Out from the Green Forest, keeping among the Black Shadows along by theold stone wall on the edge of the Old Orchard, he stole, and so at lasthe reached Farmer Brown's henhouse. He stopped to listen. There was nosign of Bowser the Hound, and Unc' Billy sighed gently. It was a sigh ofrelief. Then he crept around a corner of the henhouse towards a certainhole under it he remembered well. Just as he reached it, he sawsomething white. It moved. It was coming towards him from the other endof the henhouse. Unc' Billy stopped right where he was. He was undecidedwhether to run or stay. Then he heard a little grunt and decided tostay. He even grinned. A few seconds later up came Jimmy Skunk. It was awhite stripe on Jimmy's coat that Unc' Billy had seen.
Jimmy gave a little snort of surprise when he almost bumped into Unc'Billy.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded.
"Just taking a li'l walk fo' the good of mah appetite," replied Unc'Billy, grinning more broadly than ever. "What are yo' doing here, BrerSkunk?"
"The same thing," replied Jimmy. Then he chuckled. "This is anunexpected meeting. I guess you must have had the same thing on yourmind all day that I have," he added.
"Ah reckon so," replied Unc' Billy, and both grinned.
XVI
A MATTER OF POLITENESS
It costs not much to be polite And, furthermore, it's always right.
Unc' Billy Possum and Jimmy Skunk, facing each other among the BlackShadows close by a hole that led under Farmer Brown's henhouse, chuckledas each thought of what had brought the other there. It is queer how alike thought often brings people together. Unc' Billy had the samelonging in his stomach that Jimmy Skunk had, and Jimmy Skunk had thesame thing on his mind that Unc' Billy had. More than this, it was thesecond time that day that they had met. They had met in the morning inthe Green Forest and now they had met again among the Black Shadows ofthe evening at Farmer Brown's henhouse. And it was all on account ofeggs. Yes, Sir, it was all on account of eggs.
"Are you just coming out, or are you just going in?" Jimmy inquiredpolitely.
"Ah was just going in, but Ah'll follow yo', Brer Skunk," replied Unc'Billy just as politely.
"Nothing of the kind," returned Jimmy. "I wouldn't for a minute think ofgoing before you. I hope I know my manners better than that."
"Yo' cert'nly are most polite, Brer Skunk. Yo' cert'nly are most polite.Yo' are a credit to your bringing up, but politeness always did run inyour family. There is a saying that han'some is as han'some does, andyour politeness is as fine as yo' are han'some, Brer Skunk. Ah'll juststep one side and let yo' go first just to show that Ah sho'ly doesappreciate your friendship," said Unc' Billy.
Jimmy Skunk chuckled. "I guess you've forgotten that other old saying,'Age before beauty,' Unc' Billy," said he. "So you go first. You knowyou are older than I. I couldn't think of being so impolite as to gofirst. I really couldn't think of such a thing."
And so they argued and argued, each insisting in the most polite waythat the other should go first. If the truth were known, neither of themwas insisting out of politeness at all. No, Sir, politeness had nothingto do with it Jimmy Skunk wanted Unc' Billy to go first because Jimmybelieves in safety first, and it had popped into Jimmy's head that theremight, there just might, happen to be a trap inside that hole. If therewas, he much preferred that Unc' Billy should be the one to find it out.Yes, Sir, that is why Jimmy Skunk was so very polite.
Unc' Billy wanted Jimmy to go first because he always feels safer behindJimmy than in front of him. He has great respect for that little bag ofscent that Jimmy carries, and he knows that when Jimmy makes use of it,he always throws it in front and never behind him. Jimmy seldom uses it,but sometimes he does if he happens to be startled and thinks dangernear. So Unc' Billy preferred that Jimmy should go first. It wasn'tpoliteness at all on the part of Unc' Billy. In both cases it was a kindof selfishness. Each was thinking of self.
How long they would have continued to argue and try to appear polite ifsomething hadn't happened, nobody knows. But something did happen. Therewas a sudden loud sniff just around the corner of the henhouse. It wasfrom Bowser the Hound. Right then and there Unc' Billy Possum and JimmySkunk forgot all about politeness, and both tried to get through thathole at the same time. They couldn't, because it wasn't big enough, but,they tried hard. Bowser sniffed again, and this time Unc' Billy managedto squeeze Jimmy aside and slip through. Jimmy was right at his heels.
