oyote accused him of being a tattletale and threatened
the most dreadful things to Sammy if ever he caught him.

Now Sammy had flown down to the Green Meadows to tell Old Man Coyote
how Paddy was doing all his work on land in the daytime. But when Old
Man Coyote began to call him a tattletale and accuse him of having
warned Paddy, and to threaten dreadful things, he straightway forgot all
his anger at Paddy and turned it all on Old Man Coyote. He called him
everything he could think of, and this was a great deal, for Sammy has a
wicked tongue. When he hadn't any breath left, he flew over to the Green
Forest, and there he hid where he could watch all that was going on.

That afternoon Old Man Coyote tried his new plan. He slipped into the
Green Forest, looking this way and that way to be sure that no one saw
him. Then very, very softly, he crept up through the Green Forest
towards the pond of Paddy the Beaver. As he drew near, he heard a crash,
and it made him smile. He knew what it meant. It meant that Paddy was at
work cutting down trees. With his stomach almost on the ground, he crept
forward little by little, little by little, taking the greatest care not
to rustle so much as a leaf. Presently he reached a place where he could
see the aspen-trees, and there sure enough was Paddy, sitting up on his
hind legs and hard at work cutting another tree.

Old Man Coyote lay down for a few minutes to watch. Then he wriggled
a little nearer. Slowly and carefully he drew his legs under him and
made ready for a rush. Paddy the Beaver was his at last! At just
that very minute a harsh scream rang out right over his head "Thief!
thief! thief!"

It was Sammy Jay, who had silently followed him all the way. Paddy the
Beaver didn't stop to even look around. He knew what that scream meant,
and he scrambled down his little path to the water as he never had
scrambled before. And as he dived with a great splash, Old Man Coyote
landed with a great jump on the very edge of the pond.

XIX

PADDY AND SAMMY JAY BECOME FRIENDS

Paddy the Beaver floated in his pond and grinned in the most provoking
way at Old Man Coyote, who had so nearly caught him. Old Man Coyote
fairly danced with anger on the bank. He had felt so sure of Paddy
that time that it was hard work to believe that Paddy had really gotten
away from him. He bared his long cruel teeth, and he looked very fierce
and ugly.

"Come on in; the water's fine!" called Paddy.