Try as she would, Mrs. Pig hadn't been able to stay awake. Her eyeswould close, in spite of all she could do. Though she slept, she dreamedabout the truant Grunty. Now and then she cried aloud in the darkness,when some terrible creature seemed to be chasing him. But Mrs. Pig neverquite waked up.
Once Grunty Pig thought he heard his mother speak his name. And hecalled out in as brave a voice as he could muster, "Here I am, justoutside the piggery! Won't somebody please let me in?"
He called in vain. At last he fell asleep, for he was about as tired asany little pig could be.
In the middle of the night Grunty Pig awoke with a start. Somebody said"Woof!" And somebody came sniffing and snuffing around the corner of thepiggery. Dimly Grunty could see a dark, burly form. And he was sofrightened that he bawled right out, "It's a bear! It's a bear! It's abear!"
Almost at the same instant old dog Spot ran out of his kennel, barkingfuriously. And like magic the prowler--whoever he was--vanished into thenight.
"Keep still!" Grunty's mother called to him; for the noise had halfroused her. "Don't you mention the word _bear_ again, or I'll attend toyou in the morning."
Drowsy as she was, Mrs. Pig actually thought Grunty was right there inthe pen with the rest of her children. And in no time at all she wassnoring again.
Grunty Pig didn't dare open his mouth nor close his eyes the rest of thenight. And when morning came, Farmer Green found him huddled against thedoor of the piggery.
It was a joyful meeting--for Grunty Pig.
XIII
HOME AT LAST
"What's this?" Farmer Green exclaimed, when he went to unlock thepiggery in the morning and found Grunty Pig lying up against the door."Did you get locked out last night? Was it you that old Spot was barkingat?"
Grunty Pig didn't dare answer. When Farmer Green dropped him into thepen he said nothing to anybody--not even "Good morning!"
A little later Farmer Green found something more outside the piggery. Inthe loose dirt he discovered--bear tracks!
"Aha!" he cried to his son Johnnie. "Look here! We had a visitor lastnight. It was no wonder old Spot woke us all up. A bear called on us!And he'd certainly have had that pig if Spot hadn't scared him off."
Naturally the news soon spread all over the farmyard. And when Mrs. Pigheard it she began to tremble.
"To think," she quavered, "that my littlest child spent the night out ofdoors, with a bear prowling about the neighborhood! And I slept throughit all!
"Tell me all about it, Grunty!" she commanded that young gentleman.
It is not surprising that Grunty Pig was puzzled. Hadn't his mother toldhim, during the night, not to mention the word _bear_ again? And now shewas urging him to talk about that very animal.
"Squeak up!" said his mother sharply--which was the same as saying,"Speak up!"
So he told his story. And when he had finished Mrs. Pig fairly coveredhim with caresses.
"It seems to me--" she sniffed--for she was quite upset--"it seems to methat I remember your saying something about a bear last night. But Iwasn't wide awake at the time. And I thought you were fibbing again.
"Perhaps," she added, "this will teach you a few things that you neededto learn.... _Always mind your mother!_" said Mrs. Pig. "And _alwaystell the truth_!"
Her children all repeated the words after her. And Grunty Pig's voicecould have been heard plainly above all the rest.
His mother looked at him fondly. She had always claimed that she had nofavorite among her children. But now she couldn't help thinking what apromising youngster Grunty was, even if he was the runt of the family.
"That's a good Grunty," said Mrs. Pig. "You won't forget this lesson,will you?"
"No, Mother!" Grunty answered.
Now, that very afternoon Mrs. Pig took it into her head to have herchildren say the morning's lesson again. So she called her youngsterstogether. And she asked Grunty the first of all to recite what she hadtaught him.
"I think it was something about a bear," he stammered, "but I can'tremember exactly."
"Dear me!" said poor Mrs. Pig. "I don't know what I'll do with thislad."
Then she asked the other children, one by one, what they had learnedthat very morning.
There wasn't one of them that hadn't forgotten everything.
"Dear me!" said unhappy Mrs. Pig. "I don't know what I'll do with all ofthem. But I'll treat them all alike. I have no favorite. There isn't oneof them that's stupider than another."
