Justintime,notjusttoolate, Willmakeyoumasterofyourfate. Whitefoot,half-wayupthatdeadtree,flattenedhimselfagainstthetrunkand,withhisheartgoingpit-a-pat,pit-a-patwithfright,peeredaroundthetreeatanenemyhehadnotseenforsolongthathehadquiteforgottentherewassuchaone.ItwasButchertheShrike.OftenheiscalledjustButcherBird.Hedidnotlookatallterrible.HewasnotquiteasbigasSammyJay. HehadnoterribleclawsliketheHawksandOwls. Therewasatinyhookattheendofhisblackbill,butitwasn’tbigenoughtolookverydreadful. Butyoucannotalwaysjudgeapersonbylooks,andWhitefootknewthatButcherwasonetobefeared. Sohisheartwentpit-a-pat,pit-a-patashewonderedifButcherhadseenhim. Hedidn’thavetowaitlongtofindout. ButcherflewtoatreebackofWhitefootandthenstraightathim. Whitefootdodgedaroundtotheothersideofthetree.Thenbeganadreadfulgame.Atleast,itwasdreadfultoWhitefoot. Thiswayandthatwayaroundthetrunkofthattreehedodged,whileButcherdidhisbesttocatchhim. Whitefootwouldnothavemindedthissomuch,hadhenotbeensotired,andhadheknownofahiding-placecloseathand. Buthewastired,verytired,foryourememberhehadhadwhatwasaverylongandterriblejourneytohim. Hehadfeltalmosttootiredtoclimbthattreeinthefirstplacetoseeifithadanyholesinithigherup. Nowhedidn’tknowwhethertokeepongoinguportogodown. Twoorthreetimeshedodgedaroundthetreewithoutdoingeither.Thenhedecidedtogoup. NowButcherwasenjoyingthisgameofdodge. IfheshouldcatchWhitefoot,hewouldhaveagooddinner. Ifhedidn’tcatchWhitefoot,hewouldsimplygohungryalittlelonger. Soyousee,therewasaverybigdifferenceinthefeelingsofWhitefootandButcher. Whitefoothadhislifetolose,whileButcherhadonlyadinnertolose. Dodgingthiswayanddodgingthatway,Whitefootclimbedhigherandhigher. Twicehewhiskedaroundthattreetrunkbarelyintime. Allthetimehewasgrowingmoreandmoretired,andmoreandmorediscouraged. Supposingheshouldfindnoholeinthattree! “Theremustbeone.Theremustbeone,”hekeptsayingoverandovertohimself,tokeephiscourageup.“Ican’tkeepdodgingmuchlonger. IfIdon’tfindaholeprettysoon,Butcherwillsurelycatchme.Oh,dear!Oh,dear!” JustaboveWhitefootwasabrokenbranch.Onlythestubofitremained. Thenexttimehedodgedaroundthetrunkhefoundhimselfjustbelowthatstub.Oh,joy! There,closeunderthatstub,wasaroundhole.Whitefootdidn’thesitateasecond. Hedidn’twaittofindoutwhetherornotanyonewasinthathole. Hedidn’teventhinkthattheremightbesomeoneinthere. Withatinylittlesqueakofreliefhedartedin.Hewasjustintime.Hewasjustinthenickoftime. Butcherstruckathimandjustmissedhimashedisappearedinthathole. WhitefoothadsavedhislifeandButcherhadmissedadinner. 
