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diff --git a/43596.txt b/43596.txt deleted file mode 100644 index abe1cbb..0000000 --- a/43596.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2325 +0,0 @@ - THE ADVENTURES OF SAMMY JAY - - - - -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 http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - - - -Title: The Adventures of Sammy Jay -Author: Thornton W. Burgess -Release Date: August 29, 2013 [EBook #43596] -Language: English -Character set encoding: US-ASCII - - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ADVENTURES OF SAMMY JAY -*** - - - - -Produced by Al Haines. - - - - -[Illustration: Cover] - - - - - "Matter enough, Reddy Fox! Matter enough!" snapped - Sammy Jay . . . _Frontispiece_ (missing from book) (Page 60) - - - - - The Bedtime Story-Books - - - - THE ADVENTURES OF - SAMMY JAY - - - BY - - THORNTON W. BURGESS - - Author of "Old Mother West Wind," "Mother West - Wind 'Why' Stories," "Adventures - of Mr. Mocker," etc. - - - - _With Illustrations by - HARRISON CADY_ - - - - BOSTON - LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY - 1924 - - - - - _Copyright, 1915,_ - BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY. - - _All rights reserved_ - - - - PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - - - - - *CONTENTS* - -CHAPTER - - I. Sammy Jay Makes a Fuss - II. A Bitter Disappointment - III. The Vanity of Sammy Jay - IV. Sammy Jay Gets Even with Peter Rabbit - V. Sammy Jay Brings News - VI. Black Pussy Almost Catches a Good Breakfast - VII. Chatterer Works Hard - VIII. Sammy Jay Drops a Hint - IX. Chatterer Screws up His Courage - X. Chatterer Studies a Way to Get Farmer Brown's Corn - XI. Chatterer Grows Reckless - XII. Chatterer Frightens Sammy Jay - XIII. Sammy Jay Tells His Troubles to Reddy Fox - XIV. Reddy Fox Plays Spy - XV. Sammy Jay Spoils the Plan of Reddy Fox - XVI. Chatterer and Sammy Jay Quarrel - XVII. Chatterer and Sammy Jay Make Up - XVIII. Chatterer Has to Keep His Promise - XIX. Chatterer Gets Sammy Jay Some Corn - XX. Chatterer Remembers Something - XXI. Sammy Jay Makes a Call - XXII. Chatterer Has a Dreadful Day - XXIII. Chatterer Hits on a Plan at Last - XXIV. Chatterer Has His Turn to Laugh - - - - - *LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS* - - -"Matter enough, Reddy Fox! Matter enough!" snapped Sammy Jay . . . -_Frontispiece_ (missing from book) (Page 60) - -"I'll get even with you, Peter Rabbit!" (missing from book) - -Farmer Brown's boy didn't even look towards him - -"No-o-o," replied Chatterer slowly - -Sammy flew straight over to where Blacky was sitting - -Chatterer gave a little gasp of fright - - - - - *THE ADVENTURES OF - SAMMY JAY* - - - *I* - - *SAMMY JAY MAKES A FUSS* - - -Sammy Jay doesn't mind the cold of winter. Indeed, he rather likes it. -Under his handsome coat of blue, trimmed with white, he wears a warm -silky suit of underwear, and he laughs at rough Brother North Wind and -his cousin, Jack Frost. But still he doesn't like the winter as well as -he does the warmer seasons because--well, because he is a lazy fellow -and doesn't like to work for a living any harder than he has to, and in -the winter it isn't so easy to get something to eat. - -And there is another reason why Sammy Jay doesn't like the winter as -well as the other seasons. What do you think it is? It isn't a nice -reason at all. No, Sir, it isn't a nice reason at all. It is because it -isn't so easy to stir up trouble. Somehow, Sammy Jay never seems really -happy unless he is stirring up trouble for some one else. He just -delights in tormenting other little people of the Green Meadows and the -Green Forest. - -Dear, dear, it is a dreadful thing to say, but Sammy Jay is bold and -bad. He steals! Yes, Sir, Sammy Jay steals whenever he gets a chance. -He had rather steal a breakfast any time than get it honestly. Now -people who steal usually are very sly. Sammy Jay is sly. Indeed, he is -one of the slyest of all the little people who live in the Green Forest. -Instead of spending his time honestly hunting for his meals, he spends -most of it watching his neighbors to find out where they have their -store-houses, so that he can help himself when their backs are turned. -He slips through the Green Forest as still as still can be, hiding in -the thick tree-tops and behind the trunks of big trees, and peering out -with those sharp eyes of his at his neighbors. Whenever he is -discovered, he always pretends to be very busy about his own business, -and very much surprised to find any one is near. - -It was in this way that he had discovered one of the store-houses of -Chatterer the Red Squirrel. He didn't let Chatterer know that he had -discovered it. Oh, my, no! He didn't even go near it again for a long -time. But he didn't forget it. Sammy Jay never forgets things of that -kind, never! He thought of it often and often. When he did, he would -say to himself: - - "Sometime when the snow is deep - And Chatterer is fast asleep, - When Mother Nature is unkind - And things to eat are hard to find, - I'll help myself and fly away - To steal again some other day." - - -The snow was deep now, and things to eat were hard to find, but -Chatterer the Red Squirrel wasn't asleep. No, indeed! Chatterer seemed -to like the cold weather and was as frisky and spry as ever he is. And -he never went very far away from that store-house. Sammy Jay watched and -watched, but never once did he get a chance to steal the sweet acorns -that he had seen Chatterer store away in the fall. - -"H-m-m!" said Sammy Jay to himself, "I must do something to get -Chatterer away from his store-house." - -For a long time Sammy Jay sat in the top of a tall, dark pine-tree, -thinking and thinking. Then his sharp eyes twinkled with a look of -great cunning, and he chuckled. It was a naughty chuckle. Away he flew -to a very thick spruce-tree some distance away in the Green Forest, but -where Chatterer the Red Squirrel could hear him. There Sammy Jay began -to make a great fuss. He screamed and screeched as only he can. Pretty -soon, just as he expected, he saw Chatterer the Red Squirrel hurrying -over to see what the fuss was all about. Sammy Jay slipped out of the -other side of the spruce-tree and without a sound hurried over to -Chatterer's store-house. - - - - - *II* - - *A BITTER DISAPPOINTMENT* - - -As he flew through the Green Forest, Sammy Jay chuckled and chuckled to -himself. It wasn't a good chuckle to hear. It was the kind of chuckle -that only folks who are doing wrong, and think they are smart because -they are doing wrong, use. Sammy Jay thought that he was smart, very -smart indeed. He had screamed and shrieked and made a great fuss over -nothing at all until Chatterer the Red Squirrel had come hurrying over -to find out what it all meant. Then Sammy Jay had slipped away unseen -and come straight to the store-house of Chatterer the Red Squirrel. - -This particular store-house had once been the home of Blacky the Crow. -When Blacky deserted it for a new home, Chatterer had taken it for a -store-house. He had roofed it over, and all through the pleasant fall -he had stored away nuts and acorns in it. Sammy Jay had watched him. He -had seen those sweet acorns and nuts put there, and he had never -forgotten them. Now, with the snow deep on the ground, the easiest way -to get a good meal that he knew of was to steal some of those very -acorns. So he chuckled as he pulled apart the roof of Chatterer's -store-house in search of those acorns. - -Now Chatterer the Red Squirrel is quite as smart as Sammy Jay. Indeed, -he is very much like Sammy Jay, for he is a mischief-maker and a thief -himself. So, because people who do wrong always are on the watch for -others to do wrong, Chatterer the Red Squirrel had kept his sharp eyes -wide open all the time he had been filling his store-house in the fall, -and he had spied Sammy Jay's smart blue coat when Sammy had thought -himself nicely hidden. Chatterer had known what Sammy Jay was hiding -there for. His sharp eyes snapped, but he went right on filling his -store-house just the same. Then, just as soon as he was sure that Sammy -Jay had gone away, Chatterer had taken out every one of the sweet acorns -and put them in another store-house inside a hollow tree. He had left -nothing but hickory nuts, for he knew that these are too hard for Sammy -Jay to crack. - -But Sammy Jay didn't know anything about this, and so now, as he broke -his way into the store-house, he chuckled greedily. Pretty soon he had a -hole big enough to stick his head in, and his mouth watered as he -reached in for a sweet acorn. All he could find were hard hickory nuts. -What did it mean? In a great rage, Sammy Jay began to tear the -store-house to pieces. There must be some sweet acorns there somewhere! -Hadn't he seen Chatterer put them there? He forgot that he was -stealing. He forgot everything except his disappointment, and the more -he thought of this, the angrier he grew. He would have pulled the -store-house all to pieces, if Chatterer himself hadn't come home. - -Sammy Jay had just stopped for breath when he heard the rattle of claws -on the bark of the tree. He knew what that meant, and he didn't wait to -look down. He just spread his blue wings and with a scream of rage flew -over to the next tree. Then such a dreadful noise as there was in the -Green Forest! - -"Robber!" screamed Chatterer the Red Squirrel, dancing up and down with -anger. - -"Thief yourself!" screamed Sammy Jay. - -It was a dreadful quarrel, and all the little forest people who were -within hearing stopped their ears. - - - - - *III* - - *THE VANITY OF SAMMY JAY* - - -When Sammy Jay isn't planning mischief, or sticking his bill into the -affairs of other folks with which he has no concern, or trying to -frighten some one bigger than himself or scare some one smaller than -himself, he spends a great deal of his time admiring his fine clothes -and thinking what a handsome fellow he is. And he is a handsome fellow. -Even Chatterer the Red Squirrel, who is always quarreling with him, -admits that Sammy Jay is a handsome fellow. He carries himself proudly -when he thinks any one is looking. His shape is very trim and neat, and -he is a very smart looking fellow indeed. And his coat! Was there ever -such a coat before? It seems as if Old Mother Nature must have cut off -a little piece of the sky when it was bluest on a summer day to make -Sammy Jay's coat, and that she must have taken a tiny strip from the -whitest cloud to trim it with. And then she gave him a smart cap and a -black collar and a waistcoat of just the softest grayish-white, that -shows off his blue coat best. Old Mother Nature certainly was feeling -very good indeed when she planned Sammy Jay's clothes. - -Now Sammy Jay knows just how handsome he is. If you should ask him, and -he would condescend to talk to you at all, which he probably wouldn't -do, he would tell you that he is the handsomest fellow in the world. Of -course this isn't true, but Sammy Jay thinks it is. And so Sammy Jay is -very fond of showing off his fine clothes and making fun of other people -who are not so finely dressed. He spends a great deal of time in caring -for his beautiful coat and