XVII
JIMMY SKUNK GETS A BUMP
Hardly had Jimmy Skunk entered the hole under Farmer Brown's henhouse,following close on the heels of Unc' Billy Possum, than along cameBowser the Hound, sniffing and sniffing in a way that made Unc' Billynervous. When Bowser reached that hole, of course he smelled the tracksof Unc' Billy and Jimmy, and right away he became excited. He began todig. Goodness, how he did make the dirt fly! All the time he whined witheagerness.
Unc' Billy wasted no time in squeezing through a hole in the floor wayover in one corner, a hole that Farmer Brown's boy had intended to naila board over long before. Unc' Billy knew that Bowser couldn't getthrough that, even if he did manage to dig his way under the henhouse.Once through that and fairly in the henhouse, Unc' Billy drew a longbreath. He felt safe for the time being, anyway, and he didn't proposeto worry over the future.
Jimmy Skunk hurried after Unc' Billy. It wasn't fear that caused Jimmyto hurry. No, indeed, it wasn't fear. He had been startled by theunexpectedness of Bowser's appearance. It was this that had caused himto struggle to be first through that hole under the henhouse. But oncethrough, he had felt a bit ashamed that he had been so undignified. Hewasn't afraid of Bowser. He was sorely tempted to turn around and sendBowser about his business, as he knew he very well could. But hethought better of it. Besides, Unc' Billy was already through that holein the floor, and Jimmy didn't for a minute forget what had brought himthere. He had come for eggs, and so had Unc' Billy. It would never do tolet Unc' Billy be alone up there for long. So Jimmy Skunk did what hevery seldom does--hurried. Yes, Sir, he hurried after Unc' Billy Possum.He meant to make sure of his share of the eggs he was certain were upthere.
There was a row of nesting boxes along one side close to the floor.Above these was another row and above these a third row. Jimmy doesn'tclimb, but Unc' Billy is a famous climber.
"I'll take these lower nests," said Jimmy, and lifted his tail in a waythat made Unc' Billy nervous.
"All right," replied Unc' Billy promptly. "All right, Brer Skunk. It'sjust as yo' say."
With this, Unc' Billy scrambled up to the next row of nests. Jimmygrinned and started to look in the lower nests. He took his time aboutit, for that is Jimmy's way. There was nothing in the first one andnothing in the second one and nothing in the third one. This wasdisappointing, to say the least, and Jimmy began to move a littlefaster. Meanwhile Unc' Billy had hurried from one nest to another in thesecond row with no better success. By the time Jimmy was half-way alonghis row Unc' Billy bad begun on the upper row, and the only eggs he hadfound were hard china nest-eggs put there by Farmer Brown's boy to temptthe hens to lay in those particular nests. Disappointment was makingUnc' Billy lose his temper. Each time he peeped in a nest and saw oneof those china eggs, he hoped it was a real egg, and each time when hefound it wasn't he grew angrier.
At last he so lost his temper that when he found another of those eggshe angrily kicked it out of the nest. Now it happened that Jimmy Skunkwas just underneath. Down fell that hard china egg squarely on JimmySkunk's head. For just a minute Jimmy saw stars. At least, he thought hedid. Then he saw the egg, and knew that Unc' Billy had knocked it down,and that it was this that had hit him. Jimmy was sore at heart becausehe had found no eggs, and now he had a bump on the head that also wassore. Jimmy Skunk lost his temper, a thing he rarely does.
XVIII
A SAD, SAD QUARREL
Jimmy Skunk sat on the floor of Farmer Brown's henhouse, rubbing hishead and glaring up at the upper row of nests with eyes red with anger.Of course it was dark in the henhouse, for it was
night, but Jimmy cansee in the dark, just as so many other little people who wear fur can.What he saw was the anxious looking face of Unc' Billy Possum staringdown at him.
"You did that purposely!" snapped Jimmy. "You did that purposely, andyou needn't tell me you didn't."
"On mah honor Ah didn't," protested Unc' Billy. "It was an accident,just a sho' 'nuff accident, and Ah'm right sorry fo' it."
"That sounds very nice, but I don't believe a word of it. You did itpurposely, and you can't make me believe anything else. Come down hereand fight. I dare you to!" Jimmy was getting more and more angry everyminute.
