Part 4 (1/2)

Still the old fellow never stirred.

”Where's your ear of corn?” he inquired.

”Oh! I'll give you that the next time I pa.s.s this way,” said Sandy. And he made up his mind that he would take good care to keep away from Uncle Sammy's house.

But Uncle Sammy c.o.o.n was too sharp.

”That won't do at all,” he said. ”I must have the corn before I give you the nuts.”

So Sandy Chipmunk stepped to the door.

”I'll come back soon,” he said. And he ran all the way to Farmer Green's cornfield, to get an ear of green corn. And then he ran all the way back to Uncle Sammy's house.

”There!” Sandy said. ”There's your ear of corn!” He laid it upon the table. ”Now give me a handful of beechnuts.”

”Step right in and help yourself,” Uncle Sammy answered.

”No!” said Sandy. ”You give me the nuts.” He knew that Uncle Sammy's hands were much bigger than his own and would hold more nuts.

”I should think you might get them,” the old scamp grumbled. ”I've a lame knee, you know.”

”But I said a 'handful'--not a 'kneeful,'” Sandy answered. ”Of course, if you don't want this juicy ear of corn, there are others that would like it.” He started to pick the ear of corn off the table when Uncle Sammy rose quickly.

”All right!” he cried. ”But it's the old-fas.h.i.+oned way; and I don't like it.” Then he gave Sandy a small handful of beechnuts.

Sandy Chipmunk ate them right on the spot. And he began to feel very happy. He had noticed that Uncle Sammy tossed the ear of corn into a basket which stood beneath the table. And the basket was full of corn.

Sandy could reach it just as easily from the front of the table as Uncle Sammy could from behind it.

And Sandy Chipmunk had thought all at once of a way to get a good many nuts away from Uncle Sammy, to pay for all the wheat Uncle Sammy had eaten.

VIII

THE BASKET OF CORN

”What are those nuts on the top shelf?” Sandy Chipmunk asked Uncle Sammy c.o.o.n.

Now, Uncle Sammy had been keeping store so short a time that he didn't exactly know what was on every one of his shelves. So he wheeled around and looked up. And as soon as his back was turned, Sandy Chipmunk reached down under the table and pulled an ear of corn out of the big basket.

”They're b.u.t.ternuts,” Uncle Sammy said. ”And they're the same price as the beechnuts.”

”Give me one handful,” Sandy said.

”_Give_ you a handful--” Uncle Sammy snapped.

But Sandy Chipmunk smiled at him.

”I mean, _sell_ me a handful,” he explained. ”And here's your ear of corn.” It really was Uncle Sammy's ear of corn, you know--just as Sandy said.