1 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: Hello, friends, and welcome to sleep Tight Stories. This story 2 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: takes us back to the green forest. When the Merry 3 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: Little Breezes arrive in the Green Meadows, they can't wait 4 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: to tell everyone they saw a stranger in the green forest. 5 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: The first animal they meet is Reddy Fox, and he 6 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:37,600 Speaker 1: pretends he already knew about the stranger so he can 7 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:42,480 Speaker 1: sneak into the forest and discover the stranger on his own, 8 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 1: the stranger in the green forest. Old Mother west Wind, 9 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 1: hurrying down from the Purple Hills with her Merry Little Breezes, 10 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 1: discovered the newcomer in the green forest on the edge 11 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 1: of the green meadows. Of course, the merry little Breezes 12 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: saw him too, and as soon as Old Mother west 13 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:15,399 Speaker 1: Wind had turned them loose on the green meadows, they 14 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: started out to spread the news. As they hurried along 15 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:25,320 Speaker 1: the crooked little path up the hill, they met Reddy Fox. 16 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 1: Oh ready, Fox cried the merry little Breezes so excited 17 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 1: that they all talked together, there's a stranger in the 18 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: green forest. Reddy Fox sat down and grinned at the 19 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: merry little Breezes. The grin of Reddy Fox is not pleasant. 20 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: It irritates and exasperates. It made the merry little Breezes 21 00:01:53,920 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 1: feel very uncomfortable. You don't say so, drawled Reddy Fox. 22 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:06,919 Speaker 1: Do you mean to say that you've just discovered him? 23 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 1: Why your news is so old that it is stale? 24 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 1: That is no news at all. I thought you had 25 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 1: something really new to tell me. The merry little breezes 26 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 1: were disappointed. Their faces fell. They had thought it would 27 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 1: be such fun to carry the news through the green 28 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 1: forest and over the green meadows, and now the very 29 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: first one they met knew all about it. Who is he, Ready, Fox, 30 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 1: asked one of the merry little breezes. Ready Fox pretended 31 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 1: not to hear. I must be going, he said, rising 32 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 1: and stretching. I have an engagement with Billy Mink down 33 00:02:55,760 --> 00:03:02,639 Speaker 1: at the Smiling Pool. Ready started down the crooked little path, 34 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 1: while the merry little Breezes hurried up the crooked little 35 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: path to tell the news to Jimmy Skunk, who was 36 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:17,640 Speaker 1: looking for beetles for his breakfast. Now Reddy Fox had 37 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 1: not told the truth. He had known nothing of the 38 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 1: stranger in the green forest. In fact, he had been 39 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 1: as surprised as the merry little Breezes could have wished. 40 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: But he would not show it, and he had told 41 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: another lie, for he had no intention of going down 42 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: to the Smiling Pool. No. Indeed, he just waited until 43 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: the merry little Breezes were out of sight. Then he 44 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 1: slipped into the green forest to look for the stranger 45 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: seen by the merry little Breezes. Now Reddy Fox does 46 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 1: nothing thing openly. Instead of walking through the green forest 47 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 1: like a gentleman, he snuck along under the bushes and 48 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 1: crept from tree to tree, all the time looking for 49 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:17,839 Speaker 1: the stranger that the merry little Breezes had told him about. 50 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 1: All around through the green forest snuck Reddy Fox, but 51 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:29,719 Speaker 1: nothing of the stranger could he see. It didn't occur 52 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:35,160 Speaker 1: to him to look anywhere but on the ground. I 53 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:38,920 Speaker 1: don't believe there is a stranger here, said ready to himself. 54 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:45,280 Speaker 1: Just then he noticed some scraps of bark around the 55 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 1: foot of a tall maple tree. Looking up to see 56 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 1: where it came from, he saw, what do you think 57 00:04:56,000 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 1: why the stranger who had come to the green forest. 58 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 1: Reddy Fox dodged back out of sight, for he wanted 59 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 1: to find out all he could about the stranger before 60 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:15,599 Speaker 1: the stranger saw him. Reddy sat down behind a big 61 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:19,719 Speaker 1: stump and rubbed his eyes. He could hardly believe what 62 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: he saw there at the top of the tall maple tree, 63 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:29,280 Speaker 1: stripping the branches of their bark and eating it. Was 64 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:35,480 Speaker 1: the stranger, sure enough. He was big, much bigger than Reddy. 