"Good morning, Sammy Jay, have you seen any one pass this way?" askedHappy Jack. "Some one has stolen a store of nuts from the hollow in theold chestnut tree."
Sammy Jay pretended to feel very badly indeed, and in his sweetestvoice, for his voice was very sweet in those days, he offered to helpHappy Jack try to catch the thief who had stolen the store of nuts fromthe hollow in the old chestnut tree.
Together they went down cross the Green Meadows asking every one whomthey met if they had seen the thief who had stolen Happy Jack's storeof nuts from the hollow in the old chestnut tree. All the Merry LittleBreezes joined in the search, and soon every one who lived in the GreenMeadows or in the wood knew that some one had stolen all of Happy JackSquirrel's store of nuts from the hollow in the old chestnut tree. Andbecause every one liked Happy Jack, every one felt very sorry indeed forhim.
The next morning all the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Windwere turned out of the big bag into the Green Meadows very early indeed,for they had a lot of errands to do. All over the Green Meadows theyhurried, all through the wood, up and down the Laughing Brook and allaround the Smiling Pool, inviting everybody to meet at the Great Pineon the hill at nine o'clock to form a committee of the whole--to try tofind the thief who stole Happy Jack's nuts from the hollow in the oldchestnut tree.
And because every one liked Happy Jack every one went to the Great Pineon the hill--Reddy Fox, Bobby Coon, Jimmy Skunk Striped Chipmunk, whois Happy Jack's cousin you know, Billy Mink, Little Joe Otter, JerryMuskrat, Hooty the Owl, who was almost too sleepy to keep his eyes open,Blacky the Crow, Johnny Chuck, Peter Rabbit, even old Grandfather Frog.Of course Sammy Jay was there, looking his handsomest.
When they had all gathered around the Great Pine, Old Mother West Windpointed to the old nest way up in the top of it. "Is that your nest?"she asked Blacky the Crow.
"It was, but I gave it to my cousin, Sammy Jay," said Blacky the Crow.
"Is that your nest, and may I have a stick out of it?" asked Old MotherWest Wind of Sammy Jay.
"It is," said Sammy Jay, with his politest bow, "And you are welcome toa stick out of it." To himself he thought, "She will only take one fromthe top and that won't matter."
Old Mother West Wind suddenly puffed out her cheeks and blew so hardthat she blew a big stick right out of the bottom of the old nest.Down it fell bumpity-bump on the branches of the Great Pine. After itfell--what do you think? Why, hickory nuts and chestnuts and acorns andhazel nuts, such a lot of them!
"Why! Why--e--e!" cried Happy Jack. "There are all my stolen nuts!"
Everybody turned to look at Sammy Jay, but he was flying off through thewood as fast as he could go. "Stop thief!" cried Old Mother West Wind."Stop thief!" cried all the Merry Little Breezes and Johnny Chuck andBilly Mink and all the rest. But Sammy Jay didn't stop.
Then all began to pick up the nuts that had fallen from the old nestwhere Sammy Jay had hidden them. By and by, with Happy Jack leading theway, they all marched back to the old chestnut tree and there Happy Jackstored all the nuts away in his snug little hollow once more.
And ever since that day, Sammy Jay, whenever he tries to call, justscreams: "Thief!" "Thief!" "Thief!"
CHAPTER XI JERRY MUSKRAT'S PARTY
All the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind were hurrying overthe Green Meadows. Some flew this way and some ran that way and somedanced the other way. You see, Jerry Muskrat had asked them to carry hisinvitations to a party at the Big Rock in the Smiling Pool.
Of course every one said that they would be delighted to go to JerryMuskrat's party. Round Mr. Sun shone his very brightest. The sky was itsbluest and the little birds had promised to be there to sing for JerryMuskrat, so of course all the little folks in the Green Meadows and inthe wood wanted to go.
There were Johnny Chuck and Reddy Fox and Jimmy Skunk and Bobby Coon andHappy Jack Squirrel and Striped Chipmunk and Billy Mink and Little JoeOtter and Grandfather Frog and old Mr. Toad and Mr. Blacksnake--allgoing to Jerry Muskrat's party.
When they reached the Smiling Pool they found Jerry Muskrat all ready.His brothers and his sister, his aunts and his uncles and his cousinswere all there. Such a merry, merry time as there was in the SmilingPool! How the water did splash! Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter andGrandfather Frog jumped right in as soon as they got there. They playedtag in the water and hid behind the Big Rock. They turned somersaultsdown the slippery slide and they had such a good time!
