Big Book of Animal Stories Read online

  “Ha! Ha! Ha!” laughed Mr. Kingfisher, sitting on a tree.

  “Ho! Ho! Ho!” laughed old Mr. Frog, who had climbed back on his lily-pad.

  “He! He! He!” laughed all the little Trouts and Mr. Trout and Mrs. Trout, swimming round and round in the Dear Little Pool.

  “Ha! Ha! Ha! Ho! Ho! Ho! He! He! He!” laughed Billy Mink, who had come back to the Big Rock just in time to see Reddy Fox tumble in.

  Reddy Fox didn’t say a word, he was so ashamed. He just crept up the Lone Little Path to his home, dragging his tail, all wet and muddy, behind him, and dripping water all the way.

  Johnny Chuck was still sitting by his door as his mother had told him to. Reddy Fox tried to go past without being seen, but Johnny Chuck’s bright little eyes saw him.

  “Where are your fish, Reddy Fox?” called Johnny Chuck.

  Reddy Fox said never a word, but walked faster.

  “Why don’t you turn somersaults, and jump over your shadow and chase Butterflies and play with the little Field Mice, Reddy Fox?” called Johnny Chuck.

  But Reddy Fox just walked faster. When he got most home he saw old Mother Fox sitting in the doorway with a great big switch across her lap, for Mother Fox had told Reddy Fox not to go near the Laughing Brook.

  And this is all I am going to tell you about how Reddy Fox went fishing.

  VII. Jimmy Skunk Looks for Beetles

  Jimmy Skunk opened his eyes very early one morning and peeped out of his snug little house on the hill. Big, round Mr. Sun, with a very red, smiling face, had just begun to climb up into the sky. Old Mother West Wind was just starting down to the Green Meadows with her big bag over her shoulder. In that bag Jimmy Skunk knew she carried all her children, the Merry Little Breezes, whom she was taking down to the Green Meadows to play and frolic all day.

  “Good morning, Mother West Wind,” said Jimmy Skunk, politely. “Did you see any beetles as you came down the hill?”

  Old Mother West Wind said, no, she hadn’t seen any beetles as she came down the hill.

  “Thank you,” said Jimmy Skunk, politely. “I guess I’ll have to go look myself, for I’m very, very hungry.”

  So Jimmy Skunk brushed his handsome black and white coat, and washed his face and hands, and started out to try to find some beetles for his breakfast. First he went down to the Green Meadows and stopped at Johnny Chuck’s house. But Johnny Chuck was still in bed and fast asleep. Then Jimmy Skunk went over to see if Reddy Fox would go with him to help find some beetles for his breakfast. But Reddy Fox had been out very, very late the night before and he was still in bed fast asleep, too.

  So Jimmy Skunk set out all alone along the Crooked Little Path up the hill to find some beetles for his breakfast. He walked very slowly, for Jimmy Skunk never hurries. He stopped and peeped under every old log to see if there were any beetles. By and by he came to a big piece of bark beside the Crooked Little Path. Jimmy Skunk took hold of the piece of bark with his two little black paws and pulled and pulled. All of a sudden, the big piece of bark turned over so quickly that Jimmy Skunk fell flat on his back.

  When Jimmy Skunk had rolled over onto his feet again, there sat old Mr. Toad right in the path, and old Mr. Toad was very, very cross indeed. He swelled and he puffed and he puffed and he swelled, till he was twice as big as Jimmy Skunk had ever seen him before.

  “Good morning, Mr. Toad,” said Jimmy Skunk. “Have you seen any beetles?”

  But Mr. Toad blinked his great round goggly eyes and he said:

  “What do you mean, Jimmy Skunk, by pulling the roof off my house?”

  “Is that the roof of your house?” asked Jimmy Skunk politely. “I won’t do it again.”

  Then Jimmy Skunk stepped right over old Mr. Toad, and went on up the Crooked Little Path to look for some beetles.

  By and by he came to an old stump of a tree which was hollow and had the nicest little round hole in one side. Jimmy Skunk took hold of one edge with his two little black paws and pulled and pulled. All of a sudden the whole side of the old stump tore open and Jimmy Skunk fell flat on his back.

  When Jimmy Skunk had rolled over onto his feet again there was Striped Chipmunk hopping up and down right in the middle of the path, he was so angry.

  “Good morning, Striped Chipmunk,” said Jimmy Skunk. “Have you seen any beetles?”

  But Striped Chipmunk hopped faster than ever and he said:

  “What do you mean, Jimmy Skunk, by pulling the side off my house?”

