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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/21619-h.zip b/21619-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..66b3a3e --- /dev/null +++ b/21619-h.zip diff --git a/21619-h/21619-h.htm b/21619-h/21619-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..341b720 --- /dev/null +++ b/21619-h/21619-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,3761 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale of Nimble Deer, by Arthur Scott Bailey + </title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + + hr { width: 65%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + +.pagenum {/* left-margin page numbers */ + display: inline; /* set to "none" to make #s disappear */ + font-size: 70%; /* tiny type.. */ + text-align: right; /* ..right-justified.. */ + position: absolute; + right: 95%; /* ..in the right margin.. */ + padding: 0 0 0 0 ; /* ..very compact */ + margin: 0 0 0 0; + font-weight: 400; /* normal weight */ + font-style: normal; + text-decoration: none; + color: silver; + text-indent: 0; + } /* page numbers */ + + .totoc {position: absolute; right: 2%; font-size: 75%; text-align: right;} /* Table of contents anchor */ + .toill {position: absolute; right: 2%; font-size: 75%; text-align: right;} /* Illustrations anchor */ + + div.centered {text-align: center;} /* work around for IE centering with CSS problem part 1 */ + div.centered table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;} /* work around for IE centering with CSS problem part 2 */ + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + a {text-decoration: none; } + .bbox {border: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 250px;} + .jpg {border: thin solid; margin-top: 50px; border-color: #663333;} + .image {font-size: small; text-align: center;} + .b {margin-bottom: 50px;} + .b2 {margin-bottom: 100px;} + .t {margin-top: 50px;} + + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's The Tale of Nimble Deer, by Arthur Scott Bailey + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Tale of Nimble Deer + Sleepy-Time Tales + +Author: Arthur Scott Bailey + +Illustrator: Harry L. Smith + +Release Date: May 26, 2007 [EBook #21619] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TALE OF NIMBLE DEER *** + + + + +Produced by Mark C. Orton, Thomas Strong, Linda McKeown +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + +<span class="toill"><a href="#Illus">Illus</a></span> +<p class="center"><a name="image-1" id="image-1"><!-- Image 1--></a> +<img src="images/coverspines.jpg" class="jpg" height="503" width="400" alt="Book Cover" /></p> +<p class="image"><a name="coverspine" id="coverspine" href="images/coverspinex.jpg" class="image"> +View larger image</a></p> +<hr /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> +<h1>THE TALE OF</h1> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span></p><h1>NIMBLE DEER</h1> + +<div class="bbox"> +<h3><i>SLEEPY-TIME TALES</i><br /></h3> + +<h5>(Trademark Registered)</h5> + +<h5><span class="smcap">by</span></h5> + +<h3>ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY</h3> + +<h4>AUTHOR OF</h4> + +<h3><i>TUCK-ME-IN TALES</i></h3> + +<h5>(Trademark Registered)<br /></h5> + +<p><span class="smcap">The Tale of Cuffy Bear</span><br /> +<span class="smcap">The Tale of Frisky Squirrel</span><br /> +<span class="smcap">The Tale of Tommy Fox</span><br /> +<span class="smcap">The Tale of Fatty Coon</span><br /> +<span class="smcap">The Tale of Billy Woodchuck</span><br /> +<span class="smcap">The Tale of Jimmy Rabbit</span><br /> +<span class="smcap">The Tale of Peter Mink</span><br /> +<span class="smcap">The Tale of Sandy Chipmunk</span><br /> +<span class="smcap">The Tale of Brownie Beaver</span><br /> +<span class="smcap">The Tale of Paddy Muskrat</span><br /> +<span class="smcap">The Tale of Ferdinand Frog</span><br /> +<span class="smcap">The Tale of Dickie Deer Mouse</span><br /> +<span class="smcap">The Tale of Timothy Turtle</span><br /> +<span class="smcap">The Tale of Major Monkey</span><br /> +<span class="smcap">The Tale of Benny Badger</span></p> +</div> + +<hr /> +<a name="Front" id="Front"></a><span class="toill"><a href="#Illus">Illus</a></span> +<p class="center"><a name="image-2" id="image-2"><!-- Image 2 --></a> +<img src="images/frontispieces.jpg" class="jpg" height="612" width="400" alt="Nimble Told Everybody He Met" +title="Nimble Told Everybody He Met" /></p> +<p class="image"><a name="frontispiece" id="frontispiece" href="images/frontispiecex.jpg" class="image"> +View larger image</a></p> + +<p class="center"><strong>Nimble Told Everybody He Met.</strong><br /> +<span class="image"><i>Frontispiece</i> <a href="#meanwhile"><i>Page</i> 27</a></span></p> + +<hr /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span></p> + +<h3><i>SLEEPY-TIME TALES</i></h3> +<h5>(Trademark Registered)</h5> + +<h1 class="b2">THE TALE OF +NIMBLE DEER</h1> + +<h4>BY</h4> +<h2>ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY</h2> + +<h4>Author of</h4> +<h3>"TUCK-ME-IN TALES"</h3> +<h5>(Trademark Registered)</h5> +<h4>and</h4> +<h3>"SLUMBER-TOWN TALES"</h3> +<h5 class="b2">(Trademark Registered)</h5> + +<h4>ILLUSTRATED BY</h4> +<h3 class="b2">HARRY L. SMITH<br /></h3> + +<h5>NEW YORK</h5> +<h4>GROSSET & DUNLAP</h4> +<h5>PUBLISHERS<br /></h5> + +<h6 class="b2">Made in the United States of America</h6><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span></p> + +<h6><span class="smcap">Copyright, 1922, by</span></h6> +<h4>GROSSET & DUNLAP</h4><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span></p> +<hr /> +<a name="toc" id="toc"></a> +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> + +<div class="centered"> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="Table of Contents" style="width: 100%;"> +<tr> +<td align='right' style="width: 10%;"><span class="smcap">Chapter</span></td> +<td align='right' style="width: 80%;"> </td> +<td align='right' style="width: 10%;"><span class="smcap">Page</span></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>I</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Spotted Fawn</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#Fawn">7</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>II</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">Learning Things</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#Things">13</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>III</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">An Interrupted Nap</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#Nap">18</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>IV</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">Planning a Picnic</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#Picnic">23</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>V</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">Nimble's Mistake</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#Mistake">29</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>VI</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">An Unexpected Party</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#Party">35</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>VII</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Strange Light</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#Light">39</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>VIII</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">Mrs. Deer Explains</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#Mrs">44</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>IX</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">A Spike Horn</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#Horn">49</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>X</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">At the Carrot Patch</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#Patch">54</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>XI</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">Cuffy and the Cave</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#Cave">60</a></td></tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>XII</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">Cuffy Is Missing</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#Missing">65</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>XIII</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">Cuffy Bear Wakens</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#Wakens">70</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>XIV</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">Antlers</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#Antlers">75</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>XV</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">A Mock Battle</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#Mock">79</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>XVI</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">Mr. Crow Looks On</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#Mr">84</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>XVII</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">What Brownie Wanted</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#Brownie">90</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>XVIII</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Muley Cow</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#Cow">96</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>XIX</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Jumping Contest</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#Jump">100</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>XX</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">Solving a Problem</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#Problem">104</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>XXI</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">An Untold Secret</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#Secret">109</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>XXII</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">The New Hat-Rack</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#Rack">113</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>XXIII</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">How Nimble Helped</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#How">118</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align='right'>XXIV</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">Uncle Jerry Chuck</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href="#Chuck">123</a></td> +</tr> +</table></div><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> +<hr /> + +<h3><a name="Illus" id="Illus">LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</a></h3> + +<p class="center"><a href="#Front"><span class="smcap">Nimble Told Everybody He Met.</span></a><br /> +<a href="#Fast"><span class="smcap">Never Had Nimble Run So Fast Before.</span></a><br /> +<a href="#Rabbit"><span class="smcap">Nimble Deer Followed Jimmy Rabbit.</span></a><br /> +<a href="#Cuffy"><span class="smcap">Nimble Deer Tells Cuffy Bear About His Horns.</span></a><br /> +<a href="#Crow"><span class="smcap">"Don't Stop!" Said Old Mr. Crow To Nimble.</span></a><br /> +<a href="#Uncle"><span class="smcap">Nimble Frightened Uncle Jerry Chuck.</span></a></p> +<hr /> +<h1>THE TALE OF +NIMBLE DEER</h1> +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="Fawn" id="Fawn">I</a></h2> + +<h3>THE SPOTTED FAWN</h3> + +<p>When Nimble's mother first looked at +him she couldn't believe she would ever +be able to raise him. He was such a tiny, +frail, spotted thing that he seemed too +delicate for a life of adventure on the +wooded ridges and in the tangled swamps +under the shadow of Blue Mountain.</p> + +<p>"Bless me!" cried the good lady. +"This child's not much taller than an +overgrown beet top and he can't be any +heavier than one of Farmer Green's prize<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> +cabbages. And his legs—" she exclaimed—"his +legs are no thicker than pea pods.... They'll +be ready to eat in another +month," she added, meaning <i>not</i> her +child's legs, as you might have supposed, +but Farmer Green's early June peas. +For Nimble's mother was very fond of +certain vegetables that did not grow wild +in the woods.</p> + +<p>Of course young Nimble did not know +what she was talking about. He had a +great deal to learn. And he would have +to wait until he was a good deal bigger +before his mother took him on an excursion, +by night, across the fields to Farmer +Green's garden patch.</p> + +<p>All at once Nimble leaped quickly upon +his slightly wobbly legs. He trembled +and gazed up at his mother with a look +of fear in his great eyes. At the same +time his mother, too, lifted her head and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> +listened for a few moments. "Don't be +afraid!" she said then, to Nimble. +"That's old Spot—Farmer Green's dog—barking. +But he's down near the barns, +so we don't need to worry."</p> + +<p>That was the first time Nimble had ever +heard a dog's voice. Yet no one needed to +tell him that it wasn't a pleasant sound.</p> + +<p>Even his mother couldn't help feeling +that she had better put a wide stretch of +rough country between her new youngster +and old Spot's home. So in a little +while she led the way slowly along the +pine grown ridge which bent around a +shoulder of the mountain. She was +headed for the spring which marked the +beginning of Broad Brook.</p> + +<p>Her little spotted fawn, Nimble, kept +close beside her. Slowly as his mother +moved, he found the traveling none too +easy. And he was glad when she<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> +stopped in a pocket-like clearing. There +she spoke to a proud speckled bird who +was sitting on a log and amusing himself +by spreading his tail feathers into a +beautiful fan.</p> + +<p>"Good morning, Mr. Grouse!" said +Nimble's mother.</p> + +<p>"Good morning, madam!" replied the +gentleman with the fan. "What a handsome +child you have! There's nothing +quite like spots—or speckles—to add to a +person's looks."</p> + +<p>"They <i>are</i> pretty," Nimble's mother +agreed with a happy glance at her son.</p> + +<p>"I can't say he favors his mother," Mr. +Grouse remarked.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I had spots enough when I was +young," she explained. "You see, all our +family lose our spots as we grow up."</p> + +<p>"I'm glad to say," Mr. Grouse said +with a flirt of his tail, "that all our family<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> +keep their spots, every one of them."</p> + +<p>"We get to be so swift-footed that we +don't need spots," said Nimble's mother.</p> + +<p>That speech seemed to displease Mr. +Grouse.</p> + +<p>"I hope," he cried, "you don't mean +to say that we Grouse aren't swift!"</p> + +<p>"No, indeed!" Nimble's mother answered +hastily.</p> + +<p>"I should hope <i>not</i>!" was Mr. Grouse's +response to that. "For everybody knows +that we go up like rockets at the slightest +sign of danger."</p> + +<p>"Exactly!" said Nimble's mother. +"You are so swift that you don't really +need those spots to help conceal yourself, +once you're grown up."</p> + +<p>"They're handy to have, all the same," +he told her. "And as for this youngster +of yours, you needn't worry much about +him. He'll be safe enough in the woods.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> +He looks just like a patch of sunlight that +has fallen through a tree top upon a leaf-strewn +bank."</p> + +<p>Nimble's mother was pleased to hear +that.</p> + +<p>"Yes!" said Mr. Grouse cheerfully. +"He'll be safe enough—except for the +Foxes."</p> + +<p>And that remark didn't please Nimble's +mother at all.</p> + +<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">Contents</a></span> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="Things" id="Things">II</a></h2> + +<h3>LEARNING THINGS</h3> + +<p>Nimble's mother hadn't liked Mr. +Grouse's remark about Foxes. Somehow +she couldn't put Foxes out of her mind. +And not once did she mean to let Nimble +wander out of her sight.</p> + +<p>At first, when he was only a tiny chap, +it was easy for her to keep her young son +near her. But Nimble grew a little livelier +with each day that passed. And it +wasn't long before he began to annoy his +mother and worry her, too. For he soon +fell into the habit of dodging behind something +or other, such as a baby pine tree or +a clump of blackberry bushes, when his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> +mother wasn't looking. Every time she +missed her spotted fawn the poor lady +was sure a Fox had snatched him up and +dragged him away. And when she found +Nimble again she was so glad that she +hadn't the heart to punish him.</p> + +<p>However, one day she talked to him +quite severely.</p> + +<p>"Do you want a Fox to catch—and eat—you?" +she asked him.</p> + +<p>"No, Mother!... Has a Fox ever +eaten you?"</p> + +<p>"Certainly not!" Nimble's mother answered.</p> + +<p>"Do you expect to be caught by a Fox?"</p> + +<p>"No, indeed!" said his mother.</p> + +<p>"Then there can't be any great danger," +Nimble remarked lightly.</p> + +<p>"Ah! There's always danger of Foxes +so long as you're a little fawn," she explained. +"When you're grown up—or<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> +even half grown—no Fox would dare +touch you. But if you wandered away +alone at your tender age and you met a +Fox——" Well, the poor lady was so upset +by the mere thought of what might +happen that she couldn't say anything +more just then.</p> + +<p>But her son Nimble was not upset.</p> + +<p>"If I met a Fox," he declared bravely, +"I'd be safe enough. I'd stand perfectly +still. And he wouldn't be able to see me, +on account of my spots."</p> + +<p>"Ah! But if the wind happened to be +blowing his way he'd be sure to smell +you," cried Nimble's mother. "And he +would find you. And he would jump at +you."</p> + +<p>"I'd run away from him then," said +Nimble stoutly.</p> + +<p>His mother shook her head.</p> + +<p>"You're spry for your age. But you're<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> +too slow to escape a Fox. You're not +quick enough for that yet. You don't +know how quick Foxes are. So look out! +Look out for a sly fellow with a pointed +nose and a bushy tail!"</p> + +<p>In spite of all these warnings Nimble +didn't feel the least bit alarmed. And the +older he grew the less he heeded his +mother's words. He thought she was too +careful. She seemed always to be on the +watch for some danger. She was forever +stopping to look back, lest somebody or +something might be following her. Whenever +she picked out a good resting place +behind a clump of evergreens, out of the +wind, she never lay down without first retracing +her steps for a little way and peering +all around. Then, of course, she had +to walk back again before she sank down +on the bed of her choosing. It all seemed +very silly to young Nimble.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span>"What's the use," he finally asked her +one day, "what's the use of fussing so +much over your back tracks?"</p> + +<p>"You should always know what's behind +you," said his mother. "Besides, I +can't rest well if I'm uneasy."</p> + +<p>"Do you feel easy now?" he inquired, +for she had just then lain down after giving +her back tracks her usual attention.</p> + +<p>"Quite!" said Nimble's mother, as she +closed her eyes and heaved a deep sigh of +contentment.</p> + +<p>Her answer pleased Nimble. He smiled +faintly as he watched her closely. And he +chuckled when his mother's head nodded +three times and then sank lower and +lower.</p> + +<p>Presently Nimble rose to his feet, without +making the slightest rustle. And very +carefully he stole away.</p> + +<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">Contents</a></span> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="Nap" id="Nap">III</a></h2> + +<h3>AN INTERRUPTED NAP</h3> + +<p>Nimble, the fawn, stole away into the +woods while his mother was sleeping. And +when he went he took great pains not to +disturb her. He was careful not to step +on a single twig. For young as he was, +he knew that the sound of a breaking twig +was enough to rouse his mother instantly +out of the deepest sleep. And he made +sure that he didn't set his little feet on any +stones. For he knew that at the merest +click of a hoof his mother would bound +up and discover that he had left her.</p> + +<p>So Nimble trod only upon the soft carpet +of pine needles and made not the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> +slightest noise. Meanwhile his mother +slept peacefully on—or as peacefully as +anybody can who is a light sleeper and +keeps one ear always cocked to catch every +stir in the forest.</p> + +<p>She never missed her son at all until +she found herself suddenly wide awake +and on her feet, ready to run. Not seeing +Nimble beside her, for a moment or two +she forgot she had a child. Her only +thought was to flee from the creature that +was crashing through the underbrush beyond +the old stone wall and drawing +nearer to her every instant.</p> + +<p>It was a wonder that she didn't dash off +then and there. Indeed she took one leap +before she remembered who she was and +that she had a youngster named Nimble.</p> + +<p>Then, of course, she stopped short and +looked wildly around. But she saw no +little spotted fawn anywhere.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span>She had been startled enough, before, +roused as she was out of a sound sleep. +And now she was terribly frightened.</p> + +<p>"Nimble!" she called. "Where are +you?"</p> + +<p>"Here I am!" Nimble answered. Even +as he spoke he burst into sight, leaping +the stone wall in such a way that his +mother couldn't help feeling proud of +him.</p> + +<p>"What's the matter?" she cried. +"Who's chasing you?"</p> + +<p>"Nobody's chasing me," Nimble told +her. "When I saw the Fox I hurried +back here."</p> + +<p>"The Fox!" his mother exclaimed. +"Well, he won't dare touch you while I +am with you." She began to breathe +easily again. If it was only a Fox she +certainly didn't intend to run. "Where +did you see the Fox?" she demanded.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span>"He was right over my head," Nimble +said.</p> + +<p>"My goodness!" his mother gasped. +"That was dangerous. Was he on a bank +above you?"</p> + +<p>"He was in a tree," Nimble replied.</p> + +<p>His mother gave him a queer look.</p> + +<p>"What's that?" she asked him sharply. +"In a tree? What did he look like? Was +he red?"</p> + +<p>"He was grayish and he had black rings +around his long bushy tail; and his long +pointed nose stuck out from under a black +mask."</p> + +<p>"Nonsense!" cried Nimble's mother. +"You didn't see a Fox. You saw a Coon!"</p> + +<p>Nimble was puzzled.</p> + +<p>"You told me once," he reminded his +mother, "that a Fox was a sly fellow with +a bushy tail and a long pointed nose. And +this person in the tree had——"</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span>"Yes! Yes!" said his mother. "Now +listen to what I say: A Fox is red. And +his tail has no rings at all. And Foxes +don't climb trees."</p> + +<p>"Yes, Mother!" was Nimble's meek +answer.</p> + +<p>He was glad to learn all that. And he +was glad, too, that his mother hadn't +asked him how he happened to stray off +alone into the woods.</p> + +<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">Contents</a></span> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="Picnic" id="Picnic">IV</a></h2> + +<h3>PLANNING A PICNIC</h3> + +<p>While he was only a fawn Nimble became +very fond of water lilies. But he +didn't carry them as a bouquet, nor wear +one in his buttonhole. He was fond of +lilies in a different way: he liked to eat +them, and their flat, round, glossy pads. +At night his mother often led him to the +edge of the lake on the other side of Blue +Mountain and there they feasted.