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. woodchuck. "i've come over to tell you the news about the muley cow. i hope you haven't heard it already," she added, for she dearly loved to be the first to spread a bit of gossip.
"i fear i do know it," aunt polly replied, as she pushed her poke bonnet back and began to fan herself with a plantain leaf. "i suppose you've just heard about the muley cow's meeting cuffy bear in the back pasture."
mrs. woodchuck had begun to look disappointed. but now her honest face brightened. "oh, no! there's newer news than that," she explained. "it hasn't anything to do with the muley cow's jumping the fence into the back pasture."
"do tell!" aunt polly exclaimed.
"it's something about her clothes—something new she's wearing." mrs. woodchuck wasn't going to give up her news too soon. she liked to get people well interested before she actually told them anything.
"she hasn't a pair of horns, has she!" aunt polly inquired eagerly.
"oh, no! not that! but i knew you'd like to hear the news. i knew it would please you."
"well, what is it?" aunt polly demanded.
"that's a pretty poke that you have on," mrs. woodchuck remarked.
aunt polly straightened her poke bonnet. "thank you!" she said. "but do let me hear the news."
"can't you guess it?" mrs. woodchuck asked her. "can't you guess it, now that i've given you a hint?"
but aunt polly couldn't. so at last mrs. woodchuck told her the news:
"the muley cow is wearing a poke! i knew you'd approve of it, because you always wear one yourself."
aunt polly woodchuck threw up her hands in astonishment.
"i didn't suppose the muley cow had sense enough to do that!" she exclaimed.
