dchuck, but his friends as well, were angry with
Billy, because he forgot to whistle a warning to them, when dog
Spot caught them in the clover-patch. And whenever they met Billy
Woodchuck anywhere they would scold at him, and tell him that he
was a heedless, careless boy.

"It will be a long time before you have another chance to be a
sentinel and listen for danger," Uncle Jerry Chuck told him.

After he heard that, there was nothing that Billy wanted to do so
much as to stand guard again. Before, he had been happy and
contented. But now that he learned that there was something he
mightn't do he knew he should never be satisfied until he did it.

Every day Billy went to one of his father's friends and asked him
if he didn't want somebody to listen for him. But they all told him
that he was a good-for-nothing rascal and bade him be off.

Finally Billy went to Uncle Jerry Chuck's house and fairly begged
the old gentleman to let him do some listening.

The sly old gentleman had been waiting for just that thing. He was
very fond of taking naps in the sunshine and he wanted to find some
youngster like Billy, with sharp ears, to stay near him while he
slept and waken him in case some enemy should see him.

Now, if Uncle Jerry had been willing to pay them, he might have
found plenty of first-class listeners. But he was stingy. He was
always trying to get something for nothing. And now he said to
Billy:

"I'll give you just one more chance. Maybe you learned a lesson
down in the clover-patch. Perhaps you won't forget to remember to
whistle, after what happened that time."

"No, Uncle Jerry!" said Billy Woodchuck. He was very polite. "When
may I begin?" he asked.

"Right now!" Uncle Jerry told him. "Come with me, up on top of the
big rock." And he walked off at once, with Billy at his side.

"But there's nothing for you to eat there," said Billy.

"Eat?" Uncle Jerry exclaimed. "I'm not going to eat. I'm going to
_sleep_."

So Uncle Jerry Chuck went to sleep on top of the big rock. All the
time he slept, Billy Woodchuck sat upon his hind legs and listened
with all his might and main. But his sharp ears caught no hint of
danger.

After a while he began to wish that old Spot would come along--or a
skunk or a fox. For it seemed as if Uncle Jerry never would wake up
again.

Billy wouldn't have minded quite so much, if Uncle Jerry hadn't
snored. But, of course, that made it much harder to listen.

At last Uncle J