"Every time he struck the tree I could feel it all through me," he said, "and I knew if he kept that noise up long enough it would give me a nervous headache. I wished the tree would hurry up and drop, so we could have what muss we were going to, and get it over with. I"d have got out of that old nest and made a jump for another tree if there had been any near enough, but there wasn"t, so I just laid low and gritted my teeth and let him chop.
"Well, by and by the tree began to go down. It seemed to teeter a little at first, this way and that; then it went very slow in one direction; then it went a little faster; then it went a good deal faster; then I suddenly felt like a shooting-star, I came down so fast, and there was a big crash, and I thought I had turned into a lot of stars, sure enough, and was shooting in every direction, and the next I knew I was tied to a tree hand and foot and around the middle, and Mr. Man and Mr. Dog were sitting and looking at me, and grinning, and talking about what they were going to do.
"Mr. Man wasn"t scolding Mr. Dog any more. He was telling him what a good thing it was they had caught me alive, for now they could sell me to a show and get a great deal more for me than they could for my skin.
I didn"t know what a show was, then, or about menageries, but I know now, and I can see just what they meant.
[Ill.u.s.tration: "THEN I SUDDENLY FELT LIKE A SHOOTING-STAR"]
"Pretty soon Mr. Man told Mr. Dog to stay there and watch me while he went home after a box to put me in. He said he didn"t think it would be safe to carry me in his arms, and he was right about that.
"So then Mr. Man walked off, and left Mr. Dog guarding me and saying unpleasant things to me now and then.
"At first I wouldn"t answer him; but pretty soon I happened to think of something pleasant to say.
""Mr. Dog," I said, "I know a good story, if you"d like me to tell it.
Mr. Man may be a good while getting that box, and mebbe you"d like to hear something to pa.s.s the time."
"Mr. Dog said he would. He said that Mr. Man would most likely have to make the box, and he didn"t suppose he knew where the hammer and nails were, and it might be dark before Mr. Man got back.
"I felt a good deal better when I heard Mr. Dog say that, and I told him a story I knew about how Mr. Rabbit lost his tail, and Mr. Dog laughed and seemed to like it, and said, "Tell me another.""
Before Mr. "c.o.o.n could go on with his story, Mr. Rabbit said that of course if that old tale had helped Mr. "c.o.o.n out of trouble he was very glad, but that it wasn"t at all true, and that some time _he_ would tell them himself the true story of how it happened.
Then they all said that they hoped he would, for they"d always wanted to hear that story told right, and then Mr. "c.o.o.n went on with his adventure.
[Ill.u.s.tration: THEN MR. DOG SAID, "TELL ME ANOTHER"]
Mr. "c.o.o.n said that when Mr. Dog said, "Tell me another," he knew he was in a good humor, and that he felt better and better himself. "I thought, if Mr. Man didn"t come back too soon," he said, "I might get along pretty well with Mr. Dog.
""I know another story, Mr. Dog," I said--"the funniest story there is.
It would make you laugh until you fell over the edge of the world, but I can"t tell it here."
""Why," he said--"why can"t you tell it here as well as anywhere?"
""Because it has to be acted," I said, "and my hands are tied."
""Will you tell it if I untie your hands?" said Mr. Dog.
""Well," I said, "I"ll begin it, and you can see how it goes."
"So Mr. Dog came over and untied my hands, for he said he could tie them again before Mr. Man came back, because he knew Mr. Man hadn"t found that hammer yet.
""You can"t get loose with just your hands untied, can you?" he said.
""No, of course not, Mr. Dog," I said, pleasant and polite as could be.
""Let"s see you try," said Mr. Dog.
"So I twisted and pulled, and of course I couldn"t get loose.
""Now tell the story," said Mr. Dog.
"So I said: "Once there was a man who had a very bad pain in his chest, and he took all kinds of medicine, and it didn"t do him any good. And one day the Old Wise Man of the Woods told him if he would rub his chest with one hand and pat his head with the other, it might draw the pain out of the top and cure him. So the man with the pain in his chest tried it, and he did it this way."
"Then I showed Mr. Dog just how he did it, and Mr. Dog thought that was funny, and laughed a good deal.
""Go on and tell the rest of it," he said. "What happened after that?"
"But I let on as if I"d just remembered something, and I said, "Oh, Mr.
Dog, I"m _so_ sorry, but I can"t tell the rest of that story here, and it"s the funniest part, too. I know you"d laugh till you rolled over the edge of the world."
""Why can"t you tell the rest of that story here as well as anywhere?"
said Mr. Dog, looking anxious.
""Because it has to be acted with the feet," I said, "and my feet are tied."
""Will you tell it if I untie your feet?" said Mr. Dog.
""Well, I"ll do the best I can," I said.
"So Mr. Dog came over and untied my feet. He said he knew that Mr. Man hadn"t found the nails or the pieces to make the box yet, and there would be plenty of time to tie me again before Mr. Man got back.
""You can"t get loose, anyway, with just your hands and feet untied, can you?" he said.
""No, of course not, Mr. Dog," I said, more pleasant and polite than ever.
""Let"s see you try," said Mr. Dog.
"So I squirmed and twisted, but of course with a strong string around my waist and tied behind I couldn"t do anything.
""Now go on with the story," said Mr. Dog.
[Ill.u.s.tration: AND DID ROLL OFF THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, SURE ENOUGH]
""Well," I said, "the pain left his chest, but it went into his back, and he had a most terrible time, until one day the Old Wise Man of the Woods came along and told him that he thought he ought to know enough by this time to rub his back where the pain was and pat his head at the same time to draw it out at the top. So then the man with the pain rubbed his back and patted his head this way," and I showed Mr. Dog how he did it; and I rubbed a good while about where the knot was, and made a face to show how the man with the pain looked, and then I said the pain came back into his chest again instead of being drawn out at the top, and I changed about and rubbed there awhile, and then I went around to my back again, chasing that pain first one side and then the other; and then I said that the Old Wise Man of the Woods came along one day and told him that he must kick with his feet, too, if he ever wanted to get rid of that pain, because, after all, it might have to be kicked out at the bottom; and when I began to kick and dance with both feet and to rub with my hands at the same time, Mr. Dog gave a great big laugh--the biggest laugh I ever heard anybody give--and fell right down and rolled over and over, and did roll off the edge of the world, sure enough.
"I heard him go clattering into a lot of brush and blackberry bushes that are down there, and just then I got that back knot untied, and I stepped over and looked down at Mr. Dog, who had lodged in a brier patch on a shelf about ten feet below the edge, where Mr. Man would have to get him up with a ladder or a rope.
""Do you want to hear the rest of the story, Mr. Dog?" I said.
""I"ll story _you_," he said, "when I catch you!"
""I told you you"d laugh till you fell off the edge of the world," I said.
[Ill.u.s.tration: "I SET OUT FOR HOME WITHOUT WAITING TO SAY GOOD-BYE"]
""I"ll make _you_ laugh," he said, "when I catch you!"
"Then I saw he was cross about something, and I set out for home without waiting to say good-bye to Mr. Man, for I didn"t want to waste any more time, though I missed my supper and got a scolding besides.