"Watch out for rumsquaddles," said Davy Crockett to his two small sons one day when he was leaving for a bear hunt. "They're round and striped at both ends and tall and hairy in the middle and sort of different everywhere else." But it wasn't his sons who had to watch out—it was Davy himself and his two trusty bear dogs, Whirlwind and Rattler—for things were mighty peculiar in West Tennessee that winter when a strange bright comet, with a long fiery tail, lit up the sky night after night. At first there were a lot of fine fat bears to shoot, and all went well. By and by, however, Davy couldn't find any more bears, north or south or any direction. Then there came a monstrous earthquake. The ground rose and fell, trees crashed all around, varmints streaked by in fright, and Davy lost all his furs, his gear, his cured meat, and his horse. He figured he'd lost his luck too, but when he finally got home again and found his wife and sons and stout cabin safe, he knew he was the luckiest man in creation. To top it all, his sons could tell him how to chase a rumsquaddle so it would never come back again!

William O. Steele was born in Crockett country in Tennessee, has lived there all his life, and is steeped in the legends and history of the region. Around Davy Crockett, the comet, and the earthquake—all of which are true facts—he was built a swaggering, rollicking tall tale which will have children laughing one minute and breathless with suspense the next. The strong, humorous line drawings by Nicolas Mordvinoff, Caldecott Award winner, heighten the vigor and happy absurdity which distinguish the story.

From the dust jacket