in admiring himself whenever he can see his -reflection in a little pool of water. - -Now Peter Rabbit isn't the least bit like Sammy Jay. He doesn't think -about his clothes at all. Indeed, Peter thinks so little about his -clothes that it doesn't trouble him a bit to wear a white patch on the -seat of his trousers. And Peter dearly loves to make fun of Sammy Jay. - -So it tickled Peter immensely one day to find Sammy Jay admiring -himself. Peter had come up through the Green Forest without making a -sound, for with the snow covering the ground, there were no dead leaves -to rustle. As usual, his long ears were cocked up to catch every sound. -Suddenly Peter stopped. He had heard Sammy Jay's voice, and by the -sound, Peter knew that Sammy was talking to himself. Very, very softly -Peter stole forward and hid where he could see Sammy Jay in a big -pine-tree. - -"I've got the handsomest coat in all the Green Forest!" said Sammy Jay, -stretching one of his wings out and cocking his head on one side to -admire it. "And where else is such a beautiful tail to be found?" He -spread his tail so that a ray of sunshine would fall on it. It -certainly was very beautiful, as blue as the sky, with a little band of -white across the tip and little bars of black across the outer sides. -Even Peter Rabbit, with his nose turned up in scorn, had to admit to -himself that it certainly was a handsome tail. - -"I'm so glad it's mine!" sighed Sammy Jay. "It must be dreadful not to -be handsome." - -Peter Rabbit could keep still no longer. "It's a good thing you admire -yourself, Sammy Jay, because no one else does!" he shouted. - - "Handsome is as it may do! - Don't forget that, Sammy Jay. - Underneath that coat of blue - Is a black heart, Sammy Jay. - Everybody near and far - Knows you for just what you are-- - Of all mischief-makers chief. - Handsome clothes won't hide a thief." - - -Sammy Jay flew into a rage, but when he opened his mouth to call Peter -names, all he could say was "Thief! thief! thief!" - -"What did I tell you?" said Peter Rabbit, grinning. - - - - - *IV* - - *SAMMY JAY GETS EVEN WITH PETER RABBIT* - - -"I'll get even with you, Peter Rabbit! I'll get even with you!" Sammy -Jay fairly hopped up and down on the branch of the big pine, he was so -angry. Peter just thrust his tongue into one cheek in the sauciest way -and then laughed at Sammy Jay. Of course it is true, as every one in the -Green Forest and on the Green Meadows knows, that Sammy Jay is a thief. -But no one likes to be told that he is a thief, even if he is, Sammy Jay -least of all. Like a great many other people who do wrong, Sammy Jay -likes to pretend that he is a very fine gentleman, and he wants other -people to think so too. So he takes great care of his handsome blue -coat and struts around a great deal when he thinks other folks are -looking at him. - - - *[Illustration: "I'll get even with you, Peter Rabbit!" (missing from - book)]* - - -So Sammy Jay studied and studied how he could get even with Peter -Rabbit. He called Peter names whenever he saw him, but Peter didn't -mind that in the least, for he could call names back again. Besides, -names never hurt, and it is very foolish to call them. So Sammy Jay -studied and studied how he could get even with Peter Rabbit in some -other way. Then one day, as he sat in the big pine-tree studying, Sammy -heard a voice that gave him an idea. It was the voice of Redtail the -Hawk, who, you know, is own cousin to old Whitetail and to Roughleg. -Now Sammy Jay can scream so exactly like Redtail the Hawk that you -cannot tell their voices apart. When he heard that scream, Sammy Jay -chuckled out loud. He had thought of a plan to get even with Peter -Rabbit. - -Every day after that, Sammy Jay went peeking and prying through the -Green Forest and around the edge of the Green Meadows without making a -sound, just watching for Peter Rabbit. The snow was almost all gone, and -that is how it happened that Redtail had come back from the South where -he had spent the winter. Sammy Jay felt quite sure that Peter didn't -know that Redtail was back yet. He hoped he didn't, anyway. - -Early one morning, Sammy Jay sat hidden on the edge of the Green Forest, -watching the Old Briar-patch where Peter Rabbit lives. He saw Peter -come out of one of his private little paths and sit up very straight. -For a long time Peter sat looking this way and looking that way over the -Green Meadows. When he was sure that Reddy and Granny Fox were nowhere -about, and that Roughleg was nowhere in sight, Peter kicked up his heels -and scampered out on to the Green Meadows away from the dear Old -Briar-patch to see if there were any signs of spring. - -Sammy waited until Peter had reached the big hickory-tree over by the -Smiling Pool, then very silently he flew over to the big hickory-tree. -Peter was so busy looking for Jerry Muskrat that he didn't see Sammy Jay -at all. Suddenly, right over Peter's head, sounded a fierce, shrill -scream. Peter knew that voice. At least, he thought he did. He didn't -stop to look. He had learned long ago that it is best to run first and -look afterward. So now he started for the dear Old Briar-patch as fast -as his long legs would take him, his heart in his mouth. - -Again that fierce scream sounded right over him. Peter ran faster than -ever, and as he ran, he dodged this way and dodged that way. Every -second he expected to feel the sharp claws of Redtail the Hawk. My, -such jumps as Peter did take! It seemed to him that he never would -reach the dear Old Briar-patch. But he did, and just as soon as he was -safely inside, he turned around to see what had become of Redtail. And -what do you think he saw? Why, only Sammy Jay laughing fit to kill -himself. - -"Fraidcat! Fraidcat!" shouted Sammy Jay. - -Peter shook his fist. Then he grinned foolishly. "I guess you are -even, Sammy Jay!" he said. - - - - - *V* - - *SAMMY JAY BRINGS NEWS* - - -Peter Rabbit had a very funny feeling. He had started out that morning -with the best intentions in the world. He had meant to go straight to -Chatterer the Red Squirrel and tell him how mean he had been to spy and -so find the new house that Chatterer was trying to keep a secret, and -then he had overheard Chatterer telling Tommy Tit the Chickadee how he -had fooled Peter, and that Peter didn't know where the new house was, at -all. Peter had never felt more foolish in his life. No, Sir, he never -had felt more foolish in his life. Of course, if it were true that he -had been fooled and really didn't know where Chatterer's new house was, -there was no use in begging Chatterer's pardon, for he would only make -himself still more of a laughing stock than he was already. And yet the -thing he had done was just as mean as if he had found out Chatterer's -secret, and he knew that he would feel better if he owned up. He -scratched his left ear with his right hind foot and then scratched his -right ear with his left hind foot. He pulled his whiskers, and still he -didn't know what to do. - -He was still trying to decide, when he heard a great racket in the -direction of the Green Forest. It was Sammy Jay, screaming noisily as -usual, and he was hurrying straight up to the Old Orchard. Of course -Chatterer heard him, and as soon as Sammy was within hearing, he called -to him. Sammy hurried over at once. - -"So here you are!" he exclaimed. "I've hunted all through the Green -Forest for you until I'm quite tuckered out. I've got news for you." - -"What is it?" begged Chatterer, dancing about with impatience. - -"I've seen Shadow the Weasel," replied Sammy. - -"Where is he?" asked Chatterer, and his voice sounded very anxious. - -"He's over in the Green Forest, and he says he is going to stay there -until he catches you, if he has to stay all winter," replied Sammy. "He -says he is going to find you if he has to hunt through every tree in the -Green Forest." - -Chatterer actually turned pale for a minute. "You--you didn't tell him -that I wasn't in the Green Forest, did you?" he asked. - -"Of course I didn't! How could I when I didn't know it myself?" -retorted Sammy scornfully. - -"And--and you won't tell him when you see him again, will you, Sammy?" -begged Chatterer. - -"What do you take me for?" demanded Sammy angrily. "I haven't got any -love for you, Chatterer, and you know it. You're a red-headed, -red-coated nuisance, and I'm not a bit sorry to see you in trouble, but -I wouldn't turn my worst enemy over to such a cruel, cold-blooded robber -as Shadow the Weasel. He would kill me just as quickly as he would you, -if he could catch me, which he can't, and I am going to make it my -business to see to it that all the little people who are afraid of him -know that he is about. I am going over to the Old Briar-patch right -away to warn Peter Rabbit." - -"You don't need to, because I am right here," spoke up Peter from his -hiding place. "I am ever so much obliged to you for planning to warn -me, and I'm sorry I've ever said mean things about you, Sammy Jay." - -"Pooh!" replied Sammy. "You needn't be. I guess I've deserved them." - -Then Sammy and Peter and Chatterer began to talk over the news about -Shadow the Weasel so eagerly that not one of them saw Black Pussy -stealing along the old stone wall. - - - - - *VI* - - *BLACK PUSSY ALMOST CATCHES A GOOD BREAKFAST* - - -Black Pussy was out very early, hunting for her breakfast. Not that she -needed to hunt for her breakfast; oh, my, no! Black Pussy didn't need a -single thing. Every morning Farmer Brown's boy filled a saucer with -warm fresh milk for her, and every day she had all the meat that was -good for her, so there wasn't the least need in the world for her to go -hunting. Black Pussy was just like all cats. Lying before the fire in -Farmer Brown's house, blinking and purring contentedly, she seemed too -good-natured and gentle to hurt any one, and all Farmer Brown's family -said that she was and believed it. They knew nothing about the empty -little nests in the joyful springtime,--empty because Black Pussy had -found them and emptied them and broken the hearts of little father and -mother birds. - -You see, Farmer Brown's folks really didn't know Black Pussy. But the -little forest and meadow people did. They knew that Black Pussy was -just like all cats,--fierce and cruel down inside,--and they hated Black -Pussy, every one of them. They knew that down in her heart was the love -of killing, just that same love of killing that is in the heart of -Shadow the Weasel, and so they hated Black Pussy. If she had had to -hunt for a living, they wouldn't have minded so much, but she didn't -have to hunt for a living, and so they hated her. - -This particular morning Black Pussy had chosen to have a look along the -old stone wall at the edge of the Old Orchard. Many times she had -hunted Striped Chipmunk there. She didn't know enough about the ways of -the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows to know that -this cold weather had sent Striped Chipmunk down into his snug bedroom -under ground for a long sleep, so she sneaked along from stone to stone, -hoping that she would surprise him. She had gone half the length of the -old wall without a sign of anything to catch when she heard voices that -put all