Of course it was something to eat--the surprise. You must have guessedthat, knowing Fatty Coon as you do.
"Come, children!" Mrs. Coon said. "Come with me! I'm going to give you atreat--something specially nice."
"Is it something to eat?" Fatty asked, as they started off in thedirection of Farmer Green's fields.
"Yes--and the best thing you ever tasted," Mrs. Coon said.
Fatty was greatly excited. His little bright eyes turned green in themoonlight. He wondered what the surprise would be. And, as usual, he wasvery hungry. He walked close beside his mother, for he wanted to be thefirst to taste the surprise. You would think that he would have wantedhis two sisters to taste it first, and his brother Blackie, too. But youmust not forget that Fatty was greedy. And greedy people are notthoughtful of others.
When Mrs. Coon turned out of the lane and crawled through the fence,Fatty squeezed between the rails very nimbly, for him.
"Here we are!" said his mother.
Fatty looked about him. They stood in a field grown high with tallstalks of some sort, which turned to green, ribbon-like leaves half wayup from the ground. Fatty grunted. He was very impolite, you see.
"Well--what is there to eat that's so fine?" he asked. "This stuff isn'tgood. It's like eating reeds." He had already bitten into one of thestalks.
"What do you call that?" Mrs. Coon asked. She showed Fatty a long rollof green that grew out of one of the stalks.
"That's something like a cattail," said Fatty. "It isn't good to eat."
"Have you ever tried one?" asked his mother.
"N--no," Patty said. "But Freddie Bluejay told me they weren't good."
"He did, did he?" Mrs. Coon said nothing more. She stood up on her hindlegs and pulled one of the tall stalks down until she could reach thatlong, green thing that grew there. In a jiffy she had torn it from itsstalk. And then she stripped the green covering off it. "Try that!" saidMrs. Coon with a smile.
Of course it was Fatty who tasted it first. He took a good mouthful ofthe white kernels, and he was overjoyed. Such sweetness! Such delicious,milky juice! It was a moment that Fatty never forgot.
Fatty began tearing down the stalks for himself and he never saidanother word until at last he simply had to stop eating just to catchhis breath.
"What's its name, Mother?" he inquired.
"Corn, my child."
"Well, why doesn't Freddie Bluejay like it?" Fatty asked.
"He's probably very fond of corn," said Mrs. Coon. "And I've no doubt hewas afraid that you would eat up this whole field, once you started."
"I'd like to," said Fatty, with a sigh. "I'd like to eat all the corn inthe world."
VII
JOHNNIE GREEN IS DISAPPOINTED
It made Fatty Coon feel sad, just to think that there was that fieldfull of corn, and that he could never eat all of it. But Fatty made uphis mind that he would do the best he could. He would visit thecornfield every night and feast on those sweet, tender kernels.
The very next night Fatty set out toward Farmer Green's. It was hardlydark. But Fatty could not wait any longer. He could not even wait forhis mother and his sisters and his brother. He hurried away alone. Andwhen he came in sight of the cornfield he felt better. He had been theleast bit afraid that the corn might be gone. He thought that maybeFarmer Green had picked it, or that some of the forest people had eatenit all. But there it was--a forest of corn, waving and rustling in themoonlight as the breeze touched it. Fatty felt very happy as he slippedthrough the rail-fence.
I wouldn't dare say how many ears of corn Fatty ate that night. And hewould have eaten more, too, if it hadn't been for just one thing. A dogbarked. And that spoiled Fatty's fun. For the dog was altogether toonear for Fatty to feel safe. He even dropped the ear of corn he wasgnawing and hurried toward the woods.
It was lucky for Fatty that he started when he did. For that dog wasclose behind him in no time. There was only one thing to do: Fatty knewthat he must climb a tree at once. So he made for the nearest tree insight--a big, spreading oak, which stood all alone just beyond thefence. And as Fatty crouched on a limb he felt safe enough, though thedog barked and whined, and leaped against the tree, and made a greatfuss.
