The Adventures of Prickly Porky | Page 9

Jimmy Skunk stopped. "I have!" he snapped. "I want to know whether
it is you or Prickly Porky who has been telling an untruth. He told me
that he hadn't seen anything like what Peter Rabbit said chased him,
and you've been telling around how he told you that Peter may have
had good grounds for that foolish story. If Peter saw that thing, Prickly
Porky would know it, for he hasn't been away from home this summer.
Why would he tell me that he hasn't seen it if he has?"
"Don' be hasty, Brer Skunk. Don' be hasty," replied Unc' Billy
soothingly. "Ah haven't said that Brer Porky told me that he had seen
the thing that Peter says chased him. He told the truth when he told you
that he hadn't seen any stranger around his hill. What he told me was
that--" Here Unc' Billy whispered.
Jimmy Skunk's face cleared. "That's different," said he.
"Of course it is," replied Unc' Billy. "Yo' see Peter did see something
strange, even if Brer Porky didn't. Ah have seen it mahself, and now Ah
invites yo' to be over at the foot of Brer Porky's hill at sun-up
to-morrow mo'ning and see what happens when Brer Fox tries to show
how brave he is. Only don' forget that it's a secret."
Jimmy was chuckling by this time. "I won't forget, and I'll be there," he
promised. "I'm glad to know that nobody has been telling untruths, and
I beg your pardon, Unc' Billy, for thinking you might have been."
"Don' mention it, Brer Skunk, don' mention it. Ah'll be looking fo' yo'

to-morrow mo'ning," replied Unc' Billy, with a sly wink that made
Jimmy laugh aloud.

XI
WHAT HAPPENED TO REDDY FOX
Reddy Fox wished with all his might that he had kept his tongue still
about not being afraid to meet the strange creature that had given Peter
Rabbit such a fright. When he had boasted that he would stop and find
out all about it if he happened to meet it, he didn't have the least
intention of doing anything of the kind. He was just idly boasting and
nothing more. You see, Reddy is one of the greatest boasters in the
Green Forest or on the Green Meadows. He likes to strut around and
talk big. But like most boasters, he is a coward at heart.
Unc' Billy Possum knew this, and that is why he dared Reddy to go the
next morning to the foot of the hill where Prickly Porky the Porcupine
lives, and where Peter Rabbit had had his strange adventure, and where
Unc' Billy himself claimed to have seen the same strange creature
without head, tail, or legs which had so frightened Peter. Unc' Billy had
said that he would be there himself up in a tree where he could see
whether Reddy really did come or not, and so there was nothing for
Reddy to do but to go and make good his foolish boast, if the strange
creature should appear. You see, a number of little people had heard
him boast and had heard Unc' Billy dare him, and he knew that if he
didn't make good, he would never hear the end of it and would be
called a coward by everybody.
Reddy didn't sleep at all well that afternoon, and when at dusk he
started to hunt for his supper, he found that he had lost his appetite.
Instead of hunting, he spent most of the night in trying to think of some
good reason for not appearing at Prickly Porky's hill at daybreak. But
think as he would, he couldn't think of a single excuse that would sound
reasonable. "If only Bowser the Hound wasn't chained up at night, I
would get him to chase me, and then I would have the very best kind of

an excuse," thought he. But he knew that Bowser was chained.
Nevertheless he did go up to Farmer Brown's dooryard to make sure. It
was just as he expected,--Bowser was chained.
Reddy sneaked away without even a look at Farmer Brown's hen-house.
He didn't see that the door had carelessly been left open, and even if he
had, it would have made no difference. He hadn't a bit of appetite. No,
Sir. Reddy Fox wouldn't have eaten the fattest chicken there if it had
been right before him. All he could think of was that queer story told
by Peter Rabbit and Unc' Billy Possum, and the scrape he had got
himself into by his foolish boasting. He just wandered about restlessly,
waiting for daybreak and hoping that something would turn up to
prevent him from going to Prickly Porky's hill. He didn't dare to tell old
Granny Fox about it. He knew