III
WHY UNC' BILLY POSSUM PLAYS DEAD
One thing puzzled Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck and Striped Chipmunk agreat deal after they had come to know Unc' Billy Possum and his funnyways. They had talked it over and wondered and wondered about it, andtried to understand it, and even had asked Unc' Billy about it. Unc'Billy had just grinned and said that they would have to ask his mammy.Of course they couldn't do that, and Unc' Billy knew they couldn't,for Unc' Billy's mammy had died long before he even thought of comingup from Ol' Virginny to the Green Forest and the Green Meadows wherethey lived. He said it just to tease them, and when he said it, hechuckled until they chuckled too, just as if it really were the bestkind of a joke.
Now you know it always is the thing that you try and try to find outand can't find out that you most want to find out. It was just so withPeter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck and Striped Chipmunk. The more theytalked about it, the more they wanted to know. Why was it that Unc'Billy Possum played dead instead of trying to run away when he wassurprised by his enemies? They always tried to run away. So dideverybody else of their acquaintance excepting Unc' Billy Possum.
"There must be a reason" said Peter gravely, as he pulled thoughtfullyat one of his long ears.
"Of course there is a reason," asserted Johnny Chuck, chewing the endof a blade of grass.
"There's a reason for everything," added Striped Chipmunk, combing outthe hair of his funny little tail.
"Then of course Grandfather Frog knows it," said Peter.
"Of course! Why didn't we think of him before?" exclaimed the others.
"I'll beat you to the Smiling Pool!" shouted Peter.
Of course he did, for his legs are long and made for running, butStriped Chipmunk was not far behind. Johnny Chuck took his time, forhe knew that he could not keep up with the others. Besides he was sofat that to run made him puff and blow. Grandfather Frog sat just asusual on his big green lily-pad, and he grinned when he saw who hisvisitors were, for he guessed right away what they had come for.
"Chug-a-rum! What is it you want to know now?" he demanded, beforePeter could fairly get his breath.
"If you please, Grandfather Frog, we want to know why it is that Unc'Billy Possum plays dead," replied Peter as politely as he knew how.
Grandfather Frog chuckled. "Just to fool people, stupid!" said he.
"Of course we know that," replied Striped Chipmunk, "but what we wantto know is how he ever found out that he could fool people that way,and how he knows that he will fool them."
"I suspect that his mammy taught him," said Grandfather Frog, withanother chuckle way down deep in his throat.
"But who taught his mammy?" persisted Striped Chipmunk.
Grandfather Frog snapped at a foolish green fly, and when it wassafely tucked away inside his white and yellow waistcoat, he turnedonce more to his three little visitors, and there was a twinkle in hisbig, goggly eyes.
"I see," said he, "that you _will_ have a story, and I suppose thatthe sooner I tell it to you, the sooner you will leave me in peace.Unc' Billy Possum's grandfather a thousand times removed was--"
"Was this way back in the days when the world was young?" interruptedPeter.
Grandfather Frog scowled at Peter. "If I have any more interruptions,there will be no story to-day" said he severely.
Peter looked ashamed and promised that he would hold his tongue rightbetween his teeth until Grandfather Frog was through. Grandfather Frogcleared his throat and began again.
"Unc' Billy Possum's grandfather a thousand times removed was verymuch as Unc' Billy is now, only he was a little more spry and knewbetter than to stuff himself so full that he couldn't run. He wasalways very sly, and he played a great many tricks on his neighbors,and sometimes he got them into trouble. But when he did, he alwaysmanaged to keep out of their way until they had forgotten all abouttheir anger.
"One morning the very imp of mischief seemed to get into old Mr.Possum's head. Yes, Sir, it certainly did seem that way. And when yousee Mischief trotting along the Lone Little Path, if you look sharpenough, you'll see Trouble following at his heels like a shadow. Inever knew it to fail. It's just as sure as a stomach-ache is tofollow overeating."
Just here Grandfather Frog paused and looked very hard at PeterRabbit. But Peter pretended not to notice, and after slowly winkingone of his big, goggly eyes at Johnny Chuck, Grandfather Frogcontinued:
"Anyway, as I said before, the imp of mischief seemed to be in old Mr.Possum's head that morning, for he began to play tricks on hisneighbors as soon as they were out of bed. He hid Old King Bear'sbreakfast, while the latter had his head turned, and then pretendedthat he had just come along. He was very polite and offered to helpOld King Bear hunt for his lost breakfast. Then, whenever Old KingBear came near the place where it was hidden, old Mr. Possum wouldhide it somewhere else. Old King Bear was hungry, and he workedhimself up into a terrible rage, for he was in a hurry for hisbreakfast. Old Mr. Possum was very sympathetic and seemed to be doinghis very best to find the lost meal. At last Old King Bear turned hishead suddenly and caught sight of old Mr. Possum hiding thatbreakfast in a new place. My, my, but his temper did boil over! Itcertainly did. And if he could have laid hands on old Mr. Possum thatminute, it surely would have been the end of him.
