CHAPTER I

THE BATTLE OF THE BANANA

PEE-WEE HARRIS, mascot of the Raven Patrol, First Bridgeboro Troop,
sat upon the lowest limb of the tree in front of his home eating a banana.
To maintain his balance it was necessary for him to keep a tight hold with
one hand on a knotty projection of the trunk while with the other he
clutched his luscious refreshment.

The safety of his small form as he sat on the shaky limb depended
upon his hold of the trunk, while the tremendous responsibility of
holding his banana devolved upon the other hand.

Pee-Wee was so much smaller than he should have been and the banana
so much larger than it should have been that they might almost be said to
have been of the same size.

The slender limb on which Pee-Wee sat trembled and creaked with each
enormous bite that he took. The bright morning sunlight, wriggling through
the foliage overhead, picked out the round face and curly hair of our
young hero and showed him in all his pristine glory, frowning a terrible
frown, clinging for dear life with one hand and engaged in his customary
occupation of eating.

He had ascended to this leafy throne with the banana in his pocket
but he could not restore it to his pocket now even if he wished to.
However, he did not wish to. In a military sense he was in a predicament,
both arms were in bad strategic position and his center exposed to
assault. His leafy throne was like many another throne in these eventful