"Do all raccoons wash their food before eating it," continued one ofthe cubs.
Washer nodded his head and began daintily chewing the soft root. Thecubs bit at the other end of it, but they saw nothing in it to appealto their taste.
"What funny creatures raccoons must be, Little Brother!"
Washer was a little annoyed and angered by this remark, for he was araccoon, and he wasn't going to have his people ridiculed.
"They climb trees," continued the speaker, "and wash their food beforeeating it. Isn't it funny, brothers!"
They all set up a laugh, which increased Washer's anger. "They're nofunnier than Wolves," he blurted out suddenly. "You hunt in packs asif afraid, and sneak upon your victims instead of fighting them faceto face. I thing that cowardly. Now raccoons don't do that."
"We didn't mean to offend you, Little Brother," replied the first cub,seeing Washer's anger. "Next to being a wolf we'd rather be raccoons.Yes, indeed!"
The others repeated this until Washer felt sorry for his show ofanger. Still he was quite sad, for he began to realize that he couldnot always be with his little brothers. The day would come when hewould have to leave them. They were growing so big and so rough intheir play that many times he had to retire and look on. Then, too,they were beginning to take long hunting trips through the woods, andhe could not keep up with them. Sneaky in particular took delight inrunning him out of breath, and then laughing at him.
"Listen, Brothers," he said, turning sorrowfully upon them, "I am araccoon and you are wolves. Some day you will have to hunt without me.Then I shall return to my own people, for it isn't right that araccoon should live with wolves. But I shall always have a tenderfeeling for you in my heart, and shall always remember you."
"No we won't hunt without you," interrupted one of the cubs. "Youcan't leave us. You're our Little Brother, and you'll always be that!"
Washer was greatly pleased by this show of affection for it made himvery sad to think of leaving the only home he had lived in since asmall baby; but right down in his heart he knew that he would some dayleave them and go back to his own people.
Washer had only a dim remembrance of his own real brothers. Theaccident on the river when he was carried over the falls seemed solong ago that it was more like a dream now than anything else. Hecouldn't even remember what his mother looked like, and as for hisbrothers they were only tiny baby raccoons then and now they had grownup he would not recognize them.
A few days after this conversation, the Wolf cubs were playing nearthe brook when one of them suddenly raised his nose in the air andbegan sniffing. The others immediately stopped their play and sniffedthe air also.
"What is it?" asked Washer.
"I smell something good," replied the first wolf. "It's over thisway."
"Then we'll go around the other way and head him off," said anothercub.
Washer knew their method of hunting an animal they had once winded.They would spread out in a wide circle, and creep upon him from alldirections. Sneaky had taught them this trick, and when they huntedtogether in this way it was hard for anything to escape them. Nomatter which way the hunted animal went he was pretty sure to run intoone of the pack.
Washer had caught the odor on the wind, but he was not sure just whatkind of an animal it came from. The smell seemed familiar, and yet hecould not place it. It annoyed and puzzled him. Was his memory growingshort?
He decided to follow the cubs in the chase and for a time he managedto keep up with them; but when they finally caught sight of their preythey broke from the cover of the bushes and ran in full tilt afterhim. Washer was quickly left behind.
In a short time he could tell by their howls that they had run theirvictim to earth. They were yelping and howling, but not entirely withpleasure.
"What's the matter?" Washer asked himself. "Have they stalked Busterthe Bear or Loup the Lynx? I must hurry and see."
He ran as fast as his short legs would permit, and in a few minutes hecame out into an opening in the woods. In the center of this was asmall tree, around which the Wolf cubs were circling wildly, leapingup as high as they could every now and then, but always falling shortof their mark.
Washer came up, panting and gasping; "What is it, Brothers?" hecalled. "Where is it?"
"Up the tree!" shouted one of the cubs. "We can't reach him, but youcan Little Brother. You can climb the tree and drive him down. Now Iknow we'll always need you when we go hunting. Hurry up and drive himout of the tree!"
Washer saw a dark, fuzzy ball high among the branches of the smalltree. He could not make it out at first, but there was somethingfamiliar about it, and the odor!--why, he knew that odor! He hadalways known it!
