"I don't believe it!" cried Billy Mink. "I don't believe any cousin ofJerry Muskrat's ever built such a dam as this. Why, just look at thatgreat tree trunk at the bottom! No one but Farmer Brown or FarmerBrown's boy could ever have dragged that there. You're crazy,Grandfather Frog, just plain crazy." Billy Mink sometimes is verydisrespectful to Grandfather Frog.
"Chugarum!" replied Grandfather Frog. "I'm pretty old, but I'm not tooold to learn as some folks seem to be," and he looked very hard at BillyMink. "Did I say that that tree trunk was dragged here?"
"No," replied Billy Mink, "but if it wasn't dragged here, how did it gethere? You are so smart, Grandfather Frog, tell me that!"
Grandfather Frog blinked his great goggly eyes at Billy Mink as he said,just as if he was very, very sorry for Billy, "Your eyes are very brightand very sharp, Billy Mink, and it is a great pity that you have neverlearned how to use them. That tree wasn't dragged here; it was cut sothat it fell right where it lies." As he spoke, Grandfather Frog pointedto the stump of the tree, and Billy Mink saw that he was right.
But Billy Mink is like a great many other people; he dearly loves tohave the last word. Now he suddenly began to laugh.
"Ha, ha, ha! Ho, ho, ho!" laughed Billy Mink. "Ho, ho, ho! Ha, ha, ha!"
"What is it that is so funny?" snapped Grandfather Frog, for nothingmakes him so angry as to be laughed at.
"Do you mean to say that anybody but Farmer Brown or Farmer Brown's boycould have cut down such a big tree as that?" asked Billy. "Why, thatwould be as hard as to drag the tree here."
"Jerry Muskrat's big cousin from the North could do it, and I believe hedid," replied Grandfather Frog. "Now that we have found the cause of thetrouble in the Laughing Brook and the Smiling Pool, what are we going todo about it?"
CHAPTER XIX: Jerry Muskrat Has A Busy Day
There was the strange pond in the Green Forest, and there was the damof logs and sticks and mud which had made the strange pond, but lookas they would, Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter and Jerry Muskrat andGrandfather Frog and Spotty the Turtle could see nothing of the one whohad built the dam. It was very queer. The more they thought about it,the queerer it seemed. They looked this way, and they looked that way.
"There is one thing very sure, and that is that whoever built this damhad no thought for those who live in the Laughing Brook and the SmilingPool," said Grandfather Frog. "They are selfish, just plain, every-dayselfish; that's what they are! Now the Laughing Brook cannot laugh,and the Smiling Pool cannot smile, while this dam stops the water fromrunning, and so--" Grandfather Frog stopped and looked around at hisfour friends.
"And so what?" cried Billy Mink impatiently.
"And so we must spoil this dam. We must make a place for the water torun through," said Grandfather Frog very gravely.
"Of course! That's the very thing!" cried Little Joe Otter and BillyMink and Jerry Muskrat and Spotty the Turtle. Then Little Joe Otterlooked at Billy Mink, and Billy Mink looked at Jerry Muskrat, and JerryMuskrat looked at Spotty the Turtle, and after that they all looked veryhard at Grandfather Frog, and all together they asked: "How are we goingto do it?"
Grandfather Frog scratched his head thoughtfully and looked a long timeat the dam of logs and sticks and mud. Then his big mouth widened in abig smile.
"Why, that is very simple," said he, "Jerry Muskrat will make a big holethrough the dam near the bottom, because he knows how, and the rest ofus will keep watch to see that no harm comes near."
"The very thing!" cried Little Joe Otter and Billy Mink and Spotty theTurtle, but Jerry Muskrat thought it wasn't fair. You see, it gave himall of the real work to do. However, Jerry thought of his dear SmilingPool, and how terrible it would be if it should smile no more, and sowithout another word he set to work.
Now Jerry Muskrat is a great worker, and he had made many long tunnelsinto the bank around the Smiling Pool, so he had no doubt but that hecould soon make a hole through this dam. But almost right away he foundtrouble. Yes, Sir, Jerry had hardly begun before he found real trouble.You see, that dam was made mostly of sticks instead of mud, and so,instead of digging his way in as he would have done into the bank of theSmiling Pool, he had to stop every few minutes to gnaw off sticks thatwere in the way.
