Jimmy Skunk had thrown at him clung to his red
coat and he knew that he couldn't get rid of it, not for a long time
anyway. And he knew, too, that wherever he went his neighbors would hold
their noses and make fun of him, and that no one would have anything to
do with him. So he sneaked away across the Green Meadows towards the
Green Forest and he felt too sick and mean and unhappy to even be angry
with Sammy Jay, who was making fun of him and saying that he had got no
more than he deserved.

Poor Reddy! He didn't know what to do or where to go. He couldn't go
home, for old Granny Fox would drive him out of the house. She had
warned him time and again never to provoke Jimmy Skunk, and he knew that
she never would forgive him if he should bring that terrible perfume
near their home. He knew, too, that it would not be long before all the
little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows would know what
had happened to him. Sammy Jay would see to that. He knew just how they
would point at him and make fun of him. He would never hear the last of
it. He felt as if he never, never would be able to hold his head and his
tail up again. Every few minutes he stopped to roll over and over on the
ground trying to get rid of that dreadful perfume.

When he reached the Green Forest he hurried over to the Laughing Brook
to wash out his eyes. It was just his luck to have Billy Mink come along
while he was doing this. Billy didn't need to be told what had happened.
"Phew!" he exclaimed, holding on to his nose. Then he turned and hurried
beyond the reach of that perfume. There he stopped and made fun of
Reddy Fox and said all the provoking things he could think of. Reddy
took no notice at all. He felt too miserable to quarrel.

After he had washed his face he felt better. Water wouldn't take away
the awful smell, but it did take away the smart from his eyes. Then he
tried to plan what to do next.

"The only thing I can do is to get as far away from everybody as I can,"
thought he. "I guess I'll have to go up to the Old Pasture to live for a
while."

So he started for the Old Pasture, keeping as much out of sight as
possible. On the way he remembered that Old Man Coyote lived there. Of
course it would never do to go near Old Man Coyote's home for if he
smelled that awful perfume and discovered that he, Reddy, was the cause
of it he would certainly drive him out of the Old Pasture and then
where could he go? So Reddy went to the