  “Is that the side of your house?” asked Jimmy Skunk, politely. “I won’t do it again.”

  Then Jimmy Skunk stepped right over Striped Chipmunk, and went on up the Crooked Little Path to look for some beetles.

  Pretty soon he met Peter Rabbit hopping along down the Crooked Little Path. “Good morning, Jimmy Skunk, where are you going so early in the morning?” said Peter Rabbit.

  “Good morning, Peter Rabbit. Have you seen any beetles?” asked Jimmy Skunk, politely.

  “No, I haven’t seen any beetles, but I’ll help you find some,” said Peter Rabbit. So he turned about and hopped ahead of Jimmy Skunk up the Crooked Little Path.

  Now because Peter Rabbit’s legs are long and he is always in a hurry, he got to the top of the hill first. When Jimmy Skunk reached the end of the Crooked Little Path on the top of the hill he found Peter Rabbit sitting up very straight and looking and looking very hard at a great flat stone.

  “What are you looking at, Peter Rabbit?” asked Jimmy Skunk.

  “Sh-h-h!” said Peter Rabbit, “I think there are some beetles under that great flat stone where that little black string is sticking out. Now when I count three you grab that string and pull hard; perhaps you’ll find a beetle at the other end.”

  So Jimmy Skunk got ready and Peter Rabbit began to count.

  “One!” said Peter. “Two!” said Peter. “Three!”

  Jimmy Skunk grabbed the black string and pulled as hard as ever he could and out came—Mr. Black Snake! The string Jimmy Skunk had pulled was Mr. Black Snake’s tail, and Mr. Black Snake was very, very angry indeed.

  “Ha! Ha! Ha!” laughed Peter Rabbit.

  “What do you mean, Jimmy Skunk,” said Mr. Black Snake, “by pulling my tail?”

  “Was that your tail?” said Jimmy Skunk, politely. “I won’t do it again. Have you seen any beetles?”

  But Mr. Black Snake hadn’t seen any beetles and he was so cross that Jimmy Skunk went on over the hill to look for some beetles.

  Peter Rabbit was still laughing and laughing and laughing. And the more he laughed the angrier grew Mr. Black Snake, till finally he started after Peter Rabbit to teach him a lesson.

  Then Peter Rabbit stopped laughing, for Mr. Black Snake can run very fast. Away went Peter Rabbit down the Crooked Little Path as fast as he could go, and away went Mr. Black Snake after him.

  But Jimmy Skunk didn’t even look once to see if Mr. Black Snake had caught Peter Rabbit, for Jimmy Skunk had found some beetles and was eating his breakfast.

  VIII. Billy Mink’s Swimming Party

  Billy Mink was coming down the bank of the Laughing Brook. Billy Mink was feeling very good indeed. He had had a good breakfast, the sun was warm, little white cloud ships were sailing across the blue sky and their shadows were sailing across the Green Meadows, the birds were singing and the bees were humming. Billy Mink felt like singing too, but Billy Mink’s voice was not meant for singing.

  By and by Billy Mink came to the Smiling Pool. Here the Laughing Brook stopped and rested on its way to join the Big River. It stopped its noisy laughing and singing and just lay smiling and smiling in the warm sunshine. The little flowers on the bank leaned over and nodded to it. The beech tree, which was very old, sometimes dropped a leaf into it. The cattails kept their feet cool in the edge of it.

  Billy Mink jumped out on the Big Rock and looked down into the Smiling Pool. Over on a green lily-pad he saw old Grandfather Frog.

  “Hello, Grandfather Frog,” said Billy Mink.

  “Hello, Billy Mink,” said Grandfather Frog. “What mischief are you up to this fine sunny morning?”

  Just then Billy Mink saw a little brown head swimming along one edge of the Smiling Pool.

  “Hello, Jerry Muskrat!” shouted Billy Mink.

  “Hello your own self, Billy Mink,” shouted Jerry Muskrat, “Come in and have a swim; the water’s fine!”

  “Good,” said Billy Mink. “We’ll have a swimming party.”

  So Billy Mink called all the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind, who were playing with the flowers on the bank, and sent them to find Little Joe Otter and invite him to come to the swimming party. Pretty soon back came the Little Breezes and with them came Little Joe Otter.

  “Hello, Billy Mink,” said Little Joe Otter. “Here I am!”

  “Hello, Little Joe Otter,” said Billy Mink. “Come up here on the Big Rock and see who can dive the deepest into the Smiling Pool.”

