Читать книгу The Adventures of Jimmy Skunk - Thornton W. Burgess - Страница 11

He used it now, and he didn’t waste any time about it. He threw some of that perfume right in the face of Reddy Fox before Reddy had a chance to turn or to say a word.

“Take that!” snapped Jimmy Skunk. “Perhaps it will teach you not to play tricks on your honest neighbors!”

Poor Reddy! Some of that perfume got in his eyes and made them smart dreadfully. In fact, for a little while he couldn’t see at all. And then the smell of it was so strong that it made him quite sick. He rolled over and over on the ground, choking and gasping and rubbing his eyes. Jimmy Skunk just stood and looked on, and there wasn’t a bit of pity in his eyes.

“How do you like that?” said he. “You thought yourself very smart, rolling me down hill in a barrel, didn’t you? You might have broken my neck.”

“I didn’t know you were in that barrel, and I didn’t mean to roll it down the hill anyway,” whined Reddy, when he could get his voice.

“Huh!” snorted Jimmy Skunk, who didn’t believe a word of it.

“I didn’t. Honestly I didn’t,” protested Reddy. “I ran against the barrel by accident, chasing Peter Rabbit. I didn’t have any idea that any one was in it.”

“Huh!” said Jimmy Skunk again. “If you were chasing Peter Rabbit, where is he now?”

Reddy had to confess he didn’t know. He was nowhere in sight, and he certainly hadn’t had time to reach the dear Old Briar-patch. Jimmy looked this way and that way, but there was no sign of Peter Rabbit.

“Huh!” said he again, turning his back on Reddy Fox and walking away with a great deal of dignity.