When Peter awoke, the first thing he thought of was the terriblecreature he had seen in the Green Forest. The more he thought aboutit, the more impossible it seemed, and he didn't wonder that Mrs.Peter had advised him not to repeat it.
"I won't," said Peter to himself. "I won't repeat it to a soul. No onewill believe it. The truth is, I can hardly believe it myself. I'lljust keep my tongue still."
But unfortunately for Peter, one of the Merry Little Breezes of OldMother West Wind had heard Peter tell the story to Mrs. Peter, and itwas such a wonderful and curious and unbelievable story that the MerryLittle Breeze straightway repeated it to everybody he met, and soonPeter Rabbit began to receive callers who wanted to hear the story allover again from Peter himself. So Peter was obliged to repeat it everso many times, and every time it sounded to him more foolish thanbefore. He had to tell it to Jimmy Skunk and to Johnny Chuck and toDanny Meadow Mouse and to Digger the Badger and to Sammy Jay and toBlacky the Crow and to Striped Chipmunk and to Happy Jack Squirrel andto Bobby Coon and to Unc' Billy Possum and to Old Mr. Toad.
Now, strange to say, no one laughed at Peter, queer as the storysounded. You see, they all remembered how they had laughed at him andmade fun of him when he told about the great footprints he had founddeep in the Green Forest, and how later it had been proven that hereally did see them, for they were made by Buster Bear who had comedown from the Great Woods to live in the Green Forest. Then it hadbeen Peter's turn to laugh at them. So now, impossible as this newstory sounded, they didn't dare laugh at it.
"I never heard of such a creature," said Jimmy Skunk, "and I can'tquite believe that there is such a one, but it is very clear to methat Peter has seen something strange. You know the old saying that helaughs best who laughs last, and I'm not going to give Peter anotherchance to have the last laugh and say, 'I told you so.'"
"That is very true," replied Old Mr. Toad solemnly. "Probably Peterhas seen something out of the ordinary, and in his excitement he hasexaggerated it. The thing to do is to make sure whether or not thereis a stranger in the Green Forest. Peter says that it came down thehill where Prickly Porky the Porcupine lives. Some one ought to go askhim what he knows about it. If there is such a terrible creature upthere, he ought to have seen it. Why don't you go up there and askhim, Jimmy Skunk? You're not afraid of anybody or anything."
"I will," replied Jimmy promptly, and off he started. You see, he feltvery much flattered by Old Mr. Toad's remark, and he couldn't verywell refuse, for that would look as if he were afraid, after all.
VII
JIMMY SKUNK CALLS ON PRICKLY PORKY
"A plague upon Old Mr. Toad!" grumbled Jimmy, as he ambled up the LoneLittle Path through the Green Forest on his way to the hill wherePrickly Porky lives. "Of course I'm not afraid, but just the same Idon't like meddling with things I don't know anything about. I'm notafraid of anybody I know of, because everybody has the greatestrespect for me, but it might be different with a creature without legsor head or tail. Whoever heard of such a thing? It gives me a queerfeeling inside."
However, he kept right on, and as he reached the foot of the hillwhere Prickly Porky lives, he looked sharply in every direction andlistened with all his might for strange sounds. But there was nothingunusual to be seen. The Green Forest looked just as it always did. Itwas very still and quiet there save for the cheerful voice of Redeyethe Vireo telling over and over how happy he was.
"That doesn't sound as if there were any terrible stranger aroundhere," muttered Jimmy.
Then he heard a queer, grunting sound, a very queer sound, that seemedto come from somewhere on the top of the hill. Jimmy grinned as helistened. "That's Prickly Porky telling himself how good his dinnertastes," laughed Jimmy. "Funny how some people do like to hear theirown voices."
The contented sound of Prickly Porky's voice made Jimmy feel very surethat there could be nothing very terrible about just then, anyway, andso he slowly ambled up the hill, for you know he never hurries. It wasan easy matter to find the tree in which Prickly Porky was at workstripping off bark and eating it, because he made so much noise.
"Hello!" said Jimmy Skunk.
Prickly Porky took no notice. He was so busy eating, and making somuch noise about it, that he didn't hear Jimmy at all.
