ther sharp pain which brought another "Ouch!" from him and
made him kick harder than ever. Two very angry little insects were just
getting ready to sting him again, and more were coming. They were Yellow
Jackets, which you know belong to the wasp family and carry very sharp
little lances in their tails. The fact is, this old house of Johnny
Chuck's had been deserted so long the Yellow Jackets had decided that as
no one else was using it, they would, and they had begun to build their
home just inside the hall.

Poor Peter! What could he do? He didn't dare go out, and he simply
couldn't stay where he was. Whatever he did must be done quickly, for it
looked to him as if a regular army of Yellow Jackets was coming, and
those little lances they carried were about the most painful things he
knew of. By this time he had lost all interest in what was going on
outside. There was quite enough going on inside; too much, in fact. He
remembered that Johnny Chuck digs his house deep down in the ground. He
looked down the long hall. It was dark down there. Perhaps if he went
down there, these angry little warriors wouldn't follow him. It was
worth trying, anyway.

So Peter scrambled to his feet and scurried down the long hall, and as
he ran, he cried "Ouch! Ouch! Oh! Ohoo!" Those sharp little lances were
very busy, and there was no way of fighting back. At the end of the long
hall was a snug little room, very dark but cool and comfortable. It was
just as he had hoped; the Yellow Jackets did not follow him down there.
They had driven him away from their home, which was right near the
entrance, and they were satisfied.

But what a fix he was in! What a dreadful fix! He ached and smarted all
over. My goodness, how he did smart! And to get out he would have to go
right past the Yellow Jacket home again.

"Oh, dear, I wish I had never thought of such a joke," moaned Peter,
trying in vain to find a comfortable position. "I guess I am served just
right."

I rather think he was, don't you?

VII

SAMMY JAY DOES SOME GUESSING

Sammy Jay is a queer fellow. Although he is a scamp and dearly loves to
make trouble for his neighbors, he is always ready to take their part
when others make trouble for them. Many are the times he has given them
warning of danger. This is one reason they are quite willing to overlook
his own shortcomings. So, though in many ways he is no better than Reddy
Fox, he dearly loves to upset Reddy's plans and