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diff --git a/35090-0.txt b/35090-0.txt index cdaf800..e04e987 100644 --- a/35090-0.txt +++ b/35090-0.txt @@ -1,25 +1,4 @@ - Billy Bunny and Daddy Fox - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost -no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Title: Billy Bunny and Daddy Fox - -Author: David Cory - -Release Date: January 27, 2011 [EBook #35090] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BILLY BUNNY AND DADDY FOX *** - - - +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 35090 *** Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. @@ -2585,381 +2564,4 @@ Bunny and Uncle Bull Frog.” THE END - - - - - - - - - - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BILLY BUNNY AND DADDY FOX *** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35090 - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission -and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Title: Billy Bunny and Daddy Fox - -Author: David Cory - -Release Date: January 27, 2011 [EBook #35090] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BILLY BUNNY AND DADDY FOX *** - - - - -Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net. - - - [Illustration: DOWN THROUGH THE CEILING DROPPED DADDY FOX.] - - -_Billy Bunny Books_ - -BILLY BUNNY - -_AND_ - -DADDY FOX - - -BY - -DAVID CORY - - -AUTHOR OF "BILLY BUNNY AND UNCLE BULL FROG," -"BILLY BUNNY AND THE FRIENDLY ELEPHANT," -"BILLY BUNNY AND UNCLE LUCKY LEFTHINDFOOT" - - -ILLUSTRATIONS BY -HUGH SPENCER - -NEW YORK -CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY - - -BILLY BUNNY BOOKS -BY DAVID CORY - -_Large 12 mo. Illustrated_ - -1. BILLY BUNNY AND THE FRIENDLY ELEPHANT. -2. BILLY BUNNY AND DADDY FOX. -3. BILLY BUNNY AND UNCLE BULL FROG. -4. BILLY BUNNY AND UNCLE LUCKY LEFTHINDFOOT. - -_Other Volumes in Preparation_ - -CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, NEW YORK - - -COPYRIGHT, 1920, BY -CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY - -_Billy Bunny and Daddy Fox_ - -Printed in U. S. A. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - - STORY I--BILLY BUNNY AND THE JAIL HOUSE - - STORY II--BILLY BUNNY AND LADY HORNET - - STORY III--BILLY BUNNY AND PHOTOGRAPHER CRANE - - STORY IV--BILLY BUNNY AND THE ORGAN GRINDER - - STORY V--BILLY BUNNY AND MR. TOOTIE OWL - - STORY VI--BILLY BUNNY AND BILLY GOAT - - STORY VII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE HEAD OF LETTUCE - - STORY VIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE SCARECROW - - STORY IX--BILLY BUNNY AND MR. DRAKE - - STORY X--BILLY BUNNY AND THE FROG KING - - STORY XI--BILLY BUNNY AND THE TURKEY GOBBLER - - STORY XII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE DONKEY - - STORY XIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE LITTLE SUGAR PILLS - - STORY XIV--BILLY BUNNY AND THE BILLY GOAT - - STORY XV--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. BRUIN - - STORY XVI--BILLY BUNNY AND THE BEAR CUBS - - STORY XVII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE SQUIRREL INNKEEPER - - STORY XVIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE TAILOR BIRD - - STORY XIX--BILLY BUNNY AND ROBBIE REDBREAST - - STORY XX--BILLY BUNNY AND THE BABBLING BROOK - - STORY XXI--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. WILDCAT - - STORY XXII--BILLY BUNNY AT WINDY CAVE - - STORY XXIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE WILD CANARY - - STORY XXIV--BILLY BUNNY AND THE LITTLE SPARROWS - - STORY XXV--BILLY BUNNY AND ROBIN REDBREAST - - STORY XXVI--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. QUAIL - - STORY XXVII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE THEATER PLAY - - STORY XXVIII--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. WEASEL - - STORY XXIX--BILLY BUNNY AND THE POLICEMAN DOG - - STORY XXX--BILLY BUNNY AND THE CIRCUS ELEPHANT - - STORY XXXI--BILLY BUNNY AND THE CHEERFUL LITTLE BIRD - - STORY XXXII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE MILLER'S BOY - - STORY XXXIII--BILLY BUNNY AND OLD MOTHER MAGPIE - - STORY XXXIV--BILLY BUNNY AND DICKEY MEADOW MOUSE - - STORY XXXV--BILLY BUNNY AND BIG BROWN BEAR - - STORY XXXVI--BILLY BUNNY AND PROFESSOR CROW - - STORY XXXVII--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. GROUSE - - STORY XXXVIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE CARLOAD OF LETTUCE LEAVES - - - - -STORY I--BILLY BUNNY AND THE JAIL HOUSE - - -Daddy Fox was very irregular in his habits about coming home, so, when -the Bunny Boy Scouts captured him, after his escape from the Circus Cow -Boy, and put him in the Jail House at Lettuceville, no one became uneasy -for two or three days. After that time, Mrs. Fox said to Sly Boots and -Bushy Tail, her two little sons: "Something has happened to your father. -I know it, for he never stays away like this without telephoning or -sending a message home. We'd better go out to-night and look for him." - -So when the big, round, silver moon was shining in the middle of the sky -and the twinkle, twinkle star was peeping into the bedroom windows of -little boys and girls, who were sound asleep and dreaming of lollypops -and ice cream cones and other things, Mrs. Fox put on her bonnet and -started out with her two little foxes. - -And by and by they came to the Jail House. And while they were walking -around it, smelling here and there to find out where their Daddy Fox -was, they heard him singing in a sorrowful voice: - - "I wonder if my two little boys - Are thinking of Daddy Fox; - If mother would only find me here - She'd open this old jail box. - She'd find the key to the iron door, - Which is hid in the crack outside in the floor - Of the little porch, and she'd get me out. - Oh, dear, I wonder what they're about!" - -And of course when Mrs. Fox heard that, she looked on the floor of the -little porch; and, sure enough, there was the big iron key almost hidden -from sight in a little, tiny crack. - -Wasn't that lucky? Well, I guess it was, and in a jiffy and a half she -unlocked the iron door and set Daddy Fox free. - -My! But he was thin and miserable. They had shaved his head and put a -striped suit of clothes on him and he didn't look anything like their -dear, kind father, thought Sly Boots and Bushy Tail, although they -didn't say so. - -They just hugged him nearly to death, for they loved him, because he was -their father, and they didn't know it was wicked to steal chickens, -because all foxes do, and if you don't know a thing is wicked and then -go and do it it's not nearly so bad as when you know a thing is wrong -and then go and do it. So please remember this, for it's very important -and will help you keep out of lots of trouble. - -"Come home at once," said Mrs. Fox; "I have a nice stewed duck for -supper, although it's past supper time." So Daddy Fox hurried as fast as -he could so as not to let the duck stew get cooked too much, and by and -by they came to their den. - -And Mrs. Fox had the table set and the supper ready in less than a wink -and everybody was happy as could be. And perhaps Daddy Fox will be good -until the next time, that is if he doesn't see a chicken before the -chicken sees him. - - - - -STORY II--BILLY BUNNY AND LADY HORNET - - -"Early to rise, early to rise, Will make little bunny boys win the first -prize," sang Mrs. Bunny at the foot of the stairs. And then Billy Bunny -lifted up his left hind leg and his right ear, and he wiggled his nose -forty times less once, and after that he was wide awake. - -And when he had washed his face and whiskers, and parted his hair down -his back nice and smooth, he went down to eat his breakfast of carrot -mush and raspberry juice which his kind mother had made from the fruit -that grew in the old bramble patch. And then, oh yes, oh yes! he -polished the brass knob on the front door, and after that he went down -to the postoffice to see if a new spring mattress had come by parcel -post. - -But it hadn't, and the postmistress, who was a nice Lady Hornet, said it -was a bit early in the season for spring mattresses, but she thought by -next month it would come along, that is, if the weather kept nice and -warm. - -Well, anyway, she had something for the little rabbit. It was a letter -with two carrot cents postage due, which the little bunny paid. - -And then he opened his letter, and what do you think he found inside? -Why, a beautiful tinted photo of his circus elephant friend, and on the -back was written in purple ink, "To Billy Bunny, from Elly, the circus -elephant." - -"Now, isn't that nice of him," said Billy Bunny. "I must send him mine -right away," so he hopped away to the nearest photographer, who was a -nice Crane and had his place in Rabbitville about 450 hops away. - -By and by Billy Bunny reached the picture gallery, and after he had told -the Crane photographer what he wanted he sat down on a little green -mossy rock in front of a big canvas painted like the ocean with big -green waves and white foam. - -And all around the rock was sprinkled sand so that when the picture was -taken it looked just as if the little bunny had been to Newport for the -summer. - -"How many do you want?" asked the Photographer Crane, who was certainly -a splendid picture man, for his legs were just the right length so that -he could look into the back of the camera without standing on a stool. - -And, wasn't it funny, you couldn't tell his legs apart from the legs of -the camera, only the camera had three and the Crane only two. - -"I'll take seven," said the little rabbit. "That's my lucky number. I -want to send one to Mr. Lucky Lefthindfoot; he's my Uncle Lucky." - -"And one to my friend, the circus elephant, for he's my best friend. It -will make Daddy Fox mad to think he wasn't here at the same time, for -he's always trying to catch me." - -And just then who should peep in through the window but Daddy Fox -himself. And in the next story you shall hear what happened after that. - - - - -STORY III--BILLY BUNNY AND PHOTOGRAPHER CRANE - - -You remember in the last story Daddy Fox was peeping in through the -window just as Billy Bunny was having his picture taken, don't you? - -Well, no sooner did the little rabbit see him than he hopped quicker -than a lightning bug to the door and closed it, and the Photographer -Crane pulled down the window shade to make it dark inside so that Daddy -Fox couldn't see them. - -After that he stuffed the fireplace full of sofa cushions for fear the -crafty fox might slide down the chimney. But, oh dear me! he forgot all -about the skylights--the windows in the roof, you know, and the next -moment down through the ceiling dropped Daddy Fox. - -Oh, my! What a scramble there was in that photo parlor. The Crane flew -up on the mantelpiece and the little rabbit crept into the waste basket -and pulled a photograph album on top of him. - -And, of course, it was so dark that Daddy Fox didn't see them do all -this, so he had to play hide-and-seek and there was nobody to call out, -"You're getting hotter and hotter" when he stood near the mantelpiece, -nor "You're burning up!" when he passed close to the waste paper basket, -so after a while he sat down on a pincushion (excuse me, I mean a sofa -cushion), and listened with both ears cocked up. - -But the Crane never breathed and Billy Bunny held his breath, so by and -by Daddy Fox started to hunt around the room again. First he pulled all -the cushions out of the fireplace and then he pulled up the shades and -unlocked the front door. - -And this was very foolish of him, for he should have known that the -Crane and the little rabbit hadn't had time to get out. Then he went out -on the little porch and peeped into the woodbox, and while he was doing -that the Crane flew down the mantelpiece and locked the door. - -And then he pulled the strings to close the skylight and stuffed the -cushions back into the fireplace, and lifted the album off the little -rabbit, for it was so full of pictures of fat people that it was -dreadfully heavy. - -After this Billy Bunny opened his knapsack and took out his gun and -peeked out through a hole in the window shade. And right there by the -window stood the dreadful fox trying to open it. Bang! went the little -rabbit's gun and the cork hit the fox on the tip of his nose and made -him sneeze so badly that he had to run into the woods to find his -handkerchief. - -And he hunted all day long for it, and when evening came he remembered -he had sent it to the laundry, so he had to go out and buy one at the -three and one cent store. - -Of course, Billy Bunny didn't have any more pictures taken that day. He -hopped home as fast as he could, and the Crane telephoned down to the -police station and told them to send up a man to guard the studio, and -if the Twinkle Twinkle Star to-night sings me to sleep, I'll tell you -another story of Billy Bunny and the sheep. - - - - -STORY IV--BILLY BUNNY AND THE ORGAN GRINDER - - -Well, the Twinkle Twinkle Star didn't sing me to sleep and so I can't -tell you about Billy Bunny and the woolly sheep as I said I would in the -last story, but I will tell you something else if you'll only wait five -hundred short seconds. And this is what it's going to be about: - - The organ grinder's monkey - Who wears a little cap, - Is always kept so busy - He cannot take a nap. - - He's dancing to the music, - And picking up the dimes; - But oftener it's nickels. - And pennies most the times. - -As soon as Billy Bunny heard the "Star-Spangled Banner," for that was -the tune which the old organ grinder was playing, he pricked up his ears -and hopped out of the Old Briar Patch, and by and by he came up to the -monkey, who held out his little red cap. - -"Here's a carrot cent for you," said the little rabbit, but the organ -grinder scowled a deep, gloomy scowl and said: - -"Me no lika da mun!" But what could Billy Bunny do? And as the organ -grinder kept on scowling a deep, gloomy scowl, the little rabbit opened -his knapsack and looked through it. And pretty soon he found an apple -pie, and when the organ grinder saw it he stopped grinding the music and -put out his hand. - -And in a very few minutes there wasn't any pie to be seen anywhere -around for miles and miles, and the organ grinder had a lovely smile on -his face! And then he played that pretty song called "In this sweet pie -and pie there are apples fresh and dry," and after that he swung the -organ over his back and the monkey jumped on top and off they went to -grind out more tunes for money. - -But the little rabbit didn't go with them. No, siree. For if he had to -pay a whole apple pie for a tune he'd rather go another way, even if he -couldn't hear the lovely music, for you can't grind out apple pies the -way you can tunes. - -Well, by and by, after a while, not so very long, he came to a river and -he couldn't get across, so he looked all about him to find a little -horse; but there wasn't any horse and there wasn't any boat, so the -little rabbit said, "Well, I guess I'll have to float" So what did he do -but find an old plank and then floated over on it to the other bank. - -Now I don't know what is the matter with my typewriter that it didn't -make a verse out of all these rhymes, but it didn't--it just went along -in a prosy way, and so you'll have to make a poem out of them yourself, -for I have no more room in this story. - - - - -STORY V--BILLY BUNNY AND MR. TOOTIE OWL - - -Let's see, I left off in the last story just where Billy Bunny landed on -the bank of the river. Well, now I'm going to tell you what happened -after that. - -"I was lucky to get across on that old board," thought the little -rabbit, as he hopped up the bank to look about him. The field was -covered with daisies and in the distance a black cow stood flicking off -the flies with her long tail. - -"Helloa!" cried the little rabbit. "Why don't you eat the flowers?" The -black cow looked up and said: - -"Why don't you stand on your head?" And, would you believe it, Billy -Bunny did. Yes, sir. He stood first on his right ear and then on his -left ear, and then he turned two somersaults and a handspring backward, -and this made the cow laugh so hard that she got her tail twisted around -a fence rail and couldn't get away. - -"What shall I do?" she cried, anxiously. "It's almost milking time, and -when I don't come home they'll wonder where I am. Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" - -"Don't worry," said Billy Bunny, and he opened his knapsack and took out -his little hatchet and chopped the tail--I mean the rail--off the fence -so that she could get home, although, of course, she had to drag the -rail all the way back to the farm, and the farmer scolded her for -breaking down his fence, which was too bad, for she couldn't help it, -you know. - -Well, after that the little rabbit hopped away, and by and by, just as -it was getting quite dark, he came to a big pile of wood. "Now this will -be a good place for me to sleep," he said to himself, and looked about -for a hole to squeeze into. But, oh dear me, and oh dear you! - -A big owl flew out and hooted and tooted three times and a half, and -then winked his eyes at the little rabbit until he was so scared he -could hardly stand up. - -"Oh, please, Mr. Owl, don't hooty-tooty me so. I don't mean any harm." - -"What are you doing in my woodpile?" asked the blinky old bird fiercely. -"Trying to steal my wood, eh?" - -"Oh, no, Mr. Owl," cried Billy Bunny. "I was only looking for a place to -sleep." - -"I don't believe you," screeched the blinky winky bird, and he made a -grab for the little rabbit with his hooked feet. And he would have -caught Billy Bunny, too, and eaten him for supper that very night, I -guess, if the little rabbit hadn't pulled his popgun out of his knapsack -and hit the wicked owl on the tail with the cork bullet, which so scared -the ugly old bird that he flew into the forest. After that Billy Bunny -crept into the woodpile and went to sleep and dreamed that it caught on -fire and the sparks flew up into the air and covered the whole sky with -twinkling stars. - - - - -STORY VI--BILLY BUNNY AND BILLY GOAT - - -It was a bright and beautiful sunshiny morning as Billy Bunny hopped out -of the woodpile where he had slept all night and started off on his -journey of adventure. - -He had only gone a little ways when all of a sudden from behind a bush -out jumped a big Billy Goat. He had a long goatee and he looked very -fierce, and when he lowered his head and pointed his horns at the little -rabbit, how do you suppose Billy Bunny felt? - -Well, he felt just like a piece of paper all crinkled up, he was so -scarified. And so would you, for that goat's horns were as sharp as -needles. - -"Stop! Stop!" cried the little rabbit. "Don't you know who I am? Billy -Bunny's my name, from Old Brier Patch, Snake Fence Corner," and then he -handed his card to the angry Billy Goat, who ate it up without even -reading it. Wasn't that rude in him? - -"I don't like your card a bit," said the Goat. "It tastes like -peppermint." Of course it did, for the little rabbit carried his striped -candy cane in his front paws, and some of the candy came off on them and -got on to the card when he handed it to the Billy Goat. - -"If you had read it you wouldn't have tasted the peppermint," said Billy -Bunny politely, not wishing to make the Goat feel badly. - -Well, by this time the Goat had raised his head and so his sharp horns -didn't point at Billy Bunny, which made him feel lots better. Then he -opened his knapsack and took out an apple-pie and gave it to the Goat, -who ate it up in two and a half bites, and then asked for more. - -"Sorry, but that's all I have," said the little rabbit. "Would you like -a lollypop?" And when that was all gone, the little rabbit brought out a -chocolate cake and the Goat ate that up just as fast. - -"What else have you?" asked the Goat, wiping the crumbs from his goatee -and peeking over Billy Bunny's shoulder. - -"I've got a pair of rubber boots," said the little rabbit. And would you -believe it, that Goat ate those rubber boots up too and then asked for -more. - -"Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" sighed Billy Bunny, and he hunted all through his -knapsack again until he found a policeman's whistle. "That's all I've -got left, Mr. Billy Goat." - -"Well, I'll eat that for dessert," and the hungry, starving goat -commenced to eat that whistle as though he hadn't tasted any kind of -food for a year and five minutes. But would you believe me again? That -whistle began to whistle and this so scared the Billy Goat that he ran -away. - -And if that whistle doesn't keep me awake all night so that I'll have to -sleep all day tomorrow I'll tell you in the next story how Billy Bunny -went to see his kind Uncle Lucky. - - - - -STORY VII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE HEAD OF LETTUCE - - - Oh, it's dreadful to be lonely, - Even when you're not alone, - And you may be dreadful mournful - Though you have a happy tone. - And your lips may keep a-smiling - Though the tears are in your eyes. - Have you never seen it raining, - When the sun is in the skies? - If the one you want to be with - Isn't all the time with you, - There is nothing that will make you - Feel anything but blue. - -And this was the way little Billy Bunny felt. You see, he hadn't seen -his dear, kind Uncle Lucky for so long that the gold watch and chain -which the old gentleman rabbit had given him needed winding. - -So after the little rabbit had wound up the chain and put the watch back -in his pocket, he started out to see his uncle, Mr. Lucky Lefthindfoot, -who lived on Carrot street, near Lettuce Avenue, Bunnybridge, U. S. A. - -Well, after Billy Bunny had hopped and hopped and then some more, he -came to a cross road, and the sign on the post said, "5,281 hops to -Bunnybridge." - -"Well, I'm glad I'm on the right road," said the little rabbit, and he -took half a hop so as to start out even, you know, because he never did -like fractions, and by and by he came to Lettuce avenue. But just then -something happened. Something usually does happen when you least expect -it, and that's what's going to happen now if my typewriter doesn't get -balky and throw my hands off the keyboard. - -Yes, sir! Just as that dear little bunny stepped on Lettuce avenue -something big and soft hit him between his left ear and his left hind -foot and knocked the breath right out of him. And so of course he -couldn't say "Oh, dear; oh, dear!" so I'm going to make the typewriter -say it for him. - -And that will give him time to get his breath so that he can say it if -he wants to. Well, after that he looked around to find out what had hit -him, and what do you suppose it was that had knocked the "Oh, dear me!" -out of him! I'll tell you right away--a great big head of lettuce. There -it lay on the ground. So the little rabbit picked it up and was just -going to put it in his knapsack for his Uncle Lucky, when a cross voice -called out: - - "Don't you touch that lettuce, - For it belongs to me, - And I am going to take it - Home with me for tea." - -"Who are you?" asked the little rabbit, dropping the lettuce and looking -all around. But he couldn't see anybody, and neither can I, so I'm going -to let Billy Bunny look again. And this time he saw a Scarecrow in the -field close by. - -And if the old clothes man doesn't throw another head of lettuce and hit -my typewriter so it won't talk to the paper I'll tell you another story -to-morrow. - - - - -STORY VIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE SCARECROW - - -As soon as Billy Bunny saw the Scarecrow--who had thrown the head of -lettuce at the little rabbit in the last story, but he shan't do it -again in this story! I'll promise you that right now--the little rabbit -said: - -"Did you hit me just now between my left ear and my left hind leg with -this lettuce?" - -"I did," replied the Scarecrow, in a sort of scarecrowey voice. - -As soon as the little rabbit heard that he picked up that head of -lettuce and threw it right at the head of that Scarecrow and knocked off -his stovepipe hat. And when Billy Bunny looked at the hat he saw two -gold letters pasted inside the crown, and what do you think they were? I -don't know why I asked you, for I've got to tell you, anyway. Well, they -were the letters U. L. - -"Uncle Lucky!" cried the little rabbit. "It's Uncle Lucky's wedding -stovepipe hat! Oh, how glad he'll be to get it back!" And Billy Bunny -picked it up and put the lettuce inside and then hopped away as fast as -he could for his kind old uncle's house. And after he had gone for maybe -three miles or less, he came to the old gentleman rabbit's house. And -there was dear, kind Uncle Lucky swinging in the hammock on the front -porch. And when he saw his little nephew, he fell out--excuse me, I -mean, he hopped out--of the hammock and opened the front gate and said: - -"That looks like my old wedding stovepipe hat," and the old gentleman -rabbit put it on his head without even taking the head of lettuce out -first, but that didn't matter, for there was plenty of room in that old -stovepipe hat for two heads. - -Well, as soon as Uncle Lucky got over his excitement, he asked his bunny -nephew where he had found his hat, and when Billy Bunny told him, the -old gentleman rabbit took it off and took out the head of lettuce and he -and Billy Bunny ate it all up--not the hat, but the lettuce, you -know--and some apple pie and carrot ice cream besides, for Uncle Lucky -always had his pantry just full of the nicest things to eat you ever saw -or ever heard of. And that's one reason why all the bunny boys and girls -loved the old gentleman rabbit, for when they were coming home from -school he would stand on his front porch and say: - - "Come in and get some apple pie, - An ice cream cone or two; - A lollypop with jam on top, - Some sweet prunes la stew, - Some lemonade--don't be afraid. - For I'm inviting you." - -And I hope with all my heart that if you ever pass by Uncle Lucky's -house on Carrot street he'll ask you, too. And in the next story, if the -pepper box doesn't fall into the ice cream freezer so that the little -mouse in the pantry sneezes his head 'most off. I'll tell you another -story to-morrow. - - - - -STORY IX--BILLY BUNNY AND MR. DRAKE - - -The next day after Billy Bunny arrived at Uncle Lucky's house the good, -kind old gentleman rabbit said: "Let's go out for a ride in the -Luckymobile, for that was the name of Uncle Lucky's new car, you know." - -So off they started, and this time you can well believe the old -gentleman rabbit filled his lamps full of electricity oil, for he hadn't -forgotten the time some million stories ago he had been caught without -any lights on his automobile. - -Well, as I was just going to say when my typewriter had to go and -explain all about how poor Uncle Lucky had once been arrested for not -having his lamps lit, they started off--not the lamps, but Billy Bunny -and Uncle Lucky, and by and by they came across an old Drake. - -And if you don't know what a Drake is, I'll tell you; he's the husband -of a duck and spends most of his time swimming on the pond while she -stays at home to look after the little ducks. Well, if Uncle Lucky -hadn't stopped the automobile just where he did, Mrs. Duck would have -been a widow. - -"What do you mean by not seeing where you're going?" shouted Uncle -Lucky, getting very red in the face. - -"Why didn't you toot your horn?" said Mr. Drake with an angry quack, and -then he waddled into the water and swam away. - -"What can you expect from an old ferryboat like that?" laughed Uncle -Lucky, watching Mr. Drake paddle away. "He's an old-fashioned -side-wheeler. Let him go!" and the kind old gentleman rabbit leaned out -of the automobile and handed a stick of candy to a little goose who had -stood by listening with eye and bill wide open to all he had said. - -Then the old gentleman rabbit took off his wedding stovepipe hat and -bowed to Mrs. Duck, who stood in the doorway of her house, and tooted -his horn and drove off. - -And by and by Billy Bunny asked Uncle Lucky to let him run the -automobile, so the old gentleman rabbit changed seats with his little -nephew, and after that he fell asleep. For the road was very smooth and -the wind was soft and warm, and Billy Bunny didn't talk all the time the -way some boys do. - -And as Billy Bunny didn't