The Adventures of Jimmy Skunk

by Thornton W. Burgess

  A Bedtime Story-Book

  THE ADVENTURES OF JIMMY SKUNK

  by

  THORNTON W. BURGESS

  Illustrations by Harrison Cady

  Little, Brown and CompanyBoston Toronto

  Copyright 1918 by Thornton W. Burgess;Copyright renewed 1946 by Thornton W. BurgessAll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any formor by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storageand retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher,except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.Republished in 1987Printed and Bound in Canada

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER PAGE

  I Peter Rabbit Plans a Joke 1 II Peter Makes a Flying Jump 7 III What Happened at the Old Barrel 12 IV Jimmy Skunk is Very Mad Indeed 17 V Reddy Fox Sneaks Away 23 VI Peter Rabbit Doesn't Enjoy His Joke 28 VII Sammy Jay Does Some Guessing 33 VIII Jimmy Skunk Looks for Peter 39 IX Jimmy Visits Johnny Chuck's Old House 44 X Peter Rabbit is Most Uncomfortable 50 XI Jimmy Skunk Keeps His Word 55 XII Jimmy Skunk and Unc' Billy Possum Meet 61 XIII Jimmy Skunk Explains 66 XIV A Little Something About Eggs 70 XV A Second Meeting 75 XVI A Matter of Politeness 80 XVII Jimmy Skunk Gets a Bump 85 XVIII A Sad, Sad Quarrel 90 XIX Jimmy Skunk is True to His Word 94 XX Farmer Brown's Boy Arrives 98 XXI The Nest-Egg Gives Unc' Billy Away 103 XXII Unc' Billy Possum Tries His Old Trick 108 XXIII Unc' Billy Gives Himself Away 113

  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'tkeep still. No, Sir, he won't keep still unless he is made to. Once lethim get started there is no knowing where he will stop. Peter Rabbit hadjust seen Jimmy Skunk disappear inside an old barrel, lying on its sideat the top of the hill, and at once the Imp of Mischief began towhisper to Peter. Of course Peter shouldn't have listened. Certainlynot. But he did. You know Peter dearly loves a joke when it is on someone else. He sat right where he was and watched to see if Jimmy wouldcome out of the barrel. Jimmy didn't come out, and after a little Peterstole over to the barrel and peeped inside. There was Jimmy Skunk curledup for a nap.

  Peter tiptoed away very softly. All the time the Imp of Mischief waswhispering to him that this was a splendid chance to play a joke onJimmy. 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. Itisn't a very safe thing to do, not if Jimmy is awake. No one knows thatbetter than Peter. He sat down some distance from the barrel but wherehe could keep an eye on it. Then he went into a brown study, which isone way of saying that he thought very hard. He wanted to play a joke onJimmy, but like most jokers he didn't want the joke to come back onhimself. In fact, he felt that it would be a great deal better for himif Jimmy shouldn't know that he had anything to do with the joke.

  As he sat there in a brown study, he happened to glance over on theGreen Meadows and there he saw something red. He looked very hard, andin a minute he saw that it was Reddy Fox. Right away, Peter's nimblewits 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 rightout. You see, the Imp of Mischief was very, very busy whispering toPeter.

  "If Reddy were only up here, I believe I could do it, and it would be ajoke on Reddy as well as on Jimmy," thought Peter, and laughed right outagain.

  "What are you laughing at?" asked a voice. It was the voice of SammyJay.

  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 wouldbe sure to come up there to see what Sammy Jay was making such a fussabout. Sammy, you know, is very quick-tempered. No one knows this betterthan Peter. So instead of replying politely to Sammy, as he should havedone, Peter spoke crossly:

  "Fly away, Sammy, fly away! It is no business of yours what I amlaughing at," said he.

  Right away Sammy's quick temper flared up. He began to call Peter names,and Peter answered back. This angered Sammy still more, and as he alwaysscreams when he is angry, he was soon making such a racket that ReddyFox down on the Green Meadows couldn't help but hear it. Peter saw himlift his head to listen. In a few minutes he began to trot that way. Hewas coming to find out what that fuss was about. Peter knew that Reddywouldn't come straight up there. That isn't Reddy's way. He would stealaround back of the old stone wall on the edge of the Old Orchard, whichwas back of Peter, and would try to see what was going on without beingseen himself.

  "As soon as he sees me he will think that at last he has a chance tocatch me," thought Peter. "I shall have to run my very fastest, but ifeverything goes right, he will soon forget all about me. I do hope thatthe noise Sammy Jay is making will not waken Jimmy Skunk and bring himout to see what is going on."

  So with one eye on the barrel where Jimmy Skunk was taking a nap, andthe other eye on the old stone wall behind which he expected Reddy Foxto come stealing up, Peter waited and didn't mind in the least the namesthat Sammy Jay was calling him.

