see it clearly

Fun At The Smiling Pool

By Thornton W. Burgess

Little Joe Otter and Billy Mink sat on the Big Rock in the Smiling Pool planning mischief. Over on the end of an old log sat Jerry Muskrat eating his breakfast of freshwater clams. His back was to the two little scamps in brown bathing suits watching him.

Very quietly Little Joe Otter and Billy Mink slid down the Big Rock into the water. Then each drew a long breath and disappeared. Jerry Muskrat hadn't noticed them at all. As he sat on the end of the log his tail hung down in the water. The clams tasted good, and Jerry was feeling very happy and contented. Suddenly his tail was pulled so hard that he lost his balance and tumbled backward with a great splash into the Smiling Pool.

Jerry came up spluttering and blowing. He looked this way and looked that way, but he could see nothing unusual. Grandfather Frog still sat on his big, green lily-pad dreaming of the days when the world was young. Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun was looking down and smiling just as he had ever since he got up that morning. Over on the Green Meadows the Merry Little breezes were playing tag. Jerry didn't know what to make of it. It was very strange, very strange indeed! He climbed back on the old log and this time he took care to tuck his tail under him.

Then Jerry Muskrat made a discovery. All his nice sweet clams had disappeared! Not one could he find anywhere. Then for the first time Jerry suspected that someone had been playing a joke. He settled himself comfortably and pretended to go to sleep, but all the time his bright little eyes were watching every part of the Smiling Pool.

Now all this time Peter Rabbit had been sitting behind a clump of tall grass ont he bank of the Smiling Pool, and he had seen all that had been going on. When Billy Mink had pulled Jerry's tail Billy had dived deep and had swum under water after Little Joe Otter to the far side of the Smiling Pool, where the two little scamps hid among the bulrushes. Peter Rabbit, peeping over the bank, could see the two little brown heads just beneath him and hear them chuckling as they watched Jerry Muskrat. Suddenly Peter had a happy thought. He looked about him. Close tot he edge of the bank was a big stone. Peter got behind it and pushed. It was hard work to budge it. Peter braced himself and pushed harder.

The stone moved a little. Once more Peter pushed. This time the stone rolled so suddenly that Peter fell flat on his face and almost followed it into the Smiling Pool. Splash! The big stone fell right between Little Joe Otter and Billy Mink. It frightened them so that they sprang clear out of the water and then scrambled through the bulrushes as fast as every they could.

Of course Jerry Muskrat heard the splash and saw the fright of the two little scamps. As soon as he saw them he knew who had pulled his tail and stolen his clams. "Oh, you Billy Mink, bring back my clams!" shouted Jerry when he could stop laughing.

Little Joe Otter and Billy Mink looked up to see where the big stone had come from and of course they saw Peter Rabbit grinning down at them. Then they knew a joke had been played on them, and they grinned too, though it was a sheepish grin. Then they showed Jerry where they had hidden his clams, and afterward all three swam over to the Big Rock to play.