ING A POKE

The cows never paid much attention to the woodchucks, unless it was to
scold them now and then for eating too much clover. But living as they
did in the pasture, the woodchucks took a great interest in Farmer
Green's herd. Many a bit of gossip about some cow passed from one
woodchuck hole to another, without the cow herself ever dreaming that
folk were talking about her.

Whenever Billy Woodchuck's mother heard any specially interesting news
about a cow she was more than likely to put on her best apron and hurry
over to make a call on Aunt Polly Woodchuck, the famous herb doctor,
who lived under the hill.

Well, one morning while the dew was still on the grass Billy saw his
mother dash into the house, whisk off her old apron and reach for her
best one. He knew at once, without asking, exactly where she was going.
Nor was he sorry, because Mrs. Woodchuck always stayed a long time at
Aunt Polly's. And that gave Billy a chance to do a number of things
without being told "Don't!"

Alas! "You'd better come with me," his mother said.

"Oh, I'd rather not," he protested. "I--I'm not feeling very well this
morning."

"Then you must certainly come," she insisted, "for I'm going to see Aunt
Polly Woodchuck and she'll give you a dose of herbs to cure you."

Billy Woodchuck began to squirm. He saw that he had got himself into
trouble.

"I'll be all right if I keep still a while," he stammered. "And then I'm
going out to gather a nice lot of greens for you."

"You'll do nothing of the sort!" said his mother. "You'll come with me.
You'd be sure to get into mischief if I left you here."

So off they went. And Mrs. Woodchuck hurried so fast that she was quite
out of breath when she reached Aunt Polly Woodchuck's house. She had to
sit down and rest before she could tell Aunt Polly the news that was on
the tip of her tongue.

While waiting for her guest to compose herself, Aunt Polly Woodchuck
looked over her spectacles at Billy, who lingered near the door.

"Come here, young man!" she said. Though her tone was severe, Billy
Woodchuck took heart. He thought he saw a twinkle in the old lady's eye.
"I can see," Aunt Polly told him, "that you need an apple." And
thereupon she handed him one. And Billy Woodchuck declared as soon as he
began to eat it that he felt much better.

"I hope you're quite well," Aunt Polly said to Billy's mother, who was
at last beginning to get her breath.

"Yes--very!" said Mrs. Woo