When Grunty Pig heard that he felt quite proud. It was something,anyhow, to be as stupid as the rest, even if he was smaller.
XIV
AN ODD THOUGHT
"Umph! Umph!"
Farmer Green had fenced off a piece of the old orchard. And into thisnew yard he turned Mrs. Pig's children.
"Umph! Umph!"
They had a fine time there, rooting down under the sod, rubbing theirbacks against the trunks of the old apple trees, and sprawling in theshade when they were sleepy.
"Umph! Umph!"
Sometimes an apple dropped from a tree. And then there was a madscramble.
"Umph! Umph!"
"Dear me!" said Jolly Robin's wife as she sat in the apple tree whereshe and her husband had a nest every summer. "Don't Mrs. Pig's childrenmake a dreadful noise? I never knew half-grown pigs to have such loudvoices. Their grunts certainly are full-sized."
Jolly Robin, who had perched himself beside his wife, looked down attheir new neighbors.
"They're having a good time," he observed cheerfully. "We ought not tocomplain. We may be thankful that they don't climb trees and try tosing."
Jolly Robin had a way of looking on the bright side of things. It wasseldom that he couldn't act cheerful. Even when he felt quitedownhearted, _inside_, he managed usually to appear happy, _outside_.And now his remark put his wife in a pleasanter frame of mind.
"Imagine a pig up a tree!" Mrs. Robin tittered.
"Umph! Umph! Are you talking about me?" a voice inquired right beneaththem. It gave Mrs. Robin such a start that she almost tumbled off thelimb.
"No! No! We're not talking about you--not exactly!" Jolly Robinanswered.
It was Grunty Pig that had spoken.
"Pardon me!" he said. "I thought I heard you mention the name, 'Pig'."
"Er--yes! We did speak of your family, in a general way," Jolly Robinadmitted.
"Ah!" said Grunty Pig. "And what was it you said about us? Weren't youand your wife laughing about our climbing trees?"
Somehow Jolly Robin thought that Grunty's little eyes had a spitefulgleam as he looked upward into the tree top. And Mrs. Robin couldn'thelp moving to a higher limb. Grunty's glare sent a most uncomfortableshiver over her.
Jolly Robin tried his best to act at his ease.
"It was just an odd thought that popped into my head," he assured GruntyPig. "It made Mrs. Robin giggle when I mentioned it." He laughed merrilyenough. And his wife managed to smile faintly. But Grunty Pig frowned.
"I thought so!" he cried. "You Robins were poking fun at me and mybrothers and sisters. Yes! And no doubt at my mother, too!"
"Oh, no!" Jolly Robin assured him. "We weren't thinking of any one inparticular."
"Aha!" Grunty snorted. "You were laughing at all of us, then." And JollyRobin could say nothing to change his opinion. "You can't fool me,"Grunty declared. "You have insulted my whole family. And it's time thatyou learned better manners. I see that I shall have to teach you alesson."
Well, when they heard that speech Jolly Robin and his wife had to laugh.The idea of a lesson in manners from Grunty Pig was the funniest thingon the farm.
"Always Mind Your Mother," Said Mrs. Pig.
(_Page 57_)]
XV
GRUNTY MEANS MISCHIEF
Jolly Robin and his wife told all their friends that Grunty Pig wasgoing to teach them a lesson. The birds had many a laugh over thematter. Not till old Mr. Crow visited the orchard one day did the Robinfamily cease chuckling over what they called "the
joke of the season."
"Don't laugh too soon!" Mr. Crow croaked. "This Grunty Pig meansmischief. He isn't going to teach you the sort of lesson you've beensnickering about. What he intends to do is to harm you in some way."
Now, nobody in Pleasant Valley could look gloomier than old Mr. Crow.And when he hinted darkly, in his hoarse way, that there was troubleahead for the Robin family, he threw Jolly Robin's wife into a flutter.
"Oh, what does Grunty Pig mean to do to us?" Mrs. Robin quavered.
"I'd rather not tell you," said old Mr. Crow. "I don't want you toworry."
