After a while, Tootsie began to shove and she shoved and she shoved until she shoved Patsy right out of bed. Patsy picked herself up. She looked at Tootsie. She filled the center of the bed and she was sound asleep and snoring.
Patsy took her pillow and threw it on the floor. Then she pulled the blanket off the bed and wrapped herself in it. She lay down on the floor, put her head on the pillow, and went off to sleep again.
About an hour later, Tootsie woke up. She jumped to the floor and without waking Patsy, padded over to Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer's room. She sniffed Mr. Sawyer's bed and then Mrs. Sawyer's bed. Then she went back to Mr. Sawyer and Ker-plunk again! She landed on Mr. Sawyer's bed.
Mr. Sawyer was dreaming that he was at the circus and when Tootsie landed on his bed, he thought an elephant had jumped on him. When he saw that it was Tootsie, he said things that should have made Tootsie realize that she wasn't welcome, but Tootsie didn't seem to mind. She wouldn't budge an inch. Mr. Sawyer was very uncomfortable but he didn't want to make any noise that would waken Patsy's mother. The bed was certainly not big enough for both Mr. Sawyer and Tootsie.
Tootsie had evidently come to stay, so Mr. Sawyer got up with a groan, pulled off a blanket, and put his pillow under his arm. He went downstairs and made his bed on the sofa in the living room. Before he fell asleep he muttered, "That dog's house is going to be built today."
Just before daybreak, Tootsie woke up again. Evidently she was a very light sleeper or else she was fussy about beds. Once more she decided to make a change.
She jumped to the floor, yawned, and stretched. Then she gave a leap and landed with a thud on Mrs. Sawyer's bed. She woke with a start. "Oh, Tootsie!" she moaned. "Get down." But instead of getting down, Tootsie shoved herself right into the center of the bed.
"This is awful!" groaned Mrs. Sawyer. And then she rolled over and saw that Mr. Sawyer's bed was empty. She was too sleepy to wonder why it was empty. She crawled out, leaving Tootsie to enjoy her rest. She climbed into the empty bed, pulled up the comforter, and was soon asleep.
At seven o'clock, when Mrs. Sawyer went into Patsy's room to call her, she found Patsy asleep on the floor. Tootsie was asleep on the floor, too, lying close beside Patsy.
That day, a carpenter worked all day building a house for Tootsie. It was right beside the garage.
Tootsie slept that night in her own house and Patsy slept in her own bed and her daddy slept in his own bed and her mother slept in her bed. And they slept the whole night through.
6. The Cabin in the Woods
It was October now. The leaves on the trees had turned to gold and orange and bright red. One by one they fell to the ground, covering the lawns, the streets, and the sidewalks with a brilliant carpet. Peter and Penny scuffed through the leaves on their way to school. Sometimes, Penny stopped to pick up a very special leaf. He would carry it to school and put it on his teacher's desk. Penny liked to make believe that the pure gold leaves were money. "Pirates' gold pieces," he called them.
After school, the boys raked the leaves on the lawn. They swept them up into piles and when Daddy came home, he burned them. Peter and Penny loved to smell the burning leaves.
One afternoon, the boys were raking the lawn, when suddenly, the air was filled with such chirping and chattering that both of the boys looked up at the same time. The telephone and telegraph wires were filled with birds.
"Just look at the birds!" cried Penny. "Look at them! There must be a million birds."
"Yes," said Peter. "They are flying south for the winter. You wouldn't think that birds could make that much noise, would you?"
Penny laughed. He thought the birds' racket was very funny. "What do you suppose they are talking about?" he said.
Just then, Daddy appeared. "Hello, Daddy!" exclaimed Penny. "Look at all the birds."
"I have been looking at them," replied Daddy. "Sounds like a convention, doesn't it?"
"What is a 'convention,' Daddy?" asked Penny.
"A convention is a meeting of people who are all interested in the same thing. They get together to talk about it," replied Daddy.
"What do you think the birds are talking about?" asked Penny.
"Oh, they are talking about flying south. Some of them, I guess, want to go one way and some want to go another. They can't agree because they all want to stop off to see their cousins and their aunts."