thought of Striped Chipmunk out of her head. Crawling flat on -her stomach to keep out of sight, she softly worked nearer and nearer -until, peeping from behind a big stone in the old wall, she could see -Chatterer the Red Squirrel, Peter Rabbit, and Sammy Jay talking so -busily and so excited that they didn't seem to be paying attention to -anything else. - -Sammy Jay was safe, because he was sitting in an old apple-tree, but -Chatterer was on the old wall, and Peter was on the ground. Which -should she catch? Peter would make the biggest and best breakfast, but -Black Pussy hadn't forgotten the terrible kick he had once given her -when she had caught little Miss Fuzzytail up in the Old Pasture, and she -had great respect for Peter's stout hind legs. She would be content to -catch Chatterer this morning. She hated him, anyway, for he had been -very saucy to her many times. He would never make fun of her or call -her names again. - -More slowly and carefully than ever, Black Pussy stole forward. Her -eyes grew yellow with excitement, and fierce and cruel. At last she -reached a place where one good jump would land her on Chatterer. -Carefully she drew her feet under her to make the jump. The end of her -black tail twitched with eagerness. Just as she got ready to spring, -there was a shrill scream from Sammy Jay. He had caught sight of the -moving tip of that tail, and he knew what it meant. Black Pussy sprang, -but she was just too late. Chatterer had dived headfirst down between -the stones of the old wall at the sound of Sammy's scream, and Peter had -dived headfirst into Johnny Chuck's house, on the doorstep of which he -happened to be sitting. Black Pussy looked up at Sammy Jay and snarled -at him in a terrible rage. Sammy shrieked at her just as angrily. Then, -when her head was turned for just an instant, he darted down and -actually pulled a tuft of hair from her coat, and was safely out of the -way before she could turn and spring. Then Black Pussy thrust a paw -down between the stones where Chatterer had disappeared. She pulled it -out again with a yowl of pain, for sharp little teeth had bitten it. -Slowly and sullenly Black Pussy turned and limped back towards Farmer -Brown's house. She suddenly remembered that saucer of milk, and that -that was really all the breakfast she wanted. - - - - - *VII* - - *CHATTERER WORKS HARD* - - -When Chatterer had left the Green Forest because of his terrible fear of -Shadow the Weasel, he had been fat. At least, he had been fat for him. -All through the pleasant fall, while he had been gathering his supply of -nuts and seeds to store away for the winter, he had eaten all he could -hold and had filled his red coat out until it actually felt too tight. -But now that same red coat hung so loose on Chatterer that it looked too -big for him. Yes, Sir, Chatterer had grown so thin that his coat -actually looked too big for him. And he was growing thinner every day. - -You see, most of the food had been collected and stored away long ago, -and Chatterer had to run about a great deal and hunt very hard to find -enough to eat day by day, while as for filling a new store-house,--that -seemed impossible! Still Chatterer kept trying, and day by day he -managed to add a little to the supply of seeds. But it was pretty poor -fare at best. There were no plump nuts or tasty pine-seeds, such as -filled his store-houses in the Green Forest, because no nut or -pine-trees grew near the Old Orchard, and Chatterer didn't dare go back -to the Green Forest for fear that Shadow the Weasel would find him and -track him to his new home. So he patiently did his best to find food -close at hand. But it was discouraging, terribly discouraging, to work -from sun-up to sun-down, running here, running there, running -everywhere, until he was so tired he was ready to drop, and knowing all -the time that the snow might come any day and bury what little food -there was. Oh, those were hard days for Chatterer the Red Squirrel, -very hard days indeed. - -One morning he started very early and made a long journey by way of the -old stone wall and the rail fences down to Farmer Brown's cornfield. Of -course Farmer Brown had long ago taken away the corn, but in doing it, a -great many grains had been scattered about on the ground, half buried -where they had been trodden on, hidden under leaves and among weeds and -under the piles of stalks from which the ears had been stripped. For -the first time for days Chatterer felt something like cheer in his -heart, as he scurried about hunting for and finding the plump yellow -grains. First he ate all he could hold, for he saw that then there -would be plenty to take home. Then he stuffed his cheeks full, -scrambled up on the rail fence, and started for his new home in the Old -Orchard. - -"It is a terrible long way to have to carry all my supplies," thought -he, as he sat up on the top of a post to rest. "I don't see how I ever -can do it. Well, I certainly can't, if I sit here all day!" With that -he jumped down to the rail below him. He was half way across when he -noticed a crack in it. It looked to him as if that rail were hollow -part way. A great idea came to him. His eyes grew bright with -excitement. He ran the length of the rail and back again, looking for -an opening. There was none. Then very slowly and carefully he worked -his way back, stretching his head over so that he could look underneath. -Almost over to the next post he found what he had so hoped to find. -What was it? Why, a knot-hole. Yes, Sir, a knot-hole that opened right -into the hollow in the rail. It wasn't quite big enough for Chatterer to -squeeze through, but that didn't trouble him. He emptied the corn from -his cheeks and then he went to work with those sharp teeth of his and in -a little while, a very little while, that knot-hole was plenty big -enough for Chatterer to slip through. - -His eyes snapped with pleasure as he explored the hollow rail. "I'll -make this my store-house!" he cried. "I'll fill it full of corn, and -then when I am hungry in the winter, I can run down here and fill up. -It will be a lot better than trying to carry the corn up to the Old -Orchard." And with that, Chatterer began the work of filling the hollow -rail with corn. - - - - - *VIII* - - *SAMMY JAY DROPS A HINT* - - -Whatever faults Chatterer the Red Squirrel may have, and they are many, -laziness is not one of them. No, Sir, there is no laziness about -Chatterer. When he has work to do, he does it, and he keeps at it until -it is finished. Every morning he got up with the sun and raced along -the old stone wall and the rail fences down to Farmer Brown's cornfield, -where he first ate his breakfast, and then worked to fill the hollow -rail of the fence which he had made into a store-house. It was hard -work, because he had to do a great deal of hunting for the corn; and it -was exciting work, because he had to keep his eyes and ears open every -minute to keep from furnishing a dinner for some one else. - -Redtail the Hawk, who had not yet gone South, discovered him one -morning, and Chatterer dodged behind a fence post just in time. After -that, Redtail was on hand every morning, watching from the top of a tree -for Chatterer to grow careless and get too far from shelter. - -Then one morning Reddy Fox surprised him at the edge of a heap of -cornstalks. Chatterer had just time to wriggle his way to the middle of -the heap. Reddy had seen him, and he could smell him. Very softly Reddy -tiptoed around the pile of cornstalks to see if Chatterer had come out -on the other side. Then he came back to where Chatterer had gone in and -excitedly began to dig, making the dry stalks fly right and left. He -made so much noise that Chatterer felt sure that he wouldn't hear him -move, and he didn't. By the time Reddy had worked his way to the middle -of the pile, Chatterer was safe in his store-house in the hollow rail. -He had slipped from under the cornstalks, run across to another pile, -worked his way through this, and so reached the fence. - -After that, Reddy Fox came every morning, hoping to surprise Chatterer. -But Chatterer felt quite equal to fooling Reddy and Redtail. Of course -they interfered with his work and were very bothersome, but he wasn't -afraid of them. The one thing he did fear was that Shadow the Weasel -would hear where he was. That thought bothered him a great deal. - -One morning Sammy Jay just happened along. He saw Reddy Fox creeping up -behind some bushes at the edge of the cornfield, and at once Sammy began -to scream as he always does when he thinks he can spoil Reddy's hunting. -Reddy looked up at him and showed all his long teeth, but Sammy only -grinned and screamed the louder. Then Reddy walked away with a great -deal of dignity, for he knew that it wasn't the least use to try to hunt -while Sammy Jay was about. When he had disappeared in the Green Forest, -Sammy returned to the cornfield, and there he found Chatterer hard at -work. - -"I'm much obliged, Sammy, for driving that nuisance away; he bothers me -a great deal, and I've got to do a lot of work yet to fill my -store-house before it is too late," said Chatterer, as he hurried to the -hollow rail with his mouth full of corn. - -"Have you moved down here?" demanded Sammy Jay. "I thought you were -living up in the Old Orchard." - -"I am. At least, my house is up there, but there is no food there, and -so I have made a store-house down here and am trying to get it full of -corn before snow comes," replied Chatterer. - -"It will be a long way to come for your food every day," said Sammy. - -"I know it," replied Chatterer, "but I guess I'm lucky to have any food -to come for." - -"Pooh!" said Sammy, "I wouldn't work as you do. I'd use my wits a -little. If corn is what you want to eat, why don't you go up to Farmer -Brown's? It's nearer to the Old Orchard than this, and the corn is all -stored ready for you to help yourself. I get all I want there." - - - - - *IX* - - *CHATTERER SCREWS UP HIS COURAGE* - - -Ever since Sammy Jay had dropped a hint about the plentiful supply of -corn over at Farmer Brown's and how easy it was to get all that one -wanted, Chatterer had been trying to screw up his courage to go see for -himself if Sammy had told the truth. Chatterer had spent most of his -life in or close to the Green Forest. He had a very wholesome fear of -Farmer Brown's boy and his dreadful gun, and he always had been content -to keep away from Farmer Brown's door-yard. The truth is, he was afraid -to go up there. You see, there were Black Pussy the Cat and Bowser the -Hound and Farmer Brown's boy--why, it was a terribly dangerous place! - -And yet Sammy Jay went up there every day and didn't seem to be in the -least afraid. He even scolded and said impudent things to Farmer -Brown's boy. If Sammy dared go up there, why shouldn't he? He -certainly was as brave as Sammy Jay! Right down in his heart Chatterer -had always thought Sammy Jay very much of a coward. Yet here was Sammy -going up there and helping himself to corn, just as if it belonged to -him. Chatterer thought how hard he worked every day to fill that -store-house in the hollow fence-rail, and how every minute of the time -he had to watch out for Redtail the Hawk