of a tree. The
dusk was coming on when he awoke, stretched himself once or twice, and
jumping down from the top of the tall, dead stump in which he made his
home, set out to look for his supper.

In the midst of the woods there was a lake, and all along the lake shore
there rang out the alarm cries of the water people as the Raccoon came
nearer and nearer.

First the Swan gave a scream of warning. The Crane repeated the cry, and
from the very middle of the lake the Loon, swimming low, took it up and
echoed it back over the still water.

The Raccoon sped merrily on, and finding no unwary bird that he could
seize he picked up a few mussel-shells from the beach, cracked them
neatly and ate the sweet meat.

A little further on, as he was leaping hither and thither through the
long, tangled meadow grass, he landed with all four feet on a family of
Skunks--father, mother and twelve little ones, who were curled up sound
asleep in a soft bed of broken dry grass.

"Huh!" exclaimed the father Skunk. "What do you mean by this, eh?" And
he stood looking at him defiantly.

[Illustration]

"Oh, excuse me, excuse me," begged the Raccoon. "I am very sorry. I did
not mean to do it! I was just running along and I did not see you at
all."

"Better be careful where you step next time," grumbled the Skunk, and
the Raccoon was glad to hurry on.

Running up a tall tree he came upon two red Squirrels in one nest, but
before he could get his paws upon one of them they were scolding angrily
from the topmost bough.

"Come down, friends!" called the Raccoon. "What are you doing up there?
Why, I wouldn't harm you for anything!"

"Ugh, you can't fool us," chattered the Squirrels, and the Raccoon went
on.

Deep in the woods, at last, he found a great hollow tree which attracted
him by a peculiar sweet smell. He sniffed and sniffed, and went round
and round till he saw something trickling down a narrow crevice. He
tasted it and it was deliciously sweet.

He ran up the tree and down again, and at last found an opening into
which he could thrust his paw. He brought it out covered with honey!

Now the Raccoon was happy. He ate and scooped, and scooped and ate the
golden, trickling honey with both forepaws till his pretty, pointed face
was daubed all over.

Suddenly he tried to get a paw into his ear. Something hurt him terribly
just then, and the next minute his sensitive nose was frightfully stung.
He rubbed his face with both stic