PRAIRIE-DOG TOWN
PRARIE-DOG TOWN
List of Chapters PAGEI The Picnic...........................137II Prairie-Dog Town.....................145III Mr. Bowko, the Mayor.................150IV Presto Digi, the Magician............158V The Home of the Puff-Pudgys..........166VI Teenty and Weenty....................174VII The Mayor Gives a Luncheon...........181VIII On Top of the Earth Again............189
Chapter IThe Picnic
ON the great western prairies of Dakota is a little town called Edgeley,because it is on the edge of civilization--a very big word which meanssome folks have found a better way to live than other folks. The Edgeleypeople have a good way to live, for there are almost seventeen woodenhouses there, and among them is a school-house, a church, a store and ablacksmith-shop. If people walked out their front doors they were uponthe little street; if they walked out the back doors they were on thebroad prairies. That was why Twinkle, who was a farmer's little girl,lived so near the town that she could easily walk to school.
She was a pretty, rosy-cheeked little thing, with long, fluffy hair, andbig round eyes that everybody smiled into when they saw them. It washard to keep that fluffy hair from getting tangled; so mamma used to tieit in the back with a big, broad ribbon. And Twinkle wore calico slipsfor school days and gingham dresses when she wanted to "dress up" orlook especially nice. And to keep the sun from spotting her face withfreckles, she wore sunbonnets made of the same goods as her dresses.
Twinkle's best chum was a little boy called Chubbins, who was the onlychild of the tired-faced school-teacher. Chubbins was about as old asTwinkle; but he wasn't so tall and slender for his age as she was, beingshort and rather fat. The hair on his little round head was cut close,and he usually wore a shirt-waist and "knickers," with a wide straw haton the back of his head. Chubbins's face was very solemn. He never saidmany words when grown folks were around, but he could talk fast enoughwhen he and Twinkle were playing together alone.
Well, one Saturday the school had a picnic, and Twinkle and Chubbinsboth went. On the Dakota prairies there are no shade-trees at all, andvery little water except what they they get by boring deep holes in theground; so you may wonder where the people could possibly have a picnic.But about three miles from the town a little stream of water (which theycalled a "river," but we would call only a brook) ran slow and muddyacross the prairie; and where the road crossed it a flat bridge had beenbuilt. If you climbed down the banks of the river you would find a niceshady place under the wooden bridge; and so here it was that the picnicswere held.
All the village went to the picnic, and they started bright and early inthe morning, with horses and farm-wagons, and baskets full of goodthings to eat, and soon arrived at the bridge.
There was room enough in its shade for all to be comfortable; so theyunhitched the horses and carried the baskets to the river bank, andbegan to laugh and be as merry as they could.
Twinkle and Chubbins, however, didn't care much for the shade of thebridge. This was a strange place to them, so they decided to explore itand see if it was any different from any other part of the prairie.Without telling anybody where they were going, they took hold of handsand trotted across the bridge and away into the plains on the otherside.
The ground here wasn't flat, but had long rolls to it, like big waves onthe ocean, so that as soon as the little girl and boy had climbed overthe top of the first wave, or hill, those by the river lost sight ofthem.
They saw nothing but grass in the first hollow, but there was anotherhill just beyond, so they kept going, and climbed over that too. And nowthey found, lying in the second hollow, one of the most curious sightsthat the western prairies afford.
"What is it?" asked Chubbins, wonderingly.
"Why, it's a Prairie-Dog Town," said Twinkle.
Chapter IIPrarie-Dog Town
LYING in every direction, and quite filling the little hollow, wereround mounds of earth, each one having a hole in the center. The moundswere about two feet high and as big around as a wash-tub, and the edgesof the holes were pounded hard and smooth by the pattering feet of thelittle creatures that lived within.
"Isn't it funny!" said Chubbins, staring at the mounds.
"Awful," replied Twinkle, staring too. "Do you know, Chub, there arean'mals living in every single one of those holes?"
"What kind?" asked Chubbins.
