y, and made up his mind that the only thing to do was to watch for a
chance to slip out, if the door of the cage should happen to be left
unfastened.
Of course it hurt his pride terribly to be made fun of by those who
always had feared him. Happy Jack Squirrel was the first one of these to
see him. Farmer Brown's boy had put the cage down near the foot of the
big maple tree in which Happy Jack was living, because Shadow had driven
him out of the Green Forest. As soon as Happy Jack had made sure that
Shadow really and truly was a prisoner and so quite harmless, he had
acted as if he were crazy. Perhaps he was--crazy with joy. You see, he
no longer had anything to be really afraid of, for there was no one but
Shadow from whom he could not get away by running into his house. Billy
Mink was the only other one who could follow him there, and Billy was
not likely to come climbing up a tree so close to Farmer Brown's house.
So Happy Jack raced up and down the tree in the very greatest
excitement, and his tongue went quite as fast as his legs. He wanted
everybody to know that Shadow was a prisoner at last. At first he did
not dare go very close to the cage. You see, he had so long feared
Shadow that he was still afraid of him even though he was so helpless.
But little by little Happy Jack grew bolder and came very close. And
then he began doing something not at all nice. He began calling Shadow
names and making fun of him, and telling him how he wasn't afraid of
him. It was all very foolish and worse--it was like hitting a foe who
was helpless.
Of course Happy Jack hastened to tell everybody he met all about Shadow,
so it wasn't long before Shadow began to receive many visitors. Whenever
Farmer Brown's boy was not around there was sure to be one or more of
the little people who had feared Shadow to taunt him and make fun of
him. Somehow it seems as if always it is that way when people get into
trouble. You know it is very easy to appear to be bold and brave when
there is nothing to be afraid of. Of course that isn't bravery at all,
though many seem to think it is.
[Illustration: IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE SHADOW BEGAN TO RECEIVE MANY
VISITORS.]
Now what do you think that right down in their hearts all these little
people who came to jeer at Shadow the Weasel hoped they would see? Why,
they hoped they would see Shadow afraid. Yes, Sir, that is just what
they hoped. But they didn't. That is where they were disappointed. Not
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