  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 wasdoing. What was he doing? Why, he was running the risk of being caughtby Reddy Fox all for the sake of a joke. Did you ever hear of anythingmore foolish? Yet Peter was no different from a lot of people who everyday risk their lives in the most careless and heedless ways just to savea few minutes of time or for some other equally foolish reason. The factis, Peter didn't stop to think what dreadful thing might happen if hisplans didn't work out as he intended. He didn't once think of littleMrs. Peter over in the dear Old Briar-patch and how she would feel if henever came home again. That's the trouble with thoughtlessness; it neverremembers other people.

  All the time that Reddy Fox was creeping along behind the old stone wallon the edge of the Old Orchard, Peter knew just where he was, thoughReddy didn't know that. If he had known it, he would have suspected oneof Peter's tricks.

  "He'll peep over that wall, and just as soon as he sees me, he will feelsure that this time he will catch me," thought Peter. "He will stealalong to that place where the wall is lowest and will jump over it rightthere. I must be ready to jump the very second he does."

  It all happened just as Peter had expected. While seeming to be payingno attention to anything but to Sammy Jay, he kept his eyes on that lowplace in the old wall, and presently he saw Reddy's sharp nose, as Reddypeeped over to make sure that he was still there. The instant that sharpnose dropped out of sight, Peter made ready to run for his life. Asecond later, Reddy leaped over the wall, and Peter was off as hard ashe could go, with Reddy almost at his heels. Sammy Jay, who had been sobusy calling Peter names that he hadn't seen Reddy at all, forgot allabout his quarrel with Peter.

  "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 ashe saw Peter start
towards the Green Meadows. It was a long way to thedear Old Briar-patch, and Reddy didn't have any doubt at all that hewould catch Peter before he got there. He watched sharply for Peter tododge and try to get back to the old stone wall. He didn't mean to letPeter do that. But Peter didn't even try. He ran straight for the edgeof the hill above the Green Meadows. Then, for the first time, Reddynoticed an old barrel there lying on its side.

  "I wonder if he thinks he can hide in that," thought Reddy, and grinnedagain, for he remembered that he had passed that old barrel a few daysbefore, and that one end was open while the other end was closed. "If hetries 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 athis heels! To Sammy Jay it looked as if in a few more jumps Reddycertainly would catch Peter. "Go it, Peter! Oh, go it! Go it!" screamedSammy, for in spite of his quarrels with Peter, he didn't want to seehim come to any real harm.

  Just as he reached the old barrel, Reddy was so close to him that Peterwas almost sure that he could feel Reddy's breath. Then Peter made asplendid flying jump right over the old barrel and kept on down thehill, lipperty-lipperty-lip, as fast as ever he could, straight for anold house of Johnny Chuck's of which he knew. When he reached it, heturned to see what was happening behind him, for he knew by thescreaming of Sammy Jay and by other sounds that a great deal washappening. In fact, he suspected that the joke which he had planned wasworking 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 wasunexpected to Reddy Fox. In fact, Reddy was so close on Peter's heelsthat he had no thought of anything but catching Peter. He was running sofast that when Peter made his flying jump over the barrel, Reddy did nothave time to jump too, and he ran right smack bang against that oldbarrel. Now you remember that that barrel was right on the edge of thehill. When Reddy ran against it, he hit it so hard that he rolled itover, and of course that started it down the hill. You know a barrel isa 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 upwhen 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 hummockit seemed to jump right up in the air. And all the time it was makingthe strangest noises. Reddy quite forgot the smarting sore places wherehe had bumped into the barrel. He simply stood and stared at therunaway.

  "As I live," he exclaimed, "I believe there was some one in that oldbarrel!" There was. You remember that Jimmy Skunk had curled up in therefor a nap. Now Jimmy was awake, very much awake. You see, for once inhis life he was moving fast, very much faster than ever he had movedbefore since he was born. And it wasn't at all comfortable. No, Sir, itwasn't at all a comfortable way in which to travel. He went over andover so fast that it made him dizzy. First he was right side up and thenwrong side up, so fast that he couldn't tell which side up he was. Andevery time that old barrel jumped when it went over a hummock, Jimmy wastossed up so that he hit whatever part of the barrel happened to beabove him. Of course, he couldn't get out, because he was rolled overand 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 soundsthat some one was. So he started down the hill after the barrel to seewhat would happen when it stopped. All the time Peter Rabbit was dancingabout in the greatest excitement, but taking the greatest care to keepclose to that old house of Johnny Chuck's so as to pop into it in caseof danger. He saw that Reddy Fox had quite forgotten all about him inhis curiosity as to who was in the barrel, and he chuckled as he thoughtof what might happen when the barrel stopped rolling and Reddy foundout. Sammy Jay was flying overhead, screaming enough to split histhroat. Altogether, it was quite the most exciting thing Peter had everseen.

