e-text prepared by k nordquist , chris curnow , and the project gutenberg online distributed proofreading team ( @url@ note : project gutenberg also has an html version of this file which includes the original illustrations . see 21015-h.htm or 21015-h.zip : ( @url@ or ( @url@ a bedtime story-book the adventures of jimmy skunk by thornton w burgess illustrations by harrison cady [ illustration ] little , brown and company boston toronto copyright @number@ by thornton w burgess ; copyright renewed @number@ by thornton w burgess all rights reserved . republished in @number@ printed and bound in canada contents chapter page the adventures of jimmy skunk i peter rabbit plans a joke the imp of mischief , woe is me , is always busy as a bee . that is why so many people are forever getting into trouble . he won't keep still . no , sir , he won't keep still unless he is made to . once let him get started there is no knowing where he will stop . of course peter shouldn't have listened . certainly not . but he did . you know peter dearly loves a joke when it is on some one else . he sat right where he was and watched to see if jimmy would come out of the barrel . jimmy didn't come out , and after a little peter stole over to the barrel and peeped inside . there was jimmy skunk curled up for a nap . peter tiptoed away very softly . all the time the imp of mischief was whispering to him that this was a splendid chance to play a joke on jimmy . you know it is very easy to play a joke on any one who is asleep . peter doesn't often have a chance to play a joke on jimmy skunk . it isn't a very safe thing to do , not if jimmy is awake . no one knows that better than peter . he sat down some distance from the barrel but where he could keep an eye on it . then he went into a brown study , which is one way of saying that he thought very hard . he wanted to play a joke on jimmy , but like most jokers he didn't want the joke to come back on himself . as he sat there in a brown study , he happened to glance over on the green meadows and there he saw something red . he looked very hard , and in a minute he saw that it was reddy fox . right away , peter 's nimble wits began to plan how he could use reddy fox to play a joke on jimmy . all in a flash an idea came to him , an idea that made him laugh right out . you see , the imp of mischief was very , very busy whispering to peter . " what are you laughing at ? " asked a voice . it was the voice of sammy jay . right away a plan for getting reddy up there flashed into peter 's head . he would get sammy angry , and that would make sammy scream . reddy would be sure to come up there to see what sammy jay was making such a fuss about . sammy , you know , is very quick-tempered . no one knows this better than peter . so instead of replying politely to sammy , as he should have done , peter spoke crossly : " fly away , sammy , fly away ! it is no business of yours what i am laughing at , " said he . right away sammy 's quick temper flared up . he began to call peter names , and peter answered back . peter saw him lift his head to listen . in a few minutes he began to trot that way . he was coming to find out what that fuss was about . peter knew that reddy wouldn't come straight up there . that isn't reddy 's way . " as soon as he sees me he will think that at last he has a chance to catch me , " thought peter . " i shall have to run my very fastest , but if everything goes right , he will soon forget all about me . ii peter makes a flying jump to risk your life unless there 's need is downright foolishness indeed . never forget that . never do such a crazy thing as peter rabbit was doing . what was he doing ? why , he was running the risk of being caught by reddy fox all for the sake of a joke . did you ever hear of anything more foolish ? the fact is , peter didn't stop to think what dreadful thing might happen if his plans didn't work out as he intended . he didn't once think of little mrs peter over in the dear old briar-patch and how she would feel if he never came home again . that 's the trouble with thoughtlessness ; it never remembers other people . if he had known it , he would have suspected one of peter 's tricks . " he will steal along to that place where the wall is lowest and will jump over it right there . i must be ready to jump the very second he does . " it all happened just as peter had expected . the instant that sharp nose dropped out of sight , peter made ready to run for his life . " go it , peter ! go it ! " he screamed excitedly . that was just like sammy . peter did go it . he had to . he ran with all his might . reddy grinned as he saw peter start towards the green meadows . he watched sharply for peter to dodge and try to get back to the old stone wall . he didn't mean to let peter do that . but peter didn't even try . he ran straight for the edge of the hill above the green meadows . then , for the first time , reddy noticed an old barrel there lying on its side . " if he tries that , i will get him without the trouble of much of a chase , " thought reddy , and chuckled . lipperty-lipperty-lip ran peter , lipperty-lipperty-lip , reddy right at his heels ! to sammy jay it looked as if in a few more jumps reddy certainly would catch peter . " go it , peter ! oh , go it ! just as he reached the old barrel , reddy was so close to him that peter was almost sure that he could feel reddy 's breath . in fact , he suspected that the joke which he had planned was working out just as he had hoped it would . iii what happened at the old barrel peter rabbit 's jump over the old barrel on the edge of the hill was unexpected to reddy fox . in fact , reddy was so close on peter 's heels that he had no thought of anything but catching peter . now you remember that that barrel was right on the edge of the hill . you know a barrel is a very rolly sort of thing , and once it has started down a hill , nothing can stop it . it was just so this time . reddy fox had no more than picked himself up when the barrel was half way down the hill and going faster and faster . it bounced along over the ground , and every time it hit a little hummock it seemed to jump right up in the air . and all the time it was making the strangest noises . reddy quite forgot the smarting sore places where he had bumped into the barrel . he simply stood and stared at the runaway . " as i live , " he exclaimed , " i believe there was some one in that old barrel ! " there was . you remember that jimmy skunk had curled up in there for a nap . now jimmy was awake , very much awake . and it wasn't at all comfortable . no , sir , it wasn't at all a comfortable way in which to travel . he went over and over so fast that it made him dizzy . first he was right side up and then wrong side up , so fast that he couldn't tell which side up he was . of course , he couldn't get out , because he was rolled over and over so fast that he didn't have a chance to try . now reddy didn't know who