want to wake him up, he kept on going farther -and farther away from home until after a while he found himself in a -thick woods. And then the automobile came to a stop and Uncle Lucky, of -course, woke up with a bump. - -"Gracious me! Have I been asleep?" he exclaimed, rubbing his right eye -with his left hind foot. And just then a little flower struck 4 o'clock, -just like a little clock, and that's the reason they call this little -flower "Four o'Clock" I guess. "Gracious me! I have been asleep!" cried -Uncle Lucky, and then he took out the lunch basket and he and Billy -Bunny ate a lot of nice things. - -But, goodness me, it's so late that I must stop now, for there isn't -time for the two little rabbits to get home. But I guess they'll cuddle -up in the Luckymobile and sleep until to-morrow morning. - - - - -STORY X--BILLY BUNNY AND THE FROG KING - - -Well, when Billy Bunny and good, kind Uncle Lucky woke up the next -morning, for they had slept all night in the Luckymobile as I told you -in the last story, they ate their breakfast and then they started off -and by and by they had an adventure. - -A gypsy camp stood close to the roadside and just as they came up, an -old woman walked out of a tent and said, "Don't you want your fortunes -told?" Well, as Billy Bunny had never had his fortune told and Uncle -Lucky had forgotten whether he had or not, they got out of the -automobile and sat down on a log while the old gypsy woman looked at -their paws. - -"You have a very long life line, Mr. Lucky Lefthindfoot, and lots of -money," she said with a grin, "and you're going to have lots more." - -"That's very nice," said the old gentleman rabbit, "for I want to build -a library in Rabbitville where all the little bunnies can read nice -stories and grow very wise." - -"And you will grow up to be a great soldier," she said to Billy Bunny, -and then Uncle Lucky gave her two carrot nickels and said good-by. - -"I wonder where all that money is coming from," said the good, kind old -gentleman rabbit, and then they heard a deep voice singing: - - "Oh, I am king of the Bullfrog Pond, - Ker-plunk, ker-chunk, ker-plunk! - - And I'll never stir a foot beyond, - Ker-plunk, ker-plunk, ker-plunk! - - For it's cool and nice in the water here, - And the cat-tails wave in the atmosphere, - And this old dead log is a throne for me. - Oh yes, I'm as happy as I can be!" - -Then Uncle Lucky stopped the automobile and he and Billy Bunny got out -to make the acquaintance of this happy frog king. And weren't they -surprised to find that he was the brother of Uncle Bullfrog, who lived -in the Old Mill Pond. He had heard all about the two rabbits, and was -delighted to see them. - -"Sit down on the bank and I'll get you a watercress sandwich and some -pond-lily milk," cried the Frog King, and he waved a bullrush wand up -and down and whistled through his fingers, and then a dozen tadpoles -swam up. - -And then they swam off again and when they came back they had watercress -sandwiches and pond-lily milk enough to go around and some besides to -give to the Luckymobile, only automobiles don't drink anything but -gasoline, so they gave what was left to a nice friendly duck who -happened to pass by. - -And then Uncle Lucky took off his stovepipe hat and bowed to the Frog -King and Billy Bunny took a chocolate claire out of his knapsack and -said, "Give this to your Queen with my compliments," which tickled the -Frog King so he fell off his log throne into the water with a terrible -splash. - -And if the lawn mower doesn't run over our white poodle dog and cut off -all his hair, I'll tell you to-morrow another story about Billy Bunny -and Uncle Lucky. - - - - -STORY XI--BILLY BUNNY AND THE TURKEY GOBBLER - - -Well, as I was saying in the last story, Billy Bunny and his good, kind -Uncle Lucky said good-by to the Frog King. And the frog was very sorry -to see them go, for although he was a king, his kingdom was only a frog -pond. - -But then, when you come to think of it, he couldn't have his kingdom any -place else, so of course he was contented, and that's the chief thing in -life, whether you're a king or a poor man. - -"Now what are we going to do?" said Uncle Lucky as he and his rabbit -nephew rolled along as nicely as you please in the Luckymobile. - -"Oh, just roll along," answered the little bunny, slipping his knapsack -off his shoulder and laying his striped candy cane down on the bottom of -the automobile, "I'm just glad to be riding with you, dear Uncle Luck." - -And this so tickled the old gentleman rabbit that he turned to smile at -Billy Bunny, and then of course he didn't see where he was going, and -the first thing you know and the first thing he knew, the Luckymobile -ran right into a baker's shop and knocked over the counter, which was -full of pies and cakes. - -"Oh, please excuse me!" cried kind Uncle Lucky to the bakerman, who was -a big, red-faced Turkey Gobbler. But, oh, dear me! As soon as that -Turkey Gobbler saw Uncle Lucky's red tie he made a rush at the old -gentleman rabbit, for turkeys, you know, get terribly mad when they see -anything red, and if Uncle Lucky hadn't jumped out of the way that -Turkey Gobbler would have picked the diamond pin right out of the tie. - -Yes, sir, I'm sure he would, and Uncle Lucky was very fond of his -diamond pin because little Billy Bunny had given it to him, you -remember, some seventeen or more stories ago. - -Well, while the ugly red-faced turkey was chasing dear Uncle Lucky all -around the back yard, Billy Bunny backed the automobile out of the bake -shop, and after he had scraped custard pie off the cabaret and lemon pie -off the left front wheel and squash pie off the right front wheel and a -dozen other kinds of pie off the two front lights, Uncle Lucky came -hopping around the corner of the bake shop with the ugly red-faced -turkey gobbler baker close behind him. - - - [Illustration: THE TADPOLE CAME BACK WITH WATERCRESS SANDWICHES - AND POND-LILY MILK.] - - -"Start her up! Start her up!" yelled the old gentleman rabbit. And Billy -Bunny did, and Uncle Lucky jumped into the automobile just in time, too, -for the Turkey Gobbler almost had him by the tail. - -"Here's some money to pay for your pies," cried the honest old gentleman -bunny, and he threw twenty or less carrot cents at the turkey gobbler, -who gobbled them up, I mean picked them up, in a hurry for fear they -might take root in the ground and grow into plain ordinary carrots if he -let them lie there a minute. - -And by this time of course the two rabbits were far away in their -automobile, and if the next story has to be written to-night, as I know -it must, I'll stop right here and wish you pleasant dreams and happy -wakening. - - - - -STORY XII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE DONKEY - - -"That certainly was a lucky escape," said Uncle Lucky to Billy Bunny as -they sped away in their Luckymobile after overturning all the pies in -the bake shop, as I told you in the last story. - -"I shall be more careful the next time and see where I'm going," and the -old gentleman rabbit settled his stovepipe hat firmly on his head and -held on tighter to the steering wheel, and then he honked the horn three -times and a half to let everybody hear him coming before he ran over -them; and then, all of a sudden, quicker than a lightning bug, a little -gray donkey ran right in the middle of the road and kicked up his heels -and brayed, which is the way a donkey talks, you know. - -"Get out of the way!" yelled Uncle Lucky, and he put on the brake, but, -oh dear me, and oh dear donkey! the brake wouldn't work. It just got -obstinate, I guess, when it saw that donkey's heels, or else it thought -the donkey would stop the automobile just as well, which he did, I'm -sorry to say. - -Yes, Siree, and Yes, Siree Man! That donkey kicked his shoes right off -and the Luckymobile stopped and Uncle Lucky and Billy Bunny got out so -quickly that they rolled over and over on the ground for maybe a block -and a half and then they wouldn't have stopped, only a policeman grabbed -them. - -But he let the little rabbits go just as soon as they told him what had -happened. - -"I'm getting tired of always having an accident," said the old gentleman -rabbit when they reached the Luckymobile. - -"Don't be a grumbler," said the donkey. - -"Well, then, don't you be a kicker," replied the old gentleman rabbit -angrily, for Uncle Lucky had a temper, only he seldom used it because he -was so kind and good. "If you hadn't kicked, there would have been no -accident, and as I said before, I'm getting sick and tired of -accidents." - -Well, this made the donkey so ashamed he said he was sorry he had kicked -the Luckymobile, and then dear Uncle Lucky told him to climb in and he -would take him down to the seashore to pick up pretty shells. So off -they went again, the two little rabbits on the front seat and the donkey -in the back, and by and by they came to the seashore. - -"Let's all go in bathing," said Billy Bunny, so they went up to the -bathing houses and put on bathing suits. - -Well, after they were all dressed, I mean undressed, they hopped into -the water and swam out to the raft. And Uncle Lucky stood on Billy -Bunny's shoulders and dived into the water and then the donkey stood on -Uncle Lucky's shoulders and slipped and fell onto the raft and sprained -his tail, so that they all had to hurry out and get dressed and then go -for the doctor. - -And in the next story you shall hear how the doctor cured the donkey -with a little sugar pill. - - - - -STORY XIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE LITTLE SUGAR PILLS - - -I wonder if you remember where we left off in the last story? Well, in -case you don't, I'll tell you. Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky were taking -the donkey to the doctor, for the donkey had sprained his tail while in -bathing with the two little rabbits, you know. - -Well, when they reached the doctor's house he wasn't in, but his wife -was. So Uncle Lucky thought he'd tell her what was the matter with the -donkey, for the donkey was feeling pretty miserable and wouldn't get out -of the automobile, but just sat there braying every once in a while in a -mournful way. - -"Why don't you give him a sugar pill?" asked the kind doctor's wife. "I -haven't got any sugar pills," said Uncle Lucky, and neither had Billy -Bunny, although he looked all through his knapsack and in the cabaret of -the Luckymobile. - -"I'll get you some," said the doctor's wife, and presently she brought -out a little round box just full of sugar pills. - -"The directions are on the cover," she said, handing the box to Billy -Bunny, who ran back to the automobile to give some to the poor donkey, -who was braying dreadfully just then. - -Well, the little rabbit gave him one at once and then he read over the -directions. - -"One every minute until the patient feels worse and then one every -second until the box is empty!" - -"Gracious me!" exclaimed the little rabbit, "that's enough to cure one -of ever getting sick again," and I guess you'd have thought the same -thing if you had bitten one of those little sugar pills, for they were -dreadfully bitter inside. - -Well, Uncle Lucky and Billy Bunny took turns giving those pills to that -obstinate braying donkey. Uncle Lucky held the watch and Billy Bunny -held the donkey. You see, it took almost a minute to get a pill down -that obstinate donkey so that as soon as one was down it was time to -start with another, and as Uncle Lucky said it was dangerous not to -follow directions exactly when giving medicine, it was just about all -the two little rabbits could do to take care of that obstinate donkey. - - "Oh, let me go, I humbly bray. - I'll never be sick again, I say. - Don't make me take another pill; - They're only sugared on the sill. - - "Inside they're bitter as can be. - You'll surely end in killing me. - Oh, let me go, I humbly bray, - I'll never be sick again, I say." - -"Well, if you'll promise," said Uncle Lucky, "you may go." And would you -believe it, that donkey jumped out of the automobile and whisked his -tail and started for home as fast as you please, just as though he had -never been sick. Wasn't that wonderful? And if I can get that pill box -from Billy Bunny, I'll tell you the name of those pills in the next -story. - - - - -STORY XIV--BILLY BUNNY AND THE BILLY GOAT - - -I'm sorry, but Billy Bunny threw away the pill box after the donkey was -cured, so I can't tell you the name of those little sugar coated pills, -but if you call up Dr. Quack, one, two, three, down goes she, I'm sure -he will prescribe for you over the wire, and perhaps then you won't have -to take any medicine at all. - -Well, it's time now to tell about Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky -Lefthindfoot, his dear, kind, generous rabbit uncle. - -"I'm never going to give anybody any medicine as long as I live," said -the old gentleman rabbit, taking out his blue polka-dot handkerchief and -wiping his spectacles and then the back of his neck and the tip of his -nose. - -"You never even get thanked for it." And then Uncle Lucky put his -handkerchief on his nose and his spectacles in his pocket. Oh, dear me! -I mean he did just what I didn't say he did, and after that he climbed -into the Luckymobile beside Billy Bunny and drove away. - - "Hip hurrah! Hip hurray! - I'm going to join the colors to-day. - Maybe I'll be a soldier gay, - Or a sailor boy on the ocean spray. - It all depends what they're going to say - When I tell them I want to join the fray." - -"Who's singing?" asked Uncle Lucky, holding his right paw behind his -left ear and wiggling his nose up and down and sideways so fast that it -made a little fly dizzy to look at it. And just then they came across a -Billy Goat standing outside a tent dressed in khaki with a gun over his -shoulder. - -"Halt! Who goes there?" cried the sentry. "Halt!" and of course Uncle -Lucky put on the brakes and made the Luckymobile stop right then and -there. - -"Friend or foe?" asked the sentry, looking into the automobile and -lifting the cushions off the seats and opening the cabaret and lighting -the lamps and honking the horn, and, oh, dear me! doing anything and -everything he could to annoy good, kind Uncle Lucky. - -"What do you think we are?" asked Billy Bunny. "We are U. S. A. Bunnies. -Don't you make any mistake about that!" - -"I beg your pardon," said the sentry, saluting the two rabbits most -respectfully, "I only wanted to make sure. These are war times, you -know, and we must be on the lookout every minute of the day and every -second of the night!" - -And then he saluted again and turned away. And then, all of a sudden, -the band began playing, but it must have been off in the woods, -somewhere, for the little bunnies couldn't see it. - - Hurrah for Uncle Samuel, - King of the U. S. A. - Three cheers for the Blue, - And the Red and White, too, - And the Silver Stars, I say. - And here's to the sailor lad in blue - And the soldier boy in brown, - From the farm and the mine, - And the big steel mills, - Or the little old home town. - - - - -STORY XV--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. BRUIN - - -In the last story I left off very suddenly while the band was playing, -you remember, and I will tell you the reason why. - -My typewriter got so excited over the song about the sailor lad in blue -and the soldier boy in town, I mean in brown, that it began dancing to -the music and of course then I couldn't write another word. - -Well, anyway, you remember that Billy Bunny and his good, kind Uncle -Lucky were just leaving the Billy Goat Sentry who had stopped them in -their automobile, to continue their journey of adventure. So off they -started down the road and by and by they came across a big black bear -with two little cubs. - -"Now there's going to be more trouble, I know it," said little Billy -Bunny, but good, kind Uncle Lucky didn't think so. You see, he was -always looking on the bright side of things, so he called out to Mrs. -Bruin, which was the lady bear's name, I believe, "Won't you get into -the Luckymobile and we'll take you to town?" and of course the little -bears said yes right away, for they had never ridden in an automobile in -all their lives. - -Well, in they climbed and after Uncle Lucky had leaned over and closed -the door, for the bears were so excited they had forgotten to do it, he -started up the automobile and away they went to Rabbitville, for that -was the nearest town. - -And pretty soon the two little bears began to sing: - - "Uncle Lucky is so kind - To take us for a drive, - That we will get some honey - From out the big beehive. - We'll put it in a little box, - To keep it clean and neat, - And then the flies won't eat it - Nor touch it with their feet." - -And after that Mrs. Bruin said: "Mr. Lucky Lefthindfoot, if you will -stop at the next cross road I'll get out and see if I can't find the -honey for you." Well, when they came to the place, Mrs. Bruin climbed -out and went into the woods. But before she left she told the two little -bears not to move and not to annoy Uncle Lucky nor Billy Bunny, but to -be quiet until she came back. - -Well, I don't know exactly what happened in the woods, but pretty soon -Mrs. Bruin came tearing back with the whole swarm of bees after her. -Some had got under her bonnet and were stinging her ears and some had -crawled inside her silk mitts and were stinging her hands, and oh, dear -me, it was just dreadful! - -And when Uncle Lucky saw what was the matter he told her to hurry up and -get into the automobile. And then he made it go so fast that one of the -bees lost his stinger because he couldn't keep up with it, and he didn't -have time to take it out of Mrs. Bruin's ear. - -Well, wasn't it too bad? And in the next story I'll tell you how Mrs. -Bruin said good-by to Billy Bunny. - - - - -STORY XVI--BILLY BUNNY AND THE BEAR CUBS - - -You remember in the last story what a dreadful time Mrs. Bruin had to -get away from the stinging bees, and how if it had not been for dear, -kind Uncle Lucky she never would have gotten away? - -Well, the bees were soon left far behind, for the automobile went very -fast, and by and by they came to Mrs. Bruin's cave. So she invited the -two little rabbits in, for by this time everybody was hungry, and the -two little bears were almost starved. - -Now, Mrs. Bruin had a big closet where she kept all sorts of nice things -to eat and before long cake and milk and lettuce leaves and apple pie -were on the table and the feast commenced. - -And after that they wound up the graphophone and heard a lovely song, -which I'm going to tell to you because it was so pretty. And this is the -way the words went and you can make up any kind of music to go with it, -if you wish: - - By-o-by, little bear cub, - In your cave on the windy hill. - Safe in the care of dear mother bear - Cuddle up tight and be still. - Father is out in the woods, and soon he - Will be coming home safe to baby and me. - So cuddle up tight for the shadows of night - Are creeping o'er meadow and lea. - -And do you know, those dear little Bear cubs went sound to sleep and -were put to bed without waking up. Wasn't that nice? And that's the way -little boys and girls should behave. - -Never give mother a worry or care, but be good like a dear little fuzzy -wool bear. Goodness me! I'm making up poetry myself only my typewriter -didn't make the lines go just the way they should. - -Well, after this Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky got into the automobile and -drove away, and by and by the stars came out and the big round moon, and -they were still far from home. But they didn't care. No, sirreemam. - -Billy Bunny hopped out and lighted the lamps, and Uncle Lucky turned up -his coat collar for the night wind was chilly, and then they started off -again. And by and by, not so very long, they came to a little hotel -called "Cuddle Inn." "That's the place for your uncle," said the kind -old gentleman rabbit. "Let's inquire," which means to find out, "if they -will take us for the night." - -So Billy Bunny hopped out and went into the hotel office, and the -landlord, who was a nice-looking squirrel, with a beautiful gray bushy -tail, said, "I have a nice room with two beds," and then he put the -Luckymobile in the barn and the two little rabbits went to sleep before -they took off their watches; they were so tired, and if the old cow -doesn't blow her horn to wake me up before it's morn, I'll tell you in -the next story what happened after that. - - - - -STORY XVII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE SQUIRREL INNKEEPER - - - Wake up! Wake up! It's early morn, - The cock is tooting his little tin horn. - The morning wind is singing a tune - About the roses that bloom in June. - It's time to be up, for the day is here, - And the sky is shining bright and clear. - -So out of bed hopped Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky, and then they wound -their watches, for they were so tired the night before that they had -gone to bed with them on, as I told you in the last story. - -Well, when they got downstairs they found the squirrel who owned "Cuddle -Inn" already up and dressed. A most delicious smell of hot coffee and -rolls came from the kitchen, so the little rabbits went into the dining -room and read the menu card. - -And what do you think they ordered? Lettuce leaves, with cream all over -them, and carrot candies, with maple syrup, and corn flake muffins and -warm milk, and, let me see, oh, yes! oh, yes! apple pie! For Uncle Lucky -loved apple pie, and Billy Bunny loved it just as much, although he -couldn't eat as many as the old gentleman rabbit could, for the reason -that he ate so many candy carrots! - -"And now that we are through breakfast," cried little Billy Bunny, -"let's go fishing, for I heard a boy say outside the window that the -trout in the forest brook were nibbling at pieces of cheese, they were -so hungry." Just think of that! - -So the kind Squirrel Innkeeper got out two fishing poles and Billy Bunny -and Uncle Lucky started off. - -Well, by and by they came to the trout stream and commenced to fish, and -in a little while they had three big trout. Then they put them in a -basket with nice wet leaves and after that they sat down for lunch. And -then they fell asleep. And while they were dreaming that a big whale had -swallowed both hooks and was pulling them into the water a tramp cat -came by and stole the basket of trout. - -Yes, sir! As soon as she smelt fish she walked right up and without -making a sound lifted up the basket and tiptoed away, and of course when -the two little rabbits woke up they couldn't find the basket of fish. - -"Well, that's a nice howdy-do," exclaimed Uncle Lucky ruefully, which -means even worse than sadly, you know. "What shall we tell the Squirrel -Innkeeper? It's his basket, you know, although the fish belonged to us?" - -And while they were wondering what to do, an old basket maker came by -with a pack of baskets. So Uncle Lucky took out his purse and bought -one, and then he and Billy Bunny began again to fish. But, oh, dear me! -I guess the trout had all gone away, for they never got a bite, except -from a mean old mosquito, who stung dear Uncle Lucky on the little left -hind toe. - -And in the next story, if the Tailor Bird doesn't sew up the bottoms of -my trousers so that I can't get my collar on in the morning, I'll tell -you more about Uncle Lucky Lefthindfoot and his little nephew, Billy -Bunny. - - - - -STORY XVIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE TAILOR BIRD - - -Well, the Tailor Bird didn't sew up the bottoms of my pantaloons so that -I couldn't get on my collar, as I told you I was afraid he would in the -last story. - -But he did something else. He sent in his bill--I mean he pushed his -bill in through the open window--and asked me if I was ready to try on -my new spring suit. But I told him I didn't have time because I had to -write a Billy Bunny story. So he flew away with his bill without another -twitter. - -And after he had flown for three hundred thousand short flutters he came -to where Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky were fishing. - -"There's no use to fish any more, my friends," said the Tailor Bird, -"for the trout have gone to a dance and they don't bite when they -dance." - -"That's very kind of you to tell us that," said Uncle Lucky, and he -pulled his hook out of the water. But would you believe it, he had a -ten-dollar bill on the end of it! Yes, sir! He did. - -And if I thought there were any more ten-dollar bills in that trout -stream I'd go right off now without finishing this story and fish there -for the rest of my life. - -"Hip, hurray!" cried Billy Bunny, and then he pulled in his hook and -line, and would you believe me again, even if I don't believe it myself, -he had a twenty-dollar bill on his hook! Well, the little rabbit was so -excited that he said "Hip, hurray!" three times and a half without -stopping, and then he put the money in his pocket, and so did Uncle -Lucky, and after that they said good-by to the Tailor Bird and went back -to the hotel and told the Squirrel Innkeeper all about it. But he only -laughed and said that was the best fish story he had ever heard. - -"Well, then," said Uncle Lucky, "as long as you don't believe us, we'll -be going." So he and Billy Bunny got into the Luckymobile and drove -away, and by and by they came to a poor little mouse who had on a ragged -skirt and a torn sunbonnet. - -And what do you think dear, kind Uncle Lucky did? Why, he stopped the -automobile and gave her his ten-dollar bill. - -"Now run home to your mother," said the generous old gentleman rabbit, -"and tell her to buy you a new dress and something for herself." And -didn't she run! - -That is, after she got over her surprise, for at first she could hardly -believe her eyes, for I guess she'd never seen a ten-dollar bill before. - -"The next poor person I see I'm going to give my twenty-dollar bill to," -said Billy Bunny. - -"Well, you'll have plenty of chances," said his Uncle, who of course had -seen a good deal of the world and knew there were a few poor people -left, although there were lots of money in banks and old stockings in -farm-houses. - -Now, I haven't room to-night to tell you who Billy Bunny gave his money -to, but if you'll wait until to-morrow night you shall hear all about -it--that is, unless some poor person sees Billy Bunny before I do. - - - - -STORY XIX--BILLY BUNNY AND ROBBIE REDBREAST - - -Well, it was two or three days before Billy Bunny came across a poor -person to whom he might give his twenty-dollar bill, and then Uncle -Lucky wouldn't let him. Wasn't that strange? - -But the reason, you see, was because it was a tramp, and Uncle Lucky -said: "A tramp is a man who hates work, and anybody who hates work is -his own worst enemy." - -And then he told Billy Bunny that if the tramp got the twenty dollars -he'd hate work even more, so Billy Bunny put the money back into his -pocket and later on he gave it to his dear mother. Which, I think, was -the nicest thing he could have done. - -"And now, my dear nephew," said the kind old gentleman rabbit, "let's go -back to the Old Briar Patch, for I know your mother is lonely. You have -been away so long." - -And then they turned the automobile toward Old Snake Fence Corner and by -and by they saw Mrs. Bunny hanging out the clothes on the line, for it -was Monday morning, which is wash-day in Rabbitville, just as it is in -Newport and Hoboken. - -And when Mrs. Bunny saw them she was so excited that she pinned her -thumb by mistake to the clothesline with a clothespin, and couldn't get -away until Uncle Lucky pulled down the clothesline and Billy Bunny -pulled off the clothespin. - -"Where have you two been?" she asked when she had finished hugging her -little bunny boy. But I won't tell you what Billy Bunny told her, for -you know it already and, anyway, it would take maybe two hundred and -forty-nine and a half stories to do it. So we'll leave Billy Bunny alone -for a little while with his dear mother and go across the Pleasant -Meadow to the Old Farm Yard to see how Cocky Docky and Henny Jenny are. - -And maybe we'll hear something nice about Ducky Doodles and Turkey Purky -and Mrs. Cow, unless you've forgotten all about these old