So Jimmy Skunk set out all alone along the Crooked Little Path up thehill to find some beetles for his breakfast. He walked very slowly, forJimmy Skunk never hurries. He stopped and peeped under every old log tosee if there were any beetles. By and by he came to a big piece of barkbeside the Crooked Little Path. Jimmy Skunk took hold of the piece ofbark with his two little black paws and pulled and pulled. All of asudden, the big piece of bark turned over so quickly that Jimmy Skunkfell flat on his back.
When Jimmy Skunk had rolled over onto his feet again, there sat old Mr.Toad right in the path, and old Mr. Toad was very, very cross indeed. Heswelled and he puffed and he puffed and he swelled, till he was twice asbig as Jimmy Skunk had ever seen him before.
"Good morning, Mr. Toad," said Jimmy Skunk. "Have you seen any beetles?"
But Mr. Toad blinked his great round goggly eyes and he said: "What doyou mean, Jimmy Skunk, by pulling the roof off my house?"
"Is that the roof of your house?" asked Jimmy Skunk politely. "I won'tdo it again."
Then Jimmy Skunk stepped right over old Mr. Toad, and went on up theCrooked Little Path to look for some beetles.
By and by he came to an old stump of a tree which was hollow and had thenicest little round hole in one side. Jimmy Skunk took hold of one edgewith his two little black paws and pulled and pulled. All of a suddenthe whole side of the old stump tore open and Jimmy Skunk fell flat onhis back.
When Jimmy Skunk had rolled over onto his feet again there was StripedChipmunk hopping up and down right in the middle of the path, he was soangry.
"Good morning, Striped Chipmunk," said Jimmy Skunk. "Have you seen anybeetles?"
But Striped Chipmunk hopped faster than ever and he said: "What do youmean, Jimmy Skunk, by pulling the side off my house?"
"Is that the side of your house?" asked Jimmy Skunk, politely. "I won'tdo it again."
Then Jimmy Skunk stepped right over Striped Chipmunk, and went on up theCrooked Little Path to look for some beetles.
Pretty soon he met Peter Rabbit hopping along down the Crooked LittlePath. "Good morning, Jimmy Skunk, where are you going so early in themorning?" said Peter Rabbit.
"Good morning, Peter Rabbit. Have you seen any beetles?" asked JimmySkunk, politely.
"No, I haven't seen any beetles, but I'll help you find some," saidPeter Rabbit. So he turned about and hopped ahead of Jimmy Skunk up theCrooked Little Path.
Now because Peter Rabbit's legs are long and he is always in a hurry,he got to the top of the hill first. When Jimmy Skunk reached the endof the Crooked Little Path on the top of the hill he found Peter Rabbitsitting up very straight and looking and looking very hard at a greatflat stone.
"What are you looking at, Peter Rabbit?" asked Jimmy Skunk.
"Sh-h-h!" said Peter Rabbit, "I think there are some beetles under thatgreat flat stone where that little black string is sticking out. Nowwhen I count three you grab that string and pull hard perhaps you'llfind a beetle at the other end."
So Jimmy Skunk got ready and Peter Rabbit began to count.
"One!" said Peter. "Two!" said Peter. "Three!"
Jimmy Skunk grabbed the black string and pulled as hard as ever he couldand out came--Mr. Black Snake! The string Jimmy Skunk had pulled was Mr.Black Snake's tail, and Mr. Black Snake was very, very angry indeed.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!" laughed Peter Rabbit.
"What do you mean, Jimmy Skunk," said Mr. Black Snake, "by pulling mytail?"
"Was that your tail?" said Jimmy Skunk, politely. "I won't do it again.Have you seen any beetles?"
But Mr. Black Snake hadn't seen any beetles, and he was so cross thatJimmy Skunk went on over the hill to look for some beetles.
Peter Rabbit was still laughing and laughing and laughing. And the morehe laughed the angrier grew Mr. Black Snake, till finally he startedafter Peter Rabbit to teach him a lesson.
Then Peter Rabbit stopped laughing, for Mr. Black Snake can run veryfast. Away went Peter Rabbit down the Crooked Little Path as fast as hecould go, and away went Mr. Black Snake after him.
But Jimmy Skunk didn't even look once to see if Mr. Black Snake hadcaught Peter Rabbit to teach him a lesson, for Jimmy Skunk had foundsome beetles and was eating his breakfast.