</p> + +<p>It was wonderful to stand in the cool +water, not too far from the shore, with +the moonlight shimmering on the ruffled +lake, and breathe in the sweet scent of the +lilies while nibbling at their pads.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span>"There's nothing," said Nimble to his +mother one night, "nothing so good to eat +as water lilies."</p> + +<p>His mother said, "Humph! Wait till +you've tasted carrots!"</p> + +<p>"Carrots!" Nimble echoed. "What are +carrots and where can I find some? Do +they grow in this lake?"</p> + +<p>"Carrots," his mother explained, "are +vegetables and they grow in Farmer +Green's garden."</p> + +<p>When he heard that, Nimble wanted to +start for Farmer Green's place at once. +But his mother said, "No!" And he soon +saw that she meant it, too.</p> + +<p>However, the word <i>carrots</i> was in his +mouth a good deal of the time, for days +and nights afterward. But Nimble wasn't +satisfied with having only the <i>word</i> in his +mouth. There was no taste to that at all. +Nor could he chew it, nor swallow it. He<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> +was wild to bite into a carrot and see if it +actually was more toothsome than a water +lily. Again and again he said to his +mother, "Can't we go down to Farmer +Green's garden patch to-night? If we +wait much longer somebody else will eat +all the carrots before we get a taste of +them." Or maybe he would exclaim, +"Let's have some carrots for supper! +Please!"</p> + +<p>It was no wonder that Nimble's mother +grew very tired of his teasing. At last +she said to him, when he was urging her +to take him down the hill and across the +meadow to Farmer Green's vegetable +garden, "There's no sense in our going +down there now. The carrots aren't big +enough yet. They aren't ready to eat. +But later, if you show you're trustworthy, +and if you mind well, and if you grow +enough, and if you can start quickly and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> +run fast, perhaps I'll see that you have +your first meal of carrots. Now, don't +bother me any more!"</p> + +<p>Well, there were so many <i>ifs</i> in his +mother's promise that Nimble almost gave +up hope of ever getting to Farmer +Green's garden patch. He didn't quite +dare expect that his mother would take +him there with her. But he made up his +mind that if she didn't he would go on a +carrot hunt alone as soon as he could.</p> + +<p>At the same time he practiced minding +his mother, which was not always a pleasant +thing to do. And he practiced starting +and running, both of which were a +good deal of fun. As for growing, Nimble +did not need to practice that at all; for he +was getting heavier and taller every day, +without doing anything more than to eat +and to sleep and to have the best time +possible.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span><a name="meanwhile" id="meanwhile"></a>Meanwhile he told everybody he met +that if all went well he would be eating +carrots some day. And when his friends +learned that he planned to go on an excursion +to Farmer Green's garden patch +there wasn't one of them that didn't say +he would like to go too.</p> + +<p>Jimmy Rabbit said he really ought to +have a look at the cabbages. And if Nimble +didn't mind he thought it would be +pleasant to join the party. Patty Coon +remarked that there were certain matters +connected with corn which he must attend +to, and if there was no objection he +would go along with the rest, when the +time came for the excursion. Even Cuffy +Bear, who almost never went near the +farm buildings, declared that there was +nothing he would enjoy more than to make +the trip with Nimble and his mother. He +had once tasted baked beans. And ever<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> +since that occasion he had meant to see if +he couldn't find some around Farmer +Green's house.</p> + +<p>Of course it would have been awkward +to say no. So Nimble said yes to everybody. +He even promised that he would let +all his friends know when the excursion +should take place.</p> + +<p>But of all these things he said not a +word to his mother. He was not sure that +they would please her. In fact he was +sure that they wouldn't.</p> + +<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">Contents</a></span> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="Mistake" id="Mistake">V</a></h2> + +<h3>NIMBLE'S MISTAKE</h3> + +<p>One morning Nimble's mother said to +him, "To-night, just as the moon rises, +we'll start for Farmer Green's garden +patch."</p> + +<p>He knew what that meant. It meant +that he was going to know, at last, what +carrots tasted like. And he was delighted.</p> + +<p>"You've improved fast," his mother +told him. "You've grown a good deal. +You start to run much more quickly than +you did a month ago; and you're quite +speedy now. I must say that you don't +mind me any too well. Take care that to-night +you do exactly as you're ordered!"</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span>Nimble promised. "I'll be good," he +said. "No matter how many carrots you +want me to eat, I'll finish every one."</p> + +<p>"No matter if you haven't had a chance +to eat a single carrot, if I tell you to run +you must obey instantly," his mother +warned him. "Two seconds' delay might +be fatal," she added solemnly. "If we +hear a twig snap you mustn't stop to look +nor listen."</p> + +<p>"Yes!" said Nimble. But ten minutes +later he couldn't have repeated a word +that his mother said—except that they +were going to start for the garden when +the moon rose. That much he told Jimmy +Rabbit when he met him in the woods a +little while afterward. And Jimmy Rabbit +agreed to get the news, somehow, to +Fatty Coon and Cuffy Bear.</p> + +<p>He was as good as his promise—even +better. For Jimmy told everybody he met<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> +that day. He explained about the excursion +to the garden patch and said that +every one must be ready to start just as +the moon peeped over the rim of the +world, for Nimble Deer's mother wouldn't +wait for anybody that wasn't on hand.</p> + +<p>Nimble found that day a long one. He +was so eager to get a carrot between his +lips that he thought night would never +come. But darkness fell at last. And +some hours later his mother said to him, +"Are you ready?"</p> + +<p>He was. So together they passed +silently along the old runway which led, +as his mother knew, to the pasture fence. +The woods were inky black, for the moon +had not yet risen. But Nimble's mother +remarked that she thought they would +see it when they reached the open hillside.</p> + +<p>Just before they came to the fence +somebody spoke. Nimble's mother jump<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span>ed +when somebody cried, "Good evening!" +But she knew at once that it was +only Jimmy Rabbit.</p> + +<p>"I see you're on time," he said. "I +haven't been waiting long."</p> + +<p>"Waiting?" Nimble's mother exclaimed. +"Waiting for what?"</p> + +<p>"For you!" he answered. "I heard you +were going down to the garden patch to-night; +and I'm to be one of the party."</p> + +<p>The good lady thought it queer. How +did Jimmy Rabbit happen to have heard +of the excursion? She couldn't imagine. +But he was a harmless little fellow. +Really she didn't mind having him go +with her.</p> + +<p>"Very well!" she told him. "But remember: +You must be quiet!" And she +was just about to walk up to the fence +when she gave a searching look all around. +"Bless me!" she muttered. "I never saw<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> +so many eyes in all my life. Who are all +these people?"</p> + +<p>It was no wonder she asked that question. +For no matter where she turned, +pairs of eyes burned in the darkness.</p> + +<p>Strangely enough, nobody answered. +Jimmy Rabbit didn't say a word. And as +for Nimble, he didn't seem to hear—nor +understand—anything his mother said.</p> + +<p>"I repeat," she spoke again, "who are +these people? Why have they gathered +here? The woods aren't afire, are they?" +And she lifted her nose and sniffed at the +air. But she could find no trace of smoke.</p> + +<p>Somehow Nimble began to feel ill at +ease. He edged away from his mother +and tried to hide behind Jimmy Rabbit. +And that was a ridiculous thing to do; +because Nimble was ever so much the bigger +of the two.</p> + +<p>Presently his mother gave him a sharp<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> +look. And then he, too, raised his muzzle +and sniffed.</p> + +<p>"I don't smell any smoke," he stammered.</p> + +<p>"Do you know why there's such a crowd +here?" she asked him sternly.</p> + +<p>"I think," he said, "they expect to go +to the garden patch with us."</p> + +<p>And his mother wondered, then, why +she hadn't guessed the secret instantly.</p> + +<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">Contents</a></span> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="Party" id="Party">VI</a></h2> + +<h3>AN UNEXPECTED PARTY</h3> + +<p>Nimble's mother's plans went all awry. +She had expected to give her son a treat +by taking him quietly to Farmer Green's +carrot patch, so that he might have his +first taste of carrots. So it wasn't strange +that it upset her a bit when she found +that there were dozens of other forest folk +all ready and waiting to go along with +them. One extra member of the party +wouldn't have displeased her, especially +when that one was Jimmy Rabbit. But +she had never gone near the farm buildings +with more than two others. And she +didn't intend to break her rule now.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span>Besides, it annoyed her above all to +know that her son had spread the news of +the excursion far and wide.</p> + +<p>"Did you <i>invite</i> these people?" she +asked Nimble in a low voice.</p> + +<p>"No! Oh, no!"</p> + +<p>"Then what brings them here?" she +demanded.</p> + +<p>"Their legs, I suppose," he replied.</p> + +<p>"Be careful!" she said. "Be very careful!"</p> + +<p>Then Nimble began to whine. And that +was something he almost never did.</p> + +<p>"They said they'd like to come," he +told his mother. "And I said maybe you +wouldn't mind."</p> + +<p>"Well, I do mind," she declared firmly. +"When I take a child to the carrot patch +for the first time I don't want company. +One of this crowd is more than likely to +rouse old dog Spot. And we can't have<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> +him ranging around while we're dining."</p> + +<p>"Then tell everybody to go home!" +Nimble suggested. "Tell them to go +'way!"</p> + +<p>"No!" said his mother. "That wouldn't +be polite."</p> + +<p>She was silent for a few moments. And +then she explained to Jimmy Rabbit and +to the owners of the pairs of eyes that still +stared at her out of the darkness. She +explained that on account of an unexpected +party she wasn't going to the carrot +patch that night.</p> + +<p>"When are you going?" asked the +owner of one pair of specially bright eyes.</p> + +<p>"Ha!" Nimble's mother exclaimed. +"Is that Cuffy Bear speaking?"</p> + +<p>"Yessum!" said the same voice.</p> + +<p>"I fear," she told him, "I may not be +able to go for a long time."</p> + +<p>"Never mind!" Cuffy cried. "I can go<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> +any night—that is, until I den up for the +winter."</p> + +<p>And every one in the company declared +that he hadn't a single engagement that +would prevent him from visiting the garden +whenever Nimble's mother should +say the word.</p> + +<p>"Well," said she, "it won't be to-night, +anyhow." And with that she turned +around and began to walk along the runway +again, away from the pasture fence.</p> + +<p>As Nimble followed her Jimmy Rabbit +skipped alongside him and whispered in +his ear.</p> + +<p>"Don't fail to let me know when the +time comes!"</p> + +<p>But Nimble said never a word. Somehow +he suspected that he had made a +great mistake.</p> + +<p>He <i>knew</i> he had, a little later.</p> + +<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">Contents</a></span> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="Light" id="Light">VII</a></h2> + +<h3>THE STRANGE LIGHT</h3> + +<p>Weeks went by; and still Nimble's +mother said no more about visiting Farmer +Green's carrot patch. Nimble himself +did not dare to mention carrots now. +It was his own fault that the excursion +had been postponed. And much as he still +wanted a taste of carrots the whole affair +was something he didn't care to talk +about.</p> + +<p>Anyhow, it was lucky that he liked +water lilies. For his mother took him to +the lake behind Blue Mountain every +night, almost. And there they splashed +in the shallows and ate all they wanted.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span>Most of those nights were much alike. +But there was one that Nimble remembered +for many a day afterward.</p> + +<p>It was not a dark night; neither was it +a light one. It was a half-and-half sort +of night. There was a moon. But it was +far from full. And it was not high in the +sky. The light from it came slanting +down upon the lake, throwing the shadows +of the trees far out upon the water.</p> + +<p>Where those shadows reached out +darkly Nimble and his mother stood with +the water lapping their sleek bodies. And +they were eating so busily that neither of +them noticed a blurred shape that glided +slowly nearer and nearer to them, without +making the slightest sound.</p> + +<p>All at once a shaft of dazzling light +swept along the shore. Nimble was so +surprised and puzzled that he stopped +eating to stand still and gaze at it.</p> + +<a name="Fast" id="Fast"></a><span class="toill"><a href="#Illus">Illus</a></span> +<p class="center"><a name="image-3" id="image-3"><!-- Image 3 --></a> +<img src="images/illus-042s.jpg" class="jpg" height="606" width="400" alt="Never Had Nimble Run So Fast Before." +title="Never Had Nimble Run So Fast Before" /></p> +<p class="image"><a name="run" id="run" href="images/illus-042x.jpg" class="image"> +View larger image</a></p> + +<p class="center b"><strong>Never Had Nimble Run So Fast Before.</strong><br /> +<span class="image"><a href="#had"><i>Page</i> 42</a></span></p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span>But only for a moment! Instantly his +mother flung her tail upward, so that the +under side of it gleamed white even in the +half light. And that—as Nimble knew +right well—that was the danger signal.</p> + +<p>Almost before Nimble knew what was +happening his mother made for the shore. +As she plunged through the water her tail, +still aloft like a flag, twitched from side +to side.</p> + +<p>Nimble needed no urging to follow it. +Soon they scrambled, dripping, out of the +lake to dive headlong into the cover of the +overhanging willows.</p> + +<p>In those few seconds the light darted +swiftly towards them. But it was not +quite quick enough. Only the ripples told +where they had been standing. Only the +gently waving branches of the willows +showed where Nimble and his mother had +vanished.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span>A noise like a thunder-clap crashed +upon Nimble's ears and rolled and tumbled +in the distance, tossed from the +mountain to the hills across the lake, and +back again. It frightened Nimble much +more than did the odd whistle that whined +just above his head a moment before the +thunder peal.</p> + +<p><a name="had" id="had"></a>Never had he run so fast before. Never +had his mother set such a pace for him. +Usually, when startled, she stopped after +going a short distance and looked back to +try to get a glimpse of whoever or whatever +had alarmed her. To be sure, she +always stopped in a good place, like the +edge of Cedar Swamp, where she could +duck out of sight if need be.</p> + +<p>But this time Nimble's mother ran on +and on without pausing.</p> + +<p>"Haven't you forgotten something?" +her son gasped after a while.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span>"Forgotten something? What do you +mean?" she asked.</p> + +<p>"Haven't you forgotten to stop?" +Nimble inquired.</p> + +<p>A queer look came over her face.</p> + +<p>"I declare," she said, "I do believe I'd +Have run all night if you hadn't reminded +me." She fell into a walk. And neither +of them said another word until they +reached the swamp, which was one of his +mother's favorite hiding places. Then +Nimble spoke again.</p> + +<p>"I waved my flag too," he said proudly.</p> + +<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">Contents</a></span> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="Mrs" id="Mrs">VIII</a></h2> + +<h3>MRS. DEER EXPLAINS</h3> + +<p>For the first time in his life Nimble felt +quite grown up. He forgot that he had +not yet lived a whole summer. He had +made a suggestion to his mother which +she had promptly acted upon. It had +never happened before. And that was +enough to cause him great pleasure.</p> + +<p>Then there was something else that +made Nimble believe himself to be a person +of some account: A strange affair +had happened at the lake. He had seen +it all. He had taken part in it himself. +Really it was no wonder that he began to +talk quite importantly.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span>"It was lucky I was with you," he remarked +to his mother as they rested amid +the tangle of Cedar Swamp.</p> + +<p>"It was lucky we weren't any further +out in the lake," she exclaimed. "If you +hadn't been with me no doubt I'd have +gone where the water was much deeper. +And that light would have caught me +before I could have reached the shore."</p> + +<p>What his mother said made Nimble feel +bigger than ever. He wasn't quite sure +what had happened back there, where +they had been surprised while eating +water lilies. But he meant to find out, for +he thought it would make a good story to +tell his friends.</p> + +<p>"Would the moon have burnt us if it +had hit us?" he inquired.</p> + +<p>"What in the world are you talking +about?" his mother asked him.</p> + +<p>He looked puzzled at her question.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span>"Wasn't that the moon that lit up the +lake along the shore?" he demanded.</p> + +<p>"Certainly not!" she replied.</p> + +<p>"Didn't the moon fall into the water?" +he asked.</p> + +<p>"No, indeed!" his mother cried. She +was astonished at his question.</p> + +<p>Nimble was disappointed. He had +thought he had a wonderful tale to tell. +And he couldn't understand yet why +everything wasn't as he had supposed.</p> + +<p>"I was sure the moon fell into the lake +and blew up," he explained. "What was +that terrible noise we heard if it wasn't +the moon bursting into pieces?"</p> + +<p>His mother didn't laugh. Instead she +was quite solemn as she answered Nimble's +last question.</p> + +<p>"That—" she said—"that was a gun +that you heard. And the light that +you saw came from a lantern in a boat."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span>It was very hard for Nimble to believe +what she told him.</p> + +<p>"I thought I heard a piece of the moon +whistle past my head," he went on.</p> + +<p>"A bullet!" his mother declared. As +she spoke she moved a little distance, to +a spot where the trees were not so thick. +And she raised her nose towards the sky. +"There!" she said. "There's the moon! +It's still up there where you've always +seen it."</p> + +<p>Nimble looked; and at last he knew that +his mother had made no mistake. But +somehow he was more frightened than +ever.</p> + +<p>"Then—" he faltered—"then there +must have been men in the boat—men +that turned the light upon the shore—and +fired the gun!"</p> + +<p>"They were men—yes!" said his +mother. "And they were lawbreakers,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> +too. I hope the game warden will catch +them at their tricks."</p> + +<p>"What is a game warden?" Nimble +asked her.</p> + +<p>"He's a man," she answered. "He's a +man that looks after all of us forest folk +and he's the best friend we've got.... Goodness, +child! Are you never going to +stop asking questions?"</p> + +<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">Contents</a></span> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="Horn" id="Horn">IX</a></h2> + +<h3>A SPIKE HORN</h3> + +<p>Nimble didn't mind losing his spots, when +he grew older. He had something else +that gave him much more pleasure than +they ever had. He had a new toy. Or to +be exact, he had two new toys. And +everywhere he went he carried them with +him.</p> + +<p>He carried them on his head. And he +couldn't have left them behind in the +woods even if he had wanted to—at least +not until he had enjoyed them for a whole +season.</p> + +<p>Of course you have already guessed that +he had a pair of horns. They were not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> +very big. But neither was Nimble, for +that matter. So they suited him well. A +little deer like him would have looked +queer wearing great branching horns such +as his father owned.</p> + +<p>Nimble's horns were merely two spikes +which stuck up out of the top of his head +in a pert fashion.</p> + +<p>It was a proud day for him when an old +deer spoke to him and called him "young +Spike Horn." About that time the forest +folk had begun to speak of him as a "yearling." +But there was something about +"Spike Horn" that sounded much more +important.</p> + +<p>Somehow there was a new crop of Spike +Horns that summer—Nimble's second +summer. And every one of them had +been—like him—a little spotted fawn the +year before.</p> + +<p>At first Nimble had thought it fun to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> +use his new horns to jab anybody that +happened to be with him. One day he +even stole up behind his own mother and +gave her a sharp prod with them.</p> + +<p>He never did that again. His mother +quickly taught him better. She wheeled +and struck him smartly with her fore feet.</p> + +<p>"There!" she cried. "That's the first +time a child of mine has played that trick +on me.... Let it be the last!"</p> + +<p>And it was. Nimble was very careful, +after that, to prod only those that didn't +mind such pranks.</p> + +<p>Luckily he soon found that the other +Spike Horns liked the same sort of fun +that he did. They were just as proud of +their new horns as he was of his. And +(sad to say!) there was a good deal of +boasting among them. Each one declared +that his own horns were the longest and +strongest.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span>All the Spike Horns, including Nimble, +were forever butting one another in +play. And they had just discovered a new +sport when Nimble met with what he +feared, for a time, was a terrible accident.</p> + +<p>Late in the fall, before the deep snows +came, both his horns loosened and dropped +off his head.</p> + +<p>"Oh! oh!" he cried when he saw what +had happened. "I'll never be able to take +part in another mock battle again!" For +the Spike Horns had had gay times pretending +to fight one another in a most savage +fashion.</p> + +<p>After Nimble lost his horns he carefully +avoided all his playmates. He didn't +want the other Spike Horns to see him. +At last, to his great dismay, one day he +came face to face with one of them. They +both tried to dodge out of sight. But the +other, whose name was Dodger, was not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> +quite quick enough. Before he hid behind +a thicket Nimble saw that he had lost his +horns too!</p> + +<p>Then Nimble guessed the truth. He +knew why it was that he had managed to +keep out of sight of his friends. Every +Spike Horn in the neighborhood had lost +his horns! And every one of them had +been trying to keep out of sight.