Unc' Billy began to grow angry. Of course, it was wholly his fault thatthat egg had fallen, but it wasn't his fault that Jimmy had happened tobe just beneath. He hadn't known that Jimmy was there. He hadapologized, and he felt that no one could do more than that. Jimmy Skunkhad doubted his word, had refused to believe him, and that made himangry. His little eyes glowed with rage.
"If yo' want to fight, come up here. I'll wait fo' yo' right where Aham," he sputtered.
This made Jimmy angrier than ever. He couldn't climb up there, and heknew that Unc' Billy knew it. Unc' Billy was perfectly safe in promisingto wait for him.
"You're a coward, just a plain no-account coward!" snapped Jimmy. "I'mnot going to climb up there, but I'll tell you what I am going to do;I'm going to wait right down here until you come down, if it isn't untilnext year. Nobody can drop things on my head and not get paid back. Ithought you were a friend, but now I know better."
"Wait as long as yo' please. Ah reckons Ah can stay as long as yo' can,"retorted Unc' Billy, grinding and snapping his teeth.
"Suit yourself," retorted Jimmy. "I'm going to pay you up for that bumpon my head or know the reason why."
And so they kept on quarreling and calling each other names, for thetime being quite forgetting that they were where they had no businessto be, either of them. It really was dreadful. And it was all becauseboth had been sadly disappointed. They had found no eggs where they hadbeen sure they would find plenty. You see, Farmer Brown's boy hadgathered every egg when he shut the biddies up for the night. Did youever notice what a bad thing for the temper disappointment often is?
XIX
JIMMY SKUNK IS TRUE TO HIS WORD
Unc' Billy Possum was having a bad night of it. When he had grown tiredof quarreling with Jimmy Skunk, he had tried to take a nap. He had triedfirst one nest and then another, but none just suited him. This waspartly because he wasn't sleepy. He was hungry and not at all sleepy. Hewished with all his heart that he hadn't foolishly yielded to that fitof temper which had resulted in kicking that china nest-egg out of anest and down on the head of Jimmy Skunk, making Jimmy so thoroughlyangry.
Unc' Billy had no intention of going down while Jimmy was there. Hethought that Jimmy would soon grow tired of waiting and go away. So forquite awhile Unc' Billy didn't worry. But as it began to get towardsmorning he began to grow anxious. Unc' Billy had no desire to be foundin that henhouse when Farmer Brown's boy came to feed the biddies.
Then, too, he was hungry. He had counted on a good meal of eggs, and notone had he found. Now he wanted to get out to look for something else toeat, but he couldn't without facing Jimmy Skunk, and it was better to gohungry than to do that. Yes, Sir, it was a great deal better to gohungry. Several times, when he thought Jimmy was asleep, he tried tosteal down. He was just as careful not to make a sound as he could be,but every time Jimmy knew and was waiting for him. Unc' Billy wishedthat there was no such place as Farmer Brown's henhouse. He wished hehad never thought of eggs. He wished many other foolish wishes, but mostof all he wished that he hadn't lost his temper and kicked that egg downon Jimmy Skunk's head. When the first light stole in under the door andthe biddies began to stir uneasily on their roosts Unc' Billy's anxietywould allow him to keep still no longer.
"Don' yo' think we-uns better make up and get out of here, Brer Skunk?"he ventured.
"I don't mind staying here; it's very comfortable," replied Jimmy,looking up at Unc' Billy in a way that made him most _uncomfortable_. Itwas plain to see that Jimmy hadn't forgiven him.
For some time Unc' Billy said no more, but he grew more and morerestless. You see, he knew it would soon be time for Farmer Brown's boyto come to let the hens out and feed them. At last he ventured to speakagain.
"Ah reckons yo' done forget something," said he.
"What is that?" asked Jimmy.
"Ah reckons yo' done fo'get that it's most time fo' Farmer Brown's boyto come, and it won't do fo' we-uns to be found in here," replied Unc'Billy.
"I'm not worrying about Farmer Brown's boy. He can come as soon as hepleases," retorted Jimmy Skunk, and grinned.