and Reddy Fox. It seemed as if -he never, never could get enough corn to keep him all winter. And then -it was a long way to go every day from the Old Orchard down to the -cornfield. Chatterer sighed at the thought. - -"If Sammy Jay told me the truth, and it is so easy to get all the corn -one wants over there at Farmer Brown's, it will be ever so much easier -in bad weather," thought Chatterer. "Anyway, it won't do any harm to -have a look and see for myself how things are." - -So Chatterer started running briskly along the old stone wall which led -right up to Farmer Brown's yard. As he drew near, he would stop every -few steps to make sure that the way was clear. At last he reached the -very end of the wall, and hiding between two stones, he peeked out. -Right across a wide road was Farmer Brown's house, and in the sun on the -back doorstep sat Black Pussy dozing. Chatterer had hard work to hold -his tongue. The very sight of her made him so angry that he almost -forgot that he didn't want to be seen. He just longed to tell her what -he thought of her. But he kept still and set his sharp little eyes to -discover where Farmer Brown kept his corn. He could see Bowser the Hound -fast asleep in front of his own special little house. He could see the -big barn and the henhouse and the shed where the wagons were kept and -the long wood-shed. - -"I wonder," said Chatterer to himself, "I wonder if that corn is kept in -any of those places, and how Sammy Jay gets it if it is." - -Just then Farmer Brown's boy came out of the barn. Chatterer dodged -back at sight of him. He wanted to scold, just as he had wanted to -scold at Black Pussy, but he wisely held his tongue. Farmer Brown's boy -didn't even look towards him but went straight over to a queer little -building standing high on four legs and with wide cracks between the -boards of the walls, through which something yellow showed. Farmer -Brown's boy went up several steps and opened a door. Chatterer gave a -little gasp. There was the corn, more corn than he ever had seen in all -his life, more corn than he had supposed the whole world held! -Chatterer made up his mind right then and there that he was going to -have some of that corn in spite of Black Pussy and Bowser the Hound and -Farmer Brown's boy. The very sight of it screwed his courage up till he -felt brave enough to dare anything. - -[Illustration: Farmer Brown's boy didn't even look towards him.] - - - - - *X* - - *CHATTERER STUDIES A WAY TO GET - FARMER BROWN'S CORN* - - -Chatterer could think of but one thing--Farmer Brown's house full of -corn, and how he could get some of it. Sammy Jay had said that he got -all he wanted, and Chatterer made up his mind that he would see how -Sammy did it. - -So very early the next morning Chatterer was in his hiding place between -the stones of the old wall. Just as Mr. Sun shot his first red rays in -at the windows of Farmer Brown's house, Sammy Jay arrived. For a wonder -he made no noise. Chatterer noticed this right away. Sammy peered this -way and that way, without making the least sound. When he was quite -sure that no one was about, he flew over to the queer little house on -four legs, where Farmer Brown kept his corn, and thrust his bill in -between the wide cracks of the wall. In this way he helped himself to -all the corn he wanted without the least bit of trouble. When he had -enough, he flew away as quietly as he had come. - -Chatterer grinned. "Sammy has taught me something, although he doesn't -know it," said he to himself. "He's stealing that corn, and he doesn't -think it safe to be found out. I must be just as careful as he is." - -There were no signs of any one around Farmer Brown's house. Chatterer -scurried across the yard as fast as his little legs would take him -straight for the little house. There he found a great disappointment. -He couldn't get up to the cracks through which Sammy Jay had helped -himself to corn. You see, the little house stood on four stone legs, -and before it had been put on those four legs, an old pan had been -placed bottom up on each leg. It would be the hardest kind of hard work -to climb one of those stone legs, anyway, and even if he did succeed in -climbing it, there was no way of getting around that tin pan at the top, -and of course he couldn't gnaw through it. Chatterer ground his teeth -with anger. It was so terribly provoking to be so near such a feast and -still not be able to get to it. He wished he had wings like Sammy Jay. - -Chatterer was so intent on studying out some way to get at that corn -that he quite forgot everything else. The rustle of a leaf made him -turn his head. Goodness gracious! there was Black Pussy within two jumps -of him, and her eyes were yellow with fierce desire. Chatterer darted to -the nearest tree and scrambled up as fast as he could. - -He wasn't the least bit afraid now, because he knew that he could run -out on the little branches where Black Pussy would not dare to follow -him. So he faced about and he called Black Pussy everything bad he knew -of. When she had slunk away, Chatterer scampered to the very top of the -tree to think matters over, and right then he discovered a way to get -the corn from Farmer Brown's little house. - - - - - *XI* - - *CHATTERER GROWS RECKLESS* - - -Chatterer saw that a branch of the very tree he was sitting in stretched -right over the roof of the little house and the very tips of some of the -twigs actually touched it. - -Chatterer's eyes danced. "If I can't get in from the ground, perhaps I -can get in from the air," said he and chuckled. Chatterer looked around -hastily to see if any one was watching. No one was in sight but Black -Pussy, watching him from the ground. He didn't mind her up there so he -ran lightly out along the branch over the roof of the little house and -jumped on to it. Swiftly he ran around the edge of it, peeping over. -He was looking for an opening big enough to crawl through. - -At last, over in one corner, he spied a knothole close up under the edge -of the roof. Chatterer dug his sharp claws into the wood to keep from -falling and very carefully crept over until he had safely reached the -hole. It wasn't quite big enough to push his head wholly; through. -Gnaw, gnaw, gnaw! The little splinters began to fly. Gnaw, gnaw, gnaw! -The hole was big enough, and Chatterer slipped safely inside just as -Farmer Brown's boy came out of the house and noticed Black Pussy sitting -on the ground, staring up at the roof of the little house. - -"Hello, Puss! Did you think you heard a mouse in there?" exclaimed -Farmer Brown's boy. "You didn't, because no mice can get in there. Come -along over to the barn, and I'll give you some nice fresh warm milk." - -"Phew!" exclaimed Chatterer to himself, "That was a narrow escape! I'm -glad that pesky black cat can't tell what she saw!" - -When they were out of sight, Chatterer turned to see what kind of a -place he was in. His eyes glistened with greed. Corn, corn, com -everywhere! It seemed to him there was corn enough for all the Squirrels -in the world. - -"And it's all mine!" gasped Chatterer, quite forgetting that he was -stealing. Then he began to eat, and he ate and ate until he couldn't -swallow another mouthful. - -"I believe I'll take a nap right here," said he to himself, and curled -up in the darkest corner. In two minutes he was fast asleep, dreaming -that all the world seemed to have turned to golden corn and all for him. - - - - - *XII* - - *CHATTERER FRIGHTENS SAMMY JAY* - - -Chatterer the Red Squirrel was mightily tickled with himself because he -had found a way of getting into Farmer Brown's corn-crib, where was -stored so much beautiful yellow corn that it seemed to him that there -was enough for all the Squirrels in the world. - -The more some people have, the more they want. It is the very worst -kind of selfishness and is called greediness. Chatterer had found a way -to get all the corn he wanted without working for it, and there was -enough to feed him as long as he lived, though he should live to be a -hundred years old. To be sure, it wasn't his; it was Farmer Brown's. -But Chatterer looked on Farmer Brown and Farmer Brown's boy as his -enemies, and he could see nothing wrong in taking things from his -enemies. Perhaps he didn't want to see anything wrong. All his life he -had stolen from his neighbors. That is one reason they dislike him so. -Anyway, if ever a little voice down inside tried to tell him that he was -doing wrong, Chatterer didn't listen to it. Perhaps, after a while, the -little voice grew tired and didn't try any more. - -After Chatterer had made a few successful trips to the corn-crib, he -began to look upon it as his own. He would sometimes hide in the old -stone wall, where he could watch Farmer Brown's boy open the door of the -corn-crib and fill a basket with yellow ears to feed to the hens and the -pigs and the horses. At such times Chatterer would work himself into a -great rage, as if Farmer Brown's boy were stealing from him. But there -was nothing he could do about it, so he would go back to the Old Orchard -and scold for an hour. But what made him still angrier was to see Sammy -Jay help himself to a few grains of corn from between the cracks in the -walls of the corn-crib. He forgot how Sammy had first told him about -the corn-crib, and how Sammy had warned him about Shadow the Weasel. -That is the trouble with greed: it forgets everything but the desire to -have and to keep others from having. Chatterer didn't say anything to -Sammy Jay, because he knew it would be of no use. Besides, if he did, -Sammy might meet him over in the corn-crib some day and make such a fuss -that Farmer Brown's boy would find him. - -Finally Chatterer thought of a plan and chuckled wickedly. The next -morning he was over in the corn-crib bright and early. This time he -stayed there until it was time for Sammy Jay to arrive. Peeping out of -the hole by which he came and went, he saw Sammy come flying from the -Old Orchard. Sammy made no noise, for you see Sammy meant to steal, too. -Presently Sammy found a crack against which an ear of corn lay very -close. He began to peck at it and pick out the grains. Chatterer stole -over to it, taking the greatest care not to make a sound. Presently -Sammy's black bill came poking through the crack. Chatterer seized it -and held on. - -Poor Sammy Jay! He was terribly frightened. He thought that it was -some kind of a trap. He beat his wings and tried to scream but -couldn't, because he couldn't open his mouth. Then Chatterer let go so -suddenly that Sammy almost fell to the ground before he could catch his -balance. He didn't wait to see what had caught him. He started for the -Green Forest as fast as his wings could take him, and as he went he -screamed with fright and anger. Chatterer chuckled, and his chuckle was -a very wicked sounding chuckle. - -"I guess," said Chatterer, "that Sammy Jay will leave my corn alone -after this." - - - - - *XIII* - - *SAMMY JAY TELLS HIS TROUBLES TO REDDY FOX* - - -Sammy Jay could think of nothing but the terrible fright he had had at -Farmer Brown's corn-crib. He had thrust his bill through a crack for a -few grains of corn when something had seized his bill and hung on. -Sammy didn't