friends. - -Well, it's strange how news travels. Robbie Redbreast had seen Billy -Bunny and Uncle Lucky drive up to the Old Brier Patch, and had flown -over to tell the Weathercock on the Old Barn, who told Cocky Docky and -then, of course, all the Barn Yard Folk knew that Billy Bunny was back -again at the Old Brier Patch. - -Then Ducky Doodle said he thought he'd go for a swim, and off he waddled -to the Old Mill Pond. And as soon as he got there he told Uncle -Bullfrog. But he didn't tell the Miller's Boy. No, siree! He didn't want -him to know, you may be sure. - -And then, pretty soon, not so very long, Robbie Redbreast flew into the -Friendly Forest and told Old Mother Magpie the news, and after that -everybody knew that Mr. William Bunny had returned home from his -travels. And that night the twinkle twinkle star shone right over the -little rabbit's room and sang: - - The twinkle twinkle star will peep - At Billy Bunny fast asleep, - And send to him a pretty dream - Of silver fishes in a stream. - - - - -STORY XX--BILLY BUNNY AND THE BABBLING BROOK - - -The next morning after Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky had returned to the -Old Brier Patch, as I told you in the last story, it rained and poured, -and, of course, nobody could go out. - -If it had been a gentle shower it wouldn't have made any difference, but -it rained so hard that I really believe Billy Bunny would have been -drowned if he had even hopped out of the front door and back again. - -"Now the best thing for you to do," said Mrs. Bunny after breakfast, "is -to go up into the garret and play with all your old toys. You've been -away so long they'll all seem just like new." - -So Billy Bunny hopped upstairs and Uncle Lucky sat down and read the -Bunnyville "Bugle," and Mrs. Bunny washed up the breakfast dishes, and, -of course, they all had a lovely time in spite of the rain. - -Well, it turned out just as Mrs. Bunny had said. The toys in the garret -all seemed just like new and some Billy Bunny had forgotten all about, -so that he had a lovely time till lunch, and then the sun came out and -dried up the wet places, and the Pleasant Meadow looked twice as green -and lovely as before. - -Now whenever it rained Uncle Lucky's leg hurt him--the leg you remember -that was shot by the Miller's Boy--so he said to his little nephew, "You -run out on the meadow and play and I'll stay home with your mother, for -my leg hurts me and I don't want to do any hopping to-day." - -Then the little rabbit hopped away by himself and by and by he came to -the Babbling Brook. So he looked into the water and when he saw his face -he began to laugh. - -For Billy Bunny hadn't looked at himself for so long he had forgotten -how he looked, and, anyway, he had grown so large that he wouldn't have -known himself if he hadn't been sure that there was nobody else looking -into the water at the same time. - -And while he was laughing Mrs. Cow came along, the little bell tinkling -at her throat and making such pretty music it seemed to say to the -little rabbit: - - "I'm just a tiny tinkling bell, - But everywhere I go - The people say I am so gay, - They love to hear me so. - Tinkle, tinkle, dinkle, dell, - Oh, I'm a happy little bell!" - -"Did you hear what the little bell was saying?" asked Billy Bunny, but -Mrs. Cow shook her head. - -"It didn't say anything but tinkle, tinkle, did it?" But the little -rabbit felt sure it did say just what he thought it did, so he asked the -little bell to tinkle again, and it did, and the tinkles said the same -thing all over again, and this made Billy Bunny very happy, even if Mrs. -Cow didn't understand. - -And in the next story you shall hear how Billy Bunny made a call at the -Old Farm. - - - - -STORY XXI--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. WILDCAT - - -Well, after Billy Bunny had said good-by to Mrs. Cow he hopped across -the Pleasant Meadow till he came to the Old Barn Yard. And as soon as -the Weathercock saw him you should have heard him crow. Yes, sireemam. - -He crowed like a regular old-fashioned everyday rooster, and this made -all the hens and chickens look up, and then, of course, they saw Billy -Bunny. And they were so glad to see the little rabbit they forgot to -wonder how the Weathercock could grow. - -I guess the only person who wasn't glad to see little Billy Bunny was -Mr. Sharptooth Rat. He peeked out of his hole and scowled, but the -little rabbit didn't care, for nobody liked Mr. Sharptooth Rat, anyway. - -Well, by and by, just as little Billy Bunny was looking in Henny Jenny's -nest to see what a lot of lovely eggs she had, who should come along but -the Miller's Boy, and as soon as he saw the little rabbit he gave a yell -and tried to catch him. - -The chickens tried to get in his way, and Cocky Docky even tried to trip -him up, but the Miller's Boy didn't stumble a bit. No, siree! He almost -caught Billy Bunny, but as long as he didn't it's all right, although he -scared the little rabbit nearly to death. - -If the Miller's Boy had had his gun with him, or even his dog, I'm -afraid there would have been no more Billy Bunny stories. - -"Oh, pshaw!" said the Miller's Boy, as the little rabbit squeezed -through a hole in the hen-house and hopped away. "I should like to have -caught that little rabbit!" Then Cocky Docky began to crow, he was so -glad he hadn't. - -But Billy Bunny didn't stop for anything, he was so scared, and pretty -soon he found himself in the Friendly Forest under the tree where Parson -Owl lived. It was a long time since Billy Bunny had seen the old -gentleman owl, so he stopped and looked up into the branches. - -But oh, dear me! Instead of seeing the blinky-winky friendly face of old -Parson Owl he saw a pair of yellow eyes and a big red mouth with sharp -teeth. And then down from the tree jumped a wildcat and meowed in a -dreadful way. - -"Oh, please, Mrs. Wildcat, let me go," cried the little rabbit, and he -looked around for a hollow stump to hide in or a hole to crawl into, but -there wasn't anything like that in sight. So he turned to the cruel -wildcat and said, "Please don't bite me!" And then he opened his -knapsack and took out a big, round doughnut, the kind with a big hole -inside, you know, and gave it to the wildcat. - -"Take it home to your wild kittens instead of me, won't you please, Mrs. -Wildcat?" And would you believe it, she said she would, for it pleased -her to think that little Billy Bunny would give her a doughnut for her -kittens, for no one else had ever done that before, you see. - - - - -STORY XXII--BILLY BUNNY AT WINDY CAVE - - -You remember in the last story that Billy Bunny gave the Wildcat a -doughnut to take home to her little wild kittens, and that was why she -didn't take the little rabbit. - -Well, as she walked off with the doughnut, Billy Bunny said to himself, -"I'll never, never be without a doughnut in my knapsack!" And I guess -you would have said the same thing, too, if a doughnut had saved you -from a wildcat! - -After that the little rabbit hopped along through the Friendly Forest, -and by and by he came to the Windy Cave. Now I know I've never told you -about this cave before because Billy Bunny never happened to visit it, -but now that he has I'll tell you that it was strange sort of a place. - -If you stood at the opening you could hear the winds moan and groan, and -every once in a while a great gust would come out of the mouth of the -great cave and almost blow you off your feet. - - - [Illustration: DOWN FROM THE TREE JUMPED THE WILDCAT.] - - -Well, sir, that's just what happened to Billy Bunny. He no sooner stood -right in front of the cave than a great blast of air knocked him off his -feet and rolled him over thirty-three times and a half, and he would -have rolled over thirty-four times even if a big log hadn't been in the -way. - -And it was mighty lucky for the little rabbit that the log was there, -for if it hadn't been he would have rolled right over the edge of the -mountain. Just think of that! - -And just then a voice began to sing: - - Oh, I'm the king of the windy cave - Where I have my windy throne. - And there I rule where it's nice and cool - 'Mid the glitter of precious stone. - And when the autumn days are come - I come forth with a lusty shout, - And strip the trees of their whispering leaves - And strew them all about. - -And then all the trees began to shiver and shake, but the wind king only -laughed, as he whispered to the little rabbit: "Don't be afraid, Billy -Bunny. I won't hurt you. Come into my cave and I'll give you a present!" - -"What kind of a present?" asked the little rabbit, for he wasn't going -to be fooled, no sireemam! - -"A big ruby pin!" said the wind king. - -So the little bunny went inside the cave with the wind king, but he -didn't go in very far, for he was afraid. - -"What's the matter?" asked the wind king. "You're not frightened, are -you?" - -"Not exactly," said Billy Bunny, trying to keep his teeth from -chattering. "I guess I'm cold!" - -Then the king opened a door and, oh my! wasn't it beautiful inside! The -sides of the cave were diamonds and rubies and emeralds, and little gold -and silver bells swung back and forth making a sweet kind of music. - -"The little breezes are ringing the bells," said the wind king, and then -he took out of a moss cushion a beautiful ruby scarfpin and handed it to -Billy Bunny. "Put it in your tie," said the king, "and don't you ever -lose it." - -And in the next story if the dogwood tree in our yard doesn't catch cold -to-night and lose its bark, so it can't scare the the pussy cat when she -tries to climb up and catch the little robin in the nest, I'll tell you -about Billy Bunny and the Canary bird. - - - - -STORY XXIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE WILD CANARY - - -Well, the Dogwood Tree in our yard was all right this morning. It hadn't -taken cold, and it was covered with lovely flowers, so I'm going to tell -you some more about Billy Bunny, as I promised to in the last story. - -Well, as soon as the wind king placed the beautiful ruby scarfpin in the -little rabbit's cravat he opened the door of his cave and gave a big -puff, and away went Billy Bunny just like a bullet from a gun. - -But he didn't care, for he landed as nicely as you please on a mossy -bank, and then he looked in the brook to see if the ruby scarfpin was -still in his cravat, and then he looked around to see what he would do -next. And just then a little wild canary began singing this song: - - "I wouldn't live within a cage, - I'd rather be wild and free; - Wherever I roam I'm always at home, - In forest or grassy lea." - -"And so am I," cried Billy Bunny. "I'm a traveler; yes, I am." And then -the little canary flew down from the tree and said to the little rabbit: -"I have a little yellow brother who has always lived in a cage. But he -can't get me to live with him. I love the trees and the tall grasses too -much." - -"Where do you live?" asked the little rabbit. - -"Come and see," said the little canary, and he flew off, and by and by -he pointed to his tiny nest. - -"If I had a pair of wings," laughed the little rabbit, "I'd be able to -look inside and see what kind of furniture you have. But I'm only a -four-footed little rabbit. Good-by!" and he hopped away, and by and by -he came to a field of corn. But it was too early for the corn to be -ripe, so the little rabbit opened his knapsack and took out an apple -pie, for it was lunch time. And just as he was going to bite off a nice, -big, juicy piece a big black crow flew down and snatched the pie away. - -And this made Billy Bunny very angry. Oh, my, but he was mad. And then -he opened his knapsack and took out his gun and before the thieving crow -had flown off more than a mile he dropped that apple pie. Yes, sireemam. -The cork bullet hit him right on the end of his bill, and then of course -he couldn't hold on to the pie any longer. And before he could fly down -to pick it up the little rabbit was there. - - "Oh, ho! Mr. Crow, - Do you like apple pie? - If so, better go - And buy one by and by." - -And this made the crow so angry that he flew over to a colored man who -did whitewashing and asked him to paint him white. And in the next story -you shall hear how Billy Bunny was fooled by three little sparrows. - - - - -STORY XXIV--BILLY BUNNY AND THE LITTLE SPARROWS - - -Well, as soon as Billy Bunny finished eating the apple pie which he had -just gotten away from the bad crow who had stolen it, as I told you in -the last story, he shouldered his knapsack and picked up his striped -candy cane and then he set off once more on his journey of adventure. - -And by and by he came to a telegraph pole where three little sparrows -were swinging back and forth. And when they saw the little rabbit they -cried out all together: "Helloa, Billy Bunny!" - -"Who's telephoning to me?" asked the little rabbit, for he hadn't looked -up, you see, and, of course, didn't know that the little sparrows were -sitting on the wires. - -And when the three little birds saw that he didn't know who was talking -to him, they thought they'd have some fun and make believe some one was -telephoning to the little rabbit. So one little sparrow said, in a deep, -far-away kind of voice: - -"Helloa! Helloa! Is this Billy Bunny of Snake Fence Corner?" - -"Yes, this is Billy Bunny," cried the little rabbit, getting all excited -and wiggling his little pink nose so fast that one of the little -sparrows got so dizzy looking at him that she had to hold on with her -bill. Pretty soon he hopped up close to the telegraph pole and leaned -his ear against it. - - "Helloa! Helloa! Who's calling me? - Please give the name, for I cannot see. - Who's at the other end of the wire, please? - Excuse me a minute--I'm going to sneeze." - -And then Billy Bunny almost sneezed his head off, for the telegraph pole -trembled so that it tickled his ear. And when you tickle a rabbit's ear -you are very likely to make him sneeze. - -Just then the three little sparrows began to laugh and twitter, and -this, of course, made the little rabbit look up. And when he saw them he -knew, at once, they were playing a joke. - -"So you were calling me on the telephone, were you?" he asked, trying -not to get angry. For he was a very good-natured little bunny, as you -well know by this time. - -"Yes, we were," said the littlest sparrow, "but please don't feel badly -about it. We were only in fun." - -"I thought perhaps it was my mother, that is all," answered the little -rabbit, "and I was worried for fear she might be anxious about me." - -"Oh, she isn't worried," said the largest sparrow. And the -middling-sized sparrow--the one, you know, who hadn't said a word as -yet--spoke up: - -"Your Uncle Lucky is, though. I was at his house this morning and the -little sparrow who lives on his front porch told me that the old -gentleman rabbit was wondering what had become of you." - -"Well, I'll go right off now and make him a call," said Billy Bunny. And -in to-morrow night's story I'll tell you what happens next. - - - - -STORY XXV--BILLY BUNNY AND ROBIN REDBREAST - - -In the last story I left off just where Billy Bunny was setting out to -make a call on his good kind Uncle Lucky, you remember, and if you have -forgotten, please take my word for it, for I keep a scrapbook of all -these little stories and I'm sure I'm right, for I just looked to see. - -Well, as the little rabbit hopped along with his knapsack on his back -and his striped candy cane in his right paw, he heard a robin redbreast -singing in her nest, and this is what she sang: - - "Some day you'll be old enough - To leave the dear home nest, - But till that day just grow and say - I'll try to do my best - To make my wings grow big and strong - And learn to sing the whole day long, - For some day when I'm big and free - I'll build a nest in an apple tree." - -And then the robin flew down to the ground and pushed back the pink -sunbonnet on her head so that she could see the little rabbit without -standing up on her toes. - -"Well, here is my dear little friend, Billy Bunny," she twittered. "How -is he to-day?" - -"Very well, thank you, ma'am," replied the little rabbit, opening his -leather knapsack to give her a piece of sponge cake for her little -birdies. "That won't hurt them a bit," said he, "for my mother made it -and it's very simple." - -And then the little robins peeped over their nest and cried, "Oh, hurry, -mother dear, and give us the cake," for they were just as fond of sponge -cake as Billy Bunny was of lollypops, and while they were eating the -cake he took a lollypop out of his knapsack and ate it, for he was -hungry too, for it was half-past noon, and that's the hungry hour for -rabbits, I am told. - -Well, after that he said good-by and started off again for Uncle Lucky's -house. "I must get there before sundown," he said to himself, "for I -don't want to sleep out of doors to-night if I can help it." - -So he hopped along as fast as he was able, but Mr. Happy Sun was in a -hurry, too, and pretty soon he went down behind the purple hills and it -began to grow dark. "Oh, dear! oh, dear!" sighed the little rabbit, -"where am I going to sleep if I don't get to Uncle Lucky's house pretty -soon?" And just then a sleepy voice exclaimed: - - "Under this bush is a soft pile of leaves, - Come and sleep on it if you please." - -So Billy Bunny hopped under the bush and there he saw a little ruffed -grouse, who is often called a quail and sometimes a pheasant. "Oh, thank -you, Mrs. Quail," said Billy Bunny, "you are very kind," and then he -made a soft bed for himself and went to sleep, and if he wakes up early -enough in the morning I'll tell you in the next story how he reached -dear kind Uncle Lucky's house. - - - - -STORY XXVI--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. QUAIL - - - "Get up, get up, you lazy folks, - I'm shining in the sky. - Awake, awake, your breakfast take, - Before the noon is nigh. - No time for lazy folks I think, - So don't lie still and blink and blink, - But jump up with a laugh and smile - And sing a little all the while." - -SO up jumped Billy Bunny from his bed of leaves where he had slept all -night, as I told you in the last story, and after he had combed his fur -with a little chip and dusted off his knapsack he opened it and took out -his breakfast. - -And what do you suppose he had? Well, first he ate some nice fresh -lettuce leaves, with powdered sugar carrots, and then a piece of apple -pie, and when kind Mrs. Quail saw what a nice breakfast he had, she -said: - -"I like pie, Mr. William Bunny." Now the reason the little rabbit hadn't -offered her some was because he hadn't seen her. You see, she had gone -to sleep on the other side of the bush. - -"Here is some pie," said Billy Bunny, and he gave her a big piece and -some cracker crumbs and some birdseed and then a drink of lemon soda. -Pretty soon Mrs. Quail didn't feel a bit hungry, and neither did the -little rabbit. - -And after that he buckled on his knapsack and started off to find his -dear Uncle Lucky, but first he thanked Mrs. Quail for her kindness in -letting him sleep under her bush all night and part of the early -morning. - -Well, sir, that little rabbit hopped along almost all day, and still he -didn't reach his Uncle Lucky's house. "I wonder if I have lost the way?" -he said aloud, and, all of a sudden, a voice answered: "I guess you -have. Lots of people do," and a kind-looking old mooley cow pushed her -head over the fence and smiled at him. And, oh, my, she had a big, -beautiful smile, and this made the little rabbit laugh and forget how -tired he was. - -"Do you know where my Uncle Lucky lives----Mr. Lucky Lefthindfoot?" he -asked. - -"To be sure," replied the mooley cow. "He lives over yonder," and she -pointed across the meadow. "Hop under the fence, little rabbit, and then -hop across the meadow, over the daisies and buttercups, and you'll find -the place, never fear." - -So the little rabbit did as she told him, and when he came to the fence -on the other side he saw his uncle's house not very far away. But, oh, -dear me! The fence was not at all like the fence on the other side. -There wasn't any room between the woven wires to crawl through, and so -Billy Bunny didn't know what to do. - -But he didn't wonder very long. No, sireemam. He started right in to dig -a tunnel under that wire fence, and pretty soon he was on the other -side, hopping away toward Uncle Lucky's house, and in about five hundred -and a half hops, skips and jumps he came to the front gate. - -And there on the porch sat the kind old gentleman rabbit, with the big -diamond pin which his nephew had given him shining like a star in his -red tie. And in to-morrow's story I'll tell you what a good time the -little rabbit had at his uncle's house. - - - - -STORY XXVII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE THEATER PLAY - - -As Billy Bunny hopped up the steps of Uncle Lucky's house, the old -gentleman rabbit, who was lying in the hammock, as I told you in the -last story, jumped up and said, "I'm glad to see you. Where have you -been all this time?" - -And then when he saw the beautiful ruby scarfpin in the little rabbit's -tie--the ruby pin which the King of the Windy Cave had given Billy -Bunny, you remember--he said: "And where did you get that mag-nif-i-cent -pin?" - -And of course the little rabbit told the old gentleman rabbit all about -it, and when he finished the story it was time for supper. So Uncle -Lucky opened the screen door just a little so that the flies wouldn't -get in, and he and Billy Bunny squeezed through the crack and went into -the dining room. - -Well, after supper was over, they decided to go down to the village and -see if there was a show at the Opera House that night. And sure enough -there was, and the name of the play was "The Tortoise and the Hare." - -"That sounds interesting," said Uncle Lucky and he bought two box seats -for two carrot dollars, and he and his little nephew went inside. - -"Mr. Hare is a first cousin," he said to Billy Bunny as they sat down in -the box and leaned over the railing to look at the people. - -Well, pretty soon the music started and then the curtain went up and the -play commenced. I suppose you all have read the fable--how the tortoise -and the hare ran a race and the hare got so far ahead that he lay down -to take a nap, but the slow old tortoise kept right on all the time, and -when the hare woke up it was too late, for the tortoise had won the -race. - -Well, anyway, I've told you the story, but I haven't told you what -happened when the hare went to sleep. You see, he lay down near the box -where Billy Bunny and kind Uncle Lucky were seated, and by and by, after -he had been asleep for quite a long time, Uncle Lucky grew very nervous. - -"My gracious!" he exclaimed to Billy Bunny, "if that silly cousin of -ours does not wake up pretty soon he might as well sleep there all -night, for the race will be won and the opera house closed up and we'll -be home in bed." - -And then Billy Bunny began to get very nervous, too, and he wiggled -about in his seat and made funny little noises to wake up the hare. But -the hare slept on, and I believe he even snored. - -Well, sir, try as the two little rabbits might, they couldn't wake him -up, until, at last, Billy Bunny took the automobile horn, which he had -brought in with him so that nobody could blow on it, and blew a dreadful -loud blast. - -And this woke up the hare and one of the ushers, who ran up to the box -and begged Uncle Lucky not to let Billy Bunny blow on the horn again. -"For," said the usher, "it's only a play and the hare mustn't wake up -until the tortoise wins the race." - -"Well, I won't see my cousin beaten by an old tortoise," said Uncle -Lucky. - -And he and Billy Bunny hopped out of the Opera House and went home. - - - - -STORY XXVIII--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. WEASEL - - -As soon as Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky got home after leaving the Opera -House, as I told you in the last story, they heard a loud noise in the -back yard. - -"What's that?" said Uncle Lucky, and he peeked around the corner of the -porch while Billy Bunny took his popgun out of his knapsack so as to be -ready in case it was a burglar. - -"I don't see anything," whispered the old gentleman rabbit; "you take a -look." So Billy Bunny peeped around the corner and then he hopped -backward, almost knocking Uncle Lucky head over tail. - -And before you could say "Jack Rabbit!" Old Man Weasel jumped from -behind the house and glared at the two rabbits with his wicked eyes. - -"Good evening, Mr. Weasel," said Uncle Lucky, pushing Billy Bunny behind -him, for he was a brave old rabbit, was Uncle Lucky, and he was going to -save his little nephew from being eaten up by the wicked weasel, if he -could. - -"Good evening, gentlemen," replied Old Man Weasel, licking his lips and -glaring at them with his fierce little eyes. "You look sweet and tender -to me." - -"Your eyesight is pretty poor," said Uncle Lucky bravely, "and I don't -feel very sweet just now, and I'm too old to be tender," and he wriggled -his nose so fast in the moonlight that it made Old Man Weasel dizzy to -look at it, and he had to turn away, and while he wasn't looking, Billy -Bunny lifted his gun to his shoulder and pulled the trigger. - -And when the cork hit the wicked weasel it made him jump right up into -the air, and when he came down he sprained his right foot on a big stone -so that he cried: - - "Oh, dear! oh, dear! And woe is me! - I've sprained an ankle and a knee. - I cannot walk, I cannot run! - Plague take that little rabbit's gun! - Oh, won't you call an am-bu-lance, - My home is such a great dis-tance!" - -"If you'll promise not to come here again," said kind Uncle Lucky, "I'll -call up the hospital. If you don't promise I'll call the Policeman Dog -and ask him to tickle you with his club," and the old gentleman rabbit -hopped down to the front gate and pretended to call a policeman, which -frightened Old Man Weasel nearly to death. He'd rather have a sprained -knee than be tickled by a policeman's club any day in the week. - -"I'll promise! I'll promise!" he cried, and then Billy Bunny went to the -telephone and called up the hospital and they sent an ambulance around. -And the doctor--the man in white, you know, who sits on the back seat of -the ambulance--tied up the weasel's knee so he couldn't bend it, and his -ankle so he couldn't wiggle it, and then he placed him in the ambulance, -while the Policeman Dog stood by to keep the crowds away, only of course -there wasn't any crowds there, for it was midnight, you know. - -And in the next story I will tell you more about the two little rabbits -if they only get up in time, for they've stayed up pretty late to-night -and may not hear the alarm clock in the morning. - - - - -STORY XXIX--BILLY BUNNY AND THE POLICEMAN DOG - - -"Well, that's a great relief," exclaimed Uncle Lucky, as the ambulance -drove away with Old Man Weasel, who had tried to eat up Billy Bunny and -his kind uncle in the story before this, and would have swallowed them -both if the little rabbit hadn't hit him with a cork bullet from his -popgun, you remember. - -Of course, it was very kind of Billy Bunny to call up the ambulance to -take away the wicked weasel, after he had sprained his ankle, but it was -also very wise. For who wants a wicked weasel around, even if he has a -sprained ankle and can't do you any harm? - -Well, after everything was quiet and the Policeman Dog had taken a drink -of cider and a cigar, the two little rabbits sat down on the front -porch, for it was too late to go to bed, or maybe it was too early, for -the first faint streaks of daylight were spreading over the sky, and by -the time Uncle Lucky could unlace his shoes and untie his red cravat and -wind his gold watch, it would be time to get dressed again. - -So he and Billy Bunny sat down and waited for breakfast, and by and by -the Japanese cook came out to sweep off the front porch, and when he saw -Mr. Lucky Lefthindfoot and his nephew, Billy Bunny, sitting there, he -ran back into the kitchen and dropped two eggs on the floor and put the -tea into the coffee grinder and the salt into the sugar bowl, he was so -excited because he thought it must be 'way past breakfast time. - -And then the old gentleman rabbit began