udfoot remarked. "I'm
sure it's much safer living at the farmyard."

Mr. Grouse gave him an odd look. One winter when food was scarce in the
woods he had flown down to the farmyard. And he remembered seeing turkey
feathers scattered about the chopping block near the woodpile.

"How do you usually spend the holidays?" he asked.

"Last Fourth of July I went up in the haymow and kept out of sight all
day," said Turkey Proudfoot. "I don't like firecrackers."

Mr. Grouse nodded his head.

"I don't blame you for that," he observed. "Firecrackers sound too much
like guns.... But I wasn't thinking of the Fourth of July," he went on.
"When I asked how you spent the holidays I was thinking more of those to
come. Now, Thanksgiving Day isn't a long way off. Have you made any
plans for that?"

When he mentioned Thanksgiving Day Turkey Proudfoot gave a sudden start.

"For goodness' sake, don't speak of that now!" he cried. "I came to the
woods to enjoy myself. And now you're trying to spoil my good time."

Mr. Grouse could see that Turkey Proudfoot was angry. And being rather
peppery himself, he was tempted to say something sharp--something about
_axes_, which are always sharp unless they're dull. But Mr. Grouse
managed to control his temper. After all, he thought, it was no wonder
that Turkey Proudfoot didn't want to hear about Thanksgiving Day.

"Pardon me!" said Mr. Grouse. "I only brought up this matter in a
cousinly kind of way."

"Cousinly!" cried Turkey Proudfoot. "You and I, sir, are total strangers
to each other."

"Well, we ought not to be," said Mr. Grouse. "It's time we got
acquainted with each other. Didn't you know that your family and mine
are related?"

"No!" Turkey Proudfoot exclaimed. "No! I never knew it."

"It's the truth," Mr. Grouse told him. "Don't you think we look a bit
alike, except that my neck is somewhat short, and yours is long and
skinny? And of course my head is feathered out, while yours is bald and
red."

"That will do!" Turkey Proudfoot gobbled angrily. "Even if you are my
cousin you needn't make such remarks about me."

Mr. Grouse begged his pardon again.

"I was only pointing out the differences between us," he explained. "But
if they displease you, I'll speak of the ways in which we are alike.
Now, take our tails--"

"I won't!" Turkey Proudfoot squalled. "I'll take my own tail wherever I
go. But I won't take yours."

XVIII

RED LIGHTNING

"What's the matter with