Tommy was just a little bit afraid, for the cow was watching him with that scary look in her eyes. But he wasn’t going to let Louie Thomson know it. So he stood perfectly still and called her, “Come Bossy, Co’ Boss.”
“Go along, Red Cow!” barked Watch.
“I know,” squealed Nibble, “I can see Chaik Jay’s present sticking right out of Tommy’s pocket. Ask him for that ear of corn.”
Now the Red Cow was really very hungry. She reached out her sniffing nose. Tommy didn’t move. So she picked the corn right out of his pocket with her long curling tongue. And then he laid such a gentle hand on her that she knew she wouldn’t be afraid of him ever again.
So here was Tommy Peele stroking the Red Cow’s neck while she ate the corn he had meant to give Chaik Jay. Here, too, was Nibble Rabbit enjoying the haws off a wild rose bush the Red Cow had trampled down, while old Doctor Muskrat watched the Red Cow’s sleepy new baby, and pricked his ears to hear all that was going on.
Even Watch the Dog was happy. He was lying at the foot of the tree, with his nose on his paws as though he expected to stay there all day, and wagging his tail.
But Louie Thomson, perched on one of its branches in the cold wind, was very unhappy. Whenever he moved Watch would raise the hair all along his back and growl, and the Red Cow would roll her scary eyes at him. “Hey, Tommy!” he called. “Drive off those brutes and let me come down!”
“No, I won’t,” said Tommy. “This is two times you’ve cheated me. You cheated me with that old trap, and now you tried to come over here into my very own woods and catch my very own Beasts. That’s stealing. I’m going to let them watch you while I go up to the house and get my father to come for you.”
Of course not one of the Woodsfolk knew what he meant. But they knew he was very angry.
“Oh, please, please don’t do that!” begged Louie. “I’ll promise never to set foot in your woods again. Honest, cross my heart and hope to die, I will! Please let me go this time.”