was in the barrel . he just knew by the sounds that some one was . so he started down the hill after the barrel to see what would happen when it stopped . sammy jay was flying overhead , screaming enough to split his throat . altogether , it was quite the most exciting thing peter had ever seen . of course , he heard the noise and looked up to see what it meant . peter decided that it was high time for him to get out of sight . so he dodged into the old house of johnny chuck and lay low in the doorway , where he could watch . he saw jimmy skunk lay perfectly still , and a great fear crept into his heart . had jimmy been killed ? he hadn't once thought of what might happen to jimmy when he planned that joke . but presently jimmy began to wave first one leg and then another , as if to make sure that he had some legs left . then slowly he rolled over and got on to his feet . peter breathed a sigh of relief . iv jimmy skunk is very mad indeed when jimmy skunk is angry then every one watch out ! it 's better far at such a time to be nowhere about . jimmy skunk was angry this time and no mistake . he was just plain mad , and when jimmy skunk feels that way , no one wants to be very near him . you know he is one of the very best-natured little fellows in the world ordinarily . he minds his own business , and if no one interferes with him , he interferes with no one . but once he is aroused and feels that he hasn't been treated fairly , look out for him ! and this time jimmy was mad clear through , as he got to his feet and shook himself to see that he was all there . i don't know that any one could blame him . so he really is not to be blamed for feeling as he did . now jimmy can never be accused of being stupid . he knew that an old barrel which has been lying in one place for a long time doesn't move of its own accord . the first person he saw was reddy fox . in fact , reddy was right close at hand . if reddy had known that it was jimmy skunk , he would have been quite content to remain at the top of the hill . now when jimmy skunk is angry , he doesn't bite and he doesn't scratch . that is why he is afraid of no one , and why every one respects jimmy and his rights . he used it now , and he didn't waste any time about it . he threw some of that perfume right in the face of reddy fox before reddy had a chance to turn or to say a word . " take that ! " snapped jimmy skunk . " perhaps it will teach you not to play tricks on your honest neighbors ! " poor reddy ! some of that perfume got in his eyes and made them smart dreadfully . in fact , for a little while he couldn't see at all . and then the smell of it was so strong that it made him quite sick . he rolled over and over on the ground , choking and gasping and rubbing his eyes . jimmy skunk just stood and looked on , and there wasn't a bit of pity in his eyes . " how do you like that ? " said he . " you thought yourself very smart , rolling me down hill in a barrel , didn't you ? you might have broken my neck . " " huh ! " snorted jimmy skunk , who didn't believe a word of it . " i didn't . honestly i didn't , " protested reddy . " i ran against the barrel by accident , chasing peter rabbit . i didn't have any idea that any one was in it . " " huh ! " said jimmy skunk again . " if you were chasing peter rabbit , where is he now ? " reddy had to confess he didn't know . he was nowhere in sight , and he certainly hadn't had time to reach the dear old briar-patch . jimmy looked this way and that way , but there was no sign of peter rabbit . " huh ! " said he again , turning his back on reddy fox and walking away with a great deal of dignity . v reddy fox sneaks away just as soon as reddy fox could see after jimmy skunk had thrown that terrible perfume in reddy 's face he started for the green forest . he wanted to get away by himself . but he didn't trot with his head up and his big plumey tail carried proudly as is usual with him . no indeed . instead he hung his head , and his handsome tail was dropped between his legs ; he was the very picture of shame . poor reddy ! he didn't know what to do or where to go . he couldn't go home , for old granny fox would drive him out of the house . sammy jay would see to that . he knew just how they would point at him and make fun of him . he would never hear the last of it . he felt as if he never , never would be able to hold his head and his tail up again . every few minutes he stopped to roll over and over on the ground trying to get rid of that dreadful perfume . when he reached the green forest he hurried over to the laughing brook to wash out his eyes . it was just his luck to have billy mink come along while he was doing this . billy didn't need to be told what had happened . " phew ! " he exclaimed , holding on to his nose . then he turned and hurried beyond the reach of that perfume . there he stopped and made fun of reddy fox and said all the provoking things he could think of . reddy took no notice at all . he felt too miserable to quarrel . after he had washed his face he felt better . water wouldn't take away the awful smell , but it did take away the smart from his eyes . then he tried to plan what to do next . " the only thing i can do is to get as far away from everybody as i can , " thought he . " i guess i 'll have to go up to the old pasture to live for a while . " so he started for the old pasture , keeping as much out of sight as possible . on the way he remembered that old man coyote lived there . there he stretched himself out and was perfectly miserable . " it wouldn't be so bad if i had really been to blame , but i wasn't . i didn't know jimmy skunk was in that barrel and i didn't mean to start it rolling down the hill anyway , " he muttered . " it was all an accident and " he stopped and into his yellow eyes crept a look of suspicion . i wonder . " vi peter rabbit doesn't enjoy his joke he felt sure that reddy fox was in for something unpleasant , and he was glad . of course , that wasn't a bit nice of peter . so he chuckled as he waited for what was to happen . suddenly that chuckle broke right off in the middle , and peter cried " ouch ! " he had felt a pain as if a hot needle had been thrust into him . it made him almost jump out of the doorway . so it would not do to show himself now . no , indeed ! all he could do was to kick and squirm and twist his head around to see what was happening . it didn't take long to find out . two very angry little insects were just getting ready to sting him again , and more were coming . they were yellow jackets , which you know belong to the wasp family and carry very sharp little lances in their tails . poor peter ! what could he do ? he didn't dare go out , and he simply couldn't stay where he was . by this time he had lost all interest in what was going on outside . there was quite enough going on inside ; too much , in fact . he remembered that johnny chuck digs his house deep down in the ground . he looked down the long hall . it was dark down there . perhaps if he went down there , these angry little warriors wouldn't follow him . it was worth trying , anyway . so peter scrambled to his feet and scurried down the long hall , and as he ran , he cried " ouch ! ouch ! oh ! ohoo ! " those sharp little lances were very busy , and there was no way of fighting back . at the end of the long hall was a snug little room , very dark but cool and comfortable . it was just as he had hoped ; the yellow jackets did not follow him down there . they had driven him away from their home , which was right near the entrance , and they were satisfied . but what a fix he was in ! what a dreadful fix ! he ached and smarted all over . my goodness , how he did smart ! and to get out he would have to go right past the yellow jacket home again . " i guess i am served just right . " i rather think he was , don't you ? vii sammy jay does some guessing sammy jay is a queer fellow . many are the times he has given them warning of danger . this is one reason they are quite willing to overlook his own shortcomings . so , of course , he had seen what happened to reddy . now , instead of being sorry for reddy , he had openly rejoiced . it seems to be just that way with a great many people . they like to see others who are considered very smart get into trouble . so sammy had laughed and made fun of poor reddy . in the first place it was very exciting , and sammy dearly loves excitement . and then it would make such a splendid story to tell , and no one likes to carry tales more than does sammy jay . he watched reddy sneak away to the green forest , and jimmy skunk slowly walk away in a very dignified manner . then sammy flew back to the old orchard to spread the news among the little people there . it wasn't until he reached the old orchard that he remembered peter rabbit . the fact is , sammy jay was doing some hard thinking . he had suddenly begun to wonder . it had popped into that shrewd little head of his that it was very strange how suddenly peter rabbit had disappeared . but i saw it all , and i know that it was all an accident so far as reddy was concerned . but peter rabbit may have known . why did peter run so that he would have to jump over that barrel when he could have run right past it ? that would have been pretty smart of peter and quite like him . the more i think of it , the more i believe that peter did know and that he planned the whole thing . if he did , it was one of the smartest tricks i ever heard of . i didn't think peter had it in him . it was rather hard on jimmy skunk , but it got rid of reddy fox for a while . he won't dare show his face around here for a long time . that means that peter will have one less worry on his mind . hello ! here comes jimmy skunk . i 'll ask him a few questions . " jimmy came ambling along in his usual lazy manner . he had quite recovered his good nature . " hello , jimmy . have you seen peter rabbit this morning ? " cried sammy jay . jimmy looked up and grinned . " yes , " said he . " i saw him up here early this morning . why ? " " did he see you go into that old barrel ? " persisted sammy . " i don't know , " confessed jimmy . " he may have . what have you got on your mind , sammy jay ? " jimmy pricked up his ears . " then reddy didn't do it purposely ! " he exclaimed . " no , " replied sammy . " he didn't do it purposely . i am quite sure that he didn't know you were in it . but how about peter rabbit ? i am wondering . and i 'm doing a little guessing , too . " viii jimmy skunk looks for peter jimmy skunk looked very hard at sammy jay . sammy jay looked very hard at jimmy skunk . then sammy slowly shut one eye and as slowly opened it again . it was a wink . is that it ? " sammy jay said nothing , but winked again . jimmy grinned . then he looked thoughtful . " i wonder , " said sammy jay . " and i wonder if he did it just to get reddy into trouble , " continued jimmy . " i wonder , " repeated sammy jay . " i wonder , " said sammy jay once more , and burst out laughing . now jimmy skunk has a very shrewd little head on his shoulders . " so that is your guess , is it ? well , i wouldn't be a bit surprised if you are right , " said he , nodding his head . " i think i will go look for peter . i think he needs a lesson . jokes that put other people in danger or make them uncomfortable can have no excuse . my neck might have been broken in that wild ride down the hill , and certainly i was made most uncomfortable . i felt as if everything inside me was shaken out of place and all mixed up . even now my stomach feels a bit queer , as if it might not be just where it ought to be . by the way , what became of peter after he jumped over the barrel ? " sammy shook his head . " i don't know , " he confessed . i guess reddy fox forgot all about peter . i know i did . after it was over , i looked for peter , but he was nowhere in sight . he hadn't had time to reach the old briar-patch . i really would like to know myself what became of him . " jimmy skunk turned and looked down the hill . then in his usual slow way he started back towards the broken barrel . " where are you going ? " asked sammy . " to look for peter rabbit , " replied jimmy . " i want to ask him a few questions . " jimmy skunk ambled along down the hill . he isn't likely to bother any one for some time . peter really ought to be punished , but somehow i don't feel so much like punishing him as i did . i 'll just give him a little scare and let the scamp off with that . now , i wonder where he can be . i have an idea he isn't very far away . let me see . seems to me i remember an old house of johnny chuck 's not very far from here . i 'll have a look in that . " [ illustration ] ix jimmy visits johnny chuck's old house jimmy skunk was smiling as he ambled towards the old house of johnny chuck near the foot of the hill . there was no one near to see him , and this made him smile still more . to jimmy himself it wasn't unpleasant at all , and he couldn't understand why other people disliked it so . he had puzzled over that a great deal . " i guess it 's a good thing that old mother nature didn't make us all alike , " said he to himself . " i think there must be something the matter with their noses , and i suppose they think there is something the matter with mine . but there isn't . not a thing . hello ! there is johnny chuck 's old house just ahead of me . now we will see what we shall see . " he walked softly as he drew near to the old house . if peter was way down inside , it wouldn't matter how he approached . jimmy didn't intend to give peter a chance to do any such thing . if peter once got outside that old house , his long legs would soon put him beyond jimmy 's reach , and jimmy knew it . at last he reached a position where with one jump he could land right on the doorstep . he waited a few minutes and cocked his head on one side to listen . there wasn't a sound to tell him whether peter was there or not . then