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[Illustration]
FAMOUS ANIMAL STORIES
Hazel Squirrel
AND OTHER STORIES
By
Howard B. Famous
FULLY ILLUSTRATED
WHITMAN PUBLISHING CO.
RACINE, WISCONSIN
COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY
WHITMAN PUBLISHING CO.
RACINE, WIS.
Printed in United States of America
CONTENTS
Page
IN SQUIRREL TOWN 7
HAZEL AND BUSHY-TAIL VISIT SOME STRANGE LANDS 15
MRS. SCREECH OWL 26
THE RACCOON AND THE BEES 41
PINKIE WHISKERS 67
ILLUSTRATIONS
LITTLE HAZEL WAS PLAYING FAR OUT
ON A LEAFY BRANCH (_Frontispiece_)
Page
"I'LL BE DOWN IN A JIFFY" 9
HE HELD OUT SOME NUTS TO THEM 13
SHE ROCKED THEM IN HER DOLL'S CRADLE 21
MR. BAT SAW THEM HUDDLED TOGETHER 23
MOTHER SQUIRREL ENTERTAINS HER VISITORS 27
THE SQUIRRELS GO ON A PICNIC 32
FEASTING ON HAZEL NUTS 36
THE RACCOON WATCHES THE BOYS 40
"YUM, YUM, BUT IT IS FINE" 48
"OH, COONIE, TELL ME WHERE IT IS" 51
CHUCK ARRIVED AT THE BIG OAK TREE 55
HE GRABBED UP A BIG STICK 59
HAZEL SQUIRREL
IN SQUIRREL TOWN
"Come, little sleepy-eyes, it's time to get up," said Mrs. Squirrel, one
morning. But little Bushy-Tail was having such a nice dream about a
wonderful tree where all kinds of nuts grew side by side on the same
branch that he did not answer. Only his eyelids quivered ever so little,
so his mother knew he was pretending.
"Come, come!" she repeated. "Little Hazel Squirrel is up and playing
outside."
In a twinkling he had jumped out of bed and pressed his furry little
nose against the window pane. Little Hazel was playing far out on a
leafy branch with one eye on Bushy-Tail's house, nestled in a forked
limb close to the trunk. She waved her lovely gray tail when she saw him
and began chattering very fast.
"Wait a minute," Bushy-Tail called back, "I'll be down in a jiffy."
And he was in such a hurry that he tied his tie on sideways and brushed
his furry tail the wrong way, which made him look very funny. He even
forgot to take a bite of the nice breakfast his mother had left on the
table for him. Right through the window he bounded, instead of walking
through the door as he had been taught to do, and landed close beside
Hazel, far out on the leafy bough.
"Oh, Hazel," he cried, "I've had the loveliest dream!"
"You old sleepy-head," she answered, "you lay abed dreaming when you
might be out playing in the fresh air."
[Illustration: "I'LL BE DOWN IN A JIFFY"]
"Hazel," Bushy-Tail began, teetering up and down on the branch in his
excitement, "I'm sick of peanuts, aren't you?"
"No," she answered, "I love them. Mother says they make my coat thick
and sleek."
They were city squirrels, you know, who lived in a park and had their
daily supply of peanuts left at their door by the park-keeper.
"No, I am not sick of peanuts," she continued. "But what has that to do
with your dream?"
"Everything," he went on. "Oh, Hazel, I dreamed of a most wonderful tree
where all kinds of nuts--hickory, walnuts, chestnuts and
hazel-nuts--grew side by side on the same branch. We must hurry and get
there before they are all gone," and he jumped up so quickly that Hazel
went spinning round and round the branch she was holding on to with her
sharp little claws.
Now, Hazel was a good little squirrel who always talked things over
with her mother, so as they were hurrying away across the park she
suddenly stopped. "I forgot to tell mother where I was going," she said.
Her play-fellow grabbed her by the tail. "It's to be a surprise," he
whispered. "We will make little baskets of dry twigs and carry home
enough for everybody." This sounded fine.
The pink in the sky was by now beginning to fade. Presently Mr. Sun
poked his head over the hilltops far away. He saw the runaway children
and he thought to give them a scare that would send them home. So he
bounded out from behind a cloud and sent a long, dark shadow right
across the path in front of them.
"Oh, my," cried Hazel, "what's that?"
Both children were so startled they jumped straight up in the air and
landed on the other side of the dark shadow.
"Let's go home," suggested Hazel, but when they turned to go they saw
their own shadows and of course they knew them. How they laughed then,
for who would think of being afraid of a lifeless shadow?