65 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:41,160 Speaker 1: Could he be a relative of Happy Jack squirrel. He 66 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:44,680 Speaker 1: didn't look a bit, not the least little bit like 67 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 1: Happy Jack, and he moved slowly, very slowly. Indeed, while 68 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 1: Happy Jack and his cousins moved quickly, Reddy decided that 69 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:03,479 Speaker 1: the stranger could not be related to Happy Jack. The 70 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:09,279 Speaker 1: longer ready looked, the more he was puzzled. Also, Reddy 71 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:13,720 Speaker 1: began to feel a little bit jealous. You see, all 72 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:17,479 Speaker 1: the little meadow people and forest folk are afraid of 73 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 1: Reddy Fox. But this stranger was so big that Reddy 74 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:28,880 Speaker 1: began to feel something very like fear in his own heart. 75 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:32,920 Speaker 1: The merry little Breezes had told the news to Jimmy 76 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:37,800 Speaker 1: Skunk and then hurried over the green meadows, telling everyone 77 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: they met of the stranger in the green forest. Billy Mink, 78 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:48,920 Speaker 1: Little Joe Otter, Johnny Chuck, Peter Rabbit, Happy Jack Squirrel, 79 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 1: Danny Meadow Mouse, Striped Chipmunk, Old mister Toad, Grandfather Frog, 80 00:06:56,960 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: Sammy Jay, Blackie the Crow, and each as soon as 81 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 1: they heard the news, started for the green forest to 82 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 1: welcome the newcomer. Even Grandfather Frog left his beloved big 83 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 1: green lily pad and started for the green forest. So 84 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 1: it was that when the stranger finally decided that he 85 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:27,280 Speaker 1: had eaten enough bark for his breakfast and climbed slowly 86 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 1: down the tall maple, he found all the little meadow 87 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:35,480 Speaker 1: people and forest folks sitting in a big circle waiting 88 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 1: for him. The stranger was anything but handsome, but his 89 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 1: size filled them with respect. The nearer he got to 90 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 1: the ground, the bigger he looked down he came, and ready, Fox, 91 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 1: noting how slow and clumsy he was in his movements, 92 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:05,360 Speaker 1: decided that there was nothing to fear. If the stranger 93 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: was slow and clumsy in the tree, he was clumsier 94 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 1: still on the ground. His eyes were small, his coat 95 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 1: was rough, long and almost black, His legs were short 96 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 1: and stout, his tail was rather short and broad. Altogether, 97 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 1: he was anything but handsome, but when the little meadow 98 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 1: people and forest folks saw his huge front teeth, they 99 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:41,679 Speaker 1: regarded him with greater respect than ever. All but Reddy Fox. 100 00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 1: Reddy strutted out in front of him. Who are you? 101 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:53,640 Speaker 1: He demanded. The stranger paid no attention to Reddy Fox. 102 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:58,680 Speaker 1: What business do you have in our green forest? Demanded Reddy, 103 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:06,440 Speaker 1: showing all his teeth. The stranger just grunted and appeared 104 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:11,840 Speaker 1: not to see Reddy Fox. Reddy swelled himself out until 105 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 1: every hare stood on end, and he looked twice as 106 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 1: big as he really is. He strutted back and forth 107 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:25,800 Speaker 1: in front of the stranger. Don't you know that I 108 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:33,080 Speaker 1: am afraid of nothing? And nobody, snarled Reddy Fox. The 109 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 1: stranger refused to give him so much as a glance. 110 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:43,079 Speaker 1: He just grunted and kept right on about his business. 111 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 1: All the little meadow people and forest folks began to 112 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:50,640 Speaker 1: giggle and then to laugh. Reddy knew that they were 113 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 1: laughing at him, and he grew very angry, for no 114 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:59,079 Speaker 1: one likes to be laughed at, least of all Ready Fox, 115 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: look at you, taunted Reddy. You're afraid to fight. I 116 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:10,720 Speaker 1: bet you're afraid of Danny meadow mouse. Still, the stranger 117 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 1: just grunted and paid no further attention to Reddy Fox. Now, 118 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:23,000 Speaker 1: with all his boasting, Reddy Fox had kept at a 119 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:28,160 Speaker 1: safe distance from the stranger. Happy Jack's squirrel had noticed this. 120 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:31,880 Speaker 1: If you're so brave, why don't you drive him out? 121 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 1: Reddy Fox asked Happy Jack, skipping behind a tree. You 122 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:42,319 Speaker 1: don't dare to Reddy turned and glared at Happy Jack. 123 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:46,360 Speaker 1: I am not afraid, he shouted, I am not afraid 124 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:52,840 Speaker 1: of anything or anybody. But though he spoke so bravely, 125 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:56,760 Speaker 1: it was noticed that he went no nearer to the stranger. 126 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:03,920 Speaker 1: Now it happened that that morning, Bowser the Hound took 127 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:06,560 Speaker 1: it into his head to take a walk in the 128 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:11,880 Speaker 1: green forest. Blackie the Crow, sitting on the tip top 129 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:15,040 Speaker 1: of a big pine, was the first to see him, 130 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:21,640 Speaker 1: coming from pure love of mischief. Blackie waited until Bowser 131 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:25,760 Speaker 1: was close to the circle around the stranger. Then he 132 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 1: gave the alarm. Here's Bowser the Hound, run, screamed Blackie 133 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:35,360 Speaker 1: the Crow. Then he laughed so that he had to 134 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:40,760 Speaker 1: hold his sides to see the fright down below. Reddy 135 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 1: Fox forgot that he was afraid of nothing and nobody. 