"I promise you that there _is_ such a stranger in the neighborhood!"Tommy cried. "And if you don't meet him to-day I'll be as disappointedas you."
"It seems to me," Grumpy Weasel snapped, "you're altogether too anxiousover this business. Everybody knows you're tricky. And I begin to thinkyou're trying to get me into trouble."
It was wonderful, the way Tommy Fox could keep his temper. No matterwhat people said to him he could still smile if it would help him tohave his way. And now he kept up a never-ending chatter, without sayinganything in particular.
The snow was deep enough to have covered such hiding places as GrumpyWeasel liked. The stone wall, indeed, offered about the only crannies;and that was some distance away. Tommy Fox had noticed that. And thatwas why he was trying to keep Grumpy Weasel where he was. For Tommyexpected Mr. Snowy Owl at any moment.
"You are talking foolishness," Grumpy told Tommy Fox at last. "I don'tcare to waste my time listening to you." And he turned away.
"One moment, please!" Tommy begged, for the sly rascal had just caughta glimpse of Mr. Snowy Owl hovering above the trees.
"What do you want now?" Grumpy Weasel scolded, as he paused close by theold hemlock where Solomon Owl sometimes sat and abused him.
"I want to see the fur fly," Tommy Fox answered wickedly.
For a moment Grumpy Weasel couldn't think what he meant. But suddenly hesaw a large whitish shape dropping upon him out of the sky. He knewthen, in a flash, that Tommy Fox had deceived him.
A moment more and it was all over. At least, it seemed so to Tommy Fox.Whatever had happened had taken place so quickly that he couldn't see itclearly. But there was Mr. Snowy Owl, sitting on a limb of the hemlock,where he had perched after staying half a second's time on the ground.
And Grumpy Weasel was no longer to be seen, anywhere.
"Did--did you swallow him?" Tommy Fox stammered.
Mr. Snowy Owl looked puzzled.
"I don't know," he replied. "Perhaps I did! If I didn't I don't knowwhere he is."
Tommy Fox couldn't help looking disappointed. "I'm sorry about onething," he said. "It was all done so quickly I didn't see the fur fly!"
Then there was a faint sound above them. And looking up, Tommy and Mr.Owl saw Grumpy Weasel's head sticking out of a small hole high up in thetree-trunk.
As they watched him Grumpy Weasel seemed to be saying something to them.They couldn't hear what it was. But no doubt it was nothing pleasant.
XXV
PETER MINK'S PROMISE
It happened, on a bleak winter's day, that Grumpy Weasel was strollingalong the bank of Broad Brook when all at once he heard a squall.Instantly he whirled around. There was something about the cry thatsounded familiar. And while he searched the stream up and down with hissharp eyes he grew angrier every moment.
"Unless I'm mistaken that's my good-for-nothing cousin, Peter Mink,"Grumpy muttered. "I'll teach him not to squall at me--the rascal!"
He did not have to look long before he caught sight of his cousin.Peter Mink was crouched under the overhanging bank, not far from theedge of the frozen surface of the brook. And he squalled again when hesaw that Grumpy had discovered him.
"Stop that!" Grumpy Weasel bellowed. He was not greatly afraid of PeterMink, though his cousin was much bigger than he. "I'll have you knowthat I don't allow people to bawl at me, even if we are distantlyrelated."
"I wasn't bawling at you," Peter Mink answered. And he was strangelypolite, for him. "I was calling for help. Can't you see that my foot iscaught in a trap?"
At that Grumpy jumped down upon the ice and took a good look at PeterMink. He saw, then, that Peter spoke the truth. "This trap hurts myfoot, I can tell you," Peter Mink whined.
"Maybe it will teach you not to screech at people," Grumpy told him.
"You're going to help me, aren't you?" Peter Mink asked his cousinanxiously.
"That trap belongs to Farmer Green's hired man," Grumpy informed PeterMink. "I saw him when he set it there. Perhaps you would like to have mesend word to him that you're using it."
"Oh! Don't do that!" Peter begged piteously.
"Well, then--suppose I get old dog Spot to come and see what he can do!He'd have you out of that trap in no time!"
But that suggestion didn't suit Peter Mink any better.
"For goodness' sake, can't you think of something else?" he wailed.
His voice rose higher and higher as he spoke. And Grumpy Weasel showedhis sharp teeth as he warned Peter Mink again not to squall at him, forhe wouldn't stand it.
At last Peter saw that Grumpy did not intend to help him at all. So itoccurred to him that perhaps he could hire his cousin to free him fromthe trap. "I'd do anything for you if you could help me out of thisfix," he said finally.
"Will you drive Mr. Snowy Owl away from Pleasant Valley?" Grumpy cried.
"Certainly!" said Peter Mink with great promptness, as if that were theeasiest matter in the world.
That answer surprised Grumpy Weasel. He had no idea that Peter Minkcould do any such thing. And he said as much, too.
"You understand," Peter explained, "it may take me some time to get ridof him. It's mid-winter now. But I can promise you that I'll have himout of the valley by April Fool's Day!"
XXVI
HOW GRUMPY HELPED
Grumpy Weasel wondered how Peter Mink was going to get Mr. Snowy Owl outof Pleasant Valley. He had never dreamed that Peter could do it. But ashe thought the matter over he remembered that Peter was a good dealbigger than himself.
"If I were Peter Mink's size I would give Mr. Snowy Owl the worstpunishing he ever had!" Grumpy exclaimed under his breath. "So maybePeter can do as he claims, after all."
"Very well!" Grumpy Weasel told Peter Mink. "This is a bargain. I'llhelp you out of the trap. And you'll rid Pleasant Valley of Mr. SnowyOwl by April Fool's Day."
"Agreed!" Peter Mink cried. "And now, how are you going to set me free?"