</p> + +<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">Contents</a></span> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="Patch" id="Patch">X</a></h2> + +<h3>AT THE CARROT PATCH</h3> + +<p>During his first summer Nimble never +reached Farmer Green's carrot patch +once. His mother had planned to take +him there. But on account of an unexpected +party she had postponed their +visit. And somehow the right night for a +trip after carrots never seemed to come +again.</p> + +<p>Now, Nimble had never forgotten what +his mother had told him about carrots. +And he was going after some—so he +promised himself—just as soon as he was +big enough.</p> + +<p>When Nimble's second summer rolled<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> +around he was big enough and old enough +to prowl through the woods and fields +much as he pleased. He was a Spike +Horn. And he felt fit to go to the carrot +patch without waiting for anybody to +show him the way.</p> + +<p>So one night he stole down the hillside +pasture, across the meadow, and jumped +the fence into Farmer Green's garden.</p> + +<p>He saw at once that somebody was +there ahead of him. It was Jimmy Rabbit. +He was very busy with one of Farmer +Green's cabbages.</p> + +<p>"I've come down to try the carrots," +said Nimble.</p> + +<p>Jimmy Rabbit made no reply, except to +nod his head slightly. He was eating so +fast that he really couldn't speak just +then.</p> + +<p>"Are these carrots?" Nimble inquired, +as he looked about at the big cabbages,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> +which crossed the garden in long rows.</p> + +<p>Jimmy Rabbit shook his head.</p> + +<p>"They seem to be good," said Nimble, +"whatever they are. I'll taste of one."</p> + +<p>And he did. In fact he tasted of three +or four of them, eating their centers out +neatly.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile Jimmy Rabbit was becoming +uneasy. And at last he spoke.</p> + +<p>"I thought," he said, "you told me you +had come down here to try the carrots."</p> + +<p>"So I did," Nimble answered. "But I +don't know where the carrots are."</p> + +<p>"Why didn't you say so before?" +Jimmy Rabbit asked him. And without +waiting for a reply he cried, "Follow me! +I'll show you." And he hopped off +briskly, with Nimble after him.</p> + +<p>Soon Jimmy Rabbit came to a halt.</p> + +<p>"Here it is!" he said. "Here's the carrot +patch. Help yourself!" And then he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> +hopped away again, back to his supper of +cabbages.</p> + +<a name="Rabbit" id="Rabbit"></a><span class="toill"><a href="#Illus">Illus</a></span> +<p class="center"><a name="image-4" id="image-4"><!-- Image 4 --></a> +<img src="images/illus-057s.jpg" class="jpg" height="616" width="400" alt="Nimble Deer Followed Jimmy Rabbit" +title="Nimble Deer Followed Jimmy Rabbit" /></p> +<p class="image"><a name="jimmy" id="jimmy" href="images/illus-057x.jpg" class="image"> +View larger image</a></p> + +<p class="center b"><strong>Nimble Deer Followed Jimmy Rabbit.</strong><br /> +<span class="image"><a href="#follow"><i>Page</i> 57</a></span></p> + +<p>Nimble Deer began to eat the carrot +tops. And he was greatly disappointed.</p> + +<p>"They're not half as good as those great +round balls," he muttered. And he +turned away from the carrots, to go back +and join Jimmy Rabbit. But he hadn't +gone far when he met Jimmy bounding +along in a great hurry.</p> + +<p>"Old dog Spot!" Jimmy Rabbit gasped +as he whisked past Nimble. "He's out +to-night and he's coming this way."</p> + +<p><a name="follow" id="follow"></a>In one leap Nimble sprang completely +around and followed Jimmy Rabbit +across the meadow, up through the pasture +and over the stone wall into the +woods. There they lost each other.</p> + +<p>The next morning Nimble met his +mother along the ridge that ran down toward +Cedar Swamp.</p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span>"I went down to the carrot patch last +night," he told her. "And I must say I +don't see why you're so fond of carrots. +They're not half as good as some big +green balls that I found in the garden. I +call the carrot leaves tough. But the big +green balls have very tender leaves."</p> + +<p>His mother gave him a queer look.</p> + +<p>"Do you mean to tell me," she asked +him, "that you ate only the <i>leaves</i> of the +carrots?"</p> + +<p>"Why, yes!" said Nimble. "I saw +nothing else to eat. There was no fruit +on them."</p> + +<p>"Ho!" cried his mother. "You have to +dig with your toes to reach the carrots +themselves. They're down in the ground. +And to my mind there's nothing any +juicier and sweeter and tenderer than nice +young carrots, eaten by the light of the +moon."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span>Nimble felt very foolish. And then he +tossed his head and said lightly, "Oh, +well! It wouldn't have made any difference +if I <i>had</i> dug the carrots out of the +dirt. They wouldn't have tasted right +anyhow. For there was no moon last +night!"</p> + +<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">Contents</a></span> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="Cave" id="Cave">XI</a></h2> + +<h3>CUFFY AND THE CAVE</h3> + +<p>Nimble did not spend all his spare moments +with the other Spike Horns. Once +in a while he met Cuffy Bear prowling +about near the foot of Blue Mountain. +But Nimble never had a mock battle with +Cuffy. Cuffy Bear was a famous boxer. +And in each of his paws he carried long +sharp claws. What if Cuffy should forget +to pull in those claws sometime, when he +struck you a playful tap? Ah! That +wouldn't be very pleasant! This was +what Nimble thought about the matter. +So he never butted Cuffy Bear nor pricked +him with his spikes.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span>On the whole they found each other +good company. Cuffy liked to see Nimble +jump. And Nimble liked to see Cuffy +climb trees.</p> + +<p>One day, late in the fall, that year when +Nimble was a Spike Horn, he strayed half +way up the side of Blue Mountain. It +was seldom that Nimble wandered so far +up the steep and thickly wooded slopes. +But old dog Spot was ranging about the +lower woods. And for once Nimble did +not run for Cedar Swamp when he heard +the old dog bay. Instead he climbed steadily +until he was sure that he had shaken +Spot off his trail.</p> + +<p>Nimble had stopped for a drink at the +spring which marked the beginning of +Broad Brook and there he met Cuffy +Bear, who was just turning away from +the ice-framed pool. "Aren't you a long +way from home?" Cuffy asked him.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span>"Yes! But I can get down to my favorite +ridge quickly enough, when I want +to," said Nimble. "Do you live in this +neighborhood?"</p> + +<p>"I'm not quite sure," Cuffy Bear replied. +"I've had my eye on a snug den a +little further up the mountain. I'm +thinking of living there, if it suits me.... Wouldn't +you like to see it?"</p> + +<p>Nimble told Cuffy that he would be delighted. +So they started up the mountain, +after Nimble had had his drink.</p> + +<p>Cuffy Bear led the way. And in a short +time he stopped in front of a cave. A +tangle of bushes hid the mouth of it. +You'd have passed right by it without +ever guessing that there was any cave +there.</p> + +<p>"This is it," Cuffy Bear told Nimble. +"Come right in!"</p> + +<p>"No, thank you. I'd rather not," said<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> +Nimble. "I don't care for caves, myself, +though this seems to be a good one."</p> + +<p>"It's worth seeing," Cuffy Bear urged.</p> + +<p>"No, thank you!" Nimble repeated.</p> + +<p>"You don't mind if I take a look at it?" +Cuffy Bear inquired. "Maybe I can make +up my mind—about living here—if I look +at the cave once more."</p> + +<p>"Go inside, by all means!" Nimble +cried.</p> + +<p>"Will you wait here till I come out?" +Cuffy asked him.</p> + +<p>And Nimble promised that he would +wait.</p> + +<p>Cuffy Bear yawned as he turned away. +And Nimble thought it strange that he +didn't take the trouble to beg pardon, nor +to cover the yawn with a paw. Only a +very careless—or a very sleepy—person +would forget those things, Nimble knew.</p> + +<p>Well, Cuffy crept inside the cave. And<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> +outside Nimble waited. He waited and +waited, until at last the afternoon light +began to fade.</p> + +<p>"I wish he'd hurry," Nimble muttered. +"We're going to have a storm and I don't +want to stay up here in it, all night."</p> + +<p>Snowflakes were already falling. And +Nimble wished he hadn't promised that he +would wait till Cuffy Bear came out of +the cave.</p> + +<p>He went to the entrance and called. But +he got no answer.</p> + +<p>"I hope nothing has happened to him," +Nimble said.</p> + +<p>But something had.</p> + +<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">Contents</a></span> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="Missing" id="Missing">XII</a></h2> + +<h3>CUFFY IS MISSING</h3> + +<p>Far up on the dark mountainside, in the +driving snow, Nimble waited in front of +the cave where Cuffy Bear had vanished. +And all the time Nimble was growing +more uneasy. He feared that Cuffy Bear +might be in some sort of trouble.</p> + +<p>Nimble looked all about for help. But +there wasn't a sign of anybody stirring, +anywhere. All the mountain people +seemed to have sought shelter from the +storm.</p> + +<p>At last, however, Peter Mink came +sneaking up from the spring. He had +set out to follow Broad Brook all the way<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> +up to its beginning, on a hunt for meadow +mice. And when he set out to do a thing +he always finished it, no matter what the +weather might be.</p> + +<p>"You're just the person I want to see!" +Nimble cried. "Will you do me a favor?"</p> + +<p>Now, Peter Mink never did anybody a +favor if he could help it. So he promptly +said, "No!"</p> + +<p>"Won't you go inside this cave for +me and see what's happened to Cuffy +Bear?" Nimble implored him. "He +went inside the cave. I promised to +wait for him here. And he has been gone +for hours."</p> + +<p>"I won't go into that cave for anybody," +Peter Mink declared. "How do I +know you're not trying to play a trick on +me? I don't see any Bear tracks in the +snow."</p> + +<p>"Of course you don't!" Nimble agreed.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> +"All this snow has fallen since Cuffy +crawled into the cave."</p> + +<p>"Why don't you go inside yourself?" +Peter Mink inquired with something very +like a sneer.</p> + +<p>"I'm too tall," said Nimble. "Besides, +I don't like caves. I keep out of them."</p> + +<p>"So do I!" Peter Mink declared—though +everybody knew that he went +everywhere—even under the ice along +Broad Brook and Swift River.</p> + +<p>Poor Nimble didn't know what to do. +He felt that he ought to go for help, somewhere. +But he had promised Cuffy Bear +to wait for him.</p> + +<p>Then all at once an idea came to him. +Why not send Peter Mink for help?</p> + +<p>"Won't you please go down to Cedar +Swamp and ask Fatty Coon to come up +here?" Nimble begged Peter.</p> + +<p>"I can't," Peter answered. "I must go<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> +home now." And everybody knew that +Peter Mink had no home at all! He was +the vagabond of the woods.</p> + +<p>Nimble saw then that it was useless to +look for help from him. And after Peter +Mink had gone his surly way Nimble still +lingered there. He was hungry. So he +began to paw the snow away here and +there, to uncover the ground growths. +And just as he was nibbling beside a bush +somebody said, "Don't step on me!"</p> + +<p>It was Mr. Grouse, half buried in the +snow.</p> + +<p>"I wondered why you were waiting +here so long," Mr. Grouse told Nimble. +"When I heard you talking to that rascal, +Peter Mink, I knew the reason. But +I didn't dare speak while he was about."</p> + +<p>"Are you going to spend the night +here?" Nimble asked him.</p> + +<p>"Yes!" said Mr. Grouse. "I shall be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> +snug and warm after the snow covers me."</p> + +<p>"Well, your head won't be covered for +some time," Nimble told him. "Are you +willing to keep an eye out for Cuffy Bear? +I'm going down to Cedar Swamp to get +help. And Cuffy Bear might come out of +the cave while I'm gone."</p> + +<p>"I'd be glad to watch," Mr. Grouse replied, +"but it wouldn't be any use."</p> + +<p>"Why not?" Nimble asked him. "Don't +you think we'll see Cuffy again?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, we'll see him," Mr. Grouse answered. +"But it won't be till towards +spring. For there's no doubt that Cuffy +Bear has fallen into his winter's sleep."</p> + +<p>And then Nimble exclaimed that Cuffy +Bear had yawned as he turned away to +enter the cave. He hadn't even begged +pardon, nor covered his mouth with a paw.</p> + +<p>"No doubt he was very, very sleepy," said +Mr. Grouse.</p> + +<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">Contents</a></span> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="Wakens" id="Wakens">XIII</a></h2> + +<h3>CUFFY BEAR WAKENS</h3> + +<p>The winter after Nimble lost his spike +horns was a mild one. The snowfall was +light. And Nimble was able to roam up +and down Pleasant Valley and about Blue +Mountain as he pleased.</p> + +<p>It happened that a certain bright day +in early spring found him far up the side +of the mountain, near the cave where he +had waited for Cuffy Bear weeks before. +And as that whole queer affair came back +to his mind Nimble remembered how he +had fed upon the green things under the +snow.</p> + +<p>That thought made him hungry. So he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> +began to paw away the soft heavy snow, +which wasn't more than a foot deep; and +he was enjoying a good meal when he +heard a sudden <i>woof</i> behind him.</p> + +<p>Nimble wheeled instantly. And there, +at the mouth of the cave, peering over the +tangle which screened it, Cuffy Bear stood +upon his hind legs, rubbing his eyes. +Catching sight of Nimble, Cuffy blinked +at him.</p> + +<p>"Where's Nimble Deer, madam?" +Cuffy Bear growled presently.</p> + +<p>"I'm right here!" Nimble replied. +"But please don't call me 'madam!'"</p> + +<p>"You're not Nimble Deer. You're a +Doe," Cuffy Bear insisted. "You have +no horns."</p> + +<p><a name="about" id="about"></a>"I'm a Deer," Nimble retorted. "I +had horns; but I've shed them."</p> + +<p>Cuffy Bear <i>woofed</i> a bit more. He +seemed to be somewhat ill-tempered.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span>"You can't fool me," he grunted. +"Nimble Deer's horns were firm upon his +head when I left him here and stepped inside +this cave. He agreed to wait for me; +and I'm surprised that he broke his +promise."</p> + +<p>"I am Nimble Deer," Nimble declared +again. "You led me to this spot from the +spring. You told me you wanted to take +another look at this cave because you were +thinking of making it your winter home."</p> + +<p>Cuffy Bear eyed Nimble with astonishment. +And he shambled up to Nimble and +sniffed at him.</p> + +<p>"It <i>is</i> you!" Cuffy cried at last. "So +you <i>did</i> wait for me!"</p> + +<p>"No, I didn't," Nimble confessed.</p> + +<p>"But here you are!" Cuffy Bear retorted. +"You <i>must</i> have been waiting for +me. And if I've kept you a bit longer +than I intended to, I'm sorry. I think I +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span>fell asleep in that den and had a short +nap."</p> + +<a name="Cuffy" id="Cuffy"></a><span class="toill"><a href="#Illus">Illus</a></span> +<p class="center"><a name="image-5" id="image-5"><!-- Image 5 --></a> +<img src="images/illus-071s.jpg" class="jpg" height="607" width="400" alt="Nimble Deer Tells Cuffy Bear About His Horns." +title="Nimble Deer Tells Cuffy Bear About His Horns" /></p> +<p class="image"><a name="bear" id="bear" href="images/illus-071x.jpg" class="image"> +View larger image</a></p> + +<p class="center b"><strong>Nimble Deer Tells Cuffy Bear About His Horns.</strong><br /> +<span class="image"><a href="#about"><i>Page</i> 71</a></span></p> + +<p>"A short nap!" Nimble repeated. +"You've been asleep in there all winter! +It's weeks and weeks since I last saw you. +And I'm here now only because I happened +to wander this way, when I heard +old dog Spot baying."</p> + +<p>Cuffy Bear was so surprised that he +couldn't say another word. His mouth +fell open. And he gazed blankly at +Nimble.</p> + +<p>But at last he spoke. "I must apologize +to you," he said, "though it was +really no wonder I called you 'madam.' +You have changed a great deal since I left +you here."</p> + +<p>"And you—" Nimble told him—"you +have changed too."</p> + +<p>"I have?" Cuffy Bear cried. "How's +that? How have I changed?"</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span></p> +<p>"You look much hungrier," Nimble +explained.</p> + +<p>Cuffy Bear laid a paw across his waistcoat.</p> + +<p>"I <i>am</i> hungry," he admitted. "And if +you're going down the mountain I think +I'll stroll along with you and see what I +can find to eat."</p> + +<p>"Very well!" Nimble agreed.</p> + +<p>"One moment!" Cuffy Bear said hastily. +"Just one moment, please! Wait till +I go inside my cave! I believe I left my +cap in there."</p> + +<p>"I'm not going to wait for you," Nimble +replied firmly. "For all I know you +might not come out again till haying +time."</p> + +<p>And then Nimble trotted off down the +mountainside, heading for Cedar Swamp. +For he didn't think old dog Spot would +wander in that direction.</p> + +<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">Contents</a></span> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="Antlers" id="Antlers">XIV</a></h2> + +<h3>ANTLERS</h3> + +<p>Although Nimble had lost his horns he +managed to go through the winter without +missing them as much as he had expected. +And in time he had almost forgotten +the pair of spikes that he had worn +on his head the summer before. Then, +one day, he made a great discovery. He +found that new horns were sprouting to +take the place of those that he had lost!</p> + +<p>"Now I can have some mock battles +again—when my horns get long enough," +he thought. And then he stopped short. +What if the Spike Horns of the year +before had no more horns? If they were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> +hornless they certainly wouldn't care to +take part in any mock battles.</p> + +<p>Nimble's fears were soon set at rest. +His old playmates soon let him know that +they were all going to have new horns too.</p> + +<p>And then, a little later, Nimble made +another great discovery. He was looking +into a pool one morning when he saw +something that gave him huge delight. +His new horns were not like last year's +horns. He beheld, mirrored in the water, +a handsome pair of Y-shaped antlers, +each with two points!</p> + +<p>"Hurrah!" he cried. "I'll make those +Spike Horns feel like hiding themselves +again."</p> + +<p>He had expected to have a pleasant time +showing his new antlers to his old friends. +When he met Dodger the Deer, Nimble +called to him: "See what I've got! Antlers! +Two points!"</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span></p> +<p>"Ho!" said Dodger. "So have I got +antlers. And they have two points, too."</p> + +<p>Nimble had been so interested in his +own horns that he hadn't looked at Dodger's. +And now when he gazed at them +he saw that they were like his.</p> + +<p>"What about the rest of the Spike +Horns?" Nimble asked Dodger. "Have +they——"</p> + +<p>"Yes, they have!" Dodger interrupted. +"I tell you, 'two-pointers' are common +this season."</p> + +<p>"So there aren't any more Spike +Horns!" said Nimble somewhat sadly.</p> + +<p>"Oh, yes! Plenty!" Dodger answered. +"But they're an entirely new crop. They +were fawns last year."</p> + +<p>When he heard that bit of news Nimble +felt happier. And as soon as he parted +from Dodger the Deer he went and found +some of the new Spike Horns and showed +them his wonderful two-point antlers.</p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span>But somehow they didn't seem at all +impressed. They were too much taken up +with their own spikes to pay any attention +to Nimble.</p> + +<p>"Anyhow," he said to himself, "we +'two-pointers' can have some good mock +battles together."</p> + +<p>And they did. They had mock battles +that became famous all around Blue +Mountain. And of all the "two-pointers" +that lived in that neighborhood, Nimble +and his friend Dodger the Deer were +known as the best sham-fighters. They +could look fiercer and act angrier than +any of their young friends. And the way +they tore into each other was almost +enough to frighten you, if you had seen +them.</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow said it was worth flying +a mile to watch one of their set-tos.</p> + +<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">Contents</a></span> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="Mock" id="Mock">XV</a></h2> + +<h3>A MOCK BATTLE</h3> + +<p>When Nimble had three-points on each +of his antlers, in his fourth summer, he +felt that he was at last grown up. He was +now a "three-pointer." Some of the older +bucks had no more points than he. Many +of them were but "four-pointers." His +own father had been a "five-pointer." So +Nimble hoped, secretly, that he would have +five-point antlers in another two years.</p> + +<p>As soon as his new horns were ready +Nimble and his friend Dodger the Deer +began their mock battles again. And Nimble +found them greater fun than ever.</p> + +<p>Dodger was a spry fellow. He was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> +quick as a flash at dodging. When Nimble +ran at him with head lowered and horns +aimed straight at him Dodger could wait +until Nimble all but struck him, before +leaping aside. And then Nimble would go +rushing past him.</p> + +<p>But Dodger did not always dodge when +attacked. Sometimes he stood his ground, +with his own head lowered in a threatening +fashion. And then Nimble checked +his headlong rush and merely clashed his +horns pleasantly against Dodger's.</p> + +<p>There was something about the sound +that sent a thrill through Nimble and +started his coat to bristling along his backbone +with a queer, creepy feeling.</p> + +<p>One day in the fall Nimble's mother +came upon them in the woods when they +were having one of their sham fights.</p> + +<p>"You'd better stop that!" she said to +them severely. "Somebody will get hurt<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> +sooner or later if you're not careful."</p> + +<p>Nimble and Dodger paid little heed to +her warning, except to stop until the good +lady had gone on and left them. Then, +just as they were on the point of renewing +their frolic, somebody spoke in a +hoarse voice. It was old Mr. Crow. He sat +on a low branch of a spreading pine, +where he had been watching the contest +for some time without being noticed.</p> + +<p>"I'd have my fun if I wanted to," he +croaked. "Ladies are too finicky. They +don't know what a good time is."</p> + +<p>Now, Mr. Crow's remarks pleased Nimble. +And they pleased Dodger the Deer. +They didn't know that the old gentleman +was a famous trouble maker.</p> + +<p>So Dodger and Nimble drew a little distance +apart, as they always did when they +were getting ready to clash.</p> + +<p>"Go it!" squalled Mr. Crow.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span>And they started. And Mr. Crow +jumped up and down in his excitement.</p> + +<p>"Now there's going to be some real +fun," he muttered.</p> + +<p>But Dodger the Deer leaped aside just +in time to avoid being hit. And that +didn't please Mr. Crow at all.</p> + +<p>"You fellows aren't half trying," he +cried impatiently. "Anyone would think +you were a pair of Spike Horns."