"Well, they're something like squirrels, only they _aren't_ squirrels,"she explained. "They're prairie-dogs."
"Don't like dogs," said the boy, looking a bit uneasy.
"Oh, they're not dogs at all," said Twinkle; "they're soft and fluffy,and gentle."
"Do they bark?" he asked.
"Yes; but they don't bite."
"How d' you know, Twink?"
"Papa has told me about them, lots of times. He says they're so shy thatthey run into their holes when anybody's around; but if you keep quietand watch, they'll stick their heads out in a few minutes."
"Let's watch," said Chubbins.
"All right," she agreed.
Very near to some of the mounds was a raised bank, covered with softgrass; so the children stole softly up to this bank and lay down uponit in such a way that their heads just stuck over the top of it,while their bodies were hidden from the eyes of any of the folks ofPrairie-Dog Town.
"Are you comferble, Chub?" asked the little girl.
"Yes."
"Then lie still and don't talk, and keep your eyes open, and perhaps thean'mals will stick their heads up."
"All right," says Chubbins.
So they kept quiet and waited, and it seemed a long time to both the boyand the girl before a soft, furry head popped out of a near-by hole, andtwo big, gentle brown eyes looked at them curiously.
Chapter IIIMr. Bowko, the Mayor
"DEAR me!" said the prairie-dog, speaking almost in a whisper; "here aresome of those queer humans from the village."
"Let me see! Let me see!" cried two shrill little voices, and the weeheads of two small creatures popped out of the hole and fixed theirbright eyes upon the heads of Twinkle and Chubbins.
"Go down at once!" said the mother prairie-dog. "Do you want to gethurt, you naughty little things?"
"Oh, they won't get hurt," said another deeper voice, and the childrenturned their eyes toward a second mound, on top of which sat a plumpprairie-dog whose reddish fur was tipped with white on the end of eachhair. He seemed to be quite old, or at least well along in years, and hehad a wise and thoughtful look on his face.
"They're humans," said the mother.
"True enough; but they're only human children, and wouldn't hurt yourlittle ones for the world," the old one said.
"That's so!" called Twinkle. "All we want, is to get acquainted."
"Why, in that case," replied the old prairie-dog, "you are very welcomein our town, and we're glad to see you."
"Thank you," said Twinkle, gratefully. It didn't occur to her just thenthat it was wonderful to be talking to the little prairie-dogs just asif they were people. It seemed very natural they should speak with eachother and be friendly.
As if attracted by the sound of voices, little heads began to pop out ofthe other mounds--one here and one there--until the town was alive withthe pretty creatures, all squatting near the edges of their holes andeyeing Chubbins and Twinkle with grave and curious looks.
"Let me introduce myself," said the old one that had first provedfriendly. "My name is Bowko, and I'm the Mayor and High Chief ofPrairie-Dog Town."
"Don't you have a king?" asked Twinkle.
"Not in this town," he answered. "There seems to be no place for kingsin this free United States. And a Mayor and High Chief is just as goodas a king, any day."
"I think so, too," answered the girl.
"Better!" declared Chubbins.
The Mayor smiled, as if pleased.
"I see you've been properly brought up," he continued; "and now let meintroduce to you some
of my fellow-citizens. This," pointing with onelittle paw to the hole where the mother and her two children weresitting, "is Mrs. Puff-Pudgy and her family--Teenty and Weenty. Mr.Puff-Pudgy, I regret to say, was recently chased out of town for sayinghis prayers backwards."
"How could he?" asked Chubbins, much surprised.
"He was always contrary," answered the Mayor, with a sigh, "and wouldn'tdo things the same way that others did. His good wife, Mrs. Puff-Pudgy,had to scold him all day long; so we finally made him leave the town,and I don't know where he's gone to."
"Won't he be sorry not to have his little children any more?" askedTwinkle, regretfully.
"I suppose so; but if people are contrary, and won't behave, they musttake the consequences. This is Mr. Chuckledorf," continued the Mayor,and a very fat prairie-dog bowed to them most politely; "and here isMrs. Fuzcum; and Mrs. Chatterby; and Mr. Sneezeley, and Doctor Dosem."