It was hard work, the hardest kind of hard work. But Jerry Muskrat isthe kind that is the more determined to do the work the harder the workis to be done. And so, while Grandfather Frog sat on one end of the damand pretended to keep watch, but really took a nap in the warm sunshine,and while Spotty the Turtle sat on the other end of the dam doing thesame thing, and while Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter swam around in thestrange pond and enjoyed themselves, Jerry Muskrat worked and worked andworked. And just as jolly, round, red Mr. Sun started down behind thePurple Hills, Jerry broke through into the strange pond, and the waterbegan to run in the Laughing Brook once more.
CHAPTER XX: Jerry Has A Dreadful Disappointment
There's nothing in this world that's sure, No matter how we scheme and plan. We simply have to be content With doing just the best we can.
Jerry Muskrat had curled himself up for the night, so tired that hecould hardly keep his eyes open long enough to find a comfortable placeto sleep. But he was happy. Yes, indeed, Jerry was happy. He could hearthe Laughing Brook beginning to laugh again. It was just a little low,gurgling laugh, but Jerry knew that in a little while it would growinto the full laugh that makes music through the Green Forest and putshappiness into the hearts of all who hear it.
So Jerry was happy, for was it not because of him that the LaughingBrook was beginning to laugh? He had worked all the long day to make ahole through the dam which some one had built across the Laughing Brookand so stopped its laughter. Now the water was running again, and soonthe new, strange pond behind the dam there in the Green Forest wouldbe gone, and the Laughing Brook and the Smiling Pool would be their ownbeautiful selves once more. It was because he had worked so hard all daythat he was going to sleep now. Usually he would rather sleep a part ofthe day and be abroad at night.
Very pleasant dreams had Jerry Muskrat that night, dreams of the dearSmiling Pool, smiling just as it had as long as Jerry could remember,before this trouble had come. He was still dreaming when Spotty theTurtle found him and waked him, for it was broad daylight. Jerry yawnedand stretched, and then he lay still for a minute to listen to thepleasant murmur of the Laughing Brook. But there wasn't any pleasantmurmur. There wasn't any sound at all. Jerry began to wonder if hereally was awake after all. He looked at Spotty the Turtle, and he knewthen that he was, for Spotty's face had such a worried look.
"Get up, Jerry Muskrat, and come look at the hole you made yesterday inthe dam. You couldn't have done your work very well, for the hole hasfilled up so that the water does not run any more," said Spotty.
"I did do it well!" snapped Jerry crossly. "I did it just as well asI know how. You lazy folks who just sit and take sun-naps whileyou pretend to keep watch had better get busy and do a little workyourselves, if you don't like the way I work."
"I--I beg your pardon, Jerry Muskrat. I didn't mean to say just that,"replied Spotty. "You see, we are all worried. We thought last night thatby this morning the Laughing Brook would be full of water again, and wecould go back to the Smiling Pool as soon as we felt like it, and hereit is as bad as ever."
"Perhaps the trouble is just that some sticks and grass drifted down inthe water and filled up the hole I made; that must be the trouble," saidJerry hopefully, as he hurried towards the dam.
First he carefully examined it from the Laughing Brook side. Then hedived down under water on the other side. He was gone a long time, andBilly Mink was just getting ready to dive to see what had become of himwhen he came up again.
"What is the trouble?" cried Spotty the Turtle and Grandfather Frog andBilly Mink and Little Joe Otter together. "Is the hole filled up withstuff that has drifted in?"
Jerry shook his head, as he slowly climbed out of the water. "No," saidhe. "No, it isn't filled with drift stuff brought dow
n by the water. Itis filled with sticks and mud that somebody has put there. Somebody hasfilled up the hole that I worked so hard to make yesterday, and it willtake me all day to open it up again."
Then Grandfather Frog and Spotty the Turtle and Billy Mink and LittleJoe Otter and Jerry Muskrat stared at one mother, and for a long time noone said a word.
CHAPTER XXI: Jerry Muskrat Keeps Watch
"The way in which to find things out, And what goes on all round about, Is just to keep my two eyes peeled And two ears all the time unsealed."
So said Jerry Muskrat, as he settled himself comfortably on one endof the new dam across the Laughing Brook deep in the Green Forest andwatched the dark shadows creep farther and farther out into the strangepond made by the new dam.
