Billy looked a wee bit foolish, for sure enough there was a little pooljust above the dam, and it was growing bigger.
Paddy still kept at work, saying nothing. He was digging in front ofthe dam now, and the mud and grass he dug up he stuffed in between theends of the sticks and patted down with his hands. He did this all alongthe front of the dam and on top of it too, wherever he thought it wasneeded. Of course this made it harder for the water to work through, andthe little pond above the dam began to grow faster. It wasn't a greatwhile before it was nearly to the top of the dam, which at first wasvery low. Then Paddy brought more sticks. This was easier now, becausehe could float them down from where he was cutting. He would put them inplace on the top of the dam, then hurry for more. Wherever it wasneeded, he would put in mud. He even rolled a few stones in to help holdthe mass.
So the dam grew and grew, and so did the pond above the dam. Of course,it took a good many days to build so big a dam, and a lot of hard work!Every morning the little people of the Green Forest and the GreenMeadows would visit it, and every morning they would find that ithad grown a great deal in the night, for that is when Paddy likesbest to work.
By this time, the Laughing Brook had stopped laughing, and down in theSmiling Pool there was hardly water enough for the minnows to feel safea minute. Billy Mink had stopped making fun of the dam, and all thelittle people who live in the Laughing Brook and the Smiling Pool wereterribly worried.
To be sure Paddy had warned them of what he was going to do, and hadpromised that just as soon as his pond was big enough, the water wouldonce more run in the Laughing Brook. They tried to believe him, but theycouldn't help having just a wee bit of fear that he might not be whollyhonest. You see, they didn't know him, for he was a stranger. JerryMuskrat was the only one who seemed absolutely sure that everythingwould be all right. Perhaps that was because Paddy is his cousin, andJerry couldn't help but feel proud of such a big cousin and one who wasso smart.
So day by day the dam grew, and the pond grew, and then one morningGrandfather Frog, down in what had once been the Smiling Pool, heard asound that made his heart jump for joy. It was a murmur that keptgrowing and growing, until at last it was the merry laugh of theLaughing Brook. Then he knew that Paddy had kept his word and waterwould once more fill the Smiling Pool.
VI
FARMER BROWN'S BOY GROWS CURIOUS
Now it happened that the very day before Paddy the Beaver decided thathis pond was big enough, and so allowed the water to run in the LaughingBrook once more, Farmer Brown's boy took it into his head to go fishingin the Smiling Pool. Just as usual he went whistling down across theGreen Meadows. Somehow, when he goes fishing, he always feels likewhistling. Grandfather Frog heard him coming and dived into the littlebit of water remaining in the Smiling Pool and stirred up the mud at thebottom so that Farmer Brown's boy shouldn't see him.
Nearer and nearer drew the whistle. Suddenly it stopped right short off.Farmer Brown's boy had come in sight of the Smiling Pool or rather, itwas what used to be the Smiling Pool. Now there wasn't any Smiling Pool,for the very little pool left was too small and sickly-looking to smile.There were great banks of mud, out of which grew the bulrushes. Thelily-pads were forlornly stretched out towards the tiny pool of waterremaining. Where the banks were steep and high, the holes that JerryMuskrat and Billy Mink knew so well were plain to see. Over at one sidestood Jerry Muskrat's house, wholly out of water.
Somehow, it seemed to Farmer Brown's boy that he must be dreaming. Henever, never had seen anything like this before, not even in the verydriest weather of the hottest part of the summer. He looked this way andlooked that way. The Green Meadows looked just as usual. The GreenForest looked just as usual. The Laughing Brook--ha! What was the matterwith the Laughing Brook? He couldn't hear it and that, you know, wasvery unusual. He dropped his rod and ran over to the Laughing Brook.There wasn't any brook. No, sir, there wasn't any brook; just pools ofwater with the tiniest of streams trickling between. Big stones overwhich he had always seen the water running in the prettiest of littlewhite falls were bare and dry. In the little pools frightened minnowswere darting about.
