One fine day Skunk was playing with his friends.
"Ha! This is a lot of fun!" he said. Then he lifted his tail. "Oops!"
"Ew! What a terrible smell! Skunk made a bad smell. Ha-ha!" said Mouse.
"Yes, ew!" said Rabbit. "Let's go play with someone else. Skunk stinks."
The next day Skunk saw Rabbit and Mouse. Skunk lowered his tail.
He did not want to make a bad smell again.
"Hi, Rabbit! Don't you want to play with me?" said Skunk.
"No! Stinky Skunk!" said Rabbit.
"Let's not play with him. He smells bad," said Mouse.
Skunk cried and ran to his cave. "No one wants to play with me."
He did not come out until nighttime. He was very sad.
One day Skunk was very thirsty. He left the cave and went to the pond.
He still held his tail very low.
"Oh, there is Rabbit," he said. "I must be careful not to make a bad smell."
Rabbit ran past the pond.
"Rabbit, please stop for a moment and play with me," said Skunk.
"I will try not to make a bad smell again."
But Rabbit kept running. Skunk felt very sad.
He had no friends and no one to play with.
He knew he smelled bad, but there was nothing he could do about it.
Several lonely days passed, and Skunk went for a walk.
All of a sudden, Skunk saw that Rabbit was in trouble.
"Oh no! Bear is chasing Rabbit!" said Skunk.
"What can I do? Bear is so big and has such big teeth. He might eat me too!"
Skunk decided to run away. Just as Skunk turned around to run, Rabbit saw him.
"Skunk, help me! Please!" she cried.
"Oh, poor Rabbit!" thought Skunk.
"What should I do? Oh! Maybe my bad smell will chase him away."
Skunk went up to Bear. "Let Rabbit go, or I will make a bad smell!" he said.
"Ha-ha!" Bear laughed. "A smell? You are so funny, little Skunk.
Let me smell your bad smell."
So Skunk lifted his tail.
"Nooo! Ahhh! Ugh! Ew!" cried Bear, and he ran away.
Rabbit was so happy! She hugged Skunk! "Skunk, your smell saved my life.
Hey, everyone! Hooray for Skunk! He saved me from Bear."
"Hooray for Skunk!" the animals cheered.
Skunk became a hero! All the animals surrounded Skunk.
"Show us how you scared Bear away," Mouse asked.
"Okay," said Skunk. "I lifted my tail like this . . ."
All the animals held their noses. And then they all laughed.
"Let's go play together," said Rabbit.
"Yes, let's go play!" said Skunk.
On that day, Skunk realized he was perfect just the way he was.