Mr. Crow left them then. Of course he couldn't have chosen a better wayto upset Mrs. Robin. Even Jolly himself had to admit after a while thathe could think of nothing that seemed to cheer his wife in the least."I'll speak to Mr. Crow again," he told his wife. "I'll ask him justwhat he meant."
Alas! Mr. Crow couldn't tell him. The truth was that Mr. Crow hadalready told all he knew.
"I'll ask Grunty Pig himself what he means to do to us," Jolly thendeclared to his wife. "I've noticed that he digs every day at the footof our apple tree. The next time he comes here I'll have a talk withhim." So that very day Jolly put his question to Grunty Pig.
"What is it," he asked, "that you intend to do to us?"
"You'll find out later," said Grunty Pig. "I expect to be in the top ofyour apple tree before fall. And then--"
Jolly Robin couldn't wait for him to finish. He had to laugh right out,on the spot. And his wife, who had been listening eagerly, burst intothe first giggle that had passed her bill for days and days.
So Grunty Pig expected to climb a tree! Mr. and Mrs. Robin gave eachother a merry look. It was all too funny for words.
"Umph!" said Grunty Pig. "You won't laugh when I'm in your tree top."
"How are you going to get up here?" Jolly Robin asked him, with a winkat Mrs. Robin. "Are you going to _fly_?"
"No!" Grunty Pig said. "No!"
"Then you're going to _climb_," cried Mrs. Robin. And both she and herhusband choked, as they pictured fat Grunty Pig scrambling up the trunkof the old apple tree.
"No!" Grunty Pig said. "No!"
"Well, well!" Jolly Robin exclaimed. "Don't be so short with youranswers! Explain how you expect to get up into the top of our appletree."
"I never said I expected to get up there," Grunty Pig corrected him.
"What?" cried Jolly Robin. "What?" cried his wife.
"No!" said Grunty Pig. "I said I'd be in the tree top before fall. If Iwork here every day around the foot of the tree I'll have it uprooted atlast. And when it topples over and falls on the ground I'll have notrouble getting into the top of it."
When they heard that, Jolly Robin and his wife stopped laughing.
XVI
DANGER AHEAD
Jolly Robin and his wife were terribly worried. Grunty Pig meant touproot the apple tree where they had their nest. Every day he came anddug at the foot of the tree. Every day, just before he went away, helooked up at them and said, "I hope you'll sleep well to-night. You'dbetter enjoy your home while you have it, for the tree will be flat onthe ground before fall."
Sleep! Mrs. Robin complained that she never had a good night's rest anymore. She said that she had bad dreams. She dreamed that the tree wasfalling. And then she was sure to wake up with a start. And her husbandwasn't there to calm her, because he was roosting in a thicket over inthe pasture with their first brood of the season.
They both agreed--Jolly and his wife--that they must get their secondbrood of children out of the nest as soon as they could.
"The moment they're old enough, we must teach them to fly," Mrs. Robintold her husband.
"Yes!" he said. "And we'll have to be careful of them, too, with allthese seven young porkers in the orchard."
"Suppose--" said Mrs. Robin--"suppose Grunty Pig should bring our treetoppling to the ground before the children leave the nest!"
"Oh! There's no danger of that," Jolly assured her. She was alwayslooking on the dark side of things. But he didn't tell her so.
"I don't know how we're going to be sure the children are safe," Mrs.Robin continued. "How long do you think it will take Grunty Pig touproot our tree?"
Jolly Robin had to confess that he couldn't answer his wife's question.
"Then ask somebody who knows something about such matters!" Mrs. Robincried. And there was a tart note in her voice that made Jolly Robin sayhastily, "Yes! Yes, my dear! I'll go right now and find an answer toyour question."
Off he flew. And not knowing where else to go, he sat down on a bush inFarmer Green's garden, to ponder. Who could tell him how long it wouldtake Grunty Pig to uproot the old apple tree? Although Jolly Robinthought and thought, he could think of no one whom he might ask. To besure, there was Tommy Fox, who was known to be an able digger. But JollyRobin didn't trust him. Tommy Fox was tricky. And there was BillyWoodchuck, who came from a famous family of burrowers. But everybodyknew that old dog Spot had chased him into his hole that very afternoon,and was watching Billy's front door.