That sounded like boasting, but it wasn't. No, Sir, it wasn't, and Unc'Billy knew it. He knew that Jimmy meant it. Unc' Billy was in despair.He didn't dare stay, and he didn't dare go down and face Jimmy Skunk,and there he was. It certainly had been a bad night for Unc' BillyPossum.
XX
FARMER BROWN'S BOY ARRIVES
The light crept farther under the door of Farmer Brown's henhouse, andby this time the hens were all awake. Furthermore, they had discoveredJimmy Skunk down below and were making a great fuss. They were cacklingso that Unc' Billy was sure Farmer Brown's boy would soon hear them andhurry out to find out what the noise was all about.
"If yo' would just get out of sight, Brer Skunk, Ah reckons those foolhens would keep quiet," Unc' Billy ventured.
"I don't mind their noise. It doesn't trouble me a bit," replied JimmySkunk, and grinned. It was plain enough to Unc' Billy that Jimmy wasenjoying the situation.
But Unc' Billy wasn't. He was so anxious that he couldn't keep still. Hepaced back and forth along the shelf in front of the upper row of nestsand tried to make up his mind whether it would be better to go down andface Jimmy Skunk or to try to hide under the hay in one of the nests,and all the time he kept listening and listening and listening for thefootsteps of Farmer Brown's boy.
At last he heard them, and he knew by the sound that Farmer Brown's boywas coming in a hurry. He had heard the noise of the hens and was comingto find out what it was all about. Unc' Billy hoped that now Jimmy Skunkwould retreat through the hole in the floor and give him a chance toescape.
"He's coming! Farmer Brown's boy is coming, Brer Skunk! Yo' better getaway while yo' can!" whispered Unc' Billy.
"I hear him," replied Jimmy calmly. "I'm waiting for him to open thedoor for me to go out. It will be much easier than squeezing throughthat hole."
Unc' Billy gasped. He knew, of course, that it was Jimmy Skunk's boastthat he feared no one, but it was hard to believe that Jimmy reallyintended to face Farmer Brown's boy right in his own henhouse whereJimmy had no business to be. He hoped that at last Jimmy's boldnesswould get him into trouble. Yes, he did. You see, that might give him achance to slip away himself. Otherwise, he would be in a bad fix.
The latch on the door rattled. Unc' Billy crept into one of the nests,but frightened as he was, he couldn't keep from peeping over the edge tosee what would happen. The door swung open, letting in a flood of light.The hens stopped their noise. Farmer Brown's boy stood in the doorwayand looked in. Jimmy Skunk lifted his big plume of a tail just a bithigher than usual and calmly and without the least sign of being in ahurry walked straight towards the open door. Of course Farmer Brown'sboy saw him at once.
"So it's you, you black and white rascal!" he exclaimed. "I suppose youexpect me to step out of your way, and I suppose I will do just thatvery thing. You are the most impudent and independent fellow of myacquaintance. That's what you are. You didn't get any eggs, because Igathered all of them last night. And you didn't get a chicken becausethey were wise enough to stay on their roosts, so I don't know as I haveany quarrel with you, and I'm sure I don't want any. Come along out ofthere, you rascal."
Farmer Brown's boy stepped aside, and Jimmy Skunk calmly and without theleast sign of hurry or worry walked out, stopped for a drink at the panof water in the
henyard, walked through the henyard gate, and turnedtowards the stone wall along the edge of the Old Orchard.
XXI
THE NEST-EGG GIVES UNC' BILLY AWAY
'Tis little things that often seem Scarce worth a passing thought Which in the end may prove that they With big results are fraught.
Farmer Brown's boy watched Jimmy Skunk calmly and peacefully go his wayand grinned as he watched him. He scratched his head thoughtfully. "Isuppose," said he, "that that is as perfect an example of the value ofpreparedness as there is. Jimmy knew he was all ready for trouble if Ichose to make it, and that because of that I wouldn't make it. So he hascalmly gone his way as if he were as much bigger than I as I am biggerthan he. There certainly is nothing like being prepared if you want toavoid trouble."
Then Farmer Brown's boy once more turned to the henhouse and entered it.He looked to make sure that no hen had been foolish enough to go tosleep where Jimmy could have caught her, and satisfied of this, he wouldhave gone about his usual morning work of feeding the hens but for onething. That one thing was the china nest-egg on the floor.
The Adventures of Jimmy Skunk Page 4
