The Adventures of Prickly Porky | Page 8

story soon spread through the Green Forest, and Unc' Billy Possum's
story soon spread over the Green Meadows, and so nobody knew what
to believe or think. If Jimmy Skunk was right, why Peter Rabbit's queer

story wasn't to be believed at all. If Unc' Billy was right, why Peter's
story wasn't as crazy as it sounded.
Of course all this aroused a great deal of talk and curiosity, and those
who had the most courage began to make visits to the hill where
Prickly Porky lives to see if they could see for themselves anything out
of the ordinary. But they always found that part of the Green Forest just
as usual and always, if they saw Prickly Porky at all, he seemed to be
fast asleep, and no one liked to wake him to ask questions. Little by
little they began to think that Jimmy Skunk was right, and that Peter
Rabbit's terrible creature existed only in Peter's imagination.
About this time Unc' Billy told of having just such an experience as
Peter had. It happened exactly as it did with Peter, very early in the
morning, when he was passing the foot of the hill where Prickly Porky
lives.
"Ah was just passing along, minding mah own business, when Ah
heard a noise up on the hill behind me," said Unc' Billy, "and when Ah
looked up, there was something coming straight down at me, and Ah
couldn't see any legs or head or tail."
"What did you do, Unc' Billy?" asked Bobby Coon.
"What did Ah do? Ah did just what yo'alls would have done,--Ah done
run!" replied Unc' Billy, looking around the little circle of forest and
meadow people, listening with round eyes and open mouths. "Yes, Sah,
Ah done run, and Ah didn't turn around until Ah was safe in mah holler
tree."
"Pooh!" sneered Reddy Fox, who had been listening. "You're a coward.
I wouldn't have run! I would have waited and found out what it was.
You and Peter Rabbit would run away from your own shadows."
"You don't dare go there yourself at daybreak to-morrow!" retorted
Unc' Billy.
"I do too!" declared Reddy angrily, though he didn't have the least

intention of going.
"All right. Ah'm going to be in a tree where Ah can watch to-morrow
mo'ning and see if yo' are as brave as yo' talk," declared Unc' Billy.
Then Reddy knew that he would have to go or else be called a coward.
"I'll be there," he snarled angrily, as he slunk away.

X
UNC' BILLY POSSUM TELLS JIMMY SKUNK A SECRET
Be sure before you drop a friend That you've done nothing to offend.
A friend is always worth keeping. Unc' Billy Possum says so, and he
knows. He ought to, for he has made a lot of them in the Green Forest
and on the Green Meadows, in spite of the pranks he has cut up and the
tricks he has played. And when Unc' Billy makes a friend, he keeps
him. He says that it is easier and a lot better to keep a friend than to
make a new one. And this is the way he goes about it: Whenever he
finds that a friend is angry with him, he refuses to be angry himself.
Instead, he goes to that friend, finds out what the trouble is, explains it
all away, and then does something nice.
Jimmy Skunk and Unc' Billy had been friends from the time that Unc'
Billy came up from ol' Virginny to live in the Green Forest. In fact,
they had been partners in stealing eggs from the hen-house of Farmer
Brown's boy. So when Jimmy Skunk, who had made a special call on
Prickly Porky to find out if he had seen the strange creature without
head, tail, or legs, told everybody that Prickly Porky had seen nothing
of such a creature, he was very much put out and quite offended to hear
that Unc' Billy was telling how Prickly Porky had said that Peter might
really have some reason for his queer story. It seemed to him that either
Prickly Porky had told an untruth or that Unc' Billy was telling an
untruth. It made him very angry.
The afternoon of the day when Unc' Billy had dared Reddy Fox to go at

sun-up the next morning to the hill where Prickly Porky lives he met
Jimmy Skunk coming down the Crooked Little Path. Jimmy scowled
and was going to pass without so much as speaking. Unc' Billy's
shrewd little eyes twinkled, and he grinned as only Unc' Billy can grin.
"Howdy, Brer Skunk," said he.
Jimmy just frowned harder than ever and tried to pass.
"Howdy, Brer Skunk," repeated Unc' Billy Possum. "Yo' must have
something on your mind."