have the least bit of doubt that it was a trap of some kind -set by Farmer Brown's boy. He flew down to the Green Forest to think it -over and plan some way to get even with Farmer Brown's boy. As he sat -there muttering to himself, along came Reddy Fox. For a wonder Reddy saw -Sammy before Sammy saw him. - -Reddy grinned. "Sammy certainly has got something on his mind," thought -Reddy. Then he said aloud: "Hello, Sammy! What's the matter? You look -as if you had the stomach-ache and the head-ache and a few other aches." - -"Matter enough, Reddy Fox! Matter enough!" snapped Sammy. Then, because -he felt that he just had to tell some one, he told Reddy all about his -terrible fright that morning. - -"It was a trap," said Sammy. "It was some kind of a trap set by Farmer -Brown's boy. Just as if he couldn't spare a few grains of corn when he -has got so much! I--I--I'd like to--to peck his eyes out! That's what -I'd like to do!" - -Sammy said that because it was the most dreadful thing he could think -of, but he didn't really mean it. Reddy knew it and grinned, for he -also knew that Sammy didn't dare go near enough to Farmer Brown's boy to -more than scream at him. All the time he had been listening, Reddy had -sat with his head cocked on one side, which is a way he has when he is -thinking. Inside he was laughing, for Reddy knows a lot about traps and -about Farmer Brown's boy, and he didn't believe that Farmer Brown's boy -would ever set a trap in such a queer place as a crack in the wall of a -corn-crib. - -"He wouldn't bother to try to trap Sammy Jay; he would just watch with -his gun and shoot Sammy if he really cared about the few grains of corn -Sammy has taken," thought Reddy. "It was some one or something else that -frightened Sammy. But it isn't the least bit of use to tell him so. I -believe I'll have a look and see what is going on at that corn-crib." -Aloud he said: - -"That was a terrible experience, Sammy Jay, and I don't wonder that you -were frightened. Are you going up there to-morrow morning?" - -"What?" screamed Sammy. "Going up there again? What do you take me -for? I guess I don't need but one lesson of that kind. There's plenty -to eat in the Green Forest and on the Green Meadows without running any -such risk as that. No, Sir, you won't catch me around Farmer Brown's -corn-crib again very soon. Not if my name is Sammy Jay!" - -"You are wise, very wise," replied Reddy gravely. "It is always wise to -keep out of danger." And with this Reddy trotted on up the Lone Little -Path, and inside his red head were busy thoughts. Reddy had made up his -mind that there was something very queer about Sammy Jay's fright, and -he meant to find out about it. He would be on hand at the first peep of -day the next morning and see what was going on around Farmer Brown's -corn-crib. - -And all day long Sammy Jay flew about through the Green Forest telling -every one who would listen how Farmer Brown's boy had tried to trap him. -Late that afternoon he visited the Old Orchard and told his story all -over again to Chatterer the Red Squirrel, and Chatterer didn't so much -as smile until after Sammy had left. Then he threw himself on the -ground and rolled over and over and laughed until his sides ached. - - - - - *XIV* - - *REDDY FOX PLAYS SPY* - - -Reddy Fox didn't have to get up early to be hiding behind the fence back -of Farmer Brown's corn-crib when jolly, round, red Mr. Sun chased the -little stars from the sky. He didn't have to get up early, for the very -good reason that he hadn't been to bed. You see, Reddy Fox does a great -many things that he wouldn't like to have seen, and so he does them in -the night when most of the other little people of the Green Meadows and -the Green Forest are asleep. And so it happens that often he does not -go to bed at all at night, but sleeps in the day, when most honest -people are abroad. He had been roaming about all this night, and now he -had come to watch and see what was going on at Farmer Brown's corn-crib, -and whether or not Farmer Brown's boy had been setting a trap there for -Sammy Jay, as Sammy was so sure he had. - -Just as the little stars disappeared and the first faint light from Mr. -Sun began to chase away the black shadows, Reddy's sharp eyes saw -something move over at the corner of the old stone wall at the edge of -the Old Orchard. Then a little dark form scampered across the road, and -there was the scratch of sharp little claws on the tree growing near the -corn-crib. Reddy grinned and watched the top of the tree. In a minute -the same little form ran out along a limb that overhung the corn-crib -and nimbly jumped to the roof. It ran along one edge and suddenly -disappeared. Reddy guessed right away that there was a hole there. He -arose and stretched. - -"I thought as much," said Reddy to himself. "I thought as much." Then -he lay down to watch again. After a while, out popped the same lively -little form. It was quite light now, light enough for Reddy to see the -red coat of Chatterer the Red Squirrel. - -Chatterer's cheeks were stuffed so full of corn that his head looked -twice as large as it really is. He ran along the roof to where the tips -of the limb of the tree brushed the roof, climbed into the tree, looked -sharply to make sure that no one was about, particularly Black Pussy, -and then ran down the tree and scurried across the road to the safety of -the old stone wall. - -"Ha!" said Reddy Fox, "I thought so! Unless I am much, very, very much -mistaken, Chatterer can tell Sammy Jay what caught him by the bill -yesterday morning and frightened him nearly to death. I've wondered why -he no longer came to that new store-house of his that he worked so hard -to fill down at the edge of the cornfield, and now I know. My, but -Chatterer is getting fat! I think he will make me a very good -breakfast. I do, indeed!" - -Reddy licked his lips as if he could already taste fat Red Squirrel, and -then slipped away in the other direction, for it was getting so light -that he dared stay no longer so near to Farmer Brown's house and Bowser -the Hound. - -All the way to the Green Forest Reddy grinned, partly at thought of the -sharp trick he was sure Chatterer had played on Sammy Jay, and partly at -thought of the good breakfast he was sure he would have one of these -fine mornings, for already he had thought of a plan to catch Chatterer. -But first he would find Sammy Jay. He wanted to see how foolish Sammy -would look when he found out that it wasn't a trap of Farmer Brown's -boy's at all that had frightened him so. - - - - - *XV* - - *SAMMY JAY SPOILS THE PLAN OF REDDY FOX* - - -Reddy Fox found Sammy Jay in a bad temper. Sammy had missed his usual -breakfast of corn stolen from Farmer Brown's corn-crib, and it had made -him cross. - -"Good morning," said Reddy in his politest manner, and no one can be -more polite than Reddy Fox when he sets out to be. - -"Morning," mumbled Sammy Jay. - -"I found out something this morning which may interest you," said Reddy, -taking no notice of Sammy's cross looks. - -"It won't," replied Sammy positively. "It won't. Nothing interests -me." - -"Not even traps?" asked Reddy slyly. - -"What's that?" demanded Sammy, looking at Reddy sharply. - -"Oh, nothing much," replied Reddy, quite as if the matter didn't -interest him especially, "only I found out something this morning that I -thought you might like to see, if you wasn't such a coward." - -"Who says I'm a coward?" shrieked Sammy Jay, dancing about with anger. - -"I do," replied Reddy. "You don't dare go with me to-morrow morning and -see what is going on at Farmer Brown's corn-crib." - -"It isn't true!" Sammy shrieked. "I dare go wherever you dare go, so -there, Reddy Fox!" - -"Then I dare you to meet me to-morrow morning at the edge of the Green -Forest at sun-up and go with me to watch Farmer Brown's corn-crib," -Reddy replied. - -"I'll be there!" snapped Sammy. "I'll have you to understand that you -don't dare do anything that I don't dare do!" snapped Sammy, though to -tell the truth he had felt his heart sink at the mere mention of Farmer -Brown's corn-crib, for you remember it was there that he had had a -terrible fright only the morning before. - -"All right, see that you are on hand at sun-up sharp," replied Reddy and -trotted away grinning, for he was smart enough to know that Sammy would -risk a great deal rather than be called a coward, for no one likes to be -called a coward. - -Early the next morning Reddy Fox and Sammy Jay met at the edge of the -Green Forest. - -"Now," Reddy explained, "we will go over by the fence back of the -corn-crib. I will hide there, just where I hid yesterday morning, and -you will hide in the evergreen-tree close by. Watch the roof of the -corn-crib, and I think you will see something that may explain how you -happened to be caught by the bill the other morning. But whatever you -see, don't make a sound, not the least bit of a sound." - -Sammy promised, and they hurried over to their hiding places. Hardly -had Sammy settled himself in the evergreen-tree when he saw Chatterer -jump to the roof of the corn-crib from the limb of the tree which -overhung it. Almost in a flash Chatterer had disappeared through a hole -just under the edge of the roof. No sooner was he out of sight, than -Reddy Fox ran swiftly across to the old stone wall at the edge of the -Old Orchard and hid behind it. Right away Sammy Jay guessed that -Chatterer had had something to do with the terrible fright he had had at -the corn-crib when his bill was caught as he pecked at the corn between -the cracks in the wall. - -"It wasn't a trap at all, but Chatterer!" thought Sammy and right away -grew so angry that he could hardly sit still. But he wanted to see what -Chatterer would do next, so he bit his tongue to keep it still. Pretty -soon out came Chatterer with his cheeks stuffed full of corn. That was -too much for Sammy Jay. He forgot all about his promise not to make a -sound. He darted out of his hiding place and flew at Chatterer in a -terrible rage, screaming at the top of his voice and calling Chatterer -every bad thing he could think of. Of course Chatterer couldn't reply, -because his cheeks were so stuffed with corn, but he could run. Like a -little red flash he was in the tree that overhung the corn-crib and -dodging around the trunk. - -Over behind the stone wall Reddy Fox snarled, for with such a noise he -knew it wasn't safe to stay there any longer. - - - - - *XVI* - - *CHATTERER AND SAMMY JAY QUARREL* - - - When people lose their tempers - Oh what a sorry sight! - They call each other dreadful names, - And sometimes scratch and bite. - The Merry Little Breezes ran - And hid themselves away - When Chatterer his temper lost, - And so did Sammy Jay. - - -It really was too dreadful! It quite spoiled the day for all the little -people who were within sound of their voices. You see, when Sammy Jay -discovered that it was Chatterer and not a trap set by Farmer Brown's -boy that had given him such a fright at Farmer Brown's corn-crib, right -away Sammy's temper just boiled right over. Chatterer had his mouth so -full of corn that he couldn't say a word, but he could run; and run he -did, scampering across Farmer Brown's dooryard to the shelter of