</p> + +<p>Now, all Spike Horns were two whole +years younger than Dodger and Nimble. +So it was no wonder that Mr. Crow's +words stung them.</p> + +<p>Nimble charged more fiercely than ever. +And Dodger stood his ground. With his +feet planted firmly beneath him he waited +for the blow.</p> + +<p>There was a crack and a thud.</p> + +<p>"Ha!" Mr. Crow squawked. "That's +a little more like it. Dodger didn't dodge<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> +that time, to be sure. But he stood still. +And only a Spike Horn would stand and +<i>wait</i> for the enemy."</p> + +<p>Of course Dodger couldn't help wanting +to show Mr. Crow that he knew how to +carry on a mock battle. So the next time +Nimble rushed at him Dodger did not +wait. He jumped to meet Nimble. They +struck in the air with a frightful crash +and fell sprawling upon the ground.</p> + +<p>"Ha! That's more like it!" Mr. Crow +applauded. "That's the sort of mock battle +I like to see!"</p> + +<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">Contents</a></span> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="Mr" id="Mr">XVI</a></h2> + +<h3>MR. CROW LOOKS ON</h3> + +<p>Nimble and his friend Dodger the Deer +picked themselves up off the ground +where they had fallen after their collision +in the air. They did not feel any too pleasant. +One of Dodger's sharp tines had +given Nimble a good prick. And one of +Nimble's points had stung Dodger like a +hornet's sting.</p> + +<p>If only one of them had been pricked +the whole affair might have ended differently. +For then perhaps only one of them +would have lost his temper. As they drew +apart they were growing more angry +every instant. And when they wheeled<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> +and glared at each other old Mr. Crow, +who was watching them from his perch in +the pine tree, called out: <a name="stop" id="stop"></a>"Don't stop! +Make it lively, now!"</p> + +<p>Nimble gritted his teeth and stamped +upon the ground.</p> + +<p>"I'll teach you not to prick me!" he +muttered.</p> + +<p>"I'll make you wish you'd left those +new antlers at home!" cried Dodger the +Deer.</p> + +<p>"Don't stop!" old Mr. Crow urged +them once more as he teetered on his +perch. "Let the fun go on!"</p> + +<p>He squalled so loudly that his cousin +Jasper Jay heard him half a mile away +and came hurrying up to see what was +going on. He arrived just in time to see +Nimble and Dodger stagger back from +another mad charge.</p> + +<p>"What's this? A mock battle?" Jasper<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> +Jay inquired as he settled down beside Mr. +Crow.</p> + +<p>"No!" Mr. Crow replied in muffled +tones. "It is a real one—but they don't +know it yet."</p> + +<p>Next to quarreling himself, old Mr. +Crow loved to look on while others +wrangled. And though he had no taste +himself for actual fighting, he liked to see +his neighbors pummel and peck and buffet +and bounce one another.</p> + +<p>So Mr. Crow enjoyed watching the tilt +between Nimble and Dodger the Deer. +Neither Mr. Crow, nor his rowdy cousin +Jasper Jay, had ever seen so furious a +fracas as that one soon became. Sometimes +Nimble and Dodger rushed together +with such force that it seemed to Mr. Crow +their horns must break off. Sometimes +they reared and struck each other with +their front hoofs.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span>At first, whenever he felt a hurt Nimble +only fought the harder. When Dodger's +horns gouged him and his hoofs cut him +Nimble butted and thrust and struck all +the faster. But for every buffet he repaid +Dodger, Dodger gave him another +that was heavier than ever.</p> + +<p>It was no wonder that in time Nimble +began to feel tired. But he didn't let +Dodger the Deer know that.</p> + +<p>"This was easy to start," Nimble +thought, "but it seems hard to stop. I +wish Dodger would run away."</p> + +<p>In the meantime Mr. Crow and Jasper +Jay agreed that the battle was growing +tamer every moment.</p> + +<p>"Hustle it up!" Mr. Crow called to +Nimble and Dodger, while Jasper Jay +jeered at them both and told them they +were mollycoddles.</p> + +<p>"I shouldn't call this a mock battle<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> +now," Mr. Crow told them. "It's more +like a game of tag."</p> + +<p>"If only Dodger would run away!" +Nimble said under his breath. "I'll stop +a minute and see if he won't." So he +stood still, with his nose all but touching +the ground.</p> + +<p>Dodger the Deer did not run. But he +paused and stood exactly as Nimble was +standing.</p> + +<p>So they eyed each other for a while. +And neither of them said a word.</p> + +<p>"Come!" cried old Mr. Crow. "This +will never do. Give us more action!"</p> + +<p>And then Dodger the Deer looked up +at Mr. Crow and Jasper Jay and spoke.</p> + +<p>"If you want more action why don't +you two furnish it?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"That's a good idea!" Nimble exclaimed. +"Let's see a mock battle up in +the tree!"</p> +<hr /> + +<a name="Crow" id="Crow"></a><span class="toill"><a href="#Illus">Illus</a></span> +<p class="center"><a name="image-6" id="image-6"><!-- Image 6 --></a> +<img src="images/illus-085s.jpg" class="jpg" height="607" width="400" alt="Don't Stop! Said Old Mr. Crow to Nimble." +title="Don't Stop! Said Old Mr. Crow to Nimble." /></p> +<p class="image"><a name="bird" id="bird" href="images/illus-085x.jpg" class="image"> +View larger image</a></p> + +<p class="center b"><strong>"Don't Stop!" Said Old Mr. Crow to Nimble.</strong><br /> +<span class="image"><a href="#stop"><i>Page</i> 85</a></span></p> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span>But Mr. Crow replied hoarsely that he +had to meet a friend down the valley. "I +must be flapping along," he said. And off +he went.</p> + +<p>Jasper Jay grinned and winked at Nimble +and Dodger behind Mr. Crow's back. +And then with a loud squall—which might +have meant almost anything—he too flew +away.</p> + +<p>"That was the liveliest mock battle we +ever had," Nimble remarked to his friend +Dodger.</p> + +<p>Dodger agreed with what he said.</p> + +<p>Nimble's mother gasped when she saw +her son a little later.</p> + +<p>"You're a terrible sight!" she told him +severely. "What have you been doing?"</p> + +<p>"I've been having fun with Dodger the +Deer," Nimble explained. "But to tell +the truth, it wasn't as much fun as I had +expected."</p> + +<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">Contents</a></span> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="Brownie" id="Brownie">XVII</a></h2> + +<h3>WHAT BROWNIE WANTED</h3> + +<p>Nimble Deer had stopped at Brownie +Beaver's pond to get a drink. Just as he +raised his head from the water he spied +Brownie a little way off, on the bank, +gnawing at a box alder tree.</p> + +<p>"Good evening!" Nimble called to him.</p> + +<p>"Good evening!" Brownie Beaver answered.</p> + +<p>"I see you're busy, as usual," Nimble +remarked.</p> + +<p>"Yes!" Brownie replied. "And what +are you doing—if I may ask?"</p> + +<p>"Oh! I'm just rambling about," Nimble +explained.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span>"Then you're not doing much of anything," +said Brownie Beaver.</p> + +<p>Nimble admitted that he wasn't.</p> + +<p>"Since you're not working, perhaps +you'll be willing to help me," Brownie +suggested.</p> + +<p>"Certainly!" Nimble cried. He liked +Brownie Beaver. Everybody liked him—unless +it was Timothy Turtle, who had a +grudge against the whole Beaver tribe.</p> + +<p>"Maybe I can make arrangements with +you to——" Brownie began.</p> + +<p>"Of course you can!" Nimble interrupted.</p> + +<p>"That's very kind of you," Brownie +said. "I'm sure I'm much obliged to +you."</p> + +<p>"You're quite welcome," Nimble assured +him.</p> + +<p>"You're sure you won't mind!" +Brownie Beaver inquired.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span>"Not at all! No, indeed! What is it +you want me to do for you? Do you want +me to help you roll a log into the water, +when you've finished cutting down that +tree? I might use my horns for a cant +hook, such as the lumbermen have."</p> + +<p>"No! It's not that—thank you!" +Brownie Beaver mumbled. He had not +stopped working, while he talked. And +having some chips in his mouth he did not +speak any too clearly.</p> + +<p>"Maybe you'd like me to walk back and +forth along the top of your dam and make +it firmer," Nimble suggested.</p> + +<p>"No, it's not that," Brownie told him. +"The dam is firm. It has been here a great +many years, ever since my great-great-grandfather's +time.... You've noticed +my house, I dare say," he went on.</p> + +<p>"I have," Nimble answered. "It's a +good one, though the chimney looks a bit<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> +lopsided, to me. Shall I give it a push and +see if I can straighten it?"</p> + +<p>"No, indeed—thank you!" said Brownie +hurriedly. "For mercy's sake, don't +touch my chimney! I worked a long time +to make it. And if I do say so, it's the best +one in the whole village."</p> + +<p>Well, Nimble Deer couldn't guess what +it was that Brownie Beaver wanted him +to do. He couldn't think of any other way +in which he might help.</p> + +<p>"Then what—" he demanded—"what +is it you want?"</p> + +<p>"There's something I need for my +house," Brownie explained.</p> + +<p>"Shingles!" Nimble cried.</p> + +<p>"No!" Brownie said, as he shook his +head.</p> + +<p>"I hope you don't want a pair of antlers +to fasten over your chimney piece!" +Nimble exclaimed. "I shouldn't care to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> +part with my antlers—not just at +present!"</p> + +<p>"No!" Brownie said once more.</p> + +<p>"I'm glad of that," Nimble replied. +For a moment he had been worried.</p> + +<p>And then Brownie Beaver told him +what he had in mind: "I need a flag to +fly over my house."</p> + +<p>"That would be fine," Nimble observed. +"But I don't see how I could help you +with that."</p> + +<p>"I've heard that you have a flag. I +thought perhaps you'd let me have it—or +borrow it, at least," Brownie Beaver +told him.</p> + +<p>Nimble Deer looked puzzled.</p> + +<p>"I haven't any flag," he said. And +then he cried, "Yes! Yes, I have one!"</p> + +<p>"Ah! I was told you had," said +Brownie Beaver.</p> + +<p>"Who told you?"</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span>"Old Mr. Crow!" Brownie Beaver said.</p> + +<p>"I might have known it," Nimble muttered. +"He has played a joke on you. It's +true that I have a flag; but it's not the +kind of flag you want. Some people call +my tail a flag, on account of the way I +wave it in the air when I'm startled. Of +course you wouldn't care to have my tail +on the top of your house."</p> + +<p>And Brownie Beaver admitted that he +shouldn't.</p> + +<p>"But I can't help being disappointed," +he confessed.</p> + +<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">Contents</a></span> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="Cow" id="Cow">XVIII</a></h2> + +<h3>THE MULEY COW</h3> + +<p>Nimble Deer was a famous jumper. And +so was the Muley Cow. In Farmer +Green's herd there was no other that could +match her.</p> + +<p>Living as he did in the pasture, Billy +Woodchuck had often seen and admired +the Muley Cow as she jumped the fence +in order to get into the clover patch, or +the cornfield, or the orchard.</p> + +<p>And Jimmy Rabbit, who lived in the +woods, had come to believe—and even +boast—that there wasn't anyone that +could jump higher than Nimble Deer.</p> + +<p>So Billy Woodchuck and Jimmy Rabbit +could never agree upon this question of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> +the best jumper in Pleasant Valley. And +there was only one way to settle their difference +of opinion. Old Mr. Crow told +them that.</p> + +<p>"You must have a contest," he declared.</p> + +<p>And everybody was willing. The Muley +Cow said (when asked) that she would be +delighted. And when Nimble Deer heard +of the plan he ran all the way to the back +pasture at once. For that was where Mr. +Crow said the contest ought to take place.</p> + +<p>Nimble reached the back pasture just in +time to see the Muley Cow arrive there. +She leaped the fence. And at the same +time she grazed the top rail.</p> + +<p>"Good morning, madam!" Nimble said +to the Muley Cow. And while she was answering +him Nimble jumped the fence into +the pasture from which the Muley Cow +had come; and then he jumped back again, +into the back pasture. And he didn't<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> +touch the fence by so much as a single hair.</p> + +<p>Then Billy Woodchuck crawled under +the fence and came hurrying up.</p> + +<p>"What are you doing?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"I'm just stretching my legs a bit," +Nimble explained. At that answer Billy +Woodchuck set up a loud clamor. "It's +not fair!" he howled. "I expected the +Muley Cow to win the contest. But if +you're going to stretch your legs she'll +certainly be beaten unless she stretches +hers too."</p> + +<p>Now, old Mr. Crow was on hand to see +the fun. And not being very friendly +with the Muley Cow he didn't want her to +win the contest. So he began to squall.</p> + +<p>"She mustn't stretch her legs any more +than Nimble stretches his," he objected in +his hoarse croak. "Nimble jumped the +fence twice to stretch his legs. She has +jumped once already. Let her jump the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> +fence once more and then they'll be even +and the real contest can begin."</p> + +<p>"That's fair enough," said Jimmy +Rabbit. But Billy Woodchuck began to +chatter and scold.</p> + +<p>"It's a trick—a trick of Mr. Crow's!" +he cried. "If the Muley Cow jumps once +more to stretch her legs she'll be on the +wrong side of the fence. She won't be in +the back pasture then. And how could she +have the contest with Nimble Deer?"</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow gave a loud haw-haw. +But he still insisted that the Muley Cow +might have only one more leg-stretching +jump, when Jimmy Rabbit hurried up to +him and said something nobody else could +hear. And Mr. Crow listened and then +nodded his head.</p> + +<p>"It's all right," the old gentleman told +Billy Woodchuck. "Let the Muley Cow +stretch her legs all she likes."</p> + +<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">Contents</a></span> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="Jump" id="Jump">XIX</a></h2> + +<h3>THE JUMPING CONTEST</h3> + +<p>Having had Mr. Crow's permission, the +Muley Cow went on stretching her legs as +much as she pleased. She jumped the pasture +fence; and she jumped it back again. +And when she seemed about to stop Billy +Woodchuck whispered to her, "You may +as well keep a-stretching them. Keep a-jumping! +And when the time for the real +contest with Nimble Deer comes your legs +will be stretched so long that you'll beat +Nimble without the slightest trouble."</p> + +<p>So the Muley Cow jumped over the +fence and back, over the fence and back. +And when at last she said she was ready<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> +for the contest Billy Woodchuck still +urged her to stretch her legs a bit more.</p> + +<p>By the time he was willing to let her +stop the Muley Cow's sides were heaving.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile Jimmy Rabbit and Billy +Woodchuck, with Mr. Crow's help, had +picked out a clump of young hawthorns +for the first test. And now that everybody +was ready for the contest Nimble Deer +cleared the clump gracefully, with a foot +to spare.</p> + +<p>Then came the Muley Cow's turn. She +looked worried as she fell into a lumbering +gallop and ran towards the prickly +young trees. And with a mighty effort +she tried to fling herself over them.</p> + +<p>As she rose into the air she gave a bellow +of dismay, to fall floundering the next +instant into the thorny thicket.</p> + +<p>Jimmy Rabbit began to hop about in +circles. He knew that Nimble had won<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> +the contest and Jimmy was very happy.</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow haw-hawed. The Muley +Cow had lost the contest and he was glad.</p> + +<p>Nimble watched the Muley Cow as she +struggled amid the hawthorns, trying to +scramble out of the tangle.</p> + +<p>"Can I help you, madam?" he asked.</p> + +<p>But she never even thanked him. She +was so upset that she neither wanted anybody +to speak to her nor did she wish to +speak to anybody else.</p> + +<p>As for Billy Woodchuck, he looked +frightfully disappointed. He had expected +the Muley Cow to win the jumping +contest. And there she was, beaten at the +very first jump!</p> + +<p>He stole up to her; and standing on his +hind legs, to get as near her as he could, +he said, "It's a pity you lost! I don't believe +you stretched your legs enough."</p> + +<p>The Muley Cow snorted.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span>"That's not the reason why," she +snapped. "I stretched my legs <i>too much</i>. +I jumped the fence until I was so tired I +could scarcely stand. It's no wonder that +Nimble beat me."</p> + +<p>Nimble Deer could see that the Muley +Cow was feeling quite glum. After she +had struggled free of the thorns he went +up to her and bowed in his most polite +manner. "Is there anything I can do for +you?" he asked her.</p> + +<p>"Yes! Do let down the bars for me!" +she gasped. "I want to go home. And I +couldn't jump that fence again. It would +be dangerous for me to try. I might fall +and break a leg off. And then I'd have a +short leg the rest of my life."</p> + +<p>"You could stretch it," old Mr. Crow +suggested.</p> + +<p>But the Muley Cow turned her back on +him and walked away.</p> + +<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">Contents</a></span> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="Problem" id="Problem">XX</a></h2> + +<h3>SOLVING A PROBLEM</h3> + +<p>Jimmy Rabbit was going to give a party. +Up and down Pleasant Valley and all +about Blue Mountain the field and forest +people were talking about it.</p> + +<p>Almost everybody had an invitation. +There were only a few that weren't asked. +Jimmy Rabbit didn't intend to invite +Grumpy Weasel because he was a rascal. +And Timothy Turtle wasn't to be one of +the guests because he would be sure to +grumble at everybody and everything.</p> + +<p>And then there was Nimble Deer. +Jimmy Rabbit said that Nimble was <i>too +big</i> to come to his party. And every one<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> +told Jimmy Rabbit that it was a pity. All +the neighbors said so much that Jimmy +Rabbit didn't know what to do.</p> + +<p>"If I don't ask Nimble you won't be +pleased," Jimmy complained to Billy +Woodchuck. "And if I do ask him and +he should happen to step on you during a +dance you wouldn't like that."</p> + +<p>"Invite him; but keep him away from +the crowd!" Billy Woodchuck suggested.</p> + +<p>"How can I do that?" Jimmy Rabbit +demanded.</p> + +<p>"I don't know," Billy replied. "But I +am sure you can find a way, if anybody +can."</p> + +<p>Well, after that remark there was nothing +Jimmy Rabbit could do except to put +on his thinking cap. But try as he would, +he couldn't hit upon a single plan.</p> + +<p>Now, Nimble Deer had no idea of all +the trouble he was causing Jimmy Rabbit.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> +To be sure, he knew that he was not invited +to Jimmy Rabbit's party. But he +was no person to sulk or feel hurt over +such a matter.</p> + +<p>However, there was one thing that he +thought was odd. Wherever he went he +was sure to come upon Jimmy Rabbit. +Sometimes Nimble would hear a faint +rustle. And when he looked around he +would catch a glimpse of Jimmy Rabbit +ducking out of sight behind a tree. Sometimes +Nimble would be taking a nap under +the shelter of a clump of evergreens. And +he would wake up suddenly with a strange +feeling that somebody was watching him. +And almost always he would discover +Jimmy Rabbit crouching near-by and +staring at him.</p> + +<p>At first, at such times, Nimble only +spoke pleasantly to Jimmy Rabbit. Still +he couldn't help noticing that Jimmy Rab<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span>bit +always acted queerly. He seemed to +be absent minded. If Nimble bade him a +cheerful good morning Jimmy Rabbit was +likely to reply with a good evening. If +Nimble said, "It's a fine day," Jimmy +would say, "Yes! It does look like rain."</p> + +<p>At last, one day, Jimmy Rabbit made +the oddest answer of all. When Nimble +spied him peering from behind a stump +he called, "Hullo! I'm glad to see you." +To which remark Jimmy Rabbit said, "I +hope to see you later."</p> + +<p>"Now, I wonder—" Nimble mused—"I +wonder what he means." And then Nimble +asked Jimmy Rabbit a question: "Are +you feeling well?"</p> + +<p>"As well as could be expected!" Jimmy +Rabbit told him.</p> + +<p>"You don't seem like yourself," said +Nimble. "I haven't seen you smile for +over a week."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span>Then, strangely enough, Jimmy Rabbit +jumped into the air and kicked and +smiled.</p> + +<p>"At last," he cried, "I feel better. I +have solved the problem. Will you come +to my party and help me a week from to-night?"</p> + +<p>Nimble Deer thanked him and said that +he would.</p> + +<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">Contents</a></span> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="Secret" id="Secret">XXI</a></h2> + +<h3>AN UNTOLD SECRET</h3> + +<p>All the field and forest people soon knew +that at last Jimmy Rabbit had invited +Nimble Deer to his party. And everybody +was pleased—that is, everybody except +Grumpy Weasel and old Timothy +Turtle, who were left out in the cold, so +to speak. Grumpy Weasel, when he heard +the news, said, "Humph!" And Timothy +Turtle, when he heard it, said, "Ho!" +And they both declared that they were +<i>glad</i> they were not going to the party.</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow carried the news far and +wide. It was he that told Billy Woodchuck, +in Farmer Green's clover patch.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> +And Billy Woodchuck almost choked +over a clover top, he was so excited.</p> + +<p>"Where's Jimmy Rabbit?" he asked +Mr. Crow. "I want to ask him something."</p> + +<p>"I couldn't say where he is," said Mr. +Crow. "I don't think he'd want me to +tell. But I'll find him for you and I'll +ask him your question—if you'll tell me +what it is." That was Mr. Crow's way. +He was so curious.</p> + +<p>"Thank you!" said Billy Woodchuck. +"I don't want to trouble you, Mr. Crow."</p> + +<p>And though Mr. Crow tried to learn +what the question was, Billy Woodchuck +wouldn't tell him.</p> + +<p>Later Billy was almost sorry he hadn't +accepted Mr. Crow's help. For he couldn't +find Jimmy Rabbit anywhere. And then +Billy happened to meet Nimble Deer.</p> + +<p>"I hear you're going to the party,"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> +Billy said to him. "How are you going to +keep out of the crowd?" That was the +question he had wanted to ask Jimmy +Rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Keep out of the crowd!" Nimble exclaimed. +"I don't expect to keep out of +it. The crowd at a party is more than half +the fun. Since I'm to help Jimmy Rabbit +I'll have to be where the people are."</p> + +<p>"Oh!" said Billy Woodchuck. He had +been a bit worried, for he didn't want +Nimble Deer to step on him at the party. +Even though it might be an accident, being +stepped on by so big a chap as Nimble +would be no joke. Everybody knew that +Nimble's hoofs were sharp.</p> + +<p>But now Billy had learned something +that set his fears at rest. Nimble Deer +was going to <i>help</i> Jimmy at the party.