THE Merry Little Breezes soon spread the news over the Green Meadows and through the Green Forest that a stranger had come from the North. At once all the little meadow people and forest folk made some excuse to go over to the big poplar tree where the stranger was so busy eating. At first he was very shy and had nothing to say. He was a queer fellow, and he was so big, and his teeth were so sharp and so long, that his visitors kept their distance.

 

Reddy Fox, who, you know, is a great boaster and likes to brag¹ of how smart he is and how brave he is, came with the rest of the little meadow people.

 

"Pooh," exclaimed Reddy Fox. "Who's afraid of that fellow?"

 

Just then the stranger began to come down the tree. Reddy backed away.

 

"It looks as if you were afraid, Reddy Fox," said Peter Rabbit.

 

"I'm not afraid of anything," said Reddy Fox, and swelled² himself up to look twice as big as he really is.

 

"It seems to me I hear Bowser the Hound," piped up Striped Chipmunk³.

 

Now Striped Chipmunk had not heard Bowser the Hound at all when he spoke⁴, but just then there was the patter of heavy feet among the dried leaves, and sure enough there was Bowser himself. My, how everybody did run,—everybody but the stranger from the North. He kept on coming down the tree just the same. Bowser saw him and stopped in surprise. He had never seen anything quite like this big dark fellow.

 

"Bow, wow, wow!" shouted Bowser in his deepest voice.

 

Now, when Bowser used that great deep voice of his, he was accustomed to seeing all the little meadow people and forest folk run, but this stranger did not even hurry. Bowser was so surprised that he just stood still and stared. Then he growled⁶ his deepest growl⁵. Still the stranger paid no attention to him. Bowser did not know what to make of it.

 

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