the old -stone wall at the edge of the Old Orchard with Sammy after him, -screaming "Thief! thief! thief!" at the top of his lungs. - -"My gracious, what a racket!" exclaimed Farmer Brown's boy, as he opened -the door. "That Jay is making such a fuss that I should think there was -a fox about." He put his milk-pails down and stepped back into the -house. In a minute he was out again, with his terrible gun in his -hands. He went straight to the old stone wall where only a few minutes -before Reddy Fox had been hiding, and it was well for Reddy that he had -slipped away the minute Sammy Jay began to scream at Chatterer. Farmer -Brown's boy looked disappointed when he saw no signs of Reddy. Then he -went over to the little house of Bowser the Hound and unchained Bowser. - -Bowser wagged his tail and yelped with delight when he saw the gun, for -he dearly loves to hunt. He ran ahead back to the Old Orchard, and -almost at once his great, deep voice told all within hearing that his -wonderful nose had found the tracks of Reddy Fox. - -"I thought so," said Farmer Brown's boy. "I thought there had been a -fox here." Then he sighed, for he would have liked nothing better than -to go hunt for Reddy. But there were the empty milk-pails, and Farmer -Brown's boy is not the kind who run away for pleasure when there is work -to be done. - -Sammy Jay had flown away as soon as he saw Farmer Brown's boy and his -terrible gun. Chatterer had hidden in the old stone wall, where he -safely stored away the corn with which his cheeks had been stuffed. As -soon as Farmer Brown's boy had gone to the barn to milk the cows, Sammy -Jay slipped back to the Old Orchard to look for Chatterer, and his -temper hadn't improved a bit. He soon saw Chatterer running along the -old wall and once more began to scream "Thief! thief!" And now that his -mouth was empty, Chatterer could reply, and you know Chatterer has one -of the worst tongues of all the little people of the Green Forest. - -"Thief yourself!" he screamed back. "Thief yourself! You stole my -corn!" - -"It isn't your corn any more than it's mine!" screamed Sammy. "I told -you about it in the first place. Thief! thief! thief!" - -And from that, they fell to calling each other worse things. The Old -Orchard never had heard such a quarrel, never. It was dreadful! All -day long they kept it up. Twice Farmer Brown's boy came down to see if -that fox had come back, and scratched his head, and wondered what all -the fuss was about. At last Sammy Jay had a thought. - -"I'm going straight over to the Green Forest to tell Shadow the Weasel -where you are living!" he cried suddenly. "When he finds you, you won't -steal any more corn or be so greedy that you won't let other people have -a share." - - - - - *XVII* - - *CHATTERER AND SAMMY JAY MAKE UP* - - -When Chatterer heard Sammy Jay say that he was going straight to the -Green Forest to tell Shadow the Weasel that Chatterer was living in the -Old Orchard, a great fear filled his heart. He forgot his quarrel with -Sammy. He forgot his greed for all the corn in Farmer Brown's -corn-crib. He forgot everything but his terrible fear of Shadow the -Weasel. It was because of Shadow that Chatterer had left the Green -Forest to live in the Old Orchard. If Shadow should find him here, he -didn't know what he could do or where he could go. He knew that Sammy -Jay meant just what he said, for though it would be a dreadful thing to -do, people do dreadful things when they are angry, and Sammy Jay was -very, very angry indeed. He had already spread his wings when Chatterer -spoke. - -"Please don't do that, Sammy Jay," he begged, "I--I--I didn't mean all -the bad things I have said." - -Sammy Jay's eyes snapped. He saw right away that Chatterer was very -much frightened, and he knew that hereafter so long as Shadow the Weasel -was anywhere around, Chatterer would be so afraid that he would do -anything Sammy might want him to. You see, Sammy Jay is very sharp. - -"Am I any more of a thief than you are?" he demanded. - -"No-o-o," replied Chatterer slowly, as if it were the hardest work to -say it. - -[Illustration: "No-o-o," replied Chatterer slowly.] - -"Will you play any more tricks on me?" asked Sammy. - -"No," replied Chatterer more promptly this time. - -"Well, I'll think it over and make up my mind in the morning," said -Sammy. "Perhaps I will and perhaps I won't tell Shadow where you are -living. I'll think it over." - -Now Sammy knew perfectly well that Chatterer wouldn't sleep a wink that -night for worrying. Already he had made up his mind not to tell Shadow, -for like all the other little meadow and forest people he hated Shadow. -But of course Chatterer couldn't know that he had so made up his mind, -and a great fear that Sammy might tell clutched his heart. - -"If you'll promise not to tell Shadow where I am, you--you are welcome -to all the corn you want at Farmer Brown's corn-crib," said Chatterer, -in a very meek voice. - -"Indeed!" replied Sammy. "How very generous of you, seeing that it -doesn't belong to you, anyway, and I have just as much right to it as -you have." - -"And--and--well, I'll help you get it," continued Chatterer, his sharp -wits working their hardest to think of some way to get Sammy to make -that promise. - -"How?" asked Sammy suspiciously. - -"Why, when you can't get it between the cracks, I'll bring some out for -you and hide it in the stone wall where you can find it," replied -Chatterer. But in his heart he said that he would hide it so that Sammy -would have to hunt a long time to find it. It seemed almost as if Sammy -read that thought, for cocking his head on one side, he said: - -"I'll promise not to tell Shadow, if you'll promise to get me corn -whenever I want it and put it just where I tell you to." - -Chatterer didn't like that idea at all, but what could he do? He -thought it over so long that Sammy Jay spread his wings as if to start -that very instant for the Green Forest. - -"I promise!" cried Chatterer hastily. - -And so these two scamps of the Green Forest made up and planned how they -would live all winter on Farmer Brown's corn. - - - - - *XVIII* - - *CHATTERER HAS TO KEEP HIS PROMISE* - - -Chatterer wished now that he hadn't been quite so greedy. If he had been -content to let Sammy Jay get what corn he could from Farmer Brown's -corn-crib, instead of playing that sharp trick to frighten him away, -Chatterer wouldn't have had to make that promise to get the corn for -Sammy and put it wherever Sammy wanted it put. It wasn't much to do. -Chatterer really didn't mind doing the thing itself; it was the thought -that Sammy could make him do it. - -Now Chatterer has sharp wits, and Sammy Jay has sharp wits. Chatterer -had always thought his the sharpest, and it hurt his pride to feel that -Sammy had got the best of him. He couldn't think of anything else as he -curled up for the night in his snug bed in the old home of Drummer the -Woodpecker up in the Old Orchard. He thought and thought and thought -and thought, trying to find some way to wriggle out of his promise, and -just before he fell asleep, an idea came to him. He would go over to -the corn-crib before Sammy Jay was awake, eat his fill, and then hide -from Sammy. - -"Why didn't I think of that before?" he murmured sleepily and smiled to -think how, after all, his wits were sharper than those of Sammy Jay. - -The next morning, very early, Chatterer visited the corn-crib, ate a -hurried breakfast, and then hid in the old stone wall to watch for Sammy -Jay. But Sammy didn't come at the time he used to visit the corn-crib -before Chatterer had given him that terrible scare. Chatterer waited and -waited, but no Sammy Jay. Chatterer began to get impatient, but still -he didn't dare leave his hiding place for fear that Sammy might come. -At last Chatterer decided that Sammy had gone somewhere else that -morning, so he came out of his hiding place and frisked along the stone -wall at one edge of the Old Orchard. After a while he forgot all about -Sammy Jay. Anyway, he was sure that Sammy wouldn't think of going to -the corn-crib so late in the morning, for it wouldn't be safe at all. -Farmer Brown's boy would be almost sure to see him. So Chatterer forgot -his troubles and frisked about and had a splendid time all by himself. - -Right in the midst of it, Sammy Jay arrived in the Old Orchard. - -"Good morning, Chatterer," said he. "I fear I am a little late for -breakfast." - -"Breakfast!" sneered Chatterer, "Breakfast! Why, it's nearer dinner -time. I had my breakfast hours ago." - -"I thought likely," replied Sammy, and there was a mischievous look in -his sharp black eyes, "but I was rather tired this morning, and as long -as I hadn't got to go way over to the corn-crib myself, I thought I -wouldn't hurry. I suppose you have plenty of corn ready for me here." - -"Corn ready for you? I should say not!" snapped Chatterer. "You didn't -say anything about getting corn for you this morning." - -"Didn't I? Well, I guess I must have forgotten to. Never mind--you can -run over there and get some for me now," replied Sammy. - -"Go yourself!" snapped Chatterer. - -"I think I'd rather not," replied Sammy. "Farmer Brown's boy is -chopping wood right close by the corn-crib, so I prefer to have you go." - -"I won't!" Chatterer fairly screamed and danced about in his rage. "I -won't!" - -"Oh, all right," replied Sammy, yawning. "I saw Shadow the Weasel down -in the Green Forest this morning, and he inquired for you. I think I'll -go look him up again." - -Chatterer turned pale. He feared Shadow the Weasel more than any one -else under the sun. He would rather face Farmer Brown's boy. "I--I'll -go," he stammered weakly. There was no way out of it; he just had to -keep his promise. - - - - - *XIX* - - *CHATTERER GETS SAMMY JAY SOME CORN* - - -In all his life Chatterer had never felt so angry and so helpless. He -had thought himself so smart that he could outwit Sammy Jay, and instead -Sammy had outwitted him. This was bad enough in itself, but to make -matters worse he had to do something which he felt was very dangerous. -He had to get Sammy some corn from Farmer Brown's corn-crib right in -broad daylight, and there was Black Pussy sitting on the doorstep of -Farmer Brown's house, and Farmer Brown's boy himself was chopping wood -close by the corn-crib. But if he didn't keep his promise, Sammy would -go tell Shadow the Weasel where he was living, and Chatterer was more -afraid of Shadow than of Black Pussy and Farmer Brown's boy. Wasn't it -a terrible position to be in? Chatterer thought so. And all the time -he knew that it was all his own fault. If he hadn't been so greedy and -tried to scare Sammy Jay away from the corn-crib, he wouldn't be in such -a fix now. - -He ran along the stone wall to the end at the edge of Farmer Brown's -dooryard. Then he peeped out. Black Pussy was dozing on the doorstep. -Her eyes were closed. Chatterer started across for the tree close by -the corn-crib, and then his courage failed, and he ran back to the stone -wall. Three times he did this, and each time he looked up to see Sammy -Jay grinning at him from an apple-tree in the Old Orchard. It was very -plain to see that Sammy was enjoying Chatterer's fright. Chatterer -almost cried