"Old Man Coyote is a wolf," said she, talking to herself, "and a wolfon the Green Meadows and in the Green Forest will mean hard hunting forReddy and me when food is scarce. It is of no use for me to fight him,for he is bigger and stronger than I am. I'll just have to make all thetrouble for him that I can, and then perhaps he'll go away. I wonder ifhe has ever met Prickly Porky the Porcupine. I believe I'll go over andmake Prickly Porky a call right now!"
And as she trotted through the Green Forest on her way to call onPrickly Porky, her thoughts were very busy, very busy indeed. She wasplanning trouble for Old Man Coyote.
XI. GRANNY FOX TELLS PRICKLY PORKY A STORY
A little tale which isn't true,
And eager ears to heed it,
Means trouble starts right there to brew
With tattle-tales to feed it.
|NO one knows how true this is better than does old Granny-Fox. Andno one knows better than she how to make trouble for other people bystarting little untrue stories. You see, she learned long ago how fast amean little tale will travel once it has been started, and so when thereis some one with whom she is afraid to fight honestly, she uses theselittle untrue tales instead of claws and teeth, and often they hurt agreat deal worse than claws or teeth ever could.
Now you would think that by this time all the little meadow and forestpeople would have found old Granny Fox out, and that they wouldn'tbelieve her stories. But the truth is most people are very apt tobelieve unpleasant things about other people without taking the troubleto find out if they are true, and old Granny Fox knows this. Besides,she is smart enough to tell these little trouble-making, untrue storiesas if she had heard them from some one else. So, of course, some oneelse gets the blame for starting them. Oh, Granny Fox is smart and sly!Yes, Siree! She certainly is smart and sly.
It was one of her plans to make trouble that was taking her over tosee Prickly Porky the Porcupine. She found him as usual in the top of apoplar tree, filling his stomach with tender young bark. Granny strolledalong as if she had just happened to pass that way and not as if she hadcome purposely. She pretended to be very much surprised when she lookedup and saw Prickly Porky.
"Good morning, Prickly Porky," she said in her pleasantest voice. "Howbig and fine and strong and brave you are looking this morning!"
Prickly Porky stopped eating and looked down at her suspiciously, butjust the same he felt pleased.
"Huh!" he grunted, then once more he began to eat.
Granny Pox went right on talking. "I said when I heard that story thismorning that I didn't believe a word of it. I--"
"What story?" Prickly Porky broke in.
"Why, haven't you heard it?" Granny spoke in a tone of great surprise."Billy Mink told it to me. He said that this stranger, Old Man Coyote,who has come to the Green Meadows and the Green Forest, has beenboasting that he is afraid of nobody, but everybody is afraid of him.When somebody asked him if you were afraid of him, he said that youclimbed the highest tree you could find if you but saw his shadow. Ofcourse, I didn't believe it, because I know that you are not afraidof anybody. But other people believe it, and they do say that Old ManCoyote is bragging that the first time he meets you on the ground he isgoing to have Porcupine for dinner."
Prickly Porky had started down the tree before Granny finished speaking,and his usually dull eyes actually looked bright. The fact is, they werebright with anger. Prickly Porky looked positively fierce.
"What are you going to do?" asked Granny Fox, backing away a little.
"Going to give that boaster a chance to try to get his Porcupinedinner," grunted Prickly Porky.
Granny turned aside to grin. "I don't believe you will find him now,"said she, "but I heard that he is planning to get you when you go downto the Laughing Brook for a drink this evening."
"Then I'll wait," grunted Prickly Porky.
So Granny Fox bade him good-by and started on with a wicked chuckle tothink how Prickly Porky had believed the story which she had made up.
XII. GRANNY FOX TELLS ANOTHER STORY
Believe all the good that you may hear,
But always doubt the bad.
Pass on the word of kindly cheer;
Forget the tale that's sad.
|IF every one would do that what a different world this would he! My,my, my, yes, indeed! There wouldn't be any place for the Granny Foxeswho start untrue stories just to make trouble. But we will have to saythis much for old Granny Fox,--she seldom does make trouble just forthe sake of trouble. No, Sir, old Granny Fox seldom, very seldom makestrouble, unless she or Reddy Fox have something to gain by it. She istoo smart and wise for that.