Fatty looked down at the dog and scolded a little. He was not afraid.But it made him cross to be driven out of the cornfield. And he wishedthe dog would go away. But the dog--it was Farmer Green's Spot--the doghad no idea of leaving. He stayed right there and barked so loudly thatit was not long before Farmer Green and his hired man came in sight. Andwith them was Johnnie Green and a little, young dog that had just beengiven to him.
When Farmer Green saw Fatty he seemed disappointed. "He's too young tobother with," he said. "His skin's not worth much. We'll go 'long andsee what we can find."
But Johnnie Green stayed behind. He wanted that young coon. And heintended to have him, too. Leaving the young dog to watch Fatty Coon,Johnnie went back to the farmhouse. After a while he appeared again withan axe over his shoulder. And when he began to chop away at the big oak,Fatty Coon felt very uneasy. Whenever Johnnie drove his axe into thetree, both the tree and Fatty shivered together. And Fatty began to wishhe had stayed away from the cornfield. But not for long, because JohnnieGreen soon gave up the idea of chopping down the big oak. The wood wasso hard to cut, and the tree was so big, that Johnnie had not choppedlong before he saw that it would take him all night to cut through it.He looked up longingly at Fatty Coon. And Johnnie started to climb thetree himself. But the higher he climbed, the higher Fatty climbed. AndJohnnie knew that he could never catch that plump young coon in thatway.
At last Johnnie Green started off, calling his dog after him. And thenFatty Coon came down. But he did not go back to the cornfield. Hedecided that he had had adventures enough for one night. But Fatty hadlearned something--at least he thought he had. For he made up his mindthat once he climbed a tree, no man could reach him. TREES COULD NOT BECHOPPED DOWN! That was what Fatty believed. Perhaps you will know,later, whether Fatty ever found out that he was mistaken.
VIII
A TERRIBLE FRIGHT
It was the very next night after old dog Spot had treed Fatty Coon inthe big oak near the cornfield. They had finished their evening meal atFarmer Green's house. The cows were milked, the horses had been fed, thechickens had all gone to roost. And Farmer Green looked up at the moon,rising from behind Blue Mountain.
"We'll go coon-hunting again to-night," he said to Johnnie and the hiredman. "The corn has brought the coons up from the swamp. We'll start assoon as it grows a little darker."
Well--after a while they set out for the cornfield. And sure enough! oldSpot soon began to bark.
"He's treed!" said Farmer Green, pretty soon. And they all hurried overto the edge of the woods, where Spot had chased a coon up into a tallchestnut tree. In the moonlight they could see the coon quite plainly."Another little feller!" cried Farmer Green. "I declare, all the coonsthat come to the cornfield seem to be young ones. This one's no biggerthan the one we saw last night."
Now, although Farmer Green never guessed it, it was Fatty Coon who wasup there in the tall chestnut. He had run almost to the woods this time,before he had to take to a tree. In fact, if Spot hadn't been quite soclose to him Fatty could have reached the woods, and then he would havejust jumped from one tree to another. But there were no trees nearenough the big chestnut for that. Fatty had to stay right there and waitfor those men to pass on. He wasn't afraid. He felt perfectly safe inhis big tree. And he only smiled when Johnnie Green said to his father--
"I wish I had that young coon. He'd make a fine pet."
"A pet!" exclaimed Farmer Green. "You remember that pet fox you had,that stole my chickens?"
"Oh, I'd be careful," Johnnie promised. "Besides, don't you think weought to catch him, so he won't eat any more corn?"
Farmer Green smiled. He had been a boy himself, once upon a time, and hehad not forgotten the pet coon that he had owned when he was just aboutJohnnie's age.
"All right!" he said at last. "I'll give you one more chance, Johnnie.But you'll have to see that this young coon doesn't kill any of mypoultry."
Johnnie promised that nothing of the sort should happen. And then hisfather and the hired man picked up their axes; and standing on oppositesides of the tall chestnut tree, they began to chop.
How the chips did fly! At the very first blow Fatty knew that this wasan entirely different sort of chopping from that which Johnnie hadattempted the night before. The great tree shook as if it knew that itwould soon come crashing down upon the ground.