But Reddy Fox and Peter Rabbit and Bobby Coon and Johnny Chuck and JimmySkunk and Happy Jack and Striped Chipmunk couldn't swim, so of coursethey couldn't play tag in the water or hide and seek or go down theslippery slide; all they could do was sit around to look on and wishthat they knew how to swim, too. So of course they didn't have a goodtime. Soon they began to wish that they hadn't come to Jerry Muskrat'sparty. When he found that they were not having a good time, poor JerryMuskrat felt very badly indeed. You see he lives in the water so muchthat he had quite forgotten that there was anyone who couldn't swim, orhe never, never would have invited all the little meadow folks who liveon dry land.
"Let's go home," said Peter Rabbit to Johnny Chuck.
"We can have more fun up on the hill," said Jimmy Skunk.
Just then Little Joe Otter came pushing a great big log across theSmiling Pool.
"Here's a ship, Bobby Coon. You get on one end and I'll give you a sailacross the Smiling Pool," shouted Little Joe Otter.
So Bobby Coon crawled out on the big log and held on very tight, whilelittle Joe Otter swam behind and pushed the big log. Across the SmilingPool they went and back again. Bobby Coon had such a good ride that hewanted to go again, but Jimmy Skunk wanted a ride. So Bobby Coon hoppedoff of the big log and Jimmy Skunk hopped on and away he went across theSmiling Pool with little Joe Otter pushing behind.
Then Jerry Muskrat found another log and gave Peter Rabbit a ride. JerryMuskrat's brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles and cousins foundlogs and took Reddy Fox and Johnny Chuck and even Mr. Toad back andforth across the Smiling Pool.
Happy Jack Squirrel sat up very straight on the end of his log andspread his great bushy tail for a sail. All the little Breezes blew andblew and Happy Jack Squirrel sailed round and round the Smiling Pool.
Sometimes someone would fall off into the water and get wet, but JerryMuskrat or Billy Mink always pulled them out again, and no one cared thetiniest bit for a wetting.
In the bushes around the Smiling Pool the little birds sang andsang. Reddy Fox barked his loudest. Happy Jack Squirrel chatteredand chir--r--r--ed. All the muskrats squealed and squeaked, for JerryMuskrat's party was such fun!
By and by when Mr. Sun went down behind the Purple Hills to his home andOld Mother West Wind with all her Merry Little Breezes went after him,and the little stars came out to twinkle and twinkle, the Smiling Poollay all quiet and still, but smiling and smiling to think what a goodtime every one had had at Jerry Muskrat's party.
CHAPTER XII BOBBY COON AND REDDY FOX PLAY TRICKS
It was night. All the little stars were looking down and twinkling andtwinkling. Mother Moon was doing her best to make the Green Meadows aslight as Mr. Sun did in the daytime. All the little birds except Hootythe Owl and Boomer the Night Hawk, and noisy Mr. Whip-poor-will werefast asleep in their little nests. Old Mother West Wind's Merry LittleBreezes had all gone to sleep, too. It was oh so still! Indeed it was sovery still that Bobby Coon, coming down the Lone Little Path through thewood, began to talk to himself.
"I don't see what people want to play all day and sleep all night for,"said Bobby Coon. "Night's the best time to be about. Now Reddy Fox--"
"Be careful what you say about Reddy Fox," said a voice right behindBobby Coon.
Bobby Coon turned around very quickly indeed, for he had thought he wasall alone. There was Reddy Fox himself, trotting down the Lone LittlePath through the wood.
"I thought you were home and fast asleep, Reddy Fox," said Bobby Coon.
"You were mistaken," sa
id Reddy Fox. "For you see I'm out to take a walkin the moonlight."
So Bobby Coon and Reddy Fox walked together down the Lone Little Paththrough the wood to the Green Meadows. They met Jimmy Skunk, who haddreamed that there were a lot of beetles up on the hill, and was justgoing to climb the Crooked Little Path to see.
"Hello, Jimmy Skunk!" said Bobby Coon and Reddy Fox. "Come down to theGreen Meadows with us."
Jimmy Skunk said he would, so they all went down on the Green Meadowstogether, Bobby Coon first, Reddy Fox next and Jimmy Skunk last of all,for Jimmy Skunk never hurries. Pretty soon they came to the house ofJohnny Chuck.
"Listen," said Bobby Coon. "Johnny Chuck is fast asleep."
They all listened and they could hear Johnny Chuck snoring away down inhis snug little bed.
"Let's give Johnny Chuck a surprise," said Reddy Fox.
"What shall it be?" asked Bobby Coon.