to sing: - - "Never hurry--makes worry; - Worry makes you thin. - If you're clever you'll endeavor - Never to begin." - -And I guess the Japanese cook heard him, for in a few minutes breakfast -was ready, and this time the eggs were dropped on toast instead of the -floor. - -By and by, after Uncle Lucky had smoked his cigar, he and Billy Bunny -went out to the garage and cranked up the Luckymobile and went for a -ride. And when they had gone for a mile or less they came across their -old friend the Circus Elephant. - -But, oh, dear me! He was an awful sight. His left eye had a bandage over -it and his trunk was rolled up in cotton and his left hind foot had an -old carpet slipper on and his tail was done up in splints and he was -weeping great big tears, for he felt dreadfully miserable. - -"What is the matter?" asked Billy Bunny, as Uncle Lucky stopped the -automobile. - -"Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" sobbed the big animal. "I was in a Fourth of July -celebration and the roman candles got mixed up with the sky-rockets and -the cannon crackers with the pin wheels, and the first thing I knew I -was hit in two million, nine hundred and a few dozen places, and if it -hadn't been for a pink cross nurse I'd be a dead elephant by this time." - -"Get into the automobile," said Uncle Lucky, "and we'll take you home -with us," and in the next story, if the catbird doesn't scratch the -dogfish, I'll tell you who broke the springs in the automobile, unless -you guess who did before to-morrow night. - - - - -STORY XXX--BILLY BUNNY AND THE CIRCUS ELEPHANT - - -Let me see. I left off in the last story when the Circus Elephant -stepped into the Luckymobile, didn't I? You remember he had been injured -in a Fourth of July celebration, and good, kind Uncle Lucky offered to -take him home. - -Well as soon as he sat down the tires burst and then, of course, the -automobile wouldn't go, for the cabaret wouldn't work and the engine -wouldn't whistle. So Billy Bunny got out the sticking plaster and fixed -the tires and then he made the elephant blow them up with his trunk, but -he wouldn't let him get in again. - -No, sir. He said, "Now look here, Elly. You're too heavy for the -Luckymobile, so you'll have to walk, but you can put your trunk in the -back seat if that will help any." So the Circus Elephant lifted his -trunk into the automobile and ran along behind until they came to Uncle -Lucky's house. - -And wasn't he tired when they reached the front gate! He was so tired -that he lay down in the hammock and went sound to sleep and snored so -loud that everybody thought the janitor had put on the steam, although -it was July. - -"Goodness me!" exclaimed the kind old gentleman rabbit, "that elephant -makes so much noise that nobody will be able to sleep to-night!" And -Uncle Lucky scratched his left ear with his right hind leg and tried to -think what was best to do, for he just hated to wake up that poor tired -elephant. - -Well, just then, who should come along but a man with a piano organ, and -as soon as Uncle Lucky saw him he asked him to play the loudest tune and -play it just as fast as he could. - -Of course the poor, tired Circus Elephant woke up, and when he saw that -organ man, he jumped out of the hammock and ran down the front walk and -grabbed the piano and threw it clear across the road into a pond. - -And when the organ man saw that he started off as fast as he could and -never came back, for he had always been dreadfully afraid of elephants, -because when he was a boy he had given one a piece of chewing gum -instead of a peanut, and he never forgot what the elephant did to him -when he found it out. - -"Look here, Elly," said Uncle Lucky, "if you'll promise not to snore -I'll let you sleep in my bed to-night; but if you don't, you'll have to -sleep out in the field, for nobody can stand the noise you make." - -"Well, I can't stay all night, anyway," said the elephant, "for the -circus comes to town to-day and I'll be in the performance this evening. -Thank you, just the same." And then he said good-by to Billy Bunny and -Uncle Lucky and walked down the road, but before he left he gave them -each two tickets with his compliments. - -And if the trolley car doesn't swim across the river and splash the -conductor so that he can't ring up the fares, I'll tell you next time -whether Uncle Lucky and Billy Bunny went to the circus. - - - - -STORY XXXI--BILLY BUNNY AND THE CHEERFUL LITTLE BIRD - - -You remember in the last story that the Circus Elephant gave Uncle Lucky -and Billy Bunny tickets to go to the show. Well, I'm awfully sorry to -tell you they didn't go, and the reason was because the tent caught -fire, and before the firemen in Bunnytown could put out the flames the -spangles were all burnt off the circus queen's dress and the ice cream -cones were all melted and the peanuts roasted blacker than a coal, and -the lemonade boiled over and burnt the alligator's tail so that he -wouldn't stand on his head. - -And oh, dear me! The circus folk all had to sleep with the animals, and -the fat lady couldn't get into the monkey cage, so she had to lie down -on the grass underneath for the night, and she caught an awful cold and -almost had the chickenpox. - -Of course Billy Bunny and his good, kind uncle were dreadfully -disappointed, and when they got home they played on the victrola a new -song called: "If you want to borrow money don't you ever come to me," -and after that they went to bed, and when they woke up they heard the -little sparrow singing on the front porch: - - Sing a song of summer, - And the happy flowers; - Sing a song of sunshine - Through the golden hours - - Always sing of gladness - Through the live-long year - Even in December, - When it's cold and drear. - -"I'm going to take some crumbs out to that cheerful little bird," and -kind Uncle Lucky sprinkled sponge cake crumbs all over the porch, and -the sparrow and her little birdies had a scrumptious feast. - -And after that the telephone rang and Mrs. Bunny called up to find out -how Billy Bunny was. And when Uncle Lucky said he was very well she said -she was glad, because if he had been sick she would have wanted him -brought home im-me-die-ate-ly. - -But as long as he wasn't she wanted him back anyway, because she was so -lonely without him. And then of course the little rabbit had to say -good-by to his dear kind uncle and start right oft for the Old Brier -Patch. - -Well, sir! He hadn't gone for more than a million hops, and maybe a few -skips and jumps, when he came across his old friend the Brown Horse. -"Hello, there!" said the good-natured animal; "how is your Bunny -Highness?" - -"I'm all right," said the little rabbit, "but what are you doing here in -the woods?" - -"Ssh!" whispered the Brown Horse. "I ran away to-day and I'm afraid the -policeman will catch me for exceeding the speed limit." - -"So I'm hiding here." And just then they heard a whistle, but you'll -have to wait to find out whether it's a policeman or a locomotive engine -until the next story, for I've no more room in this one. - - - - -STORY XXXII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE MILLER'S BOY - - -As soon as the Brown Horse heard that whistle which I mentioned in the -last story, but couldn't tell you what kind of a whistle it was because -I had no more room, he jumped clear across the brook which was close by -and never stopped running until he found himself once more in his own -stable. - -And then before Billy Bunny could even say "Call me up on the -telephone," or "Won't you lunch with me to-morrow," of course the Brown -Horse was out of sight. So the little rabbit waited a minute to see if -he could hear the strange whistle again, and sure enough he did, and it -was right close to him this time, and when he looked around there stood -the Miller's Boy. - -And before Billy Bunny could hop away something hard hit him on the head -and he rolled over on the ground and didn't wake up until he found -himself rolled up in the Miller Boy's jacket, and oh, dear me! The -Miller's Boy was walking home as fast as he could and there was our dear -little Billy Bunny wrapped up like a Christmas present so that he -couldn't even wiggle his left ear. - -"Oh, mercy me!" cried the little rabbit, "I'm a goner now as sure as -Monday comes after Sunday and sunshine after rain and a stomach ache -after eating green apples!" - -And then he tried to squirm about, but the Miller's Boy squeezed all the -harder, so Billy Funny decided to keep quiet, for he didn't want to have -all his breath squeezed out of him, you know. - -Well, by and by, as the Miller's Boy walked along, the jacket slipped a -little under his arm, and then Billy Bunny saw a little light through -the arm sleeve. And before you could say "Jumping cats!" he pushed -through the sleeve and down to the ground and hopped away, free as a -bird in the air or a fish in the ocean. - -And I'm so glad that I'm going to say "Hip, hip, hurrah!" just as loud -as I can, for if there is anybody I hate it is that Miller's Boy. Ever -since I started to tell you about Billy Bunny he has been trying to -catch this dear little rabbit and this time I certainly thought he had. -And now that Billy Bunny is safe I'm so happy I could shout again. - - Go home you horrid Miller's Boy, - Who's always trying to annoy - The Friendly Little Forest Folk - By trying every kind of joke. - Go home and tie the bags of meal - And never try again to steal - A little rabbit on his way, - Who's always cheerful all the day. - -Well, after the little rabbit had hopped for maybe a mile or three, he -thought he was safe, and so he stopped to rest, and I would tell you -right now what he did, only I must stop so as to get this story in the -paper in time for tonight, so pleasant dreams and happy wakening. - - - - -STORY XXXIII--BILLY BUNNY AND OLD MOTHER MAGPIE - - -As I told you in the last story, little Billy Bunny stopped to rest -after escaping from the Miller's Boy, and while he stood on his hind -legs and looked around, who should fly down from a tree but Old Mother -Magpie. And the very first thing she said to the little rabbit was, "My -goodness, what a dirty little bunny you are." - -And this of course made Billy Bunny very angry, for he didn't think he -was dirty. So he opened his knapsack and took out a little mirror which -a lady bunny had dropped one day in the Friendly Forest and looked at -himself, and sure enough there was a great black smudge right across his -face. - -"Ha! Ha!" laughed Old Mother Magpie. "You wouldn't believe me, would -you?" And then she laughed again. - -"No, I wouldn't believe anything you said," answered the little rabbit, -"for you've told more untruths about people than anybody I know, and -that's the reason they call you 'Old Mother Mischief.'" - -Well, sir! This made her so mad that she flew at the little rabbit, and -maybe she would have pecked his eyes out if he hadn't put on a pair of -goggles that belonged to his dear, kind Uncle Lucky. - -"Please go 'way," said the little rabbit, "I can't help being rude to -you because you're so rude to other people," and he hopped away as fast -as he could before she could say another unkind word, and by and by he -came across Squirrel Nutcracker. - -Now the old gentleman squirrel had grown pretty old and was very hard of -hearing, and when Billy Bunny said "Good morning" he never heard him at -all, but just sat there on the old log and ate a peanut which he had -saved from the last circus. - -So Billy Bunny hopped up behind him and leaned over and called out quite -loud right in his left ear, "Good morning!" And this so startled Old -Squirrel Nutcracker that he swallowed the peanut shell, and then he -began to choke until he got black and blue in the face. - -And, of course, this frightened the little rabbit, too, for he felt it -was his fault, so he patted Old Squirrel Nutcracker on the back, and by -and by the old gentleman squirrel stopped coughing, although he was -dreadfully mad to think that he had swallowed the circus peanut without -even tasting it. - -"Look here, young rabbit," he said with a scowl, "don't you ever again -shout in my ear! If you do I'll pin back both your ears with a pine -needle and send you home to your mother!" Wasn't that a dreadful thing -for him to say? - -Well, sir, after that Billy Bunny thought it was time to be going, so he -bowed to the old squirrel and hopped away, and after maybe a million -hops, skips and jumps, he reached the Old Brier Patch, where he found -his dear mother standing in the doorway of her little house waiting for -her bunny boy. - -And that's a good place to leave him for to-night, don't you think so? -For we'll know he's safe and sound with his own dear mother, so go to -sleep and to-morrow I'll tell you another story; yes, I will, if you are -good. - - - - -STORY XXXIV--BILLY BUNNY AND DICKEY MEADOW MOUSE - - -Ting-a-ling! went the rising bell, and Billy Bunny opened his left eye -and twinkled his nose and stretched his right hind leg, and then he was -wide awake. - -But before he got out of bed he pulled out his gold watch and chain, the -watch which his kind Uncle Lucky Lefthindfoot had given him, you -remember, from under his pillow, for he was so sleepy he wondered if his -mother hadn't made a mistake. But, no, she hadn't. - -It was half past fourteen o'clock and Mr. Happy Sun was laughing through -the little window. So up jumped Billy Bunny and combed his fur and -parted it in the middle down his back, and after that he was almost -ready for breakfast, except to brush his teeth with a new toothbrush -which he had bought at the Three-in-one-cent store. - -After breakfast he started right out to play on the Pleasant Meadow, and -the first person he saw was little Dickey Meadow Mouse. He had just come -out of his little grass ball house and was looking around to see what he -would do. - -"Good morning," said Billy Bunny, "how are you this lovely day?" - -And of course Dickey Meadow Mouse said he was well, for the little -people of the Pleasant Meadow are never ill unless some enemy injures -them, for they know how to take very good care of themselves, you know, -and kind Mother Nature always provides them with enough to eat, and -sometimes more. - -And while they stood there laughing and talking Tommy Turtle passed by -with his little shell house on his back, which always goes with him, -rain or shine. Isn't it nice not to have to move out of your house, but -always have it go with you? - -"Come with me, Billy Bunny," cried Tommy Turtle, "I'm going down to the -Old Mill Pond for a swim." So the little rabbit said good-by to Dickey -Meadow Mouse and went with Tommy Turtle, and by and by they came to the -pond where Old Uncle Bullfrog sat all day on his log and caught flies -until he grew so fat that his white waistcoat bulged out till the -buttons nearly popped off. - - "Kerchunk! Kerchunk! Kerplunk! Kerplunk! - I'm king of this Old Mill Pond. - I never care to go anywhere, - Not even a foot beyond. - - For I'm contented to stay right here - Where the cattails wave in the at-mos-phere, - And the Darning Needles and Bottle Flies - Dart and skim 'neath the summer skies." - -And then the old frog blinked his eyes and swallowed a foolish fly that -came too near. - -"Top of the morning to you, Uncle Bullfrog," said little Billy Bunny. -"Does the Miller's Boy throw stones at you nowadays?" - -"Sometimes," said the old gentleman frog, "but not so often of late, for -his father is away and he doesn't have the time. He has to look after -the Old Mill, you know." - -And just then a stone splashed in the water, but I'll let you guess who -threw it until the next story. - - - - -STORY XXXV--BILLY BUNNY AND BIG BROWN BEAR - - -If you haven't guessed who threw the stone at Old Uncle Bullfrog in the -last story, I'll tell you right now. It was that bad Miller's Boy. - -Yes, siree. There he stood, not very far away, and he was just going to -throw another, when the old gentleman frog thought it was time to take a -dive and the little rabbit thought it was time to take a hop, and Tommy -Turtle to take a swim and soon Uncle Bullfrog was deep down on the muddy -bottom where he ate his breakfast without a thought of the Miller's Boy. - -Well, after a few short hops Billy Bunny found himself in the Friendly -Forest close to Timmy Chipmunk's little store, where he sold candy -carrots and lettuce sandwiches and lemon soda. - -So the little rabbit opened his knapsack and took out a handful of -carrot pennies and bought a lovely apple pie, which the little -chipmunk's mother had baked that very morning. And as soon as the pie -was all gone Billy Bunny hopped away and by and by he came to the cave -where the Big Brown Bear sold honey. - -Now Mr. Bear was very cross this particular morning, for the day before -while he was looking over a bees' nest some of the bees had been very -rude and had stung him on the nose. - -And now it was all swollen up so that he couldn't find a pocket -handkerchief big enough to tickle it with, and so of course he was very -miserable. - -"I don't feel at all sociable," which means friendly, you know, he said -to the little rabbit. "So you had better be on your way and leave a -crusty old bear to himself." But do you think Billy Bunny did this? No -siree, and a no sireemam. - -He just opened his knapsack and took out some lettuce cold cream and -rubbed it gently over the bear's nose and pretty soon it felt so well -that Mr. Bear said, "Come with me, Billy Bunny, and we'll go down to the -Three-and-one-cent store to buy a handkerchief, for now that my nose is -well again, I don't care if I spend all my money to buy a handkerchief." - -So off they started, and when they reached the store the bear forgot all -about his nose and bought a little blue tin whistle instead. Wasn't that -fine, for it's lots more fun to blow on a whistle than on a -handkerchief, don't you think so? - -"Well, now that you are happy again," said the little rabbit, "I'll go -my way, for I'm seeking adventures, you know, and I want to see the -wide, wide world so as to grow up a learned rabbit," and he hopped off -down the Friendly Forest trail. - -And in the next story, if the ink-well on my desk doesn't stub my quill -pen when I sign my name to this story, I'll tell you more about little -Billy Bunny. - - - - -STORY XXXVI--BILLY BUNNY AND PROFESSOR CROW - - -Let me see. I left off in the last story just as little Billy Bunny was -hopping down the Friendly Forest path. Well, he hadn't gone very far -when he saw old Professor Crow. - -Now, the professor wasn't very busy, you know, for school was over and -there were no little people to teach how to crow--I mean how to read and -write--so he had plenty of time to himself, and as soon as he saw the -little rabbit he flew down from the tree and began to talk. "I'm sorry -to have to tell you," he began, "that my little boy, Blackie Crow, has -the measles." - -And you know that's a dreadfully uncomfortable kind of a thing to have, -for you have to be so careful of your eyes. Now, when an owl gets the -measles it doesn't make so much difference, for they don't want to go -out in the sunlight, but with a crow, oh dear me and oh dear you! it's -the hardest thing in the world to keep in the dark, and Professor Crow -gave a tremendous sigh and looked very sad. - -"I'm very sorry for Blackie Crow," said the little rabbit. "Won't you -tell him I'm sorry?" and then the generous little rabbit took a lollypop -out of his knapsack and told Professor Crow to take it home to his -little boy. - -Wasn't that nice? I think I know a little boy who would be glad to have -the measles every day if he could get a lollypop. - -And after that Billy Bunny shut up his knapsack and swung it over his -shoulder and hopped away, and by and by, not so very long, he heard a -little bird singing: - - "Up in my nest I've five little birds, - Waiting for mother to feed them. - What would I do if I should lose two? - I'd be too unhappy to heed them. - So that is the reason I look everywhere - When I fly from my nest in the bright morning - air." - -And then she looked down at little Billy Bunny with his striped candy -cane in his right paw and his knapsack over his shoulder. - -And then she laughed out loud, and her laugh sounded just like music, -for it was a mother bird's laugh, you know, and that always has the -music of love in it. - -"Good morning, Mrs. Bird," said the little rabbit. "I won't hurt your -little ones." - -"I know that," said the mother bird, "for you are a kind little rabbit. -But there are lots of four-footed little animals who are very unkind to -birds, so that is the reason I sing this song to let them know that I am -always watching over my nest." - -And after that Billy Bunny hopped away, but before he went he left a big -piece of chocolate cake on a clean white stone for Mrs. Bird to crumble -up for her little ones. Wasn't that nice of the little rabbit, for he -was very fond of chocolate cake, I know, for he once told me so. - - - - -STORY XXXVII--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. GROUSE - - -Well, before I go any further, I'll tell you that the little birds were -so delighted with the chocolate cake which the little rabbit left for -them on the clean white stone, as I told you in the last story, that -they went right to sleep after eating it and dreamed of a little white -candy bunny and a big birthday cake with seven pink candles in it. - -And after that little Billy Bunny hopped away, lippity, lip, clippity -clip, and by and by he came to the Old Brush Heap where Cousin -Cottontail lived before she moved next door to his mother in the Old -Brier Patch at Snake Fence Corner. - -And just as he reached the little patch that led into the Old Brush Heap -he met Mrs. Grouse with her brood of little brown birdies. - -"Good morning, Billy Bunny," she said, while her small brood hid -themselves in the dry leaves that strewed the ground. "Come here, -children," she called, "Billy Bunny won't hurt you. He's a friend." So -the little brown birds came out from their hiding places and stood in a -row and bowed as nicely as you please, and the little rabbit opened his -knapsack and gave them each a candy carrot. - -Wasn't that kind of him? And after that he said a little poem, and how I -came to hear it was because a little wild canary, who was sitting close -by, told it to me. - -And this is the way it went: - - "I am Billy Bunny from Old Snake - Fence Corner Town, - So don't be worried, don't be hurried, - Little birds of brown. - Mother knows I will not harm you; - I'm no cruel snake to charm you, - So be merry; here's a cherry - From the Circus Clown." - -And then he gave them a big red cherry, a candy cherry, you know, which -his friend the Clown at the circus had given him a long time ago. - -"Well, I must be hopping along," said the little rabbit after the little -birds had picked the cherry candy all to pieces until there was nothing -left but the stone. - -So away he went again to seek more adventures, and after a little while, -not so very long ago, he came to the railroad bridge where you remember -he and his brother, Bobby Tail, had taken a ride one day, oh, so long -ago, maybe one hundred stories back, in a big empty freight car. And -just then a train came by, and when the engineer saw Billy Bunny he -stopped the train, for I suppose he thought the little rabbit wanted to -get aboard. - -And the brakeman helped him on and away went the train, over the rails -that went clunkity, clunk, clunkity clunk, while the smoke from the -engine trailed out behind, like a long gray feather. And the train -didn't stop until the brakeman called out Lettuceville, where a thousand -little rabbits raised lovely green lettuce in a big field. - -And in the next story you shall hear how the little rabbit scratched his -ear and had some lettuce salad, too, all covered o'er with sugar dew. - - - - -STORY XXXVIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE CARLOAD OF LETTUCE LEAVES - - -You remember in the last story I left off just as Billy Bunny got out of -the train at Lettuceville, where there was a big family of rabbits who -raised lettuce leaves for all the bunnies in the big U. S. A. - -And the first person he saw was an old gray-haired rabbit, who said: -"Glad to see you, Mr. William Bunny. Do you want to buy a car-load of -lettuce leaves?" - -"How much?" asked the little rabbit. - -"Five million carrot cents," replied the old gentleman bunny, "and -that's very cheap, for the leaves are big and juicy and will keep all -winter if you put them in the ice house." - - - [Illustration: THE RABBITS JUMPED INTO THE CUPBOARD AND CLOSED - THE DOOR.] - - -Well, sir, this was a very cheap price, don't you think so? And Billy -Bunny thought so, too, for he opened his knapsack and took out five -million carrot cents and gave them to the old gray-haired bunny, and -after that all the farmer bunnies loaded a big freight car just full of -lettuce leaves and marked on the outside in chalk: - - "MR. WILLIAM BUNNY, - Brier Patch, Old Snake Fence Corner, U. S. A." - - "RUSH! Fast Freight." - -And then it was time for lunch, so the old rabbit said to his new -customer, which was Billy Bunny, of course: - -"Come with me to my home and we'll have something to eat." And as Billy -Bunny had a great big appetite by this time, and I might say right here -that rabbits always are hungry, he hopped away with the lettuce rabbit -farmer, and by and by they came to a little green house in a raspberry -patch with a lovely clover field on one side and a peach orchard on the -other. - -"I've brought my friend, Billy Bunny, home to lunch," said the old -gray-haired bunny to a nice-looking lady rabbit whose gray hair was -parted in the middle and held down on each side by two red coral combs. - -"Why, it's Billy Bunny," she said. "I know his mother and his cousin, -Mrs. Cottontail." And she led them into the little green house. After -they had eaten all they wanted she made the pianola play this song: - - "The clover patch is in full bloom - With juicy red-topped clover. - Across the lea the honey bee - Looks like a golden rover." - -And it might have kept on playing some more, only just then who should -look into the door but Daddy Fox. As soon as the pianola saw him it -stopped right then and there, and the rabbits jumped into the cupboard -and closed the door and turned the key on the inside before you could -say "Jack Rabbit." - -"Ha! ha!" laughed Daddy Fox. "I'll stay here till you get so tired of -that cupboard prison that you'll come out. And when you do, you know -what will happen, for I don't like lettuce leaves and I just love -rabbits." - -Wasn't that a dreadful thing to hear? But, never mind. I'm not going to -let that wicked fox get the best of Billy Bunny and his friends. No, -sir. Not if I have to go there myself to-morrow and scare him away with -a gun. - -But this book won't hold any more, and I'll have to tell what happened -further to our animal friends in the next one, which is entitled "Billy -Bunny and Uncle Bull Frog." - -THE END - - - - - - - - - - - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BILLY BUNNY AND DADDY FOX *** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35090 - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission -and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the -General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and -distributing Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works to protect the -Project Gutenberg(tm) concept and trademark. 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-
-.. meta::
- :PG.Id: 35090
- :PG.Title: Billy Bunny and Daddy Fox
- :PG.Released: 2011-01-27
- :PG.Rights: Public Domain
- :PG.Producer: Roger Frank
- :PG.Producer: the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
- :DC.Creator: David Cory
- :DC.Title: Billy Bunny and Daddy Fox
- :DC.Language: en
- :DC.Created: 1912
- :coverpage: images/cover.jpg
-
-==============================
- Billy Bunny and Daddy Fox
-==============================
-
-.. _pg-header:
-
-.. container::
-
- .. style:: paragraph
- :class: noindent
-
- This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
- almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
- re-use it under the terms of the `Project Gutenberg License`_
- included with this eBook or online at
- http://www.gutenberg.org/license.
