Mother West Wind Why Stories | Page 6

twinkle in his big,
goggly eyes.
"I see," said he, "that you will have a story, and I suppose that the
sooner I tell it to you, the sooner you will leave me in peace. Unc' Billy
Possum's grandfather a thousand times removed was--"
"Was this way back in the days when the world was young?"
interrupted Peter.
Grandfather Frog scowled at Peter. "If I have any more interruptions,
there will be no story to-day" said he severely.
Peter looked ashamed and promised that he would hold his tongue right
between his teeth until Grandfather Frog was through. Grandfather
Frog cleared his throat and began again.
"Unc' Billy Possum's grandfather a thousand times removed was very
much as Unc' Billy is now, only he was a little more spry and knew
better than to stuff himself so full that he couldn't run. He was always
very sly, and he played a great many tricks on his neighbors, and
sometimes he got them into trouble. But when he did, he always
managed to keep out of their way until they had forgotten all about
their anger.
"One morning the very imp of mischief seemed to get into old Mr.
Possum's head. Yes, Sir, it certainly did seem that way. And when you
see Mischief trotting along the Lone Little Path, if you look sharp
enough, you'll see Trouble following at his heels like a shadow. I never
knew it to fail. It's just as sure as a stomach-ache is to follow
overeating."
Just here Grandfather Frog paused and looked very hard at Peter Rabbit.
But Peter pretended not to notice, and after slowly winking one of his
big, goggly eyes at Johnny Chuck, Grandfather Frog continued:
"Anyway, as I said before, the imp of mischief seemed to be in old Mr.
Possum's head that morning, for he began to play tricks on his

neighbors as soon as they were out of bed. He hid Old King Bear's
breakfast, while the latter had his head turned, and then pretended that
he had just come along. He was very polite and offered to help Old
King Bear hunt for his lost breakfast. Then, whenever Old King Bear
came near the place where it was hidden, old Mr. Possum would hide it
somewhere else. Old King Bear was hungry, and he worked himself up
into a terrible rage, for he was in a hurry for his breakfast. Old Mr.
Possum was very sympathetic and seemed to be doing his very best to
find the lost meal. At last Old King Bear turned his head suddenly and
caught sight of old Mr. Possum hiding that breakfast in a new place.
My, my, but his temper did boil over! It certainly did. And if he could
have laid hands on old Mr. Possum that minute, it surely would have
been the end of him.
"But old Mr. Possum was mighty spry, and he went off through the
Green Forest laughing fit to kill himself. Pretty soon he met Mr.
Panther. He was very polite to Mr. Panther. He told him that he had just
come from a call on Old King Bear, and hinted that Old King Bear was
then enjoying a feast and that there might be enough for Mr. Panther, if
he hurried up there at once.
"Now, Mr. Panther was hungry, for he had found nothing for his
breakfast that morning. So he thanked old Mr. Possum and hurried
away to find Old King Bear and share in the good things old Mr.
Possum had told about.
"Old Mr. Possum himself hurried on, chuckling as he thought of the
way Mr. Panther was likely to be received, with Old King Bear in such
a temper. Pretty soon along came Mr. Lynx. Old Mr. Possum told him
the same story he had told Mr. Panther, and Mr. Lynx went bounding
off in a terrible hurry, for fear that he would not be in time to share in
that good breakfast. It was such a good joke that old Mr. Possum tried
it on Mr. Wolf and Mr. Fisher and Mr. Fox. In fact, he hunted up every
one he could think of and sent them to call on Old King Bear, and
without really telling them so, he made each one think that he would
get a share in that breakfast."
"Now, there wasn't any more breakfast than Old King Bear wanted
himself, and by the time Mr. Panther arrived, there wasn't so much as a
crumb left. Then, one after another, the others came dropping in, each
licking his chops, and all very polite to Old King Bear. At first he didn't

know what to make of it, but pretty soon Mr. Fox delicately hinted that
they had come in response to the invitation sent