with fear and anger. - -The fourth time he gritted his teeth and kept on running as fast as he -knew how. He was almost past Black Pussy when she opened her eyes. In -a flash she was after him. Chatterer reached the tree first and was up -it like a little red streak. There he felt safe. At least, he felt -safe from Black Pussy, for she wouldn't dare follow him out on the small -branches. But Farmer Brown's boy had seen her rush across to the foot -of the tree, and now he stopped chopping wood to watch Black Pussy -glaring up at Chatterer. - -"What are you so interested in, Puss?" asked Farmer Brown's boy. He -couldn't see Chatterer, because Chatterer was smart enough to keep on -the other side of the tree trunk. "Is it something you want me to see?" -he continued, and started to walk over to the tree. - -Chatterer's heart was beating terribly with fright--thump, thump, thump! -At just that minute there was a great racket over in the Old Orchard. - -"Thief! thief! thief!" screamed Sammy Jay, making a great fuss. Farmer -Brown's boy turned to look in that direction. - -"I wonder if that fox is prowling around again," said he. And while he -was still looking and wondering, Chatterer dropped to the roof of the -corn-crib and slipped inside, through the hole he had found under the -edge of the roof. He gave a great sigh of relief. - -"I believe Sammy Jay did that purposely to make Farmer Brown's boy look -over there instead of up in the tree," he muttered. And he was right. -Sammy had no desire to have any real harm come to Chatterer, and so at -just the right minute he had fooled Farmer Brown's boy, just as he often -had fooled him before by screaming as if he saw Reddy Fox, when Reddy -wasn't there at all. - -When Farmer Brown's boy was sure that Reddy was not over in the Old -Orchard, he once more turned to Black Pussy, who was still glaring up at -the place where Chatterer had been. He looked up, too, but of course -there was no one to be seen. - -"I guess you must have dreamed you saw something, Puss," said he, -stooping to stroke her gently. Then he went back to his wood-chopping. -Black Pussy waited a few minutes longer and then went over to the barn -to try to console herself with a mouse. Chatterer watched his chance -and got back to the old stone wall safely, with his cheeks stuffed full -of corn for Sammy Jay. - - - - - *XX* - - *CHATTERER REMEMBERS SOMETHING* - - -Chatterer was disgusted with himself, with all his neighbors, and with -the world in general, which is to say that Chatterer was very much put -out about something. There was no doubt about it. He couldn't see -anything cheerful in the sunshine nor anything pleasant in the blue, -blue sky, and when any one fails to see cheerfulness in the sunshine or -to find something pleasant in the blue, blue sky, there is something -wrong in his own heart. That was the trouble with Chatterer. There was -a great deal wrong in his heart. - -In the first place, it was filled with anger, and anger, you know, will -take all the joy and pleasantness out of anything. And then Chatterer -was mortified. He was both angry and mortified because Sammy Jay had -proved to have smarter wits than he had. So, as soon as he could do so -without being seen, he slipped into his new home in the old house of -Drummer the Woodpecker in an apple-tree in the Old Orchard, and there he -sulked for the rest of the day. You see, Sammy Jay had made him go over -to Farmer Brown's corn-crib and get him some corn right in broad -daylight, and he had very narrowly escaped being seen by Farmer Brown's -boy. - -"If only I hadn't promised to get him corn whenever he asks me to!" he -said over and over to himself, as he sulked in his home in the -apple-tree. "If only I hadn't! And yet I couldn't help myself--I just -had to. Now whenever he feels like it, he'll make me do as he did -to-day and perhaps I won't always be so lucky. Oh, dear; oh, dear; I've -got myself into a dreadful mess, and I've just got to think of some way -out of it." - -So all the rest of the day he thought and thought, and the more he -thought the more unhappy he grew. It wasn't until just as he was going -out for a breath of air before going to bed for the night that the great -idea came to him. - -"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he muttered, meaning himself. "Why didn't I -remember it before? You won't see me going over to that corn-crib -again, Mr. Jay! I'll get you the corn if I must, but you won't have the -fun of laughing at me trying to dodge Black Pussy and Farmer Brown's -boy. You're smart, Mr. Jay! You're smart, but you've got to get up -early in the morning to play such a trick on Chatterer twice." - -Right away he felt so much better in his mind that he had a brisk run -along the old stone wall and then turned in for a good night's sleep. -The next day Sammy Jay appeared in the middle of the forenoon and -demanded more corn. Chatterer pretended that he didn't dare go for it, -but when Sammy insisted that he must, he suddenly started for--where do -you think? Why, for that store-house of his in the hollow rail at the -edge of the cornfield. It was a long way to go, but that was better -than running the risk of being seen by Farmer Brown's boy. It took him -some time, but at last he was back with his cheeks stuffed with corn. -Sammy Jay pretended to be cross because he had been kept waiting so long -and grumbled all the time he was eating. He pretended to think that the -corn was not as good as that from Farmer Brown's corn-crib and mumbled -something about telling Shadow the Weasel if Chatterer didn't get him -some corn from the crib the next day. - -"You can't!" cried Chatterer in triumph. "You promised not to tell -Shadow if I kept my promise and got you corn whenever you asked for it; -but I didn't say where I would get it," and he chuckled to think that he -had been smarter than Sammy Jay. - -Sammy ate every grain and then went off, but as he went, Chatterer -thought he heard something very like a chuckle. It made him thoughtful -and a little uneasy, but he couldn't think of any way Sammy could get -the best of him now, so he soon forgot it, and all the rest of the day -he thought of how lucky it was that he had remembered that store-house -in the hollow rail. - - - - - *XXI* - - *SAMMY JAY MAKES A CALL* - - -Sammy Jay hadn't had so much fun for a long time as he was having at the -expense of Chatterer the Red Squirrel. No, Sir, Sammy hadn't had so -much fun for as long as he could remember. You see, he and Chatterer -never had been very good friends and always had played sharp tricks on -each other whenever they had the chance. Sammy had not forgotten how -Chatterer had stolen the eggs of Drummer the Woodpecker in the spring -and then laid the blame on him, so that all the birds of the Old Orchard -had driven him out until they discovered who the real thief was. Sammy -had never forgotten or forgiven that sharp, mean trick. And now he was -getting even. Right down in his heart he didn't want any real harm to -come to Chatterer, but he did love to see him frightened. But his -greatest fun was in matching his wits against those of Chatterer, for -you know both have very sharp wits, as scamps are very apt to have. - -Now all the time he had been mumbling and finding fault with the corn -Chatterer had brought from his storehouse in the hollow rail on the edge -of the cornfield Sammy had only been pretending. Yes, Sir, he had -simply been pretending. You see, he had thought of that store-house -before Chatterer had and had thought Chatterer very stupid not to have -remembered it in the first place. Now that Chatterer had remembered it, -Sammy was glad, although he pretended not to be. Why was he glad? Well, -you see, he knew that Chatterer was greatly tickled inside because he -thought that he had proved himself smarter than Sammy, and all the time -Sammy saw another chance to prove to Chatterer that he wasn't so smart -as he thought himself. - -When he left Chatterer, he flew straight to the Green Forest and from -there to the edge of the Green Meadows. His sharp eyes searched the -Green Meadows until they saw his cousin, Blacky the Crow. Sammy flew -straight over to where Blacky was sitting. For a few minutes they -talked together, and then both looked over to a tall, lone tree out in -the middle of the Green Meadows, in the top of which sat a black form -very straight and very still. In fact, to eyes less sharp than those of -Sammy Jay and Blacky the Crow, it would have looked very much like a -part of the tree. It was Roughleg the Hawk watching for Danny Meadow -Mouse. - -[Illustration: Sammy flew straight over to where Blacky was sitting.] - -"Will you do it?" asked Sammy. "I don't dare to myself because he might -have a notion that a fat Jay like me would make him a good dinner." - -"Of course I'll do it," replied Blacky. "Old Roughleg never bothers me, -and it will be a great joke." - -"All right," replied Sammy. "Be on hand where you can see what happens -to-morrow morning." And with that, Sammy Jay flew back to the Green -Forest where he could watch. - -In a few minutes Blacky the Crow flew over near the tree in which sat -Roughleg the Hawk. Presently Sammy heard Blacky's harsh voice. - -"Caw, caw, caw," said Blacky. - -Sammy smiled. It was a signal, and he knew that Blacky had done as he -had said he would. Then Sammy flew off to look for some new mischief -with which to amuse himself for the rest of the day. - - - - - *XXII* - - *CHATTERER HAS A DREADFUL DAY* - - -Chatterer was feeling quite like himself, his saucy, impudent self, as -he peeped out of his doorway at daylight. He felt that he had got the -best of Sammy Jay the day before. To be sure he had to get corn for -Sammy, but he did not have to go to Farmer Brown's corn-crib for it, and -he knew that it was the fun of seeing him take that risk that Sammy -wanted more than he did the corn. He felt that he had been smarter than -Sammy, and the feeling made him quite like his old self. - - "Chickaro and chickaree, - Who is there as smart as me? - Chickaro and chickaree, - Sharper wits you'll never see." - - -Now that was boasting; and boasting is one of the most foolish habits in -the world. But Chatterer always was a boaster and probably always will -be. So he whisked in and out of the old stone wall and said this over -and over, while he waited for Sammy Jay to appear. He had not gone over -to Farmer Brown's corn-crib this morning for his breakfast, because he -felt sure that Sammy would come and send him for corn, and he knew that -he would have to go. But he meant to go down to his own store-house in -the hollow rail on the edge of the cornfield and he could eat his fill -there. So he scampered about and wished that Sammy would hurry up, for -he was hungry. - -At last Sammy came, and just as Chatterer expected, he demanded the corn -that Chatterer had promised to get for him whenever he should ask for -it. Right away Chatterer started for the cornfield, running along the -fences. He always did like to run along fences, and though it was a long -way down there, he didn't mind, for it was a sharp, cold morning and the -run made him feel fine. As he ran, he kept chuckling to himself to -think how smart he had been to think