The Tale of Brownie Beaver Read online

  "What's going on?" he inquired. "You're not going to cut down thewhole forest, I hope."

  Then they told him about the celebration. And Mr. Crow began to laugh.

  "What are you going to do next?" he asked.

  "We're a-going to send Brownie Beaver over to Pleasant Valley to thankFarmer Green for his kindness in putting an end to hunting andfishing," said old Grandaddy Beaver. "And he's a-going to start rightaway."

  Mr. Crow looked around. And there was Brownie Beaver, with alunch-basket in his hand, all ready to begin his long journey.

  "Say good-by to him then," said Mr. Crow, "for you'll never see himagain."

  "What do you mean?" Grandaddy Beaver asked. And as for Brownie--he wasso frightened that he dropped his basket right in the water.

  "I mean----" said Mr. Crow--"I mean that it's a very dangerous errand.You don't seem to have understood that sign. In the first place, itwas not Farmer Green, but his son Johnnie, who nailed It to the tree."

  "Ah!" Brownie Beaver cried. "_That_ is why one of the words wasmisspelled!"

  "No doubt!" Mr. Crow remarked. As a matter of fact, not being able toread he hadn't known about the word that was spelled wrong. "In thesecond place," he continued, "the sign doesn't mean that hunting andfishing are to be stopped. It means that no one but Johnnie Green isgoing to hunt and fish in this neighborhood. He wants all the huntingand fishing for himself. That's why he put up that sign. And insteadof hunting and fishing being stopped, I should say that they weregoing to begin to be more dangerous than ever.... They tell me," headded, "that Johnnie Green had a new gun on this birthday."

  Brownie Beaver said at once that he was not going on the errand ofthanks.

  "I resign," he said, "and anyone that wants to go in my place iswelcome to do so."

  But nobody cared to go. And the whole village seemed greatlydisappointed, until Grandaddy Beaver made a short speech.

  "We've all had a good holiday, anyhow," he said. "And I should saythat was something to be thankful for."

  XI

  BAD NEWS

  "Have you heard the news?" Tired Tim asked Brownie Beaver one day."There's going to be a cyclone."

  "A cyclone?" Brownie exclaimed. "What's that? I never heard of one."

  "It's a big storm, with a terrible wind," Tired Tim explained. "Thewind will blow so hard that it will snap off big trees."

  "Good!" Brownie Beaver cried. "Then I won't have to cut down any moretrees in order to reach the tender bark that grows in their tops."

  Tired Tim laughed. "You won't think it's very 'good,'" he said, "whenthe cyclone strikes the village."

  "Why not?" Brownie inquired.

  "Because--" said Tired Tim--"because the wind will blow every houseaway. It will snatch up the sticks of which the houses are built andcarry them over the top of Blue Mountain. Then I guess you'll wish youhad taken my advice and not built that new house of yours.

  "_I_ shall be safe enough," the lazy rascal continued. "All I'llhave to do will be to crawl inside my house in the bank; for the windcan't very well blow the ground away."

  Brownie Beaver thought that Tired Tim was just trying to scare him.

  "I don't believe there's going to be any such thing!" he exclaimed.

  "Don't you?" Tim grinned. "You just go and ask Grandaddy Beaver. He'sthe one that says there's going to be a cyclone."

  At that Brownie Beaver stopped working and hurried off to find oldGrandaddy Beaver. And to his great dismay, Grandaddy said that whatTired Tim had told him was the truth.

  "It's a-coming!" Grandaddy Beaver declared. "I saw one once before inthese parts, years before anybody else in this village was born. Andwhen I see a cyclone a-coming I can generally tell it a long way off."

  "When is it going to get here?" Brownie asked in a quavering voice.

  "Next Tuesday!" Grandaddy replied.

  "What makes you think it's coming?"

  "Well--everything looks just the way it did before the last cyclone,"Grandaddy Beaver explained, as he took a mouthful of willow bark. "Themoon looks just the same and the sun looks just the same. I had atwinge of rheumatics in my left shoulder yesterday; and to-day thepain's in my right. It was exactly that way before the last cyclone."