Peter and Penny laughed. "I wonder who will win," said Peter.
"By the way, boys!" said Daddy. "We should have one last picnic before it gets too cold, don't you think so?"
"Oh, yes, Daddy!" cried Penny.
"A doggie roast!" cried Peter.
"Oh no! Hamburgers!" cried Penny. "Don't you want hamburgers, Daddy?"
"I'll take both," said Daddy.
"What is all this chattering about?" asked Mother, as Daddy and the boys came into the house.
"Birds," said Penny.
"Birds?" said Mother. "I thought I heard 'hamburgers.'"
Daddy and the boys laughed. "You can't hear hamburgers, Mummy," said Penny. "It's birds."
"Sillies!" laughed Mother. "I certainly heard you chattering about hamburgers."
"Oh!" cried Peter. "We thought you meant the chattering of the birds. They are all over the telephone and telegraph wires."
"Why, so they are!" exclaimed Mother, going to the window. "The fall will soon be over." Then she turned round. "Why, see here!" she cried. "We should have another picnic."
Daddy and the boys laughed. "That's just what we were saying when we came in," said Daddy.
"Hamburgers!" exclaimed Mother. "I was sure I heard you chattering about hamburgers."
"Now, you've caught up with us," laughed Daddy, putting his arm around Mother.
"Well, I'm glad of that," said Mother. "A few more minutes and you would have been off on a picnic without me."
Daddy and the boys laughed, for they knew that a picnic without Mother is only half a picnic.
"When shall we go?" asked Peter.
"How about next Saturday?" asked Daddy.
"Swell!" said Peter and Penny in the same breath.
"Fine!" said Mother.
The next evening, when Daddy returned from the office, he said, "Mr. Ferguson, in the office, has offered us the use of his cabin up in the mountains for the weekend." And Daddy said it as though it wasn't at all important.
Peter and Penny sat up with their eyes popping. "He has!" exclaimed Peter.
"Wilikers!" cried Penny. "A cabin in the woods?"
"That's right," said Daddy. "But I don't suppose you boys want to go?"
"Want to go?" shouted Penny. "It's just what we want. A cabin in the woods."
"It sure will be a super-duper picnic," said Peter.
"We will have to take blankets," said Mother. "It will probably be very cold. But it will be wonderful."
On Friday, Daddy came home from the office early. He arrived soon after the boys came in from school.
Penny helped pile the blankets on the chair near the front door. Minnie packed a big wicker picnic basket with food for the three days. There were bread and rolls and cinnamon buns. There were bacon and eggs and frankfurters and ground meat packed in dry ice. There was a roasted chicken and a half of a baked ham. There were bottles of tomato juice, of ginger ale, and of milk. There were cans of baked beans, peas, and tomatoes. There were apples, oranges, and bananas, a pound of butter and one of Minnie's big chocolate cakes.
When Daddy looked in the basket, he shouted, "We're going to starve! Why didn't you put something in this basket, Minnie? Is this all we are going to have to live on for three days?"
"Oh, I know what cabins in the woods do to appetites," said Minnie, chuckling. "You eat three times as much. You just start cooking over a campfire and you eat and you eat till you're likely to bust."
Finally, everything was packed in the car. The two boys climbed into the back and Mother and
Daddy got in the front. They waved good-bye to Minnie and they were off
.
Soon they had left the town and were out in the country. They passed cornfields with corn shocks standing in rows, and fields with large golden pumpkins waiting to be turned into pies. Sometimes the road was cut right through the woods and the leaves fell like great drops of golden rain. A pale blue smoke hung over the whole countryside and the air smelled faintly of burning leaves.
By dusk they had reached the mountains and, as the road climbed higher, the air grew colder.
"Daddy," said Penny, "do you think there are any wild animals up at the cabin?"
"Oh, there are plenty of wild animals in these mountains," replied Daddy.
"Do you think we will see any?" asked Peter.
"I can't say," replied Daddy. "Maybe if we are very quiet, we shall."
"What kind of wild animals do you think we may see?" asked Peter.