It was just this way now. You see she felt down in her heart that OldMan Coyote the Wolf had no right on the Green Meadows and in the GreenForest. He was a stranger from the Great West, and she felt that she andReddy Fox had the best right there, because they had been born there andalways had lived there; and she was afraid, very much afraid, that therewouldn't be room for them and for Old Man Coyote. But she wasn't big orstrong enough to fight him and drive him away, and so the only thing shecould think of was to make him so much trouble that he would leave. Shehad begun by telling an untrue story to Prickly Porky, a story whichhad made Prickly Porky very angry with Old Man Coyote, although they hadnever met. Now she was hurrying down to the Smiling Pool on the banks ofwhich Old Man Coyote was in the habit of taking a sun-bath, she had beentold.
Sure enough, when she came in sight of the Smiling Pool, there he laysprawled out in the sun and talking to Grandfather Frog, who sat on hisbig green lily-pad well out of reach from the shore. Granny came up onthe opposite side of the Smiling Pool from where Old Man Coyote lay.
"How do you do, Mr. Coyote? I have just heard that you have come hereto make your home among us, and I am sure we all give you a heartywelcome." Granny said this just as if she really meant it, and all thetime she was speaking she was smiling. Old Man Coyote watched her out ofhalf-closed eyes and to himself he thought: "I don't believe a word ofit. Granny Fox is too polite, altogether too polite. I wonder what kindof a trick she is trying to play now."
All the time he was saying this, Old Man Coyote was chuckling inside.But aloud he said, and his voice was just as smooth and soft andpleasant as Granny's:
"I'm very well, thank you, and I am much obliged to you for your heartywelcome. I am sure we shall be the best of friends."
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Now all the time he was saying this, Old Man Coyote was chucklinginside, for he knew well enough that they wouldn't be friends, and thatGranny Fox didn't want to be friends. You see, he is quite as sharp asshe.
"Yes, indeed, I am sure we shall," replied old Granny Fox. "How big andstrong you are, Mr. Coyote! I shouldn't think that you would be afraidof anybody."
Old Man Coyote looked flattered. "I'm not," said he.
Granny Fox raised her eyebrows as if very much surprised. "Is that so?"she exclaimed. "Why I heard that Prickly Porky the Porcupine is boastingthat you are afraid of him and don't dare put your foot in the GreenForest when he is about."
Old Man Coyote suddenly jumped to his feet, and there was an ugly gleamin his yellow eyes. Granny Fox was glad that she was on the other sideof the Smiling Pool. "I don't know who this Prickly Porky is," said he,"but if you'll be so kind as to tell me where I can find him, I think Iwill make him a call at once."
"Probably he's taking a nap in a tree-top just now," replied Granny,"but it you really want to meet him, you'll find him getting a drink atthe Laughing Brook in the Green Forest late this afternoon. I do hopethat you will be careful, Mr. Coyote."
"Careful! Careful!" snorted he.
"There won't be any Prickly Porky when I get through with him!"
"Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog and looked very hard at old GrannyFox. Granny winked the eye that was nearest to him.
XIII. THE MEETING AT THE L
AUGHING BROOK
The trouble with a quarrel is
That when it's once begun
The whole world tries to push it on,
And seems to think it fun.
|IT usually is anything but fun for those engaged in it, but theirneighbors crowd about and urge them on and do their best to make mattersworse. It was just that way when Prickly Porcupine and Old Man Coyotemet beside the Laughing Brook. Now until they met here neither had everseen the other, for you know Old Man Coyote had come out of the GreatWest, while Prickly Porky had come down from the North Woods. PricklyPorky took one good look and then he grunted, "I'll soon fix him!" Whathe saw was some one who looked something like a very large gray fox or adog, and Prickly Porky had put too many foxes and dogs to flight to feelthe least bit of fear of the stranger grinning at him and showing allhis great teeth.
