like me, who is moving about
through the big woods a good deal, and who keeps his ears and eyes
wide open, is certain to learn a good many things in the course of his
life, and since Bobby Coon led me on that terrible chase, I have come
to understand that it is folly, not bravery, to venture into danger
simply for the sake of trying to prove that a fellow isn't afraid,
when way down in his heart he knows that he is scared nearly out of
his wits.

"All the members of the club say I'm the biggest coward to be found
anywhere around, and suppose I am? Isn't it better to let the matter
go at that than for me to prove myself foolish as well by doing what I
know I've got no business to do? Of course it is; but I wasn't as wise
when Bobby Coon declared he'd ramble all over Mr. Man's farm, while
all of us knew that Dog Towser would be on watch as soon as the sun
went down, and instead of saying that I wouldn't have anything to do
with such folly, I made it look as if I were aching to be just as
foolish as he was showing himself to be.

"I'm thinking that if Jimmy Hedgehog had minded his own business, poor
Bobby would have come to realize that the farm wasn't any place for
him, especially after he'd played such a trick on Mr. Man; but Jimmy
must needs keep on telling me how brave Bobby was, and making the talk
only to keep the poor fellow up to what he'd said he'd do. Do you
know, that silly coon strutted around, throwing his chest 'way out,
and telling what he'd do if Mr. Towser interfered with him, when we
all know that he couldn't go up against one of that dog's paws. Once I
got him away from Jimmy, and tried to show him that he would still be
running the biggest kind of chances even if he contrived to sneak
around the place without Mr. Towser's smelling him; but he had the
bravery business on his mind and it was a clear waste of breath to say
anything.

"I can tell you that I was trembling all over mighty bad when the sun
went down; but yet I didn't dare go back home as I ought to have done,
for fear Jimmy and Bobby would tell at the club that I'd shown myself
a coward, so I waited with those two till it was real dark, and then
Jimmy said, bristling up his quills to make himself look like the
fiercest thing on feet:

"'Now's your time, Bobby. Get on to your job, and show the wood folks
that you've got the good old Coon blood in your veins!'

"Just for a minute I hoped Bobby would back out, for he sniffed in the
wind qu