on. There was no other tree near enough to jump to. The only way out was down right where those keen axes were at work and where Bowser sat watching. What chance was there for him? None. Not the least chance in the world. At least, that is the way Bobby felt about it. That was because he didn’t know Farmer Brown and Farmer Brown’s boy.
You see, all this time that Bobby Coon had been having such a dreadful, such a very dreadful time, Farmer Brown and Farmer Brown’s boy and Bowser the Hound had known nothing at all about it. Bobby Coon hadn’t once entered the heads of any of them. None of them knew that the big chestnut-tree was Bobby’s home. If Farmer Brown’s boy had known it, I suspect that he would have found some good excuse for not cutting it. But he didn’t, and so he swung his axe with a will, for he wanted to show his father that he could do a man’s work.
Why were they cutting down that big chestnut-tree? Well, you see that tree was practically dead, so Farmer Brown had decided that it could be of use in no way now save as wood for the fires at home. If it were cut down, the young trees springing up around it would have a better chance to grow. It would be better to cut it now than to allow it to stand, growing weaker all the time, until at last it should fall in some great storm and perhaps break down some of the young trees about it.
Now if Bobby Coon had known Farmer Brown and Farmer Brown’s boy as Tommy Tit the Chickadee knew them, and as Happy Jack Squirrel knew them, and as some others knew them, he would have climbed right straight down that tree without the teeniest, weeniest bit of fear of them. He would have known that he was perfectly safe. But he didn’t know them, and so he felt both helpless and hopeless, and this is a very dreadful feeling indeed.
For a little while he peeped out of his doorway, watching the keen axes and the flying yellow chips. Then he crept miserably back to bed to wait for the worst. He just didn’t know what else to do. By and by there was a dreadful crack, and another and another. Farmer Brown shouted. So did Farmer Brown’s boy. Bowser the Hound barked excitedly. Slowly the big tree began to lean over. Then it moved faster and faster, and Bobby Coon felt giddy and sick. He felt very sick indeed. Then, with a frightful crash, the tree struck the ground, and for a few minutes Bobby didn’t know anything at all. No, Sir, he didn’t know a single thing. You see, when the tree hit the ground, Bobby was thrown against the side of his house so hard that all the wind was knocked from his body, and all his senses were knocked from his head. When after a little they returned to him, Bobby discovered that the tree had fallen in such a way that the hole which had been his doorway was partly closed. He was a prisoner in his own house.
He didn’t mind this so much as you might expect. He began to hope ever so little. He began to hope that Farmer Brown and his boy wouldn’t find that hollow and after awhile they would go away. And then Bowser the Hound upset all hope. He came over to the fallen tree and began to sniff along the trunk. When he reached the partly closed hole which was Bobby’s doorway, he began to whine and bark excitedly. He would stick his nose in as far as he could, sniff, then lift his head and bark. After that he would scratch frantically at the hole.
“Hello!” exclaimed Farmer Brown’s boy, “Bowser has found some one at home! I wonder who it can be.”
V. Bobby Coon Shows Fight
Who for his home doth bravely fight
Is doing what he knows is right.
A coward he, the world would say,
Should he turn tail and run away.
Bobby Coon couldn’t run away if he wanted to. I suspect that he would have run only too gladly if there had been the least chance to. But there he was, a prisoner in his own house. He couldn’t get out if he wanted to, and he didn’t want to just then because he knew by the sound of Bowser the Hound’s deep sniffs at his doorway, followed by his eager barks, that Bowser had discovered that he, Bobby, was at home. He knew that Bowser couldn’t get in, and so he was very well content to stay where he was.
But presently Bobby heard the voice of Fanner Brown’s boy, and though Bobby didn’t understand what Farmer Brown’s boy said, his heart sank way down to his toes just the same. At least, that is the way it felt to Bobby. You see, he knew by the sound of that voice, even though he couldn’t understand the words, that Farmer Brown’s boy had understood Bowser, and now knew that there was some one at home in that hollow tree.
As to that Bobby was quite right. While Farmer Brown’s boy couldn’t understand what Bowser was saying as he whined and yelped, he did understand perfectly what Bowser meant.
“Who is it, Bowser, old fellow? Is it a Squirrel, or Whitefoot the Wood Mouse, or that sly old scamp, Unc’ Billy Possum?” asked Farmer Brown’s boy.
“Bow, wow, wow!” replied Bowser, dancing about between sniffs at Bobby’s doorway.
“I don’t know what that means, but I’m going to find out, Bowser,” laughed Farmer Brown’s boy, picking up his axe.
“Bow, wow! Bow, wow, wow, wow!” replied Bowser, more excited than ever. First Farmer Brown’s boy had Farmer Brown bold Bowser away from the opening. Then with his axe he thumped all along the hollow part of the tree, hoping that this would frighten whoever was inside so that they would try to run out. But Bobby couldn’t get out because, as you know, his doorway was partly closed, and he wouldn’t have even it he could; he felt safer right where he was. So Farmer Brown’s boy thumped in vain. When he found that this was useless, he drove the keen edge of his axe in right at the edge of the hole which was Bobby’s doorway. Farmer Brown joined with his axe, and in a few minutes they had slit out a long strip which reached clear to where Bobby was crouching and let the light pour in, so that he had to blink and for a minute or two had hard work to see at all.
Right away Bowser discovered him, and growling savagely, tried to get at him. But the opening wasn’t wide enough for Bowser to get more than his nose in, and this Bobby promptly seized in his sharp teeth.
“Yow-w-w! Oh-o-o! Let go! Let go!” yelled Bowser.
“Gr-r-r-r-r!” growled Bobby, and tried to sink his teeth deeper. Bowser yelled and howled and shook his head and pulled as hard as ever he could, so that at last Bobby had to let go. Farmer Brown’s boy hurried up to look in. What he saw was a mouthful of sharp teeth snapping at him. Bobby Coon might have been very much afraid, but he didn’t show it. No, Sir, he didn’t show it. What he did show was that he meant to fight for his life, liberty, and home. He was very fierce looking, was Bobby Coon, as Farmer Brown’s boy peeped in at him.
VI. Something Is Wrong With Bobby Coon
Farmer Brown’s boy chuckled as he peered in at Bobby Coon, and watched Bobby show his teeth, and listened to his snarls and growls. It was very plain that Bobby intended to fight for his life. It might be an entirely hopeless fight, but he would fight just the same.
“Bobby,” said Farmer Brown’s boy, “you certainly are a plucky little rascal. I know just what you think; you think that my father and I cut this tree down just to get you, and you think that we and Bowser the Hound are going to try to kill you. You are all wrong, Bobby, all wrong. If we had known that this tree was your house, we wouldn’t have cut it down. No, Sir, we wouldn’t. And now that we have found out that it is, we are not going to harm so much as a hair of you. I’m going to cut this opening a little larger so that you can get out easily, and then I am going to hold on to Bowser and give you a chance to get away. I hope you know of some other hollow tree near here to which you can go. Its a shame, Bobby, that we didn’t know about this. It certainly is, and I’m