"Well, there are beavers and coon and opossums and deer," said Daddy.
"Oh, I hope I can see a deer!" cried Penny. "I would love to see a deer."
At this place the road cut through a dense wood. It was dark and Daddy put on the headlights. The light flooded the road and the dark trees rose like a wall on each side.
Suddenly, a form plunged from the darkness of the wood across the road. For a second, it was lit brilliantly by the headlights of the car. Then it was swallowed up in the darkness of the wood on the opposite side of the road. It all happened in a split second, but everyone in the car had seen that it was a beautiful deer.
The boys sat on the edge of the seat, breathless.
"Well, that was the deer you wanted to see, Penny," said Daddy.
"Wasn't it wonderful!" said Mother, in a whisper.
"Yes," replied Penny, "but I wanted to see it longer. Oh, I would love to see one longer."
"Well, perhaps we will see one tomorrow," said Daddy.
At last they turned into a narrow road that was like a ribbon of light through the woods.
"Are we almost there, Daddy?" asked Peter. "I'm awfully hungry."
"Almost," replied Daddy.
Finally, the car came to a stop in what seemed to Peter and Penny to be the middle of the woods.
Now that the motor of the car was silent, they could hear the gentle lap, lap of the water.
"I hear water, Daddy," said Penny.
"That's the lake," replied Daddy.
"Oh, Daddy! I didn't know there was a lake," said Penny.
"Yes, indeed," said Daddy. "The cabin is very near the lake."
Daddy took the flashlight out of the pocket of the car. "You stay in the car," he said, "until I put the lights on in the cabin."
Mother, Peter, and Penny watched Daddy follow the path of the flashlight. Now he was going up some steps. Now he was on a porch. He must be putting the key in the door. Now he was inside.
Then, suddenly, bright lights twinkled in the darkness. They were the lighted windows of the cabin. Penny had been feeling cold but now he felt warm right down into his little toes.
This was like a dream come true. This was the cabin in the woods.
7. It's a Wolf
Peter and Penny were delighted when they saw the inside of the cabin. There was a big open fireplace where they soon had a fire burning.
They were as hungry as bears and gobbled up the chicken sandwiches and hot cocoa that Mother fixed for their supper. But they didn't tarry long, they were so anxious to get into the bunk beds. They spent quite some time, however, climbing up and down the ladder that led to the upper bunk. Daddy said that they were like monkeys on a stick.
Both of the boys wanted to sleep in the upper bunk, so it was finally settled that Peter would sleep in it on Friday night and Penny would sleep in it on Saturday night.
This satisfied both Penny and Peter and before long they were tucked away and sound asleep.
In the middle of the night, Penny woke up. He wondered where he was. He sat up in bed and looked around. Everything looked so strange and there was a woody odor. It smelled a little like being in the cedar closet at home.
Penny got up and went to the window. When he looked out of the window, things looked even more strange. A mist lay over everything and moonlight filtered through the mist. Penny felt certain that something was about to happen. Sure enough, in a moment, a beautiful stag appeared between the trees. The moonlight shone on his back and his antlers as he moved silently toward the water. Penny held his breath. Then, in a moment, he saw another deer. This one, he knew, was the doe, for she had no antlers. He watched as she followed the stag to the edge of the water. There they both bent their heads and drank. Then, as quietly as they had come, they disappeared.
Penny let out his breath and turned away from the window. Suddenly, he knew where he was. He was in the cabin in the mountains and that big lump in the bunk up near the ceiling was Peter.
In the morning, he told Peter and Mother and Daddy about the deer he had seen. "It was just like being in a fairy story," said Penny.
"Why didn't you call us?" asked Peter.
"I don't know," said Penny. "I guess I forgot you were here. And I was afraid if I moved, it would all disappear."
When breakfast was over, Peter and Penny went down to the lake. It was too cold to go swimming so they took the rowboat out of the boathouse and rowed out to a little island in the lake. From here they could see a few other cabins, dotted around the edge of the lake. Far away, they heard a dog barking.
The boys explored the little island and then rowed back to the mainland.