Farmer Brown's boy scratched his head in a puzzled way. "I don'tunderstand it," said he. "I don't understand it at all. Something musthave gone wrong with the springs that supply the water for the LaughingBrook. They must have failed. Yes, Sir, that is just what must havehappened. But I never heard of such a thing happening before, and Ireally don't see how it could happen." He stared up into the GreenForest just as if he thought he could see those springs. Of course, hedidn't think anything of the kind. He was just turning it all over inhis mind. "I know what I'll do! I'll go up to those springs thisafternoon and find out what the trouble is," he said out loud. "They areway over almost on the other side of the Green Forest, and the easiestway to get there will be to start from home and cut across the OldPasture up to the edge of the Mountain behind the Green Forest. If I tryto follow up the Laughing Brook now, it will take too long, because itwinds and twists so. Besides, it is too hard work."
With that, Farmer Brown's boy went back and picked up his rod. Then hestarted for home across the Green Meadows, and for once he wasn'twhistling. You see, he was too busy thinking. In fact, he was so busythinking that he didn't see Jimmy Skunk until he almost stepped on him,and then he gave a frightened jump and ran, for without a gun he wasjust as much afraid of Jimmy as Jimmy was of him when he did have a gun.
Jimmy just grinned and went on about his business. It always ticklesJimmy to see people run away from him, especially people so much biggerthan himself; they look so silly.
"I should think that they would have learned by this time that ifthey don't bother me, I won't bother them," he muttered, as he rolledover a stone to look for fat beetles. "Somehow, folks never seem tounderstand me."
VII
FARMER BROWN'S BOY GETS ANOTHER SURPRISE
Across the Old Pasture to the foot of the Mountain back of the GreenForest tramped Farmer Brown's boy. Ahead of him trotted Bowser theHound, sniffing and snuffing for the tracks of Reddy or Granny Fox. Ofcourse he didn't find them, for Reddy and Granny hadn't been up in theOld Pasture for a long time. But he did find old Jed Thumper, the biggray Rabbit who had made things so uncomfortable for Peter Rabbit onceupon a time, and gave him such a fright that old Jed didn't look wherehe was going and almost ran headfirst into Farmer Brown's boy.
"Hi, there, you old cottontail!" yelled Farmer Brown's boy, and thisfrightened Old Jed still more, so that he actually ran right past hisown castle of bullbriars without seeing it.
Farmer Brown's boy kept on his way, laughing at the fright of old JedThumper. Presently he reached the springs from which came the water thatmade the very beginning of the Laughing Brook. He expected to find themdry, for way down on the Green Meadows the Smiling Pool was nearly dry,and the Laughing Brook was nearly dry, and he had supposed that ofcourse the reason was that the springs where the Laughing Brook startedwere no longer bubbling.
But they were! The clear cold water came bubbling up out of the groundjust as it always had, and ran off down into the Green Forest in alittle stream that would grow and grow as it ran and become the LaughingBrook. Farmer Brown's boy took off his ragged old straw hat and scowleddown at the bubbling water just as if he thought it had no business tobe bubbling there.
Of course, he didn't think just that. The fact is, he didn't know justwhat he did think. Here were the springs bubbling away just as theyalways had. There was the little stream starting off down into the GreenForest with a gurgle that by and by would become a laugh, just as italways had. And yet down on the Green Meadows on the other side of theGreen Forest there was no longer a Laughing Brook or a Smiling Pool. Hefelt as if he ought to pinch himself to make sure that he was awake andnot dreaming.
"I don't know what it means," said he, talking out loud. "No, Sir, Idon't know what it means at all, but I'm going to find out. There's acause for everything in this world, and when a fellow doesn't know athing
, it is his business to find out all about it. I'm going to findout what has happened to the Laughing Brook, if it takes me a year!"
With that he started to follow the little stream which ran gurglingdown into the Green Forest. He had followed that little stream more thanonce, and now he found it just as he remembered it. The farther it ran,the larger it grew, until at last it became the Laughing Brook, merrilytumbling over rocks and making deep pools in which the trout loved tohide. At last he came to the edge of a little open hollow in the veryheart of the Green Forest. He knew what splendid deep holes there werein the Laughing Brook here, and how the big trout loved to lie in thembecause they were deep and cool. He was thinking of these trout now andwishing that he had brought along his fishing-rod. He pushed his waythrough a thicket of alders and then--Farmer Brown's boy stoppedsuddenly and fairly gasped! He had to stop because there right in frontof him was a pond!