"But old Mr. Possum was mighty spry, and he went off through the GreenForest laughing fit to kill himself. Pretty soon he met Mr. Panther.He was very polite to Mr. Panther. He told him that he had just comefrom a call on Old King Bear, and hinted that Old King Bear was thenenjoying a feast and that there might be enough for Mr. Panther, if hehurried up there at once.
"Now, Mr. Panther was hungry, for he had found nothing for hisbreakfast that morning. So he thanked old Mr. Possum and hurried awayto find Old King Bear and share in the good things old Mr. Possum hadtold about.
"Old Mr. Possum himself hurried on, chuckling as he thought of the wayMr. Panther was likely to be received, with Old King Bear in such atemper. Pretty soon along came Mr. Lynx. Old Mr. Possum told him thesame story he had told Mr. Panther, and Mr. Lynx went bounding off ina terrible hurry, for fear that he would not be in time to share inthat good breakfast. It was such a good joke that old Mr. Possum triedit on Mr. Wolf and Mr. Fisher and Mr. Fox. In fact, he hunted up everyone he could think of and sent them to call on Old King Bear, andwithout really telling them so, he made each one think that he wouldget a share in that breakfast."
"Now, there wasn't any more breakfast than Old King Bear wantedhimself, and by the time Mr. Panther arrived, there wasn't so much asa crumb left. Then, one after another, the others came dropping in,each licking his chops, and all very polite to Old King Bear. At firsthe didn't know what to make of it, but pretty soon Mr. Fox delicatelyhinted that they had come in response to the invitation sent by Mr.Possum, and that as they were all very hungry, they would like to knowwhen the feast would be ready. Right away Old King Bear knew that oldMr. Possum had been up to some of his tricks, and he told his visitorsthat they were the victims of a practical joke.
"As they were all very hungry, they would like to knowwhen the feast would be ready."]
"My, my, my, how angry everybody grew! With Old King Bear at theirhead, they started out to hunt for old Mr. Possum. When he saw themcoming, he realized that what he had thought was a joke had become nolonger a laughing matter for him. He was too frightened to run, sohe scrambled up a tree. He quite forgot that Mr. Panther and Mr. Lynxcould climb just as fast as he. Up the tree after him they scrambled,and he crept as far out as he could get on one of the branches. Mr.Panther didn't dare go out there, so he just shook the branch. Heshook and shook and shook and shook, and the first thing old Mr.Possum knew, he was flying through the air down to where the otherswere all ready to pounce on him.
"Old Mr. Possum was frightened almost to death. He shut his eyes, andthen he landed with a thump that knocked all the wind from his body.When he got his breath again, he still kept his eyes closed, for hecouldn't bear the thought of looking at the c
ruel teeth and claws ofOld King Bear and the others. Presently, while he was wondering whythey didn't jump on him and tear him to pieces, Old King Bear spoke:
"'I guess Mr. Possum won't play any more jokes, Mr. Panther,' said he.'You just knocked the life out of him when you shook him off thatbranch.'
"Mr. Panther came over and sniffed at Mr. Possum and turned him overwith one paw. All the time Mr. Possum lay just as if he were dead,because he was too frightened to move. 'I didn't mean to kill him,'said Mr. Panther. 'We certainly will miss him. What will we do withhim?'
"'Leave him here as a warning to others,' growled Old King Bear.
"Each in turn came up and sniffed of Mr. Possum, and then they allwent about their business. He waited long enough to make sure thatthey were out of sight, and then took the shortest way home. When hegot there and thought it all over, he thought that the best joke ofall was the way he had made everybody think that he was dead. And thena bright idea struck him: he would try the same trick whenever he wascaught. So the next time he got in trouble, instead of running away,he tried playing dead. It was such a success that he taught hischildren how to do it, and they taught their children, and so on downto Unc' Billy, whom you know. Unc' Billy says it is a lot easier thanrunning away, and safer, too. Besides, it is always such a joke. Now,don't bother me any more, for I want to take a nap," concludedGrandfather Frog.
"Thank you!" cried Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck and Striped Chipmunk,and started off to hunt up Unc' Billy Possum.