Wavy Tailed Warrior

Excerpt: ''Scritch-scratch, scritch-scratch,' went a noise in the woods not very far away from the pond where Doctor Muskrat was telling a story to Nibble Rabbit and Stripes Skunk. Nibble's ears flew up; the doctor got ready to dive; Stripes hunched himself up and peered anxiously over his shoulder because the sound came from the only direction where he knew of a hole to hide in. The willows, where he first lived, were over on the far side of the pond-and Stripes simply hates to swim. His tail gets all soggy, so it's just as if you tried swimming with all your clothes on. Scritch-r-r-rip! went the noise. Patter, patter, patter, came footsteps of somebody running. Then Nibble laughed. 'Ho! It's only old Tad Coon,' he said. 'He's in kind of a hurry.' But when Tad Coon came out into the grassy space between the trees and the sand he was just strolling along as dignified as a duck in a puddle. 'Morning, Doctor Muskrat,' he said politely. 'Hello, Nibble. Who's the visitor?' He knew all the time, but he was just pretending, to see what Stripes would do.'