WHEN Prickly Porky the Porcupine¹ and Old Man Coyote the Prairie Wolf met beside the Laughing Brook², it was a case of Slow Wit meeting Quick Wit. You see, Prickly Porky is very slow in everything he does, that is everything but flipping³ that queer tail of his about when there is an enemy near enough for it to reach. But in everything else he is oh, so slow! He walks as if he had all the time in the world to get to the place he has started for. He climbs in just the same way. And because he never moves quickly, he never thinks quickly. The fact is, he doesn't see any need of hurrying, not even in thinking.

 

But Old Man Coyote is just the opposite. Yes, Sir, he is just the opposite. No one moves quicker than he does. He is nimble on his feet, and his wit is just as quick.

 

 

His nimble wit and nimble feet

 

Are very, very hard to beat.

 

 

Digger the Badger⁴, who also comes from the Great West, says that to beat Old Man Coyote in anything, you should start the day before he does and not let him know it.

 

So here was Slow Wit facing Quick Wit, with most of the little meadow people and forest folk looking on. Suddenly Old Man Coyote sprang forward with his ugliest snarl⁵, a snarl that made everybody but Prickly Porky shiver, even those who were perfectly⁶ safe up in the trees.

 

But Prickly Porky didn't shiver.

 

No, Sir, he just grunted⁷ angrily and rattled⁸ this thousand little spears.

 

Now, Old Man Coyote had sprung with that ugly snarl just to try to frighten Prickly Porky, and he had taken care not to spring too close to those

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