Billy Woodchuck was alarmed. His mother had come home very ill. At least, that was what Billy thought. It was a warm summer’s day; but Mrs. Woodchuck seemed to be freezing with cold. Her teeth chattered so hard that the sound filled the whole house. And when Billy asked her what was the matter with her she did not say a word.

Then he was sure she was ill. For she was a great talker. This was the first time he had ever seen her when she could not speak.

Now, Mr. Woodchuck was not at home. And none of the children knew what to do. So Billy left the house and hurried over to find Aunt Polly Woodchuck—an old lady who was a famous herb doctor. Woodchucks for miles around came to see her when they were not feeling well. And she would give them a peppermint leaf to chew, or some tansy, or maybe a drink of catnip tea. And everybody said that her medicines never did anyone a bit of harm.

Luckily, Billy found Aunt Polly at home. And he quickly told her about his mother.

“You say her teeth chatter?” the old lady asked.

“Yes, Aunt Polly!”

“Do they make a clattering noise?”

“Yes, Aunt Polly!”

Aunt Polly Woodchuck nodded her head wisely.

“I thought so,” she said. “It sounds to me like chills-and-fever. I’ll go right back with you and see what I can do to help her.”

So Aunt Polly and Billy started off together. Though he carried her basket of herbs, they could not go very fast, for the dear old lady was half blind.

But at last they reached Billy’s home. And there they found his mother, sweeping the floor as spryly as if she had never known a sick day in her whole life.

“I see you’re feeling better,” said Aunt Polly. “Your son told me you were ill and I came right over.”

Mrs. Woodchuck thanked her. And then she sent all the children out to play. As soon as they had left the room she said to Aunt Polly:

“I wasn’t ill at all. I am ashamed to say that I was just angry. And since you are a near relation of ours, I’ll tell you the reason. I’ll tell you what happened.

“Yesterday Johnnie Green dropped a big stone through our front door. It almost filled the end of my hall, so I could hardly squeeze past it. And this morning I asked Mr. Woodchuck to help me dig around the stone. But he said his rheumatism was so bad that he couldn’t do a bit of work. And then he went off and stayed away all the rest of the day.

“After I had done the work myself I went out to get a little fresh air and a bite to eat. And over in the meadow, what do you suppose I saw? There was a baseball game going on. And Mr. Woodchuck was playing so hard that he never noticed me at all.... Do you wonder I was angry?”

Old Aunt Polly said it was a shame. And she found a bit of celery in her basket, which she gave to Billy’s mother.

“Just eat that!” Aunt Polly said. “It’s good for the nerves.”

Mrs. Woodchuck thanked her again.

“I wish you could give my husband something that would make him work,” she said.

But for once old Aunt Polly Woodchuck didn’t have the right sort of medicine.

“Laziness,” she said, “is terribly hard to cure.”