that Jimmy really
intended to face Farmer Brown's boy right in his own henhouse where
Jimmy had no business to be. He hoped that at last Jimmy's boldness
would get him into trouble. Yes, he did. You see, that might give him a
chance to slip away himself. Otherwise, he would be in a bad fix.

The latch on the door rattled. Unc' Billy crept into one of the nests,
but frightened as he was, he couldn't keep from peeping over the edge to
see what would happen. The door swung open, letting in a flood of light.
The hens stopped their noise. Farmer Brown's boy stood in the doorway
and looked in. Jimmy Skunk lifted his big plume of a tail just a bit
higher than usual and calmly and without the least sign of being in a
hurry walked straight towards the open door. Of course Farmer Brown's
boy saw him at once.

"So it's you, you black and white rascal!" he exclaimed. "I suppose you
expect me to step out of your way, and I suppose I will do just that
very thing. You are the most impudent and independent fellow of my
acquaintance. That's what you are. You didn't get any eggs, because I
gathered all of them last night. And you didn't get a chicken because
they were wise enough to stay on their roosts, so I don't know as I have
any quarrel with you, and I'm sure I don't want any. Come along out of
there, you rascal."

Farmer Brown's boy stepped aside, and Jimmy Skunk calmly and without the
least sign of hurry or worry walked out, stopped for a drink at the pan
of water in the henyard, walked through the henyard gate, and turned
towards the stone wall along the edge of the Old Orchard.

XXI

THE NEST-EGG GIVES UNC' BILLY AWAY

'Tis little things that often seem
Scarce worth a passing thought
Which in the end may prove that they
With big results are fraught.

Farmer Brown's boy watched Jimmy Skunk calmly and peacefully go his way
and grinned as he watched him. He scratched his head thoughtfully. "I
suppose," said he, "that that is as perfect an example of the value of
preparedness as there is. Jimmy knew he was all ready for trouble if I
chose to make it, and that because of that I wouldn't make it. So he has
calmly gone his way as if he were as much bigger than I as I am bigger
than he. There certainly is nothing like being prepared if you want to
avoid trouble."

Then Farmer Brown's boy once more turned to the henhouse and entered it.
He looked to make sure that no hen had been foolish enough to go to
s