bobby coon had left ol' mistah buzzard sitting on his favorite dead tree. every few minutes ol' mistah buzzard would chuckle. "brer coon is right smart, and ah reckon unc' billy possum is gwine to get a taste of his own medicine. yes, sah, ah reckon he is!" said ol' mistah buzzard. then he chuckled and chuckled, as he spread his broad wings and said: "ah reckon ah better be up in the blue, blue sky where ah can look right down and see all the fun."
in the meantime bobby coon was hurrying back and forth across the green meadows and through the green forest, calling on all the little people who live there. he whispered a few words in the ear of one and then hurried on to whisper to the next one. when bobby would first begin to whisper, the one to whom he was whispering would shake his head and look as if he didn't believe a word of what bobby was saying. then bobby would point to ol' mistah buzzard sailing 'round and 'round high up in the blue, blue sky where everybody could see him, and whisper some more. when he got through, he always carried away with him a promise that just what he had asked should be done.
bobby coon had thought of a plan to turn the joke on unc' billy possum, and this was why he was hurrying back and forth whispering in the ears of every one who lived on the green meadows and in the green forest; that is everybody excepting unc' billy possum and his family. it was the busiest day that bobby coon could remember.
it was the very next morning that unc' billy possum was trotting along the crooked little path down the hill. he was just starting out on his daily round of calls, and he was grinning as only unc' billy possum can grin.
"mah name is billy possum and mah home's a hollow tree!
by day or night ah wander forth—it's all the same to me!
ah fill mah stomach with an egg, or sometimes it is fish;
in fact ah always helps mahself to anything ah wish.
fo' mah name is billy possum and mah other name is smart;
to catch yo' uncle billy yo' must make an early start."
unc' billy was singing this to himself as he trotted along the crooked little path, and all the time he was thinking of the great joke that he and his old friend mr. mocker, from way down south, were playing on the little people of the green meadows and the green forest.
this morning he was on his way to call first on johnny chuck. half-way down the hill he met bobby coon. unc' billy stopped and held out one hand as he said "good mo'ning, brer coon. how do yo'all do this fine mo'ning?"
bobby coon walked right past as if he didn't see unc' billy at all. he didn't even look at him.
"what's the matter with yo' this mo'ning, brer coon?" shouted unc' billy. bobby coon kept right on, without so much as turning his head. unc' billy watched him, and there was a puzzled look on unc' billy's face. "must be that brer coon has something powerful impo'tant on his mind," muttered unc' billy, as he started on.
pretty soon he met jimmy skunk who had always been one of unc' billy's best friends. jimmy was looking under every stick and stone for beetles for his breakfast.
"good mo'ning, neighbor skunk!" said unc' billy in his heartiest voice.
jimmy skunk, who never hurries, kept right on pulling over sticks and stones just as if he didn't see or hear unc' billy at all. in fact, when he pulled over one stone, he dropped it right on unc' billy's tail and didn't seem to hear unc' billy's "ouch!" as he pulled his tail from under the stone. jimmy just went right on about his business.
unc' billy sat down and scratched his head. his face had lost the cheerful grin with which he had started out. pretty soon he started on, but every few minutes he would stop and scratch his head thoughtfully. he didn't know what to make of bobby coon and jimmy skunk.
he was so surprised that he hadn't known whether to be angry or not.
"ah must find out what brer chuck knows about it," thought unc' billy, as he trotted on.
