Chapter 2

But Johnnie Green stayed behind. He wanted that young coon. And he intended to have him, too. Leaving the young dog to watch Fatty Coon, Johnnie went back to the farmhouse. After a while he appeared again with an axe over his shoulder. And when he began to chop away at the big oak, Fatty Coon felt very uneasy. Whenever Johnnie drove his axe into the tree, both the tree and Fatty shivered together. And Fatty began to wish he had stayed away from the cornfield. But not for long, because Johnnie Green soon gave up the idea of chopping down the big oak. The wood was so hard to cut, and the tree was so big, that Johnnie had not chopped long before he saw that it would take him all night to cut through it. He looked up longingly at Fatty Coon. And Johnnie started to climb the tree himself. But the higher he climbed, the higher Fatty climbed. And Johnnie knew that he could never catch that plump young coon in that way.

At last Johnnie Green started off, calling his dog after him. And then Fatty Coon came down. But he did not go back to the cornfield. He decided that he had had adventures enough for one night. But Fatty had learned something—at least he thought he had. For he made up his mind that once he climbed a tree, no man could reach him. _Trees could not be chopped down!trees could not be chopped down!_ That was what Fatty believed. Perhaps you will know, later, whether Fatty ever found out that he was mistaken.

VIII

A TERRIBLE FRIGHT

It was the very next night after old dog Spot had treed Fatty Coon in the big oak near the cornfield. They had finished their evening meal at Farmer Green’s house. The cows were milked, the horses had been fed, the chickens had all gone to roost. And Farmer Green looked up at the moon, rising from behind Blue Mountain.

“We’ll go coon-hunting again to-night,” he said to Johnnie and the hired man. “The corn has brought the coons up from the swamp. We’ll start as soon as it grows a little darker.”

Well—after a while they set out for the cornfield. And sure enough! old Spot soon began to bark.

“He’s treed!” said Farmer Green, pretty soon. And they all hurried over to the edge of the woods, where Spot had chased a coon up into a tall chestnut tree. In the moonlight they could see the coon quite plainly. “Another little feller!” cried Farmer Green. “I declare, all the coons that come to the cornfield seem to be young ones. This one’s no bigger than the one we saw last night.”

Now, although Farmer Green never guessed it, it was Fatty Coon who was up there in the tall chestnut. He had run almost to the woods this time, before he had to take to a tree. In fact, if Spot hadn’t been quite so close to him Fatty could have reached the woods, and then he would have just jumped from one tree to another. But there were no trees near enough the big chestnut for that. Fatty had to stay right there and wait for those men to pass on. He wasn’t afraid. He felt perfectly safe in his big tree. And he only smiled when Johnnie Green said to his father—

“I wish I had that young coon. He’d make a fine pet.”

“A pet!” exclaimed Farmer Green. “You remember that pet fox you had, that stole my chickens?”

“Oh, I’d be careful,” Johnnie promised. “Besides, don’t you think we ought to catch him, so he won’t eat any more corn?”

Farmer Green smiled. He had been a boy himself, once upon a time, and he had not forgotten the pet coon that he had owned when he was just about Johnnie’s age.

“All right!” he said at last. “I’ll give you one more chance, Johnnie. But you’ll have to see that this young coon doesn’t kill any of my poultry.”

Johnnie promised that nothing of the sort should happen. And then his father and the hired man picked up their axes; and standing on opposite sides of the tall chestnut tree, they began to chop.

How the chips did fly! At the very first blow Fatty knew that this was an entirely different sort of chopping from that which Johnnie had attempted the night before. The great tree shook as if it knew that it would soon come crashing down upon the ground.

And as for Fatty Coon, he could not see but that he must fall when the tree did. He, too, shivered and shook. And he wrapped himself all the way around a limb and hung on as tight as ever he could.

IX

JOHNNIE GREEN LOSES HIS PET

Now, Farmer Green and his hired man had not chopped long before they stopped to breathe. They had not chopped long—but oh! what great, yawning holes they had made in the big chestnut! From the limb where he clung Fatty Coon looked down. The tree no longer shook. And Fatty felt better at once. You see, he thought that the men would go away, just as Johnnie had gone away the night before. But they had no such idea at all.

“Which way are you going to fell her?” the hired man asked. He said _her_, meaning the _tree_, of course.

