ero so well that he limped about and
grunted when he stepped on his foot, even though it did not hurt him. It
was so nice to see how sorry everyone looked.

Suddenly he heard a voice above him say, "Too bad! too bad!"

"Why, hello!" cried Sammy Woodchuck. "Where did you come from, Billy
Jay?"

"I have been right here in this tree all the time you and your little
friends have been here," laughed Billy Jay.

"Why didn't you come down and visit with us before, instead of hiding up
amongst the leaves," demanded Sammy Woodchuck rather crossly.

"Because I wanted to see if Pinkie Whiskers could really chop down this
tree," replied Billy Jay.

"Of course I can chop it down. You just watch me," boasted Pinkie
Whiskers. "If I were you, I would leave the tree, for it won't take me
long to chop it in two and you might take a tumble."

Pinkie Whiskers forgot all about his toe and bandaged foot. He worked as
he had never worked before. He became very warm and thirsty. He called
to Twinkle:

"Won't you please bring me some water. I am choking."

"I would be glad to, if I knew where to find it," replied Twinkle.

"There is a creek just beyond those trees," said Billy Jay. "You can
take his cap and fill it with water and bring it back to him. I will go
with you and show you the way."

"I will go along also and help Twinkle carry the water back for Pinkie
Whiskers. I am sure that cap would be very heavy if it were full of
water," said Winkle.

"Umph! umph!" grunted Sammy Woodchuck. "You have very kind and
thoughtful brothers."

Just then they saw Uncle Whiskers coming across the meadow with a
pitch-fork in his hand.

"He must be after some hay to put in his nest," said Sammy Woodchuck.

Pinkie Whiskers gave a mighty blow at the tree with his axe and turned
to look at Uncle Whiskers. It was a fatal mistake, for that last blow
chopped the tree in two and it began to sway and totter.

"Run, Pinkie Whiskers, run!" screamed Sammy Woodchuck.

Pinkie Whiskers dropped his axe and ran. Alas! he ran in the wrong
direction. As he looked back over his shoulder he saw that the tree was
falling right upon him.

"I wish I had run away sooner," thought Pinkie Whiskers.

Uncle Whiskers saw his danger and shouted, "Dodge to the side, dodge to
the side!"

But poor Pinkie Whiskers was so confused that he did not hear. He just
ran and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. All the time the tree
was falling and in an instant more