By and by they met a workman. He had a dinner-pail in his hand and in
his pockets peanuts for the squirrels, for every morning and night he
passed through the park. Now, the good citizens of the town had made
laws that no one should harm a squirrel and the squirrels knew this. So
Hazel and Bushy-Tail were not afraid of the workman and when he knelt
down and held out some nuts to them, they ran right up to him,
chattering all the while.
Bushy-Tail took one of the nuts, cracked it with his teeth and, holding
it with both hands, ate very greedily. For, you see, the sight of the
nuts reminded him he had not eaten any breakfast, and suddenly he became
very hungry.
[Illustration: HE HELD OUT SOME NUTS TO THEM]
Hazel was not a bit hungry, so she put the nut in the pocket of one of
her cheeks, which made her look as if she had the mumps. Then she ran up
the workman's arm and perched on his shoulder, where her soft, bushy
tail brushed against his ears and tickled him in the neck.
Poor little Hazel Squirrel. Little did she think the wonderful tree they
were looking for was only a dream-tree. But how was she to know that all
kinds of nuts never did, nor ever can grow side by side on the same
branch, save only in the wonderland we enter through the gates of sleep.
"I don't see your wonderful tree anywhere, Bushy-Tail," she said.
"I think it's down this way a little," he answered. And once more they
scampered off together, chattering and waving their lovely tails.
HAZEL AND BUSHY-TAIL VISIT STRANGE LANDS
Of all nice things to do one of the very nicest is to go traveling; to
see what kind of things grow in faraway places and how other folks plan
their cities. My, what fun Hazel Squirrel and Bushy-Tail had! All day
long they explored new trees and ran along strange fences and peered
into yards where children they had never seen before were playing.
Once they ran into a garden where some little girls were having a
tea-party. The children called to the squirrels and held out sweet,
sticky things for them to eat. They were scampering back along the wall
when a thoughtless little boy, who had not been invited to the party,
threw a tiny stone at Bushy-Tail. It hit right in the center of his
tail.
Bushy-Tail gave a startled little cry and jumped down off the wall,
Hazel following close behind. The little girls jumped up and ran, too.
They wanted to do something to help if they could. But the squirrels ran
up the opposite side of a maple and were soon out of sight. Bushy-Tail
was not waving his tail so proudly now. It was hurting terribly. Hazel
took her blue-bordered handkerchief out and wrapped it around the hurt
place as best she could.
"Oh, Bushy-Tail," she sobbed, "how I wish my mother were here. She would
know just what to do for you," and great tears began to roll down her
cheeks.
It made Bushy-Tail feel so badly to see his little playmate unhappy that
for the minute he forgot all about his sore tail. He put his arms around
her soft neck and wiped the tears away with his little red-bordered
handkerchief.
"Perhaps we had better go home," he whispered in her ear. You see, he
had forgotten about his dream-tree now. So they scrambled down the tree
trunk again and then it suddenly dawned on them that they had no idea
where they were or in which direction the park lay.
They asked a sparrow, but she did not deign to answer them. They asked a
robin, but she was hurrying home with a worm in her mouth and could only
mumble something which sounded like "yeast." They asked a pussy-cat and
she said if they would come home with her first she would look it up in
a book she had there. But Hazel did not want to go. "For," she whispered
to Bushy-Tail, "she has eyes like a witch."
So they ran on a little farther until they came to a hat lying upside
down on the ground. It was warm and soft inside and Hazel thought it
would be a good place for a little rest. She was beginning to feel very
tired. Bushy-Tail had lost the handkerchief off his tail, too, and it
was hurting again. So the two little squirrels rolled themselves up into
two dear, little balls and Hazel spread her lovely tail over them to
keep the wind off, and before you could say "Jack Robinson" they were
both sound asleep.
When Mr. Smith came back after his hat you can imagine how surprised he
was to find it had a new fur lining. "How I wish Alice could see them,"
he thought. Then, very carefully, so as not to frighten them, he spread
his coat over them and started for home with a queer shaped bundle in
his arms.
"Guess what I have," he cried as his little girl ran to the door to meet
him.
"Ice cream," she screamed.
"Guess again!"
"Kittens."
"You're warmer," he said, "but not right yet."
Then, as he carefully lifted up his coat, "baby squirrel," she cried,
and clapped her hands and jumped up and down for joy.
Of course the ride had awakened the squirrels. They were still more
frightened to be in this strange house with strange people standing
around looking at them. They huddled very close together inside the hat
and would not eat the nuts Alice brought them. Have you ever been so
scared you could not eat?
