Chatty Red Squirrel remembered well enough how Farmer Roe’s boy had thrown that rock up at him a few days before when he had taken refuge in Jim Crow’s old nest.

It so happened that Chatty Squirrel was not much hurt. In fact he was only bruised a little when the stone fell into the nest. But he had been badly scared—indeed he had, because the stone was big enough to do him terrible harm if it had struck him squarely.

Chatty Squirrel thought it would be a mighty fine joke to slip over and drop that stone on Ki-yi Coyote. He naturally hated old Ki-yi as much as anybody, because for breakfast—or just any time—Ki-yi was quite as fond of tender squirrel as he was of fat little rabbit or juicy little owl.

So when Doctor Rabbit slipped away toward a little bridge over the Murmuring Brook, Chatty Squirrel started off through the tree tops toward the big elm under which Ki-yi Coyote lay waiting.

It was just daylight when Chatty Red reached the big elm and got into the old crow’s nest where the stone was. He peeped over the edge of the nest and down. Yes, sir! There was old Ki-yi Coyote! He had his ears pricked up, and he was squinting through the trees toward Doctor Rabbit’s house.

“He’ll come this way now, very soon!” greedy Ki-yi said, and smacked his lips. Chatty heard him, and was so angry he almost scolded out loud. But he didn’t. He kept perfectly still and thought about the stone. Ki-yi Coyote moved a little, and now he was right under the old crow’s nest.

Chatty Red wondered where Doctor Rabbit was, and looked down on the ground and all around, but he couldn’t see him.

“I’ll obey orders, anyway,” Chatty whispered to himself, and he got his nose under the stone and began to work it toward the edge of the nest.

Ki-yi Coyote didn’t know what was going on, of course, so he just lay still, smacked his lips, and kept a sharp eye on Doctor Rabbit’s house.

After a little work, Chatty Squirrel got the stone to the edge of the nest, and then just as Ki-yi Coyote stretched his head a little, Chatty pushed the big stone over. Kerplunk! the stone hit Ki-yi right on the ear! Well, he was about the scaredest coyote that ever was. He yelped and sprang up in the air, and jumped all around.

Then right from the other side of the Murmuring Brook came the voice of Doctor Rabbit. “Ha, ha, ha! Well, well, foxy Ki-yi, what made you jump so? Ha, ha, ha! guess you didn’t know I could throw so straight! Ha, ha, ha!”

Naturally Ki-yi Coyote thought Doctor Rabbit had thrown the stone, and he was terribly angry. Away he started. Yes, sir, he just ground his teeth and said he certainly would get Doctor Rabbit, and get him in a hurry, too. But luckily Murmuring Brook was between them, so Doctor Rabbit laughed and shouted again and darted out of sight in the woods.