of that store-house and a way to -keep his promise to Sammy Jay without running any risk to himself. He -was whisking along the fence on the edge of the cornfield and had almost -reached the hollow rail where he had stored the corn. He stopped to sit -up on a fence-post and boast once more. - - "Chickaro and chickaree! - Who is there as smart--" - - -He didn't finish. Instead his tongue seemed to stick to the roof of his -mouth and his little black eyes looked as if they would pop out of his -head. Sitting on a post close to the hollow rail was a straight, black -form watching him with cruel, hungry-looking eyes. It was Roughleg the -Hawk! Chatterer gave a little gasp of fright. He whirled around and -started back along the fence as fast as he could make his legs go. -Instantly Roughleg spread his great wings and sailed after him. -Chatterer hadn't gone the length of two rails before Roughleg was over -him. With his great, cruel claws spread wide, he suddenly swooped down. -Chatterer dodged to the under side of the rail just in time, the very -nick of time. Roughleg screamed with disappointment, and that scream -had such a fierce sound that Chatterer shivered all over. - -[Illustration: Chatterer gave a little gasp of fright.] - -How he ever got back to the Old Orchard he hardly knew himself. Ever so -many times he just managed to dodge those great claws. But he did get -there at last, out of breath and tired and frightened. There sat Sammy -Jay, waiting for his corn. He pretended to be very angry because -Chatterer had none and threatened to go straight to the Green Forest and -tell Shadow the Weasel where Chatterer was living. There was nothing for -Chatterer to do but to go over to the corn-crib as soon as he had rested -a little. - -"It's been a dreadful day, a perfectly dreadful day," said Chatterer to -himself, as he curled up in bed for the night. "I wonder--I wonder how -old Roughleg happened to be sitting on that fence-post this morning." - -But Sammy Jay didn't wonder; he knew. - - - - - *XXIII* - - *CHATTERER HITS ON A PLAN AT LAST* - - -Each time that Chatterer thought himself smarter than Sammy Jay, he -found that he wasn't as smart as he thought he was, and this always made -him feel mortified. He just couldn't admit even to himself that Sammy -was the smartest, and yet here he was every day bringing corn for Sammy -from Farmer Brown's corn-crib whenever Sammy told him to, and running -the risk of being seen by Farmer Brown's boy, all because he hadn't been -able to think of some way to outwit Sammy. Once more after he had such -a narrow escape from old Roughleg the Hawk, he had tried going down to -his store-house at the edge of the cornfield, but he had found Roughleg -on watch and had turned back. From the way Sammy Jay had grinned when he -saw Chatterer coming back, Chatterer had made up his mind that Sammy -knew something about how old Roughleg happened to have found out about -that store-house and so been on the watch. - -Now all this time, Sammy Jay was having a great deal of fun out of -Chatterer's trouble. Each time that Chatterer thought of a plan to -outwit Sammy, he would find that Sammy had already thought of it and a -way to make the plan quite useless. You see, Sammy used to spend a -great deal of his time when he was alone in the Green Forest pretending -that he was in the same fix as Chatterer and then trying to think of -some way out of it. So it was that Chatterer never could think of a -plan that Sammy hadn't already thought of. And yet there was a way to -cheat Sammy out of his fun, though not out of his corn, and it really -was the fun of seeing Chatterer so worried that Sammy cared most about. -Sammy had thought of it almost at once, and it seemed to him that -Chatterer was very, very stupid not to think of it, too. - -"He will think of it some day, and I don't see any way to upset such a -simple plan," said Sammy to himself and then fell to studying some new -way to torment Chatterer. - -And at last Chatterer did think of it. It was such a simple plan! -Probably that was why he hadn't thought of it before. All he had to do -was to go over to Farmer Brown's corn-crib at break of day, before any -one in Farmer Brown's house was awake, just as he had been doing, only -make two or three trips and store a lot of corn in a safe hiding place -in the old stone wall. Then, when Sammy Jay demanded corn, he could get -it without trouble or danger. He tried it, and it worked splendidly. -Sammy Jay got his corn, but he didn't get any fun, and he cared more for -the fun of seeing Chatterer in trouble than he did for the corn. So, -after two or three mornings, Sammy didn't come up to the Old Orchard, -and Chatterer chuckled as he stored up the corn, not in one place, but -in several places. - -Now, while Sammy Jay seemed to have grown tired of corn, he was doing a -lot of thinking. He had no idea of leaving Chatterer alone. He had -just got to think of some way of upsetting Chatterer's simple plan. It -was Reddy Fox who finally gave him the idea. He saw Reddy trotting down -the Lone Little Path through the Green Forest, and right away the idea -came to him. He would tell Reddy where Chatterer was storing the corn -in the old stone wall, and Reddy would hide close by. - -"Of course I don't want Reddy to catch Chatterer, but I can prevent that -by warning him just in time. But he will be so frightened that he won't -dare go to that place for corn again in a hurry, and so will have to go -to the corn-crib for it," thought Sammy, and hurried to tell Reddy Fox -about the place half way along the old stone wall where Chatterer had -hidden his corn. - - - - - *XXIV* - - *CHATTERER HAS HIS TURN TO LAUGH* - - -Sammy Jay had not been up to the Old Orchard for several days, and -Chatterer the Red Squirrel was beginning to wonder if Sammy had grown -tired of corn. But Chatterer had learned that it is always best to be -prepared, and so every morning, when he had visited Farmer Brown's -corn-crib, he had brought a generous supply back to the Old Orchard and -hidden it in several secret places in different parts of the stone wall -and some in a certain hollow in an old apple-tree. Chatterer couldn't -quite believe that Sammy had given up all hope of making him more -trouble, so he meant to be prepared. - -So when Sammy did appear early one morning, Chatterer was not in the -least surprised. He pretended to be glad to see Sammy. In fact, he was -almost glad. You see, Sammy had so many times proved his wits to be -sharper than Chatterer's, that Chatterer wanted to get even. There was -a sparkle of mischief in Sammy's eyes. Chatterer saw it right away, and -he guessed that Sammy had some new plan under that pert cap of his. - -"Good morning, Sammy Jay," said Chatterer, pretending to be polite. "I -had begun to think that you were tired of corn. I have some very nice -corn ready for you, the very best I could find in Farmer Brown's -corn-crib. Will you have some this morning?" - -"I believe I will," replied Sammy, also pretending to be very polite. -"It is very nice of you to pick out the best corn for me, and the very -thought of it makes me hungry. I believe I would like some this very -minute." - -As he spoke, he turned his head to hide a grin, for, thought he, "of -course Chatterer will go straight to that hiding place in the stone wall -and then we shall see some fun." He glanced hastily in that direction, -and he saw a patch of red half hidden behind the wall, and he knew that -it was the red coat of Reddy Fox. Reddy was hiding just where Sammy had -told him to. - -Now Chatterer had been doing some quick thinking. He remembered the -sharp tricks Sammy had played on him before, and he didn't have the -least doubt that Sammy had planned another. "Of course, he expects me -to go straight to that place where he knows I have hidden corn for him, -and if he has planned any trouble for me, that is where it will be," -thought Chatterer. "I think I'll get the corn from one of the hiding -places he doesn't know about." - -With that Chatterer ran swiftly out along a branch of the tree he was -in, leaped across to another tree and then to a third, the one in which -was the hollow in which he had put some of the corn. In a few minutes -he was back, with his cheeks stuffed full. Sammy Jay pretended to be -very much pleased, but he ate it as if he had lost his appetite, as -indeed he had. You see, he was wondering what he should say to Reddy -Fox, to whom he had promised a chance to catch Chatterer. He knew that -Reddy would think that it was all one of Sammy's tricks. So without -waiting to finish all the corn, Sammy politely said good-by and flew -away to the deepest part of the Green Forest. - -"Ha, ha, ha! Ho, ho, ho!" laughed Chatterer, as his sharp eyes spied -Reddy Fox, trying to creep away without being seen. "Ha, ha, ha! Ho, -ho, ho! It's my turn to laugh. Ha, ha, ha! Ho, ho, ho!" - -And so for the time being Chatterer had the last laugh, though Sammy Jay -knew well that his turn would come again, if only he were patient. But -he had other things to think of. You see, he was very much interested -in the adventures of Buster Bear. And if you are interested in them -too, you may read all about them in another book devoted wholly to the -things that happened when Buster came to live in the Green Forest. - - - - - THE END - - - - - * * * * * * * * - - - - - *BOOKS BY* - - *THORNTON W. BURGESS* - - - *BEDTIME STORY-BOOKS* - - THE ADVENTURES OF: - -1. REDDY FOX -2. JOHNNY CHUCK -3. PETER COTTONTAIL -4. UNC' BILLY POSSUM -5. MR. MOCKER -6. JERRY MUSKRAT -7. DANNY MEADOW MOUSE -8. GRANDFATHER FROG -9. CHATTERER, THE RED SQUIRREL -10. SAMMY JAY -11. BUSTER BEAR -12. OLD MR. TOAD -13. PRICKLY PORKY -14. OLD MAN COYOTE -15. PADDY THE BEAVER -16. POOR MRS. QUACK -17. BOBBY COON -18. JIMMY SKUNK -19. BOB WHITE -20. OL' MISTAH BUZZARD - - - *MOTHER WEST WIND SERIES* - -1. OLD MOTHER WEST WIND -2. MOTHER WEST WIND'S CHILDREN -3. MOTHER WEST WIND'S ANIMAL FRIENDS -4. MOTHER WEST WIND'S NEIGHBORS -5. MOTHER WEST WIND "WHY" STORIES -6. MOTHER WEST WIND "HOW" STORIES -7. MOTHER WEST WIND "WHEN" STORIES -8. MOTHER WEST WIND "WHERE" STORIES - - - *GREEN MEADOW SERIES* - -1. HAPPY JACK -2. MRS. PETER RABBIT -3. BOWSER THE HOUND -4. OLD GRANNY Fox - - - *GREEN FOREST SERIES* - -1. LIGHTFOOT THE DEER -2. BLACKY THE CROW -3. WHITEFOOT THE WOOD MOUSE -4. BUSTER BEAR'S TWINS - - - *WISHING-STONE SERIES* - -1. TOMMY AND THE WISHING-STONE -2. TOMMY'S WISHES COME TRUE -3. TOMMY'S CHANGE OF HEART - - -THE BURGESS BIRD BOOK FOR CHILDREN -THE BURGESS ANIMAL BOOK FOR CHILDREN -THE BURGESS FLOWER BOOK FOR CHILDREN - - - - - - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ADVENTURES OF SAMMY JAY *** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/43596 - -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. Special rules, set forth in the -General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and -distributing Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works to protect the -Project Gutenberg(tm) concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a -registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, -unless you receive specific permission. 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