to his own stolen
eggs.

Because Reddy Fox is the largest he was given the place of honor at the
head of the table under the Lone Pine. On his right sat Little Joe
Otter and on his left Jerry Muskrat. Shadow the Weasel was next to
Little Joe Otter, while right across from him was Jimmy Skunk. Peter
Rabbit was next, sitting opposite his cousin, Jumper the Hare. At the
extreme end, facing Reddy Fox, sat Billy Mink, with the plump duck
right under his sharp little nose.

Boomer the Nighthawk excused himself on the plea that he needed
exercise to aid digestion, and as he had brought nothing to the feast,
his excuse was politely accepted.

Reddy Fox is very, very cunning, and his crafty brain had been busily
working out a plan to get all these good things for himself. "Little
brothers of the Green Meadows," began Reddy Fox, "we have met here
to-night for a feast of brotherly love."

Reddy Fox paused a moment to look hungrily at Billy Mink's duck. Billy
Mink cast a longing eye at Little Joe Otter's trout, while Jimmy Skunk
stole an envious glance at Reddy Fox's chicken.

"But there is one missing to make our joy complete," continued Reddy
Fox. "Who has seen Bobby Coon?"

No one had seen Bobby Coon. Somehow happy-go-lucky Bobby Coon had been
overlooked when the invitations were sent out.

"I move," continued Reddy Fox, "that because Billy Mink runs swiftly,
and because he knows where Bobby Coon usually is to be found, he be
appointed a committee of one to find Bobby Coon and bring him to the
feast."

Now nothing could have been less to the liking of Billy Mink, but there
was nothing for him to do but to yield as gracefully as he could and go
in search of Bobby Coon.

No sooner had Billy Mink disappeared down the Lone Little Path than
Reddy Fox recalled a nest of grouse eggs he had seen that day under a
big hemlock, and he proposed that inasmuch as Jimmy Skunk already wore
stripes for having stolen a nest of eggs from Mrs. Grouse, he was just
the one to go steal these eggs and bring them to the feast.

Of course there was nothing for Jimmy Skunk to do but to yield as
gracefully as he could and go in search of the nest of eggs under the
big hemlock.

No sooner had Jimmy Skunk started off than Reddy Fox remembered a big
shining sucker Farmer Brown's boy had caught that afternoon and tossed
among the rushes beside the Smiling Pool. Little Joe Otter listened
and his mouth watered and watered until he could s