JOHNNY CHUCK PROVES HIS LOVE


These spring days were beautiful days on the Green Meadows. It seemed
to Johnny Chuck that the Green Meadows never had been so lovely or the
songs of the birds so sweet. He had forgotten all about his old
friends, Jimmy Skunk and Peter Rabbit and the other little meadow
people.

You see, he couldn't think of anybody but Polly Chuck, and he didn't
want to be with anybody but Polly Chuck. He had even forgotten that he
had started out to see the world. He didn't care anything more about
the world. All he wanted was to be where Polly Chuck was. Then he was
perfectly happy. That was because Johnny Chuck had found the greatest
thing in the world, which is love. But Johnny still had one great
wish, the wish that he might show Polly Chuck just how brave and
strong he was and how well he could take care of her.

One morning they were feasting in a patch of sweet clover over near an
old stone wall. It was the same stone wall in which Johnny Chuck had
escaped from old Whitetail the Marshhawk, when Johnny was a very
little fellow.

Suddenly Polly gave a little scream of fright. Johnny Chuck looked up
to see a dog almost upon her. Johnny's first thought was to run to the
old stone wall. He was nearer to it than Polly was. Then he saw that
that dreadful dog would catch Polly before she could reach the stone
wall.

A great rage filled Johnny's heart, just as it had when he had fought