Sleepy-Time Tales: the Tale of Fatty Coon by Arthur Scott Bailey
page 30 of 56 (53%)
page 30 of 56 (53%)
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When Jasper Jay told Fatty Coon about Farmer Green's forty fat turkeys
Fatty felt hungrier than ever. "Oh! I mustn't go near Farmer Green's house!" he said. "My mother told me to keep away from there. . . . What time did you say the turkeys go to roost?" "Oh! they go to roost every night at sundown," Jasper Jay explained. "And there they sit, up in the tree, all night long. They're fast asleep. And you would have no trouble at all in catching as many as you wanted. . . . But of course, if you're afraid--why there's no use of MY talking about it. There's a plenty of other coons in these woods who'd be glad to know about those turkeys. And maybe they'd have the manners to say 'Thank you!' too." And with a hoarse, sneering laugh Jasper Jay flew away. That was enough for Fatty. He made up his mind that he would show Jasper Jay that HE was not afraid. And he wanted a turkey to eat, too. He said nothing to his mother about Jasper's news. But that very night, when the moon came up, and the lights in Farmer Green's house were all out, Fatty Coon went stealing across the fields. He was not afraid, for he knew that Farmer Green and all his family were in their beds. And it was so cold that Fatty felt sure that Farmer Green's dogs would be inside their kennels. Fatty did not intend to make any noise. The turkeys were asleep--so Jasper Jay had told him--and he expected to grab one of them so swiftly and silently that the other turkeys would never know it. |
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