THE OLD HOMESTEAD TALES

THE BLUEBIRDS & THEIR NEIGHBOURS
By Neil Wayne Northey - 1930

CHAPTER 13

Molly Finds a Track

WHEN Pesty the Magpie told Molly that he had not seen Peter, she sat by the Friendly Burrow wondering what to do. She had hoped that Pesty would know something about Peter. But then, about all that Pesty ever thought of was finding something to eat. And so it would not be strange if he had seen Peter and had been so interested in looking for something to eat that he had forgotten all about it.

To tell the truth, Pesty had seen Peter that very morning. He had seen Peter running across an open space in the Black Forest in the direction of the Old Homestead.

Of course, Peter did not know that Molly was in the Big Jungle Thicket looking for him. And Molly did not know that Peter had left. And so Molly hopped off down the Sheltered Bunny Lane that went from the Friendly Burrow farther into the Big Jungle Thicket. Soon she came to another Sheltered Bunny Lanee that crossed the one she was following; and after she had turned down it a way, she came to many other Sheltered Bunny Lanes. There were so many that Molly did not know which one to follow. They ran in every direction and crisscrossed one another like a spider's web, except that a spider's web is more regular in its design.

At last Molly stopped and sat up. She wiggled her soft little nose and looked first down one Shel­tered Bunny Lane and then down another.

"I wonder which one of these I should follow," she said to herself It was quite a problem for Molly.

Down one of the Sheltered Bunny Lanes Molly saw something that looked like a Friendly Burrow. So she started in that direction.

"Perhaps some one lives there who can tell me about Peter," she thought; "I'll go: see what I can find, " Suddenly she stopped. She had come to another Sheltered Bunny Lane that crossed the one she was following. She put her nose to the round and sniffed. The Laughing Yellow ­Sun had melted what little snow had reached the ground under the heavy bushes and destroyed most of the scent. Molly was not quite, sure, and so she sniffed again. There was no mistaking it the second time; Peter surely had gone that way during the night.  

It did not take Molly long to decide what to do. Down, the Sheltered Bunny Lane she went as fast as she could until she came to another crossing. There she stopped long enough to sniff out which one to follow. It is queer how Molly could tell which direction Peter had gone, but that is another one of her secrets. Perhaps she could tell that the scent was getting a little stronger as she went, and knew that that was where Peter had been last. Sometimes Molly went so fast she lost the trail and had, to go back to find it.

At last Molly came to the edge of the Big Jungle Thicket. All the other Bunny Tracks stopped here except Peter's. The snow had melted much during the day, but there was still enough so that she could see Peter's track winding through the Black Forest in the direction of the Old Homestead.

"Now, I wonder if Peter has gone back to the Little Jungle Thicket to see what I am doing," said Molly. "If he has, and doesn't find me there, he will wonder what has become of me. I believe I'd better hurry right back home."

Molly hopped along for a way in Peter's tracks. The Laughing Yellow Sun was fast melting the snow, and Molly was tempted to stop to nibble some Tender Grass Shoots where the ground was bare of snow.

"I wonder where Peter will stay to-night," thought Molly. "But then, there is no use trying to overtake him.”

About the time when the Laughing Yellow Sun was going to bed, she came to a Warm Hollow Log. She could see where Peter had gone into one end of it, and she went in also. But Peter had not stayed. At the other end she saw his tracks going on across the field. The snow was gone at the end of the log, and some Tender Grass Shoots were showing.

"I believe I'll just stay here to-night," said Molly, and she sat up by the end of the Warm Hollow Log to look around. There was plenty to eat; and if Great Horn the Owl came along, she could dodge into the log for protection.

Molly liked the Warm Hollow Log very well. She liked it so well that she would have stayed if Peter had been there. But she was anxious to find Peter. And so after she had eaten some Tender Grass Shoots and had rested a while, she started on again.

Molly was very cautious about traveling at night while Great Horn the Owl and Reddy Fox and Shaggy the Wolf and Ranger the Coyote were prowling. She ran quickly from the Warm Hollow Log to a rabbit bush not far away. After making sure that no danger was near, she ran quickly to another bush, and stopped to look around. That is the way Molly traveled. And that is the way that Peter had traveled ahead of her.

Suddenly Molly stopped. There in the snow were the tracks of Ranger the Coyote following Peter.

"Oh, dear, I do hope Ranger the Coyote didn't catch Peter," said Molly.

And then she hurried on, fearing every minute that she would come to the place where Ranger had overtaken him.

