The Adventures of Prickly Porky Read online

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  The Bedtime Story-Books

  THE ADVENTURES OF PRICKLY PORKY

  BY

  THORNTON W. BURGESS

  Author of "Old Mother West Wind Series," "MotherWest Wind 'How' Stories," "The BedtimeStory-Books," etc.

  _With Illustrations by HARRISON CADY_

  BOSTON

  LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY

  1916

  "Do tell me quickly what has happened to Peter!"FRONTISPIECE. _See page 94._]

  CONTENTS

  I HAPPY JACK SQUIRREL MAKES A FIND II THE STRANGER FROM THE NORTH III PRICKLY PORKY MAKES FRIENDS IV PETER RABBIT HAS SOME STARTLING NEWS V PETER RABBIT TELLS HIS STORY VI PETER HAS TO TELL HIS STORY MANY TIMES VII JIMMY SKUNK CALLS ON PRICKLY PORKY VIII PRICKLY PORKY NEARLY CHOKES IX JIMMY SKUNK AND UNC' BILLY POSSUM TELL DIFFERENT STORIES X UNC' BILLY POSSUM TELLS JIMMY SKUNK A SECRET XI WHAT HAPPENED TO REDDY FOX XII WHAT REDDY FOX SAW AND DID XIII REDDY FOX IS VERY MISERABLE XIV REDDY FOX TRIES TO KEEP OUT OF SIGHT XV OLD GRANNY FOX INVESTIGATES XVI OLD GRANNY FOX LOSES HER DIGNITY XVII GRANNY FOX CATCHES PETER RABBITXVIII A FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED XIX JIMMY SKUNK TAKES WORD TO MRS. PETER XX A PLOT TO FRIGHTEN OLD MAN COYOTE XXI SAMMY JAY DELIVERS HIS MESSAGE XXII OLD MAN COYOTE LOSES HIS APPETITEXXIII BUSTER BEAR GIVES IT ALL AWAY

  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

  "DO TELL ME QUICKLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO PETER!" _Frontispiece_

  "POOH," EXCLAIMED REDDY FOX. "WHO'S AFRAID OF THAT FELLOW?"

  THEN HE BRACED HIMSELF AND PULLED WITH ALL HIS MIGHT

  REDDY WOULDN'T HAVE BELIEVED THAT IT WAS ALIVE

  "DROP HIM!" HE GRUNTED

  "I SEE YOU ARE UP TO YOUR OLD TRICKS, PRICKLY PORKY!" HE SHOUTED

  THE ADVENTURES OF PRICKLY PORKY

  I

  HAPPY JACK SQUIRREL MAKES A FIND

  Happy Jack Squirrel had had a wonderful day. He had found some bigchestnut-trees that he had never seen before, and which promised togive him all the nuts he would want for all the next winter. Now hewas thinking of going home, for it was getting late in the afternoon.He looked out across the open field where Mr. Goshawk had nearlycaught him that morning. His home was on the other side.

  "It's a long way 'round," said Happy Jack to himself, "but it is bestto be safe and sure."

  So Happy Jack started on his long journey around the open field. Now,Happy Jack's eyes are bright, and there is very little that Happy Jackdoes not see. So, as he was jumping from one tree to another, he spiedsomething down on the ground which excited his curiosity.

  "I must stop and see what that is," said Happy Jack. So down the treehe ran, and in a few minutes he had found the queer thing, which hadcaught his eyes. It was smooth and black and white, and at one end itwas very sharp with a tiny little barb. Happy Jack found it out bypricking himself with it.

  "Ooch," he cried, and dropped the queer thing. Pretty soon he noticedthere were a lot more on the ground.

  "I wonder what they are," said Happy Jack. "They don't grow, for theyhaven't any roots. They are not thorns, for there is no plant fromwhich they could come. They are not alive, so what can they be?"

  Now, Happy Jack's eyes are bright, but sometimes he doesn't use themto the very best advantage. He was so busy examining the queer thingson the ground that he never once thought to look up in the tops of thetrees. If he had, perhaps he would not have been so much puzzled. Asit was he just gathered up three or four of the queer things andstarted on again. On the way he met Peter Rabbit and showed Peter whathe had. Now, you know Peter Rabbit is very curious. He just couldn'tsit still, but must scamper over to the place Happy Jack Squirrel toldhim about.

  "You'd better be careful, Peter Rabbit; they're very sharp," shoutedHappy Jack.

