As a rule Grumpy Weasel was glad to go on about his business, though tobe sure he hated to oblige anybody. But one day he stopped and scoldedat the top of his voice when he came upon the Woodchuck brotherswhistling in the pasture.
Their whistles quavered a bit when they noticed who was present. Andthey moved a little nearer their front door, in order to dodge out ofsight if need be. Although Grumpy Weasel might follow them, there was aback door they could rush out of. And since they knew their way abouttheir underground halls better than he did they did not worry greatly.
"We're sorry--" said the biggest brother, who was called BillyWoodchuck--"we're sorry you don't like our music. And we'd like to knowwhat's the matter with it; for we always strive to please."
"It's not so much the way you whistle," Grumpy snarled, "though yourwhistling is bad enough, it's so cheerful. What I find fault withespecially is the tune. It's insulting to me. And you can't deny it."
Well, the Woodchuck brothers looked at one another in a puzzled fashion.
"Never again let me hear you whistling, 'Pop! Goes the Weasel,'" Grumpywarned them. That was the name of the Woodchuck brothers' favorite air,and the one they could whistle best. And any one could see that theywere quite upset.
"Why don't you like that tune?" Billy Woodchuck asked Grumpy Weaselpolitely.
"It's that word 'pop,'" Grumpy said. "It reminds me of a pop-gun. And apop-gun reminds me of a real gun. And that's something I don't want tothink about."
Well, the Woodchuck brothers looked at one another again. But this timethey smiled.
"You've misunderstood," Billy Woodchuck told Grumpy Weasel. "This is adifferent kind of _pop_. It means that when you enter a hole you _pop_into it in a jiffy, without taking all day to do it."
For a wonder Grumpy Weasel was almost pleased.
"That's true!" he cried. "I couldn't be slow if I wanted to be!" And heactually asked the Woodchuck brothers to whistle "Pop! Goes the Weasel"once more.
But Grumpy Weasel never thought of thanking them.
XIX
HIDING FROM HENRY HAWK
In the spring Grumpy Weasel was always glad to see the birds coming backfrom the South. But it must not be supposed that it was because he likedto hear them sing (for he didn't!).
Nor should any one make the mistake of thinking that Grumpy Weasel lovedthe birds. The only reason why he welcomed them was because he liked tohunt them, and rob their nests.
But there were two birds that Grumpy didn't care to have in PleasantValley. He often wished that Solomon Owl and Henry Hawk would leave theneighborhood and never return. That was because they liked to hunt him.
Especially did Grumpy Weasel dislike Henry Hawk, who had an unpleasanthabit of sitting motionless on a limb in the top of some great tree.From that high perch he swept the whole valley with his keen, crueleyes, because (as he said) he "liked to see what was going on."
If Henry Hawk saw anything anywhere that interested him he lost no timein reaching that place. It might be a bird, or a meadow mouse, or maybea plump chicken. And he was always hoping to catch a glimpse of GrumpyWeasel.
One day early in the fall Mr. Hawk saw what he had been looking for solong. Near the old cider mill, up the road from Farmer Green's house, hespied a long, slender, brownish shape moving swiftly among a pile ofbarrels outside the building. He knew at once that it was GrumpyWeasel; and though he was a long way off Mr. Hawk could see that Grumpywas very busy looking for something--so busy, Mr. Hawk hoped, thatGrumpy wouldn't notice anything else.
Henry Hawk had wonderful eyesight. As he came hurtling down out of thesky he could see that Grumpy was playing hide-and-seek with a mouse.
"It's a shame to break up the game," Mr. Hawk chuckled to himself.
And just then something made Grumpy Weasel look up. It must have beenHenry Hawk's shadow flickering over a barrel. There was no other signthat could have warned Grumpy.
He put the meadow mouse out of his mind without a bit of trouble andmade a sidewise spring for the first hole on which his eyes lighted.
Grumpy was through it in a twinkling. Henry Hawk made a frantic grabwith his talons at the black tip of Grumpy's tail, just as it whiskedout of sight. But he was too late.
It did not soothe Henry Hawk's feelings to find that the meadow mousehad vanished at the same time. Henry would have liked to playhide-and-seek with him himself.