Chapter 14

Molly Cottontail Finds Peter

WHEN Molly Cottontail saw the tracks of Ranger the Coyote following Peter, you may be sure that she lost no time along the way. No, sir. She hurried along so fast that she almost ran plump into Digger the Badger beforee she saw him. Digger was out looking for Dodger the Gopher, Tiny the Meadow Mouse, and Hardshell the Beetle. In fact, Digger does not stop at eating Forktongue the Snake if he can find him. But Forktongue is not in the habit of crawling around in the snow, and neither are Hardshell and many other Little Wild Creatures that Digger the Badger likes to eat.

And so Digger was having quite a time to find something to satisfy his hunger. You see, when Digger comes out in the spring after his long nap, he is very hungry. If he can get a smell of Dodger the Gopher in his Friendly Burrow, Digger makes the dirt fly with his long, strong claws, and Dodger would soon be caught if he did not have a Secret Little Tunnel through which he could escape.

Digger the Badger was Snaking the dirt fly when Molly almost ran into him. He was very busy kicking out dirt, and did not like to be disturbed. He was afraid that if he stopped, Dodger would escape. And Digger had a mean temper, anyway.

When Molly came along and stopped plump in front of him, he hissed and bared his shining white teeth. You may be sure that Molly was glad to leave him to his digging as soon as she could get her legs to working.

It was almost daylight when Molly reached the Little Jungle Thicket, and it did not take her long to find her Friendly Burrow. There sat Peter look­ing rather lonesome, she thought.

Molly did not go straight to Peter. She thumped a signal on the ground with her hind feet to see what he would do. Peter was so surprised he almost jumped off the ground. Then he thumped back a signal to Molly.

In a moment Molly was touching noses with Peter. "I'm so glad we are both safely back home," she said. Then Molly told Peter that she had been to the Big Jungle Thicket looking for him.

"You see, Tattler the Jay said that he saw Shadow the Lynx making a meal of you, and I wanted to find out if it was true," she said.

Peter wiggled his nose in a way that showed he was thinking hard.

"Tattler the Jay must have jumped at conclu­sions," he said. "Perhaps he saw Shadow the Lynx catch some other bunny; or, like as not, he was playing a trick on you. I think Tattler the Jay is a big talker."

"Perhaps he is," said Molly, "but he at least warned me about Reddy Fox in time to save my life." And then Molly told Peter about her experi­ence with Reddy Fox down by Little River.

"And do you know that Mr. Bluebird is back from the Sunny Southland ?" she asked Peter.,

Yes, I know it," replied Peter; "Snowshoe the Hare told me he had seen Mr. Bluebird from a distance. You see, Mr. Bluebird came to the Black Forest looking for something to eat, and Sharpshin the Hawk almost caught him, and would have if Scrapper the Kingbird had not interfered. I won­der what Mr. Bluebird thinks about this late snow. I thought we might expect Jolly Spring when Mr. Bluebird came."

"And so we can," said Molly ; "but sometimes Jolly Spring has a hard time to drive Old Man Winter away."

"How did you escape Ranger the Coyote?" she asked. "I was surely afraid that he would get you when I saw his tracks on your trail."

"Easy enough," replied Peter. "I crawled be­tween some rocks."

You see, that was not the first time that Peter had been chased by Ranger. And it was not the first time he had been to the Black Forest. Peter had gone there several times without Molly, and he knew the Friendly Burrows and the Tumbled Rock Piles along the way.

In the east the Laughing Yellow Sun was just ready to peep. "Ho hum," yawned Molly, "I believe I'll get some sleep."

And down into their Friendly Burrow tumbled Molly and Peter.

CHAPTER 15

Nest Building

WHEN Mrs. Bluebird arrived at the Old Homestead and saw the new Nesting Box, she wanted to start her nest building right away. That is, she wanted to start it as soon as she had visited with some of the old friends that she had not seen since she went south. But that night after she visited with Bobby White the Merry Little Snow­flakes began to fall, and they put an end to Mrs. Bluebird's nest building for a while. That was the same night that Molly had gone to look for Peter and had stayed in the Cozy Form under the rab­bit bush.

So it was not until the middle of April that Mrs. Bluebird really got around to it to fix up the Nest­ing Box. At first Mr. Bluebird carried in sticks and straws and grass stems, which he placed unevenly on the floor.

"Dear me," said Mrs. Bluebird, "I think I shall finish this nest myself. Those sticks are too large, and, besides, I know better than you do how I want it."

Then she went to work herself. Of course, Mr. Bluebird helped also but part of the time he sat on the peak of the Grand Old House and sang little love notes to Mrs. Bluebird.

