ickly Porky lives. "Of course I'm not afraid, but just the same I
don't like meddling with things I don't know anything about. I'm not
afraid of anybody I know of, because everybody has the greatest
respect for me, but it might be different with a creature without legs
or head or tail. Whoever heard of such a thing? It gives me a queer
feeling inside."

However, he kept right on, and as he reached the foot of the hill
where Prickly Porky lives, he looked sharply in every direction and
listened with all his might for strange sounds. But there was nothing
unusual to be seen. The Green Forest looked just as it always did. It
was very still and quiet there save for the cheerful voice of Redeye
the Vireo telling over and over how happy he was.

"That doesn't sound as if there were any terrible stranger around
here," muttered Jimmy.

Then he heard a queer, grunting sound, a very queer sound, that seemed
to come from somewhere on the top of the hill. Jimmy grinned as he
listened. "That's Prickly Porky telling himself how good his dinner
tastes," laughed Jimmy. "Funny how some people do like to hear their
own voices."

The contented sound of Prickly Porky's voice made Jimmy feel very sure
that there could be nothing very terrible about just then, anyway, and
so he slowly ambled up the hill, for you know he never hurries. It was
an easy matter to find the tree in which Prickly Porky was at work
stripping off bark and eating it, because he made so much noise.

"Hello!" said Jimmy Skunk.

Prickly Porky took no notice. He was so busy eating, and making so
much noise about it, that he didn't hear Jimmy at all.

"Hello!" shouted Jimmy a little louder. "Hello, there! Are you deaf?"
Of course this wasn't polite at all, but Jimmy was feeling a little
out of sorts because he had had to make this call. This time Prickly
Porky looked down.

"Hello yourself, and see how you like it, Jimmy Skunk!" he cried.
"Come on up and have some of this nice bark with me." Then Prickly
Porky laughed at his own joke, for he knew perfectly well that Jimmy
couldn't climb, and that he wouldn't eat bark if he could.

Jimmy made a face at him. "Thank you, I've just dined. Come down here
where I can talk to you without straining my voice," he replied.

"Wait until I get another bite," replied Prickly Porky, stripping off
a long piece of bark. Then with this to chew on, he came half way down
the tree and made himself comfortable on a big limb. "Now,