"Don't you think they would be more comfortable in a regular bed?" Alice
asked her father and he agreed heartily.
So she ran and got her doll's cradle and tucked them in carefully
between the white sheets and rocked them just a little, so they would
think they were in the branches of a tree and feel more at home. Alice's
mother had to remind her several times it was her bed-time, too, she did
so hate to leave her dear little play-fellows.
By and by Mother Moon looked in at the window. Quick as a flash both
squirrels jumped out of the cradle and ran to ask her the shortest way
home. They found the window just a little open. You can imagine they did
not stop to say good-bye to Alice or think to thank her for the supper
they had not eaten.
Outside everything looked very strange and unreal. They had never been
out alone at night before. Do you know why everything looks so different
at night, even though it is most as light as day? It is because the
shadows the moon makes are blacker and each one seems to hide something
alive.
[Illustration: SHE ROCKED THEM IN HER DOLL'S CRADLE]
Hazel and Bushy-Tail ran as fast as their little legs could carry them.
They were too scared to even ask Mrs. Moon the shortest way home.
Presently it began to rain and Mrs. Moon went inside to get out of the
wet. Two little streams of tears began to roll down Hazel's cheeks. If
you have never been home-sick, you have no way of knowing how unhappy
these poor, little, lost squirrels were. It is a much worse pain than
cutting one's finger. Something hurt Bushy-Tail inside so much he wanted
to cry, too. But he had to be brave and try and comfort little Hazel.
Besides, they had only one handkerchief now. You remember Hazel had tied
hers around his sore tail and he had lost it.
Presently they came to the edge of a woods. But Hazel would not venture
in. She was afraid some robin would think they were the "babes in the
woods" and cover them with leaves. "Such queer things are happening to
us now," she said.
Mr. Bat was passing by and he saw them huddled together between the
rails of a fence. Thinking they were the lost children of his neighbor,
Mrs. Squirrel, he hurried off to tell her.
[Illustration: MR. BAT SAW THEM HUDDLED TOGETHER]
Now, only the week before two of this poor lady's little ones had got
caught in a trap. She had scolded, coaxed and begged the farmer's boys
not to carry them off, but they had paid no attention to her. And when
Mr. Bat told her what he had seen she jumped right out of bed and ran
down the tree without stopping to take an umbrella or put on her rubbers
even.
Of course she was disappointed when she saw only Hazel and Bushy-Tail!
"They are city squirrels," she told Mr. Bat. "We have only red ones here
in the woods. I can't imagine how these little squirrels got so far from
home alone."
"How worried their mothers must be," she thought to herself and that
settled it. She took them by the shoulders and shook them very gently
and when they opened their eyes and saw the fire-fly and Mr. Bat and
Mrs. Red Squirrel, for just a moment they thought they were dreaming.
But when Mrs. Red Squirrel questioned them, all she could make out
between their sobs was that they were lost and wanted to go home.
"You poor, dear little things," she said, hugging them in her soft arms,
"come home with me to-night and we will help you find your mothers in
the morning."
I can tell you it seemed good to the little runaways to be among kind
friends again, and when Mrs. Squirrel saw four little squirrels all
curled up together in her house, she was most as happy as if they had
been four red ones, instead of two red and two gray.
MRS. SCREECH OWL
It was so much darker in the woods than in the park the little city
squirrels could hardly believe it was time to get up when Mother Red
Squirrel called them. But after they had washed the sleepiness out of
their eyes they could see little pink patches of sky through the leaves
and they knew the clock was not fast after all.
It took them much longer to dress than usual, because they had not
stopped to brush their tails out the night before. Hazel's was
dreadfully matted down and Bushie's was full of burs. How it did hurt
when Hazel, as carefully as could be, helped him pick them out. But he
bravely choked back the tears and blew his nose very hard. He did not
want his new friends to think him a baby, of course.
[Illustration: MOTHER SQUIRREL ENTERTAINS HER VISITORS]
Even their breakfast was different. They had country beetles; nice,
white mushrooms, and crisp, fresh apple seeds. And after they had eaten
and eaten, Mrs. Red Squirrel asked her little guests many
questions--what their names were, where they lived, and how ever did
they get so far from home?
How the two little squirrels' eyes popped out as Bushy-Tail told them of
their home in the park, built for them out of boards and nails. He told
how the caretaker came around every morning with a cup on a long pole
and left a fresh supply of peanuts on their back porch, and he told of
the wonderful dream he had had about a tree where all kinds of nuts grew
side by side on the same branch. "I was so tired of peanuts," he added,
"I set out to find the tree--but somehow--got--lost," and then his voice
became so shaky he couldn't tell any more.
