The Adventures of Johnny Chuck | Page 8

Mr. Blacksnake
knew this and so now he looked as ugly as he knew how. But you see
he didn't know about the great fight that Johnny Chuck had just won.
Now to win an honest fight always makes one feel very strong and very
sure of oneself. Johnny looked at Mr. Blacksnake and saw that Mr.
Blacksnake didn't look half as big as Johnny had always thought he did.
He made up his mind that as he had found the old log first, he had the
best right to it.
"I found it first and I'm going to keep it!" snapped Johnny Chuck, and
with every hair on end and gritting his teeth, he walked straight towards
Mr. Blacksnake.

Now Mr. Blacksnake is a great bluffer, while at heart he is really a
coward. With a fierce hiss he rushed right at Johnny Chuck, expecting
to see him turn tail and run. But Johnny stood his ground and showed
all his sharp teeth. Instead of attacking Johnny, Mr. Blacksnake glided
past him and sneaked away through the grass.
Johnny Chuck chuckled as he crept into the hollow log.
"Only a coward runs away without fighting," he murmured sleepily.

IX
ANOTHER STRANGE CHUCK
Johnny Chuck awoke just as jolly, round, red Mr. Sun pulled his own
nightcap off. At first Johnny couldn't think where he was. He blinked
and blinked. Then he rolled over. "Ouch!" cried Johnny Chuck. You
see he was so stiff and sore from his great fight the day before, that it
hurt to roll over. But when he felt the smart of those wounds, he
remembered where he was. He was in the old hollow log that he had
found on the edge of the Green Meadows just before dark. It was the
first time that Johnny had ever slept anywhere, excepting underground,
and as he lay blinking his eyes, it seemed very strange and rather nice,
too.
"Well, well, well! What are you doing here?" cried a sharp voice.
Johnny Chuck looked towards the open end of the old log. There,
peeping in, was a little face as sharp as the voice.
"Hello, Chatterer!" cried Johnny.
"I say, what are you doing here?" persisted Chatterer the Red Squirrel,
for it was he.
"Just waking up," replied Johnny, with a grin.
"It's time," replied Chatterer. "But that isn't telling me what you are
doing so far from home."
"I haven't any home," said Johnny, his face growing just a wee bit
wistful.
"You haven't any home!" Chatterer's voice sounded as if he didn't think
he had heard aright. "What have you done with it?"
"Given it to Jimmy Skunk," replied Johnny Chuck.
Now Chatterer never gives anything to anybody, and how any one
could give away his home was more than he could understand. He
stared at Johnny as if he thought Johnny had gone crazy. Finally he

found his tongue. "I don't believe it!" he snapped. "If Jimmy Skunk has
got your old home, it's because he put you out of it."
"No such thing! I'd like to see Jimmy Skunk or anybody else put me
out of my home!" Johnny Chuck spoke scornfully. "I gave it to him
because I didn't want it any longer. I'm going to see the world, and then
I'm going to build me a new home. Everybody else seems to be
building new homes this spring; why shouldn't I?"
"I'm not!" retorted Chatterer. "I know enough to know when I am well
off.
"Who has a discontented heart Is sure to play a sorry part."
Johnny Chuck crawled out of the old log and stretched himself
somewhat painfully. "That may be, but there are different kinds of
discontent.
Who never looks for better things Will live his life in little rings.
Well, I must be moving along, if I am to see the world." So Johnny
Chuck bade Chatterer good-by and started on. It was very delightful to
wander over the Green Meadows on such a beautiful spring morning.
The violets and the wind-flowers nodded to him, and the dandelions
smiled up at him. Johnny almost forgot his torn clothes and the bites
and scratches of his great fight with the gray old Chuck the day before.
It was fun to just go where he pleased and not have a care in the world.
He was thinking of this, as he sat up to look over the Green Meadows.
His heart gave a great throb. What was that over near the lone elm- tree?
It was--yes, it certainly was another Chuck! Could it be the old gray
Chuck come back for another fight? A great anger filled the heart of
Johnny Chuck, and he whistled sharply. The strange Chuck didn't
answer. Johnny ground his teeth and started for the lone