  Brownie Beaver did not doubt that the old gentleman knew what he wastalking about. He remembered that Grandaddy Beaver had warned everyonethere was going to be a freshet. And though people had laughed at theold chap, the freshet had come.

  Sadly worried, Brownie went and called on all his neighbors and askedthem what they were going to do. And to his surprise he found thatthey were laughing at Grandaddy once more. They seemed to haveforgotten about the freshet.

  But Brownie Beaver could not forget that dreadful night. And now hetried to think of some way to keep his new house from being blown awayby the great wind, which Grandaddy Beaver said was coming on Tuesdaywithout fail.

  XII

  GRANDADDY BEAVER THINKS

  It was on a Friday that Brownie Beaver first heard the cyclone wascoming. And after making sure that Grandaddy Beaver knew what he wastalking about when he said the great wind would sweep down upon thevillage on the following Tuesday, Brownie spent a good deal of timewondering what he had better do.

  He wanted to save his house from being blown over the top of BlueMountain. And he wanted to save himself from being carried along atthe same time.

  Before Friday was gone Brownie Beaver began to heap more mud andsticks upon his house, to make it stronger. And when Tired Tim cameswimming past the lazy scamp laughed harder than ever.

  "I see you're afraid of the cyclone," he called. "But what you'redoing won't help you any. The wind will blow away those sticks easilyenough.... What you ought to do is to dig a house like mine in thebank. Then you won't have to worry about any cyclone."

  So Brownie set to work and made him a house like Tired Tim's. OnMonday he had finished it. But he didn't like his new home at all.

  "It's no better than a rat's hole," he said. "My family have neverlived in such a place and I'm not used to it. I prefer my house that'sbuilt of sticks and mud. And I'm going to see if there isn't some wayI can make it safe."

  So Brownie went to Grandaddy Beaver again and asked him what he oughtto do.

  The old gentleman said he would try to think of a plan to saveBrownie's house.

  "I wish you would hurry," Brownie urged him. "To-day is Monday; andtomorrow the cyclone will be here.... What are you going to do to yourown house, Grandaddy?"

  "My house----" said Grandaddy Beaver--"my house is very old. It hashad mud and sticks piled upon it every season for over a hundredyears. You can see for yourself that it's much bigger than yours. AndI reckon it's strong enough to stay where it is, no matter how hardthe wind blows. But your house is different.... Let me think aminute!" the old gentleman said.

  Brownie waited in silence while the old gentleman thought, with hiseyes shut tight. Brownie watched him for a long time. Once or twice hethought he heard something that sounded like a snore. But he knew itcouldn't be that--it was only the thoughts trying to get insideGrandaddy's head.

  At last Grandaddy sat up with a start.

  "Have you thought of something?" Brownie inquired.

  "What's that?" Grandaddy asked. "Oh, yes! I've a good idea," he said."What you must do is to tie your house so the wind can't blow itaway."

  Brownie thanked him. And he went away feeling quite happy again--untilhe reached home and started to follow Grandaddy's advice. Then he sawthat he had forgotten something. He hadn't anything with which to tiehis house and make it safe from the cyclone.

  XIII

  A LUCKY FIND

  Brownie Beaver almost wished he hadn't spent so much time waiting forGrandaddy to tell him to tie down his house so it wouldn't be carriedaway by the big wind on the following day. With no rope--or anythingelse--to tie the house with, Brownie could not see that Grandaddy'sadvice was of any use to him.

  Anyhow, he was glad he had done as Tired Tim had suggested and du
g ahouse in the bank, where he could hide until the storm passed. But hefelt sad at the thought of losing his comfortable home. And since hecould hardly bear to look at it and imagine how dreadful it would beto have it blown over the top of Blue Mountain into Pleasant Valley,Brownie went for a stroll through the woods to try to forget histrouble.

  He found himself at last in a clearing, where loggers had been atwork. They had chopped down many trees. And the sight made BrownieBeaver angry.

  "This is an outrage!" he cried aloud. "I'd like to know who has beenstealing our trees. I suppose it's Farmer Green; for they say he'salways up to such tricks." He took a good look around. And then heturned to go back to the village and tell what he had discovered.

