Chickadee Read Online Free PDF Page A

long into the night, it was evident that he had failed.

SIX
THE WAY IT HAPPENED

    C hickadee and Makoons were taking a well-deserved rest. They were making sure they got their rest by hiding behind the rocks again. Slowly they licked the cones of sugar that Nokomis had given them.
    â€œBrother,” said Makoons in a worried voice, “how many family and friends do we have here?”
    â€œLet’s count,” said Chickadee.
    The twins tried to count everyone in their family. Some were missing though. Animikiins, Fishtail, and Two Strike were hunting.
    â€œAnd how much family does Zhigaag have?” asked Makoons.
    â€œJust his sons, but they’re worth several warriors apiece.”
    â€œThat worries me,” said Makoons. “Because I am the one who tied the old man’s moccasins together and made a feast for the mice out of his jacket. I had to take revenge for Nookoo, and for you, my brother.”
    â€œMiigwech, thank you,” said Chickadee with a grin.
    Chickadee was not surprised by his brother’s confession. His twin was a clever joker, and this prank had worked all too well.
    â€œI am just worried that I have got us all into trouble,” said Makoons. “I wish that Two Strike, our Deydey, Fishtail, or even Uncle Quill was here. They could take on ten Zhigaags. I didn’t know that Babiche and Batiste would show up.”
    â€œDid you see the way they looked at us?”
    â€œNo doubt they have their suspicions.”
    â€œI think Zhigaag told them about the problem with his hat,” said Chickadee.
    â€œHis hat will never be the same. I wonder what he’s wearing today—no fancy hat, no trader’s topcoat.”
    The twins lay back against the rock and gazed into the waving tops of the maple trees. Lost in their silent thoughts, they did not notice the rustling of footsteps. Then suddenly there were voices, grown men’s voices. Babiche and Batiste sat down on the rock. There was the scrape of a striker, and then the wafting odor of tobacco. As the two men puffed on their pipes, the twins shrank against the rock. They hardly breathed. Their hearts beat frantically. Makoons closed his eyes in fear, but Chickadee kept one eye open.
    â€œOne of those two scrawny puppies has shamed our father,” Babiche said at last.
    â€œWe should catch them and throw them in the soup pot,” said Batiste.
    â€œHar, har, har,” laughed Babiche. “They wouldn’t make more than a few mouthfuls for men like us.”
    â€œLook down at my leg,” said Batiste. “The muscles are so big I could outrun a horse.”
    â€œYou are mighty, my brother,” Babiche agreed. “But just look at my fist. It is so hard it could smash a rock.”

    â€œYour fist is hard,” said Batiste. “And as large as your own head.”
    â€œHar, har, har,” laughed Babiche. “You are very funny, my brother.”
    Makoons opened one eye and looked into Chickadee’s open eye. The twins silently agreed that Babiche and Batiste weren’t funny.
    â€œThink,” said Babiche, blowing out a cloud of smoke, “of what we could do to those worthless puppies with your leg, and my fist.”
    â€œOr my two fists, and your head.”
    â€œOr your two legs, and my one fist.”
    â€œOr if we squeezed them between our rock-hard bellies!”
    â€œHar, har, har,” laughed Babiche. “You are funny, my brother.”
    â€œAll we need to do is get them alone, with nobody watching us.”
    Chickadee’s and Makoon’s eyes opened wide in alarm. Then they felt the two massive men moving above them, leaning over them, and they saw the craggy faces of the brothers very near. Suddenly both brothers sucked hard on their pipes and then blasted smoke out into the boys’ eyes.
    How it burned! Although blinded, the twins leaped up anyway, fast as rabbits. They jumped, fell, scurried, blundering into trees and