</p> + +<p>"Ah!" Billy Woodchuck murmured to +himself. "That means that Jimmy Rab<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span>bit +has a plan. And it must be a good one; +for his plans are always fine."</p> + +<p>"What are you going to do to help?" he +asked Nimble.</p> + +<p>"Jimmy Rabbit didn't tell me," Nimble +replied. "Maybe I'm to entertain the +company by having a mock battle with +somebody. How would you like to have a +mock battle with me?"</p> + +<p>"I shouldn't care for it at all!"</p> + +<p>"Well, I dare say <i>somebody</i> would enjoy +a sham fight," said Nimble. "I must +ask Jimmy Rabbit who it will be."</p> + +<p>So the next time Nimble found Jimmy +Rabbit he asked him that very question.</p> + +<p>But Jimmy Rabbit said there were to +be no battles of any kind at his party.</p> + +<p>"Then how am I going to help you?"</p> + +<p>"You're going to use your horns—but +not to fight," Jimmy Rabbit explained.</p> + +<p>And he wouldn't say another word.</p> + +<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">Contents</a></span> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="Rack" id="Rack">XXII</a></h2> + +<h3>THE NEW HAT-RACK</h3> + +<p>The night of Jimmy Rabbit's party arrived +at last. The time was an hour after +sunset. The place was Farmer Green's +back pasture. And Jimmy Rabbit was +waiting eagerly. He had told Nimble +Deer to come early, before the other +guests, because Nimble was going to help +him.</p> + +<p>Jimmy Rabbit hadn't waited long when +he heard a muffled thud, followed by a +swift patter.</p> + +<p>"There's Nimble now!" he exclaimed. +"He just jumped the stone wall and he's +coming this way."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span>Jimmy Rabbit was right. In a few seconds +more Nimble Deer stood before him.</p> + +<p>"Here I am!" Nimble cried. "I've +come early and I'm ready to help you."</p> + +<p>"Good!" said Jimmy Rabbit. "Step +this way, please!" And he hopped over +to a clump of evergreens. Nimble followed +him.</p> + +<p>"Now," Jimmy Rabbit went on, "step +inside this thicket and let only your head +and neck stick out!"</p> + +<p>"What shall I do with my antlers?" +Nimble asked him. "They won't come off, +because it's the wrong time of year to shed +them."</p> + +<p>"Oh! I want your antlers to show too," +Jimmy Rabbit assured him.</p> + +<p>So Nimble did exactly as Jimmy Rabbit +had told him.</p> + +<p>Then Jimmy sat up a little way off, +cocked his head on one side, and looked at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> +Nimble. "That's fine!" he declared. +"When the moon comes up everybody will +be able to see you—except what's hidden +by the evergreens."</p> + +<p>"What am I going to do here?" Nimble +inquired.</p> + +<p>"You're to stand perfectly still," +Jimmy explained.</p> + +<p>"And what else?"</p> + +<p>"Nothing!" Jimmy Rabbit answered. +"The other guests will do the rest.... And +now, if you don't mind, I'll leave you +here; for I hear somebody coming."</p> + +<p>He scampered away then. But soon he +came hurrying back.</p> + +<p>"There's something I forgot to say," +he told Nimble hurriedly. "You mustn't +talk. You mustn't even open your mouth. +You mustn't even chew your cud."</p> + +<p>"I suppose I can wink if I want to," +said Nimble Deer.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span>"No, indeed!" Jimmy Rabbit cried. +"That would spoil everything."</p> + +<p>"It's going to be hard," Nimble complained, +"to keep so still."</p> + +<p>"Oh, no!" Jimmy Rabbit assured him. +"It will be easy. Just act as if you were +stuffed!"</p> + +<p>"Stuffed!" Nimble exclaimed. "I've +never been stuffed. I hope I never shall +be. And I don't know how to act as if I +were."</p> + +<p>Jimmy Rabbit didn't even wait to hear +what Nimble said, but whisked away +again.</p> + +<p>"Dear me!" Nimble muttered. "I wish +I hadn't said I'd come to the party and +help. For it certainly won't be any fun +to stand still in this thicket, with only my +head and neck sticking out."</p> + +<p>However, he had promised to help. So +there was nothing to be done except to fol<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span>low +Jimmy Rabbit's orders. And at once +Nimble could hear Jimmy Rabbit welcoming +some early guests.</p> + +<p>"Come this way and leave your hats and +coats!" Jimmy Rabbit was saying. And +soon he returned with Billy Woodchuck +and Fatty Coon at his heels. Jimmy led +them straight to the place where Nimble +stood.</p> + +<p>"Hang your things on my new hat-rack!" +Jimmy Rabbit told them as he +waved a paw toward Nimble's antlers.</p> + +<p>And to Nimble's amazement they +reached up to do as they were told.</p> + +<p>But Nimble's antlers were too high for +them.</p> + +<p>It was a bad moment for Jimmy Rabbit.</p> + +<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">Contents</a></span> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="How" id="How">XXIII</a></h2> + +<h3>HOW NIMBLE HELPED</h3> + +<p>Billy Woodchuck and Fatty Coon had +come early to Jimmy Rabbit's party. And +Jimmy had told them to hang their hats +and coats upon his new hat-rack—meaning +Nimble Deer's antlers. But when +they tried to do as they were bid they +found that the antlers were beyond their +reach.</p> + +<p>Of course Jimmy Rabbit was most uncomfortable. +He coughed and gave Nimble +an odd look. He even nodded his head +at Nimble behind his guests' backs, thereby +doing his best to give Nimble a hint to +lower his head.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span>But Nimble Deer couldn't imagine what +Jimmy Rabbit meant. Hadn't Jimmy +warned him not to move—not even to open +his mouth, or chew his cud, or wink? So +Nimble stood like a statue.</p> + +<p>"I—I see my new hat-rack is too +high," Jimmy Rabbit stammered. "Let +me take your hats and coats and I'll hang +them up for you while you go and wait +for the rest of the company over by the +stone wall!"</p> + +<p>So Billy Woodchuck and Fatty Coon +gave their hats and coats to Jimmy.</p> + +<p>"That's a fine Deer's head," Fatty remarked. +"It seems to me I've seen it +before somewhere."</p> + +<p>"Perhaps! Perhaps!" Jimmy Rabbit +answered. He wished his guests would +move away.</p> + +<p>"Those antlers remind me of Nimble +Deer's," Billy Woodchuck remarked.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> +And he gave Nimble a wink, for he had +quickly guessed the secret of the hat-rack +and how Jimmy Rabbit had planned to +have Nimble at his party and yet keep +him out of the crowd.</p> + +<p>"Is this Deer's head stuffed?" Billy +Woodchuck asked Jimmy Rabbit.</p> + +<p>"Perhaps! Perhaps!" Jimmy muttered. +"Move along, please!"</p> + +<p>Nimble wanted to return that wink that +Billy Woodchuck gave him. But he +didn't, because Jimmy Rabbit had warned +him to keep perfectly still.</p> + +<p>As soon as his guests had left them +Jimmy whispered to Nimble, "Lower your +head a bit, for pity's sake!"</p> + +<p>Nimble promptly obeyed him. And +Jimmy Rabbit hung the hats and coats +upon Nimble's antlers.</p> + +<p>"Now," Jimmy said, "keep your head +exactly where it is!"</p> + +<a name="Uncle" id="Uncle"></a><span class="toill"><a href="#Illus">Illus</a></span> +<p class="center"><a name="image-7" id="image-7"><!-- Image 7 --></a> +<img src="images/illus-125s.jpg" class="jpg" height="605" width="400" alt="Nimble Frightened Uncle Jerry Chuck" +title="Nimble Frightened Uncle Jerry Chuck" /></p> +<p class="image"><a name="jerry" id="jerry" href="images/illus-125x.jpg" class="image"> +View larger image</a></p> + +<p class="center b"><strong>Nimble Frightened Uncle Jerry Chuck.</strong><br /> +<span class="image"><a href="#fright"><i>Page</i> 125</a></span></p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span>"I suppose I may raise it after everybody +has come to the party," Nimble +ventured.</p> + +<p>"No! That would never do," Jimmy +Rabbit replied firmly. "If anybody happened +to come back to get a pocket-handkerchief +out of his coat he'd be sure to +notice the difference."</p> + +<p>A sigh escaped Nimble Deer.</p> + +<p>"My neck will ache before the evening's +over," he said. "Couldn't I take a short +walk in the woods, later, to rest myself?"</p> + +<p>"My goodness, no!" Jimmy cried. +"You'd be sure to lose some of the hats +and coats, or tear them on some briars, or +get them full of burs."</p> + +<p>"How long is the party going to last?" +Nimble asked.</p> + +<p>"Only till midnight!"</p> + +<p>At that Nimble gave a groan.</p> + +<p>"S-s-h!" Jimmy Rabbit laid a paw<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> +upon his lips. "Keep still! Stuffed animals +never talk. If you don't look out +somebody will hear you."</p> + +<p>And then he hurried away to join his +guests. He did not want to leave them +alone too long. He feared they might be +saying things to each other about his new +hat-rack.</p> + +<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">Contents</a></span> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span></p> +<h2 class="t"><a name="Chuck" id="Chuck">XXIV</a></h2> + +<h3>UNCLE JERRY CHUCK</h3> + +<p>Soon Jimmy Rabbit's friends arrived at +his party in throngs. And soon Nimble +Deer's antlers bristled with hats and coats +of many kinds and colors.</p> + +<p>"I must look like a Christmas tree," +Nimble thought. "I wish Jimmy Rabbit +and his friends would come and dance +around me so I might see the fun."</p> + +<p>But they didn't. They stayed down in +a little hollow some distance away. Nimble +could hear their voices. And they +seemed to be having a delightful time.</p> + +<p>As for Nimble, he wasn't having a good +time at all. "I'll never help at another<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> +party!" he promised himself. He couldn't +believe that midnight—and the end of the +party—would ever come.</p> + +<p>At last, however, he took heart. For +old Uncle Jerry Chuck came hurrying up +and began taking hats and coats off Nimble's +antlers. And Nimble knew then that +the party must be almost over.</p> + +<p>"This is a good hat!" Uncle Jerry muttered +to himself. "I'll take it." And +then he said, "This is a good coat! I'll +take it." Then he looked closely at another +hat. "This is a good one, too!" he +remarked. "I might lose the other. I'll +take this one, too—and this coat here," he +added, selecting a second coat that pleased +him.</p> + +<p>Little did Uncle Jerry Chuck dream +that the Deer's head was a real, live one. +And just as the old chap reached for the +second coat Nimble Deer had to cough.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> +He didn't want to. Hadn't Jimmy Rabbit +cautioned him not to stir—not to open his +mouth?</p> + +<p>But the cough came all the same, right +in Uncle Jerry Chuck's ear. <a name="fright" id="fright"></a>And Uncle +Jerry jumped. He dropped both hats and +both coats. And then he waddled off as +fast as he could go and scrambled over +the stone wall, out of sight. He didn't +even wait to get his own rusty coat and +tattered hat, which he had left lying on +the ground.</p> + +<p>Uncle Jerry hadn't been gone long when +all the company came jostling up to Nimble. +Everybody—except Nimble—was +very merry. Amid a good many jokes the +company put on their hats and coats, until +only Aunt Polly Woodchuck's poke bonnet +hung from Nimble's horns.</p> + +<p>Then—just for fun—Jimmy Rabbit set +the bonnet on Nimble's head and tied its<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> +strings under his chin. And Aunt Polly +Woodchuck herself laughed hardest of all.</p> + +<p>And then all at once something happened. +A dog barked. "It's old dog +Spot!" somebody cried.</p> + +<p>Nimble Deer was the first to run. One +leap took him out of the evergreen thicket +in which he had been standing all the +evening. Three leaps more took him over +the stone wall.</p> + +<p>After that nobody saw him—nor Aunt +Polly Woodchuck's bonnet—again that +night.</p> + +<p>The whole company scattered and vanished +like baby grouse surprised in the +woods. And when old dog Spot reached +the clump of evergreens a few moments +later he found nothing to show that there +had been a party there—that is, he found +nothing except a battered hat and a rusty +coat lying on the ground.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span>Spot sniffed at them. "Unless I'm mistaken, +Uncle Jerry Chuck has forgotten +something," he murmured. "No doubt +he'll be back here in a little while."</p> + +<p>So Spot waited and waited there.</p> + +<p>But Uncle Jerry Chuck was half a mile +away and sound asleep in his underground +chamber.</p> + +<p class="b">And Nimble Deer was a mile away, over +in Cedar Swamp, trying to tear Aunt +Polly's bonnet off his head by rubbing his +horns against a young cedar.</p> + +<h3><span class="smcap">THE END</span></h3> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Tale of Nimble Deer, by Arthur Scott Bailey + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TALE OF NIMBLE DEER *** + +***** This file should be named 21619-h.htm or 21619-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/1/6/1/21619/ + +Produced by Mark C. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Tale of Nimble Deer + Sleepy-Time Tales + +Author: Arthur Scott Bailey + +Illustrator: Harry L. Smith + +Release Date: May 26, 2007 [EBook #21619] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TALE OF NIMBLE DEER *** + + + + +Produced by Mark C. Orton, Thomas Strong, Linda McKeown +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + + THE TALE OF NIMBLE DEER + + + _SLEEPY-TIME TALES_ + + (Trademark Registered) + + BY + + ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY + + AUTHOR OF + + _TUCK-ME-IN TALES_ + + (Trademark Registered) + + 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 + THE TALE OF FERDINAND FROG + THE TALE OF DICKIE DEER MOUSE + THE TALE OF TIMOTHY TURTLE + THE TALE OF MAJOR MONKEY + THE TALE OF BENNY BADGER + + +[Illustration: Nimble Told Everybody He Met. + _Frontispiece_--(_Page 27_)] + + + + + _SLEEPY-TIME TALES_ + (Trademark Registered) + + + THE TALE OF + NIMBLE DEER + + + BY + ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY + + + Author of + + "TUCK-ME-IN TALES" + (Trademark Registered) + and + "SLUMBER-TOWN TALES" + (Trademark Registered) + + + ILLUSTRATED BY + HARRY L. SMITH + + + NEW YORK + GROSSET & DUNLAP + PUBLISHERS + +Made in the United States of America + + COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY + GROSSET & DUNLAP + + + + + CONTENTS + + +CHAPTER PAGE + + I THE SPOTTED FAWN 7 + + II LEARNING THINGS 13 + + III AN INTERRUPTED NAP 18 + + IV PLANNING A PICNIC 23 + + V NIMBLE'S MISTAKE 29 + + VI AN UNEXPECTED PARTY 35 + + VII THE STRANGE LIGHT 39 + + VIII MRS. DEER EXPLAINS 44 + + IX A SPIKE HORN 49 + + X AT THE CARROT PATCH 54 + + XI CUFFY AND THE CAVE 60 + + XII CUFFY IS MISSING 65 + + XIII CUFFY BEAR WAKENS 70 + + XIV ANTLERS 75 + + XV A MOCK BATTLE 79 + + XVI MR. CROW LOOKS ON 84 + + XVII WHAT BROWNIE WANTED 90 + + XVIII THE MULEY COW 96 + + XIX THE JUMPING CONTEST 100 + + XX SOLVING A PROBLEM 104 + + XXI AN UNTOLD SECRET 109 + + XXII THE NEW HAT-RACK 113 + + XXIII HOW NIMBLE HELPED 118 + + XXIV UNCLE JERRY CHUCK 123 + + + + +THE TALE OF +NIMBLE DEER + + + + +I + +THE SPOTTED FAWN + + +When Nimble's mother first looked at him she couldn't believe she would +ever be able to raise him. He was such a tiny, frail, spotted thing that +he seemed too delicate for a life of adventure on the wooded ridges and +in the tangled swamps under the shadow of Blue Mountain. + +"Bless me!" cried the good lady. "This child's not much taller than an +overgrown beet top and he can't be any heavier than one of Farmer +Green's prize cabbages. And his legs--" she exclaimed--"his legs are no +thicker than pea pods.... They'll be ready to eat in another month," she +added, meaning _not_ her child's legs, as you might have supposed, but +Farmer Green's early June peas. For Nimble's mother was very fond of +certain vegetables that did not grow wild in the woods. + +Of course young Nimble did not know what she was talking about. He had a +great deal to learn. And he would have to wait until he was a good deal +bigger before his mother took him on an excursion, by night, across the +fields to Farmer Green's garden patch. + +All at once Nimble leaped quickly upon his slightly wobbly legs. He +trembled and gazed up at his mother with a look of fear in his great +eyes. At the same time his mother, too, lifted her head and listened +for a few moments. "Don't be afraid!" she said then, to Nimble. "That's +old Spot--Farmer Green's dog--barking. But he's down near the barns, so +we don't need to worry." + +That was the first time Nimble had ever heard a dog's voice. Yet no one +needed to tell him that it wasn't a pleasant sound. + +Even his mother couldn't help feeling that she had better put a wide +stretch of rough country between her new youngster and old Spot's home. +So in a little while she led the way slowly along the pine grown ridge +which bent around a shoulder of the mountain. She was headed for the +spring which marked the beginning of Broad Brook. + +Her little spotted fawn, Nimble, kept close beside her. Slowly as his +mother moved, he found the traveling none too easy. And he was glad when +she stopped in a pocket-like clearing. There she spoke to a proud +speckled bird who was sitting on a log and amusing himself by spreading +his tail feathers into a beautiful fan. + +"Good morning, Mr. Grouse!" said Nimble's mother. + +"Good morning, madam!" replied the gentleman with the fan. "What a +handsome child you have! There's nothing quite like spots--or +speckles--to add to a person's looks." + +"They _are_ pretty," Nimble's mother agreed with a happy glance at her +son. + +"I can't say he favors his mother," Mr. Grouse remarked. + +"Oh, I had spots enough when I was young," she explained. "You see, all +our family lose our spots as we grow up." + +"I'm glad to say," Mr. Grouse said with a flirt of his tail, "that all +our family keep their spots, every one of them." + +"We get to be so swift-footed that we don't need spots," said Nimble's +mother. + +That speech seemed to displease Mr. Grouse. + +"I hope," he cried, "you don't mean to say that we Grouse aren't swift!" + +"No, indeed!" Nimble's mother answered hastily. + +"I should hope _not_!" was Mr. Grouse's response to that. "For everybody +knows that we go up like rockets at the slightest sign of danger." + +"Exactly!" said Nimble's mother. "You are so swift that you don't really +need those spots to help conceal yourself, once you're grown up." + +"They're handy to have, all the same," he told her. "And as for this +youngster of yours, you needn't worry much about him. He'll be safe +enough in the woods. He looks just like a patch of sunlight that has +fallen through a tree top upon a leaf-strewn bank." + +Nimble's mother was pleased to hear that. + +"Yes!" said Mr. Grouse cheerfully. "He'll be safe enough--except for +the Foxes." + +And that remark didn't please Nimble's mother at all. + + + + +II + +LEARNING THINGS + + +Nimble's mother hadn't liked Mr. Grouse's remark about Foxes. Somehow +she couldn't put Foxes out of her mind. And not once did she mean to let +Nimble wander out of her sight. + +At first, when he was only a tiny chap, it was easy for her to keep her +young son near her. But Nimble grew a little livelier with each day that +passed. And it wasn't long before he began to annoy his mother and worry +her, too. For he soon fell into the habit of dodging behind something or +other, such as a baby pine tree or a clump of blackberry bushes, when +his mother wasn't looking. Every time she missed her spotted fawn the +poor lady was sure a Fox had snatched him up and dragged him away. And +when she found Nimble again she was so glad that she hadn't the heart +to punish him. + +However, one day she talked to him quite severely. + +"Do you want a Fox to catch--and eat--you?" she asked him. + +"No, Mother!... Has a Fox ever eaten you?" + +"Certainly not!" Nimble's mother answered. + +"Do you expect to be caught by a Fox?" + +"No, indeed!" said his mother. + +"Then there can't be any great danger," Nimble remarked lightly. + +"Ah! There's always danger of Foxes so long as you're a little fawn," +she explained. "When you're grown up--or even half grown--no Fox would +dare touch you. But if you wandered away alone at your tender age and +you met a Fox----" Well, the poor lady was so upset by the mere thought +of what might happen that she couldn't say anything more just then. + +But her son Nimble was not upset. + +"If I met a Fox," he declared bravely, "I'd be safe enough. I'd stand +perfectly still. And he wouldn't be able to see me, on account of my +spots." + +"Ah! But if the wind happened to be blowing his way he'd be sure to +smell you," cried Nimble's mother. "And he would find you. And he +would jump at you." + +"I'd run away from him then," said Nimble stoutly. + +His mother shook her head. + +"You're spry for your age. But you're too slow to escape a Fox. You're +not quick enough for that yet. You don't know how quick Foxes are. So +look out! Look out for a sly fellow with a pointed nose and a bushy +tail!" + +In spite of all these warnings Nimble didn't feel the least bit alarmed. +And the older he grew the less he heeded his mother's words. He thought +she was too careful. She seemed always to be on the watch for some +danger. She was forever stopping to look back, lest somebody or +something might be following her. Whenever she picked out a good resting +place behind a clump of evergreens, out of the wind, she never lay down +without first retracing her steps for a little way and peering all +around. Then, of course, she had to walk back again before she sank down +on the bed of her choosing. It all seemed very silly to young Nimble. + +"What's the use," he finally asked her one day, "what's the use of +fussing so much over your back tracks?" + +"You should always know what's behind you," said his mother. "Besides, +I can't rest well if I'm uneasy." + +"Do you feel easy now?" he inquired, for she had just then lain down +after giving her back tracks her usual attention. + +"Quite!" said Nimble's mother, as she closed her eyes and heaved a deep +sigh of contentment. + +Her answer pleased Nimble. He smiled faintly as he watched her closely. +And he chuckled when his mother's head nodded three times and then sank +lower and lower. + +Presently Nimble rose to his feet, without making the slightest rustle. +And very carefully he stole away. + + + + +III + +AN INTERRUPTED NAP + + +Nimble, the fawn, stole away into the woods while his mother was +sleeping. And when he went he took great pains not to disturb her. +He was careful not to step on a single twig. For young as he was, he +knew that the sound of a breaking twig was enough to rouse his mother +instantly out of the deepest sleep. And he made sure that he didn't set +his little feet on any stones. For he knew that at the merest click of +a hoof his mother would bound up and discover that he had left her. + +So Nimble trod only upon the soft carpet of pine needles and made not +the slightest noise. Meanwhile his mother slept peacefully on--or as +peacefully as anybody can who is a light sleeper and keeps one ear +always cocked to catch every stir in the forest. + +She never missed her son at all until she found herself suddenly wide +awake and on her feet, ready to run. Not seeing Nimble beside her, for a +moment or two she forgot she had a child. Her only thought was to flee +from the creature that was crashing through the underbrush beyond the +old stone wall and drawing nearer to her every instant. + +It was a wonder that she didn't dash off then and there. Indeed she took +one leap before she remembered who she was and that she had a youngster +named Nimble. + +Then, of course, she stopped short and looked wildly around. But she saw +no little spotted fawn anywhere. + +She had been startled enough, before, roused as she was out of a sound +sleep. And now she was terribly frightened. + +"Nimble!" she