“That way!” said Farmer Green, pointing toward the woods. “We’ll have to drop her that way, or she’ll fall right across the road, and of course _that_ would never do.”

“But will she clear the trees on the edge of the woods?” The hired man appeared somewhat doubtful.

“Oh, to be sure—to be sure!” answered Farmer Green.

And with that they set to work again. But this time they both chopped on the same side of the tree—the side toward the woods.

Now, if Fatty Coon was frightened before, you will believe that he was still more frightened when the big chestnut tree began to sag. Yes! it began to lean toward the woods. Slowly, slowly it tipped. And Fatty was scared half out of his mind. He climbed to the very top of the tree, because he wanted to get just as far away from those men as he could. And there he waited. There was nothing else he could do. Yes! he waited until that awful moment should come when the tree would go crashing down upon the ground. What was going to happen to him then? Fatty wondered. And while he was wondering there sounded all at once a great snapping and splitting. And Fatty felt the tree falling, falling. He could hear Johnnie Green shouting. And he shut his eyes and held fast to his branch. Then came the crash.

When Fatty Coon opened his eyes he expected to see Johnnie Green all ready to seize him. But to his great surprise he was still far above the ground. You see, Farmer Green had been mistaken. Either the big chestnut tree was taller than he had guessed, or the woods were nearer than he had thought. For instead of dropping upon the ground, Fatty’s tree had fallen right against another tree on the edge of the woods. And there it lay, half-tipped over, with its branches caught fast in the branches of that other tree.

It was no wonder that Johnnie Green shouted. And he shouted still more loudly when he saw Fatty scramble out of the big chestnut and into the other tree, and out of that tree and into another, and then out of _that_ tree. Fatty was going straight into the woods.

It was no wonder that Johnnie Green shouted. For he had lost his pet coon. He had lost him before he ever had him. And he was sadly disappointed.

But Fatty Coon was not disappointed, for he had not wanted to be a pet at all. And he was very glad—you may be sure—to get safely home once more.

X

FATTY COON AND THE MONSTER

One night Fatty Coon was strolling along the road that wound through the valley. He was in no hurry, for he had just left Farmer Green’s apple orchard, where he had bolted all the apples he could possibly eat. The night was dark and though it was not very late, all the country people seemed to be in bed. There were no farmers driving along the road. Fatty had it all to himself. And so he walked slowly homewards. It was then that the terrible monster almost caught him.

This is how it all happened. There was a _br-br-br-r-r-r_ in the air. Fatty really should have heard it long before he did. But he had eaten so many apples that he had begun to feel sleepy; and his ears were not so sharp as they should have been. And when at last Fatty heard that _br-r-r-r_ it was quite loud. He was startled. And he stopped right in the middle of the road to listen. Fatty had never heard such a sound before.

The strange animal was on him before he knew it. Its glaring eyes blinded him. And if it had not screamed at him Fatty would never have escaped. It was the terrible screech of the monster which finally made Fatty jump. It was a frightful cry—like six wildcats all wailing together. And Fatty leaped to one side of the road just before the monster reached him.

The great creature went past Fatty like the wind and tore on up the hill. He seemed to be running so fast that he could not stop. Fatty could hear him panting as he climbed the sharp rise of the road.

Fatty Coon hurried away. He wanted to get home before the monster could stop and come back to look for him.

When Fatty told his mother about his narrow escape Mrs. Coon became much excited. She felt sure that Fatty was not mistaken, for had she not heard that strange cry herself?

There it was again! _Woo-ooo-ooo-oo-o!_ It began low, rose to a shriek, and then died away again.

Mrs. Coon and Fatty climbed to the very top of their old poplar and gazed down the valley.

“Look, Mother!” Fatty cried. “He’s stopped at Farmer Green’s! You can see his eyes from here!”

Mrs. Coon looked. Sure enough! It was just as Fatty said. And that horrid call echoed across the valley once more.

* * * * *

Farmer Green stuck his head out of his chamber-window, to see what the man in the automobile wanted.

“Where’s the nearest village, please?” the stranger asked. And after Farmer Green had told him the man drove his car on again.

* * * * *

From their tree-top Fatty and his mother watched the monster dash down the valley. They knew he had gone, because they could see the gleam of those awful eyes.

“Do you suppose he ate up Farmer Green and his family?” Fatty asked in a frightened voice.

“I hope so,” she said. “Then perhaps there’ll be no more traps in the woods.”