"I'm going to find out who it is that built this dam, and who it is thatfilled the hole I made in it! I'm going to find out if I have to move uphere and live all summer!" The way in which Jerry said this and snappedhis teeth together showed that he meant just what he said.
You see Jerry had spent another long, weary day opening the hole in thedam once more, only to have it closed again while he slept. That hadbeen enough for Jerry. He hadn't tried again. Instead he had made uphis mind that he would find out who was playing such a trick on him. Hewould just watch until they came, and then if they were not bigger thanhe, or there were not too many of them, he would--well, the way Jerrygritted and clashed those sharp teeth of his sounded as if he meant todo something pretty bad.
Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter had given up in disgust and started forthe Big River. They are great travelers, anyway, and so didn't mind somuch because there was no longer water enough in the Laughing Brook andthe Smiling Pool. Grandfather Frog and Spotty the Turtle, who are suchvery, very slow travelers, had decided that the Big River was too faraway, and so they would stay and live in the strange pond for a while,though it wasn't nearly so nice as their dear Smiling Pool. They badgone to sleep now, each in his own secret place where he would be safefor the night.
So Jerry Muskrat sat alone and watched. The black shadows crept fartherand farther across the pond and grew blacker and blacker. Jerry didn'tmind this, because, as you know, his eyes are made for seeing in thedark, and he dearly loves the night. Jerry had sat there a longtime without moving. He was listening and watching. By and by he sawsomething that made him draw in his breath and anger leap into his eyes.It was a little silver line on the water, and it was coming straighttowards the dam where he sat. Jerry knew that it was made by some oneswimming.
"Ha!" said Jerry. "Now we shall see!"
Nearer and nearer came the silver line. Then Jerry made out the head ofthe swimmer. Suddenly all the anger left Jerry. He didn't have room foranger; a great fear had crowded it out. The head was bigger than that ofany Muskrat Jerry had ever seen. It was bigger than the head of any ofBilly Mink's relatives. It was the head of a stranger, a stranger so bigthat Jerry felt very, very small and hoped with all his might that thestranger would not see him.
Jerry held his breath as the stranger swam past and then climbed out onthe dam. He looked very much like Jerry himself, only ever and ever somuch bigger. And his tail! Jerry had never seen such a tail. It was verybroad and flat. Suddenly the big stranger turned and looked straight atJerry.
"Hello, Jerry Muskrat!" said he. "Don't you know me?"
Jerry was too frightened to speak.
"I'm your big cousin from the North; I'm Paddy the Beaver, and ifyou leave my dam alone, I think we'll be good friends," continued thestranger.
"I--I--I hope so," said Jerry in a very faint voice, trying to bepolite, but with his teeth chattering with fear.
CHAPTER XXII: Jerry Loses His Fear
"Oh, tell me, you and you and you, If it may hap you've ever heard Of all that wond'rous is and great The greatest is the spoken word?"
It's true. It's the truest thing that ever was. If you don't believeit, you just go ask Jerry Muskrat. He'll tell you it's true, and Jerryknows. You see, it's this way: Words are more than just sounds. Oh, my,yes! They are little messengers, and once they have been sent out, youcan't call them back. No, Sir, you can't call them back, and sometimesthat is a very sad thing, because--well, you see these little messengersalways carry something to some one else, and that something may be angeror hate or fear or an untruth, and it is these things which make most ofthe trouble in this world. Or that something may be love or sympathy orhelpfulness or kindness, and it is these things which put an end to mostof the troubles in this world.
Just take the ease of Jerry Muskrat. There he sat on the new dam, whichhad made the strange pond in the Green Forest, shaking with fear untilhis teeth chattered, as he watched a stranger very, very much biggerthan he climb up on the dam. Jerry was afraid, because he had seen thatthe stranger could swim as well as he could, and as Jerry had no secretburrows there, he knew that he couldn't get away from the stranger if hewanted to. Somehow, Jerry knew without being told that the stranger hadbuilt the dam, and you know Jerry had twice made a hole in the dam tolet the water out of the strange pond into the Laughing Brook. Jerryknew right down in his heart that if he had built that dam, he would bevery, very angry with any one who tried to spoil it, and that is justwhat he had tried to do. So he sat with chattering teeth, too frightenedto even try to run.
"I wish I had let some one else keep watch," said Jerry to himself.
Then the big stranger had spoken. He had said: "Hello, Jerry Muskrat!Don't you know me?" and his voice hadn't sounded the least bit angry.Then he had told Jerry that he was his big cousin, Paddy the Beaver, andhe hoped that they would be friends.