But he stopped suddenly and glanced up at the pair of frightened eyeslooking down at the wolves. He gave a gasp and shudder. It was araccoon the cubs had treed--one of his own people. How could he betrayhim to the greedy cubs, and if he didn't what would his wolfbrothers think of him? In the next story you will read about whatWasher did for the raccoon.
IT WAS A RACCOON THE CUBS HAD TREED]
STORY NINE
WASHER SAVES ONE OF HIS OWN PEOPLE
When Washer discovered that it was one of his own people driven up thetree by the wolves, he felt a queer sensation stealing over him. Forthe first time he seemed to realize how cruel the Wolf cubs were intheir hunting, and how terrible the hunted must feel. It was almost asif he was up that tree with a lot of wolves below howling for hisblood.
Something like anger and disgust for the cubs sprang up in his heart.What right had they to chase every weaker animal in the woods and killhim! Why couldn't they let other animals live in peace in the woods!
While he sat there thinking of these things, the young wolves wereleaping up at the treed raccoon and howling dismally every time theyfell short of reaching him. Finally one of the cubs turned to Washer.
"Why don't you go up the tree and drive him down?" he asked. "Hurryup, Little Brother, for we're hungry. Go up and shake the branch, andwe'll catch him as he falls."
Washer began to tremble, not with fear, but because he knew he had tosave the raccoon in some way, and he couldn't think of any trick thatwould do it. The cubs mistook his trembling for fear, and one of themexclaimed:
"Little Brother's afraid to go up the tree! See, he's trembling allover!"
"When was Little Brother afraid before?" asked another. "Surely he'snot afraid of that animal."
Washer saw that they had not recognized the animal up the tree as oneof his own people. They hardly knew a raccoon from any other animal.This fact gave Washer new hope. He didn't want to betray to them hisfeelings.
"Are you afraid, Little Brother?" added another, standing before him."I don't believe it."
"No, I'm not afraid," replied Washer finally, recovering from hisembarassment. "When was I afraid of anything! Have I not played andfought with you all, and did you ever know me to beg for mercy? Thenwhy should I be afraid of that small animal?"
"I knew it, Little Brother," replied the last cub. "Now you'll go upthe tree and shake him down to us."
Washer rose to his feet and trotted away from the tree. "Come here,Brothers," he called, "I want to talk to you, and we must not beoverheard. Now listen," he added, when they were at a safe distancefrom the tree, "you've heard of Billy Porcupine, haven't you?"
"Billy Porcupine! Oh, you mean the animal with the prickly thorns!Yes, we've heard of him."
Washer nodded his head. "Then you remember that Mother Wolf and Sneakyalways told you to beware of Billy Porcupine. If you didn't he'd runhis thorns in your nose, and it would take days and days for thewounds to heal up."
"Yes, they told us that!" they exclaimed in unison. Then in littlefrightened voices they added; "Is that Billy Porcupine up the tree?"
Washer did not answer directly, but he looked very wise. "Now, listenagain," he added, "there's only one thing to do. You must run back tothe den and tell Mother Wolf or Sneaky. They will know what to do.I'll stay here an
d watch, and if Mother Wolf tells me to go up thetree I'll go even if I get stuck full of quills."
The cubs were greatly impressed by these words, for they had heardmany tales of the wounds inflicted by Billy Porcupine's quills, andthey shuddered at the thought of getting them in their mouth and nose.
"I'll stay here with you, Little Brother," the oldest of the cubssaid. "If he comes down we'll corner him and hold him until MotherWolf comes."
"No you must go with your brothers," replied Washer. "I can watch himalone. I'm not afraid of him."
"You're a brave Little Brother!" they exclaimed in a breath.
Washer urged them to hurry, and after a while they decided to raceback to the den and summon their parents. Washer promised to standguard under the tree until they returned.
Their great discovery excited the cubs, and they were anxious to seehow Mother Wolf or Sneaky would handle this strange animal that wentaround in the woods armed with sharp quills. They disappeared in thebushes, each anxious to beat all the others to the cave.