Mother Red Squirrel helped him to another fat beetle and said as soon as
she had her work done she would see what she could do about it. "So
many of the wood folks are moving south for the winter," she said. "I am
sure I can find someone who will be going your way."
Now, Mrs. Screech Owl had seen Mrs. Red Squirrel hurry through the rain
the night before with neither umbrella nor rubbers. So she said to
herself, "This looks very queer. I will wait opposite the squirrel
house, for I must know all."
And presently the entire woods was awakened by Mrs. Screech Owl's shrill
voice calling, "Extra, extra! Mrs. Red Squirrel has city cousins
visiting her." Of course this was not true. But "extras" seldom are
accurate.
Anyway, Mrs. Red Squirrel thought she never would get her work done. You
would not believe me if I should tell you how many times the door bell
rang. First her neighbor on one side dropped in to borrow a pattern.
Then a neighbor on the other side came over to return a book. Then
friends from all over the woods just happened by, and always after a
second or two they would say, "I hear you have company from the city."
And then Mother Red Squirrel would have to stop work and tell all about
it. But the worst of it was nobody knew the way back to the park.
Pretty soon Mother Red Squirrel had an idea. "Mr. Bat is a great
traveler," she said, "even if he does go to places only at night, I'll
ask him." Now, nobody likes to be waked out of a sound sleep to be asked
questions. Mr. Bat blinked his eyes very hard, though by that time the
sun was too bright for him to see a thing, and at first he said he
didn't know the way either. Then Mrs. Red Squirrel flattered him a
little and told how she had asked everybody the way to the park and
nobody knew. "I felt sure you'd know," she added, at which Mr. Bat
remembered he did and promised to take the little runaways home, just
as soon as it should be dark enough!
When Bushy-Tail and Hazel learned that they were going home that night,
they jumped up and down for joy. I forgot to tell you Mrs. Red
Squirrel's two children were called Pinky and Rusty. They were such
lively, frolicsome children that you just couldn't help but laugh to see
them, and pretty soon Bushy-Tail and Hazel had forgotten all about how
their parents must be worrying.
"How would it be if we all went on a picnic today?" asked Mother Red
Squirrel. "I know where there are hazel nuts." I need not tell you what
they answered. So she gave them each a little basket and took two
herself and whisk--they were springing through the air, leaping from the
ends of teetering branches or spinning along the tops of fences in a
jiffy.
[Illustration: THE SQUIRRELS GO ON A PICNIC]
By and by they came to a lot of bushes and Mrs. Red Squirrel put down
her basket "Let's not stop here," cried Bushy-Tail. "See, the burs
don't open a bit, they are much too green to eat."
But Mrs. Red Squirrel said, "If we wait for the wind to rattle them out
for us, chipmunks and children from over the hill will not leave us one.
If we even wait until the burs open, crows and jays will carry them
off."
Then she showed them how to cut off the little clusters of burs and soon
they had their baskets full. What fun that picnic was. There were so
many new things to see in that woods. Bushy-Tail kept crying, "Oh, look
here, Hazel," and she was kept busy calling, "Come quick, Bushy-Tail."
Bushy-Tail had one eye open for the wonderful tree where all kinds of
nuts grew side by side on the same branch. He could remember just how it
looked in his dream, so he felt sure he would know it the minute he
espied it. "If there isn't one in this wonderful woods," he was
beginning to think, "I don't believe there is one anywhere."
All of a sudden Hazel and Bushy-Tail heard their little play-fellows
give a scared little cry. They looked around quickly, but could see
nothing to be frightened at--only a man carrying a heavy black stick
against his shoulder. He kept stealing up nearer, and Hazel and
Bushy-Tail kept very still watching him.
"I think he has some peanuts for us," said Hazel Squirrel.
"What do we want of peanuts now, come on," said Bushy-Tail, and they ran
around the trunk of the tree. Just then a terrifying "whiz" went past
their ears followed by a deafening "bang." They were so frightened they
ran and ran, and did not stop until they were all out of breath.
It was the only time they ever had even seen a man with a gun. After
that they never took nuts from men carrying sticks.
That afternoon Mrs. Red Squirrel made Hazel and Bushy-Tail take a
little nap. "You know you will be up late to-night," she said. Mr. Bat
had not forgotten his promise and just as soon as it began to get dark
he was knocking at the door. He said there would be a moon, so they need
not bother a fire-fly to go too.
