pposed to go out this time of
year," she said. "It's still quite cold, you know."

"Please, Mother!"

"Well, you must wear plenty of warm clothing," his mother told him.
And she gave him so many coats to put on that Billy would not have
known himself if he had looked in the surface of the brook. Of
course, he couldn't do that anyhow, then, for the brook was covered
with ice.

When Billy was ready they stole out of the room, leaving the other
children sound asleep.

"Whew!" said Billy Woodchuck when they stepped outside at last.
"How cold it is!"

The sun was shining brightly, for all the air was so chilly. And
Billy had a fine time chasing his shadow around the pasture. But he
never could quite catch it. Sometimes he thought he was going to.
But whenever he made a pounce at it his shadow moved just as
quickly. And then he had to begin all over again.

"We'd better go in," Mrs. Woodchuck said at last. And she looked
down rather sadly at her own shadow, as if something had
disappointed her.

"Oh, no!" Billy pleaded. "Let's stay out a while longer."

"It's too cold," his mother answered.

"But just look at the sun! It's as bright as can be. And I'm not a
bit sleepy. Besides, I think spring will come now--maybe
to-morrow."

But Mrs. Woodchuck knew better.

"There'll be forty more days of winter," she said.

"How do you know that?" he asked.

"It's the rule," she explained. "If we had not seen our shadows,
that would mean that spring was here; and I would wake up your
brothers and sisters. But there are our shadows, as plain as can
be! And so we must go to bed again and sleep forty days longer."

"That's a silly rule," said Billy Woodchuck. "Who made it?"

"Don't ask so many questions," Mrs. Woodchuck answered. "Do as I
tell you. Run in, now!"

And Billy had to obey. He grumbled a little. It seemed very foolish
to him. And once more he asked his mother who it was that made such
a horrid rule.

But Mrs. Woodchuck would not say another word. To tell the truth,
she did not know the answer. She only knew that it was so.

THE END

End of Project Gutenberg's The Tale of Billy Woodchuck, by Arthur Scott Bailey

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TALE OF BILLY WOODCHUCK ***

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