But Old Man Coyote didn't know what to make of what he saw. Never in allhis life had he seen anything like it. He didn't know whether to laughor to be frightened. About all he could see was what looked like atremendous great chestnut-burr on legs, which came towards him in littlerushes and with a great rattling of the thousand little spears whichmade him look like a chestnut-burr. Old Man Coyote had never fought withanybody like this, and he didn't know just how to begin. He didn't likethe look of the thousand little spears. The nearer they came, the lesshe liked the look of them. So he backed away a few steps, growling andsnarling angrily.
Now it seemed that as if by magic the news that there was troublebetween Prickly Porky and Old Man Coyote had spread all over the GreenMeadows and through the Green Forest. Everybody who dared to go was onhand to see it. Sammy Jay and his cousin, Blacky the Crow, were thereof course, peering down from the top of a pine-tree and screamingexcitedly. Happy Jack the Gray Squirrel and Chatterer the Red Squirrelactually sat side by side in the same tree, so interested that theyforgot for once to quarrel themselves. Unc' Billy Possum and Bobby Cooncut their afternoon nap short and looked on from a safe place in a bigchestnut-tree.
Danny Meadow Mouse and his cousin, Whitefoot the Wood Mouse, shiveredwith fright, while they peeped out through a crack in a hollow log.Johnny Chuck came as near as he dared and peeped over the trunk of afallen tree. Billy Mink and Jerry Muskrat quietly swam up the LaughingBrook and crawled out on the farther bank where they could see and stillbe safe. Of course Reddy and Granny Fox were there, well hidden so thatno one should see them.
And what do you think every one of them was wishing? Why, that PricklyPorky would drive Old Man Coyote away from the Green Forest and offof the Green Meadows. You see, every one of them was afraid of Old ManCoyote, and right down in his heart each was hoping that Prickly Porkywould be able to send Old Man Coyote off yelping, with his face stuckfull of little spears as once upon a time he had sent Bowser the Hound.
XIV. SLOW WIT AND QUICK WIT
|WHEN Prickly Porky the Porcupine and Old Man Coyote the Prairie Wolfmet beside the Laughing Brook, it was a case of Slow Wit meeting QuickWit. You see, Prickly Porky is very slow in everything he does, that iseverything but flipping that queer tail of his about when there is anenemy near enough for it to reach. But in everything else he is oh,so slow! He walks as if he had all the time in the world to get to theplace he has started for. He climbs in just the same way. And becausehe never moves quickly, he never thinks quickly. The fact is, he doesn'tsee any need of hurrying, not even in thinking.
But Old Man Coyote is just the opposite. Yes, Sir, he is just theopposite. No one moves quicker than he does. He is nimble on his feet,and his wit is just as quick.
His nimble wit and nimble feet
Are very, very hard to beat.
Digger the Badger, who also comes from the Great West, says that to beatOld Man Coyote in anything, you should start the day before he does andnot let him know it.
So here was Slow Wit facing Quick Wit, with most of the little meadowpeople and forest folk looking on. Suddenly Old Man Coyote sprangforward with his ugliest snarl, a snarl that made everybody but PricklyPorky shiver, even those who were perfectly safe up in the trees.
But Prickly Porky didn't shiver.
No, Sir, he just grunted angrily and rattled this thousand littlespears.
Now, Old Man Coyote had sprung with that ugly snarl just to try tofrighten Prickly Porky, and he had taken care not to spring too closeto those rattling spears. When he found that Prickly Porky wasn'tfrightened the least little bit, he tried another plan. Perhaps he couldget Prickly Porky from behind. As quick as a flash and as light as afeather, he leaped right over Prickly Porky and turned to seize him frombehind. But he didn't! Oh, my, no! You see, the thousand little spearscovered every inch of Prickly Porky's back.
Slowly and clumsily Prickly Porky turned so as to face his enemy.
"Got fooled that time, didn't you, Mr. Smarty?" he grunted, while hiseyes snapped with anger.
Old Man Coyote didn't say anything. He just grinned. But all the time hewas using his eyes, and now he discovered that while Prickly Porky wasfully protected on his back and sides by the thousand little spearscarried in his coat, there wasn't a single little spear in hiswaistcoat.
"I've got to get him where I can seize him from underneath," thought he,and straightway he began to run in a circle around Prickly Porky whilethe latter turned slowly round and round, trying to keep his face turnedalways towards Old Man Coyote. Faster and faster ran Old Man Coyote, andfaster and faster turned Prickly Porky. In his slow mind he was tryingto understand what it meant, but he couldn't. And for a while the littlemeadow and forest people looking on were just as much puzzled. It was amost surprising thing.
