XIII

A JOKE ON UNCLE JERRY

Well, the third day Uncle Jerry Chuck once more climbed to the top of the big rock to take his nap in the sun. And this time Billy Woodchuck was there ahead of him.

"Good!" said Uncle Jerry. "I see you're trying to do better. You're not late to-day.... Now, keep a sharp ear out while I'm asleep. And don't forget to give a loud whistle the moment you hear the least noise that--sounds--like----" He was asleep even before he finished what he had started to say. And after taking a good look at him, Billy Woodchuck tiptoed away to a spot where he saw two long ears sticking out from behind a clump of milkweed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: He Painted Two White Stripes on Uncle Jerry's Back]

"Is he asleep?" Jimmy Rabbit whispered.

"Yes!" said Billy.

"Then help me carry these pots of paint up where that old fraud is," said Jimmy Rabbit.

Billy Woodchuck obeyed. There was a pot of black paint and a pot of white. And besides all that, Jimmy had a whole armful of Indian paint brush, which grew thick in Farmer Green's pasture. He gave Billy Woodchuck a brush.

"Now," he whispered, "we'll paint this old fellow black."

Between them they soon covered Uncle Jerry Chuck with a thick coat of the black paint. And then Jimmy Rabbit stood off and squinted at the sleeper.

"So far, so good!" he said. "And now for the last touch of all!

This has to be put on with care, so I shall do it myself."

And Billy Woodchuck watched him while he painted two broad, white stripes the length of Uncle Jerry's back. They began on the top of his head, so close together that they made just one line, and ended far apart, on either side of his tail.

"There!" Jimmy Rabbit whispered, when he had finished. "Does he look like anyone you know?"

"He looks exactly like Henry Skunk's father," said Billy Woodchuck.

And he backed away. He was afraid of the Skunk family. "What are we going to do now?" Billy asked.

"First of all, we'll hide these pots of paint," said Jimmy. And as soon as they had done that Jimmy added: "Go up on the rock, whistle as loud as you can, and then run.... I'm going to hurry down the hill and see the fun."

Billy Woodchuck did exactly as he was told. And in no time at all his shrill whistle had awakened Uncle Jerry Chuck.

The old gentleman sprang up. He saw Billy, scurrying toward home.

And without so much as a glance behind him to see what the danger might be, Uncle Jerry tore down the hill. He didn't know what was chasing him; but he was sure there was something.

On the way home he met Billy Woodchuck's father. And when Mr.

Woodchuck saw him he fell right over backward, he was so frightened. For he, too, was afraid of the Skunk family.

Uncle Jerry thought that was queer. But he didn't stop. He ran into his house. And there another queer thing happened. The moment his wife caught sight of him she gave a scream and rushed out of the back door.

And for a long, long time after that there wasn't one of Uncle Jerry's family or his friends who would have anything to do with him.

He noticed another strange thing, too. Jimmy Rabbit and Billy Woodchuck were always following him. And whenever Uncle Jerry turned around quickly he was sure to catch them laughing.

But whatever the joke was, he never could see it.

XIV

MR. FOX HAS AN IDEA

It was so long since Mr. Fox had tried to catch Billy Woodchuck in the hollow stump that Billy had begun to forget his fear of that sly fellow. And so when he met Mr. Fox in the woods one day Billy did not run as he had often done before. To be sure, he did not go too near Mr. Fox. And while they talked Billy watched the sharp-nosed gentleman with one eye; and the other eye he kept on a hole in the stonewall nearby. If Mr. Fox should come too close, Billy was ready to dive into that hole, where Mr. Fox could not reach him.

No one could have been pleasanter than Mr. Fox. "I'm so glad to meet you!" he said. "You're just the person I want to see. I've been told you are very musical."

Billy Woodchuck didn't know what he meant. But he did not say so.

"Yes," Mr. Fox went on. "They say you are the best whistler in Pleasant Valley."

That made Billy Woodchuck feel very proud.

"I _can_ whistle pretty well," he said, throwing out his chest.

"And they tell me your two brothers are almost as good whistlers as you are--but not _quite_," added Mr. Fox, for he saw that Billy did not like that so well.

"Oh, they can whistle some. But I can beat them," Billy answered.

"I have an idea," said Mr. Fox. He really had a great many ideas in his head--more, probably, than any other of the forest-people.

"I'm very fond of music and I want to have a fife-and-drum corps."

"What's that? I never heard of such a thing," exclaimed Billy Woodchuck.

"Fifes and drums--they make music, you know," Mr. Fox explained.

"Now, everybody knows that old Mother Grouse's sons are famous drummers."

Billy agreed that that was true. He had often heard the Grouse boys drumming in the woods.

"I've already spoken to them. And they are asking me every day when we are going to begin to practise," Mr. Fox continued. "But I couldn't think of any fifers until I happened to remember about you and your brothers."

"I don't know how to play a fife," said Billy. "I've never even seen one."

"Oh, that's nothing! You can hold a stick up to your mouth, and wriggle your fingers, and whistle. No one will know that you are not playing a fife. It will sound just the same. And the music will be just as sweet." Mr. Fox smiled at Billy. And Billy smiled at him.

"Good!" said Billy. "Will you bring the drummers to my house?"

"Well--no! Not just yet!" said Mr. Fox. "We ought to go off in the woods, where n.o.body can hear us, until we learn a tune. Then we can come and play for your mother. But I wouldn't say anything to her about the fife-and-drum corps if I were you. Let's surprise her!"

Billy thought that was a good idea.