"Hello!" shouted Jimmy a little louder. "Hello, there! Are you deaf?"Of course this wasn't polite at all, but Jimmy was feeling a littleout of sorts because he had had to make this call. This time PricklyPorky looked down.
"Hello yourself, and see how you like it, Jimmy Skunk!" he cried."Come on up and have some of this nice bark with me." Then PricklyPorky laughed at his own joke, for he knew perfectly well that Jimmycouldn't climb, and that he wouldn't eat bark if he could.
Jimmy made a face at him. "Thank you, I've just dined. Come down herewhere I can talk to you without straining my voice," he replied.
"Wait until I get another bite," replied Prickly Porky, stripping offa long piece of bark. Then with this to chew on, he came half way downthe tree and made himself comfortable on a big limb. "Now, what is ityou've got on your mind?" he demanded.
At once Jimmy told him the queer story Peter Rabbit had told. "I'vebeen sent up here to find out if you have seen this legless,headless, tailess creature. Have you?" he concluded.
Prickly Porky slowly shook his head. "No," said he. "I've been righthere all the time, and I haven't seen any such creature."
"That's all I want to know," replied Jimmy. "Peter Rabbit's gotsomething the matter with his eyes, and I'm going straight back to theOld Briar-patch to tell him so. Much obliged." With that Jimmy startedback the way he had come, grumbling to himself.
VIII
PRICKLY PORKY NEARLY CHOKES
Hardly was Jimmy Skunk beyond sight and hearing after having made hiscall than Redeye the Vireo, whose home is in a tree just at the footof the hill where Prickly Porky lives, heard a very strange noise. Hewas very busy, was Redeye, telling all who would listen how happy hewas and what a beautiful world this is. Redeye seems to think thatthis is his special mission in life, that he was put in the GreenForest for this one special purpose,--to sing all day long, even inthe hottest weather when other birds forget to sing, his little songof gladness and happiness. It never seems to enter his head that heis making other people happy just by being happy himself and sayingso.
At first he hardly noticed the strange noise, but when he stoppedsinging for a bit of a rest, he heard it very plainly, and it soundedso very queer that he flew up the hill towards the place from which itseemed to come, and there his bright eyes soon discovered PricklyPorky. Right away he saw that Prickly Porky was in some kind oftrouble, and that it was he who was making the queer noise. PricklyPorky was on the ground at the foot of a tree, and he was rolling overand kicking and clawing at his mouth, from which a little piece ofbark was hanging. It was such a strange performance that Redeye simplystared for a minute. Then in a flash it came to him what it meant.Prickly Porky was choking, and if something wasn't done to help him,he might choke to death!
Now there was nothing that Redeye himself could do to help, for he wastoo small. He must get help somewhere else, and he must do it quickly.Anxiously he looked this way and that way, but there was no one insight. Then he remembered that Unc' Billy Possum's hollow tree was notfar away. Perhaps Unc' Billy could help. He hoped that Unc' Billy wasat home, and he wasted no time in finding out. Unc' Billy was at home,and when he heard that his old friend Prickly Porky was in trouble, hehurried up the hill as fast as ever he could. He saw right away whatwas the trouble.
"Yo' keep still just a minute, Brer Porky!" he commanded, for he didnot dare go very near while Prickly Porky was rolling and kickingaround so, for fear that he would get against some of the thousandlittle spears Prickly Porky carries hidden in his coat. Prickly Porkydid as he was told. Indeed, he was so weak from his long struggle thathe was glad to. Unc' Billy caught hold of the piece of bark hangingfrom Prickly Porky's mouth. Then he braced himself and pulled with allhis might. For a m
inute the piece of bark held. Then it gave way sosuddenly that Unc' Billy fell over flat on his back. Unc' Billyscrambled to his feet and looked reprovingly at Prickly Porky, who laypanting for breath, and with big tears rolling down his face.
Then he braced himself and pulled with all his might._Page 30._]
"Ah cert'nly am surprised, Brer Porky; Ah cert'nly am surprised thatyo' should be so greedy that yo' choke yo'self," said Unc' Billy,shaking his head.
Prickly Porky grinned weakly and rather foolishly. "It wasn't greed,Unc' Billy. It wasn't greed at all," he replied.
"Then what was it, may Ah ask?" demanded Unc' Billy severely.
