Mother West Wind's Animal Friends
Page 5
V
HOW JOHNNY CHUCK RAN AWAY
Johnny Chuck stood on the doorstep of his house and watched old Mrs.Chuck start down the Lone Little Path across the Green Meadows towardsFarmer Brown's garden. She had her market basket on her arm, and Johnnyknew that when she returned it would be full of the things he likedbest. But not even the thought of these could chase away the frown thatdarkened Johnny Chuck's face. He had never been to Farmer Brown's gardenand he had begged very hard to go that morning with old Mrs. Chuck. Butshe had said "No. It isn't safe for such a little chap as you." Andwhen Mrs. Chuck said "No," Johnny knew that she meant it, and that itwas of no use at all to beg.
So he stood with his hands in his pockets and scowled and scowled as hethought of old Mrs. Chuck's very last words: "Now, Johnny, don't youdare put a foot outside of the yard until I get back."
Pretty soon along came Peter Rabbit. Peter was trying to jump over hisown shadow. When he saw Johnny Chuck he stopped abruptly. Then he lookedup at the blue sky and winked at jolly, round, red Mr. Sun. "Looksmighty showery 'round here," he remarked to no one in particular.
Johnny Chuck smiled in spite of himself. Then he told Peter Rabbit howhe had got to stay at home and mind the house and couldn't put his footoutside the yard. Now Peter hasn't had the best bringing up in theworld, for his mother has such a big family that she is kept busy justgetting them something to eat. So Peter has been allowed to bringhimself up and do just about as he pleases.
"How long will your mother be gone?" asked Peter.
"Most all the morning," said Johnny Chuck mournfully.
Peter hopped a couple of steps nearer. "Say, Johnny," he whispered, "howis she going to know whether you stay in the yard all the time or not,so long as you are here when she gets home? I know where there's thedandiest sweet-clover patch. We can go over there and back easy beforeold Mrs. Chuck gets home, and she won't know anything about it. Comeon!"
Johnny Chuck's mouth watered at the thought of the sweet-clover, butstill he hesitated, for Johnny Chuck had been taught to mind.
"'Fraid cat! 'Fraid cat! Tied to your mother's apron strings!" jeeredPeter Rabbit.
"I ain't either!" cried Johnny Chuck. And then, just to prove it, hethrust his hands into his pockets and swaggered out into the Lone LittlePath.
"Where's your old clover patch?" asked he.
"I'll show you," said Peter Rabbit, and off he started,lipperty-lipperty-lip, so fast that Johnny Chuck lost his breath tryingto make his short legs keep up. And all the time Johnny's conscience waspricking him.
Peter Rabbit left the Lone Little Path across the Green Meadows for somesecret little paths of his own. His long legs took him over the groundvery fast. Johnny Chuck, running behind him, grew tired and hot, forJohnny's legs are short and he is fat and roly-poly. At times all hecould see was the white patch on the seat of Peter Rabbit's pants. Hebegan to wish that he had minded old Mrs. Chuck and stayed at home. Itwas too late to go back now, for he didn't know the way.
"Wait up, Peter Rabbit!" he called.
Peter Rabbit just flirted his tail and ran faster.
"Please, please wait for me, Peter Rabbit," panted Johnny Chuck, andbegan to cry. Yes, Sir, he began to cry. You see he was so hot andtired, and then he was so afraid that he would lose sight of PeterRabbit. If he did he would surely be lost, and then what should he do?The very thought made him run just a little faster.
"Please, please wait for me, Peter Rabbit," panted JohnnyChuck.]
Now Peter Rabbit is really one of the best-hearted little fellows inthe world, just happy-go-lucky and careless. So when finally he lookedback and saw Johnny Chuck way, way behind, with the tears running downhis cheeks, and how hot and tired he looked, Peter sat down and waited.Pretty soon Johnny Chuck came up, puffing and blowing, and threw himselfflat on the ground.
"Please, Peter Rabbit, is it very much farther to the sweet-cloverpatch?" he panted, wiping his eyes with the backs of his hands.
"No," replied Peter Rabbit, "just a little way more. We'll rest here afew minutes and then I won't run so fast."
So Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck lay down in the grass to rest whileJohnny Chuck recovered his breath. Every minute or two Peter would situp very straight, prick up his long ears and look this way and lookthat way as if he expected to see something unusual. It made JohnnyChuck nervous.