While Jolly Robin sat there in the garden he happened to look down atthe ground. And right before his eyes a long snout suddenly rose out ofthe dirt, followed by the squat form of Grandfather Mole.
Jolly Robin gave a cheerful chirp. Everybody knew that Grandfather Molewas the champion digger of Pleasant Valley. And if he couldn't answerMrs. Robin's question, then no one could.
XVII
A PUZZLE SOLVED
"Good morning, Grandfather Mole!" Jolly Robin called.
"What!" cried Grandfather Mole. "Have I made the mistake again of comingup on top of Farmer Green's garden?"
"You certainly have," Jolly told him.
"I must be getting old," said Grandfather Mole. "I'm growing morecareless every day. I didn't mean to dig my way above ground." And then,thrusting his long nose right into the dirt, he began to burrow out ofsight.
"Stop! Please stop!" Jolly Robin besought him. "I want to ask you aquestion about digging."
Grandfather Mole pulled his nose out of the ground.
"What's your question?" he inquired.
"It's about Grunty Pig," Jolly Robin began.
"I thought you said it was about digging," Grandfather Mole grumbled.And he started to burrow once more.
"So it is!" Jolly exclaimed. "I want to know how long it will takeGrunty Pig to dig up the apple tree where I live."
Again Grandfather Mole paused.
"It all depends," he muttered. "It all depends on how much of his timehe spends at digging."
"He works every day," said Jolly Robin. "A good, long while every day!"
Grandfather Mole appeared to be thinking deeply.
"He boasts--" Jolly Robin explained--"he boasts that he will have thetree uprooted before fall."
"Nonsense!" Grandfather Mole snorted. "If Grunty Pig says that, hedoesn't know much about apple trees. He may be a fair digger; but hemust be stupid."
"That's what I've always thought!" Jolly Robin exclaimed.
"He can't go very deep into things, or he'd never have made such aboast," Grandfather Mole declared. "When Grunty Pig digs, does he digright down out of sight?"
"Oh, no! Never!" said Jolly Robin.
"Ah! He merely scratches the surface!" Grandfather Mole remarked with awise nod of his head. "Well, it's no wonder that he made such amistake."
"Mistake!" Jolly Robin echoed. "Do you mean that Grunty Pig won't haveour apple tree down by fall?"
"I do," Grandfather Mole answered. "The roots of a big, old apple treespread out a good rod in every direction. And it would take a hundredGrunty Pigs a whole summer to dig them free."
A broad smile spread over Jolly Robin's face.
"Then--" he ventured--"then wouldn't it take Grunty Pig a hundredsummers to dig up our tree, if he worked alone?"
"No doubt!" Grandfather replied. "Or, to be on the safe side, I'll sayhe could uproot your tree in ninety-nine summers."
"Hurrah!" Jolly Robin shouted. "Hurr
ah--and thank you, GrandfatherMole!" And leaving the old gentleman to dig himself out of sight, JollyRobin hurried home to his wife.
Mrs. Robin was glad to see him. She knew, as soon as she caught aglimpse of his face, that he had good news for her. And she neededcheering, poor soul! For Grunty Pig was beneath the tree again, diggingaway in a most businesslike fashion.
"Let him dig!" Jolly Robin whispered to his wife. "Grandfather Mole saysit will take him ninety-nine summers to topple our tree over. And youknow that Grandfather Mole is the greatest burrower in Pleasant Valley."
Mrs. Robin felt better at once. Looking down at Grunty Pig, she said toher husband, "How stupid this son of Mrs. Pig's is! He has turned up atleast a dozen angleworms while you've been gone. And he has let everyone of them get away from him!"
XVIII
THE LUCKIEST OF ALL
Grunty Pig found that being the smallest of the family wasn't all fun.Not only could his brothers and sisters crowd him at the feeding trough.Even when they were playing in the pen they often knocked him down andwalked right over him. And if he objected--as he usually did--they weresure to laugh and call him "Runt."
Try as she would, Mrs. Pig couldn't rid her children of these boorishways. But she shouldn't be blamed for that. It must be remembered thatshe had seven youngsters, all of the same age.