In a little while back came Sammy, all out of breath. "It's allright," he panted. "You can go to work just as soon as youplease."
Paddy looked more puzzled than ever. "How do you know?" he asked."I haven't seen you looking around."
"I did better than that," replied Sammy. "If Old Man Coyote hadbeen hiding somewhere in the Green Forest, it might have taken mesome time to find him. But he isn't. You see, I flew straightover to his home in the Green Meadows to see if he is there, andhe is. He's taking a sun bath and looking as cross as two sticks.I don't think he'll be back here this morning, but I'll keep asharp watch while you work."
Paddy made Sammy a low bow. "You certainly are smart, Mr. Jay,"said he. "I wouldn't have thought of going over to Old ManCoyote's home to see if he was there. I'll feel perfectly safewith you on guard. Now I'll get to work."
CHAPTER XXI Paddy and Sammy Jay Work Together.
Jerry Muskrat had been home at the Smiling Pool for several days.But he couldn't stay there long. Oh, my, no! He just had to getback to see what his big cousin, Paddy the Beaver, was doing. Soas soon as he was sure that everything was all right at theSmiling Pool he hurried back up the Laughing Brook to Paddy'spond, deep in the Green Forest. As soon as he was in sight of it,he looked eagerly for Paddy. At first he didn't see him. Then hestopped and gazed over at the place where Paddy had been cuttingaspen trees for food. Something was going on there, somethingqueer. He couldn't make it out.
Jus then Sammy Jay came flying over.
"What's Paddy doing?" Jerry asked.
Sammy Jay dropped down to the top of an alder tree and fluffedout all his feathers in a very important way. "Oh," said he,"Paddy and I are building something!"
"You! Paddy and you! Ha, ha! Paddy and you building something!"Jerry laughed.
"Yes, me!" snapped Sammy angrily. "That's what I said; Paddy andI are building something."
Jerry had begun to swim across the pond by this time, and Sammywas flying across. "Why don't you tell the truth, Sammy, and saythat Paddy is building something and you are making him all thetrouble you can?" called Jerry.
Sammy's eyes snapped angrily, and he darted down at Jerry'slittle brown head. "It isn't true!" he shrieked. "You ask Paddyif I'm not helping!"
Jerry ducked under water to escape Sammy's sharp bill. When hecame up again, Sammy was over in the little grove of aspen treeswhere Paddy was at work. Then Jerry discovered something. Whatwas it? Why a little water-path led right up to the aspen trees,and there, at the end of the little water-path, was Paddy theBeaver hard at work. He was digging and piling the earth on oneside very neatly. In fact, he was making the water-path longer.Jerry swam right up the little water-path to where Paddy wasworking. "Good morning, Cousin Paddy," said he. "What are youdoing?"
"Oh," replied Paddy, "Sammy Jay and I are building a canal."
Sammy Jay looked down at Jerry in triumph, and Jerry looked atPaddy as if he thought that he was joking.
"Sammy Jay? What's Sammy Jay got to do about it?" demanded Jerry.
"A whole lot," replied Paddy. "You see, he keeps watch while Iwork. If he didn't, I couldn't work, and there wouldn't be anycanal. Old Man Coyote has been trying to catch me, and I wouldn'tdare work on shore if it wasn't that I am sure that the sharpesteyes in the Green Forest are watching for danger."
Sammy Jay looked very much pleased indeed and very proud.
"So you see, it takes both of us to make this canal; I dig whileSammy watches. So we are building it together," concluded Paddywith a twinkle in his eyes.
"I see," said Jerry slowly. Then he turned to Sammy Jay. "I begyour pardon, Sammy," said he. "I do indeed."
"That's all right," replied Sammy airily. "What do you think ofour canal?"
"I think it is wonderful," replied Jerry.
And indeed it was a very fine canal, straight, wide, and deepenough for Paddy to swim in and float his logs out to the pond.Yes, indeed, it was a very fine canal.
CHAPTER XXII Paddy Finishes His Harvest.
"Sharp his tongue and sharp his eyes-- Sammy guards against surprise. If 'twere not for Sammy Jay I could do no work today."
When Sammy overheard Paddy the Beaver say that to Jerry Muskrat,it made him swell up all over with pure pride. You see, Sammy isso used to hearing bad things about himself that to hearsomething nice like that pleased him immensely. He straightwayforgot all the mean things he had said to Paddy when he first sawhim--how he had called him a thief because he had cut the aspentrees he needed. He forgot all this. He forgot how Paddy had madehim the laughingstock of the Green Forest and the Green Meadowsby cutting down the very tree in which he had been sitting. Heforgot everything but that Paddy had trusted him to keep watchand now was saying nice things about him. He made up his mindthat he would deserve all the nice things that Paddy could say,and he thought that Paddy was the finest fellow in the world.
Jerry Muskrat looked doubtful. He didn't trust Sammy, and he tookcare not to go far from the water when he heard that Old ManCoyote had been hanging around. But Paddy worked away just as ifhe hadn't a fear in the world.
"The way to make people want to be trusted is to trust them" saidhe to himself. "If I show Sammy Jay that I don't really trusthim, he will think it is of no use to try and will give it up.But if I do trust him, and he knows that I do, he'll be the bestwatchman in the Green Forest."
And this shows that Paddy the Beaver has a great deal of wisdom,for it was just as he thought. Sammy was on hand bright and earlyevery morning. He made sure that Old Man Coyote was nowhere inthe Green Forest, and then he settled himself comfortably in thetop of a tall pine tree where he could see all that was going onwhile Paddy the Beaver worked.
Paddy had finished his canal, and a beautiful canal it was,leading straight from his pond up to the aspen trees. As soon ashe had finished it, he began to cut the trees. As soon as one wasdown he would cut it into short lengths and roll them into thecanal. Then he would float them out to his pond and over to hisstorehouse. He took the larger branches, on which there wassweet, tender bark, in the same way, for Paddy is never wasteful.
After a while he went over to his storehouse, which, you know,was nothing but a great pile of aspen logs and branches in hispond close by his house. He studied it very carefully. Then heswam back and climbed up on the bank of his canal.
"Mr. Jay," said he, "I think our work is about finished."
"What!" cried Sammy, "Aren't you going to cut the rest of thoseaspen trees?"
"No," replied Paddy. "Enough is always enough, and I've gotenough to last me all winter. I want those trees for next year.Now I am fixed for the winter. I think I'll take it easy for awhile."
Sammy looked disappointed. You see, he had just begun to learnthat the greatest pleasure in the world comes from doing thingsfor other people. For the first time since he could remember,someone wanted him around land it gave him such a good feelingdown deep inside! Perhaps it was because he remembered that goodfeeling that the next spring he was so willing and anxious tohelp poor Mrs. Quack. What he did for her and all about herterrible adventures I will tell you in the next book.
The Adventures of Paddy the Beaver Page 5