"I thought of something funny right in the middle of my meal, and Ilaughed just as I started to swallow, and the piece of bark went downthe wrong way," explained Prickly Porky. And then, as if the merethought of the thing that had made him laugh before was too much forhim, he began to laugh again. He laughed and laughed and laughed,until finally Unc' Billy quite lost patience.
"Yo' cert'nly have lost your manners, Brer Porky!" he snapped.
Prickly Porky wiped the tears from his eyes. "Come closer so that Ican whisper, Unc' Billy," said he.
A little bit suspiciously Unc' Billy came near enough for PricklyPorky to whisper, and when he had finished, Unc' Billy was wipingtears of laughter from his own eyes.
IX
JIMMY SKUNK AND UNC' BILLY POSSUM TELL DIFFERENT STORIES
The little people of the Green Meadows and the Green Forest didn'tknow what to believe. First came Peter Rabbit with the strangest kindof a story about being chased by a terrible creature without legs,head, or tail. He said that it had come down the hill where PricklyPorky the Porcupine lives in the Green Forest. Jimmy Skunk had beensent to call on Prickly Porky and ask him if he had seen any strangecreature such as Peter Rabbit had told about. Prickly Porky had saidthat he hadn't seen any stranger in that part of the Green Forest, andJimmy had straightway returned to the Green Meadows and told all hisfriends there that Peter Rabbit must have had something the matterwith his eyes or else was crazy, for Prickly Porky hadn't been awayfrom home and yet had seen nothing unusual.
At the same time Unc' Billy Possum was going about in the Green Foresttelling everybody whom he met that he had called on Prickly Porky, andthat Prickly Porky had told him that Peter Rabbit undoubtedly had seensomething strange. Of course Jimmy Skunk's story soon spread throughthe Green Forest, and Unc' Billy Possum's story soon spread over theGreen Meadows, and so nobody knew what to believe or think. If JimmySkunk was right, why Peter Rabbit's queer story wasn't to be believedat all. If Unc' Billy was right, why Peter's story wasn't as crazy asit sounded.
Of course all this aroused a great deal of talk and curiosity, andthose who had the most courage began to make visits to the hill wherePrickly Porky lives to see if they could see for themselves anythingout of the ordinary. But they always found that part of the GreenForest just as usual and always, if they saw Prickly Porky at all, heseemed to be fast asleep, and no one liked to wake him to askquestions. Little by little they began to think that Jimmy Skunk wasright, and that Peter Rabbit's terrible creature existed only inPeter's imagination.
About this time Unc' Billy told of having just such an experience asPeter had. It happened exactly as it did with Peter, very early in themorning, when he was passing the foot of the hill where Prickly Porkylives.
"Ah was just passing along, minding mah own business, when Ah heard anoise up on the hill behind me," said Unc' Billy, "and when Ah lookedup, there was something coming straight down at me, and Ah couldn'tsee any legs or head or tail."
"What did you do, Unc' Billy?" asked Bobby Coon.
"What did Ah do? Ah did just what yo'alls would have done,--Ah donerun!" replied Unc' Billy, looking around the little circle of forestand meadow people, listening with round eyes and open mouths. "Yes,Sah, Ah done run, and Ah didn't turn around until Ah was safe in mahholler tree."
"Pooh!" sneered Reddy Fox, who had been listening. "You're a coward. Iwouldn't have run! I would have waited and found out what it was. Youand Peter Rabbit would run away from your own shadows."
"You don't dare go there yourself at daybreak to-morrow!" retortedUnc' Billy.
"I do too!" declared Reddy angrily, though he didn't have the leastintention of going.
"All right. Ah'm going to be in a tree where Ah can watch to-morrowmo'ning and see if yo' are as brave as yo' talk," declared Unc' Billy.
Then Reddy knew that he would have to go or else be called a coward."I'll be there," he snarled angrily, as he slunk away.
X
UNC' BILLY POSSUM TELLS JIMMY SKUNK A SECRET
Be sure before you drop a friend That you've done nothing to offend.
A friend is always worth keeping. Unc' Billy Possum says so, and heknows. He ought to, for he has made a lot of them in the Green Forestand on the Green Meadows, in spite of the pranks he has cut up and thetricks he has played. And when Unc' Billy makes a friend, he keepshim. He says that it is easier and a lot better to keep a friend thanto make a new one. And this is the way he goes about it: Whenever hefinds that a friend is angry with him, he refuses to be angryhimself. Instead, he goes to that friend, finds out what the troubleis, explains it all away, and then does something nice.