CHAPTER VIII BILLY MINK'S SWIMMING PARTY
Billy Mink was coming down the bank of the Laughing Brook. Billy Minkwas feeling very good indeed. He had had a good breakfast, the sun waswarm, little white cloud ships were sailing across the blue sky andtheir shadows were sailing across the Green Meadows, the birds weresinging and the bees were humming. Billy Mink felt like singing too, butBilly Mink's voice was not meant for singing.
By and by Billy Mink came to the Smiling Pool. Here the Laughing Brookstopped and rested on its way to join the Big River. It stopped itsnoisy laughing and singing and just lay smiling and smiling in the warmsunshine. The little flowers on the bank leaned over and nodded to it.The beech tree, which was very old, sometimes dropped a leaf into it.The cat-tails kept their feet cool in the edge of it.
Billy Mink jumped out on the Big Rock and looked down into the SmilingPool. Over on a green lily pad he saw old Grandfather Frog.
"Hello, Grandfather Frog," said Billy Mink.
"Hello, Billy Mink," said Grandfather Frog. "What mischief are you up tothis fine sunny morning?"
Just then Billy Mink saw a little brown head swimming along one edge ofthe Smiling Pool.
"Hello, Jerry Muskrat!" shouted Billy Mink.
"Hello your own self, Billy Mink," shouted Jerry Muskrat, "Come in andhave a swim; the water's fine!"
"Good," said Billy Mink. "We'll have a swimming party."
So Billy Mink called all the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother WestWind, who were playing with the flowers on the bank, and sent them tofind Little Joe Otter and invite him to come to the swimming party.Pretty soon back came the Little Breezes and with them came Little JoeOtter.
"Hello, Billy Mink," said Little Joe Otter. "Here I am!"
"Hello, Little Joe Otter," said Billy Mink. "Come up here on the BigRock and see who can dive the deepest into the Smiling Pool."
So Little Joe Otter and Jerry Muskrat climbed up on the Big Rock side ofBilly Mink and they all stood side by side in their little brown bathingsuits looking down into the Smiling Pool.
"Now when I count three we'll all dive into the Smiling Pool togetherand see who can dive the deepest. One!" said Billy Mink. "Two!" saidBilly Mink. "Three!" said Billy Mink.
And when he said "Three!" in they all went head first. My such a splashas they did make! They upset old Grandfather Frog so that he fell offhis lily pad. They frightened Mr. and Mrs. Trout so that they jumpedright out of the water. Tiny Tadpole had such a scare that he hid way,way down in the mud with only the tip of his funny little nose stickingout.
"Chug-a-rum," said old Grandfather Frog, climbing out of his lily pad."If I wasn't so old I would show you how to dive."
"Come on, Grandfather Frog!" cried Billy Mink. "Show us how to dive."
And what do you think? Why, old Grandfather Frog actually got so excitedthat he climbed up on the Big Rock to show them how to dive. Splash!Went Grandfather Frog into the Smiling Pool. Splash! Went Billy Minkright behind him. Splash! Splash! Went Little Joe Otter and JerryMuskrat, right at Billy Mink's heels.
"Hurrah!" shouted Mr. Kingfisher, sitting on a branch of the old beechtree. And then just to show them that he could dive, too, splash! Hewent into the Smiling Pool.
Such a noise as they did make! All the Little Breezes of Old Mother WestWind danced for joy on the bank. Blacky the Crow and Sammy Jay flew overto see what was going on.
"Now let's see who can swim the farthest under water," cried Billy Mink.
So they all stood side by side on one edge of the Smiling Pool.
"Go!" shouted Mr. Kingfisher, and in they all plunged. Little ripplesran across the Smiling Pool and then the water became as smooth andsmiling as if nothing had gone into it with a plunge.
Now old Grandfather Frog
began to realize that he wasn't as young as heused to be, and he couldn't swim as fast as the others anyway. He beganto get short of breath, so he swam up to the top and stuck just the tipof his nose out to get some more air. Sammy Jay's sharp eyes saw him.
"There's Grandfather Frog!" he shouted.
So then Grandfather Frog popped his head out and swam over to his greenlily pad to rest.
Way over beyond the Big Rock little bubbles in three long rows keptcoming up to the top of the Smiling Pool. They showed just where BillyMink, Little Joe Otter and Jerry Muskrat were swimming way down outof sight. It was the air from their lungs making the bubbles. Straightacross the Smiling Pool went the lines of little bubbles and then wayout on the farther side two little heads bobbed out of water closetogether. They were Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter. A moment laterJerry Muskrat bobbed up beside them.
