It is so wholly needless.
|WHEN Buster Bear scrambled to his feet and saw his cousin, Bobby Coon,
scrambling to his feet, Buster straightway lost his temper. It was a
foolish thing to do, a very foolish thing to do. There really wasn't the
least excuse in the world for it. And yet Buster mustn't be blamed too
much. You see, he wasn't really himself. Ordinarily Buster is one of the
best-natured people in all the Green Forest. He doesn't begin to be
as short-tempered as ever so many others are. In fact, he isn't
short-tempered at all.
But just now Buster was hungry. He was so hungry that he couldn't think
of anything but his stomach and how empty it was. You see, so early in
the spring there was very little for him to eat, and he had to hunt and
hunt to find that little. When he had started to tear open that tall old
stump, he had hoped that inside he would find either a nest of ants, or
some of the worms and insects that like to bury themselves in rotting
wood. So when Bobby Coon came rolling out, Buster was so disappointed
that he quite lost his temper before he had time to think. He flew into
a rage. You see, he just took it for granted that Bobby Coon had been
in that hollow stump for the very same purpose that he had torn it open.
Now it never does to take things for granted. You know and I know that
Bobby Coon had crawled into that stump only to sleep.
Buster didn't know this, and Buster didn't stop to find it out. He
growled a terribly deep, ugly-sounding growl that made all of Peter
Rabbit's hair stand on end. You know, Peter was close by, hiding behind
a big tree to see all that might happen. Then Buster Bear started for
his cousin, Bobby Coon, and his little eyes seemed to fairly snap fire.
“I'll teach you to steal an honest Bear's dinner!” he growled in his
deep grumbly, rumbly voice.
Now this wasn't fair to Bobby, for Bobby had stolen no dinner. Even if
he had been hunting for food in that hollow stump, he would have done no
injustice to Buster Bear. But Buster didn't stop to think of this.
“You'll pay for it by furnishing me a dinner yourself!” growled Buster.
“But I'm your cousin!” cried Bobby, as he started to run.
“That doesn't make a bit of difference,” snapped Buster. “I'm hungry
enough to eat my own brother if I had one.”
All the time Buster was scrambling after Bobby Coon, and Bobby was
running for his life. Now big as he is, Buster can move very fast
when he is in a hurry, especially when he is thin and lean. Bobby Coon
squealed with fright and scrambled up a big tree faster than he ever
had scrambled up a tree before in all his life. Buster growled a deep,
grumbly, rumbly growl and started up after him.
“Oh! Oh!” cried Bobby Coon, and you may be sure he was very much awake
by this time. There was no thought of sleep in Bobby's head as he
scrambled nearly to the top of that big tree. Peter Rabbit stared in
horror. Surely Buster Bear would catch Bobby now!