CHAPTER XI JERRY MUSKRAT'S PARTY

All the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind were hurrying over
the Green Meadows. Some flew this way and some ran that way and some
danced the other way. You see, Jerry Muskrat had asked them to carry his
invitations to a party at the Big Rock in the Smiling Pool.

Of course every one said that they would be delighted to go to Jerry
Muskrat's party. Round Mr. Sun shone his very brightest. The sky was its
bluest and the little birds had promised to be there to sing for Jerry
Muskrat, so of course all the little folks in the Green Meadows and in
the wood wanted to go.

There were Johnny Chuck and Reddy Fox and Jimmy Skunk and Bobby Coon and
Happy Jack Squirrel and Striped Chipmunk and Billy Mink and Little Joe
Otter and Grandfather Frog and old Mr. Toad and Mr. Blacksnake--all
going to Jerry Muskrat's party.

When they reached the Smiling Pool they found Jerry Muskrat all ready.
His brothers and his sister, his aunts and his uncles and his cousins
were all there. Such a merry, merry time as there was in the Smiling
Pool! How the water did splash! Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter and
Grandfather Frog jumped right in as soon as they got there. They played
tag in the water and hid behind the Big Rock. They turned somersaults
down the slippery slide and they had such a good time!

But Reddy Fox and Peter Rabbit and Bobby Coon and Johnny Chuck and Jimmy
Skunk and Happy Jack and Striped Chipmunk couldn't swim, so of course
they couldn't play tag in the water or hide and seek or go down the
slippery slide; all they could do was sit around to look on and wish
that they knew how to swim, too. So of course they didn't have a good
time. Soon they began to wish that they hadn't come to Jerry Muskrat's
party. When he found that they were not having a good time, poor Jerry
Muskrat felt very badly indeed. You see he lives in the water so much
that he had quite forgotten that there was anyone who couldn't swim, or
he never, never would have invited all the little meadow folks who live
on dry land.

"Let's go home," said Peter Rabbit to Johnny Chuck.

"We can have more fun up on the hill," said Jimmy Skunk.

Just then Little Joe Otter came pushing a great big log across the
Smiling Pool.

"Here's a ship, Bobby Coon. You get on one end and I'll give you a sail
across the Smiling Pool," shouted Little Joe Otter.

So Bobby Coon crawled out on the big log and held on very tight, whil