + +Paddy made Sammy a low bow. "You certainly are smart, Mr. Jay," +said he. "I wouldn't have thought of going over to Old Man +Coyote's home to see if he was there. I'll feel perfectly safe +with you on guard. Now I'll get to work." + + + +CHAPTER XXI Paddy and Sammy Jay Work Together. + +Jerry Muskrat had been home at the Smiling Pool for several days. +But he couldn't stay there long. Oh, my, no! He just had to get +back to see what his big cousin, Paddy the Beaver, was doing. So +as soon as he was sure that everything was all right at the +Smiling Pool he hurried back up the Laughing Brook to Paddy's +pond, deep in the Green Forest. As soon as he was in sight of it, +he looked eagerly for Paddy. At first he didn't see him. Then he +stopped and gazed over at the place where Paddy had been cutting +aspen trees for food. Something was going on there, something +queer. He couldn't make it out. + +Jus then Sammy Jay came flying over. + +"What's Paddy doing?" Jerry asked. + +Sammy Jay dropped down to the top of an alder tree and fluffed +out all his feathers in a very important way. "Oh," said he, +"Paddy and I are building something!" + +"You! Paddy and you! Ha, ha! Paddy and you building something!" +Jerry laughed. + +"Yes, me!" snapped Sammy angrily. "That's what I said; Paddy and +I are building something." + +Jerry had begun to swim across the pond by this time, and Sammy +was flying across. "Why don't you tell the truth, Sammy, and say +that Paddy is building something and you are making him all the +trouble you can?" called Jerry. + +Sammy's eyes snapped angrily, and he darted down at Jerry's +little brown head. "It isn't true!" he shrieked. "You ask Paddy +if I'm not helping!" + +Jerry ducked under water to escape Sammy's sharp bill. When he +came up again, Sammy was over in the little grove of aspen trees +where Paddy was at work. Then Jerry discovered something. What +was it? Why a little water-path led right up to the aspen trees, +and there, at the end of the little water-path, was Paddy the +Beaver hard at work. He was digging and piling the earth on one +side very neatly. In fact, he was making the water-path longer. +Jerry swam right up the little water-path to where Paddy was +working. "Good morning, Cousin Paddy," said he. "What are you +doing?" + +"Oh," replied Paddy, "Sammy Jay and I are building a canal." + +Sammy Jay looked down at Jerry in triumph, and Jerry looked at +Paddy as if he thought that he was joking. + +"Sammy Jay? What's Sammy Jay got to do about it?" demanded Jerry. + +"A whole lot," replied Paddy. "You see, he keeps watch while I +work. If he didn't, I couldn't work, and there wouldn't be any +canal. Old Man Coyote has been trying to catch me, and I wouldn't +dare work on shore if it wasn't that I am sure that the sharpest +eyes in the Green Forest are watching for danger." + +Sammy Jay looked very much pleased indeed and very proud. + +"So you see, it takes both of us to make this canal; I dig while +Sammy watches. So we are building it together," concluded Paddy +with a twinkle in his eyes. + +"I see," said Jerry slowly. Then he turned to Sammy Jay. "I beg +your pardon, Sammy," said he. "I do indeed." + +"That's all right," replied Sammy airily. "What do you think of +our canal?" + +"I think it is wonderful," replied Jerry. + +And indeed it was a very fine canal, straight, wide, and deep +enough for Paddy to swim in and float his logs out to the pond. +Yes, indeed, it was a very fine canal. + + + +CHAPTER XXII Paddy Finishes His Harvest. + + "Sharp his tongue and sharp his eyes-- + Sammy guards against surprise. + If 'twere not for Sammy Jay + I could do no work today." + +When Sammy overheard Paddy the Beaver say that to Jerry Muskrat, +it made him swell up all over with pure pride. You see, Sammy is +so used to hearing bad things about himself that to hear +something nice like that pleased him immensely. He straightway +forgot all the mean things he had said to Paddy when he first saw +him--how he had called him a thief because he had cut the aspen +trees he needed. He forgot all this. He forgot how Paddy had made +him the laughingstock of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows +by cutting down the very tree in which he had been sitting. He +forgot everything but that Paddy had trusted him to keep watch +and now was saying nice things about him. He made up his mind +that he would deserve all the nice things that Paddy could say, +and he thought that Paddy was the finest fellow in the world. + +Jerry Muskrat looked doubtful. He didn't trust Sammy, and he took +care not to go far from the water when he heard that Old Man +Coyote had been hanging around. But Paddy worked away just as if +he hadn't a fear in the world. + +"The way to make people want to be trusted is to trust them" said +he to himself. "If I show Sammy Jay that I don't really trust +him, he will think it is of no use to try and will give it up. +But if I do trust him, and he knows that I do, he'll be the best +watchman in the Green Forest." + +And this shows that Paddy the Beaver has a great deal of wisdom, +for it was just as he thought. Sammy was on hand bright and early +every morning. He made sure that Old Man Coyote was nowhere in +the Green Forest, and then he settled himself comfortably in the +top of a tall pine tree where he could see all that was going on +while Paddy the Beaver worked. + +Paddy had finished his canal, and a beautiful canal it was, +leading straight from his pond up to the aspen trees. As soon as +he had finished it, he began to cut the trees. As soon as one was +down he would cut it into short lengths and roll them into the +canal. Then he would float them out to his pond and over to his +storehouse. He took the larger branches, on which there was +sweet, tender bark, in the same way, for Paddy is never wasteful. + +After a while he went over to his storehouse, which, you know, +was nothing but a great pile of aspen logs and branches in his +pond close by his house. He studied it very carefully. Then he +swam back and climbed up on the bank of his canal. + +"Mr. Jay," said he, "I think our work is about finished." + +"What!" cried Sammy, "Aren't you going to cut the rest of those +aspen trees?" + +"No," replied Paddy. "Enough is always enough, and I've got +enough to last me all winter. I want those trees for next year. +Now I am fixed for the winter. I think I'll take it easy for a +while." + +Sammy looked disappointed. You see, he had just begun to learn +that the greatest pleasure in the world comes from doing things +for other people. For the first time since he could remember, +someone wanted him around land it gave him such a good feeling +down deep inside! Perhaps it was because he remembered that good +feeling that the next spring he was so willing and anxious to +help poor Mrs. Quack. What he did for her and all about her +terrible adventures I will tell you in the next book. + + + + +The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Adventures of Paddy the Beaver by +Thornton W. Burgess diff --git a/2493.zip b/2493.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..4b93e66 --- /dev/null +++ b/2493.zip diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. 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