The cows never paid much attention to the woodchucks, unless it was to scold them now and then for eating too much clover. But living as they did in the pasture, the woodchucks took a great interest in Farmer Green's . Many a bit of gossip about some cow passed from one woodchuck hole to another, without the cow herself ever dreaming that folk were talking about her.  
Whenever Billy Woodchuck's mother heard any interesting news about a cow she was more than likely to put on her best and hurry over to make a call on Aunt Polly Woodchuck, the famous herb doctor, who lived under the hill.
 
Well, one morning while the dew was still on the grass Billy saw his mother dash into the house, whisk off her old apron and reach for her best one. He knew at once, without asking, exactly where she was going. Nor was he sorry, because Mrs. Woodchuck always stayed a long time at Aunt Polly's. And that gave Billy a chance to do a number of things without being told "Don't!"
 
! "You'd better come with me," his mother said.
 
"Oh, I'd rather not," he protested. "I—I'm not feeling very well this morning."
 
"Then you must certainly come," she insisted, "for I'm going to see Aunt Polly Woodchuck and she'll give you a dose of herbs to cure you."
 
Billy Woodchuck began to squirm. He saw that he had got himself into trouble.
 
"I'll be all right if I keep still a while," he . "And then I'm going out to gather a nice lot of greens for you."
 
"You'll do nothing of the sort!" said his mother. "You'll come with me. You'd be sure to get into if I left you here."
 
So off they went. And Mrs. Woodchuck hurried so fast that she was quite out of breath when she reached Aunt Polly Woodchuck's house. She had to sit down and rest before she could tell Aunt Polly the news that was on the tip of her tongue.
 
While waiting for her guest to compose herself, Aunt Polly Woodchuck looked over her spectacles at Billy, who lingered near the door.
 
"Come here, young man!" she said. Though her tone was severe, Billy Woodchuck took heart. He thought he saw a twinkle in the old lady's eye. &............