And as for Fatty Coon, he could not see but that he must fall when thetree did. He, too, shivered and shook. And he wrapped himself all theway around a limb and hung on as tight as ever he could.
IX
JOHNNIE GREEN LOSES HIS PET
Now, Farmer Green and his hired man had not chopped long before theystopped to breathe. They had not chopped long--but oh! what great,yawning holes they had made in the big chestnut! From the limb where heclung Fatty Coon looked down. The tree no longer shook. And Fatty feltbetter at once. You see, he thought that the men would go away, just asJohnnie had gone away the night before. But they had no such idea atall.
"Which way are you going to fell her?" the hired man asked. He said HER,meaning the TREE, of course.
"That way!" said Farmer Green, pointing toward the woods. "We'll have todrop her that way, or she'll fall right across the road, and of courseTHAT would never do."
"But will she clear the trees on the edge of the woods?" The hired manappeared somewhat doubtful.
"Oh, to be sure--to be sure!" answered Farmer Green.
And with that they set to work again. But this time they both chopped onthe same side of the tree--the side toward the woods.
Now, if Fatty Coon was frightened before, you will believe that he wasstill more frightened when the big chestnut tree began to sag. Yes! itbegan to lean toward the woods. Slowly, slowly it tipped. And Fatty wasscared half out of his mind. He climbed to the very top of the tree,because he wanted to get just as far away from those men as he could.And there he waited. There was nothing else he could do. Yes! he waiteduntil that awful moment should come when the tree would go crashing downupon the ground. What was going to happen to him then? Fatty wondered.And while he was wondering there sounded all at once a great snappingand splitting. And Fatty felt the tree falling, falling. He could hearJohnnie Green shouting. And he shut his eyes and held fast to hisbranch. Then came the crash.
When Fatty Coon opened his eyes he expected to see Johnnie Green allready to seize him. But to his great surprise he was still far above theground. You see, Farmer Green had been mistaken. Either the big chestnuttree was taller than he had guessed, or the woods were nearer than hehad thought. For instead of dropping upon the ground, Fatty's tree hadfallen right against another tree on the edge of the woods. And there itlay, half-tipped over, with its branches caught fast in the branches ofthat other tree.
It was no wonder that Johnnie Green shouted. And he shouted still moreloudly when he saw Fatty scramble out of the big chestnut and into theother tree, and out of that tree and into another, and then out of THATtree. Fatty was going straight into the woods.
It was no wonder that Johnnie Green shouted. For he had lost his petcoon. He had lost him before he ever had him. And he was sadlydisappointed.
But Fatty Coon was not disappointed, for he had not wanted to be a petat all. And he was very glad--you may be sure--to get safely home oncemore.
X
FATTY COON AND THE MONSTER
One night Fatty Coon was strolling along the road that wound through thevalley. He was in no hurry, for he had just left Farmer Green's appleorchard, where he had bolted all the apples he could possibly eat. Thenight was dark and though it was not very late, all the country peopleseemed to be in bed. There were no farmers driving along the road. Fattyhad it all to himself. And so he walked slowly homewards. It was thenthat the terrible monster almost caught him.
This is how it all happened. There was a br-br-br-r-r-r in the air.Fatty really should have heard it long before he did. But he had eatenso many apples that he had begun to feel sleepy; and his ears were notso sharp as they should have been. And when at last Fatty heard thatbr-r-r-r it was quite loud. He was startled. And he stopped right in themiddle of the road to listen. Fatty had never heard such a sound before.
The strange animal was on him before he knew it. Its glaring eyesblinded him. And if it had not screamed at him Fatty would never haveescaped. It was the terrible screech of the monster which finally madeFatty jump. It was a frightful cry--like six wildcats all wailingtogether. And Fatty leaped to one side of the road just before themonster reached him.
The great creature went past Fatty like the wind and tore on up thehill. He seemed to be running so fast that he could not stop. Fattycould hear him panting as he climbed the sharp rise of the road.
Fatty Coon hurried away. He wanted to get home before the monster couldstop and come back to look for him.