“But who would plant the corn?” Fatty asked.

Mrs. Coon did not appear to hear his question.

XI

JASPER JAY TELLS SOME NEWS

It was quite late in the fall, and the weather had grown very cold. Mrs. Coon and her family had not left their home for several days; but on this day she thought it would be pleasant to go out in the sunshine and get a breath of fresh air and a bite to eat.

Fatty was the only one of her children that was not asleep; and he complained of being very hungry. So Mrs. Coon decided to take him with her.

The hunting was not very good. There were no birds’ eggs at all to be found in the trees. The river and the brook and the creek were all frozen over, so Fatty and his mother could not catch any fish. And as for corn—Farmer Green had long ago gathered the last ear of it. Fatty wished that it was summertime. But it only made him hungrier than ever, to think of all the good things to eat that summer brings. He was feeling very unhappy when his mother said to him sharply—

“Run up this tree! Hurry, now! Don’t ask any questions.”

Now, Fatty did not always mind his mother as quickly as he might have. But this time he saw that she had stopped and was sniffing the air as if there was something about it she did not like.

That was enough for Fatty. He scrambled up the nearest tree. For he knew that his mother had discovered danger of some sort.

Mrs. Coon followed close behind Fatty. And they had no sooner hidden in the branches than Fatty saw what it was that his mother had smelled.

It was Johnnie Green! He passed right underneath the tree where they were perched. And as Mrs. Coon peeped down at him she shuddered and shivered and shook so hard that Fatty couldn’t help noticing it.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, as soon as Johnnie Green was out of sight.

“His cap!” Mrs. Coon exclaimed. “He is wearing a coon-skin cap!” Now do you wonder that she was upset? “Don’t ever go near Farmer Green’s house,” she warned Fatty. “You don’t want to be made into a cap, or a pair of gloves, or a coat, or anything like that, do you?”

“No, indeed, Mother!” Fatty was quite sure that such an adventure wouldn’t please him at all. And he told himself right then and there that he would never go anywhere near Farmer Green’s house. We shall see how well Fatty remembered.

* * * * *

That very afternoon Fatty Coon heard some very pleasant news. It was Jasper Jay who told him.

Jasper Jay was a very noisy blue jay who lived in the neighborhood. He did not go south with most of the other birds when the cold weather came. He liked the winter and he was forever tearing about the woods, squalling and scolding at everybody. He was a very noisy fellow.

Well! when Fatty and his mother had reached home after their hunt, Fatty stayed out of doors. He climbed to the top of a tall pine tree nearby and stretched himself along a limb, to enjoy the sunshine, which felt very good upon his broad back. It was there that Jasper Jay found him and told him the pleasant news. And Fatty was very glad to hear the news, because he was still hungry.

This is what Jasper Jay told Fatty: he told him that Farmer Green had as many as forty fat turkeys, which roosted every night in a spreading oak in Farmer Green’s front yard.

“If I liked turkeys I would certainly go down there some night and get one,” said Jasper Jay.

XII

FORTY FAT TURKEYS

When Jasper Jay told Fatty Coon about Farmer Green’s forty fat turkeys Fatty felt hungrier than ever.

“Oh! I mustn’t go near Farmer Green’s house!” he said. “My mother told me to keep away from there.... What time did you say the turkeys go to roost?”

“Oh! they go to roost every night at sundown,” Jasper Jay explained. “And there they sit, up in the tree, all night long. They’re fast asleep. And you would have no trouble at all in catching as many as you wanted.... But of course, if you’re afraid—why there’s no use of _my_ talking about it. There’s a plenty of other coons in these woods who’d be glad to know about those turkeys. And maybe they’d have the manners to say ‘Thank you!’ too.” And with a hoarse, sneering laugh Jasper Jay flew away.

That was enough for Fatty. He made up his mind that he would show Jasper Jay that _he_ was not afraid. And he wanted a turkey to eat, too. He said nothing to his mother about Jasper’s news. But that very night, when the moon came up, and the lights in Farmer Green’s house were all out, Fatty Coon went stealing across the fields.

He was not afraid, for he knew that Farmer Green and all his family were in their beds. And it was so cold that Fatty felt sure that Farmer Green’s dogs would be inside their kennels.

Fatty did not intend to make any noise. The turkeys were asleep—so Jasper Jay had told him—and he expected to grab one of them so swiftly and silently that the other turkeys would never know it.

