XIII
STRIPED CHIPMUNK FOOLS PETER RABBIT
Peter Rabbit sat at the top of the Crooked Little Path where it startsdown the hill. He was sitting there when jolly, round, red Mr. Sun threwhis nightcap off and began his daily climb up into the blue, blue sky.He saw Old Mother West Wind hurry down from the Purple Hills and turnher Merry Little Breezes out to play on the Green Meadows.
Peter yawned. The fact is, Peter had been out nearly all night, and nowhe didn't know just what to do with himself. Presently he saw StripedChipmunk whisk up on top of an old log. As usual the pockets in StripedChipmunk's cheeks were stuffed so full that his head looked to be twiceas big as it really is, and as usual he seemed to be very busy, verybusy indeed. He stopped just long enough to wink one of his saucy blackeyes and shout: "Good morning, Peter Rabbit!"
Then he disappeared as suddenly as he had come. A few minutes later hewas back on the old log, but this time his cheeks were empty.
"Fine day, Peter Rabbit," said Striped Chipmunk, and whisked out ofsight.
Peter Rabbit yawned again. Then he closed his eyes for just a minute.When he opened them there was Striped Chipmunk on the old log just asbefore, and the pockets in both cheeks were so full that it seemed as ifthey would burst.
"Nice morning to work, Peter Rabbit," said Striped Chipmunk, in spite ofhis full cheeks. Then he was gone.
Once more Peter Rabbit closed his eyes, but hardly were they shut whenStriped Chipmunk shouted:
"Oh, you Peter Rabbit, been out all night?"
Peter snapped his eyes open just in time to see the funny little tail ofStriped Chipmunk vanish over the side of the old log. Peter scratchedone of his long ears and yawned again, for Peter was growing more andmore sleepy. It was a long yawn, but Peter cut it off right in themiddle, for there was Striped Chipmunk back on the old log, and bothpockets in his cheeks were stuffed full.
Now Peter Rabbit is as curious as he is lazy, and you know he is very,very lazy. The fact is, Peter Rabbit's curiosity is his greatest fault,and it gets him into a great deal of trouble. It is because of this andthe bad, bad habit of meddling in the affairs of other people intowhich it has led him that Peter Rabbit has such long ears.
For a while Peter watched busy Striped Chipmunk. Then he began to wonderwhat Striped Chipmunk could be doing. The more he wondered the more hefelt that he really must know. The next time Striped Chipmunk appearedon the old log, Peter shouted to him.
"Hi, Striped Chipmunk, what are you so busy about? Why don't you play alittle?"
Striped Chipmunk stopped a minute. "I'm building a new house," said he.
"Where?" asked Peter Rabbit.
"That's telling," replied Striped Chipmunk, and whisked out of sight.
Now Peter Rabbit knew where Reddy Fox and Jimmy Skunk and Bobby Coon andHappy Jack Squirrel and Johnny Chuck and Danny Meadow Mouse lived. Heknew all the little paths leading to their homes. But he did not knowwhere Striped Chipmunk lived. He never had known. He thought of this ashe watched Striped Chipmunk hurrying back and forth. The more he thoughtof it the more curious he grew. He really _must_ know. Pretty soon alongcame Jimmy Skunk, looking for some beetles.
"Hello, Jimmy Skunk," said Peter Rabbit.
"Hello, Peter Rabbit," said Jimmy Skunk.
"Do you know where Striped Chipmunk lives?" asked Peter Rabbit.
"No, I don't know where Striped Chipmunk lives, and I don't care; it'snone of my business," replied Jimmy Skunk. "Have you seen any beetlesthis morning?"
Peter Rabbit hadn't seen any beetles, so Jimmy Skunk went on down theCrooked Little Path, still looking for his breakfast.
By and by along came Johnny Chuck.
"Hello, Johnny Chuck!" said Peter Rabbit.
"Hello, yourself!" said Johnny Chuck.
"Do you know where Striped Chipmunk lives?" asked Peter Rabbit.
"No, I don't, for it's none of my business," said Johnny Chuck, andstarted on down the Crooked Little Path to the Green Meadows.
Then along came Bobby Coon.
"Hello, Bobby Coon!" said Peter Rabbit.
"Hello!" replied Bobby Coon shortly, for he too had been out all nightand was very sleepy.
"Do you know where Striped Chipmunk lives?" asked Peter Rabbit.
"Don't know and don't want to; it's none of my business," said BobbyCoon even more shortly than before, and started on for his hollowchestnut tree to sleep the long, bright day away.
Peter Rabbit could stand it no longer. Curiosity had driven away alldesire to sleep. He simply had to know where Striped Chipmunk lived.
"I'll just follow Striped Chipmunk and see for myself where he lives,"said Peter to himself.
So Peter Rabbit hid behind a tuft of grass close by the old log and satvery, very still. It was a very good place to hide, a very good place.Probably if Peter Rabbit had not been so brimming over with curiosity hewould have succeeded in escaping the sharp eyes of Striped Chipmunk. Butpeople full of curiosity are forever pricking up their ears to hearthings which do not in the least concern them. It was so with PeterRabbit. He was so afraid that he would miss something that both hislong ears were standing up straight, and they came above the grassbehind which Peter Rabbit was hiding.