All these folks bowed gravely and politely, and Chubbins and Twinklebobbed their heads in return until their necks ached, for it seemed asif the Mayor would never get through introducing the hundreds ofprairie-dogs that were squatting around.
"I'll never be able to tell one from the other," whispered the girl;"'cause they all look exactly alike."
"Some of 'em's fatter," observed Chubbins; "but I don't know which."
Chapter IVPresto Digi, the Magician
"AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of ourhouses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.
"But we can't!" exclaimed Twinkle. "We're too big," and she got up andsat down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when comparedwith the prairie-dogs.
"Oh, that doesn't matter in the least," the Mayor replied. "I'll havePresto Digi, our magician, reduce you to our size."
"Can he?" asked Twinkle, doubtfully.
"Our magician can do anything," declared the Mayor. Then he sat up andput both his front paws to his mouth and made a curious sound that wassomething like a bark and something like a whistle, but not exactly likeeither one.
Then everybody waited in silence until a queer old prairie-dog slowlyput his head out of a big mound near the center of the village.
"Good morning, Mr. Presto Digi," said the Mayor.
"Morning!" answered the magician, blinking his eyes as if he had justawakened from sleep.
Twinkle nearly laughed at this scrawny, skinny personage; but by goodfortune, for she didn't wish to offend him, she kept her face straightand did not even smile.
"We have two guests here, this morning," continued the Mayor, addressingthe magician, "who are a little too large to get into our houses. So, asthey are invited to stay to luncheon, it would please us all if youwould kindly reduce them to fit our underground rooms."
"Is _that_ all you want?" asked Mr. Presto Digi, bobbing his head at thechildren.
"It seems to me a great deal," answered Twinkle. "I'm afraid you nevercould do it."
"Wow!" said the magician, in a scornful voice that was almost a bark. "Ican do that with one paw. Come here to me, and don't step on any of ourmounds while you're so big and clumsy."
So Twinkle and Chubbins got up and walked slowly toward the magician,taking great care where they stepped. Teenty and Weenty were frightened,and ducked their heads with little squeals as the big children passedtheir mound; but they bobbed up again the next moment, being curious tosee what would happen.
When the boy and girl stopped before Mr. Presto Digi's mound, he beganwaving one of his thin, scraggy paws and at the same time made agurgling noise that was deep down in his throat. And his eyes rolled andtwisted around in a very odd way.
Neither Twinkle nor Chubbins felt any effect from the magic, nor anydifferent from ordinary; but they knew they were growing smaller,because their eyes were getting closer to the magician.
"Is that enough?" asked Mr. Presto, after a while.
"Just a little more, please," replied the Mayor; "I don't want them tobump their heads against the doorways."
So the magician again waved his paw and chuckled and gurgled andblinked, until Twinkle suddenly found she had to look up at him as hesquatted on his mound.
"Stop!" she screamed; "if you keep on, we won't be anything at all!"
"You're just about the right size," said the Mayor, looking them overwith much pleasure, and when the girl turned around she found Mr. Bowkoand Mrs. Puff-Pudgy standing beside her, and she could easily see thatChubbins was no bigger than they, and she was no bigger than Chubbins.
"Kindly follow me," said Mrs. Puff-Pudgy, "for my little darlings areanxious to make your acquaintance, and as I was the first to discoveryou, you are to be my guests first of all, and afterward go to theMayor's to luncheon."
Chapter VThe Home of the Puff-Pudgys
SO Twinkle and Chubbins, still holding hands, trotted along to thePuff-Pudgy mound, and it was strange how rough the ground now seemed totheir tiny feet. They climbed up the slope of the mound rather clumsily,and when they came to the hole it seemed to them as big as a well. Thenthey saw that it wasn't a deep hole, but a sort of tunnel leading downhill into the mound, and Twinkle knew if they were careful they were notlikely to slip or tumble down.