Mrs. Red Squirrel and her two children went as far as the edge of the
woods with them. "Now you know the way you must come often," they called
after Bushy-Tail and Hazel. "Don't forget to come and see us, too, and
thank you for the nice time," they called back. You see, they had been
well trained and did not forget their manners.
[Illustration: FEASTING ON HAZEL NUTS]
"I think I should like to live in the park," said Rusty to his mother.
"Bushy says there are no traps there or bad men with guns." Mrs. Red
Squirrel was thinking she would like to have her groceries delivered,
too, so she answered, "I think I shall speak to your father about it
to-night."
When Bushy-Tail and little Hazel Squirrel finally reached the edge of
the park it was very late and they were very tired indeed. But when they
got within sight of their homes and saw the lights in the windows they
began to run again anyway.
Do you think their mothers were glad to see them once more? Well, was
your mother glad to see you that day she thought you were lost, when you
really were not? And if you still want to know if Bushy-Tail ever found
the wonderful tree where all kinds of nuts grew side by side on the same
branch, all I can tell you is that they never found it in the park and
that they never ran away again.
THE RACCOON AND THE BEES
[Illustration: THE RACCOON WATCHES THE BOYS]
A raccoon was dozing, perched up in a big tree one fine, bright summer
day. He lay on a broad limb high up in the tree. There was a fresh
breeze stirring, and he swayed to and fro with the branches.
He had been rocking on this lofty perch for some time, with his eyes
half closed, when he was roused by the shouting of some small,
bare-footed boys who were playing in a hayfield close by. Coonie, as he
was called for short, after yawning and stretching for some minutes,
finally shifted his position so as to see the boys. He had watched them
often from the top of a tree, and he always enjoyed the fun, because
they did such queer things.
It was some minutes before he could find out what they were doing, but
at last he discovered that they had found a bumble-bees' nest. They had
long paddles in their hands and were running around, yelling, and waving
the paddles frantically. Occasionally one of the boys screamed, and then
several of the others would run toward him, all beating the air with
their paddles.
Coonie watched very closely and saw one boy run up to the hive, give it
a quick poke, and then scamper away. With every poke at the hive, a
number of bees would fly out of the opening and sail away on the air.
Finally a small boy approached the hive and gave it a hard poke.
Instantly about a dozen bees swarmed out, and the boy started to run. He
had gone but half a dozen feet, however, when he tripped and fell, and
by the way he rolled and kicked, it was plain to be seen that the bees
were getting the better of him.
It was great fun watching them, and Coonie decided that he would get a
nearer view, so he crawled down the tree in a hurry and ran to the big
oak at the edge of the field. From there he could get a full view of the
battle. He chuckled to himself as he thought of the fun he was having
all by himself.
The battle between the boys and the bees was raging furiously by this
time. The boys charged time after time, and with each attack became
bolder and bolder, until finally Coonie saw that they were winning. The
plucky little bees fought bravely to defend their home, but the boys
were too strong for them, and one by one they fell and were crushed or
beaten to pieces with the paddles.
After two or three pokes at the hive to make sure that none of the bees
remained, a great shout went up from the boys who surrounded the
deserted nest.
Children, have you ever seen a wild bees' nest--a real bumble-bees'
home?
They are nearly always built on the ground, and are made of little
pieces of grass piled and woven together into a little mound. At the
very top there is a small hole which is used as the doorway through
which the bees enter. The wall is not very thick, but is put together
tightly so the wind will not blow it away, and it is hollow.
It is in this mound that the bees store their honey for the winter.
During the warm summer days they work hard, carrying tiny drops of honey
which they gather from the flowers and storing it so they will have
something to eat during the cold weather.
When the cold winds come, in the fall and winter, and the flowers are
dead, the little workers stop their labor and gather together in the
home they have been preparing all summer. When the snow comes, the
little grass storehouse is buried snug and warm underneath the white
blanket.
It was just such a nest as this that Coonie watched the boys robbing of
its treasure. Poor little bees! All their hard work had been in vain,
and they had even lost their little lives in the brave effort to protect
their winter's food supply.
But even from his hiding place Coonie could see that the boys had not
won the battle without some losses. Big lumps were beginning to swell up
on their faces and arms, and the little boy who had tripped and fallen
could hardly see because his eyes were nearly swollen shut.
The boys tore away the mound and took out the honey, layer by layer, and
squeezed out the golden syrup. Just as they were licking the last drops
from their sticky fingers, Coonie saw a man walking towards them. When
he was near enough, he began talking to them in an angry way.
