n impudent and saucy. But once in a while a
great fear takes possession of him, as when he knows that Shadow the
Weasel is looking for him. You see, he knows that Shadow can go wherever
he can go. There are very few of the little people of the Green Forest
and the Green Meadows who do not know fear at some time or other, but it
comes to Chatterer as seldom as to any one, because he is very sure of
himself and his ability to hide or run away from danger.

But now as he clung to a little branch near the top of a tall pine-tree
in the Green Forest and looked down at the big sharp teeth of Buster
Bear drawing nearer and nearer, and listened to the deep, angry growls
that made his hair stand on end, Chatterer was too frightened to think.
If only he had kept his tongue still instead of saying hateful things to
Buster Bear! If only he had known that Buster could climb a tree! If
only he had chosen a tree near enough to other trees for him to jump
across! But he _had_ said hateful things, he _had_ chosen to sit in a
tree which stood quite by itself, and Buster Bear _could_ climb!
Chatterer was in the worst kind of trouble, and there was no one to
blame but himself. That is usually the case with those who get into
trouble.

Nearer and nearer came Buster Bear, and deeper and angrier sounded his
voice. Chatterer gave a little frightened gasp and looked this way and
looked that way. What should he do? What _could_ he do! The ground
seemed a terrible distance below. If only he had wings like Sammy Jay!
But he hadn't.

"Gr-r-r-r!" growled Buster Bear. "I'll teach you manners! I'll teach you
to treat your betters with respect! I'll swallow you whole, that's what
I'll do. Gr-r-r-r!"

"Oh!" cried Chatterer.

"Gr-r-r-r! I'll eat you all up to the last hair on your tail!" growled
Buster, scrambling a little nearer.

"Oh! Oh!" cried Chatterer, and ran out to the very tip of the little
branch to which he had been clinging. Now if Chatterer had only known
it, Buster Bear couldn't reach him way up there, because the tree was
too small at the top for such a big fellow as Buster. But Chatterer
didn't think of that. He gave one more frightened look down at those big
teeth, then he shut his eyes and jumped--jumped straight out for the
far-away ground.

It was a long, long, long way down to the ground, and it certainly
looked as if such a little fellow as Chatterer must be killed. But
Chatterer had learned from Old Mother Nature that she