  But as usual, Peter was in too much of a hurry to heed what was saidto him. Lipperty-lipperty-lip, lipperty-lipperty-lip, went PeterRabbit through the woods, as fast as his long legs would take him.Then suddenly he squealed and sat down to nurse one of his feet. Buthe was up again in a flash with another squeal louder than before.Peter Rabbit had found the queer things that Happy Jack Squirrel hadtold him about. One was sticking in his foot, and one was in the whitepatch on the seat of his trousers.

  II

  THE STRANGER FROM THE NORTH

  The Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind were excited. Yes,Sir, they certainly were excited. They had met Happy Jack Squirrel andPeter Rabbit, and they were full of the news of the queer things thatHappy Jack and Peter Rabbit had found over in the Green Forest. Theyhurried this way and that way over the Green Meadows and told everyone they met. Finally they reached the Smiling Pool and excitedly toldGrandfather Frog all about it.

  Grandfather Frog smoothed down his white and yellow waistcoat andlooked very wise, for you know that Grandfather Frog is very old.

  "Pooh," said Grandfather Frog. "I know what they are."

  "What?" cried all the Merry Little Breezes together. "Happy Jack sayshe is sure they do not grow, for there are no strange plants overthere."

  Grandfather Frog opened his big mouth and snapped up a foolish greenfly that one of the Merry Little Breezes blew over to him.

  "Chug-a-rum," said Grandfather Frog. "Things do not have to be onplants in order to grow. Now I am sure that those things grew, andthat they did not grow on a plant."

  The Merry Little Breezes looked puzzled. "What is there that grows anddoesn't grow on a plant?" asked one of them.

  "How about the claws on Peter Rabbit's toes and the hair of HappyJack's tail?" asked Grandfather Frog.

  The Merry Little Breezes looked foolish. "Of course," they cried. "Wedidn't think of that. But we are quite sure that these queer thingsthat prick so are not claws, and certainly they are not hair."

  "Don't you be too sure," said Grandfather Frog. "You go over to theGreen Forest and look up in the treetops instead of down on theground; then come back and tell me what you find."

  Away raced the Merry Little Breezes to the Green Forest and began tosearch among the treetops. Presently, way up in the top of a bigpoplar, they found a stranger. He was bigger than any of the littlemeadow people, and he had long sharp teeth with which he was strippingthe bark from the tree. The hair of his coat was long, and out of itpeeped a thousand little spears just like the queer things that HappyJack and Peter Rabbit had told them about.

  "Good morning," said the Merry Little Breezes politely.

  "Mornin'," grunted the stranger in the treetop.

  "May we ask where you come from?" said one of the Merry Little Breezespolitely.

  "I come from the North Woods," said the stranger and then went onabout his business, which seemed to be to strip every bit of the barkfrom the tree and eat it.

  III

  PRICKLY PORKY MAKES FRIENDS

  The Merry Little Breezes soon spread the news over the Green Meadowsand through the Green Forest that a stranger had come from the North.At once all the little meadow people and forest folk made some excuseto go over to the big poplar tree where the stranger was so busyeating. At first he was very shy and had nothing to say. He was aqueer fellow, and he was so big, and his teeth were so sharp and solong, that his visitors kept their distance.

  Reddy Fox, who, you know, is a great boaster and likes to brag of howsmart he is and how brave he is, came with the rest of the littlemeadow people.

  "Pooh," exclaimed Reddy Fox. "Who's afraid of that fellow?"

  Just then the stranger began to come down the tree. Reddy backed away.

  "It looks as if _you_ were afraid, Reddy Fox," said Peter Rabbit.

  "I'm not afraid of anything," said Reddy Fox, and swell
ed himself upto look twice as big as he really is.

  "It seems to me I hear Bowser the Hound," piped up Striped Chipmunk.

  "Pooh," exclaimed Reddy Fox. "Who's afraid of thatfellow?" _Page 10._]

  Now Striped Chipmunk had not heard Bowser the Hound at all when hespoke, but just then there was the patter of heavy feet among thedried leaves, and sure enough there was Bowser himself. My, howeverybody did run,--everybody but the stranger from the North. He kepton coming down the tree just the same. Bowser saw him and stopped insurprise. He had never seen anything quite like this big dark fellow.

  "Bow, wow, wow!" shouted Bowser in his deepest voice.