  Just as he turned he tripped on something. And something clinkedbeneath his feet. It didn't sound like a stone. So Brownie Beaverlooked down to see what was there.

  Now, in his anger he had quite forgotten the great storm. But as hesaw what had tripped him he remembered it again. But he was no longerworried.

  "Hurrah!" Brownie cried. "Here's just what I need!" And then hehurried back home again--but not to tell about the trees that had beenstolen. He hastened home to _chain down his house_ and save it fromthe great wind. For Brownie Beaver had found a chain, which theloggers had used to haul the logs out of the woods, and had forgotten.

  It was almost dark when Brownie reached his house in the village inthe pond. He was never a very good walker. And dragging that heavychain behind him through the forest only made him slower than ever.Sometimes the chain caught on a bush and tripped him. But Brownie wasso pleased with his find that he only laughed whenever he fell, for hewas not hurt.

  The whole village gathered round his house to watch him while he tiedthe chain on it and anchored the ends of the chain to the bottom ofthe pond with a big stone.

  "Why do you do that?" people asked.

  "He's afraid of the cyclone to-morrow," Tired Tim piped up, withoutwaiting for Brownie to answer. "You know, old Grandaddy Beaver saysthat there's going to be a great wind. This young feller----" saidTim--"he's already dug a house in the bank near mine--ha! ha! Hethinks Grandaddy knows. But I say that Grandaddy Beaver is a--a fine,noble, old gentleman," Tired Tim stammered. He had happened to glancearound while he was talking; and to his surprise there was Grandaddyfloating in the water close behind him.

  "He certainly is," everybody agreed. "But we hope he's mistaken aboutthe great wind."

  When Tuesday came--which was the very next day--Brownie Beaver creptinto his tunnel in the bank at sunrise. And he never came outsideagain until the sun had set.

  When he saw that his house was still there, in the middle of the pond,he shouted with joy.

  "Hurrah!" he cried. "The chain saved my house!" Then he noticed thatall the other houses were still there, too. "How's this?" he askedTired Tim, who stood on the bank beside him. "Did my chain save thewhole village?"

  Tired Tim grinned--for he was not too lazy to do that.

  "There wasn't any cyclone," he said. "There wasn't a breath of windall day. And old Grandaddy Beaver is so upset that he's gone to bedand won't talk with anybody."

  XIV

  WAS IT A GUN?

  Everybody in the village where Brownie Beaver lived was very muchupset. Most people were angry, too. And no doubt it was natural thatthey should feel that way, because while they were taking their middaynaps a man had come and paddled about their village in a boat.

  Brownie Beaver was the first to hear him and he quickly spread thealarm. There was a great scurrying as all the villagers stole out oftheir houses and swam away under water to hide in holes in the bank ofthe pond and in other places they knew.

  Toward night, when they all came back again, the man had gone. ButBrownie and his neighbors were still angry. You must remember thattheir rest had been disturbed and they were feeling somewhat sleepy.

  So far as they could see, the man had done no damage either to theirhouses or to the dam. But people felt a bit uneasy just the same,until old Grandaddy Beaver looked all around and reported that the manhad set no traps. You see, Grandaddy knew a great deal about traps. Hehad been caught in one when he was young. Luckily, he managed to getaway; and he learned a few things that he never forgot.

  Now, Brownie Beaver had begun to cut down a tree the night before.Something had interrupted him and he had left the tree not quitegnawed through and needing only a few more bites to bring it down. Hewas intending to finish his task soon after dark--which was the timehe liked best for working.

  Accordingly, after Brownie had finished his supper and had called atevery house in the village to talk over the visit of the strange man,he swam to the shore of the pond and made his way to the slantingtree, which stood a short distance from the water.

  It was quite dark. And that was what Brownie liked, because he couldwork without being disturbed--at least, that was what he thought.

  Since he could see quite well in spite of the dark he had no troublein finding his tree. And he lost no time in setting to work on itagain.