Mr. Hawk knew well enough where Grumpy was hiding. That slim fellow hadsought safety in an empty jug, which was lying on its side near the pileof barrels. It made a fine fort for Grumpy Weasel. The enemy couldn'tbreak through it. And there was only one loophole, which was far toosmall to do Henry Hawk the least good.
Henry saw at once that he might as well go away. So he went offgrumbling.
"This," he said, "is what comes of disorderly habits. Farmer Green oughtnot to have left that jug lying there. If he hadn't, I might have beenable to do him a good turn."
XX
A FREE RIDE
Inside the jug, where he had hidden to escape Henry Hawk, Grumpy Weaselyawned widely and licked his chops. He was having a dull time, waitinguntil he was sure that Henry Hawk had given up the chase and gone away.
In a little while Grumpy believed he could venture out in safety. Butsuddenly, to his great disgust, a wagon came clattering in from the roadand pulled up right beside the pile of empty barrels near him.
It was Farmer Brown, driving his old horse Ebenezer. And of courseGrumpy Weasel didn't care to show himself just then, especially withold dog Spot nosing around. He had already heard Spot give several sharpyelps.
"That old dog knows I'm here somewhere but he can't tell exactly where,"Grumpy said to himself. "He can yelp his head off, for all I care."
And then Spot began to whine, and run in and out among the barrels,until he all but tripped Farmer Green, who was loading the barrels intothe wagon.
"Let him whine!" said Grumpy Weasel softly. "His yelping and whiningdon't scare me. He can't get inside this jug of mine. And I certainlyshan't leave it so long as he stays here."
Meanwhile he could hear Farmer Green talking to old Spot, telling himnot to be silly.
"From the way you're acting anybody might think there was a bear aroundhere," he told Spot.
Old dog Spot explained to Farmer Green in no uncertain fashion that itwas no bear--but a weasel--that he was looking for. His nose told himthat. And there was no mistake about it. But somehow Farmer Greencouldn't understand a word he said. So after putting the last barrel onthe load Farmer Green climbed up himself and started to drive off.
But old dog Spot wouldn't budge an inch. He hovered about the jug whereGrumpy Weasel was hiding and made such a fuss that Farmer Green lookedback at him.
"Well! well!" he exclaimed. And he stopped the horse Ebenezer and jumpeddown and walked back again.
"I declare I'd have forgotten to take this jug if you hadn't reminded meof it," he told Spot. And thereupon he picked up the jug and set it inthe back of the wagon.
This time Spot followed. This time he was in the wagon before FarmerGreen was. And all the way down the road, until they reached thefarmyard, he acted (or so Farmer Green told him!) like a simpleton.
The whole affair made Grumpy Weasel terribly angry. He thought it was anoutrage for Farmer Green to kidnap him like that. And he was so enragedthat he would have taken a bite out of anything handy. But there wasn'ta thing in the jug except himself.
At last the strange party drew up in front of the barn and stopped.Farmer Green led Ebenezer into his stall. And then he took the jug, withGrumpy Weasel still inside in, and in spite of Spot's protests set ithigh up on a shelf in the barn.
It was easy for Grumpy, after that, to crawl out of the jug. He scurriedalong the shelf, climbed up the wall, and glided through a crack in theceiling, to hide himself in the haymow above.
"Old Spot didn't get me this time!" he said gleefully. "Not by a jugful,he didn't!"
XXI
A NEW SUIT
Thro
ughout Pleasant Valley the very name of Grumpy Weasel was a bugaboo.Those of his size, and many a good deal bigger than he, learned early toavoid him.
One of the first things Sandy Chipmunk's mother did was to teach him tobeware of Grumpy. And twice during his first summer Sandy caught aglimpse of Grumpy as he flashed past like a brown streak, with a gleamof white showing underneath.
It was lucky for Sandy that on both occasions Grumpy was intent onchasing somebody or other. And each time that Sandy told his motherwhat he had seen, Mrs. Chipmunk said that she hoped it would neverhappen again.
"I'm glad that you know what he looks like, anyhow," she added.
"Oh, I'll know him if I see him!" Sandy cried.