136 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:48,400 Speaker 1: He was the first one out of sight, running so 137 00:11:48,679 --> 00:11:51,959 Speaker 1: fast that his feet seemed hardly to touch the ground. 138 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:57,680 Speaker 1: Peter Rabbit turned a back somersault and suddenly remembered that 139 00:11:57,800 --> 00:12:03,240 Speaker 1: he had important business down on them green meadows. Johnny 140 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:08,920 Speaker 1: Chuck dodged into a convenient hole, Billy Mink ran into 141 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:14,319 Speaker 1: a hollow tree. Striped chipmunk hid in an old stump. 142 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:21,280 Speaker 1: Happy Jack squirrel climbed the nearest tree. In a twinkling, 143 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:29,320 Speaker 1: the stranger was alone, facing Bowser the Hound. Bowser stopped 144 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:33,480 Speaker 1: and looked at the stranger in sheer surprise. Then the 145 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:36,800 Speaker 1: hair on the back of his neck stood on end 146 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:43,640 Speaker 1: and he growled a deep growl. Still, the stranger did 147 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:49,199 Speaker 1: not run. Bowser didn't know just what to make of it. 148 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:53,960 Speaker 1: Never before had he had such an experience. Could it 149 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:59,320 Speaker 1: be that the stranger was not afraid of him? Bowser 150 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:05,079 Speaker 1: walked around the stranger, growling as he walked. The stranger 151 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:11,640 Speaker 1: turned so as always to face him. It was perplexing 152 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:16,280 Speaker 1: and very provoking. It really seemed as if the stranger 153 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:22,080 Speaker 1: had no fear of him. Who cried Bowser the Hound 154 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:29,240 Speaker 1: in his deepest voice, and sprang at the stranger. Then 155 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:35,000 Speaker 1: something happened so surprising that Blackie the Crow lost his 156 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:38,320 Speaker 1: balance on the top of the pine where he was 157 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 1: watching the instant that Bowser sprang. The stranger rolled himself 158 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:49,520 Speaker 1: into a tight round ball, and out of the long 159 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:54,080 Speaker 1: hair of his coat sprang hundreds of sharp, little yellow 160 00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:59,320 Speaker 1: white spears. The stranger looked for all the world like 161 00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 1: a huge, which black and yellow chestnut burr. Bowser the 162 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:10,160 Speaker 1: hound was as surprised as Blacky the crow. He stopped short, 163 00:14:10,559 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 1: and his eyes looked as if they would pop out 164 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:17,480 Speaker 1: of his head. He looked so puzzled and so funny 165 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:23,920 Speaker 1: that happy Jack Squirrel laughed out loud. The stranger did 166 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:29,480 Speaker 1: not move. Bowser backed away and began to circle around again, 167 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 1: sniffing and snuffing. Once in a while he barked, But 168 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:40,680 Speaker 1: still the stranger did not move. For all the signs 169 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:43,920 Speaker 1: of life he made, he might in truth have been 170 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:50,960 Speaker 1: a giant chestnut burr. Bowser sat down and looked at him. 171 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:54,880 Speaker 1: Then he walked around to the other side and sat down. 172 00:14:56,360 --> 00:15:01,200 Speaker 1: What a strange thing, thought Bowser, What a very strange thing. 173 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:07,560 Speaker 1: Bowser took a step nearer, Then he took another step. 174 00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 1: Nothing happened. Finally, Bowser reached out and with his nose 175 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 1: gently touched the prickly ball. Slap the stranger's tail struck 176 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:28,520 Speaker 1: Bowser full in the face. Bowser yelped and rolled over 177 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:32,240 Speaker 1: and over on the ground, sticking in his lips or 178 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:36,560 Speaker 1: a dozen sharp little spears, and Bowser could not get 179 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:42,880 Speaker 1: them out. Every time he touched them, he yelped. Finally, 180 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 1: he gave up and started for home with his tail 181 00:15:46,160 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 1: between his legs, and with every step he yelped more. 182 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:56,800 Speaker 1: When he had disappeared and his yelps grew quieter, the 183 00:15:56,840 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 1: stranger unrolled the sharp little bears, disappeared in the long 184 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:06,200 Speaker 1: hair of his coat, and just as if nothing at 185 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 1: all had happened, the stranger walked slowly over to the 186 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:16,360 Speaker 1: tall maple tree and began to climb it. And this 187 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:21,040 Speaker 1: is how Prickly Porky the porcupine came to the green 188 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:26,520 Speaker 1: forest and won the respect and admiration of all the 189 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:34,760 Speaker 1: little meadow people and forest folks, including Reddy Fox. Since 190 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:38,720 Speaker 1: that day, no one has tried to meddle with Prickly 191 00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 1: Porky or his business. And that's the end of our story. 192 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:50,600 Speaker 1: Good night, sleep tight.