  He began to gnaw at it once more. But he hadn't moved more thanhalf-way around the tree-trunk when something happened that almostfrightened him out of his skin.

  Right out of the darkness came a blinding flash of light. And at thesame time a queer _click_ sounded in the bushes close by.

  Just for a moment Brownie Beaver was stiff with fear. But when thedarkness closed in upon him again he ran for his life toward the pond.And plunging into the water he swam quickly to the bottom and hurriedup his winding hall into his bedroom, where he crouched trembling uponhis bed, wondering whether he had been shot.

  Brownie knew that at night a gun made a flash of light. But this gun(if it was a gun) made no roar such as was made by the guns Browniehad sometimes heard at a distance in the woods. He wished that oldGrandaddy Beaver was there. For he did not doubt that the oldgentleman could tell him exactly what had happened.

  XV

  JASPER JAY'S STORY

  After the blinding flash of light and the queer click had sent BrownieBeaver hurrying home from his partly gnawed tree, he stayed in hishouse for a long time before he ventured out again.

  Indeed, the night was half gone when he at last he stole forth to findGrandaddy Beaver and tell him about his awful fright.

  Brownie found the old gentleman resting after several hours' work uponthe big dam. And when young Brownie told Grandaddy what had happened,the old gentleman didn't know just what to think.

  "It couldn't have been a moonbeam," he said, "because there's no moonto-night. And I don't see how it could have been a gun, because therewas no roar.... Did you hear a sort of whistle?" he asked. "Anythingthat sounded like a bullet passing over your head?"

  Brownie Beaver shuddered at the mere mention of a bullet.

  "I heard nothing but that odd click," he replied.

  "That's what a gun sounds like when it's cocked," said GrandaddyBeaver. "But with a gun, the click comes first, the flash next, andthe roar last of all. And here you tell me the flash came first, theclick next, and there was no roar at all.... What's a body a-going tothink, I'd like to know? It wasn't a gun--that's sure. And if you wantto know what I say about it, why--I say that it was a very strangething that happened to you. And I'd keep away from that tree for along time."

  "I had made up my mind that I'd do that," Brownie told him. And thenhe went home again. But he never went to sleep until almost noon thefollowing day; for whenever he closed his eyes he seemed to see thatblinding flash of light again.

  When Jasper Jay came on Saturday afternoon to tell Brownie Beaver whathad happened in the world during the past week he had an astoundingpiece of news.

  "Here's something about you," Jasper told Brownie, as soon as he couldcatch his breath. Jasper had flown faster than usual that day, becausehe had such interesting news. "Your picture," he told Brownie, "is inthe photographer's window, way over in the town where Farmer Greengoes sometimes."

  Brownie Beaver gave Jasper a quick look.
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  "I've often suspected," he said, "that you don't always tell me thetruth. And now I know it. I've never been to the photographer's in mylife. So how could he have my picture, I should like to know?"

  "But you don't have to go to the photographer's to have your picturetaken," Jasper Jay retorted. "Why couldn't the photographer come toyou?"

  "I suppose he could," Brownie Beaver said. "But he's never been here."

  Jasper Jay gave one of his loud laughs.

  "That--" he said--"that is just where you are mistaken. And when Iexplain how I came by this news, maybe you'll believe me.

  "Tommy Fox told it to me," Jasper went on, "and old dog Spot told itto him. Everybody knows that old Spot sometimes goes to town with hismaster. They were there yesterday. And Spot saw your picture himself.What's more, he heard the photographer tell Farmer Green that he cameup here almost a week ago, hid his camera in some bushes, and set aflashlight near a half--gnawed tree. And when you started to work onthe tree that night you brushed against a wire, and the flashlightflared up, and the camera took your picture before you could jumpaway.... Now what do you say?" Jasper Jay demanded. "Now do you thinkI'm telling you the truth?"

  Brownie Beaver was so surprised that it was several minutes before hecould speak. Then he said:

  "Grandaddy Beaver was right. It wasn't a gun. I was just having mypicture taken." Brownie was actually pleased, because he knew he wasthe only person in his village that had ever had such a thing happento him.