lightly he jumped over to the doorstep and looked in at the doorway . there was no peter to be seen . " if he is here , he is way down inside , " thought jimmy . " i wonder if he really is here . i think i 'll look about a bit before i go in . " now the doorstep was of sand , as johnny chuck 's doorsteps always are . almost at once jimmy chuckled . there were peter 's tracks , and they pointed straight towards the inside of johnny chuck 's old house . jimmy looked carefully , but not a single track pointing the other way could he find . then he chuckled again . " the scamp is here all right , " he muttered . in this jimmy was partly right and partly wrong , as you and i know . he stared down the long dark doorway a minute . then he made up his mind . but that was as far as jimmy skunk went . yes , sir , that was just as far as jimmy skunk went . jimmy skunk knows all about yellow jackets and the sharp little lances they carry in their tails ; he has the greatest respect for them . he backed out in a hurry and actually hurried away to a safe distance . then he sat down to think . after a little he began to chuckle again . " i know what happened , " said he , talking to himself . " peter rabbit popped into that doorway . those yellow jackets just naturally got after him . i reckon i don't need to scare peter to pay him for that joke . i reckon he 's been punished already . " [ illustration ] x peter rabbit is most uncomfortable if ever any one was sorry for having played pranks on other folks , that one was peter rabbit . i am afraid it wasn't quite the right kind of sorrow . peter wished with all his might that he had known about their home in johnny chuck 's old house before ever he thought of hiding there . but wishes of that kind are about the most useless things in the world . they wouldn't help him now . all at once he had a comforting thought . he remembered that johnny chuck usually has a back door . if that were the case here , he would be all right . he would find out . cautiously he poked his head out of the snug bedroom . there was the long hall down which he had come . and there yes , sir , there was another hall ! it must be the way to the back door . carefully peter crept up it . " funny , " thought he , " that i don't see any light ahead of me . " and then he bumped his nose . yes , sir , peter bumped his nose against the end of that hall . you see , it was an old house , and like most old houses it was rather a tumble-down affair . anyway , the back door had been blocked with a great stone , and the walls of the back hall had fallen in . there was no way out there . sadly peter backed out to the little bedroom . meanwhile he would try to get a nap and forget his aches and pains . hardly had peter curled up for that nap when he heard a voice . it sounded as if it came from a long way off , but he knew just where it came from . it came from the doorway of that old house . he knew , too , whose voice it was . it was jimmy skunk 's voice . " i know where you are , peter rabbit , " said the voice . " and i know why you are hiding down there . i know , too , how it happened that i was rolled down hill in that barrel . i 'm just giving you a little warning , peter . there are a lot of very angry yellow jackets up here , as you will find out if you try to come out before dark . i 'm going away now , but i 'm going to come back about dark to wait for you . i may want to play a little joke on you to pay you back for the one you played on me . " that put an end to peter 's hope of a nap . he shivered as he thought of what might happen to him if jimmy skunk should catch him . he was almost ready to face those yellow jackets rather than wait and meet jimmy skunk . twice he started up the long hall , but turned back . he just couldn't stand any more stings . he was miserable . yes , sir , he was miserable and most uncomfortable in both body and mind . " i wish i 'd never thought of that joke , " he half sobbed . " i thought it was a great joke , but it wasn't . it was a horrid , mean joke . why , oh , why did i ever think of it ? " meanwhile jimmy skunk had gone off , chuckling . xi jimmy skunk keeps his word keep your word , whate'er you do , and to your inmost self be true . he did it to make peter uneasy and to worry him . the truth is , jimmy was no longer angry at all . he had quite recovered his good nature and was very much inclined to laugh himself over peter 's trick . so that is why he told peter that he was coming back at dark . as jimmy ambled away to look for some beetles , he chuckled and chuckled and chuckled . " i guess that by this time peter wishes he hadn't thought of that joke on reddy fox and myself , " said he . " perhaps i 'll go back there tonight and perhaps i won't . he won't know whether i do or not , and he won't dare come out . " then he stopped and scratched his head thoughtfully . then he sighed . then he scratched his head again and once more sighed . " i really don't want to go back there tonight , " he muttered , " but i guess i 'll have to . i said i would , and so i 'll have to do it . i believe in keeping my word . yes , sir , i 'll have to go back . there is nothing like making people believe that when you say a thing you mean it . there is nothing like keeping your word to make people respect you . " there jimmy found a warm , sunny spot and curled up for a nap . in fact , he spent all the day there . a look at the footprints in the sand on the doorstep told him that peter had not come out . jimmy sat down and waited until it was quite dark . then he poked his head in at the doorway . the yellow jackets had gone to bed for the night . " come out , peter . i 'm waiting for you ! " he called down the hall , and made his voice sound as angry as he could . but inside he was chuckling . then jimmy skunk calmly turned and went about his business . he had kept his word . as for peter rabbit , that had been one of the very worst days he could recall . he had had just a little bit of hope , and this was that jimmy skunk wouldn't come back when it grew dark . poor peter ! the sound of that voice almost broke his heart . " he has come back . he 's kept his word , " he half sobbed as he once more went back to johnny chuck 's old bedroom . there he stayed nearly all the rest of the night , though his stomach was so empty it ached . just before it was time for mr sun to rise , peter ventured to dash out of johnny chuck 's old house . he got past the home of the yellow jackets safely , for they were not yet awake . with his heart in his mouth , he sprang out of the doorway . jimmy skunk wasn't there . with a sigh of relief , peter started for the dear , safe old briar-patch , lipperty-lipperty-lip , as fast as he could go . " i 'll never , never play another joke , " he said , over and over again as he ran . xii jimmy skunk and unc ' billy possum meet jimmy skunk ambled along down the lone little path through the green forest . he didn't hurry . jimmy never does hurry . hurrying and worrying are two things he leaves for his neighbors . now and then jimmy stopped to turn over a bit of bark or a stick , hoping to find some fat beetles . but it was plain to see that he had something besides fat beetles on his mind . up the lone little path through the green forest shuffled unc ' billy possum . he didn't hurry . it was too warm to hurry . unlike jimmy skunk , he does hurry sometimes , does unc ' billy , especially when he suspects that bowser the hound is about . and sometimes unc ' billy does worry . you see , there are people who think that unc ' billy would make a very good dinner . unc ' billy doesn't think he would . anyway , he has no desire to have the experiment tried . so occasionally , when he discovers one of these people who think he would make a good dinner , he worries a little . but just now unc ' billy was neither hurrying nor worrying . there was no need of doing either , and unc ' billy never does anything that there is no need of doing . [ illustration ] jimmy skunk grinned . " hello , unc ' billy ! " said he . " have you seen any fat beetles this morning ? " unc ' billy grinned . " good mo'nin ' , brer skunk , " he replied . " ah can't rightly say ah have . ah had it on mah mind to ask yo ' the same thing . " jimmy sat down and looked at unc ' billy with twinkling eyes . his grin grew broader and became a chuckle . " unc ' billy , " said he , " have you ever in your life combed your hair or brushed your coat ? " unc ' billy 's eyes twinkled . " but it seems to me a powerful waste of time . ah have mo ' important things to worry about . by the way , brer skunk , did yo ' ever run away from anybody in all your life ? " jimmy looked surprised at the question . he scratched his head thoughtfully . " not that i remember of , " said he after a little . " most folks run away from me , " he added with a little throaty chuckle . " those who don't run away always are polite and step aside . why do you ask , unc ' billy ? " " oh , no reason in particular , brer skunk . no reason in particular . only ah wonder sometimes if yo ' ever realize how lucky yo ' are . if ah never had to worry about mah hungry neighbors , ah reckons perhaps ah might brush mah coat oftener . " unc ' billy 's eyes twinkled more than ever . " worry , " replied jimmy skunk sagely , " is the result of being unprepared . anybody who is prepared has no occasion to worry . just think it over , unc ' billy . " it was unc ' billy 's turn to scratch his head thoughtfully . " ah fear ah don't quite get your meaning , brer skunk , " said he . " sit down , unc ' billy , and i 'll explain , " replied jimmy . xiii jimmy skunk explains you 'll find this true where'er you go that those prepared few troubles know . " to begin with , i am not such a very big fellow , am i ? " said jimmy . you know jimmy skunk really is a little fellow compared with some of his neighbors . " and i haven't very long claws or very big teeth , have i ? " continued jimmy . " ah reckons mine are about as long and about as big , " returned unc ' billy , looking more puzzled than ever . " but you never see anybody bothering me , do you ? " went on jimmy . " no , " replied unc ' billy . " and it 's the same way with prickly porky the porcupine . you never see anybody bothering him or offering to do him any harm , do you ? " persisted jimmy . " no , " replied unc ' billy once more . " why ? " demanded jimmy . unc ' billy grinned broadly . leastways , ah does . ah ain't aiming fo ' trouble with either of yo ' . ah knows when ah 's well off , and ah reckons most folks feel the same way . " jimmy skunk chuckled . " one more question , unc ' billy , " said he . " did you ever know me to pick a quarrel and use that bag of scent without being attacked ? " unc ' billy considered for a few minutes . " ah can't say ah ever did , " he replied . " and you never knew prickly porky to go hunting trouble either , " declared jimmy . buster bear could squash me by just stepping on me , but he doesn't try it . you notice he always is very polite when we meet . prickly porky and i are armed for defence , but we never use our weapons for offence . nobody bothers us , and we bother nobody . that 's the beauty of being prepared . " unc ' billy thought it over for a few minutes . then he sighed and sighed again . " ah reckons yo ' and brer porky are about the luckiest people ah knows , " said he . " yes , sah , ah reckons yo ' is just that . ah don't fear anybody mah own size , but ah cert'nly does have some mighty scary times when ah meets some people ah might mention . ah cert'nly believes in preparedness after seein ' yo ' , brer skunk . ah cert'nly does just that very thing . have yo ' found any nice fresh aiggs lately ? " xiv a little something about eggs " an egg , " says jimmy skunk , " is good ; it 's very good indeed to eat . " " an egg , " says mrs grouse , " is dear ; ' twill hatch into a baby sweet . " so in the matter of eggs , as in a great many other matters , it all depends on the point of view . to jimmy skunk and unc ' billy possum eggs are looked on from the viewpoint of something to eat . their stomachs prompt them to think of eggs . eggs are good to fill empty stomachs . the mere thought of eggs will make jimmy and unc ' billy smack their lips . they say they " love " eggs , but they don't . they " like " them , which is quite different . it is the heart instead of the stomach that responds to the thought of eggs . blacky the crow is one and his cousin , sammy jay , is another . i should have said , rather , his stomach . to tell the truth , it was a longing for some eggs that had brought jimmy to the green forest . " no , " replied jimmy , " i haven't had any luck at all this spring . i 've almost forgotten what an egg tastes like . either i 'm growing dull and stupid , or some folks are smarter than they used to be . by the way , have you seen mrs. grouse lately ? " jimmy looked very innocent as he asked this . unc ' billy chuckled until his sides shook . " do yo ' suppose ah 'd tell yo ' if ah had ? " he demanded . here unc ' billy looked back over his shoulder to make sure that old mrs possum wasn't within hearing , and jimmy skunk chuckled . " that would be no mo ' than fair . yo ' know ah never did hanker fo ' to get far away from trees , but yo ' don't mind . a right smart lot of birds make their nests on the ground there . there is brer bob white and brer meadowlark and brer bobolink and brer field sparrow and brer " " never mind any more , unc ' billy , " interrupted jimmy skunk . " i know all about them . that is , i know all about them i want to know , except where their eggs are . didn't i just tell you i haven't had any luck at all ? that 's why i 'm over here . " xv a second meeting jimmy skunk couldn't think of anything but eggs . the more he thought of them , the more he wanted some . unc ' billy possum was faring about the same way . he couldn't , for the life of him , stop thinking about those eggs that belonged to mrs grouse . the more he tried to forget about them , the more he thought about them . " no , sah , there isn't the least bit of use . ah done look every place ah can think of already . still , ah haven't got anything else special on mah mind , and those aiggs cert'nly would taste good . ah reckons it must be ah needs those aiggs , or ah wouldn't have them on mah mind so much . ah finds it rather painful to carry aiggs on mah mind all the time , but ah would enjoy carrying them in mah stomach . ah cert'nly would . " unc ' billy grinned and started to ramble about aimlessly , hoping that chance would lead him to the nest of mrs grouse . and that led him to think of farmer brown 's henhouse . he stopped to listen . there was no sign of bowser the hound , and unc ' billy sighed gently . it was a sigh of relief . then he crept around a corner of the henhouse towards a certain hole under it he remembered well . just as he reached it , he saw something white . it moved . it was coming towards him from the other end of the henhouse . unc ' billy stopped right where he was . he was undecided whether to run or stay . then he heard a little grunt and decided to stay . he even grinned . a few seconds later up came jimmy skunk . it was a white stripe on jimmy 's coat that unc ' billy had seen . jimmy gave a little snort of surprise when he almost bumped into unc ' billy . " what are you doing here ? " he demanded . " just taking a li'l walk fo ' the good of mah appetite , " replied unc ' billy , grinning more broadly than ever . " what are yo ' doing here , brer skunk ? " " the same thing , " replied jimmy . then he chuckled . " this is an unexpected meeting . i guess you must have had the same thing on your mind all day that i have , " he added . " ah reckon so , " replied unc ' billy , and both grinned . [ illustration ] xvi a matter of politeness it costs not much to be polite and , furthermore , it 's always right . it is queer how a like thought often brings people together . more than this , it was the second time that day that they had met . and it was all on account of eggs . yes , sir , it was all on account of eggs . " are you just coming out , or are you just going in ? " jimmy inquired politely . " ah was just going in , but ah 'll follow yo ' , brer skunk , " replied unc ' billy just as politely . " nothing of the kind , " returned jimmy . " i wouldn't for a minute think of going before you . i hope i know my manners better than that . " " yo ' cert'nly are most polite , brer skunk . yo ' cert'nly are most polite . yo ' are a credit to your bringing up , but politeness always did run in your family . there is a saying that han'some is as han'some does , and your politeness is as fine as yo ' are han'some , brer skunk . jimmy skunk chuckled . " i guess you 've forgotten that other old saying , ' age before beauty , ' unc ' billy , " said he . " so you go first . you know you are older than i ..y i couldn't think of being so impolite as to go first . i really couldn't think of such a thing . " and so they argued and argued , each insisting in the most polite way that the other should go first . if the truth were known , neither of them was insisting out of politeness at all . if there was , he much preferred that unc ' billy should be the one to find it out . yes , sir , that is why jimmy skunk was so very polite . unc ' billy wanted jimmy to go first because he always feels safer behind jimmy than in front of him . jimmy seldom uses it , but sometimes he does if he happens to be startled and thinks danger near . so unc ' billy preferred that jimmy should go first . it wasn't politeness at all on the part of unc ' billy . in both cases it was a kind of selfishness . each was thinking of self . how long they would have continued to argue and try to appear polite if something hadn't happened , nobody knows . but something did happen . there was a sudden loud sniff just around the corner of the henhouse . it was from bowser the hound . they couldn't , because it wasn't big enough , but , they tried hard . bowser sniffed again , and this time unc ' billy managed to squeeze jimmy aside and slip through . jimmy was right at his heels . xvii jimmy skunk gets a bump when bowser reached that hole , of course he smelled the tracks of unc ' billy and jimmy , and right away he became excited . he began to dig . goodness , how he did make the dirt fly ! all the time he whined with eagerness . unc ' billy knew that bowser couldn't get through that , even if he did manage to dig his way under the henhouse . once through that and fairly in the henhouse , unc ' billy drew a long breath . he felt safe for the time being , anyway , and he didn't propose to worry over the future . jimmy skunk hurried after unc ' billy . it wasn't fear that caused jimmy to hurry . no , indeed , it wasn't fear . he had been startled by the unexpectedness of bowser 's appearance . it was this that had caused him to struggle to be first through that hole under the henhouse . but once through , he had felt a bit ashamed that he had been so undignified . he wasn't afraid of bowser . he was sorely tempted to turn around and send bowser about his business , as he knew he very well could . but he thought better of it . he had come for eggs , and so had unc ' billy . it would never do to let unc ' billy be alone up there for long . so jimmy skunk did what he very seldom does hurried . yes , sir , he hurried after unc ' billy possum . he meant to make sure of his share of the eggs he was certain were up there . there was a row of nesting boxes along one side close to the floor . above these was another row and above these a third row . jimmy doesn't climb , but unc ' billy is a famous climber . " i 'll take these lower nests , " said jimmy , and lifted his tail in a way that made unc ' billy nervous . " all right , " replied unc ' billy promptly . " all right , brer skunk . it 's just as yo ' say . " with this , unc ' billy scrambled up to the next row of nests . jimmy grinned and started to look in the lower nests . he took his time about it , for that is jimmy 's way . there was nothing in the first one and nothing in the second one and nothing in the third one . this was disappointing , to say the least , and jimmy began to move a little faster . meanwhile unc ' billy had hurried from one nest to another in the second row with no better success . disappointment was making unc ' billy lose his temper . at last he so lost his temper that when he found another of those eggs he angrily kicked it out of the nest . now it happened that jimmy skunk was just underneath . down fell that hard china egg squarely on jimmy skunk 's head . for just a minute jimmy saw stars . at least , he thought he did . jimmy was sore at heart because he had found no eggs , and now he had a bump on the head that also was sore . jimmy skunk lost his temper , a thing he rarely does . xviii a sad , sad