  So Little Joe Otter and Jerry Muskrat climbed up on the Big Rock side of Billy Mink and they all stood side by side in their little brown bathing suits looking down into the Smiling Pool.

  “Now when I count three we’ll all dive into the Smiling Pool together and see who can dive the deepest. One!” said Billy Mink. “Two!” said Billy Mink. “Three!” said Billy Mink.

  And when he said “Three” in they all went head first. My, such a splash as they did make! They upset old Grandfather Frog so that he fell off his lily-pad. They frightened Mr. and Mrs. Trout so that they jumped right out of the water. Tiny Tadpole had such a scare that he hid way, way down in the mud with only the tip of his funny little nose sticking out.

  “Chug-a-rum,” said old Grandfather Frog, climbing out on his lily-pad. “If I wasn’t so old I would show you how to div
e.”

  “Come on, Grandfather Frog!” cried Billy Mink. “Show us how to dive.”

  And what do you think? Why, old Grandfather Frog actually got so excited that he climbed up on the Big Rock to show them how to dive. Splash! went Grandfather Frog into the Smiling Pool. Splash! went Billy Mink right behind him. Splash! Splash! went Little Joe Otter and Jerry Muskrat, right at Billy Mink’s heels.

  “Hurrah!” shouted Mr. Kingfisher, sitting on a branch of the old beech tree. And then just to show them that he could dive, too, splash! he went into the Smiling Pool.

  Such a noise as they did make! All the Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind danced for joy on the bank. Blacky the Crow and Sammy Jay flew over to see what was going on.

  “Now, let’s see who can swim the farthest under water,” cried Billy Mink.

  So they all stood side by side on one edge of the Smiling Pool.

  “Go!” shouted Mr. Kingfisher, and in they all plunged. Little ripples ran across the Smiling Pool and then the water became as smooth and smiling as if nothing had gone into it with a plunge.

  Now old Grandfather Frog began to realize that he wasn’t as young as he used to be, and he couldn’t swim as fast as the others anyway. He began to get short of breath, so he swam up to the top and stuck just the tip of his nose out to get some more air. Sammy Jay’s sharp eyes saw him.

  “There’s Grandfather Frog!” he shouted.

  So then Grandfather Frog popped his head out and swam over to his green lily-pad to rest.

  Way over beyond the Big Rock little bubbles in three long rows kept coming up to the top of the Smiling Pool. They showed just where Billy Mink, Little Joe Otter and Jerry Muskrat were swimming way down out of sight. It was the air from their lungs making the bubbles. Straight across the Smiling Pool went the lines of little bubbles and then way out on the farther side two little heads bobbed out of water close together. They were Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter. A moment later Jerry Muskrat bobbed up beside them.

  You see they had swum clear across the Smiling Pool and of course they could swim no farther.

  So Billy Mink’s swimming party was a great success.

  IX. Peter Rabbit Plays a Joke

  One morning when big round Mr. Sun was climbing up in the sky and Old Mother West Wind had sent all her Merry Little Breezes to play in the Green Meadows, Johnny Chuck started out for a walk. First he sat up very straight and looked and looked all around to see if Reddy Fox was anywhere about, for you know Reddy Fox liked to tease Johnny Chuck.

  But Reddy Fox was nowhere to be seen, so Johnny Chuck trotted down the Lone Little Path to the wood. Mr. Sun was shining as brightly as ever he could and Johnny Chuck, who was very, very fat, grew very, very warm. By and by he sat down on the end of a log under a big tree to rest.

  Thump! Something hit Johnny Chuck right on the top of his round little head. It made Johnny Chuck jump.

  “Hello, Johnny Chuck!” said a voice that seemed to come right out of the sky. Johnny Chuck tipped his head way, way back and looked up. He was just in time to see Happy Jack Squirrel drop a nut. Down it came and hit Johnny Chuck right on the tip of his funny, black, little nose.

  “Oh!” said Johnny Chuck, and tumbled right over back off the log. But Johnny Chuck was so round and so fat and so roly-poly that it didn’t hurt him a bit.

  “Ha! Ha! Ha!” laughed Happy Jack up in the tree.

  “Ha! Ha! Ha!” laughed Johnny Chuck, picking himself up. Then they both laughed together, it was such a good joke.

  “What are you laughing at?” asked a voice so close to Johnny Chuck that he rolled over three times he was so surprised. It was Peter Rabbit.

  “What are you doing in my wood?” asked Peter Rabbit.

  “I’m taking a walk,” said Johnny Chuck.

