Little Jack Rabbit and Uncle John Hare Part 8

"I have a little tree, on which silk ribbons grow; Some are red as roses, some are white as snow.

And some are yellow, pink and blue, Come, I'll show my tree to you."

And then she led Little Jack Rabbit and Uncle John Hare into her garden and showed them this wonderful tree. It certainly was a beautiful tree, just covered with little silk ribbons of many colors and on the topmost branch Bobbie Redvest had a nest full of little blue eggs.

And while they stood there admiring this wonderful tree, five little dwarfs ran into the garden and said:

"We want a yard of ribbon As blue as sunny sky, Two yards of purple color And three of crimson dye."

Then the little girl took a pair of silver scissors from her pocket and clipped off the ribbons. And wasn't it wonderful? No sooner had she cut off a piece than another grew in its place. And after she had rolled up the ribbons in a neat package, the five little dwarfs each took a diamond out of his pocket and gave it to her, and then they hurried away without a word to the two little rabbits.

"They never speak to anyone except in poetry," said the little girl, "and maybe they were too bashful to think of a rhyme for you."

"I'd like to buy a blue ribbon for a tie," said Uncle John Hare.

"I will give you one for nothing," said the little girl, "if you will take me in your Bunnymobile to the One-Two-Three-Cent Store in Catnip City."

"All right," answered Uncle John Hare. So the little girl cut off a piece of blue ribbon and tied it around his neck and then off they went to the One-Two-Three-Cent Store.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Little Girl Tied a Ribbon Around Uncle John Hare's Neck.]

"I sell these ribbons for p.u.s.s.y Cats and Bow-wow Dogs," she said, opening a box which she carried under her arm. "Then I buy groceries and shoes for myself, and some day when the prince comes riding by on his big white horse he will stop to see me, and then maybe he'll ask me to marry him, and I shall be a princess. But I shall take my little magic tree with me and plant it in the castle garden, for it is my lucky charm." And in the next story, just wait until you hear what happens.

THE FAIRY CAT

When the two little rabbits and the little girl reached the One-Two-Three-Cent Store in Catnip City, they all jumped out of the Bunnymobile. Now, I don't believe I ever told you about the One-Two-Three-Cent Store. It was kept by a Fairy Cat, whose name was Tabby Tiny Cat. And all the fairies for miles around bought things at her store, for she kept every kind of a thing--candies made of honey dew, nuts and maple sugar, Sunbeam Taffy and Moonlight Marshmallows, as well as Cobweb Laces and pretty moss rugs and Sugar Maple Icicle Candy.

"Come in, come in," said the Fairy Cat.

"I've things for a penny and some for two, and others for three, now what will it be?"

"Let me look around first," said Little Jack Rabbit. "Mrs. Daisy Duck, my uncle's housekeeper, makes all the good things we want to eat, but maybe you will have something we'd like to buy." So while he and Uncle John Hare looked around, the little girl showed the lovely Magic Tree Ribbons to the Fairy Cat who said:

"I'll take them all, for the Fairy Cats will need bows for Easter." Then the little girl bought flour and sugar and a pair of little red shoes, and a dainty sunbonnet with a yellow b.u.t.terfly on it. And then she was ready to go home. But the two little rabbits were still looking around trying to find something which they could buy for Mrs. Daisy Duck.

Pretty soon a Yellow Bird in a wicker cage began to sing:

"Buy a fairy dewdrop pin Your purple tie to fasten in."

"Good," said Uncle John Hare, "that's what I want."

"Buy a silver tick-tock watch To tell the time of day.

You'll find it very useful When riding miles away,"

sang the little bird.

"That's the very thing," exclaimed Little Jack Rabbit. And as soon as they had paid the Fairy Cat, they all jumped into the Bunnymobile and started back for the little girl's house where in the garden grew the Magic Ribbon Tree I told you about in the last story.

But, oh dear me. Just as they drew up at the front gate, they saw the Ragged Rabbit Giant behind the house. "Oh, dear," said the little girl.

"He will pick off all the lovely ribbons. What shall I do?"

Well, just then, all of a sudden, a big tremendous long snake crawled out from behind a tree. And in the next story, you shall hear what happened after that.

THE BIG BLACK SNAKE

"I'm as strong as an iron rope I can bind a giant fast; If I coil like a belt around his waist, I can make him breathe his last,"

sang the Big Black Snake just as I finished the last story.

"Then help us," said Little Jack Rabbit, "for the Ragged Rabbit Giant is picking all the lovely ribbons from the little girl's magic tree."

"Keep quiet," said the snake, "and I will glide around into the garden and see what I can do."

So Uncle John Hare, Little Jack Rabbit and the little girl hid behind a lilac bush. And pretty soon, not so very long, they heard a dreadful noise. Oh, dear me, yes. And in another minute the Ragged Rabbit Giant ran out of the garden with the big snake coiled about his waist.

Now the Ragged Rabbit Giant was tremendously strong, and the snake found it hard work to squeeze the breath out of him. But, just the same, Ragged Rabbit Giant was mighty uncomfortable, let me tell you. And pretty soon he said in a whisper:

"If you will tell this dreadful snake To bother me no more, I'll never pa.s.s this way again Nor knock upon your door."

"Shall I let him go?" asked the snake, winking his left eye at Uncle John Hare. "First make him give us a promise," answered the wise old gentleman rabbit. So the big bunny giant made a solemn vow never to bother them again.

"You are a very kind snake," said the little girl, "I will give you some ribbons for your children's Easter bonnets." And she ran into the garden and with her silver scissors clipped off some pretty ribbons and gave them to the snake, who then glided away to his home.

Just then the sound of a bugle was heard and the little girl cried:

"Here comes the prince on his snow-white steed As my G.o.dmother told me he would, To take me away to his castle gay In the midst of the whispering wood."

And sure enough, in a few minutes the prince came by and asked the little girl to come to his castle. So she pulled up the Magic Ribbon Tree and locked the door of her little house, and then the handsome prince lifted her up on the saddle and rode away to the castle. And as soon as the little girl was seated behind him she grew into a beautiful young princess. And in the next story, oh, just wait until you hear what happens.

THE SUGAR BARREL

Said Mrs. Daisy Duck one day, "The sugar all has gone away The ants have made a call I fear, And taken it away from here."

"Never mind," said Uncle John Hare, the old gentleman rabbit, "perhaps they couldn't buy any lollypops at the One-Two-Three-Cent Store."

"But what am I to do?" asked Mrs. Daisy Duck. "I must have sugar to make Angel cake."

"If that's the case," said the old gentleman bunny, "I'll motor over to Turnip City and buy some." So he and Little Jack Rabbit jumped into the Bunnymobile and away they went, and after a while, and maybe a mile, and a laugh and a smile, they stopped at the Big Grocery Store.