quarrel what he saw was the anxious looking face of unc ' billy possum staring down at him . " you did that purposely ! " snapped jimmy . " you did that purposely , and you needn't tell me you didn't . " " on mah honor ah didn't , " protested unc ' billy . " it was an accident , just a sho ' ' nuff accident , and ah 'm right sorry fo ' it . " " that sounds very nice , but i don't believe a word of it . you did it purposely , and you can't make me believe anything else . come down here and fight . i dare you to ! " jimmy was getting more and more angry every minute . unc ' billy began to grow angry . he hadn't known that jimmy was there . he had apologized , and he felt that no one could do more than that . jimmy skunk had doubted his word , had refused to believe him , and that made him angry . his little eyes glowed with rage . " if yo ' want to fight , come up here . i 'll wait fo ' yo ' right where ah am , " he sputtered . this made jimmy angrier than ever . he couldn't climb up there , and he knew that unc ' billy knew it . unc ' billy was perfectly safe in promising to wait for him . " you 're a coward , just a plain no-account coward ! " snapped jimmy . nobody can drop things on my head and not get paid back . i thought you were a friend , but now i know better . " " wait as long as yo ' please . ah reckons ah can stay as long as yo ' can , " retorted unc ' billy , grinding and snapping his teeth . " suit yourself , " retorted jimmy . " i 'm going to pay you up for that bump on my head or know the reason why . " it really was dreadful . and it was all because both had been sadly disappointed . they had found no eggs where they had been sure they would find plenty . you see , farmer brown 's boy had gathered every egg when he shut the biddies up for the night . did you ever notice what a bad thing for the temper disappointment often is ? [ illustration ] xix jimmy skunk is true to his word unc ' billy possum was having a bad night of it . when he had grown tired of quarreling with jimmy skunk , he had tried to take a nap . he had tried first one nest and then another , but none just suited him . this was partly because he wasn't sleepy . he was hungry and not at all sleepy . unc ' billy had no intention of going down while jimmy was there . he thought that jimmy would soon grow tired of waiting and go away . so for quite awhile unc ' billy didn't worry . but as it began to get towards morning he began to grow anxious . unc ' billy had no desire to be found in that henhouse when farmer brown 's boy came to feed the biddies . then , too , he was hungry . he had counted on a good meal of eggs , and not one had he found . yes , sir , it was a great deal better to go hungry . several times , when he thought jimmy was asleep , he tried to steal down . he was just as careful not to make a sound as he could be , but every time jimmy knew and was waiting for him . unc ' billy wished that there was no such place as farmer brown 's henhouse . he wished he had never thought of eggs . " don ' yo ' think we-uns better make up and get out of here , brer skunk ? " he ventured . it was plain to see that jimmy hadn't forgiven him . for some time unc ' billy said no more , but he grew more and more restless . you see , he knew it would soon be time for farmer brown 's boy to come to let the hens out and feed them . at last he ventured to speak again . " ah reckons yo ' done forget something , " said he . " what is that ? " asked jimmy . " i 'm not worrying about farmer brown 's boy . he can come as soon as he pleases , " retorted jimmy skunk , and grinned . that sounded like boasting , but it wasn't . no , sir , it wasn't , and unc ' billy knew it . he knew that jimmy meant it . unc ' billy was in despair . he didn't dare stay , and he didn't dare go down and face jimmy skunk , and there he was . it certainly had been a bad night for unc ' billy possum . xx farmer brown's boy arrives the light crept farther under the door of farmer brown 's henhouse , and by this time the hens were all awake . furthermore , they had discovered jimmy skunk down below and were making a great fuss . " i don't mind their noise . it doesn't trouble me a bit , " replied jimmy skunk , and grinned . it was plain enough to unc ' billy that jimmy was enjoying the situation . but unc ' billy wasn't . he was so anxious that he couldn't keep still . at last he heard them , and he knew by the sound that farmer brown 's boy was coming in a hurry . he had heard the noise of the hens and was coming to find out what it was all about . unc ' billy hoped that now jimmy skunk would retreat through the hole in the floor and give him a chance to escape . " he 's coming ! farmer brown 's boy is coming , brer skunk ! yo ' better get away while yo ' can ! " whispered unc ' billy . " i hear him , " replied jimmy calmly . " i 'm waiting for him to open the door for me to go out . it will be much easier than squeezing through that hole . " unc ' billy gasped . he hoped that at last jimmy 's boldness would get him into trouble . yes , he did . you see , that might give him a chance to slip away himself . otherwise , he would be in a bad fix . the latch on the door rattled . the door swung open , letting in a flood of light . the hens stopped their noise . farmer brown 's boy stood in the doorway and looked in . of course farmer brown 's boy saw him at once . " so it 's you , you black and white rascal ! " he exclaimed . " i suppose you expect me to step out of your way , and i suppose i will do just that very thing . you are the most impudent and independent fellow of my acquaintance . that 's what you are . you didn't get any eggs , because i gathered all of them last night . come along out of there , you rascal . " xxi the nest-egg gives unc ' billy away ' tis little things that often seem scarce worth a passing thought which in the end may prove that they with big results are fraught . farmer brown 's boy watched jimmy skunk calmly and peacefully go his way and grinned as he watched him . he scratched his head thoughtfully . " i suppose , " said he , " that that is as perfect an example of the value of preparedness as there is . jimmy knew he was all ready for trouble if i chose to make it , and that because of that i wouldn't make it . so he has calmly gone his way as if he were as much bigger than i as i am bigger than he . there certainly is nothing like being prepared if you want to avoid trouble . " then farmer brown 's boy once more turned to the henhouse and entered it . that one thing was the china nest-egg on the floor . " hello ! " exclaimed farmer brown 's boy when he saw it . " now how did that come there ? it must be that jimmy skunk pulled it out of one of those lower nests . " " that 's queer , " he muttered . " that egg must have come from one of the upper nests . jimmy couldn't have got up to those . none of the hens could have kicked it out last night , because they were all on the roosts when i shut them up . they