called. "Where are you?" + +"Here I am!" Nimble answered. Even as he spoke he burst into sight, +leaping the stone wall in such a way that his mother couldn't help +feeling proud of him. + +"What's the matter?" she cried. "Who's chasing you?" + +"Nobody's chasing me," Nimble told her. "When I saw the Fox I hurried +back here." + +"The Fox!" his mother exclaimed. "Well, he won't dare touch you while I +am with you." She began to breathe easily again. If it was only a Fox +she certainly didn't intend to run. "Where did you see the Fox?" she +demanded. + +"He was right over my head," Nimble said. + +"My goodness!" his mother gasped. "That was dangerous. Was he on a bank +above you?" + +"He was in a tree," Nimble replied. + +His mother gave him a queer look. + +"What's that?" she asked him sharply. "In a tree? What did he look like? +Was he red?" + +"He was grayish and he had black rings around his long bushy tail; and +his long pointed nose stuck out from under a black mask." + +"Nonsense!" cried Nimble's mother. "You didn't see a Fox. You saw a +Coon!" + +Nimble was puzzled. + +"You told me once," he reminded his mother, "that a Fox was a sly fellow +with a bushy tail and a long pointed nose. And this person in the tree +had----" + +"Yes! Yes!" said his mother. "Now listen to what I say: A Fox is red. +And his tail has no rings at all. And Foxes don't climb trees." + +"Yes, Mother!" was Nimble's meek answer. + +He was glad to learn all that. And he was glad, too, that his mother +hadn't asked him how he happened to stray off alone into the woods. + + + + +IV + +PLANNING A PICNIC + + +While he was only a fawn Nimble became very fond of water lilies. But he +didn't carry them as a bouquet, nor wear one in his buttonhole. He was +fond of lilies in a different way: he liked to eat them, and their flat, +round, glossy pads. At night his mother often led him to the edge of the +lake on the other side of Blue Mountain and there they feasted. + +It was wonderful to stand in the cool water, not too far from the shore, +with the moonlight shimmering on the ruffled lake, and breathe in the +sweet scent of the lilies while nibbling at their pads. + +"There's nothing," said Nimble to his mother one night, "nothing so good +to eat as water lilies." + +His mother said, "Humph! Wait till you've tasted carrots!" + +"Carrots!" Nimble echoed. "What are carrots and where can I find some? +Do they grow in this lake?" + +"Carrots," his mother explained, "are vegetables and they grow in Farmer +Green's garden." + +When he heard that, Nimble wanted to start for Farmer Green's place at +once. But his mother said, "No!" And he soon saw that she meant it, too. + +However, the word _carrots_ was in his mouth a good deal of the time, +for days and nights afterward. But Nimble wasn't satisfied with having +only the _word_ in his mouth. There was no taste to that at all. Nor +could he chew it, nor swallow it. He was wild to bite into a carrot and +see if it actually was more toothsome than a water lily. Again and again +he said to his mother, "Can't we go down to Farmer Green's garden patch +to-night? If we wait much longer somebody else will eat all the carrots +before we get a taste of them." Or maybe he would exclaim, "Let's have +some carrots for supper! Please!" + +It was no wonder that Nimble's mother grew very tired of his teasing. At +last she said to him, when he was urging her to take him down the hill +and across the meadow to Farmer Green's vegetable garden, "There's no +sense in our going down there now. The carrots aren't big enough yet. +They aren't ready to eat. But later, if you show you're trustworthy, and +if you mind well, and if you grow enough, and if you can start quickly +and run fast, perhaps I'll see that you have your first meal of +carrots. Now, don't bother me any more!" + +Well, there were so many _ifs_ in his mother's promise that Nimble +almost gave up hope of ever getting to Farmer Green's garden patch. He +didn't quite dare expect that his mother would take him there with her. +But he made up his mind that if she didn't he would go on a carrot hunt +alone as soon as he could. + +At the same time he practiced minding his mother, which was not always +a pleasant thing to do. And he practiced starting and running, both of +which were a good deal of fun. As for growing, Nimble did not need to +practice that at all; for he was getting heavier and taller every day, +without doing anything more than to eat and to sleep and to have the +best time possible. + +Meanwhile he told everybody he met that if all went well he would be +eating carrots some day. And when his friends learned that he planned +to go on an excursion to Farmer Green's garden patch there wasn't one +of them that didn't say he would like to go too. + +Jimmy Rabbit said he really ought to have a look at the cabbages. And if +Nimble didn't mind he thought it would be pleasant to join the party. +Patty Coon remarked that there were certain matters connected with corn +which he must attend to, and if there was no objection he would go along +with the rest, when the time came for the excursion. Even Cuffy Bear, +who almost never went near the farm buildings, declared that there was +nothing he would enjoy more than to make the trip with Nimble and his +mother. He had once tasted baked beans. And ever since that occasion he +had meant to see if he couldn't find some around Farmer Green's house. + +Of course it would have been awkward to say no. So Nimble said yes to +everybody. He even promised that he would let all his friends know when +the excursion should take place. + +But of all these things he said not a word to his mother. He was not +sure that they would please her. In fact he was sure that they +wouldn't. + + + + +V + +NIMBLE'S MISTAKE + + +One morning Nimble's mother said to him, "To-night, just as the moon +rises, we'll start for Farmer Green's garden patch." + +He knew what that meant. It meant that he was going to know, at last, +what carrots tasted like. And he was delighted. + +"You've improved fast," his mother told him. "You've grown a good deal. +You start to run much more quickly than you did a month ago; and you're +quite speedy now. I must say that you don't mind me any too well. Take +care that to-night you do exactly as you're ordered!" + +Nimble promised. "I'll be good," he said. "No matter how many carrots +you want me to eat, I'll finish every one." + +"No matter if you haven't had a chance to eat a single carrot, if I +tell you to run you must obey instantly," his mother warned him. "Two +seconds' delay might be fatal," she added solemnly. "If we hear a twig +snap you mustn't stop to look nor listen." + +"Yes!" said Nimble. But ten minutes later he couldn't have repeated a +word that his mother said--except that they were going to start for the +garden when the moon rose. That much he told Jimmy Rabbit when he met +him in the woods a little while afterward. And Jimmy Rabbit agreed to +get the news, somehow, to Fatty Coon and Cuffy Bear. + +He was as good as his promise--even better. For Jimmy told everybody he +met that day. He explained about the excursion to the garden patch and +said that every one must be ready to start just as the moon peeped over +the rim of the world, for Nimble Deer's mother wouldn't wait for anybody +that wasn't on hand. + +Nimble found that day a long one. He was so eager to get a carrot +between his lips that he thought night would never come. But darkness +fell at last. And some hours later his mother said to him, "Are you +ready?" + +He was. So together they passed silently along the old runway which +led, as his mother knew, to the pasture fence. The woods were inky +black, for the moon had not yet risen. But Nimble's mother remarked +that she thought they would see it when they reached the open hillside. + +Just before they came to the fence somebody spoke. Nimble's mother +jumped when somebody cried, "Good evening!" But she knew at once that +it was only Jimmy Rabbit. + +"I see you're on time," he said. "I haven't been waiting long." + +"Waiting?" Nimble's mother exclaimed. "Waiting for what?" + +"For you!" he answered. "I heard you were going down to the garden +patch to-night; and I'm to be one of the party." + +The good lady thought it queer. How did Jimmy Rabbit happen to have +heard of the excursion? She couldn't imagine. But he was a harmless +little fellow. Really she didn't mind having him go with her. + +"Very well!" she told him. "But remember: You must be quiet!" And she +was just about to walk up to the fence when she gave a searching look +all around. "Bless me!" she muttered. "I never saw so many eyes in all +my life. Who are all these people?" + +It was no wonder she asked that question. For no matter where she +turned, pairs of eyes burned in the darkness. + +Strangely enough, nobody answered. Jimmy Rabbit didn't say a word. And +as for Nimble, he didn't seem to hear--nor understand--anything his +mother said. + +"I repeat," she spoke again, "who are these people? Why have they +gathered here? The woods aren't afire, are they?" And she lifted her +nose and sniffed at the air. But she could find no trace of smoke. + +Somehow Nimble began to feel ill at ease. He edged away from his mother +and tried to hide behind Jimmy Rabbit. And that was a ridiculous thing +to do; because Nimble was ever so much the bigger of the two. + +Presently his mother gave him a sharp look. And then he, too, raised +his muzzle and sniffed. + +"I don't smell any smoke," he stammered. + +"Do you know why there's such a crowd here?" she asked him sternly. + +"I think," he said, "they expect to go to the garden patch with us." + +And his mother wondered, then, why she hadn't guessed the secret +instantly. + + + + +VI + +AN UNEXPECTED PARTY + + +Nimble's mother's plans went all awry. She had expected to give her son +a treat by taking him quietly to Farmer Green's carrot patch, so that +he might have his first taste of carrots. So it wasn't strange that it +upset her a bit when she found that there were dozens of other forest +folk all ready and waiting to go along with them. One extra member of +the party wouldn't have displeased her, especially when that one was +Jimmy Rabbit. But she had never gone near the farm buildings with more +than two others. And she didn't intend to break her rule now. + +Besides, it annoyed her above all to know that her son had spread the +news of the excursion far and wide. + +"Did you _invite_ these people?" she asked Nimble in a low voice. + +"No! Oh, no!" + +"Then what brings them here?" she demanded. + +"Their legs, I suppose," he replied. + +"Be careful!" she said. "Be very careful!" + +Then Nimble began to whine. And that was something he almost never did. + +"They said they'd like to come," he told his mother. "And I said maybe +you wouldn't mind." + +"Well, I do mind," she declared firmly. "When I take a child to the +carrot patch for the first time I don't want company. One of this crowd +is more than likely to rouse old dog Spot. And we can't have him +ranging around while we're dining." + +"Then tell everybody to go home!" Nimble suggested. "Tell them to go +'way!" + +"No!" said his mother. "That wouldn't be polite." + +She was silent for a few moments. And then she explained to Jimmy Rabbit +and to the owners of the pairs of eyes that still stared at her out of +the darkness. She explained that on account of an unexpected party she +wasn't going to the carrot patch that night. + +"When are you going?" asked the owner of one pair of specially bright +eyes. + +"Ha!" Nimble's mother exclaimed. "Is that Cuffy Bear speaking?" + +"Yessum!" said the same voice. + +"I fear," she told him, "I may not be able to go for a long time." + +"Never mind!" Cuffy cried. "I can go any night--that is, until I den up +for the winter." + +And every one in the company declared that he hadn't a single engagement +that would prevent him from visiting the garden whenever Nimble's mother +should say the word. + +"Well," said she, "it won't be to-night, anyhow." And with that she +turned around and began to walk along the runway again, away from the +pasture fence. + +As Nimble followed her Jimmy Rabbit skipped alongside him and whispered +in his ear. + +"Don't fail to let me know when the time comes!" + +But Nimble said never a word. Somehow he suspected that he had made a +great mistake. + +He _knew_ he had, a little later. + + + + +VII + +THE STRANGE LIGHT + + +Weeks went by; and still Nimble's mother said no more about visiting +Farmer Green's carrot patch. Nimble himself did not dare to mention +carrots now. It was his own fault that the excursion had been postponed. +And much as he still wanted a taste of carrots the whole affair was +something he didn't care to talk about. + +Anyhow, it was lucky that he liked water lilies. For his mother took him +to the lake behind Blue Mountain every night, almost. And there they +splashed in the shallows and ate all they wanted. + +Most of those nights were much alike. But there was one that Nimble +remembered for many a day afterward. + +It was not a dark night; neither was it a light one. It was a +half-and-half sort of night. There was a moon. But it was far from full. +And it was not high in the sky. The light from it came slanting down +upon the lake, throwing the shadows of the trees far out upon the water. + +Where those shadows reached out darkly Nimble and his mother stood with +the water lapping their sleek bodies. And they were eating so busily +that neither of them noticed a blurred shape that glided slowly nearer +and nearer to them, without making the slightest sound. + +All at once a shaft of dazzling light swept along the shore. Nimble was +so surprised and puzzled that he stopped eating to stand still and gaze +at it. + +[Illustration: Never Had Nimble Run So Fast Before. + _Page_ 42] + +But only for a moment! Instantly his mother flung her tail upward, so +that the under side of it gleamed white even in the half light. And +that--as Nimble knew right well--that was the danger signal. + +Almost before Nimble knew what was happening his mother made for the +shore. As she plunged through the water her tail, still aloft like a +flag, twitched from side to side. + +Nimble needed no urging to follow it. Soon they scrambled, dripping, out +of the lake to dive headlong into the cover of the overhanging willows. + +In those few seconds the light darted swiftly towards them. But it was +not quite quick enough. Only the ripples told where they had been +standing. Only the gently waving branches of the willows showed where +Nimble and his mother had vanished. + +A noise like a thunder-clap crashed upon Nimble's ears and rolled and +tumbled in the distance, tossed from the mountain to the hills across +the lake, and back again. It frightened Nimble much more than did the +odd whistle that whined just above his head a moment before the thunder +peal. + +Never had he run so fast before. Never had his mother set such a pace +for him. Usually, when startled, she stopped after going a short +distance and looked back to try to get a glimpse of whoever or whatever +had alarmed her. To be sure, she always stopped in a good place, like +the edge of Cedar Swamp, where she could duck out of sight if need be. + +But this time Nimble's mother ran on and on without pausing. + +"Haven't you forgotten something?" her son gasped after a while. + +"Forgotten something? What do you mean?" she asked. + +"Haven't you forgotten to stop?" Nimble inquired. + +A queer look came over her face. + +"I declare," she said, "I do believe I'd Have run all night if you +hadn't reminded me." She fell into a walk. And neither of them said +another word until they reached the swamp, which was one of his +mother's favorite hiding places. Then Nimble spoke again. + +"I waved my flag too," he said proudly. + + + + +VIII + +MRS. DEER EXPLAINS + + +For the first time in his life Nimble felt quite grown up. He forgot +that he had not yet lived a whole summer. He had made a suggestion to +his mother which she had promptly acted upon. It had never happened +before. And that was enough to cause him great pleasure. + +Then there was something else that made Nimble believe himself to be a +person of some account: A strange affair had happened at the lake. He +had seen it all. He had taken part in it himself. Really it was no +wonder that he began to talk quite importantly. + +"It was lucky I was with you," he remarked to his mother as they rested +amid the tangle of Cedar Swamp. + +"It was lucky we weren't any further out in the lake," she exclaimed. +"If you hadn't been with me no doubt I'd have gone where the water was +much deeper. And that light would have caught me before I could have +reached the shore." + +What his mother said made Nimble feel bigger than ever. He wasn't quite +sure what had happened back there, where they had been surprised while +eating water lilies. But he meant to find out, for he thought it would +make a good story to tell his friends. + +"Would the moon have burnt us if it had hit us?" he inquired. + +"What in the world are you talking about?" his mother asked him. + +He looked puzzled at her question. + +"Wasn't that the moon that lit up the lake along the shore?" he +demanded. + +"Certainly not!" she replied. + +"Didn't the moon fall into the water?" he asked. + +"No, indeed!" his mother cried. She was astonished at his question. + +Nimble was disappointed. He had thought he had a wonderful tale to tell. +And he couldn't understand yet why everything wasn't as he had supposed. + +"I was sure the moon fell into the lake and blew up," he explained. +"What was that terrible noise we heard if it wasn't the moon bursting +into pieces?" + +His mother didn't laugh. Instead she was quite solemn as she answered +Nimble's last question. + +"That--" she said--"that was a gun that you heard. And the light that +you saw came from a lantern in a boat." + +It was very hard for Nimble to believe what she told him. + +"I thought I heard a piece of the moon whistle past my head," he went +on. + +"A bullet!" his mother declared. As she spoke she moved a little +distance, to a spot where the trees were not so thick. And she raised +her nose towards the sky. "There!" she said. "There's the moon! It's +still up there where you've always seen it." + +Nimble looked; and at last he knew that his mother had made no mistake. +But somehow he was more frightened than ever. + +"Then--" he faltered--"then there must have been men in the boat--men +that turned the light upon the shore--and fired the gun!" + +"They were men--yes!" said his mother. "And they were lawbreakers, too. +I hope the game warden will catch them at their tricks." + +"What is a game warden?" Nimble asked her. + +"He's a man," she answered. "He's a man that looks after all of us +forest folk and he's the best friend we've got.... Goodness, child! +Are you never going to stop asking questions?" + + + + +IX + +A SPIKE HORN + + +Nimble didn't mind losing his spots, when he grew older. He had +something else that gave him much more pleasure than they ever had. He +had a new toy. Or to be exact, he had two new toys. And everywhere he +went he carried them with him. + +He carried them on his head. And he couldn't have left them behind in +the woods even if he had wanted to--at least not until he had enjoyed +them for a whole season. + +Of course you have already guessed that he had a pair of horns. They +were not very big. But neither was Nimble, for that matter. So they +suited him well. A little deer like him would have looked queer wearing +great branching horns such as his father owned. + +Nimble's horns were merely two spikes which stuck up out of the top of +his head in a pert fashion. + +It was a proud day for him when an old deer spoke to him and called him +"young Spike Horn." About that time the forest folk had begun to speak +of him as a "yearling." But there was something about "Spike Horn" that +sounded much more important. + +Somehow there was a new crop of Spike Horns that summer--Nimble's second +summer. And every one of them had been--like him--a little spotted fawn +the year before. + +At first Nimble had thought it fun to use his new horns to jab anybody +that happened to be with him. One day he even stole up behind his own +mother and gave her a sharp prod with them. + +He never did that again. His mother quickly taught him better. She +wheeled and struck him smartly with her fore feet. + +"There!" she cried. "That's the first time a child of mine has played +that trick on me.... Let it be the last!" + +And it was. Nimble was very careful, after that, to prod only those that +didn't mind such pranks. + +Luckily he soon found that the other Spike Horns liked the same sort of +fun that he did. They were just as proud of their new horns as he was of +his. And (sad to say!) there was a good deal of boasting among them. +Each one declared that his own horns were the longest and strongest. + +All the Spike Horns, including Nimble, were forever butting one another +in play. And they had just discovered a new sport when Nimble met with +what he feared, for a time, was a terrible accident. + +Late in the fall, before the deep snows came, both his horns loosened +and dropped off his head. + +"Oh! oh!" he cried when he saw what had happened. "I'll never be able to +take part in another mock battle again!" For the Spike Horns had had gay +times pretending to fight one another in a most savage fashion. + +After Nimble lost his horns he carefully avoided all his playmates. He +didn't want the other Spike Horns to see him. At last, to his great +dismay, one day he came face to face with one of them. They both tried +to dodge out of sight. But the other, whose name was Dodger, was not +quite quick enough. Before he hid behind a thicket Nimble saw that he +had lost his horns too! + +Then Nimble guessed the truth. He knew why it was that he had managed to +keep out of sight of his friends. Every Spike Horn in the neighborhood +had lost his horns! And every one of them had been trying to keep out of +sight. + + + + +X + +AT THE CARROT PATCH + + +During his first summer Nimble never reached Farmer Green's carrot patch +once. His mother had planned to take him there. But on account of an +unexpected party she had postponed their visit. And somehow the right +night for a trip after carrots never seemed to come again. + +Now, Nimble had never forgotten what his mother had told him about +carrots. And he was going after some--so he promised himself--just as +soon as he was big enough. + +When Nimble's second summer rolled around he was big enough and old +enough to prowl through the woods and fields much as he pleased. He was +a Spike Horn. And he felt fit to go to the carrot patch without waiting +for anybody to show him the way. + +So one night he stole down the hillside pasture, across the meadow, and +jumped the fence into Farmer Green's garden. + +He saw at once that somebody was there ahead of him. It was Jimmy +Rabbit. He was very busy with one of Farmer Green's cabbages. + +"I've come down to try the carrots," said Nimble. + +Jimmy Rabbit made no reply, except to nod his head slightly. He was +eating so fast that he really couldn't speak just then. + +"Are these carrots?" Nimble inquired, as he looked about at the big +cabbages, which crossed the garden in long rows. + +Jimmy Rabbit shook his head. + +"They seem to be good," said Nimble, "whatever they are. I'll taste of +one." + +And he did. In fact he tasted of three or four of them, eating their +centers out neatly. + +Meanwhile Jimmy Rabbit was becoming uneasy. And at last he spoke. + +"I thought," he said, "you told me you had come down here to try the +carrots." + +"So I did," Nimble answered. "But I don't know where the carrots are." + +"Why didn't you say so before?" Jimmy Rabbit asked him. And without +waiting for a reply he cried, "Follow me! I'll show you." And he hopped +off briskly, with Nimble after him. + +Soon Jimmy Rabbit came to a halt. + +"Here it