Now, of course, this wasn't a nice thing for Paddy to do, for it only
made Old Man Coyote all the angrier. You see, Paddy knew perfectly well
that he was absolutely safe, and he just couldn't resist the temptation
to say some unkind things. He had had to be on the watch for days lest
he should be caught, and so he hadn't been able to work quite so well as
he could have done with nothing to fear, and he still had a lot of
preparations to make for winter. So he told Old Man Coyote just what he
thought of him, and that he wasn't as smart as he thought he was or he
never would have left a footprint in the mud to give him away.

When Sammy Jay, who was listening and chuckling as he listened, heard
that, he flew down where he would be just out of reach of Old Man
Coyote, and then he just turned that tongue of his loose, and you know
that some people say that Sammy's tongue is hung in the middle and wags
at both ends. Of course, this isn't really so, but when he gets to
abusing people it seems as if it must be true. He called Old Man Coyote
every bad name he could think of. He called him a sneak, a thief, a
coward, a bully, and a lot of other things.

"You said I had warned Paddy that you were trying to catch him and that
was why you failed to find him at work at night, and all the time you
had warned him yourself!" screamed Sammy. "I used to think that you were
smart, but I know better now. Paddy is twice as smart as you are."

"Mr. Coyote is ever so sly;
Mr. Coyote is clever and spry;
If you believe all you hear.
Mr. Coyote is naught of the kind;
Mr. Coyote is stupid and blind;
He can't catch a flea on his ear."

Paddy the Beaver laughed till the tears came at Sammy's foolish verse,
but it made Old Man Coyote angrier than ever. He was angry with Paddy
for escaping from him, and he was angry with Sammy, terribly angry, and
the worst of it was he couldn't catch either one, for one was at home in
the water and the other was at home in the air and he couldn't follow in
either place. Finally he saw it was of no use to stay there to be
laughed at, so, muttering and grumbling, he started for the Green
Meadows.

As soon as he was out of sight Paddy turned to Sammy Jay.

"Mr. Jay," said he, knowing how it pleased Sammy to be called mister,
"Mr. Jay, you have done me a mighty good turn to-day, and I am not going
to forget it. You can call me what you please and scream at me all you
please, but you won't get an