Robin Red and Mrs. Robin hopped around on the lawn looking for worms.

"I believe the Bluebirds are building their nest," said Mrs. Robin.

"Ha ha-ha-ha," laughed Robin Red, "they must be in a hurry."

You see, Robin Red thought it would be better not to build his nest quite so early: in the spring. He wanted to wait a few days so that when the little Robins hatched it would be easier to find worms for them. And so Robin Red flew into the Big Elm tree and sang a care-free song.

"I believe I'll build a nest myself," said Mrs. Robin. "I don't want Mrs. Bluebird to be ahead of me." Then she began to carry twigs into the Red Cedar tree,

Mrs. Robin's nest building was very different from Mrs. Bluebird's. First she built a foundation out of rather coarse sticks and grass stems, which she fastened to a branch of the Red Cedar next to the trunk. Then she piled on some finer grass, which she fashioned into the shape of a nest by standing in the middle of it and turning round and round. After the nest had been shaped, Mrs. Robinn plastered it well with mud inside, and lined it with fine grass, string, feathers, and other soft material. Sometimes she gets in a hurry and is not so careful, not even taking time to plaster her nest.

Mrs. Bluebird's nest making should have been very simple because she already, had a house in which to build it. But she was more particular with it than Mrs. Robin was with hers. She hunted, hair and very fine grasses; and although she had started it ahead of Mrs. Robin, she finished about the same time.

Mrs. Robin and Mrs. Bluebird were not the only ones who were busy with spring work. Jenny Wren was hopping around looking for the kind of things she liked to use for her nest, and scolding Mr. Wren because he would rather sing, than help her build a home in the hole that Judge Flicker had, made for them by knocking out a knot under the eaves of the Grand Old House. She carried so much material into the hole, trying to fill the large, empty space in the cornice, that she didn't finish her nest until long after Mrs. Robin and Mrs. Blue­bird had moved into theirs.

It wasn't long until Woodsy Thrush, the Song Sparrows, Noisy the English Sparrow, and many others were also building nests. Spring was a busy time on the Old Homestead.

One day Mrs. Robin noticed that the Bluebirds were busier than usual. They were so busy that they scarcely had time to talk to each other. You see, they were carrying a great number of beetles and caterpillars and bugs into the Nesting Box.

"I think Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird must have a family to feed," said Mrs. Robin. "I do wish I could see into their Nesting Box."

She felt a tiny form moving under her breast, and stood up so that she could see into her nest. "Robin Red, you come right here," she shouted.

Robin Red flew down from the perch in the Big Elm where he was singing, and peeped into the nest. There was a teeny-weeny bird opening a very big mouth toward him.

"Ha ha-ha-ha," laughed Robin Red. "I must go and tell Mr. Bluebird."

"You will do nothing of the kind," said Mrs. Robin decisively. "You go and find something for me to eat right away. I am hungry, and I cannot leave this baby.

And so Robin Red hurried away, stopping just long enough on the gatepost to sing a lively tune to show how happy he was.

Mrs. Bluebird soon saw Robin Red returning to his nest with a fat worm.

"Mr. and Mrs. Robin must have some babies," she said. "I wonder how many they have." She didn't know that Mrs. Robin was wondering the same thing about her family.

Mrs. Bluebird decided that she would watch; and when Mrs. Robin left her nest, she would look into it and see how many little birds were there.

There was another bird who was waiting a chance to get into Robin Red's nest, and that was Tattler the Jay. He didn't care how many little Robins were there. He wanted to raid the nest. He had seen Robin Red and Mrs. Robin go into the Red Cedar, carrying beetles and worms, and come out many times. He knew that they had a nest in it. And he was watching for a time when both of them would be away so that he could kill the Baby Robins and eat them.

CHAPTER 16

Tattler the Jay Tries a Scheme

ROBIN RED and Mrs. Robin knew Tattler the Jay very well. They knew that he was not to be trusted. They were very careful not to leave their nest far, when they were searching for food for their babies, if Tattler was in sight. Always one of them stayed near the nest whenever his coarse voice was heard.

But Tattler the Jay wanted the Little Robins. He thought they would be a delicious meal for him, and he was determined to get them in one way or another. He was very shrewd in his way because he was a professional robber; that is, he made a business of stealing from other Wild Folks.

And so he waited patiently for a chance to kill the Baby Robins. He was trying to think of some way of getting Robin Red and Mrs. Robin to leave their nest at the same time so he could sneak in and do his cruel work.

Finally Tattler the Jay chuckled to himself. He had thought of a plan.

"Haw haw haw," he, laughed hoarsely. "I have it; I have it."