-
-
-
- .. vspace:: 1
-
- .. _pg-machine-header:
-
- .. container::
-
- Title: Billy Bunny and Daddy Fox
-
- Author: David Cory
-
- Release Date: January 27, 2011 [EBook #35090]
-
- Language: English
-
- Character set encoding: UTF-8
-
- .. vspace:: 1
-
- .. _pg-start-line:
-
- \*\*\* START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BILLY BUNNY AND DADDY FOX \*\*\*
-
- .. vspace:: 4
-
- .. _pg-produced-by:
-
- .. container::
-
- Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net.
-
- .. vspace:: 1
-
-
-
-
-.. figure:: images/illus-fpc.jpg
- :align: center
-
- DOWN THROUGH THE CEILING DROPPED DADDY FOX.
-
-.. role:: xl
- :class: x-large
-
-.. role:: l
- :class: large
-
-.. class:: align-center
-
- | *Billy Bunny Books*
- |
- | :xl:`BILLY BUNNY`
- |
- | `AND`
- |
- | :xl:`DADDY FOX`
- |
- |
- | BY
- |
- | :l:`DAVID CORY`
- |
-
-.. class:: align-center smaller
-
- | AUTHOR OF “BILLY BUNNY AND UNCLE BULL FROG,”
- | “BILLY BUNNY AND THE FRIENDLY ELEPHANT,”
- | “BILLY BUNNY AND UNCLE LUCKY LEFTHINDFOOT”
-
-.. class:: align-center
-
- |
- |
- | ILLUSTRATIONS BY
- | HUGH SPENCER
- |
- | NEW YORK
- | CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY
-
-
-.. class:: align-center smaller
-
- |
- |
- | BILLY BUNNY BOOKS
- | BY DAVID CORY
- |
- | *Large 12 mo. Illustrated*
- |
- | 1. BILLY BUNNY AND THE FRIENDLY ELEPHANT.
- | 2. BILLY BUNNY AND DADDY FOX.
- | 3. BILLY BUNNY AND UNCLE BULL FROG.
- | 4. BILLY BUNNY AND UNCLE LUCKY LEFTHINDFOOT.
- |
- | *Other Volumes in Preparation*
- |
- | CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, NEW YORK
- |
- |
- | COPYRIGHT, 1920, BY
- | CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY
- |
- | *Billy Bunny and Daddy Fox*
- |
- | Printed in U. S. A.
-
-.. contents:: CONTENTS
-
-STORY I—BILLY BUNNY AND THE JAIL HOUSE
-======================================
-
-Daddy Fox was very irregular in his
-habits about coming home, so, when
-the Bunny Boy Scouts captured him,
-after his escape from the Circus Cow Boy, and
-put him in the Jail House at Lettuceville, no one
-became uneasy for two or three days. After that
-time, Mrs. Fox said to Sly Boots and Bushy
-Tail, her two little sons: “Something has happened
-to your father. I know it, for he never
-stays away like this without telephoning or
-sending a message home. We’d better go out
-to-night and look for him.”
-
-So when the big, round, silver moon was
-shining in the middle of the sky and the
-twinkle, twinkle star was peeping into the bedroom
-windows of little boys and girls, who
-were sound asleep and dreaming of lollypops
-and ice cream cones and other things, Mrs. Fox
-put on her bonnet and started out with her two
-little foxes.
-
-And by and by they came to the Jail House.
-And while they were walking around it, smelling
-here and there to find out where their
-Daddy Fox was, they heard him singing in a
-sorrowful voice:
-
- | “I wonder if my two little boys
- | Are thinking of Daddy Fox;
- | If mother would only find me here
- | She’d open this old jail box.
- | She’d find the key to the iron door,
- | Which is hid in the crack outside in the floor
- | Of the little porch, and she’d get me out.
- | Oh, dear, I wonder what they’re about!”
-
-And of course when Mrs. Fox heard that, she
-looked on the floor of the little porch; and,
-sure enough, there was the big iron key almost
-hidden from sight in a little, tiny crack.
-
-Wasn’t that lucky? Well, I guess it was, and
-in a jiffy and a half she unlocked the iron door
-and set Daddy Fox free.
-
-My! But he was thin and miserable. They
-had shaved his head and put a striped suit of
-clothes on him and he didn’t look anything like
-their dear, kind father, thought Sly Boots and
-Bushy Tail, although they didn’t say so.
-
-They just hugged him nearly to death, for
-they loved him, because he was their father,
-and they didn’t know it was wicked to steal
-chickens, because all foxes do, and if you don’t
-know a thing is wicked and then go and do it
-it’s not nearly so bad as when you know a thing
-is wrong and then go and do it. So please remember
-this, for it’s very important and will
-help you keep out of lots of trouble.
-
-“Come home at once,” said Mrs. Fox; “I
-have a nice stewed duck for supper, although
-it’s past supper time.” So Daddy Fox hurried
-as fast as he could so as not to let the duck stew
-get cooked too much, and by and by they came
-to their den.
-
-And Mrs. Fox had the table set and the supper
-ready in less than a wink and everybody
-was happy as could be. And perhaps Daddy
-Fox will be good until the next time, that is if
-he doesn’t see a chicken before the chicken sees
-him.
-
-STORY II—BILLY BUNNY AND LADY HORNET
-====================================
-
-“Early to rise, early to rise,
-Will make little bunny boys win the
-first prize,” sang Mrs. Bunny at the foot of the stairs. And
-then Billy Bunny lifted up his left hind leg and
-his right ear, and he wiggled his nose forty
-times less once, and after that he was wide
-awake.
-
-And when he had washed his face and whiskers,
-and parted his hair down his back nice
-and smooth, he went down to eat his breakfast
-of carrot mush and raspberry juice which his
-kind mother had made from the fruit that
-grew in the old bramble patch. And then, oh
-yes, oh yes! he polished the brass knob on the
-front door, and after that he went down to the
-postoffice to see if a new spring mattress had
-come by parcel post.
-
-But it hadn’t, and the postmistress, who was
-a nice Lady Hornet, said it was a bit early in
-the season for spring mattresses, but she thought
-by next month it would come along, that is, if
-the weather kept nice and warm.
-
-Well, anyway, she had something for the
-little rabbit. It was a letter with two carrot
-cents postage due, which the little bunny paid.
-
-And then he opened his letter, and what do
-you think he found inside? Why, a beautiful
-tinted photo of his circus elephant friend, and
-on the back was written in purple ink, “To
-Billy Bunny, from Elly, the circus elephant.”
-
-“Now, isn’t that nice of him,” said Billy
-Bunny. “I must send him mine right away,”
-so he hopped away to the nearest photographer,
-who was a nice Crane and had his place in Rabbitville
-about 450 hops away.
-
-By and by Billy Bunny reached the picture
-gallery, and after he had told the Crane photographer
-what he wanted he sat down on a
-little green mossy rock in front of a big canvas
-painted like the ocean with big green waves and
-white foam.
-
-And all around the rock was sprinkled sand
-so that when the picture was taken it looked
-just as if the little bunny had been to Newport
-for the summer.
-
-“How many do you want?” asked the Photographer
-Crane, who was certainly a splendid
-picture man, for his legs were just the right
-length so that he could look into the back of the
-camera without standing on a stool.
-
-And, wasn’t it funny, you couldn’t tell his legs
-apart from the legs of the camera, only the
-camera had three and the Crane only two.
-
-“I’ll take seven,” said the little rabbit.
-“That’s my lucky number. I want to send one
-to Mr. Lucky Lefthindfoot; he’s my Uncle
-Lucky.”
-
-“And one to my friend, the circus elephant,
-for he’s my best friend. It will make Daddy
-Fox mad to think he wasn’t here at the same
-time, for he’s always trying to catch me.”
-
-And just then who should peep in through
-the window but Daddy Fox himself. And in
-the next story you shall hear what happened
-after that.
-
-STORY III—BILLY BUNNY AND PHOTOGRAPHER CRANE
-============================================
-
-You remember in the last story Daddy
-Fox was peeping in through the window
-just as Billy Bunny was having his
-picture taken, don’t you?
-
-Well, no sooner did the little rabbit see him
-than he hopped quicker than a lightning bug to
-the door and closed it, and the Photographer
-Crane pulled down the window shade to make
-it dark inside so that Daddy Fox couldn’t see
-them.
-
-After that he stuffed the fireplace full of sofa
-cushions for fear the crafty fox might slide
-down the chimney. But, oh dear me! he forgot
-all about the skylights—the windows in the
-roof, you know, and the next moment down
-through the ceiling dropped Daddy Fox.
-
-Oh, my! What a scramble there was in that
-photo parlor. The Crane flew up on the mantelpiece
-and the little rabbit crept into the
-waste basket and pulled a photograph album
-on top of him.
-
-And, of course, it was so dark that Daddy
-Fox didn’t see them do all this, so he had to
-play hide-and-seek and there was nobody to
-call out, “You’re getting hotter and hotter”
-when he stood near the mantelpiece, nor
-“You’re burning up!” when he passed close to
-the waste paper basket, so after a while he sat
-down on a pincushion (excuse me, I mean a
-sofa cushion), and listened with both ears
-cocked up.
-
-But the Crane never breathed and Billy
-Bunny held his breath, so by and by Daddy Fox
-started to hunt around the room again. First
-he pulled all the cushions out of the fireplace
-and then he pulled up the shades and unlocked
-the front door.
-
-And this was very foolish of him, for he
-should have known that the Crane and the little
-rabbit hadn’t had time to get out. Then he
-went out on the little porch and peeped into the
-woodbox, and while he was doing that the
-Crane flew down the mantelpiece and locked
-the door.
-
-And then he pulled the strings to close the
-skylight and stuffed the cushions back into the
-fireplace, and lifted the album off the little rabbit,
-for it was so full of pictures of fat people
-that it was dreadfully heavy.
-
-After this Billy Bunny opened his knapsack
-and took out his gun and peeked out through a
-hole in the window shade. And right there by
-the window stood the dreadful fox trying to
-open it. Bang! went the little rabbit’s gun and
-the cork hit the fox on the tip of his nose and
-made him sneeze so badly that he had to run
-into the woods to find his handkerchief.
-
-And he hunted all day long for it, and when
-evening came he remembered he had sent it to
-the laundry, so he had to go out and buy one at
-the three and one cent store.
-
-Of course, Billy Bunny didn’t have any more
-pictures taken that day. He hopped home as
-fast as he could, and the Crane telephoned
-down to the police station and told them to send
-up a man to guard the studio, and if the Twinkle
-Twinkle Star to-night sings me to sleep, I’ll tell
-you another story of Billy Bunny and the sheep.
-
-STORY IV—BILLY BUNNY AND THE ORGAN GRINDER
-==========================================
-
-Well, the Twinkle Twinkle Star didn’t
-sing me to sleep and so I can’t tell
-you about Billy Bunny and the woolly
-sheep as I said I would in the last story, but I
-will tell you something else if you’ll only wait
-five hundred short seconds. And this is what
-it’s going to be about:
-
- | The organ grinder’s monkey
- | Who wears a little cap,
- | Is always kept so busy
- | He cannot take a nap.
- |
- | He’s dancing to the music,
- | And picking up the dimes;
- | But oftener it’s nickels.
- | And pennies most the times.
-
-As soon as Billy Bunny heard the “Star-Spangled
-Banner,” for that was the tune which
-the old organ grinder was playing, he pricked
-up his ears and hopped out of the Old Briar
-Patch, and by and by he came up to the monkey,
-who held out his little red cap.
-
-“Here’s a carrot cent for you,” said the little
-rabbit, but the organ grinder scowled a deep,
-gloomy scowl and said:
-
-“Me no lika da mun!” But what could Billy
-Bunny do? And as the organ grinder kept on
-scowling a deep, gloomy scowl, the little rabbit
-opened his knapsack and looked through it.
-And pretty soon he found an apple pie, and
-when the organ grinder saw it he stopped grinding
-the music and put out his hand.
-
-And in a very few minutes there wasn’t any
-pie to be seen anywhere around for miles and
-miles, and the organ grinder had a lovely smile
-on his face! And then he played that pretty
-song called “In this sweet pie and pie there are
-apples fresh and dry,” and after that he swung
-the organ over his back and the monkey jumped
-on top and off they went to grind out more
-tunes for money.
-
-But the little rabbit didn’t go with them.
-No, siree. For if he had to pay a whole apple
-pie for a tune he’d rather go another way, even
-if he couldn’t hear the lovely music, for you
-can’t grind out apple pies the way you can
-tunes.
-
-Well, by and by, after a while, not so very
-long, he came to a river and he couldn’t get
-across, so he looked all about him to find a little
-horse; but there wasn’t any horse and there
-wasn’t any boat, so the little rabbit said, “Well,
-I guess I’ll have to float” So what did he do
-but find an old plank and then floated over on it
-to the other bank.
-
-Now I don’t know what is the matter with
-my typewriter that it didn’t make a verse out
-of all these rhymes, but it didn’t—it just went
-along in a prosy way, and so you’ll have to make
-a poem out of them yourself, for I have no
-more room in this story.
-
-STORY V—BILLY BUNNY AND MR. TOOTIE OWL
-======================================
-
-Let’s see, I left off in the last story just
-where Billy Bunny landed on the bank
-of the river. Well, now I’m going to
-tell you what happened after that.
-
-“I was lucky to get across on that old board,”
-thought the little rabbit, as he hopped up the
-bank to look about him. The field was covered
-with daisies and in the distance a black cow
-stood flicking off the flies with her long tail.
-
-“Helloa!” cried the little rabbit. “Why
-don’t you eat the flowers?” The black cow
-looked up and said:
-
-“Why don’t you stand on your head?” And,
-would you believe it, Billy Bunny did. Yes,
-sir. He stood first on his right ear and then on
-his left ear, and then he turned two somersaults
-and a handspring backward, and this made the
-cow laugh so hard that she got her tail twisted
-around a fence rail and couldn’t get away.
-
-“What shall I do?” she cried, anxiously.
-“It’s almost milking time, and when I don’t
-come home they’ll wonder where I am. Oh,
-dear! Oh, dear!”
-
-“Don’t worry,” said Billy Bunny, and he
-opened his knapsack and took out his little
-hatchet and chopped the tail—I mean the rail—off
-the fence so that she could get home, although,
-of course, she had to drag the rail all
-the way back to the farm, and the farmer
-scolded her for breaking down his fence, which
-was too bad, for she couldn’t help it, you know.
-
-Well, after that the little rabbit hopped
-away, and by and by, just as it was getting quite
-dark, he came to a big pile of wood. “Now
-this will be a good place for me to sleep,” he
-said to himself, and looked about for a hole to
-squeeze into. But, oh dear me, and oh dear
-you!
-
-A big owl flew out and hooted and tooted
-three times and a half, and then winked his eyes
-at the little rabbit until he was so scared he
-could hardly stand up.
-
-“Oh, please, Mr. Owl, don’t hooty-tooty me
-so. I don’t mean any harm.”
-
-“What are you doing in my woodpile?”
-asked the blinky old bird fiercely. “Trying to
-steal my wood, eh?”
-
-“Oh, no, Mr. Owl,” cried Billy Bunny. “I
-was only looking for a place to sleep.”
-
-“I don’t believe you,” screeched the blinky
-winky bird, and he made a grab for the little
-rabbit with his hooked feet. And he would
-have caught Billy Bunny, too, and eaten him
-for supper that very night, I guess, if the little
-rabbit hadn’t pulled his popgun out of his knapsack
-and hit the wicked owl on the tail with the
-cork bullet, which so scared the ugly old bird
-that he flew into the forest. After that Billy
-Bunny crept into the woodpile and went to sleep
-and dreamed that it caught on fire and the sparks
-flew up into the air and covered the whole sky
-with twinkling stars.
-
-STORY VI—BILLY BUNNY AND BILLY GOAT
-===================================
-
-It was a bright and beautiful sunshiny morning
-as Billy Bunny hopped out of the woodpile
-where he had slept all night and started
-off on his journey of adventure.
-
-He had only gone a little ways when all of a
-sudden from behind a bush out jumped a big
-Billy Goat. He had a long goatee and he
-looked very fierce, and when he lowered his
-head and pointed his horns at the little rabbit,
-how do you suppose Billy Bunny felt?
-
-Well, he felt just like a piece of paper all
-crinkled up, he was so scarified. And so would
-you, for that goat’s horns were as sharp as
-needles.
-
-“Stop! Stop!” cried the little rabbit. “Don’t
-you know who I am? Billy Bunny’s my name,
-from Old Brier Patch, Snake Fence Corner,”
-and then he handed his card to the angry Billy
-Goat, who ate it up without even reading it.
-Wasn’t that rude in him?
-
-“I don’t like your card a bit,” said the Goat.
-“It tastes like peppermint.” Of course it did,
-for the little rabbit carried his striped candy
-cane in his front paws, and some of the candy
-came off on them and got on to the card when
-he handed it to the Billy Goat.
-
-“If you had read it you wouldn’t have tasted
-the peppermint,” said Billy Bunny politely, not
-wishing to make the Goat feel badly.
-
-Well, by this time the Goat had raised his
-head and so his sharp horns didn’t point at Billy
-Bunny, which made him feel lots better. Then
-he opened his knapsack and took out an apple-pie
-and gave it to the Goat, who ate it up in two
-and a half bites, and then asked for more.
-
-“Sorry, but that’s all I have,” said the little
-rabbit. “Would you like a lollypop?” And
-when that was all gone, the little rabbit brought
-out a chocolate cake and the Goat ate that up
-just as fast.
-
-“What else have you?” asked the Goat, wiping
-the crumbs from his goatee and peeking
-over Billy Bunny’s shoulder.
-
-“I’ve got a pair of rubber boots,” said the
-little rabbit. And would you believe it, that
-Goat ate those rubber boots up too and then
-asked for more.
-
-“Oh, dear! Oh, dear!” sighed Billy Bunny,
-and he hunted all through his knapsack again
-until he found a policeman’s whistle. “That’s
-all I’ve got left, Mr. Billy Goat.”
-
-“Well, I’ll eat that for dessert,” and the
-hungry, starving goat commenced to eat that
-whistle as though he hadn’t tasted any kind of
-food for a year and five minutes. But would
-you believe me again? That whistle began to
-whistle and this so scared the Billy Goat that he
-ran away.
-
-And if that whistle doesn’t keep me awake
-all night so that I’ll have to sleep all day tomorrow
-I’ll tell you in the next story how Billy
-Bunny went to see his kind Uncle Lucky.
-
-STORY VII—BILLY BUNNY AND THE HEAD OF LETTUCE
-=============================================
-
- | Oh, it’s dreadful to be lonely,
- | Even when you’re not alone,
- | And you may be dreadful mournful
- | Though you have a happy tone.
- | And your lips may keep a-smiling
- | Though the tears are in your eyes.
- | Have you never seen it raining,
- | When the sun is in the skies?
- | If the one you want to be with
- | Isn’t all the time with you,
- | There is nothing that will make you
- | Feel anything but blue.
-
-And this was the way little Billy Bunny
-felt. You see, he hadn’t seen his dear,
-kind Uncle Lucky for so long that the
-gold watch and chain which the old gentleman
-rabbit had given him needed winding.
-
-So after the little rabbit had wound up the
-chain and put the watch back in his pocket, he
-started out to see his uncle, Mr. Lucky
-Lefthindfoot, who lived on Carrot street, near Lettuce
-Avenue, Bunnybridge, U. S. A.
-
-Well, after Billy Bunny had hopped and
-hopped and then some more, he came to a cross
-road, and the sign on the post said, “5,281½
-hops to Bunnybridge.”
-
-“Well, I’m glad I’m on the right road,” said
-the little rabbit, and he took half a hop so as to
-start out even, you know, because he never did
-like fractions, and by and by he came to Lettuce
-avenue. But just then something happened.
-Something usually does happen when
-you least expect it, and that’s what’s going to
-happen now if my typewriter doesn’t get balky
-and throw my hands off the keyboard.
-
-Yes, sir! Just as that dear little bunny
-stepped on Lettuce avenue something big and
-soft hit him between his left ear and his left
-hind foot and knocked the breath right out of
-him. And so of course he couldn’t say “Oh,
-dear; oh, dear!” so I’m going to make the typewriter
-say it for him.
-
-And that will give him time to get his breath
-so that he can say it if he wants to. Well, after
-that he looked around to find out what had hit
-him, and what do you suppose it was that had
-knocked the “Oh, dear me!” out of him! I’ll
-tell you right away—a great big head of lettuce.
-There it lay on the ground. So the little rabbit
-picked it up and was just going to put it in his
-knapsack for his Uncle Lucky, when a cross
-voice called out:
-
- | “Don’t you touch that lettuce,
- | For it belongs to me,
- | And I am going to take it
- | Home with me for tea.”
-
-“Who are you?” asked the little rabbit, dropping
-the lettuce and looking all around. But
-he couldn’t see anybody, and neither can I, so
-I’m going to let Billy Bunny look again. And
-this time he saw a Scarecrow in the field close
-by.
-
-And if the old clothes man doesn’t throw another
-head of lettuce and hit my typewriter so
-it won’t talk to the paper I’ll tell you another
-story to-morrow.
-
-STORY VIII—BILLY BUNNY AND THE SCARECROW
-========================================
-
-As soon as Billy Bunny saw the Scarecrow—who
-had thrown the head of lettuce
-at the little rabbit in the last story,
-but he shan’t do it again in this story! I’ll
-promise you that right now—the little rabbit
-said:
-
-“Did you hit me just now between my left
-ear and my left hind leg with this lettuce?”
-
-“I did,” replied the Scarecrow, in a sort of
-scarecrowey voice.
-
-As soon as the little rabbit heard that he
-picked up that head of lettuce and threw it right
-at the head of that Scarecrow and knocked off
-his stovepipe hat. And when Billy Bunny
-looked at the hat he saw two gold letters pasted
-inside the crown, and what do you think they
-were? I don’t know why I asked you, for I’ve
-got to tell you, anyway. Well, they were the
-letters U. L.
-
-“Uncle Lucky!” cried the little rabbit. “It’s
-Uncle Lucky’s wedding stovepipe hat! Oh,
-how glad he’ll be to get it back!” And Billy
-Bunny picked it up and put the lettuce inside
-and then hopped away as fast as he could for his
-kind old uncle’s house. And after he had gone
-for maybe three miles or less, he came to the old
-gentleman rabbit’s house. And there was dear,
-kind Uncle Lucky swinging in the hammock on
-the front porch. And when he saw his little
-nephew, he fell out—excuse me, I mean, he
-hopped out—of the hammock and opened the
-front gate and said:
-
-“That looks like my old wedding stovepipe
-hat,” and the old gentleman rabbit put it on his
-head without even taking the head of lettuce
-out first, but that didn’t matter, for there was
-plenty of room in that old stovepipe hat for two
-heads.
-
-Well, as soon as Uncle Lucky got over his excitement,
-he asked his bunny nephew where he
-had found his hat, and when Billy Bunny told
-him, the old gentleman rabbit took it off and
-took out the head of lettuce and he and Billy
-Bunny ate it all up—not the hat, but the lettuce,
-you know—and some apple pie and carrot ice
-cream besides, for Uncle Lucky always had his
-pantry just full of the nicest things to eat you
-ever saw or ever heard of. And that’s one reason
-why all the bunny boys and girls loved the
-old gentleman rabbit, for when they were
-coming home from school he would stand on his
-front porch and say:
-
- | “Come in and get some apple pie,
- | An ice cream cone or two;
- | A lollypop with jam on top,
- | Some sweet prunes à la stew,
- | Some lemonade—don’t be afraid.
- | For I’m inviting you.”
-
-And I hope with all my heart that if you ever
-pass by Uncle Lucky’s house on Carrot street
-he’ll ask you, too. And in the next story, if the
-pepper box doesn’t fall into the ice cream
-freezer so that the little mouse in the pantry
-sneezes his head ’most off. I’ll tell you another
-story to-morrow.
-
-STORY IX—BILLY BUNNY AND MR. DRAKE
-==================================
-
-The next day after Billy Bunny arrived
-at Uncle Lucky’s house the good, kind
-old gentleman rabbit said: “Let’s go out
-for a ride in the Luckymobile, for that was the
-name of Uncle Lucky’s new car, you know.”