certainly didn't do it this morning , because they wouldn't have dared leave the roosts with jimmy skunk here . i 'll have to look into this . " so he began with the second row of nests and looked in each . yes , sir , unc ' billy had forgotten his tail , and it hung just over the edge of the nest . of course , farmer brown 's boy saw it . he couldn't help but see it . " ho , ho ! " he exclaimed right away . " ho , ho ! so there was more than one visitor here last night . this henhouse seems to be a very popular place . i see that the first thing for me to do after breakfast is to nail a board over that hole in the floor . so it was you , unc ' billy possum , who kicked that nest-egg out . found it a little hard for your teeth , didn't you ? lost your temper and kicked it out , didn't you ? that was foolish , unc ' billy , very foolish indeed . never lose your temper over trifles . it doesn't pay . now i wonder what i 'd better do with you . " all this time unc ' billy hadn't moved . of course , he couldn't understand what farmer brown 's boy was saying . nor could he see what farmer brown 's boy was doing . so he held his breath and hoped and hoped that he hadn't been discovered . and perhaps he wouldn't have been but for that telltale nest-egg on the floor . that was the cause of all his troubles . first it had angered jimmy skunk because as you remember , it had fallen on jimmy 's head . then it had led farmer brown 's boy to look in all the nests . it had seemed a trifle , kicking that egg out of that nest , but see what the results were . truly , little things often are not so little as they seem . [ illustration ] xxii unc ' billy possum tries his old trick the first knowledge unc ' billy possum had that he was discovered came to him through his tail . yes , sir , it came to him through his tail . farmer brown 's boy pinched it . it was rather a mean thing to do , but farmer brown 's boy was curious . he wanted to see what unc ' billy would do . and he didn't pinch very hard , not hard enough to really hurt . farmer brown 's boy is too good-hearted to hurt any one if he can help it . but unc ' billy didn't . no , sir , unc ' billy didn't . that tail might have belonged to any one but him so far as he made any sign . of course , he felt like pulling it away . any one would have in his place . but he didn't move it the tiniest bit , which goes to show that unc ' billy has great self-control when he wishes . farmer brown 's boy pinched again , just a little harder , but still unc ' billy made no sign . farmer brown 's boy chuckled and began to pull on that tail . there wasn't the least sign of life about unc ' billy . he looked as if he were dead , and he acted as if he were dead . any one not knowing unc ' billy would have supposed that he was dead . farmer brown 's boy dropped unc ' billy on the floor . he lay just as he fell . farmer brown 's boy rolled him over with his foot , but there wasn't a sign of life in unc ' billy . he hoped that farmer brown 's boy really did think him dead . that was what he wanted . then he went about his work of cleaning out the henhouse and measuring out the grain for the biddies . unc ' billy lay there on the box , and he certainly was pathetic looking . his hair was all rumpled up , as it usually is . it was filled with dust from the floor and bits of straw . his lips were drawn back and his mouth partly open . his eyes seemed to be closed . but to have looked at him you would have thought him as dead as the deadest thing that ever was . as he went about his work farmer brown 's boy kept an eye on unc ' billy and chuckled . " you old fraud , " said he . " you think you are fooling me , but i know you . possums don't die of nothing in hens ' nests . you certainly are a clever old rascal , and the best actor i 've ever seen . i wonder how long you will keep it up . i wish i had half as much self-control . " still unc ' billy gave no sign of life . he wondered where he was being taken to . he was terribly frightened . but he stuck to his old trick of playing dead which had served him so well more than once before . [ illustration ] xxiii unc ' billy gives himself away never had unc ' billy possum played that old trick of his better than he was playing it now . they were half-way from the henyard to the house when bowser the hound came to meet his master . " now we shall see what we shall see , " said farmer brown 's boy , as bowser came trotting up . " if unc ' billy can stand this test , i 'll take off my hat to him every time we meet hereafter . " he held unc ' billy out to bowser , and bowser sniffed him all over . just imagine that ! just think of being nosed and sniffed at by one of whom you were terribly afraid and not so much as twitching an ear ! he 's dead . he must be the fellow i saw go under the henhouse last night . how did you kill him ? " farmer brown 's boy laughed and picked unc ' billy up by the tail again . the mother of farmer brown 's boy was in the doorway , watching them approach . " what have you got there ? " she demanded . " i declare if it isn't a possum ! where did you kill him ? was he the cause of all that racket among the chickens ? " farmer brown 's boy took unc ' billy into the kitchen and dropped him on a chair . mrs brown came over to look at him closer . " poor little fellow , " said she . " poor little fellow . it was too bad he got into mischief and had to be killed . i don't suppose he knew any better . she stroked unc ' billy gently . the eyes of farmer brown 's boy twinkled . he went over to a corner and pulled a straw from his mother 's broom . then he returned to unc ' billy and began to tickle unc ' billy 's nose . mrs brown looked puzzled . she was puzzled . " what are you doing that for ? " she asked . " just for fun , " replied farmer brown 's boy and kept on tickling unc ' billy 's nose . he had got to sneeze . he did sneeze . he couldn't help it , though it were to cost him his life . " do you mean to say that that possum is alive ? " " seems that way , " replied farmer brown 's boy as unc ' billy sneezed again , for that straw was still tickling his nose . " i should certainly say it seems that way . the old sinner is no more dead than i am . he 's just pretending . he fooled you all right , mother , but he didn't fool me . i haven't hurt a hair of him . you ought to know me well enough by this time to know that i wouldn't hurt him . " he looked at his mother reproachfully , and she hastened to apologize . " but what could i think ? " she demanded . " if he isn't a dead-looking creature , i never have seen one . what are you going to do with him , son ? " " take him over to the green forest after breakfast and let him go , " replied farmer brown 's boy . this is just what he did do , and unc ' billy wasted no time in getting home . it was a long time before he met jimmy skunk again . when he did , jimmy was his usual good-natured self , and unc ' billy was wise enough not to refer to eggs .