“And that’s what he did do.  He picked out a bright shell of which he was very fond and he left it in Brer Squirrel’s storehouse to pay fo’ the nuts that he took.  After that he always helped himself to anything he wanted, but he always left something to pay fo’ it.  It wasn’t long befo’ his neighbors found out what he was doing, and then they called him Miser the Trade Rat.  Whenever anybody found something he didn’t want hisself, he took it to the little junk shop of Miser the Trade Rat and traded it fo’ something else, or left it where Miser would find it, knowing that Miser would leave something in its place.

“And it’s been just so with Miser’s family ever since.  There is one Rat who is a credit to his family instead of a disgrace,” concluded Ol’ Mistah Buzzard.

III

WHERE YAP-YAP THE PRAIRIE DOG USED HIS WITS

Peter Rabbit had just had a great fright.  He is used to having great frights, but this time it was a different kind of a fright.  It was not for himself that he had been afraid but for one of his old friends and neighbors.  Now that it was over, Peter drew a little breath of sheer relief.

You see it was this way:  Peter had started over for a call on Johnny Chuck.  When he reached Johnny Chuck’s house he found no one at home.  At first he thought he would go look for Johnny, for he knew that Johnny must be somewhere near, as he never goes far from his own doorstep.  Then he changed his mind and decided to wait for Johnny to return.  So he stretched himself out in some tall grass beside Johnny Chuck’s house, intending to jump out and give Johnny a scare when he came home.  Hardly had he settled himself when he heard Johnny coming, and he knew by the sounds that Johnny was running from some danger.

Very, very carefully Peter raised his head to see.  Then he ducked it again and held his breath.  Johnny Chuck was running as Peter never had seen him run before and with very good reason.  Just a few jumps behind Johnny’s twinkling little black heels was Old Man Coyote.  It looked to Peter as if Old Man Coyote certainly would catch Johnny Chuck this time.  He was so frightened for Johnny that he quite forgot that he himself might be in danger.  Head first through his doorway plunged Johnny, and Old Man Coyote’s teeth snapped together on nothing.

Old Man Coyote backed away a few steps and sat down with his head on one side as he studied Johnny Chuck’s house in the ground.  It was plain to be seen that he was trying to make up his mind whether it would be worth while to try to dig Johnny out.  Presently Johnny came half-way up his long hall where he could look out.  Then he began to scold Old Man Coyote.  Old Man Coyote grinned.