-
-So off they started, and this time you can well
-believe the old gentleman rabbit filled his lamps
-full of electricity oil, for he hadn’t forgotten the
-time some million stories ago he had been
-caught without any lights on his automobile.
-
-Well, as I was just going to say when my
-typewriter had to go and explain all about how
-poor Uncle Lucky had once been arrested for
-not having his lamps lit, they started off—not
-the lamps, but Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky,
-and by and by they came across an old Drake.
-
-And if you don’t know what a Drake is, I’ll
-tell you; he’s the husband of a duck and spends
-most of his time swimming on the pond while
-she stays at home to look after the little ducks.
-Well, if Uncle Lucky hadn’t stopped the
-automobile just where he did, Mrs. Duck would
-have been a widow.
-
-“What do you mean by not seeing where
-you’re going?” shouted Uncle Lucky, getting
-very red in the face.
-
-“Why didn’t you toot your horn?” said Mr.
-Drake with an angry quack, and then he waddled
-into the water and swam away.
-
-“What can you expect from an old ferryboat
-like that?” laughed Uncle Lucky, watching Mr.
-Drake paddle away. “He’s an old-fashioned
-side-wheeler. Let him go!” and the kind old
-gentleman rabbit leaned out of the automobile
-and handed a stick of candy to a little goose who
-had stood by listening with eye and bill wide
-open to all he had said.
-
-Then the old gentleman rabbit took off his
-wedding stovepipe hat and bowed to Mrs. Duck,
-who stood in the doorway of her house, and
-tooted his horn and drove off.
-
-And by and by Billy Bunny asked Uncle
-Lucky to let him run the automobile, so the old
-gentleman rabbit changed seats with his little
-nephew, and after that he fell asleep. For the
-road was very smooth and the wind was soft and
-warm, and Billy Bunny didn’t talk all the time
-the way some boys do.
-
-And as Billy Bunny didn’t want to wake him
-up, he kept on going farther and farther away
-from home until after a while he found himself
-in a thick woods. And then the automobile
-came to a stop and Uncle Lucky, of course,
-woke up with a bump.
-
-“Gracious me! Have I been asleep?” he exclaimed,
-rubbing his right eye with his left hind
-foot. And just then a little flower struck 4
-o’clock, just like a little clock, and that’s the
-reason they call this little flower “Four o’Clock”
-I guess. “Gracious me! I have been asleep!”
-cried Uncle Lucky, and then he took out the
-lunch basket and he and Billy Bunny ate a lot
-of nice things.
-
-But, goodness me, it’s so late that I must stop
-now, for there isn’t time for the two little rabbits
-to get home. But I guess they’ll cuddle up
-in the Luckymobile and sleep until to-morrow
-morning.
-
-STORY X—BILLY BUNNY AND THE FROG KING
-=====================================
-
-Well, when Billy Bunny and good, kind
-Uncle Lucky woke up the next morning,
-for they had slept all night in the
-Luckymobile as I told you in the last story, they
-ate their breakfast and then they started off and
-by and by they had an adventure.
-
-A gypsy camp stood close to the roadside and
-just as they came up, an old woman walked out
-of a tent and said, “Don’t you want your fortunes
-told?” Well, as Billy Bunny had never
-had his fortune told and Uncle Lucky had forgotten
-whether he had or not, they got out of
-the automobile and sat down on a log while the
-old gypsy woman looked at their paws.
-
-“You have a very long life line, Mr. Lucky
-Lefthindfoot, and lots of money,” she said with
-a grin, “and you’re going to have lots more.”
-
-“That’s very nice,” said the old gentleman
-rabbit, “for I want to build a library in Rabbitville
-where all the little bunnies can read nice
-stories and grow very wise.”
-
-“And you will grow up to be a great soldier,”
-she said to Billy Bunny, and then Uncle Lucky
-gave her two carrot nickels and said good-by.
-
-“I wonder where all that money is coming
-from,” said the good, kind old gentleman rabbit,
-and then they heard a deep voice singing:
-
- | “Oh, I am king of the Bullfrog Pond,
- | Ker-plunk, ker-chunk, ker-plunk!
- |
- | And I’ll never stir a foot beyond,
- | Ker-plunk, ker-plunk, ker-plunk!
- |
- | For it’s cool and nice in the water here,
- | And the cat-tails wave in the atmosphere,
- | And this old dead log is a throne for me.
- | Oh yes, I’m as happy as I can be!”
-
-Then Uncle Lucky stopped the automobile
-and he and Billy Bunny got out to make the
-acquaintance of this happy frog king. And
-weren’t they surprised to find that he was the
-brother of Uncle Bullfrog, who lived in the Old
-Mill Pond. He had heard all about the two
-rabbits, and was delighted to see them.
-
-“Sit down on the bank and I’ll get you a
-watercress sandwich and some pond-lily milk,”
-cried the Frog King, and he waved a bullrush
-wand up and down and whistled through his
-fingers, and then a dozen tadpoles swam up.
-
-And then they swam off again and when they
-came back they had watercress sandwiches and
-pond-lily milk enough to go around and some
-besides to give to the Luckymobile, only automobiles
-don’t drink anything but gasoline, so
-they gave what was left to a nice friendly duck
-who happened to pass by.
-
-And then Uncle Lucky took off his stovepipe
-hat and bowed to the Frog King and Billy
-Bunny took a chocolate éclaire out of his knapsack
-and said, “Give this to your Queen with
-my compliments,” which tickled the Frog King
-so he fell off his log throne into the water with
-a terrible splash.
-
-And if the lawn mower doesn’t run over our
-white poodle dog and cut off all his hair, I’ll
-tell you to-morrow another story about Billy
-Bunny and Uncle Lucky.
-
-STORY XI—BILLY BUNNY AND THE TURKEY GOBBLER
-===========================================
-
-Well, as I was saying in the last story,
-Billy Bunny and his good, kind Uncle
-Lucky said good-by to the Frog King.
-And the frog was very sorry to see them go, for
-although he was a king, his kingdom was only
-a frog pond.
-
-But then, when you come to think of it, he
-couldn’t have his kingdom any place else, so of
-course he was contented, and that’s the chief
-thing in life, whether you’re a king or a poor
-man.
-
-“Now what are we going to do?” said Uncle
-Lucky as he and his rabbit nephew rolled along
-as nicely as you please in the Luckymobile.
-
-“Oh, just roll along,” answered the little
-bunny, slipping his knapsack off his shoulder
-and laying his striped candy cane down on the
-bottom of the automobile, “I’m just glad to be
-riding with you, dear Uncle Luck.”
-
-And this so tickled the old gentleman rabbit
-that he turned to smile at Billy Bunny, and then
-of course he didn’t see where he was going, and
-the first thing you know and the first thing he
-knew, the Luckymobile ran right into a baker’s
-shop and knocked over the counter, which was
-full of pies and cakes.
-
-“Oh, please excuse me!” cried kind Uncle
-Lucky to the bakerman, who was a big, red-faced
-Turkey Gobbler. But, oh, dear me! As
-soon as that Turkey Gobbler saw Uncle Lucky’s
-red tie he made a rush at the old gentleman rabbit,
-for turkeys, you know, get terribly mad
-when they see anything red, and if Uncle Lucky
-hadn’t jumped out of the way that Turkey Gobbler
-would have picked the diamond pin right
-out of the tie.
-
-Yes, sir, I’m sure he would, and Uncle Lucky
-was very fond of his diamond pin because little
-Billy Bunny had given it to him, you remember,
-some seventeen or more stories ago.
-
-Well, while the ugly red-faced turkey was
-chasing dear Uncle Lucky all around the back
-yard, Billy Bunny backed the automobile out of
-the bake shop, and after he had scraped custard
-pie off the cabaret and lemon pie off the left
-front wheel and squash pie off the right front
-wheel and a dozen other kinds of pie off the two
-front lights, Uncle Lucky came hopping around
-the corner of the bake shop with the ugly red-faced
-turkey gobbler baker close behind him.
-
-.. figure:: images/illus-032.jpg
- :align: center
-
- THE TADPOLE CAME BACK WITH WATERCRESS SANDWICHES AND POND-LILY MILK.
-
-“Start her up! Start her up!” yelled the old
-gentleman rabbit. And Billy Bunny did, and
-Uncle Lucky jumped into the automobile just
-in time, too, for the Turkey Gobbler almost had
-him by the tail.
-
-“Here’s some money to pay for your pies,”
-cried the honest old gentleman bunny, and he
-threw twenty or less carrot cents at the turkey
-gobbler, who gobbled them up, I mean picked
-them up, in a hurry for fear they might take
-root in the ground and grow into plain ordinary
-carrots if he let them lie there a minute.
-
-And by this time of course the two rabbits
-were far away in their automobile, and if the
-next story has to be written to-night, as I know
-it must, I’ll stop right here and wish you pleasant
-dreams and happy wakening.
-
-STORY XII—BILLY BUNNY AND THE DONKEY
-====================================
-
-“That certainly was a lucky escape,”
-said Uncle Lucky to Billy Bunny as
-they sped away in their Luckymobile
-after overturning all the pies in the bake shop,
-as I told you in the last story.
-
-“I shall be more careful the next time and see
-where I’m going,” and the old gentleman rabbit
-settled his stovepipe hat firmly on his head and
-held on tighter to the steering wheel, and then
-he honked the horn three times and a half to
-let everybody hear him coming before he ran
-over them; and then, all of a sudden, quicker
-than a lightning bug, a little gray donkey ran
-right in the middle of the road and kicked up
-his heels and brayed, which is the way a donkey
-talks, you know.
-
-“Get out of the way!” yelled Uncle Lucky,
-and he put on the brake, but, oh dear me, and
-oh dear donkey! the brake wouldn’t work.
-It just got obstinate, I guess, when it saw that
-donkey’s heels, or else it thought the donkey
-would stop the automobile just as well, which
-he did, I’m sorry to say.
-
-Yes, Siree, and Yes, Siree Man! That donkey
-kicked his shoes right off and the Luckymobile
-stopped and Uncle Lucky and Billy Bunny
-got out so quickly that they rolled over and over
-on the ground for maybe a block and a half and
-then they wouldn’t have stopped, only a policeman
-grabbed them.
-
-But he let the little rabbits go just as soon as
-they told him what had happened.
-
-“I’m getting tired of always having an accident,”
-said the old gentleman rabbit when they
-reached the Luckymobile.
-
-“Don’t be a grumbler,” said the donkey.
-
-“Well, then, don’t you be a kicker,” replied
-the old gentleman rabbit angrily, for Uncle
-Lucky had a temper, only he seldom used it because
-he was so kind and good. “If you hadn’t
-kicked, there would have been no accident, and
-as I said before, I’m getting sick and tired of accidents.”
-
-Well, this made the donkey so ashamed he
-said he was sorry he had kicked the Luckymobile,
-and then dear Uncle Lucky told him to
-climb in and he would take him down to the seashore
-to pick up pretty shells. So off they went
-again, the two little rabbits on the front seat
-and the donkey in the back, and by and by they
-came to the seashore.
-
-“Let’s all go in bathing,” said Billy Bunny,
-so they went up to the bathing houses and put
-on bathing suits.
-
-Well, after they were all dressed, I mean undressed,
-they hopped into the water and swam
-out to the raft. And Uncle Lucky stood on
-Billy Bunny’s shoulders and dived into the
-water and then the donkey stood on Uncle
-Lucky’s shoulders and slipped and fell onto the
-raft and sprained his tail, so that they all had to
-hurry out and get dressed and then go for the
-doctor.
-
-And in the next story you shall hear how the
-doctor cured the donkey with a little sugar pill.
-
-STORY XIII—BILLY BUNNY AND THE LITTLE SUGAR PILLS
-=================================================
-
-I wonder if you remember where we left
-off in the last story? Well, in case you
-don’t, I’ll tell you. Billy Bunny and Uncle
-Lucky were taking the donkey to the doctor, for
-the donkey had sprained his tail while in bathing
-with the two little rabbits, you know.
-
-Well, when they reached the doctor’s house
-he wasn’t in, but his wife was. So Uncle Lucky
-thought he’d tell her what was the matter with
-the donkey, for the donkey was feeling pretty
-miserable and wouldn’t get out of the automobile,
-but just sat there braying every once in a
-while in a mournful way.
-
-“Why don’t you give him a sugar pill?” asked
-the kind doctor’s wife. “I haven’t got any sugar
-pills,” said Uncle Lucky, and neither had Billy
-Bunny, although he looked all through his knapsack
-and in the cabaret of the Luckymobile.
-
-“I’ll get you some,” said the doctor’s wife,
-and presently she brought out a little round box
-just full of sugar pills.
-
-“The directions are on the cover,” she said,
-handing the box to Billy Bunny, who ran back
-to the automobile to give some to the poor donkey,
-who was braying dreadfully just then.
-
-Well, the little rabbit gave him one at once
-and then he read over the directions.
-
-“One every minute until the patient feels
-worse and then one every second until the box
-is empty!”
-
-“Gracious me!” exclaimed the little rabbit,
-“that’s enough to cure one of ever getting sick
-again,” and I guess you’d have thought the same
-thing if you had bitten one of those little sugar
-pills, for they were dreadfully bitter inside.
-
-Well, Uncle Lucky and Billy Bunny took
-turns giving those pills to that obstinate braying
-donkey. Uncle Lucky held the watch and Billy
-Bunny held the donkey. You see, it took almost
-a minute to get a pill down that obstinate donkey
-so that as soon as one was down it was time
-to start with another, and as Uncle Lucky said
-it was dangerous not to follow directions exactly
-when giving medicine, it was just about all the
-two little rabbits could do to take care of that
-obstinate donkey.
-
- | “Oh, let me go, I humbly bray.
- | I’ll never be sick again, I say.
- | Don’t make me take another pill;
- | They’re only sugared on the sill.
- |
- | “Inside they’re bitter as can be.
- | You’ll surely end in killing me.
- | Oh, let me go, I humbly bray,
- | I’ll never be sick again, I say.”
-
-“Well, if you’ll promise,” said Uncle Lucky,
-“you may go.” And would you believe it, that
-donkey jumped out of the automobile and
-whisked his tail and started for home as fast as
-you please, just as though he had never been
-sick. Wasn’t that wonderful? And if I can get
-that pill box from Billy Bunny, I’ll tell you the
-name of those pills in the next story.
-
-STORY XIV—BILLY BUNNY AND THE BILLY GOAT
-========================================
-
-I’m sorry, but Billy Bunny threw away
-the pill box after the donkey was cured,
-so I can’t tell you the name of those little
-sugar coated pills, but if you call up Dr. Quack,
-one, two, three, down goes she, I’m sure he will
-prescribe for you over the wire, and perhaps
-then you won’t have to take any medicine at all.
-
-Well, it’s time now to tell about Billy Bunny
-and Uncle Lucky Lefthindfoot, his dear, kind,
-generous rabbit uncle.
-
-“I’m never going to give anybody any medicine
-as long as I live,” said the old gentleman
-rabbit, taking out his blue polka-dot handkerchief
-and wiping his spectacles and then the
-back of his neck and the tip of his nose.
-
-“You never even get thanked for it.” And
-then Uncle Lucky put his handkerchief on his
-nose and his spectacles in his pocket. Oh, dear
-me! I mean he did just what I didn’t say he
-did, and after that he climbed into the Luckymobile
-beside Billy Bunny and drove away.
-
- | “Hip hurrah! Hip hurray!
- | I’m going to join the colors to-day.
- | Maybe I’ll be a soldier gay,
- | Or a sailor boy on the ocean spray.
- | It all depends what they’re going to say
- | When I tell them I want to join the fray.”
-
-“Who’s singing?” asked Uncle Lucky, holding
-his right paw behind his left ear and wiggling
-his nose up and down and sideways so fast
-that it made a little fly dizzy to look at it. And
-just then they came across a Billy Goat standing
-outside a tent dressed in khaki with a gun over
-his shoulder.
-
-“Halt! Who goes there?” cried the sentry.
-“Halt!” and of course Uncle Lucky put on the
-brakes and made the Luckymobile stop right
-then and there.
-
-“Friend or foe?” asked the sentry, looking
-into the automobile and lifting the cushions off
-the seats and opening the cabaret and lighting
-the lamps and honking the horn, and, oh, dear
-me! doing anything and everything he could
-to annoy good, kind Uncle Lucky.
-
-“What do you think we are?” asked Billy
-Bunny. “We are U. S. A. Bunnies. Don’t you
-make any mistake about that!”
-
-“I beg your pardon,” said the sentry, saluting
-the two rabbits most respectfully, “I only
-wanted to make sure. These are war times, you
-know, and we must be on the lookout every
-minute of the day and every second of the
-night!”
-
-And then he saluted again and turned away.
-And then, all of a sudden, the band began playing,
-but it must have been off in the woods,
-somewhere, for the little bunnies couldn’t see
-it.
-
- | Hurrah for Uncle Samuel,
- | King of the U. S. A.
- | Three cheers for the Blue,
- | And the Red and White, too,
- | And the Silver Stars, I say.
- | And here’s to the sailor lad in blue
- | And the soldier boy in brown,
- | From the farm and the mine,
- | And the big steel mills,
- | Or the little old home town.
-
-STORY XV—BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. BRUIN
-===================================
-
-In the last story I left off very suddenly
-while the band was playing, you remember,
-and I will tell you the reason why.
-
-My typewriter got so excited over the song
-about the sailor lad in blue and the soldier boy
-in town, I mean in brown, that it began dancing
-to the music and of course then I couldn’t write
-another word.
-
-Well, anyway, you remember that Billy
-Bunny and his good, kind Uncle Lucky were
-just leaving the Billy Goat Sentry who had
-stopped them in their automobile, to continue
-their journey of adventure. So off they started
-down the road and by and by they came across
-a big black bear with two little cubs.
-
-“Now there’s going to be more trouble, I
-know it,” said little Billy Bunny, but good, kind
-Uncle Lucky didn’t think so. You see, he was
-always looking on the bright side of things, so
-he called out to Mrs. Bruin, which was the lady
-bear’s name, I believe, “Won’t you get into the
-Luckymobile and we’ll take you to town?” and
-of course the little bears said yes right away,
-for they had never ridden in an automobile in
-all their lives.
-
-Well, in they climbed and after Uncle Lucky
-had leaned over and closed the door, for the
-bears were so excited they had forgotten to do
-it, he started up the automobile and away they
-went to Rabbitville, for that was the nearest
-town.
-
-And pretty soon the two little bears began to
-sing:
-
- | “Uncle Lucky is so kind
- | To take us for a drive,
- | That we will get some honey
- | From out the big beehive.
- | We’ll put it in a little box,
- | To keep it clean and neat,
- | And then the flies won’t eat it
- | Nor touch it with their feet.”
-
-And after that Mrs. Bruin said: “Mr. Lucky
-Lefthindfoot, if you will stop at the next cross
-road I’ll get out and see if I can’t find the honey
-for you.” Well, when they came to the place,
-Mrs. Bruin climbed out and went into the
-woods. But before she left she told the two
-little bears not to move and not to annoy Uncle
-Lucky nor Billy Bunny, but to be quiet until
-she came back.
-
-Well, I don’t know exactly what happened
-in the woods, but pretty soon Mrs. Bruin came
-tearing back with the whole swarm of bees after
-her. Some had got under her bonnet and were
-stinging her ears and some had crawled inside
-her silk mitts and were stinging her hands, and
-oh, dear me, it was just dreadful!
-
-And when Uncle Lucky saw what was the
-matter he told her to hurry up and get into the
-automobile. And then he made it go so fast
-that one of the bees lost his stinger because he
-couldn’t keep up with it, and he didn’t have time
-to take it out of Mrs. Bruin’s ear.
-
-Well, wasn’t it too bad? And in the next
-story I’ll tell you how Mrs. Bruin said good-by
-to Billy Bunny.
-
-STORY XVI—BILLY BUNNY AND THE BEAR CUBS
-=======================================
-
-You remember in the last story what a
-dreadful time Mrs. Bruin had to get
-away from the stinging bees, and how if
-it had not been for dear, kind Uncle Lucky she
-never would have gotten away?
-
-Well, the bees were soon left far behind, for
-the automobile went very fast, and by and by
-they came to Mrs. Bruin’s cave. So she invited
-the two little rabbits in, for by this time everybody
-was hungry, and the two little bears were
-almost starved.
-
-Now, Mrs. Bruin had a big closet where she
-kept all sorts of nice things to eat and before
-long cake and milk and lettuce leaves and apple
-pie were on the table and the feast commenced.
-
-And after that they wound up the graphophone
-and heard a lovely song, which I’m going
-to tell to you because it was so pretty. And
-this is the way the words went and you can make
-up any kind of music to go with it, if you wish:
-
- | By-o-by, little bear cub,
- | In your cave on the windy hill.
- | Safe in the care of dear mother bear
- | Cuddle up tight and be still.
- | Father is out in the woods, and soon he
- | Will be coming home safe to baby and me.
- | So cuddle up tight for the shadows of night
- | Are creeping o’er meadow and lea.
-
-And do you know, those dear little Bear cubs
-went sound to sleep and were put to bed without
-waking up. Wasn’t that nice? And that’s
-the way little boys and girls should behave.
-
-Never give mother a worry or care, but be
-good like a dear little fuzzy wool bear. Goodness
-me! I’m making up poetry myself only
-my typewriter didn’t make the lines go just the
-way they should.
-
-Well, after this Billy Bunny and Uncle
-Lucky got into the automobile and drove away,
-and by and by the stars came out and the big
-round moon, and they were still far from home.
-But they didn’t care. No, sirreemam.
-
-Billy Bunny hopped out and lighted the
-lamps, and Uncle Lucky turned up his coat collar
-for the night wind was chilly, and then they
-started off again. And by and by, not so very
-long, they came to a little hotel called “Cuddle
-Inn.” “That’s the place for your uncle,” said
-the kind old gentleman rabbit. “Let’s inquire,”
-which means to find out, “if they will take us
-for the night.”
-
-So Billy Bunny hopped out and went into the
-hotel office, and the landlord, who was a nice-looking
-squirrel, with a beautiful gray bushy
-tail, said, “I have a nice room with two beds,”
-and then he put the Luckymobile in the barn
-and the two little rabbits went to sleep before
-they took off their watches; they were so tired,
-and if the old cow doesn’t blow her horn to wake
-me up before it’s morn, I’ll tell you in the next
-story what happened after that.
-
-STORY XVII—BILLY BUNNY AND THE SQUIRREL INNKEEPER
-=================================================
-
- | Wake up! Wake up! It’s early morn,
- | The cock is tooting his little tin horn.
- | The morning wind is singing a tune
- | About the roses that bloom in June.
- | It’s time to be up, for the day is here,
- | And the sky is shining bright and clear.
-
-So out of bed hopped Billy Bunny and
-Uncle Lucky, and then they wound their
-watches, for they were so tired the night
-before that they had gone to bed with them on,
-as I told you in the last story.
-
-Well, when they got downstairs they found
-the squirrel who owned “Cuddle Inn” already
-up and dressed. A most delicious smell of hot
-coffee and rolls came from the kitchen, so the
-little rabbits went into the dining room and read
-the menu card.
-
-And what do you think they ordered? Lettuce
-leaves, with cream all over them, and carrot
-candies, with maple syrup, and corn flake
-muffins and warm milk, and, let me see, oh,
-yes! oh, yes! apple pie! For Uncle Lucky
-loved apple pie, and Billy Bunny loved it just
-as much, although he couldn’t eat as many as
-the old gentleman rabbit could, for the reason
-that he ate so many candy carrots!
-
-“And now that we are through breakfast,”
-cried little Billy Bunny, “let’s go fishing, for I
-heard a boy say outside the window that the
-trout in the forest brook were nibbling at pieces
-of cheese, they were so hungry.” Just think of
-that!
-
-So the kind Squirrel Innkeeper got out two
-fishing poles and Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky
-started off.
-
-Well, by and by they came to the trout stream
-and commenced to fish, and in a little while they
-had three big trout. Then they put them in a
-basket with nice wet leaves and after that they
-sat down for lunch. And then they fell asleep.
-And while they were dreaming that a big whale
-had swallowed both hooks and was pulling them
-into the water a tramp cat came by and stole the
-basket of trout.
-
-Yes, sir! As soon as she smelt fish she walked
-right up and without making a sound lifted up
-the basket and tiptoed away, and of course
-when the two little rabbits woke up they couldn’t
-find the basket of fish.
-
-“Well, that’s a nice howdy-do,” exclaimed
-Uncle Lucky ruefully, which means even worse
-than sadly, you know. “What shall we tell the
-Squirrel Innkeeper? It’s his basket, you know,
-although the fish belonged to us?”
-
-And while they were wondering what to do,
-an old basket maker came by with a pack of
-baskets. So Uncle Lucky took out his purse and
-bought one, and then he and Billy Bunny began
-again to fish. But, oh, dear me! I guess
-the trout had all gone away, for they never got a
-bite, except from a mean old mosquito, who
-stung dear Uncle Lucky on the little left hind
-toe.