Tattler the Jay knew, that sometimes Robin Red had a hard time to find bugs and worms to feed his babies. He knew that Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird were also feeding a family, and between them and the Robins and Jenny Wren and other birds the insects were pretty well cleaned out around the Grand Old House.

The first thing Tattler the Jay did was to look for Noisy the English Sparrow. He found him just where he expected, and that was on the corral fence back of the Rambling Old Barn.

"I hear that Robin Red has a hard time to find enough food for the Little Robins," said Tattler to Noisy.

"Is that so?" asked Noisy.

You see Noisy isn't at all particular about what he eats, and he thought it was strange that anyone should have a hard time finding something to eat.

"If Robin Red only knew it, there are many, many bugs down by the Duck Pond in the Green Meadow," said Tattler the Jay.

Of course, Noisy the English Sparrow went straight and told Robin Red he heard that there were many, many bugs by the Duck Pond; and Robin Red told Mrs. Robin. The Robins talked it over, and Robin Red decided that he would go down by the Duck Pond and see if it were true. Tattler the Jay saw him when he left.

Mrs. Robin did her best to fill the hungry mouths while Robin Red was away. She had to work very hard. It seemed as if the Little Robins were always hungry. Each time she brought a bug or a worm she had to fly right back after another.

While she was in the Apple Orchard looking for a fat beetle, she met Bobby White.

"You seem to be very busy to-day," said Bobby.

"You would be too, if you had four babies to feed," said Mrs. Robin.

"Four babies," said Bobby White; "why, last year I had fourteen."

"Quite true," said Mrs. Robin, "but your babies hunt their own food after they are a day or two old."

Tattler the Jay saw Mrs. Robinn visiting with Bobby White. He had been sitting in the Hedge­row watching for that very moment. His plan was working out just as he had ex­pected it would. At last both Robin Red and Mrs. Robin were away from their nest.

So Tattler the Jay hopped through the Hedgerow until he could leave unseen. Then he flew swiftly to the Red Cedar tree where Robin Red had his nest. He perched on a near-by limb and looked in. There were the four very hungry Little Robins with outstretched necks and open mouths expecting their mother to drop something into them.

Jenny Wren was sitting in the currant bush by the front gate when Tattler the Jay arrived. She knew that he was up to mischief, for he had no business in the Red Cedar tree. Tattler the Jay had forgotten about Jenny Wren and the Bluebirds when he planned to get the Little Robins. He forgot about them entirely.

"Thief, thief, robber, robber!" shouted Jenny Wren.

Tattler the Jay was surprised, for he thought no one had seen him fly into the Red' Cedar tree, and he was very angry because his well-thought-out plan did not seem to be working now. Why didn't Jenny Wren mind her own business?

"Thief, thief, robber, robber!" shouted jenny Wren again, and Mr. Bluebird dashed to the Apple Orchard to tell Mrs. Robin.

"Hur-ry, hur-ry," he told her, "Tattler the Jay is after your babies."

It did not take Mrs. Robin long to fly back to her nest, and then how the feathers flew! She dashed right at Tattler the Jay and pulled a mouthful of feathers out of his saucy topknot before he knew that she was near. Jenny Wren hopped around in the Red Cedar and scolded him, and threatened to pick him with her long, sharp bill.

Tattler the Jay was having a very hard time, but not half so hard as he had after Robin Red returned from the Green Meadow. Robin Red chased him halfway to the Black Forest; and after Tattler the Jay got away, he was glad to hide in the dense trees while he smoothed his ruffled feathers.

CHAPTER 17

An Undesirable Neighbor

TATTLER the Jay knew better than to try again to steal the Little Robins, and after that there was peace around the Grand Old House. The Bluebirds and the Robins were happy, because they were kept very busy hunting beetles and grass­hoppers and other bugs for their babies. Of course, they had to watch out for Sharpshin the Hawk and for Hunting Cat, but the little birds were well protected.

My, how those Young Robins and Baby Blue­birds grew! Within a few days they were almost as large as their parents. Soon they were dressed in coats of new feathers, They did not look like baby birds any more.

Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird were proud of their family. They had five children, and it wasn't long until the Nesting Box was crowded. Then came the day when the Baby Bluebirds were ready to leave the nest.

One at a time they hopped into the doorway of the Nesting Box and sat there a moment looking around at the Great Wide World. Each one seemed to be looking for a place to alight at the end of its first flight. Some went one way and some went another. Soon Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird were hus­tling from one side of the lawn to the other while they watched over and encouraged the scattered young birds. And it was about this time that the Young Robins left their nest in the Red Cedar.