He rubbed his eyes and looked again. Then he stooped down and put hishand in the water to see if it was real. There was no doubt about it. Itwas real water,--a real pond where there never had been a pond before.It was very still there in the heart of the Green Forest. It was alwaysvery still there, but it seemed stiller than usual as he tramped aroundthe edge of this strange pond. He felt as if it were all a dream. Hewondered if pretty soon he wouldn't wake up and find it all untrue. Buthe didn't, and so he kept on tramping until presently he came to adam,--a splendid dam of logs and sticks and mud. Over the top of it thewater was running, and down in the Green Forest below he could hear theLaughing Brook just beginning to laugh once more. Farmer Brown's boy satdown with his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands. He wasalmost too much surprised to even think.
VIII
PETER RABBIT GETS A DUCKING
Farmer Brown's boy sat with his chin in his hands staring at the newpond in the Green Forest and at the dam which had made it. That dampuzzled him. Who could have built it? What did they build it for? Whyhadn't he heard them chopping? He looked carelessly at the stump of oneof the trees, and then a still more puzzled look made deep furrowsbetween his eyes. It looked--yes, it looked very much as if teeth, andnot an axe, had cut down that tree. Farmer Brown's boy stared andstared, his mouth gaping wide open. He looked so funny that PeterRabbit, who was hiding under an old pile of brush close by, nearlylaughed right out.
But Peter didn't laugh. No, Sir, Peter didn't laugh, for just that veryminute something happened. Sniff! Sniff! That was right behind him atthe very edge of the old brush-pile, and every hair on Peter stood onend with fright.
"Bow, wow, wow!" It seemed to Peter that the great voice was right inhis very ears. It frightened him so that he just _had_ to jump. Hedidn't have time to think. And so he jumped right out from under thepile of brush and of course right into plain sight. And the very instanthe jumped there came another great roar behind him. Of course it wasfrom Bowser the Hound. You see, Bowser had been following the trail ofhis master, but as he always stops to sniff at everything he passes, hehad been some distance behind. When he came to the pile of brush underwhich Peter was hiding he had sniffed at that, and of course he hadsmelled Peter right away.
Now when Peter jumped out so suddenly, he had landed right at one endof the dam. The second roar of Bowser's great voice frightened him stillmore, and he jumped right up on the dam. There was nothing for him to donow but go across, and it wasn't the best of going. No, indeed, itwasn't the best of going. You see, it was mostly a tangle of sticks.Happy Jack Squirrel or Chatterer the Red Squirrel or Striped Chipmunkwould have skipped across it without the least trouble. But Peter Rabbithas no sharp little claws with which to cling to logs and sticks, andright away he was in a peck of trouble. He slipped down between thesticks, scrambled out, slipped again, and then, trying to make a longjump, he lost his balance and--tumbled heels over head into the water!
Poor Peter Rabbit! He gave himself up for lost this time. He could swim,but at best he is a poor swimmer and doesn't like the water. He couldn'tdive and keep out of sight like Jerry Muskrat or Billy Mink. All hecould do was to paddle as fast as his legs would go. The water had goneup his nose and down his throat so that he choked, and all the time hefelt sure that Bowser the Hound would plunge in after him and catch him.And if he shouldn't, why Farmer Brown's Boy would simply wait for him tocome ashore and then catch him.
But Farmer Brown's boy didn't do anything of the kind. No, Sir, hedidn't. Instead he shouted to Bowser and called him away. Bowser didn'twant to come, but he long ago learned to obey, and very slowly he walkedover to where his master was sitting.
"You know it wouldn't be fair, old fellow, to try to catch Peter now. Itwouldn't be fair at all, and we never want to do anything unfair, dowe?" said he. Perhaps Bowser didn't agree, but he wagged his tail as ifhe did, and sat down beside his master to watch Peter swim.
It seemed to Peter as if he never, never would reach the shore,though really it was only a very little distance that he had toswim. When he did scramble out, he was a sorry looking Rabbit.He didn't waste any time, but started for home as fast as he couldgo, lipperty--lipperty--lip. And Farmer Brown's boy and Bowser theHound just laughed and didn't try to catch him at all.
"Well, I never!" exclaimed Sammy Jay, who had seen it all from thetop of a pine-tree. "Well, I never! I guess Farmer Brown's boy isn'tso bad, after all."