When Fatty Coon came to Farmer Green’s yard he had no trouble at all in finding the spreading oak. He could see the turkeys plainly where they dozed on the bare branches. And in less time than it takes to tell it Fatty had climbed the tree. On the very lowest limb there was a row of four plump turkeys, all sound asleep. And Fatty reached out and seized the nearest one. He seized the turkey by the neck, so that the big bird could not call out. But Fatty was not quite quick enough. Before he could pull her off her perch the turkey began to flap her wings, and she struck the turkey next her, so that _that_ turkey woke up and began to gobble and flap _her_ wings. Then the next turkey on the limb woke up. And the first thing that Fatty Coon knew, every one of the thirty-nine turkeys that were left was going _gobble-gob-gob-gob-gobble_! And some of them went sailing off across the yard. One of them lighted on top of the porch just outside Farmer Green’s window and it seemed to Fatty that _that_ one made the greatest racket of all.

Farmer Green’s window flew up; and Farmer Green’s voice called “Spot! Spot!”

Fatty Coon did not wait to hear anything more. He dropped the turkey he had seized and slipped down to the ground. And then he ran toward the woods as fast as he could go.

Farmer Green’s dog Spot was barking now. And Fatty wanted to climb one of the trees by the roadside. But he remembered, the narrow escape he had had when the dog had treed him near the cornfield. So he never stopped until he reached the woods. Then he went nimbly up into the trees. And while Spot was barking at the foot of the first tree he climbed, Fatty was travelling through the tree-tops toward home.

He never said anything to his mother about Farmer Green’s turkeys. But the next time he saw Jasper Jay Fatty told him exactly what he thought of him.

“Ha! ha!” Jasper Jay only laughed. And he did not seem at all surprised that Fatty had fallen into trouble. To tell the truth, he was only sorry because Fatty had escaped. Jasper Jay did not like Fatty Coon. And he had told him about the forty fat turkeys because he hoped that Fatty would get caught if he tried to steal one of them.

“Wait till I catch you!” Fatty said.

But Jasper Jay only laughed harder than ever when Fatty said that. He seemed to think it was a great joke. He was most annoying.

XIII

FATTY MEETS JIMMY RABBIT

For once Fatty Coon was not hungry. He had eaten so much of Farmer Green’s corn that he felt as if he could not swallow another mouthful. He was strolling homewards through the woods when someone called to him. It was Jimmy Rabbit.

“Where are you going, Fatty?” Jimmy Rabbit asked.

“Home!” said Fatty.

“Are you hungry?” Jimmy Rabbit asked anxiously.

“I should say not!” Fatty answered. “I’ve just had the finest meal I ever ate in my life.”

Jimmy Rabbit seemed to be relieved to hear that.

“Come on over and play,” he said. “My brother and I are playing barber-shop over in the old sycamore tree; and we need you.”

“All right!” said Fatty. It was not often that any of the smaller forest-people were willing to play with him, because generally Fatty couldn’t help getting hungry and then he usually tried to eat his playmates. “What do you need me for?” Fatty asked, as he trudged along beside Jimmy Rabbit.

“We need you for the barber’s pole,” Jimmy explained. “You can come inside the hollow tree and stick your tail out through a hole. It will make a fine barber’s pole—though the stripes DO run the wrong way, to be sure.”

Fatty Coon was greatly pleased. He looked around at his tail and felt very proud.

“I’ve got a beautiful tail—haven’t I?” he asked.

“Um—yes!” Jimmy Rabbit replied, “though I must say it isn’t one that I would care for myself.... But come along! There may be people waiting to get their hair cut.”

Sure enough! When they reached the make-believe barber-shop there was a gray squirrel inside, and Jimmy Rabbit’s brother was busily snipping the fur off Mr. Squirrel’s head.

“How much do you charge for a hair-cut?” Fatty asked.

“Oh, that depends!” Jimmy Rabbit said. “Mr. Squirrel will pay us six cabbage leaves. But if we were to cut your hair we’d have to ask more. We’d want a dozen cabbage leaves, at least.”

“Well, don’t I get anything for the use of my tail?” Fatty asked. He had already stuck it out through the hole; and he had half a mind to pull it in again.

Jimmy Rabbit and his brother whispered together for a few moments.

“I’ll tell you what we’ll do,” Jimmy said. “If you’ll let us use your tail for the barber’s pole, we’ll cut your hair free. Isn’t that fair enough?”