Now everything was just as it had been before--the strange pond, thedam, Jerry himself and the big stranger, and the black shadows of thenight--and yet somehow, everything was different, all because a fewpleasant words had been spoken. A great fear had fallen away fromJerry's heart, and in its place was a great hope that after all therewasn't to be any trouble. So he replied to Paddy the Beaver as politelyas he knew how. Paddy was just as polite, and the first thing Jerryknew, instead of being enemies, as Jerry had all along made up his mindwould be the case when he found the builder of the dam, here they werebecoming the best of friends, all because Paddy the Beaver had said theright thing in the right way.
"But you haven't told me yet what you made those holes in my dam for,Cousin Jerry," said Paddy the Beaver finally.
Jerry didn't know just what to say. He was so pleased with his big newcousin that he didn't want to hurt his feelings by telling him that hedidn't think that dam had any business to be across the Laughing Brook,and at the same time he wanted Paddy to know how he had spoiled theLaughing Brook and the Smiling Pool. At last he made up his mind to tellthe whole story.
CHAPTER XXIII: Paddy The Beaver Does A Kind Deed
Paddy the Beaver listened to all that his small cousin, Jerry Muskrat,had to tell him about the trouble which Paddy's dam had caused in theLaughing Brook and the Smiling Pool.
"You see, we who live in the Smiling Pool love it dearly, and we don'twant to have to leave it, but if the water cannot run down the LaughingBrook, there can be no Smiling Pool, and so we will have to move off tothe Big River," concluded Jerry Muskrat. "That is why I tried to spoilyour dam."
There was a twinkle in the eyes of Paddy the Beaver as he replied:"Well, now that you have found out that you can't do that, because I ambigger than you and can stop you, what are you going to do about it?"
"I don't know," said Jerry Muskrat sadly. "I don't see what we cando about it. Of course you are big and strong and can do just as youplease, but it doesn't seem right that we who have lived here so longshould have to move and go away from all that we love so just becauseyou, a stranger, happen to want to live here. I tell you what!" Jerry'seyes sparkled as a brand new thought came to him. "Couldn't you comedown and live in the Smiling Pool with us? I'm sure there is roomenough!"
Paddy the Beaver shook his head. "No," said he, and Jerry's heart sank."No, I can't do that because
down there there isn't any of the kind offood I eat. Besides, I wouldn't feel at all safe in the Smiling Pool.You see, I always live in the woods. No, I couldn't possibly come downto live in the Smiling Pool. But I'm truly sorry that I have made you somuch worry, Cousin Jerry, and I'm going to prove it to you. Now you sitright here until I come back."
Before Jerry realized what he was going to do, Paddy the Beaver divedinto the pond, and as he disappeared, his broad tail hit the water sucha slap that it made Jerry jump. Then there began a great disturbancedown under water. In a few minutes up bobbed a stick, and then anotherand another, and the water grew so muddy that Jerry couldn't see whatwas going on. Paddy was gone a long time. Jerry wondered how he couldstay under water so long without air. All the time Paddy was justfooling him. He would come up to the surface, stick his nose out,nothing more, fill his lungs with fresh air, and go down again.
Suddenly Jerry Muskrat heard a sound that made him prick up his funnylittle short ears and whirl about so that he could look over the otherside of the dam into the Laughing Brook. What do you think that soundwas? Why, it was the sound of rushing water, the sweetest sound Jerryhad listened to for a long time. There was a great hole in the dam, andalready the brook was beginning to laugh as the water rushed down it.
"How do you like that, Cousin Jerry?" said a voice right in his ear.Paddy the Beaver had climbed up beside him, and his eyes were twinkling.
"It--it's splendid!" cried Jerry. "But--but you've spoiled your dam!"
"Oh, that's all right," replied Paddy. "I didn't really want it now,anyway. I don't usually build dams at this time of year, and I builtthis one just for fun because it seemed such a nice place to build one.You see, I was traveling through here, and it seemed such a nice place,that I thought I would stay a while. I didn't know anything about theSmiling Pool, you know. Now, I guess I'll have to move on and find aplace where I can make a pond in the fall that will not trouble otherpeople. You see, I don't like to be troubled myself, and so I don't wantto trouble other people. This Green Forest is a very nice place."