is!" he said. "Here's the carrot patch. Help yourself!" And +then he hopped away again, back to his supper of cabbages. + +[Illustration: Nimble Deer Followed Jimmy Rabbit. + _Page 57_] + +Nimble Deer began to eat the carrot tops. And he was greatly +disappointed. + +"They're not half as good as those great round balls," he muttered. And +he turned away from the carrots, to go back and join Jimmy Rabbit. But +he hadn't gone far when he met Jimmy bounding along in a great hurry. + +"Old dog Spot!" Jimmy Rabbit gasped as he whisked past Nimble. "He's out +to-night and he's coming this way." + +In one leap Nimble sprang completely around and followed Jimmy Rabbit +across the meadow, up through the pasture and over the stone wall into +the woods. There they lost each other. + +The next morning Nimble met his mother along the ridge that ran down +toward Cedar Swamp. + +"I went down to the carrot patch last night," he told her. "And I must +say I don't see why you're so fond of carrots. They're not half as good +as some big green balls that I found in the garden. I call the carrot +leaves tough. But the big green balls have very tender leaves." + +His mother gave him a queer look. + +"Do you mean to tell me," she asked him, "that you ate only the _leaves_ +of the carrots?" + +"Why, yes!" said Nimble. "I saw nothing else to eat. There was no fruit +on them." + +"Ho!" cried his mother. "You have to dig with your toes to reach the +carrots themselves. They're down in the ground. And to my mind there's +nothing any juicier and sweeter and tenderer than nice young carrots, +eaten by the light of the moon." + +Nimble felt very foolish. And then he tossed his head and said lightly, +"Oh, well! It wouldn't have made any difference if I _had_ dug the +carrots out of the dirt. They wouldn't have tasted right anyhow. For +there was no moon last night!" + + + + +XI + +CUFFY AND THE CAVE + + +Nimble did not spend all his spare moments with the other Spike Horns. +Once in a while he met Cuffy Bear prowling about near the foot of Blue +Mountain. But Nimble never had a mock battle with Cuffy. Cuffy Bear was +a famous boxer. And in each of his paws he carried long sharp claws. +What if Cuffy should forget to pull in those claws sometime, when he +struck you a playful tap? Ah! That wouldn't be very pleasant! This was +what Nimble thought about the matter. So he never butted Cuffy Bear nor +pricked him with his spikes. + +On the whole they found each other good company. Cuffy liked to see +Nimble jump. And Nimble liked to see Cuffy climb trees. + +One day, late in the fall, that year when Nimble was a Spike Horn, he +strayed half way up the side of Blue Mountain. It was seldom that Nimble +wandered so far up the steep and thickly wooded slopes. But old dog Spot +was ranging about the lower woods. And for once Nimble did not run for +Cedar Swamp when he heard the old dog bay. Instead he climbed steadily +until he was sure that he had shaken Spot off his trail. + +Nimble had stopped for a drink at the spring which marked the beginning +of Broad Brook and there he met Cuffy Bear, who was just turning away +from the ice-framed pool. "Aren't you a long way from home?" Cuffy asked +him. + +"Yes! But I can get down to my favorite ridge quickly enough, when I +want to," said Nimble. "Do you live in this neighborhood?" + +"I'm not quite sure," Cuffy Bear replied. "I've had my eye on a snug den +a little further up the mountain. I'm thinking of living there, if it +suits me.... Wouldn't you like to see it?" + +Nimble told Cuffy that he would be delighted. So they started up the +mountain, after Nimble had had his drink. + +Cuffy Bear led the way. And in a short time he stopped in front of a +cave. A tangle of bushes hid the mouth of it. You'd have passed right +by it without ever guessing that there was any cave there. + +"This is it," Cuffy Bear told Nimble. "Come right in!" + +"No, thank you. I'd rather not," said Nimble. "I don't care for caves, +myself, though this seems to be a good one." + +"It's worth seeing," Cuffy Bear urged. + +"No, thank you!" Nimble repeated. + +"You don't mind if I take a look at it?" Cuffy Bear inquired. "Maybe I +can make up my mind--about living here--if I look at the cave once +more." + +"Go inside, by all means!" Nimble cried. + +"Will you wait here till I come out?" Cuffy asked him. + +And Nimble promised that he would wait. + +Cuffy Bear yawned as he turned away. And Nimble thought it strange that +he didn't take the trouble to beg pardon, nor to cover the yawn with a +paw. Only a very careless--or a very sleepy--person would forget those +things, Nimble knew. + +Well, Cuffy crept inside the cave. And outside Nimble waited. He waited +and waited, until at last the afternoon light began to fade. + +"I wish he'd hurry," Nimble muttered. "We're going to have a storm and I +don't want to stay up here in it, all night." + +Snowflakes were already falling. And Nimble wished he hadn't promised +that he would wait till Cuffy Bear came out of the cave. + +He went to the entrance and called. But he got no answer. + +"I hope nothing has happened to him," Nimble said. + +But something had. + + + + +XII + +CUFFY IS MISSING + + +Far up on the dark mountainside, in the driving snow, Nimble waited in +front of the cave where Cuffy Bear had vanished. And all the time Nimble +was growing more uneasy. He feared that Cuffy Bear might be in some sort +of trouble. + +Nimble looked all about for help. But there wasn't a sign of anybody +stirring, anywhere. All the mountain people seemed to have sought +shelter from the storm. + +At last, however, Peter Mink came sneaking up from the spring. He had +set out to follow Broad Brook all the way up to its beginning, on a +hunt for meadow mice. And when he set out to do a thing he always +finished it, no matter what the weather might be. + +"You're just the person I want to see!" Nimble cried. "Will you do me a +favor?" + +Now, Peter Mink never did anybody a favor if he could help it. So he +promptly said, "No!" + +"Won't you go inside this cave for me and see what's happened to Cuffy +Bear?" Nimble implored him. "He went inside the cave. I promised to wait +for him here. And he has been gone for hours." + +"I won't go into that cave for anybody," Peter Mink declared. "How do I +know you're not trying to play a trick on me? I don't see any Bear +tracks in the snow." + +"Of course you don't!" Nimble agreed. "All this snow has fallen since +Cuffy crawled into the cave." + +"Why don't you go inside yourself?" Peter Mink inquired with something +very like a sneer. + +"I'm too tall," said Nimble. "Besides, I don't like caves. I keep out of +them." + +"So do I!" Peter Mink declared--though everybody knew that he went +everywhere--even under the ice along Broad Brook and Swift River. + +Poor Nimble didn't know what to do. He felt that he ought to go for +help, somewhere. But he had promised Cuffy Bear to wait for him. + +Then all at once an idea came to him. Why not send Peter Mink for help? + +"Won't you please go down to Cedar Swamp and ask Fatty Coon to come up +here?" Nimble begged Peter. + +"I can't," Peter answered. "I must go home now." And everybody knew +that Peter Mink had no home at all! He was the vagabond of the woods. + +Nimble saw then that it was useless to look for help from him. And after +Peter Mink had gone his surly way Nimble still lingered there. He was +hungry. So he began to paw the snow away here and there, to uncover the +ground growths. And just as he was nibbling beside a bush somebody said, +"Don't step on me!" + +It was Mr. Grouse, half buried in the snow. + +"I wondered why you were waiting here so long," Mr. Grouse told Nimble. +"When I heard you talking to that rascal, Peter Mink, I knew the reason. +But I didn't dare speak while he was about." + +"Are you going to spend the night here?" Nimble asked him. + +"Yes!" said Mr. Grouse. "I shall be snug and warm after the snow covers +me." + +"Well, your head won't be covered for some time," Nimble told him. "Are +you willing to keep an eye out for Cuffy Bear? I'm going down to Cedar +Swamp to get help. And Cuffy Bear might come out of the cave while I'm +gone." + +"I'd be glad to watch," Mr. Grouse replied, "but it wouldn't be any +use." + +"Why not?" Nimble asked him. "Don't you think we'll see Cuffy again?" + +"Oh, we'll see him," Mr. Grouse answered. "But it won't be till towards +spring. For there's no doubt that Cuffy Bear has fallen into his +winter's sleep." + +And then Nimble exclaimed that Cuffy Bear had yawned as he turned away +to enter the cave. He hadn't even begged pardon, nor covered his mouth +with a paw. + +"No doubt he was very, very sleepy," said Mr. Grouse. + + + + +XIII + +CUFFY BEAR WAKENS + + +The winter after Nimble lost his spike horns was a mild one. The +snowfall was light. And Nimble was able to roam up and down Pleasant +Valley and about Blue Mountain as he pleased. + +It happened that a certain bright day in early spring found him far up +the side of the mountain, near the cave where he had waited for Cuffy +Bear weeks before. And as that whole queer affair came back to his mind +Nimble remembered how he had fed upon the green things under the snow. + +That thought made him hungry. So he began to paw away the soft heavy +snow, which wasn't more than a foot deep; and he was enjoying a good +meal when he heard a sudden _woof_ behind him. + +Nimble wheeled instantly. And there, at the mouth of the cave, peering +over the tangle which screened it, Cuffy Bear stood upon his hind legs, +rubbing his eyes. Catching sight of Nimble, Cuffy blinked at him. + +"Where's Nimble Deer, madam?" Cuffy Bear growled presently. + +"I'm right here!" Nimble replied. "But please don't call me 'madam!'" + +"You're not Nimble Deer. You're a Doe," Cuffy Bear insisted. "You have +no horns." + +"I'm a Deer," Nimble retorted. "I had horns; but I've shed them." + +Cuffy Bear _woofed_ a bit more. He seemed to be somewhat ill-tempered. + +"You can't fool me," he grunted. "Nimble Deer's horns were firm upon his +head when I left him here and stepped inside this cave. He agreed to +wait for me; and I'm surprised that he broke his promise." + +"I am Nimble Deer," Nimble declared again. "You led me to this spot from +the spring. You told me you wanted to take another look at this cave +because you were thinking of making it your winter home." + +Cuffy Bear eyed Nimble with astonishment. And he shambled up to Nimble +and sniffed at him. + +"It _is_ you!" Cuffy cried at last. "So you _did_ wait for me!" + +"No, I didn't," Nimble confessed. + +"But here you are!" Cuffy Bear retorted. "You _must_ have been waiting +for me. And if I've kept you a bit longer than I intended to, I'm sorry. +I think I fell asleep in that den and had a short nap." + +[Illustration: Nimble Deer Tells Cuffy Bear About His Horns. + _Page 71_] + +"A short nap!" Nimble repeated. "You've been asleep in there all winter! +It's weeks and weeks since I last saw you. And I'm here now only because +I happened to wander this way, when I heard old dog Spot baying." + +Cuffy Bear was so surprised that he couldn't say another word. His mouth +fell open. And he gazed blankly at Nimble. + +But at last he spoke. "I must apologize to you," he said, "though it was +really no wonder I called you 'madam.' You have changed a great deal +since I left you here." + +"And you--" Nimble told him--"you have changed too." + +"I have?" Cuffy Bear cried. "How's that? How have I changed?" + +"You look much hungrier," Nimble explained. + +Cuffy Bear laid a paw across his waistcoat. + +"I _am_ hungry," he admitted. "And if you're going down the mountain I +think I'll stroll along with you and see what I can find to eat." + +"Very well!" Nimble agreed. + +"One moment!" Cuffy Bear said hastily. "Just one moment, please! Wait +till I go inside my cave! I believe I left my cap in there." + +"I'm not going to wait for you," Nimble replied firmly. "For all I know +you might not come out again till haying time." + +And then Nimble trotted off down the mountainside, heading for Cedar +Swamp. For he didn't think old dog Spot would wander in that direction. + + + + +XIV + +ANTLERS + + +Although Nimble had lost his horns he managed to go through the winter +without missing them as much as he had expected. And in time he had +almost forgotten the pair of spikes that he had worn on his head the +summer before. Then, one day, he made a great discovery. He found that +new horns were sprouting to take the place of those that he had lost! + +"Now I can have some mock battles again--when my horns get long enough," +he thought. And then he stopped short. What if the Spike Horns of the +year before had no more horns? If they were hornless they certainly +wouldn't care to take part in any mock battles. + +Nimble's fears were soon set at rest. His old playmates soon let him +know that they were all going to have new horns too. + +And then, a little later, Nimble made another great discovery. He was +looking into a pool one morning when he saw something that gave him huge +delight. His new horns were not like last year's horns. He beheld, +mirrored in the water, a handsome pair of Y-shaped antlers, each with +two points! + +"Hurrah!" he cried. "I'll make those Spike Horns feel like hiding +themselves again." + +He had expected to have a pleasant time showing his new antlers to his +old friends. When he met Dodger the Deer, Nimble called to him: "See +what I've got! Antlers! Two points!" + +"Ho!" said Dodger. "So have I got antlers. And they have two points, +too." + +Nimble had been so interested in his own horns that he hadn't looked at +Dodger's. And now when he gazed at them he saw that they were like his. + +"What about the rest of the Spike Horns?" Nimble asked Dodger. "Have +they----" + +"Yes, they have!" Dodger interrupted. "I tell you, 'two-pointers' are +common this season." + +"So there aren't any more Spike Horns!" said Nimble somewhat sadly. + +"Oh, yes! Plenty!" Dodger answered. "But they're an entirely new crop. +They were fawns last year." + +When he heard that bit of news Nimble felt happier. And as soon as he +parted from Dodger the Deer he went and found some of the new Spike +Horns and showed them his wonderful two-point antlers. + +But somehow they didn't seem at all impressed. They were too much taken +up with their own spikes to pay any attention to Nimble. + +"Anyhow," he said to himself, "we 'two-pointers' can have some good mock +battles together." + +And they did. They had mock battles that became famous all around Blue +Mountain. And of all the "two-pointers" that lived in that neighborhood, +Nimble and his friend Dodger the Deer were known as the best +sham-fighters. They could look fiercer and act angrier than any of their +young friends. And the way they tore into each other was almost enough +to frighten you, if you had seen them. + +Old Mr. Crow said it was worth flying a mile to watch one of their +set-tos. + + + + +XV + +A MOCK BATTLE + + +When Nimble had three-points on each of his antlers, in his fourth +summer, he felt that he was at last grown up. He was now a +"three-pointer." Some of the older bucks had no more points than he. +Many of them were but "four-pointers." His own father had been a +"five-pointer." So Nimble hoped, secretly, that he would have five-point +antlers in another two years. + +As soon as his new horns were ready Nimble and his friend Dodger the +Deer began their mock battles again. And Nimble found them greater fun +than ever. + +Dodger was a spry fellow. He was quick as a flash at dodging. When +Nimble ran at him with head lowered and horns aimed straight at him +Dodger could wait until Nimble all but struck him, before leaping aside. +And then Nimble would go rushing past him. + +But Dodger did not always dodge when attacked. Sometimes he stood his +ground, with his own head lowered in a threatening fashion. And then +Nimble checked his headlong rush and merely clashed his horns pleasantly +against Dodger's. + +There was something about the sound that sent a thrill through Nimble +and started his coat to bristling along his backbone with a queer, +creepy feeling. + +One day in the fall Nimble's mother came upon them in the woods when +they were having one of their sham fights. + +"You'd better stop that!" she said to them severely. "Somebody will get +hurt sooner or later if you're not careful." + +Nimble and Dodger paid little heed to her warning, except to stop until +the good lady had gone on and left them. Then, just as they were on the +point of renewing their frolic, somebody spoke in a hoarse voice. It was +old Mr. Crow. He sat on a low branch of a spreading pine, where he had +been watching the contest for some time without being noticed. + +"I'd have my fun if I wanted to," he croaked. "Ladies are too finicky. +They don't know what a good time is." + +Now, Mr. Crow's remarks pleased Nimble. And they pleased Dodger the +Deer. They didn't know that the old gentleman was a famous trouble +maker. + +So Dodger and Nimble drew a little distance apart, as they always did +when they were getting ready to clash. + +"Go it!" squalled Mr. Crow. + +And they started. And Mr. Crow jumped up and down in his excitement. + +"Now there's going to be some real fun," he muttered. + +But Dodger the Deer leaped aside just in time to avoid being hit. And +that didn't please Mr. Crow at all. + +"You fellows aren't half trying," he cried impatiently. "Anyone would +think you were a pair of Spike Horns." + +Now, all Spike Horns were two whole years younger than Dodger and +Nimble. So it was no wonder that Mr. Crow's words stung them. + +Nimble charged more fiercely than ever. And Dodger stood his ground. +With his feet planted firmly beneath him he waited for the blow. + +There was a crack and a thud. + +"Ha!" Mr. Crow squawked. "That's a little more like it. Dodger didn't +dodge that time, to be sure. But he stood still. And only a Spike Horn +would stand and _wait_ for the enemy." + +Of course Dodger couldn't help wanting to show Mr. Crow that he knew how +to carry on a mock battle. So the next time Nimble rushed at him Dodger +did not wait. He jumped to meet Nimble. They struck in the air with a +frightful crash and fell sprawling upon the ground. + +"Ha! That's more like it!" Mr. Crow applauded. "That's the sort of mock +battle I like to see!" + + + + +XVI + +MR. CROW LOOKS ON + + +Nimble and his friend Dodger the Deer picked themselves up off the +ground where they had fallen after their collision in the air. They did +not feel any too pleasant. One of Dodger's sharp tines had given Nimble +a good prick. And one of Nimble's points had stung Dodger like a +hornet's sting. + +If only one of them had been pricked the whole affair might have ended +differently. For then perhaps only one of them would have lost his +temper. As they drew apart they were growing more angry every instant. +And when they wheeled and glared at each other old Mr. Crow, who was +watching them from his perch in the pine tree, called out: "Don't stop! +Make it lively, now!" + +Nimble gritted his teeth and stamped upon the ground. + +"I'll teach you not to prick me!" he muttered. + +"I'll make you wish you'd left those new antlers at home!" cried Dodger +the Deer. + +"Don't stop!" old Mr. Crow urged them once more as he teetered on his +perch. "Let the fun go on!" + +He squalled so loudly that his cousin Jasper Jay heard him half a mile +away and came hurrying up to see what was going on. He arrived just in +time to see Nimble and Dodger stagger back from another mad charge. + +"What's this? A mock battle?" Jasper Jay inquired as he settled down +beside Mr. Crow. + +"No!" Mr. Crow replied in muffled tones. "It is a real one--but they +don't know it yet." + +Next to quarreling himself, old Mr. Crow loved to look on while others +wrangled. And though he had no taste himself for actual fighting, he +liked to see his neighbors pummel and peck and buffet and bounce one +another. + +So Mr. Crow enjoyed watching the tilt between Nimble and Dodger the +Deer. Neither Mr. Crow, nor his rowdy cousin Jasper Jay, had ever seen +so furious a fracas as that one soon became. Sometimes Nimble and Dodger +rushed together with such force that it seemed to Mr. Crow their horns +must break off. Sometimes they reared and struck each other with their +front hoofs. + +At first, whenever he felt a hurt Nimble only fought the harder. When +Dodger's horns gouged him and his hoofs cut him Nimble butted and thrust +and struck all the faster. But for every buffet he repaid Dodger, Dodger +gave him another that was heavier than ever. + +It was no wonder that in time Nimble began to feel tired. But he didn't +let Dodger the Deer know that. + +"This was easy to start," Nimble thought, "but it seems hard to stop. I +wish Dodger would run away." + +In the meantime Mr. Crow and Jasper Jay agreed that the battle was +growing tamer every moment. + +"Hustle it up!" Mr. Crow called to Nimble and Dodger, while Jasper Jay +jeered at them both and told them they were mollycoddles. + +"I shouldn't call this a mock battle now," Mr. Crow told them. "It's +more like a game of tag." + +"If only Dodger would run away!" Nimble said under his breath. "I'll +stop a minute and see if he won't." So he stood still, with his nose all +but touching the ground. + +Dodger the Deer did not run. But he paused and stood exactly as Nimble +was standing. + +So they eyed each other for a while. And neither of them said a word. + +"Come!" cried old Mr. Crow. "This will never do. Give us more action!" + +And then Dodger the Deer looked up at Mr. Crow and Jasper Jay and spoke. + +"If you want more action why don't you two furnish it?" he asked. + +"That's a good idea!" Nimble exclaimed. "Let's see a mock battle up in +the tree!" + +[Illustration: "Don't Stop!" Said Old Mr. Crow, to Nimble. + _Page 85_] + +But Mr. Crow replied hoarsely that he had to meet a friend down the +valley. "I must be flapping along," he said. And off he went. + +Jasper Jay grinned and winked at Nimble and Dodger behind Mr. Crow's +back. And then with a loud squall--which might have meant almost +anything--he too flew away. + +"That was the liveliest mock battle we ever had," Nimble remarked to his +friend Dodger. + +Dodger agreed with what he said. + +Nimble's mother gasped when she saw her son a little later. + +"You're a terrible sight!" she told him severely. "What have you been +doing?" + +"I've been having fun with Dodger the Deer," Nimble explained. "But to +tell the truth, it wasn't as much fun as I had expected." + + + + +XVII + +WHAT BROWNIE WANTED + + +Nimble Deer had stopped at Brownie Beaver's pond to get a drink. Just as +he raised his head from the water he spied Brownie a little way off, on +the bank, gnawing at a box alder tree. + +"Good evening!" Nimble called to him. + +"Good evening!" Brownie Beaver answered. + +"I see you're busy, as usual," Nimble remarked. + +"Yes!" Brownie replied. "And what are you doing--if I may ask?" + +"Oh! I'm just rambling about," Nimble explained. + +"Then you're not doing much of anything," said Brownie Beaver. + +Nimble admitted that he wasn't. + +"Since you're not working, perhaps you'll be willing to help me," +Brownie suggested. + +"Certainly!" Nimble cried. He liked Brownie Beaver. Everybody liked +him--unless it was Timothy Turtle, who had a grudge against the whole +Beaver tribe. + +"Maybe I can make arrangements with you to----" Brownie began. + +"Of course you can!" Nimble interrupted. + +"That's very kind of you," Brownie said. "I'm sure I'm much obliged to +you." + +"You're quite welcome," Nimble assured him. + +"You're sure you won't mind!" Brownie Beaver inquired. + +"Not at all! No, indeed! What is it you want me to do for you? Do you +want me to help you roll a log into the water, when you've finished +cutting down that tree? I might use my horns for a cant hook, such as +the lumbermen have." + +"No! It's not that--thank you!" Brownie Beaver mumbled. He had not +stopped working, while he talked. And