he could help it. So he
promptly said, "No!"

"Won't you go inside this cave for me and see what's happened to Cuffy
Bear?" Nimble implored him. "He went inside the cave. I promised to wait
for him here. And he has been gone for hours."

"I won't go into that cave for anybody," Peter Mink declared. "How do I
know you're not trying to play a trick on me? I don't see any Bear
tracks in the snow."

"Of course you don't!" Nimble agreed. "All this snow has fallen since
Cuffy crawled into the cave."

"Why don't you go inside yourself?" Peter Mink inquired with something
very like a sneer.

"I'm too tall," said Nimble. "Besides, I don't like caves. I keep out of
them."

"So do I!" Peter Mink declared--though everybody knew that he went
everywhere--even under the ice along Broad Brook and Swift River.

Poor Nimble didn't know what to do. He felt that he ought to go for
help, somewhere. But he had promised Cuffy Bear to wait for him.

Then all at once an idea came to him. Why not send Peter Mink for help?

"Won't you please go down to Cedar Swamp and ask Fatty Coon to come up
here?" Nimble begged Peter.

"I can't," Peter answered. "I must go home now." And everybody knew
that Peter Mink had no home at all! He was the vagabond of the woods.

Nimble saw then that it was useless to look for help from him. And after
Peter Mink had gone his surly way Nimble still lingered there. He was
hungry. So he began to paw the snow away here and there, to uncover the
ground growths. And just as he was nibbling beside a bush somebody said,
"Don't step on me!"

It was Mr. Grouse, half buried in the snow.

"I wondered why you were waiting here so long," Mr. Grouse told Nimble.
"When I heard you talking to that rascal, Peter Mink, I knew the reason.
But I didn't dare speak while he was about."

"Are you going to spend the night here?" Nimble asked him.

"Yes!" said Mr. Grouse. "I shall be snug and warm after the snow covers
me."

"Well, your head won't be covered for some time," Nimble told him. "Are
you willing to keep an eye out for Cuffy Bear? I'm going down to Cedar
Swamp to get help. And Cuffy Bear might come out of the cave while I'm
gone."

"I'd be glad to watch," Mr. Grouse replied, "but it wouldn't be any
use."

"Why not?" Nimble asked him. "Don't you think we'll see Cuffy again?"

"Oh, we'll see him," Mr. Grouse answered. "But it won't be till towards
spring. For there's no doubt that Cuffy Bear has fallen into hi