"Why, Mr. Jones," Coonie heard one boy say, "you don't use bumble-bees'
honey, do you?"
"No, boys, I don't use the honey myself, but I don't want you to kill
the bees or rob their nests so they will have to starve. Bees do a great
deal of good on the farm."
"What good are bumble-bees?" one of the boys asked.
"Why, they do a lot of good. They distribute the pollen from the heads
of the clover, and that makes the seed mature and develop."
This was news to Coonie, for he never knew before that bumble-bees were
of any use, but then he had never had much to do with them. One day when
he was playing he had caught a bee in his little paws and had received a
sting, and he never forgot how sore his paws were and how they swelled
so that he was unable to climb for several days. Since that time he had
always made it a practice to move away when a bee came too close.
After the boys were gone and Farmer Jones had gone back to his house,
Coonie decided that he would go over to the field and see what the
inside of the bees' nest looked like.
As he approached the field where the battle had taken place, much to his
surprise, he saw his friend Woodchuck snooping around among the ruins.
When Coonie reached him, he sat up on his hind feet and began licking
his paws.
"Hello, Chuck," Coonie said. "What are you doing? Why, your face is a
sight. My, such a dirty face. Why, Chuck, I am surprised," and he
noticed the greedy look in Chuck's eyes.
"Yum! yum!" was the only reply he received and Chuck began picking
around in the grass.
[Illustration: "YUM, YUM, BUT IT IS FINE"]
"I say, Chuck," Coonie said again, "what are you doing?"
"Doing?" echoed Chuck. "Why, this is the best food I have had for a long
time, Coonie. My face may be a little sticky, but it can be washed, so I
don't care. Such a treat as I have had! I am sorry you missed it all. I
saw some boys capering and scampering around here this afternoon, and as
soon as they left I came over to see what it was all about, and this is
what I found," and Chuck held up a small yellow pod. "Just taste one,
Coonie, it is sweeter than any berry I ever tasted. Yum, yum, but it is
fine."
"Hum!" sniffed Coonie. "It may suit your taste, but honey is much too
sticky for me."
"Well, I'm glad you don't want any," Chuck replied. "You always were
rather particular, but I am only Chuck anyhow, and as some people call
me a hog--a ground-hog, you know--I might as well live up to my name."
"But, Chuck, just go down to the brook and look at your face."
Chuck, seeing that his supply of sweets was exhausted, did as Coonie
suggested and waddled toward the brook, Coonie accompanying him.
As Chuck was washing his face and paws, Coonie remarked that he knew
where there was plenty of the kind of honey Chuck had been feasting on.
"Only," he added, "it is much cleaner than what you have been eating."
"Oh, Coonie, tell me where it is, won't you, please?" cried Chuck,
stopping his toilet and catching up Coonie's paw. "I just dearly love
it, and I'll be your lifelong friend if you will tell me where it is so
I can get some more."
Now Coonie felt very mischievous, and he thought of a plan that would
give him some fun.
[Illustration: "OH, COONIE TELL ME WHERE IT IS"]
"Why, Chuck," he replied, "you would not expect me to tell you where
all this honey is, would you? You would go eat it all up in one night.
You are such a 'hoggie' you know."
"Oh, be a good friend, Coonie, and tell me. If you only knew how badly I
want some more."
"Well, I'll tell you," Coonie said, "but there may be some danger in
getting it."
"I'll never stop for the danger," Chuck boasted.
"You remember Farmer Jones, don't you?"
"I should say I do. I'll never forget the whole family. Do you remember
the time we were caught stealing the corn in his crib last fall? And,
oh, that fierce dog! Indeed, I never will forget him. If it is Farmer
Jones' honey, it is perfectly safe, for it makes me shiver to even think
of that dog, Jack."
"Oh, I knew that you would be afraid," taunted Coonie. "Tomorrow is
Saturday, and the Jones always go to town on Saturday. I have been
planning to go over and give myself a little treat."
"But, Coonie, how about the dog?"
"Oh, he goes to town with them. I have watched them from the tree where
I live, and they never miss going on Saturday afternoons, and taking the
dog with them."
"But how do you know where the honey is, Coonie?"
"How? Why, I have often sampled it."
Now Coonie told a falsehood when he said he had eaten some of the honey,
but he was anxious to have some fun, and so he resorted to a falsehood
in order to carry out his plans. This plan never pays, as you will see
later.
"Have you really sampled it, Coonie?" Chuck asked. "And is it good, and
is it very hard to get?"
