The Tale of Billy Woodchuck   By: Arthur Scott Bailey (1877-1949)

BY

ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY

THE TALE OF CUFFY BEAR THE TALE OF FRISKY SQUIRREL THE TALE OF TOMMY FOX THE TALE OF FATTY COON THE TALE OF BILLY WOODCHUCK THE TALE OF JIMMY RABBIT THE TALE OF PETER MINK THE TALE OF SANDY CHIPMUNK THE TALE OF BROWNIE BEAVER THE TALE OF PADDY MUSKRAT

SLEEPY TIME TALES

THE TALE OF BILLY WOODCHUCK

BY

ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY

ILLUSTRATED BY

HARRY L. SMITH

NEW YORK GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS

Copyright, 1916, by GROSSET & DUNLAP

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I THE HOUSE IN THE PASTURE 9

II CALLING NAMES 14

III MAGIC 19

IV THE GREAT HORNED OWL 24

V BILLY STANDS GUARD 29

VI BILLY FORGETS TO WHISTLE 34

VII GREEN PEAS 39

VIII A NEW GAME 44

IX WHAT HAPPENED AT AUNT POLLY'S 49

X UNCLE JERRY CHUCK 53

XI BILLY ASKS FOR PAY 58

XII WHAT JIMMY RABBIT SAW 62

XIII A JOKE ON UNCLE JERRY 66

XIV MR. FOX HAS AN IDEA 71

XV "POP! GOES THE WEASEL!" 76

XVI THE PLAY HOUSE 81

XVII BILLY BRINGS THE DOCTOR 86

XVIII A WONDERFUL STICK 91

XIX MR. WOODCHUCK MOVES 95

XX THE FAMILY ESCAPES 100

XXI AT HOME IN THE WOODS 104

XXII GROUND HOG DAY 108

ILLUSTRATIONS

BILLY WOODCHUCK OFTEN DUG HOLES IN THE PASTURE Frontispiece

PAGE

"JUST CRAWL INSIDE THAT OLD STUMP!" MR. FOX SAID 20

"WHAT'S THE MATTER?" BILLY ASKED 36

SHE TOOK HOLD OF BILLY'S EAR 50

HE PAINTED TWO WHITE STRIPES ON UNCLE JERRY'S BACK 68

BILLY CARRIED HER BASKET OF HERBS 88

THE TALE OF BILLY WOODCHUCK

I

THE HOUSE IN THE PASTURE

One day, when Johnnie Green tramped over the fields toward the woods, he did not dream that he walked right over somebody's bedroom. The snow was deep, for it was midwinter. And as Johnnie crossed his father's pasture he thought only of the fresh rabbit tracks that he saw all about him. He had no way of knowing that beneath the three feet of snow, and as much further below the top of the ground too, there was a snug, cozy little room, where Mr. and Mrs. Woodchuck lay sound asleep on a bed of dried grass.

They had been there all winter, asleep like that. And there they would stay, until spring came and the grass began to grow again.

In summer Johnnie Green was always on the watch for woodchucks. But now he never gave them a thought. There would be time enough for that after the snow was gone and the chucks came crawling out of their underground houses to enjoy the warm sunshine.

Usually it happened in just that way, though there had been years when Mr. and Mrs. Woodchuck had awakened too soon. And then when they reached the end of the long tunnel that led from their bedroom into Farmer Green's pasture they found that they had to dig their way through a snow bank before they reached the upper world where Johnnie Green lived.