having some chips in his mouth he +did not speak any too clearly. + +"Maybe you'd like me to walk back and forth along the top of your dam +and make it firmer," Nimble suggested. + +"No, it's not that," Brownie told him. "The dam is firm. It has been +here a great many years, ever since my great-great-grandfather's +time.... You've noticed my house, I dare say," he went on. + +"I have," Nimble answered. "It's a good one, though the chimney looks a +bit lopsided, to me. Shall I give it a push and see if I can straighten +it?" + +"No, indeed--thank you!" said Brownie hurriedly. "For mercy's sake, +don't touch my chimney! I worked a long time to make it. And if I do say +so, it's the best one in the whole village." + +Well, Nimble Deer couldn't guess what it was that Brownie Beaver wanted +him to do. He couldn't think of any other way in which he might help. + +"Then what--" he demanded--"what is it you want?" + +"There's something I need for my house," Brownie explained. + +"Shingles!" Nimble cried. + +"No!" Brownie said, as he shook his head. + +"I hope you don't want a pair of antlers to fasten over your chimney +piece!" Nimble exclaimed. "I shouldn't care to part with my +antlers--not just at present!" + +"No!" Brownie said once more. + +"I'm glad of that," Nimble replied. For a moment he had been worried. + +And then Brownie Beaver told him what he had in mind: "I need a flag to +fly over my house." + +"That would be fine," Nimble observed. "But I don't see how I could help +you with that." + +"I've heard that you have a flag. I thought perhaps you'd let me have +it--or borrow it, at least," Brownie Beaver told him. + +Nimble Deer looked puzzled. + +"I haven't any flag," he said. And then he cried, "Yes! Yes, I have +one!" + +"Ah! I was told you had," said Brownie Beaver. + +"Who told you?" + +"Old Mr. Crow!" Brownie Beaver said. + +"I might have known it," Nimble muttered. "He has played a joke on you. +It's true that I have a flag; but it's not the kind of flag you want. +Some people call my tail a flag, on account of the way I wave it in the +air when I'm startled. Of course you wouldn't care to have my tail on +the top of your house." + +And Brownie Beaver admitted that he shouldn't. + +"But I can't help being disappointed," he confessed. + + + + +XVIII + +THE MULEY COW + + +Nimble Deer was a famous jumper. And so was the Muley Cow. In Farmer +Green's herd there was no other that could match her. + +Living as he did in the pasture, Billy Woodchuck had often seen and +admired the Muley Cow as she jumped the fence in order to get into the +clover patch, or the cornfield, or the orchard. + +And Jimmy Rabbit, who lived in the woods, had come to believe--and even +boast--that there wasn't anyone that could jump higher than Nimble Deer. + +So Billy Woodchuck and Jimmy Rabbit could never agree upon this question +of the best jumper in Pleasant Valley. And there was only one way to +settle their difference of opinion. Old Mr. Crow told them that. + +"You must have a contest," he declared. + +And everybody was willing. The Muley Cow said (when asked) that she +would be delighted. And when Nimble Deer heard of the plan he ran all +the way to the back pasture at once. For that was where Mr. Crow said +the contest ought to take place. + +Nimble reached the back pasture just in time to see the Muley Cow arrive +there. She leaped the fence. And at the same time she grazed the top +rail. + +"Good morning, madam!" Nimble said to the Muley Cow. And while she was +answering him Nimble jumped the fence into the pasture from which the +Muley Cow had come; and then he jumped back again, into the back +pasture. And he didn't touch the fence by so much as a single hair. + +Then Billy Woodchuck crawled under the fence and came hurrying up. + +"What are you doing?" he asked. + +"I'm just stretching my legs a bit," Nimble explained. At that answer +Billy Woodchuck set up a loud clamor. "It's not fair!" he howled. "I +expected the Muley Cow to win the contest. But if you're going to +stretch your legs she'll certainly be beaten unless she stretches hers +too." + +Now, old Mr. Crow was on hand to see the fun. And not being very +friendly with the Muley Cow he didn't want her to win the contest. So he +began to squall. + +"She mustn't stretch her legs any more than Nimble stretches his," he +objected in his hoarse croak. "Nimble jumped the fence twice to stretch +his legs. She has jumped once already. Let her jump the fence once more +and then they'll be even and the real contest can begin." + +"That's fair enough," said Jimmy Rabbit. But Billy Woodchuck began to +chatter and scold. + +"It's a trick--a trick of Mr. Crow's!" he cried. "If the Muley Cow jumps +once more to stretch her legs she'll be on the wrong side of the fence. +She won't be in the back pasture then. And how could she have the +contest with Nimble Deer?" + +Old Mr. Crow gave a loud haw-haw. But he still insisted that the Muley +Cow might have only one more leg-stretching jump, when Jimmy Rabbit +hurried up to him and said something nobody else could hear. And Mr. +Crow listened and then nodded his head. + +"It's all right," the old gentleman told Billy Woodchuck. "Let the Muley +Cow stretch her legs all she likes." + + + + +XIX + +THE JUMPING CONTEST + + +Having had Mr. Crow's permission, the Muley Cow went on stretching her +legs as much as she pleased. She jumped the pasture fence; and she +jumped it back again. And when she seemed about to stop Billy Woodchuck +whispered to her, "You may as well keep a-stretching them. Keep +a-jumping! And when the time for the real contest with Nimble Deer comes +your legs will be stretched so long that you'll beat Nimble without the +slightest trouble." + +So the Muley Cow jumped over the fence and back, over the fence and +back. And when at last she said she was ready for the contest Billy +Woodchuck still urged her to stretch her legs a bit more. + +By the time he was willing to let her stop the Muley Cow's sides were +heaving. + +Meanwhile Jimmy Rabbit and Billy Woodchuck, with Mr. Crow's help, had +picked out a clump of young hawthorns for the first test. And now that +everybody was ready for the contest Nimble Deer cleared the clump +gracefully, with a foot to spare. + +Then came the Muley Cow's turn. She looked worried as she fell into a +lumbering gallop and ran towards the prickly young trees. And with a +mighty effort she tried to fling herself over them. + +As she rose into the air she gave a bellow of dismay, to fall +floundering the next instant into the thorny thicket. + +Jimmy Rabbit began to hop about in circles. He knew that Nimble had won +the contest and Jimmy was very happy. + +Old Mr. Crow haw-hawed. The Muley Cow had lost the contest and he was +glad. + +Nimble watched the Muley Cow as she struggled amid the hawthorns, trying +to scramble out of the tangle. + +"Can I help you, madam?" he asked. + +But she never even thanked him. She was so upset that she neither wanted +anybody to speak to her nor did she wish to speak to anybody else. + +As for Billy Woodchuck, he looked frightfully disappointed. He had +expected the Muley Cow to win the jumping contest. And there she was, +beaten at the very first jump! + +He stole up to her; and standing on his hind legs, to get as near her as +he could, he said, "It's a pity you lost! I don't believe you stretched +your legs enough." + +The Muley Cow snorted. + +"That's not the reason why," she snapped. "I stretched my legs _too +much_. I jumped the fence until I was so tired I could scarcely stand. +It's no wonder that Nimble beat me." + +Nimble Deer could see that the Muley Cow was feeling quite glum. After +she had struggled free of the thorns he went up to her and bowed in his +most polite manner. "Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked her. + +"Yes! Do let down the bars for me!" she gasped. "I want to go home. And +I couldn't jump that fence again. It would be dangerous for me to try. I +might fall and break a leg off. And then I'd have a short leg the rest +of my life." + +"You could stretch it," old Mr. Crow suggested. + +But the Muley Cow turned her back on him and walked away. + + + + +XX + +SOLVING A PROBLEM + + +Jimmy Rabbit was going to give a party. Up and down Pleasant Valley and +all about Blue Mountain the field and forest people were talking about +it. + +Almost everybody had an invitation. There were only a few that weren't +asked. Jimmy Rabbit didn't intend to invite Grumpy Weasel because he was +a rascal. And Timothy Turtle wasn't to be one of the guests because he +would be sure to grumble at everybody and everything. + +And then there was Nimble Deer. Jimmy Rabbit said that Nimble was _too +big_ to come to his party. And every one told Jimmy Rabbit that it was +a pity. All the neighbors said so much that Jimmy Rabbit didn't know +what to do. + +"If I don't ask Nimble you won't be pleased," Jimmy complained to Billy +Woodchuck. "And if I do ask him and he should happen to step on you +during a dance you wouldn't like that." + +"Invite him; but keep him away from the crowd!" Billy Woodchuck +suggested. + +"How can I do that?" Jimmy Rabbit demanded. + +"I don't know," Billy replied. "But I am sure you can find a way, if +anybody can." + +Well, after that remark there was nothing Jimmy Rabbit could do except +to put on his thinking cap. But try as he would, he couldn't hit upon a +single plan. + +Now, Nimble Deer had no idea of all the trouble he was causing Jimmy +Rabbit. To be sure, he knew that he was not invited to Jimmy Rabbit's +party. But he was no person to sulk or feel hurt over such a matter. + +However, there was one thing that he thought was odd. Wherever he went +he was sure to come upon Jimmy Rabbit. Sometimes Nimble would hear a +faint rustle. And when he looked around he would catch a glimpse of +Jimmy Rabbit ducking out of sight behind a tree. Sometimes Nimble would +be taking a nap under the shelter of a clump of evergreens. And he would +wake up suddenly with a strange feeling that somebody was watching him. +And almost always he would discover Jimmy Rabbit crouching near-by and +staring at him. + +At first, at such times, Nimble only spoke pleasantly to Jimmy Rabbit. +Still he couldn't help noticing that Jimmy Rabbit always acted queerly. +He seemed to be absent minded. If Nimble bade him a cheerful good +morning Jimmy Rabbit was likely to reply with a good evening. If Nimble +said, "It's a fine day," Jimmy would say, "Yes! It does look like rain." + +At last, one day, Jimmy Rabbit made the oddest answer of all. When +Nimble spied him peering from behind a stump he called, "Hullo! I'm +glad to see you." To which remark Jimmy Rabbit said, "I hope to see +you later." + +"Now, I wonder--" Nimble mused--"I wonder what he means." And then +Nimble asked Jimmy Rabbit a question: "Are you feeling well?" + +"As well as could be expected!" Jimmy Rabbit told him. + +"You don't seem like yourself," said Nimble. "I haven't seen you smile +for over a week." + +Then, strangely enough, Jimmy Rabbit jumped into the air and kicked and +smiled. + +"At last," he cried, "I feel better. I have solved the problem. Will you +come to my party and help me a week from to-night?" + +Nimble Deer thanked him and said that he would. + + + + +XXI + +AN UNTOLD SECRET + + +All the field and forest people soon knew that at last Jimmy Rabbit had +invited Nimble Deer to his party. And everybody was pleased--that is, +everybody except Grumpy Weasel and old Timothy Turtle, who were left out +in the cold, so to speak. Grumpy Weasel, when he heard the news, said, +"Humph!" And Timothy Turtle, when he heard it, said, "Ho!" And they both +declared that they were _glad_ they were not going to the party. + +Old Mr. Crow carried the news far and wide. It was he that told Billy +Woodchuck, in Farmer Green's clover patch. And Billy Woodchuck almost +choked over a clover top, he was so excited. + +"Where's Jimmy Rabbit?" he asked Mr. Crow. "I want to ask him +something." + +"I couldn't say where he is," said Mr. Crow. "I don't think he'd want me +to tell. But I'll find him for you and I'll ask him your question--if +you'll tell me what it is." That was Mr. Crow's way. He was so curious. + +"Thank you!" said Billy Woodchuck. "I don't want to trouble you, Mr. +Crow." + +And though Mr. Crow tried to learn what the question was, Billy +Woodchuck wouldn't tell him. + +Later Billy was almost sorry he hadn't accepted Mr. Crow's help. For he +couldn't find Jimmy Rabbit anywhere. And then Billy happened to meet +Nimble Deer. + +"I hear you're going to the party," Billy said to him. "How are you +going to keep out of the crowd?" That was the question he had wanted to +ask Jimmy Rabbit. + +"Keep out of the crowd!" Nimble exclaimed. "I don't expect to keep out +of it. The crowd at a party is more than half the fun. Since I'm to help +Jimmy Rabbit I'll have to be where the people are." + +"Oh!" said Billy Woodchuck. He had been a bit worried, for he didn't +want Nimble Deer to step on him at the party. Even though it might be an +accident, being stepped on by so big a chap as Nimble would be no joke. +Everybody knew that Nimble's hoofs were sharp. + +But now Billy had learned something that set his fears at rest. Nimble +Deer was going to _help_ Jimmy at the party. + +"Ah!" Billy Woodchuck murmured to himself. "That means that Jimmy +Rabbit has a plan. And it must be a good one; for his plans are always +fine." + +"What are you going to do to help?" he asked Nimble. + +"Jimmy Rabbit didn't tell me," Nimble replied. "Maybe I'm to entertain +the company by having a mock battle with somebody. How would you like to +have a mock battle with me?" + +"I shouldn't care for it at all!" + +"Well, I dare say _somebody_ would enjoy a sham fight," said Nimble. "I +must ask Jimmy Rabbit who it will be." + +So the next time Nimble found Jimmy Rabbit he asked him that very +question. + +But Jimmy Rabbit said there were to be no battles of any kind at his +party. + +"Then how am I going to help you?" + +"You're going to use your horns--but not to fight," Jimmy Rabbit +explained. + +And he wouldn't say another word. + + + + +XXII + +THE NEW HAT-RACK + + +The night of Jimmy Rabbit's party arrived at last. The time was an hour +after sunset. The place was Farmer Green's back pasture. And Jimmy +Rabbit was waiting eagerly. He had told Nimble Deer to come early, +before the other guests, because Nimble was going to help him. + +Jimmy Rabbit hadn't waited long when he heard a muffled thud, followed +by a swift patter. + +"There's Nimble now!" he exclaimed. "He just jumped the stone wall and +he's coming this way." + +Jimmy Rabbit was right. In a few seconds more Nimble Deer stood before +him. + +"Here I am!" Nimble cried. "I've come early and I'm ready to help you." + +"Good!" said Jimmy Rabbit. "Step this way, please!" And he hopped over +to a clump of evergreens. Nimble followed him. + +"Now," Jimmy Rabbit went on, "step inside this thicket and let only your +head and neck stick out!" + +"What shall I do with my antlers?" Nimble asked him. "They won't come +off, because it's the wrong time of year to shed them." + +"Oh! I want your antlers to show too," Jimmy Rabbit assured him. + +So Nimble did exactly as Jimmy Rabbit had told him. + +Then Jimmy sat up a little way off, cocked his head on one side, and +looked at Nimble. "That's fine!" he declared. "When the moon comes up +everybody will be able to see you--except what's hidden by the +evergreens." + +"What am I going to do here?" Nimble inquired. + +"You're to stand perfectly still," Jimmy explained. + +"And what else?" + +"Nothing!" Jimmy Rabbit answered. "The other guests will do the rest.... +And now, if you don't mind, I'll leave you here; for I hear somebody +coming." + +He scampered away then. But soon he came hurrying back. + +"There's something I forgot to say," he told Nimble hurriedly. "You +mustn't talk. You mustn't even open your mouth. You mustn't even chew +your cud." + +"I suppose I can wink if I want to," said Nimble Deer. + +"No, indeed!" Jimmy Rabbit cried. "That would spoil everything." + +"It's going to be hard," Nimble complained, "to keep so still." + +"Oh, no!" Jimmy Rabbit assured him. "It will be easy. Just act as if you +were stuffed!" + +"Stuffed!" Nimble exclaimed. "I've never been stuffed. I hope I never +shall be. And I don't know how to act as if I were." + +Jimmy Rabbit didn't even wait to hear what Nimble said, but whisked away +again. + +"Dear me!" Nimble muttered. "I wish I hadn't said I'd come to the party +and help. For it certainly won't be any fun to stand still in this +thicket, with only my head and neck sticking out." + +However, he had promised to help. So there was nothing to be done except +to follow Jimmy Rabbit's orders. And at once Nimble could hear Jimmy +Rabbit welcoming some early guests. + +"Come this way and leave your hats and coats!" Jimmy Rabbit was saying. +And soon he returned with Billy Woodchuck and Fatty Coon at his heels. +Jimmy led them straight to the place where Nimble stood. + +"Hang your things on my new hat-rack!" Jimmy Rabbit told them as he +waved a paw toward Nimble's antlers. + +And to Nimble's amazement they reached up to do as they were told. + +But Nimble's antlers were too high for them. + +It was a bad moment for Jimmy Rabbit. + + + + +XXIII + +HOW NIMBLE HELPED + + +Billy Woodchuck and Fatty Coon had come early to Jimmy Rabbit's party. +And Jimmy had told them to hang their hats and coats upon his new +hat-rack--meaning Nimble Deer's antlers. But when they tried to do as +they were bid they found that the antlers were beyond their reach. + +Of course Jimmy Rabbit was most uncomfortable. He coughed and gave +Nimble an odd look. He even nodded his head at Nimble behind his guests' +backs, thereby doing his best to give Nimble a hint to lower his head. + +But Nimble Deer couldn't imagine what Jimmy Rabbit meant. Hadn't Jimmy +warned him not to move--not even to open his mouth, or chew his cud, or +wink? So Nimble stood like a statue. + +"I--I see my new hat-rack is too high," Jimmy Rabbit stammered. "Let me +take your hats and coats and I'll hang them up for you while you go and +wait for the rest of the company over by the stone wall!" + +So Billy Woodchuck and Fatty Coon gave their hats and coats to Jimmy. + +"That's a fine Deer's head," Fatty remarked. "It seems to me I've seen +it before somewhere." + +"Perhaps! Perhaps!" Jimmy Rabbit answered. He wished his guests would +move away. + +"Those antlers remind me of Nimble Deer's," Billy Woodchuck remarked. +And he gave Nimble a wink, for he had quickly guessed the secret of the +hat-rack and how Jimmy Rabbit had planned to have Nimble at his party +and yet keep him out of the crowd. + +"Is this Deer's head stuffed?" Billy Woodchuck asked Jimmy Rabbit. + +"Perhaps! Perhaps!" Jimmy muttered. "Move along, please!" + +Nimble wanted to return that wink that Billy Woodchuck gave him. But he +didn't, because Jimmy Rabbit had warned him to keep perfectly still. + +As soon as his guests had left them Jimmy whispered to Nimble, "Lower +your head a bit, for pity's sake!" + +Nimble promptly obeyed him. And Jimmy Rabbit hung the hats and coats +upon Nimble's antlers. + +"Now," Jimmy said, "keep your head exactly where it is!" + +[Illustration: Nimble Frightened Uncle Jerry Chuck. + _Page 125_] + +"I suppose I may raise it after everybody has come to the party," Nimble +ventured. + +"No! That would never do," Jimmy Rabbit replied firmly. "If anybody +happened to come back to get a pocket-handkerchief out of his coat he'd +be sure to notice the difference." + +A sigh escaped Nimble Deer. + +"My neck will ache before the evening's over," he said. "Couldn't I take +a short walk in the woods, later, to rest myself?" + +"My goodness, no!" Jimmy cried. "You'd be sure to lose some of the hats +and coats, or tear them on some briars, or get them full of burs." + +"How long is the party going to last?" Nimble asked. + +"Only till midnight!" + +At that Nimble gave a groan. + +"S-s-h!" Jimmy Rabbit laid a paw upon his lips. "Keep still! Stuffed +animals never talk. If you don't look out somebody will hear you." + +And then he hurried away to join his guests. He did not want to leave +them alone too long. He feared they might be saying things to each other +about his new hat-rack. + + + + +XXIV + +UNCLE JERRY CHUCK + + +Soon Jimmy Rabbit's friends arrived at his party in throngs. And soon +Nimble Deer's antlers bristled with hats and coats of many kinds and +colors. + +"I must look like a Christmas tree," Nimble thought. "I wish Jimmy +Rabbit and his friends would come and dance around me so I might see +the fun." + +But they didn't. They stayed down in a little hollow some distance +away. Nimble could hear their voices. And they seemed to be having +a delightful time. + +As for Nimble, he wasn't having a good time at all. "I'll never help +at another party!" he promised himself. He couldn't believe that +midnight--and the end of the party--would ever come. + +At last, however, he took heart. For old Uncle Jerry Chuck came hurrying +up and began taking hats and coats off Nimble's antlers. And Nimble knew +then that the party must be almost over. + +"This is a good hat!" Uncle Jerry muttered to himself. "I'll take it." +And then he said, "This is a good coat! I'll take it." Then he looked +closely at another hat. "This is a good one, too!" he remarked. "I might +lose the other. I'll take this one, too--and this coat here," he added, +selecting a second coat that pleased him. + +Little did Uncle Jerry Chuck dream that the Deer's head was a real, live +one. And just as the old chap reached for the second coat Nimble Deer +had to cough. He didn't want to. Hadn't Jimmy Rabbit cautioned him not +to stir--not to open his mouth? + +But the cough came all the same, right in Uncle Jerry Chuck's ear. And +Uncle Jerry jumped. He dropped both hats and both coats. And then he +waddled off as fast as he could go and scrambled over the stone wall, +out of sight. He didn't even wait to get his own rusty coat and tattered +hat, which he had left lying on the ground. + +Uncle Jerry hadn't been gone long when all the company came jostling up +to Nimble. Everybody--except Nimble--was very merry. Amid a good many +jokes the company put on their hats and coats, until only Aunt Polly +Woodchuck's poke bonnet hung from Nimble's horns. + +Then--just for fun--Jimmy Rabbit set the bonnet on Nimble's head and +tied its strings under his chin. And Aunt Polly Woodchuck herself +laughed hardest of all. + +And then all at once something happened. A dog barked. "It's old dog +Spot!" somebody cried. + +Nimble Deer was the first to run. One leap took him out of the evergreen +thicket in which he had been standing all the evening. Three leaps more +took him over the stone wall. + +After that nobody saw him--nor Aunt Polly Woodchuck's bonnet--again that +night. + +The whole company scattered and vanished like baby grouse surprised in +the woods. And when old dog Spot reached the clump of evergreens a few +moments later he found nothing to show that there had been a party +there--that is, he found nothing except a battered hat and a rusty +coat lying on the ground. + +Spot sniffed at them. "Unless I'm mistaken, Uncle Jerry Chuck has +forgotten something," he murmured. "No doubt he'll be back here in +a little while." + +So Spot waited and waited there. + +But Uncle Jerry Chuck was half a mile away and sound asleep in his +underground chamber. + +And Nimble Deer was a mile away, over in Cedar Swamp, trying to tear +Aunt Polly's bonnet off his head by rubbing his horns against a young +cedar. + + +THE END + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Tale of Nimble Deer, by Arthur Scott Bailey + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TALE OF NIMBLE DEER *** + +***** This file should be named 21619.txt or 21619.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/1/6/1/21619/ + +Produced by Mark C. 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