Within a few days the Baby Bluebirds could fly as well as their parents. They were babies no longer. Of course, the Young Bluebirds still needed the attention of some one to complete their education. Mrs. Bluebird left that to Mr. Bluebird. You see, Mrs. Bluebird had decided to raise another family, and so she was busy laying more eggs. You may be sure, it kept Mr. Bluebird busy caring for his first family, and at the same time feeding Mrs. Bluebird while she kept the new eggs warm. It surely was a busy time for Mr. Bluebird. In fact, he was so busy he could not find time to sing.

In a few days the Young Bluebirds were able to find their own food and to take care of themselves. Then Mr. Bluebird could give all his attention to Mrs. Bluebird. Robin Red is not like that. He cares for his family of youngsters until they are quite old. He is not much good at teaching them how to find their own food. Sometimes we see children who are spoiled by their parents just like that. They are pampered so much that they are not very self-reliant. Mr. Bluebird believed in showing his. children how to do a thing and then letting them do it.

Besides showing them how to find food, Mr. Bluebird warned them against their enemies. He told them about Sharpshin the Hawk and Hunting Cat and Sharptoes the Duck Hawk and others. There are many enemies that the Young Bluebirds have to watch.

One day when the Young Bluebirds were in the Green Meadow looking for bugs, they were fright­ened by a great shadow that came sailing over. My, how frightened they were! You should have seen them hurry back to the shelter of the Apple Or­chard near the Grand Old House.

"What is the matter?" asked Bobby White, who was standing in the shade of the Hedgerow; "whatever is the matter?"

"Oh," exclaimed Betty Bluebird, "we saw a great bird many times larger than Sharpshin the Hawk, and we were frightened!"

Bobby White looked up at High Cliff On a rocky pinnacle, high above the Little Jungle Thicket where Molly and Peter lived, was the nest of Aquila the Golden Eagle. Bobby White knew what had frightened the Bluebirds, for he had seen Aquila before. You see, Aquila had been living on High Cliff many years. Every year he and Mrs. Aquila carried a few new sticks to the old nest to be used in remodeling it just a little. They were living on High Cliff when Bobby White was hatched several years before. Eagles live to a grand old age, sometimes using the same nest for more than fifty years, or at least some of the family do. Bobby White knew Aquila the Golden Eagle well from a distance.

"That was Aquila the Golden Eagle whom you saw," explained Bobby White; "but you do not need to fear him. Aquila is looking for larger game than Bluebirds, and, besides, you are perfectly safe as long as Scrapper the kingbird is sitting on his Lookout Stub by his nest. Aquila will not come near, for he knows that Scrapper will pick out his eyes. But there are Molly and Peter in the Little Jungle Thicket at the foot of High Cliff. And there is their neighbor, Johnny Chuck. I am sure that Aquila has his eye on them, for I have seen him circling over the Little Jungle Thicket. Molly and Peter are usually out of sight during the day, but Johnny Chuck is rather careless at times."

"Oh, dear," said Betty Bluebird, "I'm glad we do not have such a neighbor as Aquila. It must be trying to have to watch every minute or else be carried high in the air and fed to waiting Baby Eaglets. I don't know whether we should venture to the Green Meadow again or not"

Betty Bluebird was not the only one who was worrying about Aquila, for right that minute Johnny Chuck was wondering how he could enjoy a nap in the warm sun without getting caught.

CHAPTER 18

Johnny Chuck Has a Narrow Escape

JOHNNY CHUCK poked his nose out of his Friendly Burrow under a large, flat rock and looked around. Everything looked peaceful. He could see Aquila the Golden Eagle circling far over the Black Forest. At least he thought it was Aquila. As a matter of fact, it was not Aquila at all but his cousin Baldy that Johnny Chuck saw.

Baldy the Eagle looks very much like Aquila, and especially from a distance. If they are close, it is easy to tell one from the other because Aquila the Golden Eagle for one thing has feathers all the way down his legs to his toes, while Baldy the Eagle's
shins are bare. But of course Johnny Chuck could not be expected to know the difference from that distance. He thought that Baldy was Aquila. Baldy lived in a nest that he had built in an old dead tree that stood near the Black Forest on another cliff.

Johnny Chuck might have known that he should not crawl out on that flat rock even though Aquila had been hunting over the Black Forest. He should have known better. For when the Laughing Yel­low Sun smiles down on Johnny's broad back, it makes him feel just as little boys and girls feel when the Sandman calls.