  Now, when Bowser used that great deep voice of his, he was accustomedto seeing all the little meadow people and forest folk run, but thisstranger did not even hurry. Bowser was so surprised that he juststood still and stared. Then he growled his deepest growl. Still thestranger paid no attention to him. Bowser did not know what to make ofit.

  "I'll teach that fellow a lesson," said Bowser to himself. "I'll shakehim, and shake him and shake him until he hasn't any breath left."

  By this time the stranger was down on the ground and starting foranother tree, minding his own business. Then something happened.Bowser made a rush at him, and instead of running, what do you supposethe stranger did? He just rolled himself up in a tight ball with hishead tucked down in his waistcoat. When he was rolled up that way, allthe little spears hidden in the hair of his coat stood right out untilhe looked like a great chestnut-burr. Bowser stopped short. Then hereached out his nose and sniffed at this queer thing. Slap! The tailof the stranger struck Bowser the Hound right across the side of hisface, and a dozen of those little spears were left sticking there justlike pins in a pin-cushion.

  "Wow! wow! wow! wow!" yelled Bowser at the top of his lungs, andstarted for home with his tail between his legs, and yelling withevery jump. Then the stranger unrolled himself and smiled, and all thelittle meadow people and forest folk who had been watching shoutedaloud for joy.

  And this is the way that Prickly Porky the Porcupine made friends.

  IV

  PETER RABBIT HAS SOME STARTLING NEWS

  Little Mrs. Peter Rabbit, who used to be Little Miss Fuzzytail, sat atthe edge of the dear Old Briar-patch, anxiously looking over towardsthe Green Forest. She was worried. There was no doubt about it. LittleMrs. Peter was very much worried. Why didn't Peter come home? She didwish that he would be content to stay close by the dear OldBriar-patch. For her part, she couldn't see why under the sun hewanted to go way over to the Green Forest. He was always havingdreadful adventures and narrow escapes over there, and yet, in spiteof all she could say, he would persist in going there. She didn't feeleasy in her mind one minute while he was out of her sight. To be surehe always turned up all right, but she couldn't help feeling thatsometime his dreadful curiosity would get him into trouble that hecouldn't get out of, and so every time he went to the Green Forest,she was sure, absolutely sure, that she would never see him again.

  Peter used to laugh at her and tell her that she was a foolish littledear, and that he was perfectly able to take care of himself. Then,when he saw how worried she was, he would promise to be very, verycareful and never do anything rash or foolish. But he wouldn't promisenot to go to the Green Forest. No, Sir, Peter wouldn't promise that.You see, he has so many friends over there, and there is always somuch news to be gathered that he just couldn't keep away. Once ortwice he had induced Mrs. Peter to go with him, but she had beenfrightened almost out of her skin every minute, for it seemed to herthat there was danger lurking behind every tree and under every bush.It was all very well for Chatterer the Red Squirrel and Happy Jack theGray Squirrel, who could jump from tree to tree, but she didn't thinkit a safe and proper place for a sensible Rabbit, and she said so.

  This particular morning she was unusually anxious. Peter had been goneall night. Usually he was home by the time Old Mother West Wind camedown from the Purple Hills and emptied her children, the Merry LittleBreezes, out of her big bag to play all day on the Green Meadows, butthis morning Old Mother West Wind had been a long time gone about herbusiness, and still there was no sign of Peter.

  "Something has happened. I just know something has happened!" shewailed.

  "Oh, Peter, Peter, Peter Rabbit Why will you be so heedless? Why will you take such dreadful risks, So foolish and so needless?"

  "Don't worry. Peter is smart enough to take care of himself," criedone of the Merry Little Breezes, who happened along just in time tooverhear her. "He'll be home pretty soon. In fact, I think I see himcoming now."

  Mrs. Peter looked in the direction that the Merry Little Breeze waslooking, and sure enough there was Peter. He was heading straight forthe dear Old Briar-patch, and he was running as if he were trying toshow how fast he could run. Mrs. Peter's heart gave a frightenedthump. "It must be that Reddy or Granny Fox or Old Man Coyote isright at his heels," thought she, but look as hard as she would, shecould see nothing to make Peter run so.

  In a few minutes he reached her side. His eyes were very wide, and itwas plain to see that he was bursting with important news.

  "What is it, Peter? Do tell me quick! Have you had another narrowescape?" gasped little Mrs. Peter.

  Peter nodded while he panted for breath. "There's another stranger inthe Green Forest, a terrible looking fellow without legs or head ortail, and he almost caught me!" panted Peter.

