Mr. Bowko, the Mayor
"Dear me!" said the prairie-dog, speaking almost in a whisper; "here
are some of those queer humans from the village."
"Let me see! Let me see!" cried two shrill little voices, and the wee
heads of two small creatures popped out of the hole and fixed their
bright eyes upon the heads of Twinkle and Chubbins.
"Go down at once!" said the mother prairie-dog. "Do you want to get
hurt, you naughty little things?"
[Illustration: "GO DOWN AT ONCE!"]
"Oh, they won't get hurt," said another deeper voice, and the children
turned their eyes toward a second mound, on top of which sat a plump
prairie-dog whose reddish fur was tipped with white on the end of each
hair. He seemed to be quite old, or at least well along in years, and
he had a wise and thoughtful look on his face.
"They're humans," said the mother.
"True enough; but they're only human children, and wouldn't hurt your
little ones for the world," the old one said.
"That's so!" called Twinkle. "All we want, is to get acquainted."
"Why, in that case," replied the old prairie-dog, "you are very welcome
in our town, and we're glad to see you."
"Thank you," said Twinkle, gratefully. It didn't occur to her just then
that it was wonderful to be talking to the little prairie-dogs just as
if they were people. It seemed very natural they should speak with each
other and be friendly.
As if attracted by the sound of voices, little heads began to pop out
of the other mounds--one here and one there--until the town was alive
with the pretty creatures, all squatting near the edges of their holes
and eyeing Chubbins and Twinkle with grave and curious looks.
"Let me introduce myself," said the old one that had first proved
friendly. "My name is Bowko, and I'm the Mayor and High Chief of
Prairie-Dog Town."
"Don't you have a king?" asked Twinkle.
"Not in this town," he answered. "There seems to be no place for kings
in this free United States. And a Mayor and High Chief is just as good
as a king, any day."
"I think so, too," answered the girl.
"Better!" declared Chubbins.
The Mayor smiled, as if pleased.
"I see you've been properly brought up," he continued; "and now let
me introduce to you some of my fellow-citizens. This," pointing with
one little paw to the hole where the mother and her two children were
sitting, "is Mrs. Puff-Pudgy and her family--Teenty and Weenty. Mr.
Puff-Pudgy, I regret to say, was recently chased out of town for saying
his prayers backwards."
[Illustration: MR. PUFF-PUDGY WOULD SAY HIS PRAYERS BACKWARD]
"How could he?" asked Chubbins, much surprised.
"He was always contrary," answered the Mayor, with a sigh, "and
wouldn't do things the same way that others did. His good wife, Mrs.
Puff-Pudgy, had to scold him all day long; so we finally made him leave
the town, and I don't know where he's gone to."
"Won't he be sorry not to have his little children any more?" asked
Twinkle, regretfully.
"I suppose so; but if people are contrary, and won't behave, they must
take the consequences. This is Mr. Chuckledorf," continued the Mayor,
and a very fat prairie-dog bowed to them most politely; "and here is
Mrs. Fuzcum; and Mrs. Chatterby; and Mr. Sneezeley, and Doctor Dosem."
All these folks bowed gravely and politely, and Chubbins and Twinkle
bobbed their heads in return until their necks ached, for it seemed
as if the Mayor would never get through introducing the hundreds of
prairie-dogs that were squatting around.
"I'll never be able to tell one from the other," whispered the girl;
"'cause they all look exactly alike."
"Some of 'em 's fatter," observed Chubbins; "but I don't know which."
[Illustration]