  “Good,” said Peter Rabbit, “I’ll come along too.”

  So Johnny Chuck and Peter Rabbit set out along the Lone Little Path through the wood. Peter Rabbit hopped along with great big jumps, for Peter’s legs are long and meant for jumping, but Johnny Chuck couldn’t keep up though he tried very hard, for Johnny’s legs are short. Pretty soon Peter Rabbit came back, walking very softly. He whispered in Johnny Chuck’s ear.

  “I’ve found something,” said Peter Rabbit.

  “What is it?” asked Johnny Chuck.

  “I’ll show you,” said Peter Rabbit, “but you must be very, very still, and not make the least little bit of noise.”

  Johnny Chuck promised to be very, very still for he wanted very much to see what Peter Rabbit had found. Peter Rabbit tip-toed down the Lone Little Path through the wood, his funny long ears pointing right up to the sky. And behind him tip-toed Johnny Chuck, wondering and wondering what it could be that Peter Rabbit had found.

  Pretty soon they came to a nice mossy green log right across the Lone Little Path. Peter Rabbit stopped and sat up very straight. He looked this way and looked that way. Johnny Chuck stopped too and he sat up very straight and looked this way and looked that way, but all he could see was the mossy green log across the Lone Little Path.

  “What is it, Peter Rabbit?” whispered Johnny Chuck.

  “You can’t see it yet,” whispered Peter Rabbit, “for first we have to jump over that mossy green log. Now I’ll jump first, and then you jump just the way I do, and then you’ll see what it is I’ve found,” said Peter Rabbit.

  So Peter Rabbit jumped first, and because his legs are long and meant for jumping, he jumped way, way over the mossy green log. Then he turned around and sat up to see Johnny Chuck jump over the mossy green log, too.

  Johnny Chuck tried to jump very high and very far, just as he had seen Peter Rabbit jump, but Johnny Chuck’s legs are very short and not meant for jumping. Besides, Johnny Chuck was very, very fat. So though he tried very hard indeed to jump just like Peter Rabbit, he stubbed his toes on the top of the mossy green log and over he tumbled, head first, and landed with a great big thump right on Reddy Fox, who was lying fast asleep on the other side of the mossy green log.

  Peter Rabbit laughed and laughed until he had to hold his sides.

  My, how frightened Johnny Chuck was when he saw what he had done! Before he could get on his feet he had rolled right over behind a little bush, and there he lay very, very still.

  Reddy Fox awoke with a grunt when Johnny Chuck fell on him so hard, and the first thing he saw was Peter Rabbit laughing so that he had to hold his sides. Reddy Fox didn’t stop to look around. He thought that Peter Rabbit had jumped on him. Up jumped Reddy Fox and away ran Peter Rabbit. Away went Reddy Fox after Peter Rabbit. Peter dodged behind the trees, and jumped over the bushes, and ran this way and ran that way, just as hard as ever he could, for Peter Rabbit was very much afraid of Reddy Fox. And Reddy Fox followed Peter Rabbit behind the trees and over the bushes this way and that way, but he couldn’t catch Peter Rabbit. Pretty soon Peter Rabbit came to the house of Jimmy Skunk. He knew that Jimmy Skunk was over in the pasture, so he popped right in and then he was safe, for the door of Jimmy Skunk’s house was too small for Reddy Fox to squeeze in. Reddy Fox sat down and waited, but Peter Rabbit didn’t come out. By and by Reddy Fox gave it up and trotted off home where old Mother Fox was waiting for him.

  All this time Johnny Chuck had sat very still, watching Reddy Fox try to catch Peter Rabbit. And when he saw Peter Rabbit pop into the house of Jimmy Skunk and Reddy Fox trot away home, Johnny Chuck stood up and brushed his little coat very clean and then he trotted back up the Lone Little Path through the wood to his own dear little path through the Green Meadows where the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind were still playing, till he was safe in his own snug little home once more.

  X. How Sammy Jay Was Found Out

  Sammy Jay was very busy, very busy indeed. When anyone happened that way Sammy Jay pretended to be doing nothing at all, for Sammy Jay thought himself a very fine gentleman. He was very proud of his handsome blue coat with white trimmings and his high cap, and he would sit on a fence post and make fun of Johnny Chuck working at a new door for his snug little home in the Green Meadows, and of Striped Chipmunk storing up heaps of corn and nuts for the winter, for most of the time Sammy Jay was an idle fellow. And when Sammy Jay was busy, he was pretty sure to be doing something he ought not to do, for idle people almost always get into mischief.