At first Johnny Chuck just nodded, keeping one eye open for Aquila and other foes. But there was no use resisting the Bright Little Sunbeams. No, sir; it was simply useless. They danced through Johnny's hair and warmed his back, and the first thing Johnny Chuck knew they had him completely in their power. His head dropped down on his front feet, and he was sound asleep.

It seems as if Johnny could have stayed awake awhile after sleeping most of the winter, but not even the fear of being caught by Aquila could keep his eyes open when the Bright Little Sunbeams were playing tag on his back. Johnny should have had Mrs. Chuck watch while he slept, but Mrs. Chuck was busy with family duties just then. She was in the Friendly Burrow caring for her nine tiny babies that had not yet opened their eyes.

Now, when Johnny Chuck was sleeping, that was just the time that Aquila the Golden Eagle was not asleep. Aquila had been watching for Johnny Chuck to come out of his Friendly Burrow for some time. Aquila liked to sit on a high pinnacle near his nest where he could watch every Friendly Burrow and Crooked Trail and Feeding Place of the Wild Creatures, and see them when they ap­peared. Aquila had very sharp eyes, and Johnny Chuck had not been stretched out on that flat rock any time until Aquila had seen him.

Of course, Aquila knew better than to make a dive after Johnny while he was awake, for Johnny would have tumbled into his Friendly Burrow, and that would have been all there was to it. Then Aquila would have had to look for something else for supper for his awkward-looking babies. And so Aquila waited until he saw Johnny's head drop on his front feet, and then he knew that Johnny was sound asleep. Johnny had been eating many Ten­der Grass Shoots and Clover Leaves in the Green Meadow near, and he had grown fat and lazy.

And so when Aquila saw that Johnny Chuck was asleep, he lost no time waiting for him: to awaken. Down through the air shot Aquila on his strong wings like an arrow falling, from the sky. And there was Johnny Chuck dreaming about the time when his babies would be large enough to play around the Friendly Burrow like brown balls rolling around.

Nearer and nearer came Aquila, and still Johnny Chuck slept. Molly Cottontail had been resting in the shade of a Leafy Bush, and she saw Aquila making straight for Johnny Chuck. Molly thumped a warning as loudly as she could, and then hurried to her own Friendly Burrow. But Johnny Chuck was sleeping too soundly to hear.

Not far from Johnny's home was an old Friendly Burrow that had been his home before he moved farther up the side of High Cliff. Of course, Johnny Chuck seldom used the old Friendly Burrow' any more unless he needed a place to run into in a hurry. And so Spot the Skunk had borrowed it for a few days until he could make up his mind where he wanted to spend the summer.

It happened that about the time Aquila started for Johnny Chuck, Spot the Skunk had decided it was time to start out for an evening stroll. It was a little early, but Spot the Skunk was hungry, for he had done considerable walking the night before while he was looking for a summer home. He had done so much walking that he had not taken much time to find something to eat. And so he was start­ing out a little earlier, than usual.

Spot the Skunk could not see very well after coming out of the darkness in the Friendly Bur­row, but he could see well enough to know that danger was near. He was almost passing the home of Johnny Chuck when Aquila swooped down with his sharp claws, intending to fasten them in the broad back of Johnny Chuck and carry him away. Of course, Spot the Skunk thought that Aquila was after him, and so he tried to defend himself the best way he knew how.

You see, Spot the Skunk is a little cousin of Mephitis the Skunk. He carries a very powerful gun that shoots a spray of yellow liquid that blinds the eyes of every one that gets, in its way; and so does Mephitis the Skunk. Spot does not use his gun unless he is sorely pressed. But when Aquila the Golden Eagle dived past him after Johnny Chuck, Spot raised his tail over his back and sprayed Aquila full in the face.

That was too much for Aquila. For a moment he could scarcely see, and he almost missed Johnny Chuck entirely. As it was, one of his sharp claws cut a deep gash in Johnny's back and carried him off the rock before he could shake loose. When Johnny looked up, there was Spot the Skunk still standing with his tail over his back.

CHAPTER 19

Spot the Skunk Finds a Home

"WHEW !" said Johnny Chuck, as he limped toward' his Friendly Burrow; "that was a close call, sure enough."

Spot the Skunk lowered his tail, and turned to see who was talking.

"Indeed it was," said Spot "It was the closest call I have had in many a day."

"The closest call you have had," said Johnny Chuck. "Whom do you think Aquila was after?"

"Why, me, of course," said Spot.

Johnny Chuck showed the gash on his back to Spot the Skunk. "Does that look as if he was after you?" he asked. "I must go right in and have Mrs. Chuck attend to this wound; it will never do to neglect it."

