hat pitiful little squeak. It seemed to come from nowhere in
particular. Also it was growing fainter.

At last Farmer Brown's boy happened to stand still close to that tin
pail half filled with sap. He heard the faint little squeak again and
with it a little splash. It was the sound of the little splash that led
him to look down. In a flash he understood what had happened. He
saw poor little Whitefoot struggling feebly, and even as he looked
Whitefoot's head went under. He was very nearly drowned.

Stooping quickly, Farmer Brown's boy grabbed Whitefoot's long tail and
pulled him out. Whitefoot was so nearly drowned that he didn't have
strength enough to even kick. A great pity filled the eyes of Farmer
Brown's boy as he held Whitefoot's head down and gently shook him. He
was trying to shake some of the sap out of Whitefoot. It ran out of
Whitefoot's nose and out of his mouth. Whitefoot began to gasp. Then
Farmer Brown's boy spread his coat close by the fire, rolled Whitefoot
up in his handkerchief and gently placed him on the coat. For some time
Whitefoot lay just gasping. But presently his breath came easier, and
after a while he was breathing naturally. But he was too weak and tired
to move, so he just lay there while Farmer Brown's boy gently stroked
his head and told him how sorry he was.

Little by little Whitefoot recovered his strength. At last he could sit
up, and finally he began to move about a little, although he was still
wobbly on his legs. Farmer Brown's boy put some bits of food where
Whitefoot could get them, and as he ate, Whitefoot's beautiful soft eyes
were filled with gratitude.

CHAPTER IX: Two Timid Persons Meet

Thus always you will meet life's test--
To do the thing you can do best.
--Whitefoot.

Jumper the Hare sat crouched at the foot of a tree in the Green Forest.
Had you happened along there, you would not have seen him. At least,
I doubt if you would. If you had seen him, you probably wouldn't have
known it. You see, in his white coat Jumper was so exactly the color of
the snow that he looked like nothing more than a little heap of snow.

Just in front of Juniper was a little round hole. He gave it no
attention. It didn't interest him in the least. All through the Green
Forest were little holes in the snow. Jumper was so used to them that
he seldom noticed them. So he took no notice of this one until something
moved down in that hole. Jumper's eyes opened a little wid