The Adventures of Jimmy Skunk | Page 5

every one respects Jimmy and his rights.
He used it now, and he didn't waste any time about it. He threw some
of that perfume right in the face of Reddy Fox before Reddy had a
chance to turn or to say a word.
"Take that!" snapped Jimmy Skunk. "Perhaps it will teach you not to
play tricks on your honest neighbors!"
Poor Reddy! Some of that perfume got in his eyes and made them
smart dreadfully. In fact, for a little while he couldn't see at all. And
then the smell of it was so strong that it made him quite sick. He rolled
over and over on the ground, choking and gasping and rubbing his eyes.
Jimmy Skunk just stood and looked on, and there wasn't a bit of pity in
his eyes.
"How do you like that?" said he. "You thought yourself very smart,
rolling me down hill in a barrel, didn't you? You might have broken my
neck."

"I didn't know you were in that barrel, and I didn't mean to roll it down
the hill anyway," whined Reddy, when he could get his voice.
"Huh!" snorted Jimmy Skunk, who didn't believe a word of it.
"I didn't. Honestly I didn't," protested Reddy. "I ran against the barrel
by accident, chasing Peter Rabbit. I didn't have any idea that any one
was in it."
"Huh!" said Jimmy Skunk again. "If you were chasing Peter Rabbit,
where is he now?"
Reddy had to confess he didn't know. He was nowhere in sight, and he
certainly hadn't had time to reach the dear Old Briar-patch. Jimmy
looked this way and that way, but there was no sign of Peter Rabbit.
"Huh!" said he again, turning his back on Reddy Fox and walking away
with a great deal of dignity.

V
REDDY FOX SNEAKS AWAY
To sneak away is to steal away trying to keep out of sight of everybody,
and is usually done only by those who for some reason or other are
ashamed to be seen. Just as soon as Reddy Fox could see after Jimmy
Skunk had thrown that terrible perfume in Reddy's face he started for
the Green Forest. He wanted to get away by himself. But he didn't trot
with his head up and his big plumey tail carried proudly as is usual with
him. No indeed. Instead he hung his head, and his handsome tail was
dropped between his legs; he was the very picture of shame. You see
that terrible perfume which Jimmy Skunk had thrown at him clung to
his red coat and he knew that he couldn't get rid of it, not for a long
time anyway. And he knew, too, that wherever he went his neighbors
would hold their noses and make fun of him, and that no one would
have anything to do with him. So he sneaked away across the Green
Meadows towards the Green Forest and he felt too sick and mean and

unhappy to even be angry with Sammy Jay, who was making fun of
him and saying that he had got no more than he deserved.
Poor Reddy! He didn't know what to do or where to go. He couldn't go
home, for old Granny Fox would drive him out of the house. She had
warned him time and again never to provoke Jimmy Skunk, and he
knew that she never would forgive him if he should bring that terrible
perfume near their home. He knew, too, that it would not be long
before all the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows
would know what had happened to him. Sammy Jay would see to that.
He knew just how they would point at him and make fun of him. He
would never hear the last of it. He felt as if he never, never would be
able to hold his head and his tail up again. Every few minutes he
stopped to roll over and over on the ground trying to get rid of that
dreadful perfume.
When he reached the Green Forest he hurried over to the Laughing
Brook to wash out his eyes. It was just his luck to have Billy Mink
come along while he was doing this. Billy didn't need to be told what
had happened. "Phew!" he exclaimed, holding on to his nose. Then he
turned and hurried beyond the reach of that perfume. There he stopped
and made fun of Reddy Fox and said all the provoking things he could
think of. Reddy took no notice at all. He felt too miserable to quarrel.
After he had washed his face he felt better. Water wouldn't take away
the awful smell, but it did take away the smart from his eyes. Then he
tried to plan