FRIENDLY ENEMIES, THE ANIMALS 107 



"Say, Bobby, what is this about you and Billy 

 going over to Farmer Brown's for eggs and chickens? 

 Don't you think he wiU soon find out all about you 

 two and tack your skins on the chicken-house door?" 

 asked Johnnie. 



"Well, Johnnie, you tore up his wheat crop for 

 him last summer and I see you are still with us, so 

 I guess we shall get through," returned Bobby Coon. 



"I guess we are aU in the same boat when it comes 

 to taking things. We all have to live, and I guess 

 he will have to put up with us. Say, what is this 

 joke I hear about Stripes the Ground Squirrel," 

 asked Johnnie. 



"Why, Stripes asked Peter Rabbit if he knew what 

 snow was, if he had ever heard of it, and Peter has 

 told everyone and is still laughing about it," an- 

 swered Bobby. 



"Well, that's nothing strange. You see I am here 

 the year around and folks consider me a wise old 

 gink. They say I am the weather prophet, yet I 

 rarely ever see snow. Stripes and I go to sleep 

 about the same time in October each year. He does 

 not awaken until all danger of snow and freezing 

 is over, but I have to get up on the second of 

 February to regulate the weather for the coming 

 spring. So when that day arrives and there is snow 



