IX

THE SIGN ON THE TREE


On one of Brownie Beaver's long excursions down the stream he came
upon a tree to which a sign was nailed. Now, Brownie had never learned
to read. But he had heard that Uncle Jerry Chuck could tell what a
sign said. So Brownie asked a pleasant young fellow named Frisky
Squirrel if he would mind asking Uncle Jerry to come over to Swift
River on a matter of important business.

When Uncle Jerry Chuck appeared, Brownie Beaver said he was glad to
see him and that Uncle Jerry was looking very well.

"I've sent for you," said Brownie, "because I wanted you to see this
sign. I can tell by the tracks under the tree that the sign was put up
only to-day. And I thought you ought to know about it at once, Uncle
Jerry."

As soon as he heard that, Uncle Jerry Chuck stepped close to the tree
and began to read the sign.

Now, there was something about Uncle Jerry's reading that Brownie
Beaver had heard. People had told him that Uncle Jerry Chuck couldn't
tell what a sign said unless he read it _aloud_. That was why Brownie
Beaver had sent for him, for Brownie knew Uncle Jerry well enough to
guess that if anybody _asked_ Uncle Jerry to read the sign, Uncle
Jerry would insist on being paid for his trouble.