Chuck was all excitement, for he could not get rid of the memory of the
taste of the honey he had just been eating.
"'Hard to get?'" repeated Coonie. "Why, Chuck, there are great piles of
it, and knowing the grounds as I do, it will be easy to get it. Now you
meet me tomorrow and I'll take you over with me. Meet me by the big oak
tree in the corner of the woods, just after noon tomorrow. I must leave
you now, because I am going fishing to-night with some of the other
coons that live near me. Good-bye until tomorrow," and Coonie went away
with a chuckle.
[Illustration: CHUCK ARRIVED AT THE BIG OAK TREE]
The next afternoon, Chuck arrived at the big oak tree in the corner of
the woods. But there was no Coonie waiting for him. He walked around the
tree several times to make sure and then mounted a nearby stump. The
woods were very quiet save for the droning of insects, and the sun that
shone between the leaves beat down very hot. Before Chuck knew it he
had fallen asleep at his post.
When Coonie came trotting up and saw Chuck perched there fast asleep he
said to himself: "What a fine chance to play a trick." So he picked a
long blade of grass with a feathery end and crept up from behind so
carefully that not a twig cracked. When he was within arm's reach he
tickled poor Chuck way up his nose.
Chuck waked with a start and bounded right into the air, landing at some
distance off. He had no idea that someone had played a trick on him.
"What ails you, Chuck?" Coonie cried, running up, with a friendly,
anxious expression on his face, for Chuck was almost sneezing his head
off.
"Guess--a--nasty old--fly--crawled up--my--nose," Chuck managed to get
out between sneezes.
"Too bad, old chap," said Coonie, giving him a friendly pat on the
shoulder. "Come along with me and we'll get some honey, and that will
make you feel better." Still sneezing, Chuck trotted off with Coonie
across the fields.
When they reached Farmer Jones' barnyard everything seemed very quiet
and sleepy around there.
"Is that where the honey is kept?" whispered Chuck, as Coonie took a
peep in at the barn-door.
"No," answered Coonie, "I just wanted to see if the double-buggy was
there. It is not, and now I feel perfectly sure they have all gone to
town and taken the dog with them."
Then they felt quite safe. Very boldly they walked around to the gate in
the yard where Coonie said the honey was. "Hurrah," he cried, "someone
has left the gate open for us. They must have been expecting us!"
"I have never been in here before," said Chuck. "What are all those
square white boxes along the fence?"
"Those are called bee-hives," Coonie answered, a little proudly, to
think he knew so much. "The honey is kept inside."
"But how do we get at it?" asked Chuck. "Those little holes in front
look hardly big enough for me to get my paw through, much less my head
and shoulders."
"Oh," laughed Coonie, "how stupid you are! You just go up and knock very
loudly at the door and when a bee comes out, you ask if he hasn't
something to eat for a poor fellow, who has come a long way and is very
hungry and tired. But should he pay no attention to you, hit him with
your paw. This will frighten the others so they will bring out all the
honey you wish and leave it there on the ledge for you. Come on, I'm
hungry, aren't you, Chuck?"
[Illustration: HE GRABBED UP A BIG STICK]
"Am I?" said Chuck. "Well, I should say so." He was licking his jaws in
memory of the little feast he had had the day before.
Coonie looked at Chuck out of the corners of his mischievous eyes, but
Chuck never guessed he was laughing at him when he added, "I'll take a
hive at this end, you can have one at that. Let's hurry."
Chuck was in a hurry indeed. Already he felt sure he could smell the
honey, so he left Coonie and ran toward the hive at the end of the row
in high spirits. But before he knocked on it he stopped and looked back.
He wanted to see how Coonie was getting along.
Now, Coonie did not really want any honey. All he wanted to do was to
play a joke on his friend, but it very often happens that the practical
joker gets the worst of it in the end. And as Coonie stepped up to the
hive and pretended to knock, he put his paw right down on top of the
Queen Bee, whom he did not see sunning herself on the ledge.
The Queen Bee has no sting, you know, and cannot defend herself. She is
by no means helpless, however. She has, in fact, an entire army ready to
fight for her at a moment's call.
When the other bees heard their Queen's cry for help they all rushed out
of their hives and began at once attacking Coonie. They buzzed angrily
around him and burrowed into his fur until he rolled over and over on
the ground, doubled up with the pain.
This was what Chuck saw when he turned around to find out how Coonie was
getting along! He grabbed up a big stick, but he soon saw there was
nothing he could do to help.
