



Produced by Joe Longo, Suzan Flanagan, and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net






     SLEEPY-TIME TALES

            BY

     ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY

     THE TALE OF CUFFY BEAR
     THE TALE OF FRISKY SQUIRREL
     THE TALE OF TOMMY FOX
     THE TALE OF FATTY <DW53>
     THE TALE OF BILLY WOODCHUCK
     THE TALE OF JIMMY RABBIT
     THE TALE OF PETER MINK
     THE TALE OF SANDY CHIPMUNK
     THE TALE OF BROWNIE BEAVER
     THE TALE OF PADDY MUSKRAT




     _SLEEPY-TIME TALES_

         THE TALE OF
            BILLY
          WOODCHUCK

             BY

     ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY

       ILLUSTRATED BY

       HARRY L. SMITH

          NEW YORK
      GROSSET & DUNLAP
         PUBLISHERS




     Copyright, 1916, by
      GROSSET & DUNLAP




CONTENTS


     CHAPTER                           PAGE

     I THE HOUSE IN THE PASTURE           9

     II CALLING NAMES                    14

     III MAGIC                           19

     IV THE GREAT HORNED OWL             24

     V BILLY STANDS GUARD                29

     VI BILLY FORGETS TO WHISTLE         34

     VII GREEN PEAS                      39

     VIII A NEW GAME                     44

     IX WHAT HAPPENED AT AUNT POLLY'S    49

     X UNCLE JERRY CHUCK                 53

     XI BILLY ASKS FOR PAY               58

     XII WHAT JIMMY RABBIT SAW           62

     XIII A JOKE ON UNCLE JERRY          66

     XIV MR. FOX HAS AN IDEA             71

     XV "POP! GOES THE WEASEL!"          76

     XVI THE PLAY-HOUSE                  81

     XVII BILLY BRINGS THE DOCTOR        86

     XVIII A WONDERFUL STICK             91

     XIX MR. WOODCHUCK MOVES             95

     XX THE FAMILY ESCAPES              100

     XXI AT HOME IN THE WOODS           104

     XXII GROUND HOG DAY                108




ILLUSTRATIONS


     BILLY WOODCHUCK OFTEN DUG
     HOLES IN THE PASTURE    _Frontispiece_

                                       PAGE

     "JUST CRAWL INSIDE THAT OLD
     STUMP!" MR. FOX SAID                20

     "WHAT'S THE MATTER?" BILLY
     ASKED                               36

     SHE TOOK HOLD OF BILLY'S EAR        50

     HE PAINTED TWO WHITE STRIPES ON
     UNCLE JERRY'S BACK                  68

     BILLY CARRIED HER BASKET OF HERBS   88




THE TALE OF BILLY WOODCHUCK

I

THE HOUSE IN THE PASTURE


One day, when Johnnie Green tramped over the fields toward the
woods, he did not dream that he walked right over somebody's
bedroom. The snow was deep, for it was midwinter. And as Johnnie
crossed his father's pasture he thought only of the fresh rabbit
tracks that he saw all about him. He had no way of knowing that
beneath the three feet of snow, and as much further below the top
of the ground too, there was a snug, cozy little room, where Mr.
and Mrs. Woodchuck lay sound asleep on a bed of dried grass.

They had been there all winter, asleep like that. And there they
would stay, until spring came and the grass began to grow again.

In summer Johnnie Green was always on the watch for woodchucks. But
now he never gave them a thought. There would be time enough for
that after the snow was gone and the chucks came crawling out of
their underground houses to enjoy the warm sunshine.

Usually it happened in just that way, though there had been years
when Mr. and Mrs. Woodchuck had awakened too soon. And then when
they reached the end of the long tunnel that led from their bedroom
into Farmer Green's pasture they found that they had to dig their
way through a snow-bank before they reached the upper world where
Johnnie Green lived.

But this year their winter's nap came to a close at just the right
time. A whole month had passed since Johnnie walked over their
house. And now when they popped their heads out of their front