"I'm going to bite your leg off," Grumpy Weasel said cheerfully.
"Oh, no! You're not going to do that!" Peter Mink howled. "I don't wantyou to do that!"
"I made a bargain with you," Grumpy Weasel reminded him, "and I intendto carry out my part of it."
"Stop a moment," Peter Mink cried. For Grumpy Weasel, with his backarched like a cat's, and his white whiskers twitching, had already takena step towards him. "If you bite off my leg I'd never be able to get ridof Mr. Snowy Owl."
That brought Grumpy Weasel up short. He thought deeply for a moment;and then he exclaimed: "I have it! You must bite off your own leg!"
But Peter Mink proved a hard one to please.
"You don't understand!" he said. "If I lose a leg I know I never couldget Mr. Snowy Owl out of the valley."
At that Grumpy Weasel lost his temper completely. With a cry of rage hesprang at his cousin, Peter Mink, prisoner though he was. And Grumpywould have buried his white teeth in him except for just one thing. Ashe leaped forward Peter Mink leaped backward. And in that moment Peterfreed himself. He had been caught only by the merest tip of a toe,anyhow. And now he crouched with his back against the bank of the brook,facing Grumpy Weasel with mouth wide open. His meekness had dropped offhim like an old coat. And Grumpy Weasel knew better than to get withinhis reach. In fact he turned polite himself, all at once.
"There!" he said. "I got you out of the trap, as I had planned to allthe time. I knew that if I could make you jump you'd pull your footloose."
Well, Peter Mink hardly believed that. But he thought there was no useof saying so.
He was glad enough to escape Farmer Green's hired man's trap withouthaving a dispute over the way it happened.
"I hope you'll keep your promise," Grumpy told Peter Mink. "If Mr. SnowyOwl doesn't leave these parts by April Fool's Day I won't like it verywell. You know you agreed to get him away from here by that time."
"Oh! He'll be gone by then," said Peter Mink lightly. "He always leavesat the end of the winter, because he spends his summers in the FarNorth
."
When he heard that, Grumpy Weasel was angry as anything.
"Then Mr. Owl is likely to be back here next fall," he said quickly.
"I dare say," Peter Mink admitted carelessly.
Grumpy Weasel backed cautiously away before he said another word. Butwhen he had whisked into a great willow that leaned over Broad Brook hetold his cousin what he thought about him.
As for Peter Mink--he was nursing his injured paw (in his mouth!) and hesaid never a word.
THE END
Little Jack Rabbit Books (Trademark Registered)
By DAVID CORY
Author of "Little Journeys to Happyland"
* * *
Colored Wrappers With Text Illustrations.
* * *
A new and unique series about the furred and feathered little people of the wood and meadow.
Children will eagerly follow the doings of little Jack Rabbit, and the clever way in which he escapes from his three enemies, Danny Fox, Mr. Wicked Wolf and Hungry Hawk will delight the youngsters.
LITTLE JACK RABBIT'S ADVENTURES LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND DANNY FOX LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND THE SQUIRREL BROTHERS LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND CHIPPY CHIPMUNK LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND THE BIG BROWN BEAR LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND UNCLE JOHN HARE LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND PROFESSOR CROW LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND OLD MAN WEASEL LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND MR. WICKED WOLF LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND HUNGRY HAWK LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND THE POLICEMAN DOG LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND MISS MOUSIE LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND UNCLE LUCKY LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND THE YELLOW DOG TRAMP
GROSSET & DUNLAP, _Publishers_, NEW YORK
[Decoration]
JOLLY BOOKS FOR LITTLE FOLK
_Parents of boys and girls from three to eight years of age are assured by the names of such famous authors of children's books as Arthur Scott Bailey, Lillian Elizabeth Roy and David Cory that these little books will prove both entertaining and instructional. They are all bound in cloth with colored endpapers, black and white illustrations and colored wrappers._
* * *
TUCK-ME-IN TALES--_by Arthur Scott Bailey_
These delightful stories in which well known birds and insects are the characters are based upon actual natural history facts, and while the youngster eagerly listens to them, a moral foundation of deeper importance is being laid. The complete list of titles in this series is on inside front flap of this wrapper.
THE LITTLE WASHINGTON BOOKS--_by Lillian Elizabeth Roy_
In these little stories two families of young cousins, all descendants of George Washington, conceive the clever idea of carrying out in their play the dramatic events of Washington's life. Every boy and girl will receive a true and unforgettable picture of the great career of the Father of His Country through the play acting of these ingenious youngsters. See flap of this wrapper for complete list.
LITTLE JOURNEYS TO HAPPYLAND--_by David Cory_
Children will recognize in these amusing adventures characters they know and love. Mr. Cory is the author of the famous "Little Jack Rabbit" stories and is one of the best known authors of children's books of our times. See flap of this wrapper for complete list of titles.
GROSSET & DUNLAP _Publishers_ NEW YORK
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Transcriber's Note: The following corrections were made: | | Table of Contents: XXIX to XXIV | | p. 38: "Never mind that!' to "Never mind that!" | | p. 46: missing period added (... given up the chase.) | | p. 102: "And then'll he'll flee." to "And then he'll flee." | | Ads (back of book): concieve to conceive (...of George Washington, | | conceive...) | | Three color plates in this e-book were missing/not included in the | | book from which it was transcribed. These illustrations (Grumpy | | Weasel and Jimmy Rabbit Run a Race, Grumpy Weasel Visits the | | Corncrib, and Sandy Chipmunk Runs from Grumpy Weasel) have been | | taken from the Internet Archive's copy of the book. | | The IA version itself lacks two of the illustrations found in this | | copy: Grumpy Nearly Catches Paddy Muskrat and Grumpy Calls on | | Mrs. Hen. | +--------------------------------------------------------------------+
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