Out of Context

130 Days and Counting

The Adventures of Jimmy Skunk
Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess

There he stayed nearly all the rest of the night, though his stomach was so empty it ached Just before it was time for Mr. Sun to rise, Peter ventured to dash out of Johnny Chuck’s old house. He got past the home of the Yellow Jackets safely, for they were not yet awake. With his heart in his mouth, he sprang out of the doorway. Jimmy Skunk wasn’t there. With a sigh of relief, Peter started for the dear, safe Old Briar-patch, lipperty-lipperty-lip, as fast as he could go.

“I’ll never, never play another joke,” he said, over and over again as he ran.

Jimmy Skunk ambled along down the Lone Little Path through the Green Forest. He didn’t hurry. Jimmy never does hurry. Hurrying and worrying are two things he leaves for his neighbors. Now and then Jimmy stopped to turn over a bit of bark or a stick, hoping to find some fat beetles. But it was plain to see that he had something besides fat beetles on his mind.

Up the Lone Little Path through the Green Forest shuffled Unc’ Billy Possum. He didn’t hurry. It was too warm to hurry.