"What do you keep doing that for, Peter Rabbit?" he asked.
"Oh, nothin'," replied Peter Rabbit. But he kept right on doing it justthe same. Then suddenly, after one of these looks abroad, he croucheddown very flat and whispered in Johnny Chuck's ear in great excitement.
"Old Whitetail is down here and he's headed this way. We'd better bemoving," he said.
Johnny Chuck felt a chill of fear. "Who is Old Whitetail?" he asked, ashe prepared to follow Peter Rabbit.
"Don't you know?" asked Peter in surprise. "Say, you are green! Why,he's Mr. Marsh Hawk, and if he once gets the chance he'll gobble you up,skin, bones and all. There's an old stone wall just a little way fromhere, and the sooner we get there the better!"
Peter Rabbit led the way, and if he had run fast before it was nothingto the way he ran now. A great fear made Johnny Chuck forget that he wastired, and he ran as he had never run before in all his short life. Justas he dived head-first into a hole between two big stones, a shadowswept over the grass and something sharp tore a gap in the seat of hispants and made him squeal with fright and pain. But he wriggled inbeside Peter Rabbit and was safe, while Mr. Marsh Hawk flew off with ascream of rage and disappointment.
Johnny Chuck had never been so frightened in all his short life. He madehimself as small as possible and crept as far as he could underneath afriendly stone in the old wall. His pants were torn and his leg smarteddreadfully where one of Mr. Marsh Hawk's cruel, sharp claws hadscratched him. How he did wish that he had minded old Mrs. Chuck andstayed in his own yard, as she had told him to.
Peter Rabbit looked at the tear in Johnny Chuck's pants. "Pooh!" saidPeter Rabbit, "don't mind a little thing like that."
"But I'm afraid to go home with my pants torn," said Johnny Chuck.
"Don't go home," replied Peter Rabbit. "I don't unless I feel like it.You stay away a long time and then your mother will be so glad to seeyou that she won't ever think of the pants."
Johnny Chuck looked doubtful, but before he could say anything PeterRabbit stuck his head out to see if the way was clear. It was, andPeter's long legs followed his head. "Come on, Johnny Chuck," heshouted. "I'm going over to the sweet-clover patch."
But Johnny Chuck was afraid. He was almost sure that Old Whitetail waswaiting just outside to gobble him up. It was a long time before hewould put so much as the tip of his wee black nose out. But withoutPeter Rabbit it grew lonesomer and lonesomer in under the old stonewall. Besides, he was afraid that he would lose Peter Rabbit, and thenhe would be lost indeed, for he didn't know the way home.
Finally Johnny Chuck ventured to peep out. There was jolly, round, redMr. Sun smiling down just as if he was used to seeing little runawaychucks every day. Johnny looked and looked for Peter Rabbit, but it wasa long time before he saw him, and when he did all he saw were PeterRabbit's funny long ears above the tops of the waving grass, for PeterRabbit was hidden in the sweet-clover patch, eating away for dear life.
It was only a little distance, but Johnny Chuck had had such a frightthat he tried three times before he grew brave enough to scurry throughthe tall grass and join Peter Rabbit. My, how good that sweet-clover didtaste! Johnny Chuck forgot all about Old Whitetail. He forgot all abouthis torn pants. He forgot that he had run away and didn't know the wayhome. He just ate and ate and ate until his stomach was so full hecouldn't stuff another piece of sweet-clover into it.
Suddenly Peter Rabbit grabbed him by a sleeve and pulled him down flat.
"Sh-h-h," said Peter Rabbit, "don't move."
Johnny Chuck's heart almost stopped beating. What new danger could therebe now? In a minute he heard a queer noise. P
eeping between the stemsof sweet-clover he saw--what do you think? Why, old Mrs. Chuck cuttingsweet-clover to put in the basket of vegetables she was taking home fromFarmer Brown's garden.
Johnny Chuck gave a great sigh of relief, but he kept very still for hedid not want her to find him there after she had told him not to putfoot outside his own dooryard. "You wait here," whispered Peter Rabbit,and crept off through the clover. Pretty soon Johnny Chuck saw PeterRabbit steal up behind old Mrs. Chuck and pull four big lettuce leavesout of her basket.