“We-uns will take Brer Jay into our secret.  Brer Jay will tell Brer Coyote that Brer Rabbit is up here on Brer Porky’s hill, hurt so that he can’t get home,” said Unc’ Billy Possum.  “That’s all Brer Jay need to say.  Brer Coyote is gwine to come up here hot foot with his tongue hanging out fo’ that dinner he’s sho’ is waiting fo’ him here.”

“You won’t do anything of the kind!” spoke up little Mrs. Peter, who, you know, had bravely left the dear Old Briar-patch and come up here in the Green Forest to take care of Peter.  “Peter has had trouble enough already, and I’m not going to let him have any more, so there!”

“Peter isn’t going to get into any trouble,” spoke up Jimmy Skunk.  “Peter and you are going to be just as safe as if you were over in the Old Briar-patch, for you will be in that old house where nothing can harm you.  Now, please, Mrs. Peter, don’t be foolish.  You don’t like Old Man Coyote, do you?  You’d like to see him get a great scare to make up for the scares he has given Peter and you, wouldn’t you?”

Little Mrs. Peter was forced to admit that she would, and after a little more teasing she finally agreed to let them try their plan for giving Old Man Coyote a scare.  Sammy Jay happened along just as Jimmy Skunk was starting out to look for him, and when he was told what was wanted of him, he agreed to do his part.  You know Sammy is always ready for any mischief.  Just as he started to look for Old Man Coyote, Unc’ Billy Possum made another suggestion.

“We-uns have had a lot of fun with Reddy and Granny Fox,” said he, “and now it seems to me that it is no more than fair to invite them over to see Old Man Coyote and what he will do when he first sees the terrible creature that has frightened them so.  Granny knows now that there is nothing to be afraid of, and perhaps she will forget her anger if she has a chance to see Old Man Coyote run away.  Yo’ know she isn’t wasting any love on him.  What do yo’ alls say?”

Peter and Mrs. Peter said “No!” right away, but Jimmy Skunk and Prickly Porky thought it a good idea, and of course Sammy Jay was willing.  After a little, when it was once more pointed out to them how they would be perfectly safe in the old house behind the big stump, Peter and Mrs. Peter agreed, and Sammy started off on his errand.

XXI

SAMMY JAY DELIVERS HIS MESSAGE

Sammy Jay has been the bearer of so many messages that no one knows better than he how to deliver one.  He knows when to be polite, and no one can be more polite than he.  First he went over to the home of Reddy and Granny Fox and invited them to come over to the hill where Prickly Porky lives and see the terrible creature which had frightened them so give Old Man Coyote a scare.  Both Reddy and Granny promptly said they would do nothing of the kind, that probably Sammy was engaged in some kind of mischief, and that anyway they knew that there was no such creature without head, legs, or tail, and though they had been fooled once, they didn’t propose to be fooled again.