Nimble did not spend all his spare moments with the other Spike¹ Horns. Once in a while he met Cuffy Bear prowling about near the foot of Blue Mountain. But Nimble never had a mock battle with Cuffy. Cuffy Bear was a famous boxer². And in each of his paws he carried long sharp claws. What if Cuffy should forget to pull in those claws sometime, when he struck you a playful tap? Ah! That wouldn't be very pleasant! This was what Nimble thought about the matter. So he never butted³ Cuffy Bear nor pricked⁴ him with his spikes⁵.  
On the whole they found each other good company. Cuffy liked to see Nimble jump. And Nimble liked to see Cuffy climb trees.
 
One day, late in the fall, that year when Nimble was a Spike Horn, he strayed half way up the side of Blue Mountain. It was seldom that Nimble wandered so far up the steep and thickly wooded slopes. But old dog Spot was ranging about the lower woods. And for once Nimble did not run for Cedar⁶ Swamp when he heard the old dog bay. Instead he climbed steadily⁷ until he was sure that he had shaken Spot off his trail.
 
Nimble had stopped for a drink at the spring which marked the beginning of Broad Brook⁸ and there he met Cuffy Bear, who was just turning away from the ice-framed pool. "Aren't you a long way from home?" Cuffy asked him.
 
"Yes! But I can get down to my favorite ridge⁹ quickly enough, when I want to," said Nimble. "Do you live in this neighborhood?"
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