Of course Striped Chipmunk saw them the very instant he jumped up on theold log with both pockets in his cheeks stuffed full. He didn't say aword, but his sharp little eyes twinkled as he jumped off the end of theold log and scurried along under the bushes, for he guessed what PeterRabbit was hiding for, and though he did not once turn his head he knewthat Peter was following him. You see Peter runs with big jumps,lipperty-lipperty-lip, and people who jump must make a noise.
So, though he tried very hard not to make a sound, Peter was in such ahurry to keep Striped Chipmunk in sight that he really made a great dealof noise. The more noise Peter made, the more Striped Chipmunk chuckledto himself.
Presently Striped Chipmunk stopped. Then he sat up very straight andlooked this way and looked that way, just as if trying to make sure thatno one was watching him. Then he emptied two pocketfuls of shiningyellow gravel on to a nice new mound which he was building. Once more hesat up and looked this way and looked that way. Then he scuttled backtowards the old log. As he ran Striped Chipmunk chuckled and chuckled tohimself, for all the time he had seen Peter Rabbit lying flat downbehind a little bush and knew that Peter Rabbit was thinking to himselfhow smart he had been to find Striped Chipmunk's home when no one elseknew where it was.
No sooner was Striped Chipmunk out of sight than up jumped Peter Rabbit.He smiled to himself as he hurried over to the shining mound of yellowgravel. You see Peter's curiosity was so great that not once did hethink how mean he was to spy on Striped Chipmunk.
"Now," thought Peter, "I know where Striped Chipmunk lives. Jimmy Skunkdoesn't know. Johnny Chuck doesn't know. Bobby Coon doesn't know. But_I_ know. Striped Chipmunk may fool all the others, but he can't foolme."
By this time Peter Rabbit had reached the shining mound of yellowgravel. At once he began to hunt for the doorway to Striped Chipmunk'shome. But there wasn't any doorway. No, Sir, there wasn't any doorway!Look as he would, Peter Rabbit could not find the least sign of adoorway. He walked 'round and 'round the mound and looked here andlooked there, but not the least sign of a door was to be seen. Therewas nothing but the shining mound of yellow gravel, the green grass, thegreen bushes and the blue, blue sky, with jolly, round, red Mr. Sunlooking down and laughing at him.
Peter Rabbit sat down on Striped Chipmunk's shining mound of yellowgravel and scratched his left ear with his left hindfoot. Then hescratched his right ear with his right hindfoot. It was very perplexing.Indeed, it was so perplexing that Peter quite forgot that StripedChipmunk would soon be coming back. Suddenly right behind Peter's backStriped Chipmunk spoke.
"How do you like my sand pile, Peter Rabbit? Don't you think it is apretty nice sand pile?" asked Striped Chipmunk politely. And all thetime he was chuckling away to himself.
Peter was so surprised that
he very nearly fell backward off theshining mound of yellow gravel. For a minute he didn't know what tosay. Then he found his tongue.
Peter was so surprised that he nearly fell backward.]
"Oh," said Peter Rabbit, apparently in the greatest surprise, "is thisyour sand pile, Striped Chipmunk? It's a very nice sand pile indeed. Isthis where you live?"
Striped Chipmunk shook his head. "No, oh, my, no!" said he. "I wouldn'tthink of living in such an exposed place! My goodness, no indeed!Everybody knows where this is. I'm building a new home, you know, and ofcourse I don't want the gravel to clutter up my dooryard. So I'vebrought it all here. Makes a nice sand pile, doesn't it? You are verywelcome to sit on my sand pile whenever you feel like it, Peter Rabbit.It's a good place to take a sun bath; I hope you'll come often."
All the time Striped Chipmunk was saying this his sharp little eyestwinkled with mischief and he chuckled softly to himself.
Peter Rabbit was more curious than ever. "Where is your new home,Striped Chipmunk?" he asked.
"Not far from here; come call on me," said Striped Chipmunk.
Then with a jerk of his funny little tail he was gone. It seemed as ifthe earth must have swallowed him up. Striped Chipmunk can move veryquickly, and he had whisked out of sight in the bushes before PeterRabbit could turn his head to watch him.
Peter looked behind every bush and under every stone, but nowhere couldhe find Striped Chipmunk or a sign of Striped Chipmunk's home, exceptingthe shining mound of yellow gravel. At last Peter pushed his inquisitivenose right into the doorway of Bumble the Bee. Now Bumble the Beehappened to be at home, and being very short of temper, he thrust asharp little needle into the inquisitive nose of Peter Rabbit.
"Oh! oh! oh!" shrieked Peter, clapping both hands to his nose, andstarted off home as fast as he could go.
And though he didn't know it and doesn't know it to this day, he wentright across the doorstep of Striped Chipmunk's home. So Peter stillwonders and wonders where Striped Chipmunk lives, and no one can tellhim, not even the Merry Little Breezes. You see there is not even a signof a path leading to his doorway, for Striped Chipmunk never goes orcomes twice the same way. His doorway is very small, just large enoughfor him to squeeze through, and it is so hidden in the grass that oftenthe Merry Little Breezes skip right over it without seeing it.
Every grain of sand and gravel from the fine long halls and snugchambers Striped Chipmunk has built underground he has carefully carriedin the pockets in his cheeks to the shining mound of yellow gravel foundby Peter Rabbit. Not so much as a grain is dropped on his doorstep tolet his secret out.
So in and out among the little meadow people skips Striped Chipmunk allthe long day, and not one has found out where he lives. But no onereally cares excepting Peter Rabbit, who is still curious.
Mother West Wind's Animal Friends Page 13