“Oh, I’m ready!” exclaimed the raccoon. “Delighted, I’m sure, to do anything I can. What shall I do to the muskrat? Eat him?”
“I suppose that would be the easiest thing to do,” said the bear. “What do you say, Cracker?”
“He is very hard to catch,” replied the squirrel. “In fact, you cannot catch a muskrat unless you put tar on his nose.”
“That is true,” said the raccoon. “I had forgotten that, and I haven’t any tar just now. Would pitch or turpentine do as well, do you think? They all begin with ‘A’, you know.”
“I’m afraid not!” said the squirrel. “‘Tar to catch a Tartar,’ as the old saying goes; and the muskrat is certainly a Tartar.”
“Look here!” said Toto, “I think we have some tar at home, in the shed. I am quite sure there is some.”
“Really?” said the squirrel, brightening up. “Good boy, Toto! Tell me where I can find it, and I’ll go and get it.”
“No!” said Toto. “It’s in a bucket, and you couldn’t carry it, Cracker! I’ll go and fetch it, while you and Coon are arranging your plan of action.”
So away ran Toto, and the squirrel and the raccoon sat down to consult.
“The first thing to do,” said Coon, “is to get the muskrat out of his hole. Now, my advice is this: do you go to Mrs. Bullfrog, and borrow an old overcoat of her husband’s.”