IX
PADDY PLANS A HOUSE
Paddy the Beaver sat on his dam, and his eyes shone with happiness as helooked out over the shining water of the pond he had made. All aroundthe edge of it grew the tall trees of the Green Forest. It was verybeautiful and very still and very lonesome. That is, it would haveseemed lonesome to almost any one but Paddy the Beaver. But Paddy neveris lonesome. You see, he finds company in the trees and flowers and allthe little plants.
It was still, very, very still. Over on one side was a beautiful rosyglow in the water. It was the reflection from jolly, round, red Mr. Sun.Paddy couldn't see him because of the tall trees, but he knew exactlywhat Mr. Sun was doing. He was going to bed behind the Purple Hills.Pretty soon the little stars would come out and twinkle down at him. Heloves the little stars and always watches for the first one.
Yes, Paddy the Beaver was very happy. He would have been perfectlyhappy but for one thing: Farmer Brown's boy had found his dam and pondthat very afternoon, and Paddy wasn't quite sure what Farmer Brown's boymight do. He had kept himself snugly hidden while Farmer Brown's boy wasthere, and he felt quite sure that Farmer Brown's boy didn't know whohad built the dam. But for this very reason he might, he just _might_,try to find out all about it, and that would mean that Paddy would haveto be always on the watch.
"But what's the use of worrying over troubles that haven't come yet, andmay never come? Time enough to worry when they do come," said Paddy tohimself, which shows that Paddy has a great deal of wisdom in his littlebrown head. "The thing for me to do now is to get ready for winter, andthat means a great deal of work," he continued. "Let me see, I've got tobuild a house, a big, stout, warm house, where I will be warm and safewhen my pond is frozen over. And I've got to lay in a supply of food,enough to last me until gentle Sister South Wind comes to prepare theway for lovely Mistress Spring. My, my, I can't afford to be sittinghere dreaming, when there is such a lot to be done!"
With that Paddy slipped into the water and swam all around his new pondto make sure of just the best place to build his house. Now placingone's house in just the right place is a very important matter. Somepeople are dreadfully careless about this. Jimmy Skunk, for instance,often makes the mistake of digging his house (you know Jimmy makes hishouse underground) right where every one who happens along that way willsee it. Perhaps that is because Jimmy is so independent that he doesn'tcare who knows where he lives.
But Paddy the Beaver never is careless. He always chooses just the verybest place. He makes sure that it is best before he begins. So now,although he was quite positive just where his house should be, he swamaround the pond to make doubly sure. Then, when he was quite satisf
ied,he swam over to the place he had chosen. It was where the water wasquite deep.
"There mustn't be the least chance that the ice will ever get thickenough to close up my doorway," said he, "and I'm sure it never willhere. I must make the foundations strong and the walls thick. I musthave plenty of mud to plaster with, and inside, up above the water, Imust have the snuggest, warmest room where I can sleep in comfort. Thisis the place to build it, and it is high time I was at work."
With that Paddy swam over to the place where he had cut the trees forhis dam, and his heart was light, for he had long ago learned that thesurest way to be happy is to be busy.
X
PADDY STARTS HIS HOUSE
Jerry Muskrat was very much interested when he found that Paddy theBeaver, who, you know, is his cousin, was building a house. Jerry is ahouse-builder himself, and down deep in his heart he very much doubtedif Paddy could build as good a house as he could. His house was down inthe Smiling Pool, and Jerry thought it a very wonderful house indeed,and was very proud of it. It was built of mud and sod and little alderand willow twigs and bulrushes. Jerry had spent one winter in it, and hehad decided to spend another there after he had fixed it up a little.So, as long as he didn't have to build a brand new house, he couldafford the time to watch his cousin Paddy. Perhaps he hoped that Paddywould ask his advice.
But Paddy did nothing of the kind. He had seen Jerry Muskrat's house,and he had smiled. But he had taken great pains not to let Jerry seethat smile. He wouldn't have hurt Jerry's feelings for the world. He istoo polite and good-natured to do anything like that. So Jerry sat onthe end of an old log and watched Paddy work. The first thing to buildwas the foundation. This was of mud and grass with sticks worked into itto hold it together. Paddy dug the mud from the bottom of his new pond.And because the pond was new, there was a great deal of grassy sodthere, which was just what Paddy needed. It was very convenient.