"Don't stop for a second look!" his mother warned him.
"I won't!" he promised. "I won't even stop to say, 'How do you do!'"
"I should hope not!" Mrs. Chipmunk said severely.
So Sandy Chipmunk went through his first summer on the watch for a long,slender, brownish shape. But he never saw Grumpy Weasel again. Andwinter found the Chipmunk family all unharmed, and very comfortable intheir cozy house below frost line.
On mild days Sandy liked to visit the world above and find a rock bareof snow, where he could enjoy the sunshine.
It was on one of those outings that he caught sight of a stranger headedfor the stone wall near-by. At first Sandy missed seeing him, againstthe snow. But when he reached the wind-swept wall Sandy couldn't helpnoticing him. He was a slim gentleman and--except for his black-tippedtail--was dressed all in white.
After spending the winter underground Sandy Chipmunk was glad to talkwith the first person he saw. So he called to the stranger that it was afine day, wasn't it?
The other wheeled about so quickly that Sandy couldn't help laughing.
"Don't be nervous!" Sandy cried. "I won't hurt you!"
But the stranger didn't answer. Once he opened his mouth. And SandyChipmunk had a queer feeling then that he had met the fellow before.That mouth had plenty of white, needle-like teeth. It had a cruel look,too.
Then the stranger jumped straight toward Sandy Chipmunk. And in thatinstant Sandy knew who he was. No one could leap like that except GrumpyWeasel!
Sandy turned and ran madly for shelter. Luckily he had the advantage ofGrumpy in one way. He had a bare ledge to run on, while Grumpy Weaselhad to flounder for some distance through a snow-choked hollow.
So Sandy escaped. And it was lucky that Grumpy didn't find the door tothe Chipmunk family's burrow. If he had he would have gone right inhimself.
Mrs. Chipmunk blamed herself for Sandy's adventure. She had neverremembered to tell her son that every fall Grumpy Weasel changed hissummer dress for the one in which Sandy had just seen him.
XXII
GRUMPY'S THREAT
Meeting Grumpy Weasel in the woods one day, Tommy Fox stopped to have achat with him. He always liked to chat with Grumpy, it was so easy toget him angry, and such fun to see him fly into a passion.
"You're looking very elegant in your winter suit," Tommy Fox remarked."White is becoming to you--there's no doubt of that. And that black tipon the end of your tail is just what's needed to complete your costume.It matches your eyes nicely.... You must have a good tailor."
Sandy Chipmunk Runs From Grumpy Weasel. (_Page 96_)]
People were apt to be wary of Tommy Fox when fine words dripped from hismouth like that. It usually meant that he was bent on some mischief. Andnow Grumpy Weasel looked at him suspiciously.
"If you admire my clothes so much why don't you get some like them?" hedemanded.
Tommy Fox shook his head mournfully.
"I'd like to," he said, "but I'm too humble a person to dress like aking, in ermine. My family have always worn red. The neighbors wouldn'tknow me in anything else. Or if they did they'd say I was putting onairs."
"If you want to know what I think, I'll tell you that red's entirely toogood for you," Grumpy Weasel sneered.
Tommy Fox smiled somewhat sourly. Grumpy Weasel's remark did not pleasehim. But he managed to say nothing disagreeable.
"I suppose," he went on, "you've met the newcomer in our valley whodresses as you do, in white and black?"
"What's that you say?" Grumpy Weasel barked. "Who's gone and copied mycold-weather clothes? If I meet him I'll make it hot for him."
"Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned the matter," Tommy Fox said softly."I don't like to displease you. And I don't want to get a stranger intotrouble either, just as he has come to spend the winter amongst us.
"And besides," Tommy added, "it would be a shame for you to quarrel withthe stranger because he happens to choose your favorite colors. Thatonly goes to show that your tastes are alike."
"That's exactly what I object to!" Grumpy Weasel complained, gettingmuch excited. "If his tastes are the same as mine he'll want to come andhunt along my stone wall. And there'll be trouble if he does that! Thefur will fly!"
Tommy Fox turned his head away, for he simply had to enjoy a grin and hedidn't want Grumpy Weasel to see it.
