VII

JOHNNIE GREEN IS DISAPPOINTED


It made Fatty Coon feel sad, just to think that there was that field
full of corn, and that he could never eat all of it. But Fatty made up
his mind that he would do the best he could. He would visit the
cornfield every night and feast on those sweet, tender kernels.

The very next night Fatty set out toward Farmer Green's. It was hardly
dark. But Fatty could not wait any longer. He could not even wait for
his mother and his sisters and his brother. He hurried away alone. And
when he came in sight of the cornfield he felt better. He had been the
least bit afraid that the corn might be gone. He thought that maybe
Farmer Green had picked it, or that some of the forest people had eaten
it all. But there it was--a forest of corn, waving and rustling in the
moonlight as the breeze touched it. Fatty felt very happy as he slipped
through the rail-fence.

I wouldn't dare say how many ears of corn Fatty ate that night. And he
would have eaten more, too, if it hadn't been for just one thing. A dog
barked. And that spoiled Fatty's fun. For the dog was altogether too
near for Fatty to feel safe. He even dropped the ear of corn he was
gnawing and hurried toward the woods.

It was lucky for Fatty that he started when he did. For that dog was
close behind him in no time. There was only one thing to do: Fatty knew