He didn't know a thing about Paddy until Paddy had
finished his dam and his house, and was cutting his supply of
food for the winter.
You see, it was this way: When the Merry Little Breezes of Old
Mother West Wind first heard what was going on in the Green Forest
and hurried around over the Green Meadows and through the Green
Forest to spread the news, as is their way, they took the
greatest pains not to even hint it to Old Man Coyote because they
were afraid that he would make trouble and perhaps drive Paddy
away. The place that Paddy had chosen to build his dam was so
deep in the Green Forest that Old Man Coyote seldom went that
way. So it was that he knew nothing about Paddy, and Paddy knew
nothing about him for some time.
But after awhile Old Man Coyote noticed that the little people of
the Green Meadows were not about as much as usual. They seemed to
have a secret of some kind. He mentioned the matter to his
friend, Digger the Badger.
Digger had been so intent on his own affairs that he hadn't
noticed anything unusual, but when Old Man Coyote mentioned the
matter he remembered that Blacky the Crow headed straight for the
Green Forest every morning. Several times he had seen Sammy Jay
flying in the same direction as if in a great hurry to get
somewhere.
Old Man Coyote grinned. "That's all I need to know, friend
Digger," said he. "When Blacky the Crow and Sammy Jay visit a
place more than once, something interesting is going on there.
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