  V

  PETER RABBIT TELLS HIS STORY

  When Peter Rabbit could get his breath after his long hard run fromthe Green Forest to the dear Old Briar-patch, he had a wonderful storyto tell. It was all about a stranger in the Green Forest, and to haveheard Peter tell about it, you would have thought, as Mrs. Peter did,that it was a very terrible stranger, for it had no legs, and it hadno head, and it had no tail. At least, that is what Peter said.

  "You see, it was this way," declared Peter. "I had stopped longer thanI meant to in the Green Forest, for you know, my dear, I always try tobe home by the time jolly, round, red Mr. Sun gets out of bed and OldMother West Wind gets down on the Green Meadows." Mrs. Peter nodded."But somehow time slipped away faster than I thought for, or else Mr.Sun got up earlier than usual," continued Peter. Then he stopped. Thatlast idea was a new one, and it struck Peter as a good one. "I dobelieve that that is just what happened--Mr. Sun must have made amistake and crawled out of bed earlier than usual," he cried.

  Mrs. Peter looked as if she very much doubted it, but she didn't sayanything, and so Peter went on with his story.

  "I had just realized how light it was and had started for home,hurrying with all my might, when I heard a little noise at the top ofthe hill where Prickly Porky the Porcupine lives. Of course I thoughtit was Prickly himself starting out for his breakfast, and I lookedup with my mouth open to say hello. But I didn't say hello. No, Sir,I didn't say a word. I was too scared. There, just starting down thehill straight towards me, was the most dreadful creature that ever hasbeen seen in the Green Forest! It didn't have any legs, and it didn'thave any head, and it didn't have any tail, and it was coming straightafter me so fast that I had all I could do to get out of the way!"Peter's eyes grew very round and wide as he said this. "I took onegood look, and then I jumped. My gracious, how I did jump!" hecontinued. "Then I started for home just as fast as ever I could makemy legs go, and here I am, and mighty glad to be here!"

  Mrs. Peter had listened with her mouth wide open. When Peter finished,she closed it with a snap and hopped over and felt of his head.

  "Are you sick, Peter?" she asked anxiously.

  Peter stared at her. "Sick! Me sick! Not a bit of it!" he exclaimed."Never felt better in my life, save that I am a little tired from mylong run. What a silly question! Do I look sick?"

  "No-o," replied little Mrs. Peter slowly. "No-o, you don't look sick,but you talk as if there were something the matter with your head. Ithink you must be just a little light-headed, Peter, or else you havetaken a nap somewhere and had a ba
d dream. Did I understand you to saythat this dreadful creature has no legs, and yet that it chased you?"

  "That's what I said!" snapped Peter a wee bit crossly, for he saw thatMrs. Peter didn't believe a word of his story.

  "Will you please tell me how any creature in the Green Forest or outof it, for that matter, can possibly chase any one unless it has legsor wings, and you didn't say anything about its having wings,"demanded Mrs. Peter.

  Peter scratched his head in great perplexity. Suddenly he had a happythought. "Mr. Blacksnake runs fast enough, but he doesn't have legs,does he?" he asked in triumph.

  Little Mrs. Peter looked a bit discomfited. "No-o," she admittedslowly, "he doesn't have legs; but I never could understand how heruns without them."

  "Well, then," snapped Peter, "if he can run without legs, why can'tother creatures? Besides, this one didn't run exactly; it rolled. NowI've told you all I'm going to. I need a long nap, after all I've beenthrough, so don't let any one disturb me."

  "I won't," replied Mrs. Peter meekly. "But, Peter, if I were you, Iwouldn't tell that story to any one else."

  VI

  PETER HAS TO TELL HIS STORY MANY TIMES

  Once you start a story you cannot call it back; It travels on and on and on and ever on, alack!

  That is the reason why you should always be sure that a story yourepeat is a good story. Then you will be glad to have it travel on andon and on, and will never want to call it back. But if you tell astory that isn't true or nice, the time is almost sure to come whenyou will want to call it back and cannot. You see stories are justlike rivers,--they run on and on forever. Little Mrs. Peter Rabbitknew this, and that is why she advised Peter not to tell any one elsethe strange story he had told her of the dreadful creature withoutlegs or head or tail that had chased him in the Green Forest. Peterknew by that that she didn't believe a word of it, but he was tootired and sleepy to argue with her then, so he settled himselfcomfortably for a nice long nap.