You see, they had swum clear across the Smiling Pool and of course theycould swim no farther.
So Billy Mink's swimming party was a great success.
CHAPTER IX PETER RABBIT PLAYS A JOKE
One morning when big round Mr. Sun was climbing up in the sky and OldMother West Wind had sent all her Merry Little Breezes to play in theGreen Meadows, Johnny Chuck started out for a walk. First he sat upvery straight and looked and looked all around to see if Reddy Fox wasanywhere about, for you know Reddy Fox liked to tease Johnny Chuck.
But Reddy Fox was nowhere to be seen, so Johnny Chuck trotted down theLone Little Path to the wood. Mr. Sun was shining as brightly as ever hecould and Johnny Chuck, who was very, very fat, grew very, very warm. Byand by he sat down on the end of a log under a big tree to rest.
Thump! Something hit Johnny Chuck right on the top of his round littlehead. It made Johnny Chuck jump.
"Hello, Johnny Chuck!" said a voice that seemed to come right out of thesky. Johnny Chuck tipped his head way, way back and looked up. He wasjust in time to see Happy Jack Squirrel drop a nut. Down it came and hitJohnny Chuck right on the tip of his funny, black, little nose.
"Oh!" said Johnny Chuck, and tumbled right over back off the log. ButJohnny Chuck was so round and so fat and so roly-poly that it didn'thurt him a bit.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!" laughed Happy Jack up in the tree.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!" laughed Johnny Chuck, picking himself up. Then they bothlaughed together. It was such a good joke.
"What are you laughing at?" asked a voice so close to Johnny Chuck thathe rolled over three times he was so surprised. It was Peter Rabbit.
"What are you doing in my wood?" asked Peter Rabbit.
"I'm taking a walk," said Johnny Chuck.
"Good," said Peter Rabbit, "I'll come along too."
So Johnny Chuck and Peter Rabbit set out along the Lone Little Paththrough the wood. Peter Rabbit hopped along with great big jumps, forPeter's legs are long and meant for jumping, but Johnny Chuck couldn'tkeep up though he tried very hard, for Johnny's legs are short. Prettysoon Peter Rabbit came back, walking very softly. He whispered in JohnnyChuck's ear.
"I've found something," said Peter Rabbit.
"What is it?" asked Johnny Chuck.
"I'll show you," said Peter Rabbit, "but you must be very, very still,and not make the least little bit of noise."
Johnny Chuck promised to be very, very still for he wanted very muchto see what Peter Rabbit had found. Peter Rabbit tip-toed down the LoneLittle Path through the wood, his funny long ears pointing right up tothe sky. And behind him tip-toed Johnny Chuck, wondering and wonderingwhat it could be that Peter Rabbit had found.
Pretty soon they came to a nice mossy green log right across the LoneLittle Path. Peter Rabbit stopped and sat up very straight. He lookedthis way and looked that way. Johnny Chuck stopped too and he sat upvery straight and looked this way and looked that way, but all he couldsee was the mossy green log across the Lone Little Path.
"What is it, Peter Rabbit?" whispered Johnny Chuck.
"You can't see it yet," whispered Peter Rabbit, "for first we have tojump over that mossy green log. Now I'll jump first, and then you jumpjust the way I do, and then you'll see what it is I've found," saidPeter Rabbit.
So Peter Rabbit jumped first, and because his legs are long and meantfor jumping, he jumped way, way over the mossy green log. Then he turnedaround and sat up to see Johnny Chuck jump over the mossy green log,too.
Johnny Chuck tried to jump very high and very far, just as he had seenPeter Rabbit jump, but Johnny Chuck's legs are very short and not meantfor jumping. Besides, Johnny Chuck was very, very fat. So though hetried very hard indeed to jump just like Peter Rabbit, he stubbed histoes on the top of the mossy green log and over he tumbled, head first,and landed with a great big thump right on Reddy Fox, who was lying fastasleep on the other side of the mossy green log.
Peter Rabbit laughed and laughed until he had to hold his sides.
My, how frightened Johnny Chuck was when he saw what he had done! Beforehe could get on his feet he had rolled right over behind a little bush,and there he lay very, very still.