Jimmy Skunk and Unc' Billy had been friends from the time that Unc'Billy came up from ol' Virginny to live in the Green Forest. In fact,they had been partners in stealing eggs from the hen-house of FarmerBrown's boy. So when Jimmy Skunk, who had made a special call onPrickly Porky to find out if he had seen the strange creature withouthead, tail, or legs, told everybody that Prickly Porky had seennothing of such a creature, he was very much put out and quiteoffended to hear that Unc' Billy was telling how Prickly Porky hadsaid that Peter might really have some reason for his queer story. Itseemed to him that either Prickly Porky had told an untruth or thatUnc' Billy was telling an untruth. It made him very angry.
The afternoon of the day when Unc' Billy had dared Reddy Fox to go atsun-up the next morning to the hill where Prickly Porky lives he metJimmy Skunk coming down the Crooked Little Path. Jimmy scowled and wasgoing to pass without so much as speaking. Unc' Billy's shrewd littleeyes twinkled, and he grinned as only Unc' Billy can grin. "Howdy,Brer Skunk," said he.
Jimmy just frowned harder than ever and tried to pass.
"Howdy, Brer Skunk," repeated Unc' Billy Possum. "Yo' must havesomething on your mind."
Jimmy Skunk stopped. "I have!" he snapped. "I want to know whether itis you or Prickly Porky who has been telling an untruth. He told methat he hadn't seen anything like what Peter Rabbit said chased him,and you've been telling around how he told you that Peter may have hadgood grounds for that foolish story. If Peter saw that thing, PricklyPorky would know it, for he hasn't been away from home this summer.Why would he tell me that he hasn't seen it if he has?"
"Don' be hasty, Brer Skunk. Don' be hasty," replied Unc' Billysoothingly. "Ah haven't said that Brer Porky told me that he had_seen_ the thing that Peter says chased him. He told the truth when hetold you that he hadn't seen any stranger around his hill. What hetold me was that--" Here Unc' Billy whispered.
Jimmy Skunk's face cleared. "That's different," said he.
"Of course it is," replied Unc' Billy. "Yo' see Peter _did_ seesomething strange, even if Brer Porky didn't. Ah have seen itmahself, and now Ah invites yo' to be over at the foot of Brer Porky'shill at sun-up to-morrow mo'ning and see what happens when Brer Foxtries to show how brave he is. Only don' forget that it's a secret."
Jimmy was chuckling by this time. "I won't forget, and I'll be there,"he promised. "I'm glad to know that nobody has been telling untruths,and I beg your pardon, Unc' Billy, for thinking you might have been."
"Don' mention it, Brer Skunk, don' mention it. Ah'll be looking fo'yo' to-morrow mo'ning," replied Unc' Billy, with a sly wink that madeJimmy laugh aloud.
XI
WHAT HAPPENED TO REDDY FOX
Reddy Fox wished with all his might tha
t he had kept his tongue stillabout not being afraid to meet the strange creature that had givenPeter Rabbit such a fright. When he had boasted that he would stop andfind out all about it if he happened to meet it, he didn't have theleast intention of doing anything of the kind. He was just idlyboasting and nothing more. You see, Reddy is one of the greatestboasters in the Green Forest or on the Green Meadows. He likes tostrut around and talk big. But like most boasters, he is a coward atheart.
Unc' Billy Possum knew this, and that is why he dared Reddy to go thenext morning to the foot of the hill where Prickly Porky the Porcupinelives, and where Peter Rabbit had had his strange adventure, and whereUnc' Billy himself claimed to have seen the same strange creaturewithout head, tail, or legs which had so frightened Peter. Unc' Billyhad said that he would be there himself up in a tree where he couldsee whether Reddy really did come or not, and so there was nothing forReddy to do but to go and make good his foolish boast, if the strangecreature should appear. You see, a number of little people had heardhim boast and had heard Unc' Billy dare him, and he knew that if hedidn't make good, he would never hear the end of it and would becalled a coward by everybody.
The Adventures of Prickly Porky Page 2