When Johnny Chuck went into, his Friendly Burrow, Spot the Skunk turned and galloped lei­surely in the direction of the Little Jungle Thicket. From there he crossed over to the shadow of the Hedgerow that ran along the back of the Apple Orchard. By the time he reached the far end of the Hedgegrow, and had stopped now and then to eat a grasshopper or a beetle, the Long Shadows cov­ered the Great Wide World, and those of the Wild that play during the day had gone to sleep/ One by one, those that sleep during the day and play at night, like Spot the Skunk, were start on their evening rambles.

Spot the Skunk was not quite sure where to go when he reached the end of the Hedgerow. He had explored many places on the Old Homestead, but had not found a place that quite suited him for a summer home. He wondered if he dared inves­tigate the Rambling Old Barn and some of the other places near it. He was afraid that Nero the Hound might smell him after his encounter with Aquila the Golden Eagle. But Spot was anxious to find a home where he could take Mrs. Spot. You see Spot was not exactly brave; we might say that he was foolish or thoughtless. Perhaps it was be­cause. he trusted in his powerful gun for protection. If Nero the Hound came after him, there would be something doing. And so Spot started for the Rambling Old Barn with his funny little gallop.

Not far from the Rambling Old Barn, Spot the Skunk came to the Granary. It had been filled with corn part of the past winter, but Farmer Smith had sold most of it. Of course, he had saved some to feed to Old Sorrel and the other horses.

Spot stopped at one corner of the Granary and sniffed. The Playful Air Whiffs were filled with the odor of Whiskers the Mouse. Even as Spot stood there sniffing, he could hear Whiskers and his family squeak and run about in the grain.

Now, if there was one thing that Spot the Skunk liked more than another to eat, it was mouse- ­warm, juicy mouse. Spot could make Hunting Cat ashamed of himself when it came to catching mice. He could crawl around through small holes where Hunting Cat could not go, and he could dig out mice nests and do lots of things that Hunting Cat was too lazy to do. Hunting Cat would rather wait until the friends of Whiskers the Mouse showed themselves, and then pounce on them. But some­times Whiskers' friends learned to stay in places where Hunting Cat could not go. Then they were safe.

Spot sniffed at another corner of the Granary. That settled it as far as he was concerned. If only he could get under, he was sure it was just the place he was looking for. It would be a safe place for him, it would be warm and dry; and there would be plenty of mice to eat. And so Spot the Skunk went on around the Granary, looking for a hole where he might get under and do some exploring. But there was not a hole in sight. The Granary rested on a rock foundation, and whoever had made it had not thought it necessary to leave a door for Spot the Skunk. Around and around went Spot, wondering how he could get under.

At last he found a hole. It was a very small hole that Miner the Mole had made. Spot started to dig his way under the Granary. The ground was hard and dry for a way, but after a while it was softer. Soon Spot felt the earth give way, and he found himself under the Granary. You should have heard Whiskers the Mouse and his family scamper when they knew that Spot had found them.

About the time that Spot succeeded in getting under the Granary, Bud Smith came out of the house after a pail of water.

"Phew ! " he exclaimed; "there must be a skunk somewhere near. I believe I'll see if it is bothering the chickens."

After Bud had lighted a lantern and had whis­tled for Nero the Hound, he set out in the direction from which the odor was coming. It did not take Nero long to find the freshly dug opening under the Granary, and he called Bud with his loud, deep voice.

"Now, that's funny, said Bud, when he saw the small hole leading under the rock foundation. "That hole is too small for a skunk to crawl through, yet that surely must be a skunk. I believe I'll just set a trap for him before he finds the chicken house."

And so Bud set a trap right in front of the hole, and put a box over it to keep Nero the Hound from getting his foot in it. Then he went to the house, feeling sure that the next morning he would have a skunk in the trap.

Of course, Spot the Skunk had been frightened when he heard Nero's voice outside. He crawled back to the farthest corner he could find. After Bud left, Spot made a bed out of corn husks that Whiskers the Mouse had carried in, and went to sleep. He felt rather secure in his new home even though he had been discovered.

CHAPTER 20

Whiskers the Mouse Decides to Move

AFTER Spot the Skunk had slept a while, he was awakened by the sound of mice. He could hear mice running and squeaking all around him. Whiskers the Mouse and his large family were back at play again. And so Spot started out to explore his new home under the Granary. He could smell mice odors everywhere, and once he almost caught Whiskers himself as he darted across in front of him.

