ry young chap like you to take all you
wanted of it. But I've a lame knee, you know, and I can't climb so
well as I used to."

"Of course I'll get some corn for you," Frisky promised. "Where is
it?"

"I'll take you to it," said Uncle Sammy--"this very night." He was a
suspicious old chap--which means that he was afraid that if he told
Frisky then, Frisky would go off alone and take what corn he wanted
without giving Uncle Sammy any.

"To-night!" Frisky exclaimed. "Oh, I don't stay out late at night, you
know, as you do." Uncle Sammy Coon was known to keep very late hours.

"Well--right after sundown, then," the old rascal said. "We'll meet
over by the brook. Don't tell your mother. It will be a pleasant
surprise for her, when you bring home a fine bagful of corn."

"All right! I'll be there," Frisky told him.

And sure enough! Just as the sun sank out of sight that evening,
Frisky appeared on the bank of the brook. And he hadn't told his
mother what he was going to do, either.

Pretty soon Uncle Sammy Coon came along. He had an old sack slung over
his shoulder and a wide grin on his face.

"Come on, young man!" he said, "and we'll go over to Farmer Green's
place."

"Farmer Green's!" Frisky cried. "I don't want to go there." He
remembered the fright he had had when he fell into the flour-barrel in
Farmer Green's kitchen.

"You promised," Uncle Sammy reminded him. "And unless you want
something you won't like nearly so well as corn, you had better march
right along with me."

He was so cross that Frisky Squirrel thought he had better mind him.
But Frisky wished he had not come. And he wished he had told his
mother what he was going to do, too. But he trotted along with Uncle
Sammy--only he was careful not to get too close to the tricky old
gentleman, for there was no knowing when Uncle Sammy might suddenly
decide that he would rather have a nice, tender, young gray squirrel
to eat than all the last year's corn in the world. You see, the little
forest-people have to think of many things--especially when they walk
out alone with a person like Uncle Sammy Coon.

IX

A Bag of Corn

When Frisky Squirrel and Uncle Sammy Coon arrived at Farmer Green's
place, the moon was just rising. It wasn't dark, but Uncle Sammy said
that they would have no trouble at all, because Farmer Green's family
would be in the house, eating their evening meal.

"There's the corn-house," he said, pointing to an old stone bu