Mrs. Puff-Pudgy popped into the hole like a flash, for she was used toit, and waited just below the opening to guide them. So, Twinkle slippeddown to the floor of the tunnel and Chubbins followed close after her,and then they began to go downward.
"It's a little dark right here," said Mrs. Puff-Pudgy; "but I've orderedthe maid to light the candles for you, so you'll see well enough whenyou're in the rooms."
"Thank you," said Twinkle, walking along the hall and feeling her way bykeeping her hand upon the smooth sides of the passage. "I hope you won'tgo to any trouble, or put on airs, just because we've come to visityou."
"If I do," replied Mrs. Puffy-Pudgy, "it's because I know the right wayto treat company. We've always belonged to the 'four hundred,' you know.Some folks never know what to do, or how to do it, but that isn't theway with the Puff-Pudgys. Hi! you, Teenty and Weenty--get out of hereand behave yourselves! You'll soon have a good look at our visitors."
And now they came into a room so comfortable and even splendid thatTwinkle's eyes opened wide with amazement.
It was big, and of a round shape, and on the walls were painted veryhandsome portraits of different prairie-dogs of the Puff-Pudgy family.The furniture was made of white clay, baked hard in the sun anddecorated with paints made from blue clay and red clay and yellow clay.This gave it a gorgeous appearance. There was a round table in themiddle of the room, and several comfortable chairs and sofas. Around thewalls were little brackets with candles in them, lighting the place verypleasantly.
"Sit down, please," said Mrs. Puff-Pudgy. "You'll want to rest a minutebefore I show you around."
So Twinkle and Chubbins sat upon the pretty clay chairs, and Teenty andWeenty sat opposite them and stared with their mischievous round eyes ashard as they could.
"What nice furniture," exclaimed the girl.
"Yes," replied Mrs. Puff-Pudgy, looking up at the picture of a sad-facedprairie-dog; "Mr. Puff-Pudgy made it all himself. He was very handy atsuch things. It's a shame he turned out so obstinate."
"Did he build the house too?"
"Why, he dug it out, if that's what you mean. But I advised him how todo it, so I deserve some credit for it myself. Next to the Mayor's, it'sthe best house in town, which accounts for our high social standing.Weenty! take your paw out of your mouth. You're biting your clawsagain."
"I'm not!" said Weenty.
"And now," continued Mrs. Puff-Pudgy, "if you are rested, I'll show youthrough the rest of our house."
So, they got up and followed her, and she led the children through anarchway into the dining-room. Here was a cupboard full of the cunningestlittle dishes Twinkle had ever seen. They were all made of clay, bakedhard in the sun, and were of graceful shapes, and nearly as smooth andperfect as our own dishes.
Chapter VITeenty and W
eenty
ALL around the sides of the dining-room were pockets, or bins, in thewall; and these were full of those things the prairie-dogs are most fondof eating. Clover-seeds filled one bin, and sweet roots another; driedmulberry leaves--that must have come from a long distance--were inanother bin, and even kernels of yellow field corn were heaped in oneplace. The Puff-Pudgys were surely in no danger of starving for sometime to come.
"Teenty! Put back that grain of wheat," commanded the mother, in asevere voice.
Instead of obeying, Teenty put the wheat in his mouth and ate it asquickly as possible.
"The little dears are _so_ restless," Mrs. Puff-Pudgy said to Twinkle,"that it's hard to manage them."
"They don't behave," remarked Chubbins, staring hard at the children.
"No, they have a share of their father's obstinate nature," replied Mrs.Puff-Pudgy. "Excuse me a minute and I'll cuff them; It'll do them good."
But before their mother could reach them, the children found trouble oftheir own. Teenty sprang at Weenty and began to fight, because hisbrother had pinched him, and Weenty fought back with all his might andmain. They scratched with their claws and bit with their teeth, androlled over and over upon the floor, bumping into the wall and upsettingthe chairs, and snarling and growling all the while like two puppies.
Mrs. Puff-Pudgy sat down and watched them, but did not interfere.
"Won't they hurt themselves?" asked Twinkle, anxiously.