At last Spot came to a ball of corn husks and old paper. It smelled like mouse, and Spot tore it open with his long claws. Inside there was a tiny cradle made of corn silks, hair, and other soft things. And in the middle, Spot found nine tiny, pink Mouse­lets. That was just the kind of breakfast Spot was looking for, and in a short time he had eaten the very last one.

"Yum, yum," said Spot the Skunk, as he started toward the hole where Bud Smith had set the trap for him, "that was a good breakfast, a very good breakfast indeed. I believe I'll go after Mrs. Spot, and then we can hunt together."

Spot came to the doorway he had made, and went outside. There was no trap in sight any­where. You see, Farmer Smith had also smelled Spot under the Granary and had investigated. When he saw Spot's tracks, he knew it was Spot and not Mephitis. He knew Spot was there after mice, and that pleased Farmer Smith. And so he had taken up the trap, and had told Bud about it. Of course, Bud had thought that he was protecting Old Cluck and her twelve Chicklets when he set the trap. He did not know Spot as well as Farmer Smith knew him. He thought Spot the Skunk was Mephitis the Skunk, and he was afraid that if it were Mephitis, he might visit Old Cluck's coop for a meal of young chicken.

Mephitis is not as bad as he is sometimes thought to be. If he can find plenty of beetles and grass­hoppers and other food that he likes, he is not likely to bother Old Cluck much. But Bud did not know that. He thought all skunks were bad, because he had heard that they killed chickens. Of course, sometimes Mephitis the Skunk cannot find enough food; and after, he once gets a taste of chicken, he is likely to come back after more. Sometimes we form bad habits; and if we do not break them, they will lead us into trouble. That is exactly what happens to Mephitis when he starts to steal chickens.

Spot the Skunk was not likely to bother Old Cluck's babies, because he could usually find plenty of mice. And how Spot did like mice to eat ! Some­times he even lived under houses if there were plenty of mice, and he was a good neighbor if he was not molested.

But there was Whiskers the Mouse. It would be hard to find any good in him. He ate Farmer Smith's grain and other things and what he did not eat he spoiled with his odor. Then, he chewed holes in the grain sacks, and gnawed holes in the floor of the Granary. Farmer Smith was very glad to know that Spot had moved in under the Gran­ary, and that was why he took up the trap. When Bud heard that Spot the Skunk was there to help them, he was glad that he had not caught him.

So within two days Spot brought Mrs. Spot back with him. Then you should have heard the mice scamper. While Spot was hunting under one end of the Granary, Mrs. Spot was looking for mice nests under the other end. It surely was a trying time for Whiskers the Mouse and his family.

Whiskers the Mouse lived in a Soft Little Nest that he and Mrs. Whiskers had built under the Granary. Or perhaps we should say that Mrs. Whiskers lived there, for Whiskers was seldom home. He would rather scamper through holes and over grain sacks with other mice than stay home and help Mrs. Whiskers care for the Mouse­lets in their Soft Little Nest. When Spot and Mrs. Spot moved in and began searching for the Soft Little Nest of Whiskers the Mouse, Whiskers was as usual away off somewhere in the Granary play­ing, and Mrs. Whiskers was at home alone with her babies,

"Oh, dear, what shall I do?" said Mrs. Whiskers. "I do wish that Whiskers,would come home." She could hear Mrs. Spot rummaging in the rubbish that had accumulated under the Granary, and all the time Mrs. Spot was coming closer,

Mrs. Spot was having a fine time. She thought she had never lived in a home that was quite so nice. She explored here and there to see what she could find, and at last she found the Soft Little Nest of Whiskers the Mouse. She tore it open, and what do you think she found? The nest was entirely empty!

You see, when Mrs. Whiskers heard the Spots rummaging around under the Granary, she, knew that it would not be long until they would smell out her Soft Little Nest. And so she grabbed Squeaky Whiskers by his pink little stomach and hurried up through a hole in the floor of the Gran­ary. It did not take long to find a place to drop Squeaky, and soon she was back after one of his sisters. In no time the Soft Little Nest was empty, and there were Squeaky and his brothers and sisters lying safely on the Granary floor under a corn husk.

My, how worried Whiskers the Mouse was when he came home later and found that Mrs. Spot had torn open the Soft Little Nest. He thought that all the Little Whiskers had been eaten. Of course, he soon found Mrs. Whiskers looking for a new place to build a Soft Little Nest where Spot the Skunk could not come. Then he felt better. But he did not feel safe while Spot the Skunk was around, and he told Mrs. Whiskers so.

"I think we should move over to the Rambling. Old Barn for a while," he said to Mrs. Whiskers. And so it was decided.