When Fatty told his mother about his narrow escape Mrs. Coon became muchexcited. She felt sure that Fatty was not mistaken, for had she notheard that strange cry herself?
There it was again! Woo-ooo-ooo-oo-o! It began low, rose to a shriek,and then died away again.
Mrs. Coon and Fatty climbed to the very top of their old poplar andgazed down the valley.
"Look, Mother!" Fatty cried. "He's stopped at Farmer Green's! You cansee his eyes from here!"
Mrs. Coon looked. Sure enough! It was just as Fatty said. And thathorrid call echoed across the valley once more.
Farmer Green stuck his head out of his chamber-window, to see what theman in the automobile wanted.
"Where's the nearest village, please?" the stranger asked. And afterFarmer Green had told him the man drove his car on again.
From their tree-top Fatty and his mother watched the monster dash downthe valley. They knew he had gone, because they could see the gleam ofthose awful eyes.
"Do you suppose he ate up Farmer Green and his family?" Fatty asked in afrightened voice.
"I hope so," she said. "Then perhaps there'll be no more traps in thewoods."
"But who would plant the corn?" Fatty asked.
Mrs. Coon did not appear to hear his question.
XI
JASPER JAY TELLS SOME NEWS
It was quite late in the fall, and the weather had grown very cold. Mrs.Coon and her family had not left their home for several days; but onthis day she thought it would be pleasant to go out in the sunshine andget a breath of fresh air and a bite to eat.
Fatty was the only one of her children that was not asleep; and hecomplained of being very hungry. So Mrs. Coon decided to take him withher.
The hunting was not very good. There were no birds' eggs at all to befound in the trees. The river and the brook and the creek were allfrozen over, so Fatty and his mother could not catch any fish. And asfor corn--Farmer Green had long ago gathered the last ear of it. Fattywished that it was summertime. But it only made him hungrier than ever,to think of all the good things to eat that summer brings. He wasfeeling very unhappy when his mother said to him sharply--
"Run up this tree! Hurry, now! Don't ask any questions."
Now, Fatty did not always mind his mother as quickly as he might have.But this time he saw that she had stopped and was sniffing the air as ifthere was something about it she did not like.
That was enough for Fatty. He scrambled up the nearest tree. For he knewthat his mother had discovered danger of some sort.
Mrs. Coon followed close behind Fatty. And they had no sooner hidden inthe branches than Fatty saw what it was that his mother had smelled.
It was Johnnie Green! He passed right underneath the tree where theywere perched. And as Mrs. Coon peeped down at him she shuddered andshivered and shook so hard that Fatty couldn't help noticing it.
"What's the matter?" he asked, as soon as Johnnie Green was out ofsight.
"H
is cap!" Mrs. Coon exclaimed. "He is wearing a coon-skin cap!" Now doyou wonder that she was upset? "Don't ever go near Farmer Green'shouse," she warned Fatty. "You don't want to be made into a cap, or apair of gloves, or a coat, or anything like that, do you?"
"No, indeed, Mother!" Fatty was quite sure that such an adventurewouldn't please him at all. And he told himself right then and therethat he would never go anywhere near Farmer Green's house. We shall seehow well Fatty remembered.
That very afternoon Fatty Coon heard some very pleasant news. It wasJasper Jay who told him.
Jasper Jay was a very noisy blue jay who lived in the neighborhood. Hedid not go south with most of the other birds when the cold weathercame. He liked the winter and he was forever tearing about the woods,squalling and scolding at everybody. He was a very noisy fellow.
Well! when Fatty and his mother had reached home after their hunt, Fattystayed out of doors. He climbed to the top of a tall pine tree nearbyand stretched himself along a limb, to enjoy the sunshine, which feltvery good upon his broad back. It was there that Jasper Jay found himand told him the pleasant news. And Fatty was very glad to hear thenews, because he was still hungry.
This is what Jasper Jay told Fatty: he told him that Farmer Green had asmany as forty fat turkeys, which roosted every night in a spreading oakin Farmer Green's front yard.