  Now it just happened that Old Man Coyote had started to cross the GreenMeadows right at the foot of the hill just as the barrel started down.Of course, he heard the noise and looked up to see what it meant. Whenhe saw that barrel rushing right down at him, it frightened him so thathe just gave one yelp and started for the Old Pasture like a graystreak. He gave Peter a chance to see just how fast he can run, andPeter made up his mind right then that he never would run a race withOld Man Coyote.

  Down at the bottom of the hill was a big stone, and when the barrel hitthis, the hoops broke, and the barrel fell all apart. Peter decided thatit was high time for him to get out of sight. So he dodged into the oldhouse 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 hisheart. Had Jimmy been killed? He hadn't once thought of what mighthappen to Jimmy when he planned that joke. But presently Jimmy began towave first one leg and then another, as if to make sure that he had somelegs left. Then slowly he rolled over and got on to his feet. Peterbreathed 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 worldordinarily. He minds his own business, and if no one interferes withhim, he interferes with no one. But once he is aroused and feels that hehasn't been treated fairly, look out for him!

  And this time Jimmy was mad clear through, as he got to his feet andshook himself to see that he was all there. I don't know that any onecould blame him. To be wakened from a comfortable nap by being rolledover and over and shaken nearly to death as Jimmy had been by that wildride down the hill in the old barrel was enough to make any one mad. Sohe really is not to be blamed for feeling as he did.

  Now Jimmy can never be accused of being stupid. He knew that an oldbarrel which has been lying in one place for a long time doesn't move ofits own accord. He knew that that barrel couldn't possibly have startedoff down the hill unless some one had made it start, and he didn't havea doubt in the world that whoever had done it, had known that he wasinside and had done it to make him uncomfortable. So just as soon as hehad made sure that he was really alive and quite whole, he looked aboutto see who could have played such a trick on him.

  The first person he saw was Reddy Fox. In fact, Reddy was right close athand. You see, he had raced down the hill after the barrel to see whowas in it when he heard the strange noises coming from it as it rolledand bounded down. If Reddy had known that it was Jimmy Skunk, he wouldhave been quite content to remain at the top of the hill. But he didn'tknow, and if the truth be known, he had hopes that it might prove to besome one who would furnish him with a good breakfast. So, quite out ofbreath with running, Reddy arrived at the place where the old barrel hadbroken to pieces just as Jimmy got to his feet.

  Now when Jimmy Skunk is angry, he doesn't bite and he doesn't scratch.You know Old Mother Nature has provided him with a little bag of perfumewhich Jimmy doesn't object to in the least, but which makes most peoplewant to hold their noses and run. He never uses it, excepting when he isangry or in danger, but when he does use it, his enemies always turntail and run. That is why he is afraid of no one, and why every onerespects Jimmy and his rights.

  He used it now, and he didn't waste any time about it. He threw some ofthat perfume right in the face of Reddy Fox before Reddy had a chance toturn or to say a word.

  "Take that!" snapped Jimmy Skunk. "Perhaps it will teach you not to playtricks on your honest neighbors!"

  Poor Reddy! Some of that perfume got in his eyes and made them smartdreadfully. In fact, for a little while he couldn't see at all. Andthen the smell of it was so strong that it made him quite sick. Herolled over and over on the ground, choking and gasping and rubbing hiseyes. Jimmy Skunk just stood and looked on, and there wasn't a bi
t ofpity 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 myneck."

  "I didn't know you were in that barrel, and I didn't mean to roll itdown the hill anyway," whined Reddy, when he could get his voice.

  "Huh!" snorted Jimmy Skunk, who didn't believe a word of it.

  "I didn't. Honestly I didn't," protested Reddy. "I ran against thebarrel by accident, chasing Peter Rabbit. I didn't have any idea thatany one was in it."

  "Huh!" said Jimmy Skunk again. "If you were chasing Peter Rabbit, whereis he now?"

  Reddy had to confess he didn't know. He was nowhere in sight, and hecertainly hadn't had time to reach the dear Old Briar-patch. Jimmylooked 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 awaywith a great deal of dignity.

  V

  REDDY FOX SNEAKS AWAY

  To sneak away is to steal away trying to keep out of sight of everybody,and is usually done only by those who for some reason or other areashamed to be seen. Just as soon as Reddy Fox could see after JimmySkunk had thrown that terrible perfume in Reddy's face he started forthe Green Forest. He wanted to get away by himself. But he didn't trotwith his head up and his big plumey tail carried proudly as is usualwith him. No indeed. Instead he hung his head, and his handsome tail wasdropped between his legs; he was the very picture of shame. You see thatterrible perfume which Jimmy Skunk had thrown at him clung to his redcoat and he knew that he couldn't get rid of it, not for a long timeanyway. And he knew, too, that wherever he went his neighbors would holdtheir noses and make fun of him, and that no one would have anything todo with him. So he sneaked away across the Green Meadows towards theGreen Forest and he felt too sick and mean and unhappy to even be angrywith Sammy Jay, who was making fun of him and saying that he had got nomore than he deserved.