well refuse, for that would look as if he were afraid, after all.




VII

JIMMY SKUNK CALLS ON PRICKLY PORKY


"A plague upon Old Mr. Toad!" grumbled Jimmy, as he ambled up the Lone
Little Path through the Green Forest on his way to the hill where
Prickly Porky lives. "Of course I'm not afraid, but just the same I
don't like meddling with things I don't know anything about. I'm not
afraid of anybody I know of, because everybody has the greatest
respect for me, but it might be different with a creature without legs
or head or tail. Whoever heard of such a thing? It gives me a queer
feeling inside."

However, he kept right on, and as he reached the foot of the hill
where Prickly Porky lives, he looked sharply in every direction and
listened with all his might for strange sounds. But there was nothing
unusual to be seen. The Green Forest looked just as it always did. It
was very still and quiet there save for the cheerful voice of Redeye
the Vireo telling over and over how happy he was.

"That doesn't sound as if there were any terrible stranger around
here," muttered Jimmy.

Then he heard a queer, grunting sound, a very queer sound, that seemed