-
-And in the next story, if the Tailor Bird
-doesn’t sew up the bottoms of my trousers so that
-I can’t get my collar on in the morning, I’ll tell
-you more about Uncle Lucky Lefthindfoot and
-his little nephew, Billy Bunny.
-
-STORY XVIII—BILLY BUNNY AND THE TAILOR BIRD
-===========================================
-
-Well, the Tailor Bird didn’t sew up
-the bottoms of my pantaloons so that
-I couldn’t get on my collar, as I told
-you I was afraid he would in the last story.
-
-But he did something else. He sent in his
-bill—I mean he pushed his bill in through the
-open window—and asked me if I was ready to
-try on my new spring suit. But I told him I
-didn’t have time because I had to write a Billy
-Bunny story. So he flew away with his bill
-without another twitter.
-
-And after he had flown for three hundred
-thousand short flutters he came to where Billy
-Bunny and Uncle Lucky were fishing.
-
-“There’s no use to fish any more, my friends,”
-said the Tailor Bird, “for the trout have gone
-to a dance and they don’t bite when they dance.”
-
-“That’s very kind of you to tell us that,” said
-Uncle Lucky, and he pulled his hook out of the
-water. But would you believe it, he had a ten-dollar
-bill on the end of it! Yes, sir! He did.
-
-And if I thought there were any more
-ten-dollar bills in that trout stream I’d go right off
-now without finishing this story and fish there
-for the rest of my life.
-
-“Hip, hurray!” cried Billy Bunny, and then
-he pulled in his hook and line, and would you
-believe me again, even if I don’t believe it myself,
-he had a twenty-dollar bill on his hook!
-Well, the little rabbit was so excited that he said
-“Hip, hurray!” three times and a half without
-stopping, and then he put the money in his
-pocket, and so did Uncle Lucky, and after that
-they said good-by to the Tailor Bird and went
-back to the hotel and told the Squirrel Innkeeper
-all about it. But he only laughed and
-said that was the best fish story he had ever
-heard.
-
-“Well, then,” said Uncle Lucky, “as long as
-you don’t believe us, we’ll be going.” So he and
-Billy Bunny got into the Luckymobile and drove
-away, and by and by they came to a poor little
-mouse who had on a ragged skirt and a torn sunbonnet.
-
-And what do you think dear, kind Uncle
-Lucky did? Why, he stopped the automobile
-and gave her his ten-dollar bill.
-
-“Now run home to your mother,” said the
-generous old gentleman rabbit, “and tell her to
-buy you a new dress and something for herself.”
-And didn’t she run!
-
-That is, after she got over her surprise, for at
-first she could hardly believe her eyes, for I
-guess she’d never seen a ten-dollar bill before.
-
-“The next poor person I see I’m going to give
-my twenty-dollar bill to,” said Billy Bunny.
-
-“Well, you’ll have plenty of chances,” said
-his Uncle, who of course had seen a good
-deal of the world and knew there were a few
-poor people left, although there were lots of
-money in banks and old stockings in farm-houses.
-
-Now, I haven’t room to-night to tell you who
-Billy Bunny gave his money to, but if you’ll
-wait until to-morrow night you shall hear all
-about it—that is, unless some poor person sees
-Billy Bunny before I do.
-
-STORY XIX—BILLY BUNNY AND ROBBIE REDBREAST
-==========================================
-
-Well, it was two or three days before
-Billy Bunny came across a poor person
-to whom he might give his twenty-dollar
-bill, and then Uncle Lucky wouldn’t let him.
-Wasn’t that strange?
-
-But the reason, you see, was because it was a
-tramp, and Uncle Lucky said: “A tramp is a
-man who hates work, and anybody who hates
-work is his own worst enemy.”
-
-And then he told Billy Bunny that if the
-tramp got the twenty dollars he’d hate work
-even more, so Billy Bunny put the money back
-into his pocket and later on he gave it to his dear
-mother. Which, I think, was the nicest thing he
-could have done.
-
-“And now, my dear nephew,” said the kind
-old gentleman rabbit, “let’s go back to the Old
-Briar Patch, for I know your mother is lonely.
-You have been away so long.”
-
-And then they turned the automobile toward
-Old Snake Fence Corner and by and by they
-saw Mrs. Bunny hanging out the clothes on the
-line, for it was Monday morning, which is wash-day
-in Rabbitville, just as it is in Newport and
-Hoboken.
-
-And when Mrs. Bunny saw them she was so
-excited that she pinned her thumb by mistake to
-the clothesline with a clothespin, and couldn’t
-get away until Uncle Lucky pulled down the
-clothesline and Billy Bunny pulled off the
-clothespin.
-
-“Where have you two been?” she asked when
-she had finished hugging her little bunny boy.
-But I won’t tell you what Billy Bunny told her,
-for you know it already and, anyway, it would
-take maybe two hundred and forty-nine and a
-half stories to do it. So we’ll leave Billy Bunny
-alone for a little while with his dear mother and
-go across the Pleasant Meadow to the Old Farm
-Yard to see how Cocky Docky and Henny
-Jenny are.
-
-And maybe we’ll hear something nice about
-Ducky Doodles and Turkey Purky and Mrs.
-Cow, unless you’ve forgotten all about these old
-friends.
-
-Well, it’s strange how news travels. Robbie
-Redbreast had seen Billy Bunny and Uncle
-Lucky drive up to the Old Brier Patch, and had
-flown over to tell the Weathercock on the Old
-Barn, who told Cocky Docky and then, of
-course, all the Barn Yard Folk knew that Billy
-Bunny was back again at the Old Brier Patch.
-
-Then Ducky Doodle said he thought he’d go
-for a swim, and off he waddled to the Old Mill
-Pond. And as soon as he got there he told Uncle
-Bullfrog. But he didn’t tell the Miller’s Boy.
-No, siree! He didn’t want him to know, you
-may be sure.
-
-And then, pretty soon, not so very long, Robbie
-Redbreast flew into the Friendly Forest and
-told Old Mother Magpie the news, and after
-that everybody knew that Mr. William Bunny
-had returned home from his travels. And that
-night the twinkle twinkle star shone right over
-the little rabbit’s room and sang:
-
- | The twinkle twinkle star will peep
- | At Billy Bunny fast asleep,
- | And send to him a pretty dream
- | Of silver fishes in a stream.
-
-STORY XX—BILLY BUNNY AND THE BABBLING BROOK
-===========================================
-
-The next morning after Billy Bunny and
-Uncle Lucky had returned to the Old
-Brier Patch, as I told you in the last
-story, it rained and poured, and, of course, nobody
-could go out.
-
-If it had been a gentle shower it wouldn’t
-have made any difference, but it rained so hard
-that I really believe Billy Bunny would have
-been drowned if he had even hopped out of the
-front door and back again.
-
-“Now the best thing for you to do,” said Mrs.
-Bunny after breakfast, “is to go up into the garret
-and play with all your old toys. You’ve been away
-so long they’ll all seem just like new.”
-
-So Billy Bunny hopped upstairs
-and Uncle Lucky sat down and read the Bunnyville
-“Bugle,” and Mrs. Bunny washed up the
-breakfast dishes, and, of course, they all had a
-lovely time in spite of the rain.
-
-Well, it turned out just as Mrs. Bunny had
-said. The toys in the garret all seemed just like
-new and some Billy Bunny had forgotten all
-about, so that he had a lovely time till lunch, and
-then the sun came out and dried up the wet
-places, and the Pleasant Meadow looked twice
-as green and lovely as before.
-
-Now whenever it rained Uncle Lucky’s leg
-hurt him—the leg you remember that was shot
-by the Miller’s Boy—so he said to his little
-nephew, “You run out on the meadow and play
-and I’ll stay home with your mother, for my leg
-hurts me and I don’t want to do any hopping
-to-day.”
-
-Then the little rabbit hopped away by himself
-and by and by he came to the Babbling
-Brook. So he looked into the water and when
-he saw his face he began to laugh.
-
-For Billy Bunny hadn’t looked at himself for
-so long he had forgotten how he looked, and,
-anyway, he had grown so large that he wouldn’t
-have known himself if he hadn’t been sure that
-there was nobody else looking into the water
-at the same time.
-
-And while he was laughing Mrs. Cow came
-along, the little bell tinkling at her throat and
-making such pretty music it seemed to say to the
-little rabbit:
-
- | “I’m just a tiny tinkling bell,
- | But everywhere I go
- | The people say I am so gay,
- | They love to hear me so.
- | Tinkle, tinkle, dinkle, dell,
- | Oh, I’m a happy little bell!”
-
-“Did you hear what the little bell was saying?”
-asked Billy Bunny, but Mrs. Cow shook
-her head.
-
-“It didn’t say anything but tinkle, tinkle, did
-it?” But the little rabbit felt sure it did say just
-what he thought it did, so he asked the little bell
-to tinkle again, and it did, and the tinkles said
-the same thing all over again, and this made
-Billy Bunny very happy, even if Mrs. Cow
-didn’t understand.
-
-And in the next story you shall hear how Billy
-Bunny made a call at the Old Farm.
-
-STORY XXI—BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. WILDCAT
-======================================
-
-Well, after Billy Bunny had said good-by
-to Mrs. Cow he hopped across the
-Pleasant Meadow till he came to the
-Old Barn Yard. And as soon as the Weathercock
-saw him you should have heard him crow.
-Yes, sireemam.
-
-He crowed like a regular old-fashioned everyday
-rooster, and this made all the hens and
-chickens look up, and then, of course, they saw
-Billy Bunny. And they were so glad to see the
-little rabbit they forgot to wonder how the
-Weathercock could grow.
-
-I guess the only person who wasn’t glad to see
-little Billy Bunny was Mr. Sharptooth Rat. He
-peeked out of his hole and scowled, but the little
-rabbit didn’t care, for nobody liked Mr. Sharptooth
-Rat, anyway.
-
-Well, by and by, just as little Billy Bunny
-was looking in Henny Jenny’s nest to see what a
-lot of lovely eggs she had, who should come
-along but the Miller’s Boy, and as soon as he saw
-the little rabbit he gave a yell and tried to catch
-him.
-
-The chickens tried to get in his way, and
-Cocky Docky even tried to trip him up, but the
-Miller’s Boy didn’t stumble a bit. No, siree!
-He almost caught Billy Bunny, but as long as
-he didn’t it’s all right, although he scared the
-little rabbit nearly to death.
-
-If the Miller’s Boy had had his gun with him,
-or even his dog, I’m afraid there would have
-been no more Billy Bunny stories.
-
-“Oh, pshaw!” said the Miller’s Boy, as the
-little rabbit squeezed through a hole in the hen-house
-and hopped away. “I should like to have
-caught that little rabbit!” Then Cocky Docky
-began to crow, he was so glad he hadn’t.
-
-But Billy Bunny didn’t stop for anything, he
-was so scared, and pretty soon he found himself
-in the Friendly Forest under the tree where Parson
-Owl lived. It was a long time since Billy
-Bunny had seen the old gentleman owl, so he
-stopped and looked up into the branches.
-
-But oh, dear me! Instead of seeing the blinky-winky
-friendly face of old Parson Owl he saw
-a pair of yellow eyes and a big red mouth with
-sharp teeth. And then down from the tree
-jumped a wildcat and meowed in a dreadful
-way.
-
-“Oh, please, Mrs. Wildcat, let me go,” cried
-the little rabbit, and he looked around for a hollow
-stump to hide in or a hole to crawl into,
-but there wasn’t anything like that in sight. So
-he turned to the cruel wildcat and said, “Please
-don’t bite me!” And then he opened his knapsack
-and took out a big, round doughnut, the
-kind with a big hole inside, you know, and gave
-it to the wildcat.
-
-“Take it home to your wild kittens instead of
-me, won’t you please, Mrs. Wildcat?” And
-would you believe it, she said she would, for it
-pleased her to think that little Billy Bunny
-would give her a doughnut for her kittens, for
-no one else had ever done that before, you see.
-
-STORY XXII—BILLY BUNNY AT WINDY CAVE
-====================================
-
-You remember in the last story that Billy
-Bunny gave the Wildcat a doughnut to
-take home to her little wild kittens, and
-that was why she didn’t take the little rabbit.
-
-Well, as she walked off with the doughnut,
-Billy Bunny said to himself, “I’ll never, never
-be without a doughnut in my knapsack!” And
-I guess you would have said the same thing, too,
-if a doughnut had saved you from a wildcat!
-
-After that the little rabbit hopped along
-through the Friendly Forest, and by and by he
-came to the Windy Cave. Now I know I’ve
-never told you about this cave before because
-Billy Bunny never happened to visit it, but now
-that he has I’ll tell you that it was strange sort
-of a place.
-
-If you stood at the opening you could hear the
-winds moan and groan, and every once in a
-while a great gust would come out of the mouth
-of the great cave and almost blow you off your
-feet.
-
-.. figure:: images/illus-064.jpg
- :align: center
-
- DOWN FROM THE TREE JUMPED THE WILDCAT.
-
-Well, sir, that’s just what happened to Billy
-Bunny. He no sooner stood right in front of the
-cave than a great blast of air knocked him off
-his feet and rolled him over thirty-three times
-and a half, and he would have rolled over thirty-four
-times even if a big log hadn’t been in the
-way.
-
-And it was mighty lucky for the little rabbit
-that the log was there, for if it hadn’t been he
-would have rolled right over the edge of the
-mountain. Just think of that!
-
-And just then a voice began to sing:
-
- | Oh, I’m the king of the windy cave
- | Where I have my windy throne.
- | And there I rule where it’s nice and cool
- | ’Mid the glitter of precious stone.
- | And when the autumn days are come
- | I come forth with a lusty shout,
- | And strip the trees of their whispering leaves
- | And strew them all about.
-
-And then all the trees began to shiver and
-shake, but the wind king only laughed, as he
-whispered to the little rabbit: “Don’t be afraid,
-Billy Bunny. I won’t hurt you. Come into my
-cave and I’ll give you a present!”
-
-“What kind of a present?” asked the little rabbit,
-for he wasn’t going to be fooled, no sireemam!
-
-“A big ruby pin!” said the wind king.
-
-So the little bunny went inside the cave with
-the wind king, but he didn’t go in very far, for
-he was afraid.
-
-“What’s the matter?” asked the wind king.
-“You’re not frightened, are you?”
-
-“Not exactly,” said Billy Bunny, trying to
-keep his teeth from chattering. “I guess I’m
-cold!”
-
-Then the king opened a door and, oh my!
-wasn’t it beautiful inside! The sides of the cave
-were diamonds and rubies and emeralds, and
-little gold and silver bells swung back and forth
-making a sweet kind of music.
-
-“The little breezes are ringing the bells,” said
-the wind king, and then he took out of a moss
-cushion a beautiful ruby scarfpin and handed it
-to Billy Bunny. “Put it in your tie,” said the
-king, “and don’t you ever lose it.”
-
-And in the next story if the dogwood tree in
-our yard doesn’t catch cold to-night and lose its
-bark, so it can’t scare the the pussy cat when she
-tries to climb up and catch the little robin in the
-nest, I’ll tell you about Billy Bunny and the
-Canary bird.
-
-STORY XXIII—BILLY BUNNY AND THE WILD CANARY
-===========================================
-
-Well, the Dogwood Tree in our yard
-was all right this morning. It hadn’t
-taken cold, and it was covered with
-lovely flowers, so I’m going to tell you some more
-about Billy Bunny, as I promised to in the last
-story.
-
-Well, as soon as the wind king placed the
-beautiful ruby scarfpin in the little rabbit’s cravat
-he opened the door of his cave and gave a
-big puff, and away went Billy Bunny just like
-a bullet from a gun.
-
-But he didn’t care, for he landed as nicely as
-you please on a mossy bank, and then he looked
-in the brook to see if the ruby scarfpin was still
-in his cravat, and then he looked around to see
-what he would do next. And just then a little
-wild canary began singing this song:
-
- | “I wouldn’t live within a cage,
- | I’d rather be wild and free;
- | Wherever I roam I’m always at home,
- | In forest or grassy lea.”
-
-“And so am I,” cried Billy Bunny. “I’m a
-traveler; yes, I am.” And then the little canary
-flew down from the tree and said to the little rabbit:
-“I have a little yellow brother who has always
-lived in a cage. But he can’t get me to
-live with him. I love the trees and the tall
-grasses too much.”
-
-“Where do you live?” asked the little rabbit.
-
-“Come and see,” said the little canary, and he
-flew off, and by and by he pointed to his tiny
-nest.
-
-“If I had a pair of wings,” laughed the little
-rabbit, “I’d be able to look inside and see what
-kind of furniture you have. But I’m only a four-footed
-little rabbit. Good-by!” and he hopped
-away, and by and by he came to a field of corn.
-But it was too early for the corn to be ripe, so
-the little rabbit opened his knapsack and took
-out an apple pie, for it was lunch time. And just
-as he was going to bite off a nice, big, juicy piece
-a big black crow flew down and snatched the pie
-away.
-
-And this made Billy Bunny very angry. Oh,
-my, but he was mad. And then he opened his
-knapsack and took out his gun and before the
-thieving crow had flown off more than a mile he
-dropped that apple pie. Yes, sireemam. The
-cork bullet hit him right on the end of his bill,
-and then of course he couldn’t hold on to the pie
-any longer. And before he could fly down to
-pick it up the little rabbit was there.
-
- | “Oh, ho! Mr. Crow,
- | Do you like apple pie?
- | If so, better go
- | And buy one by and by.”
-
-And this made the crow so angry that he flew
-over to a colored man who did whitewashing
-and asked him to paint him white. And in the
-next story you shall hear how Billy Bunny was
-fooled by three little sparrows.
-
-STORY XXIV—BILLY BUNNY AND THE LITTLE SPARROWS
-==============================================
-
-Well, as soon as Billy Bunny finished
-eating the apple pie which he had just
-gotten away from the bad crow who
-had stolen it, as I told you in the last story, he
-shouldered his knapsack and picked up his
-striped candy cane and then he set off once more
-on his journey of adventure.
-
-And by and by he came to a telegraph pole
-where three little sparrows were swinging back
-and forth. And when they saw the little rabbit
-they cried out all together: “Helloa, Billy
-Bunny!”
-
-“Who’s telephoning to me?” asked the little
-rabbit, for he hadn’t looked up, you see, and, of
-course, didn’t know that the little sparrows were
-sitting on the wires.
-
-And when the three little birds saw that he
-didn’t know who was talking to him, they
-thought they’d have some fun and make believe
-some one was telephoning to the little rabbit.
-So one little sparrow said, in a deep, far-away
-kind of voice:
-
-“Helloa! Helloa! Is this Billy Bunny of
-Snake Fence Corner?”
-
-“Yes, this is Billy Bunny,” cried the little rabbit,
-getting all excited and wiggling his little
-pink nose so fast that one of the little sparrows
-got so dizzy looking at him that she had to hold
-on with her bill. Pretty soon he hopped up
-close to the telegraph pole and leaned his ear
-against it.
-
- | “Helloa! Helloa! Who’s calling me?
- | Please give the name, for I cannot see.
- | Who’s at the other end of the wire, please?
- | Excuse me a minute—I’m going to sneeze.”
-
-And then Billy Bunny almost sneezed his head
-off, for the telegraph pole trembled so that it
-tickled his ear. And when you tickle a rabbit’s
-ear you are very likely to make him sneeze.
-
-Just then the three little sparrows began to
-laugh and twitter, and this, of course, made the
-little rabbit look up. And when he saw them he
-knew, at once, they were playing a joke.
-
-“So you were calling me on the telephone,
-were you?” he asked, trying not to get angry.
-For he was a very good-natured little bunny, as
-you well know by this time.
-
-“Yes, we were,” said the littlest sparrow, “but
-please don’t feel badly about it. We were only
-in fun.”
-
-“I thought perhaps it was my mother, that is
-all,” answered the little rabbit, “and I was worried
-for fear she might be anxious about me.”
-
-“Oh, she isn’t worried,” said the largest sparrow.
-And the middling-sized sparrow—the one,
-you know, who hadn’t said a word as yet—spoke
-up:
-
-“Your Uncle Lucky is, though. I was at his
-house this morning and the little sparrow who
-lives on his front porch told me that the old gentleman
-rabbit was wondering what had become
-of you.”
-
-“Well, I’ll go right off now and make him a
-call,” said Billy Bunny. And in to-morrow
-night’s story I’ll tell you what happens next.
-
-STORY XXV—BILLY BUNNY AND ROBIN REDBREAST
-=========================================
-
-In the last story I left off just where Billy
-Bunny was setting out to make a call on his
-good kind Uncle Lucky, you remember, and
-if you have forgotten, please take my word for
-it, for I keep a scrapbook of all these little stories
-and I’m sure I’m right, for I just looked to
-see.
-
-Well, as the little rabbit hopped along with
-his knapsack on his back and his striped candy
-cane in his right paw, he heard a robin redbreast
-singing in her nest, and this is what she sang:
-
- | “Some day you’ll be old enough
- | To leave the dear home nest,
- | But till that day just grow and say
- | I’ll try to do my best
- | To make my wings grow big and strong
- | And learn to sing the whole day long,
- | For some day when I’m big and free
- | I’ll build a nest in an apple tree.”
-
-And then the robin flew down to the ground
-and pushed back the pink sunbonnet on her head
-so that she could see the little rabbit without
-standing up on her toes.
-
-“Well, here is my dear little friend, Billy
-Bunny,” she twittered. “How is he to-day?”
-
-“Very well, thank you, ma’am,” replied the
-little rabbit, opening his leather knapsack to
-give her a piece of sponge cake for her little
-birdies. “That won’t hurt them a bit,” said he,
-“for my mother made it and it’s very simple.”
-
-And then the little robins peeped over their
-nest and cried, “Oh, hurry, mother dear, and
-give us the cake,” for they were just as fond of
-sponge cake as Billy Bunny was of lollypops,
-and while they were eating the cake he took a
-lollypop out of his knapsack and ate it, for he
-was hungry too, for it was half-past noon, and
-that’s the hungry hour for rabbits, I am told.
-
-Well, after that he said good-by and started
-off again for Uncle Lucky’s house. “I must get
-there before sundown,” he said to himself, “for
-I don’t want to sleep out of doors to-night if I
-can help it.”
-
-So he hopped along as fast as he was able, but
-Mr. Happy Sun was in a hurry, too, and pretty
-soon he went down behind the purple hills and
-it began to grow dark. “Oh, dear! oh, dear!”
-sighed the little rabbit, “where am I going to
-sleep if I don’t get to Uncle Lucky’s house
-pretty soon?” And just then a sleepy voice exclaimed:
-
- | “Under this bush is a soft pile of leaves,
- | Come and sleep on it if you please.”
-
-So Billy Bunny hopped under the bush and
-there he saw a little ruffed grouse, who is often
-called a quail and sometimes a pheasant. “Oh,
-thank you, Mrs. Quail,” said Billy Bunny, “you
-are very kind,” and then he made a soft bed for
-himself and went to sleep, and if he wakes up
-early enough in the morning I’ll tell you in the
-next story how he reached dear kind Uncle
-Lucky’s house.
-
-STORY XXVI—BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. QUAIL
-=====================================
-
- | “Get up, get up, you lazy folks,
- | I’m shining in the sky.
- | Awake, awake, your breakfast take,
- | Before the noon is nigh.
- | No time for lazy folks I think,
- | So don’t lie still and blink and blink,
- | But jump up with a laugh and smile
- | And sing a little all the while.”
-
-SO up jumped Billy Bunny from his bed of
-leaves where he had slept all night, as I
-told you in the last story, and after he had
-combed his fur with a little chip and dusted off
-his knapsack he opened it and took out his breakfast.
-
-And what do you suppose he had? Well, first
-he ate some nice fresh lettuce leaves, with powdered
-sugar carrots, and then a piece of apple
-pie, and when kind Mrs. Quail saw what a nice
-breakfast he had, she said:
-
-“I like pie, Mr. William Bunny.” Now the
-reason the little rabbit hadn’t offered her some
-was because he hadn’t seen her. You see, she had
-gone to sleep on the other side of the bush.
-
-“Here is some pie,” said Billy Bunny, and he
-gave her a big piece and some cracker crumbs
-and some birdseed and then a drink of lemon
-soda. Pretty soon Mrs. Quail didn’t feel a bit
-hungry, and neither did the little rabbit.
-
-And after that he buckled on his knapsack
-and started off to find his dear Uncle Lucky, but
-first he thanked Mrs. Quail for her kindness in
-letting him sleep under her bush all night and
-part of the early morning.
-
-Well, sir, that little rabbit hopped along almost
-all day, and still he didn’t reach his Uncle
-Lucky’s house. “I wonder if I have lost the
-way?” he said aloud, and, all of a sudden, a voice
-answered: “I guess you have. Lots of people
-do,” and a kind-looking old mooley cow pushed
-her head over the fence and smiled at him. And,
-oh, my, she had a big, beautiful smile, and this
-made the little rabbit laugh and forget how tired
-he was.
-
-“Do you know where my Uncle Lucky lives——Mr.