Reddy Fox awoke with a grunt when Johnny Chuck fell on him so hard, andthe first thing he saw was Peter Rabbit laughing so that he had to holdhis sides. Reddy Fox didn't stop to look around. He thought that PeterRabbit had jumped on him. Up jumped Reddy Fox and away ran Peter Rabbit.Away went Reddy Fox after Peter Rabbit. Peter dodged behind the trees,and jumped over the bushes, and ran this way and ran that way, just ashard as ever he could, for Peter Rabbit was very much afraid of ReddyFox. And Reddy Fox followed Peter Rabbit behind the trees and over thebushes this way and that way, but he couldn't catch Peter Rabbit. Prettysoon Peter Rabbit came to the house of Jimmy Skunk. He knew that JimmySkunk was over in the pasture, so he popped right in and then he wassafe, for the door of Jimmy Skunk's house was too small for Reddy Fox tosqueeze in. Reddy Fox sat down and waited, but Peter Rabbit didn'tcome out. By and by Reddy Fox gave it up and trotted off home where oldMother Fox was waiting for him.
All this time Johnny Chuck had sat very still, watching Reddy Fox try tocatch Peter Rabbit. And when he saw Peter Rabbit pop into the houseof Jimmy Skunk and Reddy Fox trot away home, Johnny Chuck stood up andbrushed his little coat very clean and then he trotted back up the LoneLittle Path through the wood to his own dear little path through theGreen Meadows where the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Windwere still playing, till he was safe in his own snug little house oncemore.
CHAPTER X HOW SAMMY JAY WAS FOUND OUT
Sammy Jay was very busy, very busy indeed. When anyone happened that waySammy Jay pretended to be doing nothing at all, for Sammy Jay thoughthimself a very fine gentleman. He was very proud of his handsome bluecoat with white trimmings and his high cap, and he would sit on a fencepost and make fun of Johnny Chuck working at a new door for his snuglittle home in the Green Meadows, and of Striped Chipmunk storing upheaps of corn and nuts for the winter, for most of the time Sammy Jaywas an idle fellow. And when Sammy Jay WAS busy, he was pretty sureto be doing something that he ought not to do, for idle people almostalways get into mischief.
Sammy Jay was in mischief now, and that is why he pretended to be doingnothing when he thought any one was looking.
Old Mother West Wind had come down from her home behind the Purple Hillsvery early that morning. Indeed, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun had hardlygotten out of bed when she crossed the Green Meadows on her way to helpthe big ships across the ocean. Old Mother West Wind's eyes were sharp,and she saw Sammy Jay before Sammy Jay saw her.
"Now what can Sammy Jay be so busy about, and why is he so very, veryquiet?" thought Old Mother West Wind. "He must be up to some mischief."
So when she opened her big bag and turned out all her Merry LittleBreezes to play on the Green Meadows she sent one of them to see whatSammy Jay was doing in the old chestnut tree. The Merry Little Breezedanced along over the tree tops just as if he hadn't a thought in theworld but to wake up all the little leaves and set them to dancing too,and Sammy Jay, watching Old Mother West Wind and the other Merry LittleBreezes,
didn't see this Merry Little Breeze at all.
Pretty soon it danced back to Old Mother West Wind and whispered in herear: "Sammy Jay is stealing the nuts Happy Jack Squirrel had hidden inthe hollow of the old chestnut tree, and is hiding them for himself inthe tumble down nest that Blacky the Crow built in the Great Pine lastyear." "Aha!" said Old Mother West Wind. Then she went on across theGreen Meadows.
"Good morning, Old Mother West Wind," said Sammy Jay as she passed thefence post where he was sitting.
"Good morning, Sammy Jay," said Old Mother West Wind. "What brings youout so early in the morning?"
"I'm out for my health, Old Mother West Wind," said Sammy Jay politely."The doctor has ordered me to take a bath in the dew at sunrise everymorning."
Old Mother West Wind said nothing, but went on her way across the GreenMeadows to blow the ships across the ocean. When she had passed, SammyJay hurried to take the last of Happy Jack's nuts to the old nest in theGreat Pine.
Poor Happy Jack! Soon he came dancing along with another nut to put inthe hollow of the old chestnut tree. When he peeped in and saw that allhis big store of nuts had disappeared, he couldn't believe his own eyes.He put in one paw and felt all around but not a nut could he feel. Thenhe climbed in and sure enough, the hollow was empty.
Poor Happy Jack! There were tears in his eyes when he crept out again.He looked all around but no one was to be seen but handsome Sammy Jay,very busy brushing his beautiful blue coat.
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