The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-05
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JOKE ON TIE EOODCHUCE

Once upon a time there was an old crab standing with one foot in the water and one on the land down at the pond in the pasture. This crab must have been feeling very bad, for he was crying hard, with the tears rum ming down on his whisgzers. Now, it hap pened that there was a big crow who was walking up and down the bank maqring funny tracks in the mud, and when he saw the crab he said: Good afternoon, neigh bor. What are you crying about on this fine day?"
 sTrouble, enough said the crab. That old woodchuck who lives up in the orchard has been abusing me. He put stone over the door of my house and when crazFled out through the mud with sand in my eyes he just lay down in rhe smarrweed and laughed He said was neither a beast nor a bird nor a fish,
 That was too bad" said the crow and he walked around the crab and looked at him first with one eye and then widh the ether. By and by the crow asked: Would you like to play a good joke on the wocdchuck?'
 '.Yes, would" answered the crad1, wiping his eyes with his pocket handkerchief. What can we do to him9''
 The wise old crow looked all around to be sure that none of the mud swallows was listening, and then he whispered something to the crab and flew away toward the or chard.
 After the crow had gone the crab went out to the edge of the water to wash his face and hands, and as he crawled along the swallows say they heard him actually laugh out loud.
 The crow soon reached the wuodEhnck's house. which was under an old pine stump In the corner of the orchard, and there he found Mrs. Woodchnck out in the sun comb ing the children's hair
 "Cood afternoon, said the crow. "Is my xrY.z .-a-.a.- -.1.Ir tasxrs.s
 q am very sorry said his wife, but he has inst gone down to the meadow to get some artiehokes for supper
 srNaTln said the crow, I wanted to see h,,o m important business, and wish you vgorId ask him to meet me down at the.pOnd in the pasture just as soon as possible
 when the crow got back to the pond he found the crab waiting ror him ah Gne' suono a,sr which the boys had made to stand on, .,,tan theV- came down to fish for shdners and mn crozv told the cr&b to hide between - hio sbones until he heard him count .ona two. three," and then to creep out s ,,,nch the woodehueks tail like any thing ,.-.,.. z. down to the pond. He was all out o9 Breath and his eyes were wide open to see wnat m rovtant business the crow csuid have wtkh him. a4z.n... .,+ oss this btx stone and widt show you inc funniest thing yeu ever saw In your .svVhat can 1t be r thought the weedchuck, o. ,,a walked carefully out on the eageof the asar The crow stretched out his neck and kIo.,1rs, over into the water, saTtDGs "I thAnk T ean see on the bottom of this pend the s.rssae4 fp4low in all the eoun6rx."
 Ana then as Mfr. WoOdehnek Dooiee4' oeW1 into The water the crow c0sRted "Onst tw<ss three" a .A,,eE was so scared when the crab phnehed hIe tail that he tnENbhed on into the pond, and when be erawIed out he was as wet as vater and as dirty as mud; but the crab had crawled under big stone and the crow had flown up into a tree, where he sat and Isughed and laughed and laughed. .sDo vou think" said the crows that if Mrs Woodchuek could see you now she yvonld know whether you were beast or bird or a fish?'
 Rut the woodehuck did not get mad, for he knew how to take joke
 First he called the crab out and apologtzed for heinz so rude to him, and then he crawled m on the dry June grass and rolled over and over to get the mud of. The sunshine seon made him dry, but it was quite late when he got home. and Mrs. Weodehuek was begin nine to get worried about him. When she asked him where he had been all the after noon he would only say that he had had very important business with his friend the crow.