FRIENDLY ENEMIES, THE ANIMALS 103 



the animals takes place; therefore you have to 

 hibernate for the winter and it has been this way 

 all through time and shall be so long as your race 

 lives. That is the reason that last stripe on your 

 back is unlucky, because you started all the trouble 

 that resulted so disastrously to the other animals," 

 concluded Chubby. 



"Say, Chubby, who on earth told you that fairy 

 story?" asked Stripes. 



"Well, one evening the Owl tried to get me to 

 come out from under a hollow stump, and promised 

 to tell me a story if I would. I told him to tell me 

 the story first and I would think it over, and this is 

 the story he told me. But I told him that it was 

 Friday the thirteenth and I guessed I would stay in 

 the old stump, as it might be unlucky if I came out," 

 answered Chubby. 



"But where did the Owl get the story?" asked 

 Stripes. 



"Oh! The Owl knows everything," returned 

 Chubby. "I guess his ancestors were there at the 

 time it all happened and it has been handed down to 

 each generation." 



"Well, I don't believe my thirteenth stripe is 

 unlucky anyway, while I am asleep all winter, I 