Then suddenly Unc' Billy Possum understood.
"He's trying to make Prickly Porky dizzy," he whispered to Bobby Coon.
"Let's warn Prickly Porky; he'll never think of it himself until it'stoo late," whispered Bobby Coon.
But before they could do this, the queer performance came to an end.Prickly Porky hadn't discovered what Old Man Coyote was trying to do,but he had become tired of such foolishness, and he suddenly decided totake a rest. So he stopped turning around, and then curled himself upin a ball on the ground, where he looked like a great chestnut burr.Everybody held their breath to see what Old Man Coyote would do next.
XV. PRICKLY PORKY'S TAIL
Who on a prickly porcupine
Makes up his mind that he will dine
Must overcome a thousand quills
Before his stomach Porky fills.
And so it is with you and me;
With everybody whom we see;
With Reddy Fox and Billy Mink,
And all the rest of whom we think
On Meadows Green, in Smiling Pool
Or hidden in the Forest cool:
The thing we've set our hearts upon
Must past a thousand spears be won.
|NO one knows this better than did Old Man Coyote as he ran around andaround Prickly Porky. He had never felt one of those little spears whichPrickly Porky rattled so fiercely, and he had no mind to feel one. Yousee, he didn't like the look of them. When finally Prickly Porky laydown and curled up into a great prickly ball, like a huge chestnut burr,Old Man Coyote sat down just a little way off to study how he was goingto get at Prickly Porky without getting hurt by some of those sharp,barbed little spears.
For a long time he sat and studied and studied, his tongue hanging outof one side of his mouth. Once he looked up at Sammy Jay and Blacky theCrow and winked, but he didn't make a sound. Sammy and Blacky chuckledto themselves and winked back, and for a wonder they didn't make asound. Somehow that wink made them have more of a friendly feeling forOld Man Coyote. You see, that wink told them that Old Man Coyote wasjust the same kind of a sly rogue as themselves, and so right away theyha
d a fellow feeling for him.
And none of the little meadow and forest people looking on made a sound.Some of them didn't dare to, and others were so anxious to see whatwould happen next that they didn't want to. It was so still that thelittle leaves up in the tree-tops could be heard whispering good nightto the Merry Little Breezes, for whom Old Mother West Wind was waitingwith her big bag out on the Green Meadows to take them to their homebehind the Purple Hills. It was so still that after a while PricklyPorky began to wonder if he were all alone. You see, being curled upthat way, he couldn't see and had to trust to his ears. He waited alittle longer, and then he uncurled just enough to peep out. There satOld Man Coyote, and Prickly Porky promptly curled up again.
Now the minute he curled up again something happened. Old Man Coyotelooked up at Sammy Jay and Blacky the Crow and winked once more. Thenvery softly, so softly that he didn't so much as rustle a leaf, hetiptoed around to the other side of Prickly Porky and sat down just asbefore.
"Now," thought he, "when he peeps out again, he will think I have gone,and then perhaps I can catch him by surprise."
Bobby Coon saw through his plan right away. "Some one ought to warnPrickly Porky," he whispered to Unc' Billy Possum.
Unc' Billy shook his head. "No," he whispered back, "No, Brer Coon! Thatwouldn't be fair. It's they-all's quarrel and not ours, and though Ahdone want to see Brer Porky win just as much as yo' do, Ah reckon itwouldn't be right fo' us to meddle. They-all done got to fight it outthemselves."
For a long time nothing happened. Then Old Man Coyote grew tired ofwaiting. Very carefully he crept nearer and nearer, with his nosestretched out to sniff at that prickly ball on the ground. Everybodyheld his breath, for everybody remembered what had happened to Bowserthe Hound when he came sniffing around Prickly Porky,--how PricklyPorky's tail had suddenly slapped Bowser full in the face, filling itwith sharp little spears. Now they hoped to see the same thing happen toOld Man Coyote. So they held their breath as they kept their eyes on OldMan Coyote and Prickly Porky's tail.