The moment they had gone, Washer ran back to the tree and looked upit. The raccoon was still crouching there in a high branch. Washerlooked curiously at him, and then called:
"Raccoon! Little Raccoon, come down now, and run away. My wolfbrothers have gone, but they'll soon return. Run and hide in yourhole or find a bigger tree."
There was a noise in the branches overhead, and the raccoon crawleddown a few feet. Washer looked at him, and then retreated a step ortwo. It was not a little raccoon, but a big one, with sharp claws andfine, white teeth. He was so much bigger than Washer that he felt alittle awe of him.
"Why do you call the wolves your brothers?" the raccoon asked. "You'rea raccoon, aren't you? Then the wolves can't be your brothers. They'rethe enemies of my people."
Washer looked a little embarrassed. "Yes, I'm a raccoon," he replied,"but the wolves saved me, and Mother Wolf brought me up as one of herown. I've always lived with her in her den. She's been kind to me, andI love her."
The big raccoon showed his teeth and crawled down another branch. "Youlove a wolf!" he said angrily. "Then you're a traitor to your ownpeople!"
Washer was greatly surprised and distressed by this remark. "No, I'mnot a traitor. Because I love Mother Wolf for what she's done for meisn't any reason why I shouldn't love my own people."
"I hear them coming back!" snapped the raccoon in the tree. "I mustbe off or they'll catch me. This tree is too small. I'll find a biggerone."
"Yes, do hurry! I hear them howling now. They'll be here soon."
The big raccoon dropped to the ground and stood by the side of Washer.He was so much bigger that Washer felt like a baby alongside of him.He was a fierce old creature, too, for he kept gnashing his teeth andswitching his tail.
"Well, aren't you coming with me?" he asked. "If you know the woodsyou might lead me to a good hiding place."
"No, I can't go with you," replied Washer a little sadly. "I must waitfor my brothers and Mother Wolf. They're all the friends I have."
"The wolves are your friends?" snapped the big raccoon. "Then you're atraitor to your people! I believe this is only a trick to deceive me.I'll teach you to betray us!"
Before Washer realized what he meant, the big fellow leaped toward himand bit him two or three times on the body and front paws. Then with agrunt of delight, he ran away and disappeared in the woods. Frightenedby this sudden attack by one of his own people, Washer gave a squealof pain and dropped down on the ground bleeding. Just then the wolvesbroke through the bushes and came racing toward the tree, with Sneakyin the lead.
In the next story Washer confesses to Mother Wolf, and she decides totake him to the council rock to meet Black Wolf.
STORY TEN
MOTHER WOLF LISTENS TO WASHER'S STORY
Mother Wolf was close behind, but Sneaky reached Washer's side first.There was a suspicious leer on his face, but the sight of the blood onthe raccoon's body seemed to puzzle him. He stopped and glanced up atthe tree.
"Where's Billy Porcupine?" he asked. "I don't see him in the tree."
"He ran down and escaped," replied Washer. "I couldn't stop him."
Sneaky licked his chops, and added: "Quite likely!" He sniffed amongthe lower branches of the tree. "If my nose doesn't deceive me there'sbeen no porcupine around here. No, sir; nothing but raccoons."
He turned and smiled at Mother Wolf and the youngsters. He felt quiteproud of his spying quality. "I smell nothing but raccoon up thattree," he added. "Therefore, it was a raccoon, and not a porcupine,that you treed."
"But little brother said it was Billy the Porcupine," interrupted oneof the cubs.
"How'd Little Brother know it was a porcupine?" asked Sneaky. "Whendid you ever see one?"
Now Washer was feeling very miserable, first, because his wounds hurthim, and second because one of his own people had turned on him andattacked him after he had saved his life. So he spoke withoutthinking. "I don't know," he stammered. "Maybe I never saw one."
"Ah! ha!" scoffed Sneaky. "I thought so. It was only a trick todeceive us. I see now what it means."
He turned to the tree again, and looked up it, and began sniffing atthe trunk and limbs. "Nothing but raccoon odor," he added. "Noporcupine has been here."