"I know," said Reddy Fox. "Let's roll that big stone right over JohnnyChuck's doorway; then he'll have to dig his way out in the morning."
So Bobby Coon and Reddy Fox pulled and tugged and tugged and pulled atthe big stone till they had rolled it over Johnny Chuck's doorway. JimmySkunk pretended not to see what they were doing.
"Now let's go down to the Laughing Brook and wake up old GrandfatherFrog and hear him say 'Chug-a-rum,'" said Bobby Coon.
"Come on!" cried Reddy Fox, "I'll get there first!"
Away raced Reddy Fox down the Lone Little Path and after him ran BobbyCoon, going to wake old Grandfather Frog from a nice comfortable sleepon his green lily pad.
But Jimmy Skunk didn't go. He watched Reddy Fox and Bobby Coon untilthey were nearly to the Laughing Brook. Then he began to dig at one sideof the big stone which filled the doorway of Johnny Chuck's house. My,how he made the dirt fly! Pretty soon he had made a hole big enough tocall through to Johnny Chuck, who was snoring away, fast asleep in hissnug little bed below.
"Johnny Chuck, Chuck, Chuck! Johnny Woodchuck!" called Jimmy Skunk.
But Johnny Chuck just snored.
"Johnny Chuck, Chuck, Chuck! Johnny Woodchuck!" called Jimmy Skunk oncemore.
But Johnny Chuck just snored. Then Jimmy Skunk called again, this timelouder than before.
"Who is it?" asked a very sleepy voice.
"It's Jimmy Skunk. Put your coat on and come up here!" called JimmySkunk.
"Go away, Jimmy Skunk. I want to sleep!" said Johnny Chuck.
"I've got a surprise for you, Johnny Chuck. You'd better come!" calledJimmy Skunk through the little hole he had made. When Johnny Chuck heardthat Jimmy Skunk had a surprise for him he wanted to know right awaywhat it could be, so though he was very, very sleepy, he put on hiscoat and started up for his door to see what the surprise was that JimmySkunk had. And there he found the big stone Reddy Fox and Bobby Coon hadput there, and of course he was very much surprised indeed. He thoughtJimmy Skunk had played him a mean trick and for a few minutes he wasvery mad. But Jimmy Skunk soon told him who had filled up his doorwaywith the big stone.
"Now you push from that side, Johnny Chuck, and I'll pull from thisside, and we'll soon have this big stone out of your doorway," saidJimmy Skunk.
So Johnny Chuck pushed and Jimmy Skunk pulled, and sure enough they soonhad the big stone out of Johnny Chuck's doorway.
"Now," said Jimmy Skunk, "we'll roll this big stone down the Lone LittlePath to Reddy Fox's house and we'll give Reddy Fox a surprise."
So Johnny Chuck and Jimmy Skunk tugged and pulled and rolled the bigstone down to the house of Reddy Fox, and sure enough, it filled hisdoorway.
"Good night, Jimmy Skunk," said Johnny Chuck, and trotted down the LoneLittle Path toward home, chuckling to himself all the way.
Jimmy Skunk walked slowly up the Lone Little Path to the wood, for JimmySkunk never hurries. Pretty soon he came to the big hollow tree whereBobby Coon lives, and there he met Hooty the Owl.
"Hello, Jimmy Skunk, where have you been?" asked Hooty the Owl.
"Just for a walk," said Jimmy Skunk. "Who lives in this big hollowtree?"
Now of course Jimmy Skunk knew all the time, but he pretended he didn't.
"Oh, this is Bobby Coon's house," said Hooty the Owl.
"Let's give Bobby Coon a surprise," said Jimmy Skunk.
"How?" asked Hooty the Owl.
"We'll fill his house full of sticks and leaves," said Jimmy Skunk.
Hooty the Owl thought that would be a good joke so while Jimmy Skunkgathered all the old sticks and leaves he could find, Hooty the Owlstuffed them into the old hollow tree which was Bobby Coon's house,until he couldn't get in another one.
"Good night," said Jimmy Skunk as he began to climb the Crooked LittlePath up the hill to his own snug little home.
"Good night," said Hooty the Owl, as he flew like a big soft shadow overto the Great Pine.
By and by when old Mother Moon was just going to bed and all the littlestars were too sleepy to twinkle any longer, Reddy Fox and Bobby Coon,very tired and very wet from playing in the Laughing Brook, came up theLone Little Path, ready to tumble into their snug little beds. They werechuckling over the trick they had played on Johnny Chuck, and the waythey had waked up old Grandfather Frog, and all the other mischief theyhad done. What do you suppose they said when they reached their homesand found that someone else had been playing jokes, too?