He also saw that the bees in their mad attack had left their fort
unguarded. So he stuck his paw inside the door and broke off a good
sized piece of comb full of nice, yellow honey. Then he started for the
woods again as fast as he could.
[Illustration]
Coonie did not see Chuck as he shot past him a few minutes later, trying
to shake off the bees that still clung to him, as he ran. And a few days
later, when they met down by the brook, Coonie pretended not to see him.
"Howdy, Coonie," Chuck called out in his cheery way. "Where are you
going so fast? Well, I never," he added, noticing Coonie's bumps and
bandages. "Have you been in a fight?"
"Just a little fuss with Farmer Jones' dog. He's twice my size and a
regular bully," Coonie answered, as he brushed by Chuck in such a hurry
that he did not hear the latter call after him.
"Say, old friend, meet me by the big oak tree in the corner of the woods
tomorrow and we'll go after some more of that good honey!"
It was Chuck's turn to laugh now, for "he laughs best who laughs last,"
you know.
PINKIE WHISKERS
CHAPTER I
Little Pinkie Whiskers was born in a big city and lived with his Father
Gray, Mother Gray and two little sisters, Twinkle and Winkle, in a tin
box, which was hidden under a big garbage can.
Mother Gray had hunted and found nice scraps of cotton and bits of
straw. With these she made a soft, warm nest and here they all lived as
cozy and happy as could be.
One day a poor, old man came down the alley and looked in all the
garbage cans to see what he could find that he might sell, for that is
the way he got his money to buy his food and shelter.
When he came to the garbage can over our family of rats, he did not see
their little home and pushed their box right over.
Pinkie Whiskers, Twinkle and Winkle were all alone. They fell out onto
the brick pavement and began to cry. Oh, my, how they cried!
Mother Gray and Father Gray were out getting a nice supper for them all.
Mother Gray heard her babies cry and came running home as fast as she
could.
When she saw what had happened, she was very distressed. She quieted her
babies and nestled down with them in the fence corner.
Father Gray said, "Never mind, my dears, I will find you a nice, new
home," and away he went.
Bye and bye he returned and told them with joy that he had found a
splendid place for them to live. It was just inside the door of a big
apartment building.
Father Gray and Mother Gray gathered together all the pieces of their
nest and carried them in their mouths. Then, keeping very close to the
fence, they started for their new home.
This new home was a nice square place under the floor and far enough
back so that a cat or a dog could not reach them. Soon they were settled
and Pinkie Whiskers, Twinkle and Winkle were fast asleep.
In the morning, just as Mrs. Gray was washing her children's faces, they
heard a bell ring right in front of their door.
To their great alarm their home began to tremble and then move. Yes,
really move. Up and up it went, faster and faster.
Oh, how frightened they were! All at once their home stopped. They heard
people talking and then down, down they went. My, what a queer feeling
it gave them!
They heard a voice say, "Your elevator is running fine today, Tom."
"An elevator!" cried Mother Gray--"Our home is in an elevator. We must
move at once for we cannot be always going up and down."
Father Gray just laughed and laughed, then said: "Well, well, I have
heard of elevators, but I never expected to have a ride in one and now
we have a home in one. That is a good joke, ha! ha!"
Mother Gray said, "You may laugh all you wish, but I am tired of city
life, you are never sure of a safe home. We will go to the country to
live."
"Oh, oh," cried Pinkie Whiskers, "let us go and live with Uncle Whiskers
in the cheese factory."
"A very good idea," said Father Gray, and straightway they started for
the country.
When they arrived at the cheese factory, they found it dark and
deserted, but Father Gray discovered a hole and soon they had all
crawled in through this hole. Mother Gray selected a great, big round
cheese to live in. Father Gray made an entrance into it and very soon
the tired rats were in bed in the cheese.
The next day Pinkie Whiskers, Winkle and Twinkle went out in the meadow
to explore and they found a net, which some boy had lost.
Pinkie Whiskers said, "You just watch me catch that butterfly in this
net!"
He swiftly ran after the butterfly, but when the butterfly saw Pinkie
Whiskers coming, he thought how nice it would be to have a ride on
Pinkie Whiskers' back, so he flew after him.
Now, Pinkie Whiskers did not know much about butterflies and he thought
this butterfly was chasing him.
So Pinkie Whiskers started to run for home.
"Don't let him catch me," begged Pinkie Whiskers.
Winkle and Twinkle took out their little handkerchiefs and waved them
fast and hard. The butterfly was so amazed at the sight, that he forgot
about Pinkie Whiskers and flew away.