"For goodness sake," interrupted Mother Wolf, wiping the blood fromWasher's face, "what are you wasting your time about? Why don't youhelp Little Brother? He's all bloody, and we must help him home."
"Ah, bloody! So he is! Then if it was Billy the Porcupine we shouldfind quills sticking in him."
He examined Washer's wounds a little roughly, smiling all the time. Ofcourse, there were no porcupine quills, and this seemed to pleaseSneaky immensely.
"Just as I thought," he said finally. "There are no quills.Therefore, there was no porcupine here. Then why did Little Brotherdeceive you?"
He turned to the cubs, who were watching him curiously.
"I'll tell you, my children," he continued. "It was a raccoon you hadtreed--one of Little Brother's own people. He knew it all the time,and he didn't want you to have him for your dinner. So he told youthis little story about a porcupine, and sent you home to call uswhile his friend could escape in the woods. See, he's gone. There'snothing up the tree."
They followed the direction of his pointing nose. The tree was empty.Then they turned their eyes toward Washer.
"Can you deny that, Little Brother?" Sneaky added in a beguilingvoice. "Of course you can't."
"But how'd he get hurt?" asked one of the cubs. "See, he's bleedingall over."
Mother Wolf interfered at this moment. "Sneaky, you run down to thebrook and get some water," she commanded. "If Little Brother didn'tmeet a porcupine, he ran into something just as bad. We won't stop todiscuss that now. Hurry up with that water!"
Sneaky dropped his tail between his legs and started for the brook,but half way there he stopped and said: "It wasn't a porcupine, Iknow that. Therefore, it was a raccoon. Little Brother deceived mychildren to save his life. No wolf will stand for that. He's not afriend of my people. I'll tell Black Wolf that."
Mother Wolf, who had been busy cleaning the blood from Washer's fur,looked a little disturbed. Sneaky had another argument againstadmitting Washer to the wolf pack.
"Little Brother," she whispered, "it is true what Sneaky says? WasBilly Porcupine up that tree?"
Washer could not deceive Mother Wolf. She had been too kind to him."No," he answered, "it was a raccoon, and I couldn't bear to see himkilled. He belonged to my own people."
Mother Wolf nodded her head, showing that she understood his feelings."But these wounds," she added, a little puzzled. "How did you getthem?"
Washer was greatly distressed at this question. If he told the truth,he would have to condemn one of his own people of ingratitude, buteven that was better than deceiving Mother Wolf.
"It was the raccoon," he answered after a pause. "When he came downthe tree he bit me. He thought I belonged to the wolf pack, and hecalled me a trait
or. I don't suppose he understood."
"He didn't deserve the kindness you showed him," was the quick retort."If he was near here I'd send the children and Sneaky after him. Hedeserves punishment. Do you know where he's hiding?"
"No! He ran away in the woods and that was the last I saw of him."
Mother Wolf had such confidence in Washer that she did not doubt hisword. She knew that Little Brother would not deceive her to protectone of his own people.
"Well, I'm glad he isn't here," she added, sighing. "Sneaky would hunthim down, and I don't suppose you'd like to see him killed, even if hedid bite you."
"No, I don't wish him harm."
Washer's voice was a little trembly, and a tear stood in one of hiseyes. "What is it," asked Mother Wolf sympathetically, "that makes youso sad, Little Brother? Do your wounds hurt you so much?"
"No, I was thinking of my people," replied Washer. "They won't haveme. They'll turn against me because I was brought up in a wolf's den,and your people won't have me. I'm an outcast--without a home orpeople."
"Don't say that," whispered Mother Wolf. "You're my adopted child, andI shall always look after you. My people will have to take you. Ifthey don't--"
Her eyes flashed, and Washer knew that she was prepared to fight forhim. But he had no desire to bring trouble to her, and he said: "No,no, don't do that. Let me go away in the woods. I'm old enough now tomake a living. You must not introduce me to the pack. I shall alwaysremember you and my Wolf Brothers, but no good can come of trying tomake me a wolf. I'm only a raccoon."