"I'm sorry I spoke about the stranger," he said glibly, as soon as hecould keep his face straight. "But I thought the news would please you."
"It would certainly please me to meet him," Grumpy Weasel declaredfiercely. "And it would please me much more than it would him, I cantell you."
"It wouldn't be treating a newcomer well to let him wander through thewoods when you feel as you do about him. I ought to warn him to leavePleasant Valley before it's too late," Tommy said.
"It would be treating him better to give him a good lesson before hegoes," Grumpy Weasel said. "You needn't say a word to him about mywanting to meet him. Let the fur fly first! And then he'll flee.
"That's my way of getting rid of strangers!"
XXIII
A BOLD STRANGER
Tommy Fox had carefully kept from Grumpy Weasel the name of the strangerwho was dressed like Grumpy, in white and black. It happened that hewore feathers--this newcomer. And that was one reason why Tommy Fox hadhad to grin when Grumpy threatened to "make the fur fly" when he met theunknown.
Another reason why Tommy had laughed at Grumpy's blustering was that thestranger was quite able to take care of himself in a fight. He belongedto the Snowy Owl family, being bigger, even, than Solomon Owl. And whatwith his hooked beak and his strong talons he was a dangerous fellow tomeet. Although Grumpy Weasel could easily handle a rabbit or a wild ducka dozen times his own size, because they were unarmed, he would have hadno chance at all with Mr. Snowy Owl.
All this made Tommy Fox chuckle and grin, as he left Grumpy and lopedoff towards Cedar Swamp, where Mr. Snowy Owl was spending the winter.Unlike Solomon Owl, and his cousin Simon Screecher, Mr. Snowy Owl didnot turn night into day. So Tommy Fox found him wide awake and ready fora fight or a frolic, whichever might come his way.
He was a handsome bird--this newcomer--in his showy white suit, spottedwith black. And he gave Tommy Fox a bold, hard look, acting for all theworld as if he had spent his whole life in Pleasant Valley, instead ofmerely two short weeks.
Now, Mr. Snowy Owl knew a good deal about such rascals as Tommy Fox. Sohe said at once, "What's on your mind, young man? You've come here onmischief and you needn't deny it."
Well, Tommy Fox saw that he couldn't deceive Mr. Owl very much. So hegrinned at him and told him about the talk he had just had with GrumpyWeasel.
"He's so eager to meet you it would be too bad to disappoint him," Tommyobserved. "He wants the fur to fly, you know."
Although he had no ears (at least, so far as could be seen) Mr. SnowyOwl had listened closely to Tommy Fox's story. And he must have heardplainly enough, for he said quickly that he would call on Grumpy Weaselthat very day. "I'll start right now," he said, "and I'll reach GrumpyWeasel's hunting ground before you're out of the swamp."
"I wish you'd wait a bit, till I can get there myself," Tommy Fox toldhim.
Mr. Snowy Owl agreed to that. And after lingering until he thought Tommymust have
had time to run and find Grumpy Weasel he rose above the topsof the cedars and sailed off to join them himself.
"I'm glad I came here to spend the winter," he muttered. "Everybody'sbeen very pleasant so far. And after people hear how I've settled withthis Weasel person the folks in Pleasant Valley will be pretty polite tome, or I'll know the reason why."
XXIV
FUR AND FEATHERS
To find Grumpy Weasel, Tommy Fox went straight back to the place wherehe had left him. It was easy, then, to follow his queer tracks. Grumpy'slegs were so short that they did not lift his lean body clear of thedeep snow, except when he jumped very high; so his trail looked somewhatlike that of a snake with legs.
As soon as Tommy overtook him he asked Grumpy if he had seen thestranger yet, who was dressed all in white and black, like him.
"No, I haven't. But I'm on the lookout for him all the time," saidGrumpy.
"Where are you looking?" Tommy inquired.
"Oh! Everywhere!" Grumpy replied. "Behind the trees and in the bushesand back of the stone wall!"
"Have you seen any new tracks?" Tommy persisted.
"Not one!" Grumpy admitted. And then he thought he caught the flicker ofa smile on Tommy Fox's narrow face. "If there is no such person--ifyou've been deceiving me----" he began angrily.