Joe Otter and Billy Mink were sitting on the Big Rock in the Smiling
Pool. Because they had nothing else to do, they were planning mischief.
Jerry Muskrat was busy filling his new house with food for the winter.
He was too busy to get into mischief.
Suddenly Billy Mink put a finger on his lips as a warning to Little Joe
Otter to keep perfectly still. Billy's sharp eyes had seen something
moving over in the bulrushes. Together he and Little Joe Otter watched,
ready to dive into the Smiling Pool at the first sign of danger. In a
few minutes the rushes parted and a sharp little old face peered out.
Little Joe Otter and Billy Mink each sighed with relief, and their eyes
began to dance. “Hi, Unc' Billy Possum!” shouted Billy Mink.
A grin crept over the sharp little old face peering out from the
bulrushes.
“Hi, yo'self!” he shouted, for it really was Unc' Billy Possum.
“What are you doing over here?” called Little Joe Otter.
“Just a-looking round,” replied Unc' Billy Possum, his eyes twinkling.
“Have you heard about Reddy Fox?” shouted Billy Mink.
“Ah done jes' come from his home,” replied Unc' Billy Possum.
“How is he?” asked Little Joe Otter.
“Po'ly, he sho'ly is po'ly,” replied Unc' Billy Possum, shaking his head
soberly. Then Unc' Billy told Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter how Reddy
Fox was so stiff and sore and sick that he couldn't get anything to eat
for himself, and how old Granny Fox had lost a chicken which she had
caught for him.
“Serves him right!” exclaimed Billy Mink, who has never forgotten how
Reddy Fox fooled him and caught the most fish once upon a time.
Unc' Billy nodded his head. “Yo' are right. Yo' cert'nly are right. Yes,
Suh, Ah reckons yo' are right. Was yo' ever hungry, Billy Mink--real
hungry?” asked Unc' Billy Possum.
Billy Mink thought of the time when he went without his dinner because
Mr. Night Heron had gobbled it up, when Billy had left it in a temper.
He nodded his head.
“Ah was just a-wondering,” continued Une' Billy Possum, “how it would
seem to be right smart powerful hungry and not be able to hunt fo'
anything to eat.”
For a few minutes no one said a word. Then Billy Mink stood up and
stretched. “Good-by,” said Billy Mink.
“Where are you going so suddenly?” demanded Little Joe Otter.
“I'm going to catch a fish and take it up to Reddy Fox, if you must
know!” snapped Billy Mink.
“Good!” cried Little Joe Otter. “You needn't think that you can have all
the fun to yourself either, Billy Mink. I'm going with you.”
There was a splash in the Smiling Pool, and Unc' Billy Possum was left
looking out on nothing but the Smiling Pool and the Big Rock. He smiled
to himself as he turned away. “Ah reckon Ah'll sho' have to do my share,
too,” said he.
And so it happened that when old Granny Fox finally reached home with
nothing but a little wood mouse for Reddy, she found him taking a nap,
his stomach as full as it could be. And just a little way off were two
fish tails and the feathers of a little duck.