Hazel Squirrel and Other Stories Part 3

"But, c.o.o.nie, how about the dog?"

"Oh, he goes to town with them. I have watched them from the tree where I live, and they never miss going on Sat.u.r.day afternoons, and taking the dog with them."

"But how do you know where the honey is, c.o.o.nie?"

"How? Why, I have often sampled it."

Now c.o.o.nie told a falsehood when he said he had eaten some of the honey, but he was anxious to have some fun, and so he resorted to a falsehood in order to carry out his plans. This plan never pays, as you will see later.

"Have you really sampled it, c.o.o.nie?" Chuck asked. "And is it good, and is it very hard to get?"

Chuck was all excitement, for he could not get rid of the memory of the taste of the honey he had just been eating.

"'Hard to get?'" repeated c.o.o.nie. "Why, Chuck, there are great piles of it, and knowing the grounds as I do, it will be easy to get it. Now you meet me tomorrow and I'll take you over with me. Meet me by the big oak tree in the corner of the woods, just after noon tomorrow. I must leave you now, because I am going fishing to-night with some of the other c.o.o.ns that live near me. Good-bye until tomorrow," and c.o.o.nie went away with a chuckle.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CHUCK ARRIVED AT THE BIG OAK TREE]

The next afternoon, Chuck arrived at the big oak tree in the corner of the woods. But there was no c.o.o.nie waiting for him. He walked around the tree several times to make sure and then mounted a nearby stump. The woods were very quiet save for the droning of insects, and the sun that shone between the leaves beat down very hot. Before Chuck knew it he had fallen asleep at his post.

When c.o.o.nie came trotting up and saw Chuck perched there fast asleep he said to himself: "What a fine chance to play a trick." So he picked a long blade of gra.s.s with a feathery end and crept up from behind so carefully that not a twig cracked. When he was within arm's reach he tickled poor Chuck way up his nose.

Chuck waked with a start and bounded right into the air, landing at some distance off. He had no idea that someone had played a trick on him.

"What ails you, Chuck?" c.o.o.nie cried, running up, with a friendly, anxious expression on his face, for Chuck was almost sneezing his head off.

"Guess--a--nasty old--fly--crawled up--my--nose," Chuck managed to get out between sneezes.

"Too bad, old chap," said c.o.o.nie, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Come along with me and we'll get some honey, and that will make you feel better." Still sneezing, Chuck trotted off with c.o.o.nie across the fields.

When they reached Farmer Jones' barnyard everything seemed very quiet and sleepy around there.

"Is that where the honey is kept?" whispered Chuck, as c.o.o.nie took a peep in at the barn-door.

"No," answered c.o.o.nie, "I just wanted to see if the double-buggy was there. It is not, and now I feel perfectly sure they have all gone to town and taken the dog with them."

Then they felt quite safe. Very boldly they walked around to the gate in the yard where c.o.o.nie said the honey was. "Hurrah," he cried, "someone has left the gate open for us. They must have been expecting us!"

"I have never been in here before," said Chuck. "What are all those square white boxes along the fence?"

"Those are called bee-hives," c.o.o.nie answered, a little proudly, to think he knew so much. "The honey is kept inside."

"But how do we get at it?" asked Chuck. "Those little holes in front look hardly big enough for me to get my paw through, much less my head and shoulders."

"Oh," laughed c.o.o.nie, "how stupid you are! You just go up and knock very loudly at the door and when a bee comes out, you ask if he hasn't something to eat for a poor fellow, who has come a long way and is very hungry and tired. But should he pay no attention to you, hit him with your paw. This will frighten the others so they will bring out all the honey you wish and leave it there on the ledge for you. Come on, I'm hungry, aren't you, Chuck?"

[Ill.u.s.tration: HE GRABBED UP A BIG STICK]

"Am I?" said Chuck. "Well, I should say so." He was licking his jaws in memory of the little feast he had had the day before.

c.o.o.nie looked at Chuck out of the corners of his mischievous eyes, but Chuck never guessed he was laughing at him when he added, "I'll take a hive at this end, you can have one at that. Let's hurry."

Chuck was in a hurry indeed. Already he felt sure he could smell the honey, so he left c.o.o.nie and ran toward the hive at the end of the row in high spirits. But before he knocked on it he stopped and looked back.

He wanted to see how c.o.o.nie was getting along.

Now, c.o.o.nie did not really want any honey. All he wanted to do was to play a joke on his friend, but it very often happens that the practical joker gets the worst of it in the end. And as c.o.o.nie stepped up to the hive and pretended to knock, he put his paw right down on top of the Queen Bee, whom he did not see sunning herself on the ledge.

The Queen Bee has no sting, you know, and cannot defend herself. She is by no means helpless, however. She has, in fact, an entire army ready to fight for her at a moment's call.

When the other bees heard their Queen's cry for help they all rushed out of their hives and began at once attacking c.o.o.nie. They buzzed angrily around him and burrowed into his fur until he rolled over and over on the ground, doubled up with the pain.

This was what Chuck saw when he turned around to find out how c.o.o.nie was getting along! He grabbed up a big stick, but he soon saw there was nothing he could do to help.

He also saw that the bees in their mad attack had left their fort unguarded. So he stuck his paw inside the door and broke off a good sized piece of comb full of nice, yellow honey. Then he started for the woods again as fast as he could.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

c.o.o.nie did not see Chuck as he shot past him a few minutes later, trying to shake off the bees that still clung to him, as he ran. And a few days later, when they met down by the brook, c.o.o.nie pretended not to see him.

"Howdy, c.o.o.nie," Chuck called out in his cheery way. "Where are you going so fast? Well, I never," he added, noticing c.o.o.nie's b.u.mps and bandages. "Have you been in a fight?"

"Just a little fuss with Farmer Jones' dog. He's twice my size and a regular bully," c.o.o.nie answered, as he brushed by Chuck in such a hurry that he did not hear the latter call after him.

"Say, old friend, meet me by the big oak tree in the corner of the woods tomorrow and we'll go after some more of that good honey!"

It was Chuck's turn to laugh now, for "he laughs best who laughs last,"

you know.

PINKIE WHISKERS

CHAPTER I

Little Pinkie Whiskers was born in a big city and lived with his Father Gray, Mother Gray and two little sisters, Twinkle and Winkle, in a tin box, which was hidden under a big garbage can.

Mother Gray had hunted and found nice sc.r.a.ps of cotton and bits of straw. With these she made a soft, warm nest and here they all lived as cozy and happy as could be.

One day a poor, old man came down the alley and looked in all the garbage cans to see what he could find that he might sell, for that is the way he got his money to buy his food and shelter.

When he came to the garbage can over our family of rats, he did not see their little home and pushed their box right over.

Pinkie Whiskers, Twinkle and Winkle were all alone. They fell out onto the brick pavement and began to cry. Oh, my, how they cried!

Mother Gray and Father Gray were out getting a nice supper for them all.

Mother Gray heard her babies cry and came running home as fast as she could.