When Brushtail the Fox started into the thicket to get the cow's head
he never dreamed, of course, that there was anything there to catch
him. So he plunged right into the thicket. _Swish!_ Up went that tall,
slim hickory tree, and Brushtail with it! You never heard such a yell
as Brushtail gave. He yelled so loudly that all the little creatures
of the Big Green Woods were awakened, and Doctor Rabbit did not have
to call them. They all came running toward the place where the snare
had been set.
Even Jack Rabbit, away out in the Wide Prairie, heard Brushtail yell,
and here came Jack Rabbit running as fast as he could.
In a little time all the little creatures of the Big Green Woods were
there. Now, you see, Brushtail had put his front legs through that
noose, so that it held him around the body just behind his fore legs.
The rope did not hurt him much, although it pulled considerably. So he
dangled up there and howled, while all the little creatures below
shouted and danced for joy.
Of course, when Brushtail saw all the little creatures come so
quickly, he knew a trick had been played upon him, but he was too
badly scared to be angry. I should say he was! He was about scared out
of his wits when that tree jerked him up into the air, and he was
about as badly scared now as ever, because he could not see how he was
ever going to get down from there.
"Let me down! Let me down! Let me down!" Brushtail shouted, clawing
wildly at the air.
"Oh yes!" said Doctor Rabbit. "I suppose we'll let you down, foxy
Brushy. I suppose we know what you would do to us mighty quick if you
caught us. Yes, it's likely we'll let you down. Ha! ha! ha!" And
Doctor Rabbit and all his friends danced around under the tree and
laughed and laughed.
"I'll go out of these woods and never, never, never come back if
you'll just let me down!" Brushtail promised; and he really meant it.
This was just what Doctor Rabbit was waiting to hear Brushtail say.
But Doctor Rabbit said, "We'll go over to my house for a little while
and talk the matter over."
And, with Brushtail begging them to come back and let him down, they
all hurried over to Doctor Rabbit's house in the big tree. When they
were inside Doctor Rabbit seated them all in his best chairs.
Then he stood up and said, "My friends, I just wanted to have you all
come over here and stay until morning. The fact is, that while
Brushtail is pretty badly scared, he is not hurt much yet, and we must
hurt him, at least a little, or he may forget his promise and come
back to our woods. By morning, however, I think he will have learned a
lesson he never will forget, and I think he'll keep out."
So they talked and had a good time at Doctor Rabbit's until morning.
It was just daylight when they went back to the slim hickory.
Brushtail was still hanging there, and when he saw them how he did
yell to be let down!
"Very well, Brother Brushy," Doctor Rabbit said, "we'll let you down,
and if you ever come back into our woods again--"
"Oh," yelled Brushtail before Doctor Rabbit could say another word,
"I'll never, never, never come back if I can get down. I'd rather live
on crickets and bugs all my life than to take chances." But Brushtail
did not say any more, because he wanted to get down right away.
"O. Possum," said Doctor Rabbit, "if you'll go up and gnaw that rope
in two so that old Brushtail can drop to the ground, you may have that
cow's head all for yourself."
"I'll do that," O. Possum said, and he began climbing the tree.
Presently O. Possum was above Brushtail, and began gnawing the rope.
"Oh, dear me!" shouted Brushtail after O. Possum had gnawed for a
time. "It's an awfully long way to the ground, I'm afraid!"
And then O. Possum got the rope gnawed right in two. _Plunk_!
Brushtail struck the ground. Well, sir, he got right up and started to
run. He was so stiff he could not run well at first, but the farther
he went the faster he ran. After he got across the Murmuring Brook he
went away through the woods on the other side like a streak. I don't
know of anything that could have scared Brushtail and made him _stay_
scared as that snare did.
Brushtail the Fox never came around the Big Green Woods after that.
Doctor Rabbit and his friends were certainly glad and happy.
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