At lunch, Peter said, "Daddy, is it all right if we take a walk around the edge of the lake?"
"Certainly," said Daddy, "but don't get so far into the woods that you lose sight of the lake. As long as you keep the lake in view you will know how to come home."
"Okay," said Peter.
"Do you think we will meet any wild animals?" asked Penny.
"Well, keep your eyes open," replied Daddy.
"I would like to explore a stream and find a beaver's dam, wouldn't you, Penny?" said Peter.
"Oh yes!" cried Penny. "What do you think, Daddy? Do you think we could?"
"Suppose we explore a stream tomorrow?" said Daddy.
"All right," said the boys, as they trotted down the path to the lake. Near the edge of the lake, they turned off on a path that led around the lake. They scuffed their feet through the red and yellow leaves. They picked up nuts and pinecones. They heard the crackle of twigs under their feet and the rustle of squirrels in the branches overhead. They were pretty far from home now. They were alone in what seemed to be a very big forest. And then, all of a sudden, they heard a sound. It was a low growl. Peter and Penny looked around. There was another growl.
"What's that?" Penny whispered.
About a foot away, Peter saw an animal. Its eyes shone like big bright marbles. It was a brindle gray color. Its pointed ears stood up and its long plumelike tail switched back and forth.
"It's a wolf!" cried Peter. "Run, Penny!"
The two boys started off as fast as their legs could carry them. The wolf bounded after them.
"Climb a tree!" cried Peter.
Penny ran to the nearest pine tree. The branches were low enough for him to get a foothold. Then up he scrambled. Peter did the same. When they looked for each other, they were in two trees about ten feet apart. Penny was trembling so hard he shook the branches. He looked down for the wolf. There he was, smelling around the base of the trees.
"What shall we do?" said Penny.
"I have a whistle in my pocket," said Peter. "I'll blow it and maybe Daddy will hear it and come."
"But I don't want the wolf to attack Daddy," said Penny.
"Oh no," said Peter. "If Daddy could just bring a gun and shoot it. But if I blow the whistle, he won't know that he is to bring a gun. I guess I had better not blow it."
The wolf sat down and looked up in the trees.
"He has a very vicious face," said Penny. "His eyes are just like fire."
"Now he's licking his chops," sai
d Peter. "And look at his terrible teeth."
"Oh, dear!" cried Penny. "Maybe we'll have to stay here all night." And Penny began to cry.
"Now, don't cry, Penny," said Peter. "Daddy will come to find us."
"But I don't want Daddy to get eaten by a wolf," Penny wailed.
Just then the wolf lifted his head and howled. He howled and he howled.
"Oh, dear!" cried Penny. "He wants to eat us, doesn't he?"
"Maybe Daddy will hear that and bring a gun," said Peter.
"Oh, I hope so," said Penny. "He's a very vicious wolf, isn't he?"
"He sure is," said Peter. "But he can't get up the trees."
The wolf, at this point, quieted. He decided to lie on the ground. He put his head down between his front feet. The boys looked down upon him from the trees.
"Maybe he is going to sleep," said Penny.
Peter said nothing. He just continued to stare down at the animal.
After some little time, he said, "Penny, do you see something shining on the back of the wolf's neck?"
Penny looked down. "Uh-huh!" he said.
"What do you suppose it is?" said Peter.
"I don't know. I guess it's just his fur," replied Penny.
Peter moved down to a lower limb. He looked as closely as he could. Then he said, "Penny, it's a collar. It's a dog collar."
"What's a wolf doing with a dog collar?" asked Penny.
"Maybe he isn't a wolf," said Peter. "I guess maybe he's a dog."
"Do you think so?" asked Penny.
Peter climbed to a still lower limb. Then he said, "Here, boy. Come here."
The animal got up and walked over to the foot of the tree. He wagged his tail and said, "Woof!"
Peter got down to the ground. He held out his fist and the dog sniffed it. Then Peter patted him on the head. "Nice doggie!" he said. The dog rubbed against him.
"Come on down, Penny," Peter called. "It's only a dog."
Penny came down and he, too, patted the dog.
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