I'm sure I don't know, but round, red Mr. Sun was laughing very hard ashe peeped over the hill at Reddy Fox and Bobby Coon, and he won't tellwhy.
CHAPTER XIII JOHNNY CHUCK FINDS THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD
Old Mother West Wind had stopped to talk with the Slender Fir Tree.
"I've just come across the Green Meadows," said Old Mother West Wind,"and there I saw the Best Thing in the World."
Striped Chipmunk was sitting under the Slender Fir Tree and he couldn'thelp hearing what Old Mother West Wind said. "The Best Thing in theWorld--now what can that be?" thought Striped Chipmunk. "Why, it must beheaps and heaps of nuts and acorns! I'll go and find it."
So Striped Chipmunk started down the Lone Little Path through the woodas fast as he could run. Pretty soon he met Peter Rabbit.
"Where are you going in such a hurry, Striped Chipmunk?" asked PeterRabbit.
"Down in the Green Meadows to find the Best Thing in the World," repliedStriped Chipmunk, and ran faster.
"The Best Thing in the World," said Peter Rabbit. "Why, that must begreat piles of carrots and cabbage! I think I'll go and find it."
So Peter Rabbit started down the Lone Little Path through the wood asfast as he could go after Striped Chipmunk.
As they passed the great hollow tree Bobby Coon put his head out. "Whereare you going in such a hurry?" asked Bobby Coon.
"Down in the Green Meadows to find the Best Thing in the World!" shoutedStriped Chipmunk and Peter Rabbit, and both began to run faster.
"The Best Thing in the World," said Bobby Coon to himself. "Why, thatmust be a whole field of sweet milky corn. I think I'll go and find it."
So Bobby Coon climbed down out of the great hollow tree and starteddown the Lone Little Path through the wood as fast as he could go afterStriped Chipmunk and Peter Rabbit, for there is nothing that Bobby Coonlikes to eat so well as sweet milky corn.
At the edge of the wood they met Jimmy Skunk.
"Where are you going in such a hurry?" asked Jimmy Skunk.
"Down in the Green Meadows to find the Best Thing in the World!" shoutedStriped Chipmunk and Peter Rabbit and Bobby Coon. Then they all tried torun faster.
"The Best Thing in the World," said Jimmy Skunk. "Why, that must bepacks and packs of beetles!" And for once in his life Jimmy Skunk beganto hurry down the Lone Little Path after Striped Chipmunk and PeterRabbit and Bobby Coon.
They were all running so fast that they didn't see Reddy Fox until hejumped out of the long grass and asked: "Where are you going in such ahurry?"
"To find the Best Thing in the World!" shouted Striped Chipmunk andPeter Rabbit and Bobby Coon and Jimmy Skun
k, and each did his best torun faster.
"The Best Thing in the World," said Reddy Fox to himself. "Why, thatmust be a whole pen full of tender young chickens, and I must havethem."
So away went Reddy Fox as fast as he could run down the Lone Little Pathafter Striped Chipmunk, Peter Rabbit, Bobby Coon and Jimmy Skunk.
By and by they all came to the house of Johnny Chuck.
"Where are you going in such a hurry?" asked Johnny Chuck.
"To find the Best Thing in the World," shouted Striped Chipmunk andPeter Rabbit and Bobby Coon and Jimmy Skunk and Reddy Fox.
"The Best Thing in the World," said Johnny Chuck. "Why, I don't know ofanything better than my own little home and the warm sunshine and thebeautiful blue sky."
So Johnny Chuck stayed at home and played all day among the flowers withthe Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind and was as happy ascould be.
But all day long Striped Chipmunk and Peter Rabbit and Bobby Coon andJimmy Skunk and Reddy Fox ran this way and ran that way over the GreenMeadows trying to find the Best Thing in the World. The sun was very,very warm and they ran so far and they ran so fast that they were very,very hot and tired, and still they hadn't found the Best Thing in theWorld.
When the long day was over they started up the Lone Little Path pastJohnny Chuck's house to their own homes. They didn't hurry now for theywere so very, very tired! And they were cross--oh so cross! StripedChipmunk hadn't found a single nut. Peter Rabbit hadn't found so much asthe leaf of a cabbage. Bobby Coon hadn't found the tiniest bit of sweetmilky corn. Jimmy Skunk hadn't seen a single beetle. Reddy Fox hadn'theard so much as the peep of a chicken. And all were as hungry as hungrycould be.