Fatty Coon was satisfied. But he insisted that Jimmy begin to cut his hair at once.

“I’m doing my part of the work now,” he pointed out. “So there’s no reason why you shouldn’t do yours.”

With that Jimmy Rabbit began. He clipped and snipped at Fatty’s head, pausing now and then to see the effect. He smiled once in a while, behind Fatty’s back, because Fatty certainly did look funny with his fur all ragged and uneven.

“Moustache trimmed?” Jimmy Rabbit asked, when he had finished with Fatty’s head.

“Certainly—of course!” Fatty Coon answered. And pretty soon Fatty’s long white moustache lay on the floor of the barber-shop. Fatty felt a bit uneasy as he looked down and saw his beautiful moustache lying at his feet. “You haven’t cut it too short, I hope,” he said.

“No, indeed!” Jimmy Rabbit assured him. “It’s the very latest style.”

* * * * *

“What on earth has happened to you?” Mrs. Coon cried,—when Fatty reached home that night. “Have you been in a fire?”

“It’s the latest style, Mother,” Fatty told her. “At least, that’s what Jimmy Rabbit says.” He felt the least bit uneasy again.

“Did you let that Jimmy Rabbit do that to you?” Mrs. Coon asked.

Fatty hung his head. He said nothing at all. But his mother knew.

“Well! you _are_ a sight!” she exclaimed. “It will be months before you look like my child again. I shall be ashamed to go anywhere with you.”

Fatty Coon felt very foolish. And there was just one thing that kept him from crying. And _that_ was _this_: he made up his mind that when he played barber-shop with Jimmy Rabbit again he would get even with him.

But when the next day came, Fatty couldn’t find Jimmy Rabbit and his brother anywhere. They kept out of sight. But they had told all the other forest-people about the trick they had played on Fatty Coon. And everywhere Fatty went he heard nothing but hoots and jeers and laughs. He felt very silly. And he wished that he might meet Jimmy Rabbit and his brother.

XIV

THE BARBER-SHOP AGAIN

Although Fatty Coon never could get Jimmy Rabbit and his brother to play barber-shop with him again, Fatty saw no reason why he should not play the game without them. So one day he led his brother Blackie over to the old hollow sycamore. His sisters, Fluffy and Cutey, wanted to go too. But Fatty would not let them. “Girls can’t be barbers,” he said. And of course they could find no answer to that.

As soon as Fatty and Blackie reached the old sycamore I am sorry to say that a dispute arose. Each of them wanted to use his own tail for the barber’s pole. They couldn’t both stick their tails through the hole in the tree at the same time. So they finally agreed to take turns.

Playing barber-shop wasn’t so much fun as they had expected, because nobody would come near to get his hair cut. You see, the smaller forest-people were all afraid to go inside that old sycamore where Fatty and Blackie were. There was no telling when the two brothers might get so hungry they would seize and eat a rabbit or a squirrel or a chipmunk. And you know it isn’t wise to run any such risk as that.

Fatty offered to cut Blackie’s hair. But Blackie remembered what his mother had said when Fatty came home with his moustache gone and his head all rough and uneven. So Blackie wouldn’t let Fatty touch him. But _he_ offered to cut Fatty’s hair—what there was left of it.

“No, thank you!” said Fatty. “I only get my hair cut once a month.” Of course, he had never had his hair cut except that once, in his whole life.

Now, since there was so little to do inside the hollow tree, Fatty and Blackie kept quarreling. Blackie would no sooner stick his tail through the hole in the side of the tree than Fatty would want _his_ turn. And when Fatty had succeeded in squeezing _his_ tail out through the opening Blackie would insist that Fatty’s time was up.

It was Fatty’s turn, and Blackie was shouting to him to stand aside and give him a chance.

“I won’t!” said Fatty. “I’m going to stay here just as long as I please.”

The words were hardly out of his mouth when he gave a sharp squeal, as if something hurt him. And he tried to pull his tail out of the hole. He wanted to get it out now. But alas! it would not come! It was caught fast! And the harder Fatty pulled the more it hurt him.

“Go out and see what’s the matter!” he cried to Blackie.

But Blackie wouldn’t stir. He was afraid to leave the shelter of the hollow tree.

“It may be a bear that has hold of your tail,” he told Fatty. And somehow, that idea made Fatty tremble all over.