Little Jack Rabbit and the Squirrel Brothers Part 6

AN ACCIDENT

Well, after Uncle John Hare had spent about a week at the Old Bramble Patch, he thought it time to go home. So he called up his house and ordered his Bunnymobile sent for him.

"Now don't worry about Little Jack Rabbit," he said to the anxious lady bunny, "I'll take good care of him and send him home safe and sound."

Then he put on his goggles while the little rabbit cranked up the Bunnymobile, and off they went.

You see, Uncle John was so fond of his little rabbit nephew that he just had to take him out for a drive.

But, goodness me. They had gone only a little way when they ran into a load of hay. And, oh dear me! It tumbled down on top of them and hid the Bunnymobile from sight. Wasn't that dreadful?

Well, I don't know what would have happened--they would have been smothered or had hay fever, I guess--if a big Circus Elephant hadn't come hurrying along just then.

Well, sir! He wound his trunk around that pile of hay and put it back on the wagon. Then he dropped in his pocket the nickel the farmer gave him, but he wouldn't take the carrot cent that grateful Uncle John offered him.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Elephant Put the Hay Right Back on the Wagon.

_Page_ 74]

"I'm so nervous you'd better drive," cried the old gentleman hare. So Little Jack Rabbit took the wheel and for a little while everything went along nicely. But pretty soon it grew dark, so the little rabbit hopped out to light the lamps. But when he struck a match he found that the lamps were smashed to pieces. You see, they had hit the back of the hay wagon.

"What shall we do?"

"Get in and go along the best you can," answered the old gentleman hare.

"We ought to be pretty near home by this time." And I guess they would have reached his little red house in a few minutes if the Policeman Dog hadn't stopped them.

"What do you mean by running your Bunnymobile without lights?" he growled. "I'll fine you ten bones!"

"Make it carrots and I'll pay you," said Uncle John.

But the Policeman Dog wouldn't take carrots. You see, he liked bones much better. Then he jumped on the running board and told them to drive to Station House No. 13.

But wasn't it lucky? They had gone only a little way when they came to a butcher shop, where Uncle John traded ten carrots for ten bones. And when he gave them to the Policeman dog, he told them they might drive home slowly.

But, oh dear me. All of a sudden a big owl gave a hooty toot. No sooner did the two little rabbits hear that dreadful noise than they hopped out of the Bunnymobile and into a hollow stump. "You'll be safe, now," said a little gra.s.shopper from her Clover Patch House, nearby.

TWO PIGEONS

Well, I'm going to tell you right away that the two little rabbits got safely home, although they had to hide all night in the hollow stump from the old owl. But the gra.s.shopper stayed in the clover patch and built a little house with a front-door latch.

Well, as soon as they had run the Bunnymobile in the garage, they went into the little red house, and had breakfast. After that was over Little Jack Rabbit said good-by and hopped off home to the Old Bramble Patch.

And while he was hopping along who should come by but old Professor Jim Crow with his little Black Book.

"h.e.l.loa there, little rabbit," said the wise old bird, and then he opened his little Black Book and, turning to page 23, he said:

"Let me read you something about pigeons."

"Why?" asked the little bunny, wiggling his little pink nose so fast that old Professor Jim Crow's eyes filled with tears, and he had to take off his spectacles and wipe them with his silk pocket handkerchief.

"Because," answered the old crow, "two pigeons have made their home in the loft of your mother's old barn." Then he put on his spectacles again and commenced to read aloud:

"Pigeons always lay two eggs, and these produce a male and a female, so they are mated from birth, and, could they remain so, they would be the happiest of winged beings."

And then the old professor closed his book and said, "Better hurry home and see the new pigeons." So away hopped the little rabbit, clipperty clip, lipperty lip, over the Sunny Meadow until, by and by, after awhile, he came to the Old Bramble Patch. There stood his mother in the backyard. She had just placed a pan of water under a tree for the pigeons.

"Don't make any noise," she said, as the little rabbit drew near. Pretty soon Mr. Pigeon flew down to taste the water, and by and by Mrs. Pigeon fluttered down by his side.

"c.o.c.k-a-doodle-do, Of pigeons we have two, But some day there'll be dozens more A-cooing by the old barn door,"

sang the old Red Rooster who had come over from Uncle John's to help Mrs. Rabbit weed the carrot patch.

After that she and her little bunny boy hopped up on the front porch to hear the canary bird in her gold cage sing:

"I wouldn't be a pigeon And live in an old red barn, I'd rather be here when the weather is drear And watch Mrs. Bunny darn."

Which made the kind lady rabbit laugh, for she spent lots of time, let me tell you, darning the holes in her little bunny boy's golf stockings.

MISS p.u.s.s.y

The pumpkins in the cornfield Are as yellow as can be, And the apples, red and golden, Are hanging on the tree, The grapes in purple cl.u.s.ters Are swinging on the vine, And the old crow's nest is empty Upon the lonely pine.

"Ha, ha," shouted Little Jack Rabbit, as Billy Breeze blew across the Sunny Meadow, and, let me tell you, Billy Breeze was just a little bit chilly, this cool November morning.

"I wonder what I'll do," thought the little rabbit, and he wiggled his little pink nose sideways, and then off he went, clipperty clip, lipperty lip, and by and by he came to an old hollow stump. So he peeked in, and then, all of a sudden, a purring voice asked:

"What are you doing, Mr. Curious One?"

"Oh, I wasn't doing anything wrong," answered the little bunny. "I just wanted to see what was inside."

"Well, I'll show you," answered the voice, and out popped a little black cat, with green eyes and a pink ribbon.

"Oh, it's you, Miss p.u.s.s.y," laughed the little rabbit. "I'm glad it wasn't a bear or a wildcat," and he laughed some more and wiggled his little pink nose just for fun, you understand.

"What are you doing out here?"

"Looking for mice," answered the little black p.u.s.s.y.

"Don't you bother Timmy Meadowmouse," said Little Jack Rabbit quickly; "he's a friend of mine."