258 Trails to Woods and Waters 



eyes with her hand while she made his tail 

 more fluffy and beautiful. 



" * It isn't nearly as large as Red Squir- 

 rel's,' said Chippy when she had finished. 



" * Why, you are not half as large as Red 

 Squirrel yourself,' replied the wood nymph 

 laughing. ' I guess it is large enough for 

 your size.' 



" But Chippy was not satisfied, so the wood 

 nymph finally painted his sides with several 

 bright stripes, and that is how he became little 

 Striped Sides. 



" There is another pretty good story," con- 

 tinued Ben. " It is about how the skunk got 

 his scent. I presume people have often won- 

 dered. 



" One day, years and years ago, a skunk sat 

 down under a juniper bush to think, and he 

 quite naturally got to thinking about himself. 



" * What a poor stupid old thing I am,' he 

 said. ' I am the most defenseless of all the 

 forest folks. I cannot run away from my 

 enemies like the rabbit, because my legs are 

 short. I cannot bite like the woodchuck be- 