-Lucky Lefthindfoot?” he asked.
-
-“To be sure,” replied the mooley cow. “He
-lives over yonder,” and she pointed across the
-meadow. “Hop under the fence, little rabbit,
-and then hop across the meadow, over the
-daisies and buttercups, and you’ll find the place,
-never fear.”
-
-So the little rabbit did as she told him, and
-when he came to the fence on the other side he
-saw his uncle’s house not very far away. But,
-oh, dear me! The fence was not at all like the
-fence on the other side. There wasn’t any room
-between the woven wires to crawl through, and
-so Billy Bunny didn’t know what to do.
-
-But he didn’t wonder very long. No, sireemam.
-He started right in to dig a tunnel under
-that wire fence, and pretty soon he was on the
-other side, hopping away toward Uncle Lucky’s
-house, and in about five hundred and a half hops,
-skips and jumps he came to the front gate.
-
-And there on the porch sat the kind old gentleman
-rabbit, with the big diamond pin which
-his nephew had given him shining like a star
-in his red tie. And in to-morrow’s story I’ll tell
-you what a good time the little rabbit had at his
-uncle’s house.
-
-STORY XXVII—BILLY BUNNY AND THE THEATER PLAY
-============================================
-
-As Billy Bunny hopped up the steps of
-Uncle Lucky’s house, the old gentleman
-rabbit, who was lying in the hammock,
-as I told you in the last story, jumped up and
-said, “I’m glad to see you. Where have you
-been all this time?”
-
-And then when he saw the beautiful ruby
-scarfpin in the little rabbit’s tie—the ruby pin
-which the King of the Windy Cave had given
-Billy Bunny, you remember—he said: “And
-where did you get that mag-nif-i-cent pin?”
-
-And of course the little rabbit told the old
-gentleman rabbit all about it, and when he finished
-the story it was time for supper. So Uncle
-Lucky opened the screen door just a little so
-that the flies wouldn’t get in, and he and Billy
-Bunny squeezed through the crack and went into
-the dining room.
-
-Well, after supper was over, they decided to
-go down to the village and see if there was a show
-at the Opera House that night. And sure
-enough there was, and the name of the play was
-“The Tortoise and the Hare.”
-
-“That sounds interesting,” said Uncle Lucky
-and he bought two box seats for two carrot dollars,
-and he and his little nephew went inside.
-
-“Mr. Hare is a first cousin,” he said to Billy
-Bunny as they sat down in the box and leaned
-over the railing to look at the people.
-
-Well, pretty soon the music started and then
-the curtain went up and the play commenced.
-I suppose you all have read the fable—how the
-tortoise and the hare ran a race and the hare
-got so far ahead that he lay down to take a nap,
-but the slow old tortoise kept right on all the
-time, and when the hare woke up it was too late,
-for the tortoise had won the race.
-
-Well, anyway, I’ve told you the story, but I
-haven’t told you what happened when the hare
-went to sleep. You see, he lay down near the
-box where Billy Bunny and kind Uncle Lucky
-were seated, and by and by, after he had been
-asleep for quite a long time, Uncle Lucky grew
-very nervous.
-
-“My gracious!” he exclaimed to Billy Bunny,
-“if that silly cousin of ours does not wake up
-pretty soon he might as well sleep there all
-night, for the race will be won and the opera
-house closed up and we’ll be home in bed.”
-
-And then Billy Bunny began to get very nervous,
-too, and he wiggled about in his seat and
-made funny little noises to wake up the hare.
-But the hare slept on, and I believe he even
-snored.
-
-Well, sir, try as the two little rabbits might,
-they couldn’t wake him up, until, at last, Billy
-Bunny took the automobile horn, which he had
-brought in with him so that nobody could blow
-on it, and blew a dreadful loud blast.
-
-And this woke up the hare and one of the
-ushers, who ran up to the box and begged Uncle
-Lucky not to let Billy Bunny blow on the horn
-again. “For,” said the usher, “it’s only a play
-and the hare mustn’t wake up until the tortoise
-wins the race.”
-
-“Well, I won’t see my cousin beaten by an old
-tortoise,” said Uncle Lucky.
-
-And he and Billy Bunny hopped out of the
-Opera House and went home.
-
-STORY XXVIII—BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. WEASEL
-========================================
-
-As soon as Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky
-got home after leaving the Opera House,
-as I told you in the last story, they heard
-a loud noise in the back yard.
-
-“What’s that?” said Uncle Lucky, and he
-peeked around the corner of the porch while
-Billy Bunny took his popgun out of his knapsack
-so as to be ready in case it was a burglar.
-
-“I don’t see anything,” whispered the old
-gentleman rabbit; “you take a look.” So Billy
-Bunny peeped around the corner and then he
-hopped backward, almost knocking Uncle
-Lucky head over tail.
-
-And before you could say “Jack Rabbit!”
-Old Man Weasel jumped from behind the house
-and glared at the two rabbits with his wicked
-eyes.
-
-“Good evening, Mr. Weasel,” said Uncle
-Lucky, pushing Billy Bunny behind him, for
-he was a brave old rabbit, was Uncle Lucky,
-and he was going to save his little nephew from
-being eaten up by the wicked weasel, if he could.
-
-“Good evening, gentlemen,” replied Old Man
-Weasel, licking his lips and glaring at them
-with his fierce little eyes. “You look sweet and
-tender to me.”
-
-“Your eyesight is pretty poor,” said Uncle
-Lucky bravely, “and I don’t feel very sweet just
-now, and I’m too old to be tender,” and he wriggled
-his nose so fast in the moonlight that it
-made Old Man Weasel dizzy to look at it, and
-he had to turn away, and while he wasn’t looking,
-Billy Bunny lifted his gun to his shoulder
-and pulled the trigger.
-
-And when the cork hit the wicked weasel
-it made him jump right up into the air, and
-when he came down he sprained his right foot
-on a big stone so that he cried:
-
- | “Oh, dear! oh, dear! And woe is me!
- | I’ve sprained an ankle and a knee.
- | I cannot walk, I cannot run!
- | Plague take that little rabbit’s gun!
- | Oh, won’t you call an am-bu-lance,
- | My home is such a great dis-tance!”
-
-“If you’ll promise not to come here again,”
-said kind Uncle Lucky, “I’ll call up the hospital.
-If you don’t promise I’ll call the Policeman
-Dog and ask him to tickle you with his club,”
-and the old gentleman rabbit hopped down to
-the front gate and pretended to call a policeman,
-which frightened Old Man Weasel nearly
-to death. He’d rather have a sprained knee
-than be tickled by a policeman’s club any day in
-the week.
-
-“I’ll promise! I’ll promise!” he cried, and
-then Billy Bunny went to the telephone and
-called up the hospital and they sent an ambulance
-around. And the doctor—the man in
-white, you know, who sits on the back seat of
-the ambulance—tied up the weasel’s knee so he
-couldn’t bend it, and his ankle so he couldn’t
-wiggle it, and then he placed him in the ambulance,
-while the Policeman Dog stood by to
-keep the crowds away, only of course there
-wasn’t any crowds there, for it was midnight,
-you know.
-
-And in the next story I will tell you more
-about the two little rabbits if they only get up
-in time, for they’ve stayed up pretty late to-night
-and may not hear the alarm clock in the
-morning.
-
-STORY XXIX—BILLY BUNNY AND THE POLICEMAN DOG
-============================================
-
-“Well, that’s a great relief,” exclaimed
-Uncle Lucky, as the ambulance drove
-away with Old Man Weasel, who had
-tried to eat up Billy Bunny and his kind uncle
-in the story before this, and would have swallowed
-them both if the little rabbit hadn’t hit
-him with a cork bullet from his popgun, you
-remember.
-
-Of course, it was very kind of Billy Bunny to
-call up the ambulance to take away the wicked
-weasel, after he had sprained his ankle, but it
-was also very wise. For who wants a wicked
-weasel around, even if he has a sprained ankle
-and can’t do you any harm?
-
-Well, after everything was quiet and the Policeman
-Dog had taken a drink of cider and a
-cigar, the two little rabbits sat down on the front
-porch, for it was too late to go to bed, or maybe
-it was too early, for the first faint streaks of daylight
-were spreading over the sky, and by the
-time Uncle Lucky could unlace his shoes and
-untie his red cravat and wind his gold watch,
-it would be time to get dressed again.
-
-So he and Billy Bunny sat down and waited
-for breakfast, and by and by the Japanese cook
-came out to sweep off the front porch, and when
-he saw Mr. Lucky Lefthindfoot and his nephew,
-Billy Bunny, sitting there, he ran back into the
-kitchen and dropped two eggs on the floor and
-put the tea into the coffee grinder and the salt
-into the sugar bowl, he was so excited because
-he thought it must be ’way past breakfast time.
-
-And then the old gentleman rabbit began to
-sing:
-
- | “Never hurry—makes worry;
- | Worry makes you thin.
- | If you’re clever you’ll endeavor
- | Never to begin.”
-
-And I guess the Japanese cook heard him, for
-in a few minutes breakfast was ready, and this
-time the eggs were dropped on toast instead of
-the floor.
-
-By and by, after Uncle Lucky had smoked his
-cigar, he and Billy Bunny went out to the garage
-and cranked up the Luckymobile and went
-for a ride. And when they had gone for a mile
-or less they came across their old friend the Circus
-Elephant.
-
-But, oh, dear me! He was an awful sight.
-His left eye had a bandage over it and his trunk
-was rolled up in cotton and his left hind foot
-had an old carpet slipper on and his tail was
-done up in splints and he was weeping great big
-tears, for he felt dreadfully miserable.
-
-“What is the matter?” asked Billy Bunny, as
-Uncle Lucky stopped the automobile.
-
-“Oh, dear! Oh, dear!” sobbed the big animal.
-“I was in a Fourth of July celebration and
-the roman candles got mixed up with the sky-rockets
-and the cannon crackers with the pin
-wheels, and the first thing I knew I was hit in
-two million, nine hundred and a few dozen
-places, and if it hadn’t been for a pink cross
-nurse I’d be a dead elephant by this time.”
-
-“Get into the automobile,” said Uncle Lucky,
-“and we’ll take you home with us,” and in the
-next story, if the catbird doesn’t scratch the dogfish,
-I’ll tell you who broke the springs in the
-automobile, unless you guess who did before to-morrow
-night.
-
-STORY XXX—BILLY BUNNY AND THE CIRCUS ELEPHANT
-=============================================
-
-Let me see. I left off in the last story
-when the Circus Elephant stepped into
-the Luckymobile, didn’t I? You remember
-he had been injured in a Fourth of July
-celebration, and good, kind Uncle Lucky offered
-to take him home.
-
-Well as soon as he sat down the tires burst
-and then, of course, the automobile wouldn’t
-go, for the cabaret wouldn’t work and the engine
-wouldn’t whistle. So Billy Bunny got out the
-sticking plaster and fixed the tires and then he
-made the elephant blow them up with his trunk,
-but he wouldn’t let him get in again.
-
-No, sir. He said, “Now look here, Elly.
-You’re too heavy for the Luckymobile, so you’ll
-have to walk, but you can put your trunk in the
-back seat if that will help any.” So the Circus
-Elephant lifted his trunk into the automobile
-and ran along behind until they came to Uncle
-Lucky’s house.
-
-And wasn’t he tired when they reached the
-front gate! He was so tired that he lay down
-in the hammock and went sound to sleep and
-snored so loud that everybody thought the janitor
-had put on the steam, although it was July.
-
-“Goodness me!” exclaimed the kind old gentleman
-rabbit, “that elephant makes so much
-noise that nobody will be able to sleep to-night!”
-And Uncle Lucky scratched his left ear with
-his right hind leg and tried to think what was
-best to do, for he just hated to wake up that
-poor tired elephant.
-
-Well, just then, who should come along but
-a man with a piano organ, and as soon as Uncle
-Lucky saw him he asked him to play the loudest
-tune and play it just as fast as he could.
-
-Of course the poor, tired Circus Elephant
-woke up, and when he saw that organ man, he
-jumped out of the hammock and ran down the
-front walk and grabbed the piano and threw
-it clear across the road into a pond.
-
-And when the organ man saw that he started
-off as fast as he could and never came back, for
-he had always been dreadfully afraid of elephants,
-because when he was a boy he had given
-one a piece of chewing gum instead of a peanut,
-and he never forgot what the elephant did
-to him when he found it out.
-
-“Look here, Elly,” said Uncle Lucky, “if
-you’ll promise not to snore I’ll let you sleep in
-my bed to-night; but if you don’t, you’ll have
-to sleep out in the field, for nobody can stand
-the noise you make.”
-
-“Well, I can’t stay all night, anyway,” said
-the elephant, “for the circus comes to town to-day
-and I’ll be in the performance this evening.
-Thank you, just the same.” And then he said
-good-by to Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky and
-walked down the road, but before he left he
-gave them each two tickets with his compliments.
-
-And if the trolley car doesn’t swim across the
-river and splash the conductor so that he can’t
-ring up the fares, I’ll tell you next time whether
-Uncle Lucky and Billy Bunny went to the circus.
-
-STORY XXXI—BILLY BUNNY AND THE CHEERFUL LITTLE BIRD
-===================================================
-
-You remember in the last story that the
-Circus Elephant gave Uncle Lucky and
-Billy Bunny tickets to go to the show.
-Well, I’m awfully sorry to tell you they didn’t
-go, and the reason was because the tent caught
-fire, and before the firemen in Bunnytown
-could put out the flames the spangles were all
-burnt off the circus queen’s dress and the ice
-cream cones were all melted and the peanuts
-roasted blacker than a coal, and the lemonade
-boiled over and burnt the alligator’s tail so that
-he wouldn’t stand on his head.
-
-And oh, dear me! The circus folk all had
-to sleep with the animals, and the fat lady
-couldn’t get into the monkey cage, so she had
-to lie down on the grass underneath for the
-night, and she caught an awful cold and almost
-had the chickenpox.
-
-Of course Billy Bunny and his good, kind
-uncle were dreadfully disappointed, and when
-they got home they played on the victrola a new
-song called: “If you want to borrow money
-don’t you ever come to me,” and after that they
-went to bed, and when they woke up they heard
-the little sparrow singing on the front porch:
-
- | Sing a song of summer,
- | And the happy flowers;
- | Sing a song of sunshine
- | Through the golden hours
- |
- | Always sing of gladness
- | Through the live-long year
- | Even in December,
- | When it’s cold and drear.
-
-“I’m going to take some crumbs out to that
-cheerful little bird,” and kind Uncle Lucky
-sprinkled sponge cake crumbs all over the porch,
-and the sparrow and her little birdies had a
-scrumptious feast.
-
-And after that the telephone rang and Mrs.
-Bunny called up to find out how Billy Bunny
-was. And when Uncle Lucky said he was very
-well she said she was glad, because if he had
-been sick she would have wanted him brought
-home im-me-die-ate-ly.
-
-But as long as he wasn’t she wanted him back
-anyway, because she was so lonely without him.
-And then of course the little rabbit had to say
-good-by to his dear kind uncle and start right
-oft for the Old Brier Patch.
-
-Well, sir! He hadn’t gone for more than a
-million hops, and maybe a few skips and jumps,
-when he came across his old friend the Brown
-Horse. “Hello, there!” said the good-natured
-animal; “how is your Bunny Highness?”
-
-“I’m all right,” said the little rabbit, “but
-what are you doing here in the woods?”
-
-“Ssh!” whispered the Brown Horse. “I ran
-away to-day and I’m afraid the policeman will
-catch me for exceeding the speed limit.”
-
-“So I’m hiding here.” And just then they
-heard a whistle, but you’ll have to wait to find
-out whether it’s a policeman or a locomotive engine
-until the next story, for I’ve no more room
-in this one.
-
-STORY XXXII—BILLY BUNNY AND THE MILLER’S BOY
-============================================
-
-As soon as the Brown Horse heard that
-whistle which I mentioned in the last
-story, but couldn’t tell you what kind of
-a whistle it was because I had no more room,
-he jumped clear across the brook which was
-close by and never stopped running until he
-found himself once more in his own stable.
-
-And then before Billy Bunny could even say
-“Call me up on the telephone,” or “Won’t you
-lunch with me to-morrow,” of course the Brown
-Horse was out of sight. So the little rabbit
-waited a minute to see if he could hear the
-strange whistle again, and sure enough he did,
-and it was right close to him this time, and when
-he looked around there stood the Miller’s Boy.
-
-And before Billy Bunny could hop away
-something hard hit him on the head and he
-rolled over on the ground and didn’t wake up
-until he found himself rolled up in the Miller
-Boy’s jacket, and oh, dear me! The Miller’s
-Boy was walking home as fast as he could and
-there was our dear little Billy Bunny wrapped
-up like a Christmas present so that he couldn’t
-even wiggle his left ear.
-
-“Oh, mercy me!” cried the little rabbit, “I’m
-a goner now as sure as Monday comes after Sunday
-and sunshine after rain and a stomach ache
-after eating green apples!”
-
-And then he tried to squirm about, but the
-Miller’s Boy squeezed all the harder, so Billy
-Funny decided to keep quiet, for he didn’t want
-to have all his breath squeezed out of him, you
-know.
-
-Well, by and by, as the Miller’s Boy walked
-along, the jacket slipped a little under his arm,
-and then Billy Bunny saw a little light through
-the arm sleeve. And before you could say
-“Jumping cats!” he pushed through the sleeve
-and down to the ground and hopped away, free
-as a bird in the air or a fish in the ocean.
-
-And I’m so glad that I’m going to say “Hip,
-hip, hurrah!” just as loud as I can, for if there
-is anybody I hate it is that Miller’s Boy. Ever
-since I started to tell you about Billy Bunny he
-has been trying to catch this dear little rabbit
-and this time I certainly thought he had. And
-now that Billy Bunny is safe I’m so happy I
-could shout again.
-
- | Go home you horrid Miller’s Boy,
- | Who’s always trying to annoy
- | The Friendly Little Forest Folk
- | By trying every kind of joke.
- | Go home and tie the bags of meal
- | And never try again to steal
- | A little rabbit on his way,
- | Who’s always cheerful all the day.
-
-Well, after the little rabbit had hopped for
-maybe a mile or three, he thought he was safe,
-and so he stopped to rest, and I would tell
-you right now what he did, only I must stop so
-as to get this story in the paper in time for tonight,
-so pleasant dreams and happy wakening.
-
-STORY XXXIII—BILLY BUNNY AND OLD MOTHER MAGPIE
-==============================================
-
-As I told you in the last story, little Billy
-Bunny stopped to rest after escaping
-from the Miller’s Boy, and while he
-stood on his hind legs and looked around, who
-should fly down from a tree but Old Mother
-Magpie. And the very first thing she said to
-the little rabbit was, “My goodness, what a
-dirty little bunny you are.”
-
-And this of course made Billy Bunny very
-angry, for he didn’t think he was dirty. So he
-opened his knapsack and took out a little mirror
-which a lady bunny had dropped one day in the
-Friendly Forest and looked at himself, and
-sure enough there was a great black smudge
-right across his face.
-
-“Ha! Ha!” laughed Old Mother Magpie.
-“You wouldn’t believe me, would you?” And
-then she laughed again.
-
-“No, I wouldn’t believe anything you said,”
-answered the little rabbit, “for you’ve told more
-untruths about people than anybody I know,
-and that’s the reason they call you ‘Old Mother
-Mischief.’”
-
-Well, sir! This made her so mad that she
-flew at the little rabbit, and maybe she would
-have pecked his eyes out if he hadn’t put on a
-pair of goggles that belonged to his dear, kind
-Uncle Lucky.
-
-“Please go ’way,” said the little rabbit, “I
-can’t help being rude to you because you’re so
-rude to other people,” and he hopped away as
-fast as he could before she could say another
-unkind word, and by and by he came across
-Squirrel Nutcracker.
-
-Now the old gentleman squirrel had grown
-pretty old and was very hard of hearing, and
-when Billy Bunny said “Good morning” he
-never heard him at all, but just sat there on the
-old log and ate a peanut which he had saved
-from the last circus.
-
-So Billy Bunny hopped up behind him and
-leaned over and called out quite loud right in
-his left ear, “Good morning!” And this so
-startled Old Squirrel Nutcracker that he swallowed
-the peanut shell, and then he began to
-choke until he got black and blue in the face.
-
-And, of course, this frightened the little rabbit,
-too, for he felt it was his fault, so he patted
-Old Squirrel Nutcracker on the back, and by
-and by the old gentleman squirrel stopped
-coughing, although he was dreadfully mad to
-think that he had swallowed the circus peanut
-without even tasting it.
-
-“Look here, young rabbit,” he said with a
-scowl, “don’t you ever again shout in my ear!
-If you do I’ll pin back both your ears with a
-pine needle and send you home to your mother!”
-Wasn’t that a dreadful thing for him to
-say?
-
-Well, sir, after that Billy Bunny thought it
-was time to be going, so he bowed to the old
-squirrel and hopped away, and after maybe a
-million hops, skips and jumps, he reached the
-Old Brier Patch, where he found his dear
-mother standing in the doorway of her little
-house waiting for her bunny boy.
-
-And that’s a good place to leave him for to-night,
-don’t you think so? For we’ll know he’s
-safe and sound with his own dear mother, so go
-to sleep and to-morrow I’ll tell you another
-story; yes, I will, if you are good.
-
-STORY XXXIV—BILLY BUNNY AND DICKEY MEADOW MOUSE
-===============================================
-
-Ting-a-ling! went the rising bell,
-and Billy Bunny opened his left eye
-and twinkled his nose and stretched his
-right hind leg, and then he was wide awake.
-
-But before he got out of bed he pulled out
-his gold watch and chain, the watch which his
-kind Uncle Lucky Lefthindfoot had given him,
-you remember, from under his pillow, for he
-was so sleepy he wondered if his mother hadn’t
-made a mistake. But, no, she hadn’t.
-
-It was half past fourteen o’clock and Mr.
-Happy Sun was laughing through the little
-window. So up jumped Billy Bunny and
-combed his fur and parted it in the middle
-down his back, and after that he was almost
-ready for breakfast, except to brush his teeth
-with a new toothbrush which he had bought at
-the Three-in-one-cent store.
-
-After breakfast he started right out to play
-on the Pleasant Meadow, and the first person
-he saw was little Dickey Meadow Mouse. He
-had just come out of his little grass ball house
-and was looking around to see what he would
-do.
-
-“Good morning,” said Billy Bunny, “how
-are you this lovely day?”
-
-And of course Dickey Meadow Mouse said
-he was well, for the little people of the Pleasant
-Meadow are never ill unless some enemy
-injures them, for they know how to take very
-good care of themselves, you know, and kind
-Mother Nature always provides them with
-enough to eat, and sometimes more.
-
-And while they stood there laughing and
-talking Tommy Turtle passed by with his little
-shell house on his back, which always goes with
-him, rain or shine. Isn’t it nice not to have to
-move out of your house, but always have it go
-with you?
-
-“Come with me, Billy Bunny,” cried Tommy
-Turtle, “I’m going down to the Old Mill Pond
-for a swim.” So the little rabbit said good-by
-to Dickey Meadow Mouse and went with
-Tommy Turtle, and by and by they came to the
-pond where Old Uncle Bullfrog sat all day on
-his log and caught flies until he grew so fat
-that his white waistcoat bulged out till the buttons
-nearly popped off.
-
- | “Kerchunk! Kerchunk! Kerplunk! Kerplunk!
- | I’m king of this Old Mill Pond.
- | I never care to go anywhere,
- | Not even a foot beyond.
- |
- | For I’m contented to stay right here
- | Where the cattails wave in the at-mos-phere,
- | And the Darning Needles and Bottle Flies
- | Dart and skim ’neath the summer skies.”
-
-And then the old frog blinked his eyes and
-swallowed a foolish fly that came too near.
-
-“Top of the morning to you, Uncle Bullfrog,”
-said little Billy Bunny. “Does the Miller’s
-Boy throw stones at you nowadays?”
-
-“Sometimes,” said the old gentleman frog,
-“but not so often of late, for his father is away
-and he doesn’t have the time. He has to look
-after the Old Mill, you know.”
-
-And just then a stone splashed in the water,
-but I’ll let you guess who threw it until the
-next story.
-
-STORY XXXV—BILLY BUNNY AND BIG BROWN BEAR
-=========================================
-
-If you haven’t guessed who threw the stone
-at Old Uncle Bullfrog in the last story, I’ll
-tell you right now. It was that bad Miller’s
-Boy.
-
-Yes, siree. There he stood, not very far away,
-and he was just going to throw another, when
-the old gentleman frog thought it was time to
-take a dive and the little rabbit thought it was
-time to take a hop, and Tommy Turtle to take
-a swim and soon Uncle Bullfrog was deep down
-on the muddy bottom where he ate his breakfast
-without a thought of the Miller’s Boy.
-
-Well, after a few short hops Billy Bunny
-found himself in the Friendly Forest close to
-Timmy Chipmunk’s little store, where he sold
-candy carrots and lettuce sandwiches and lemon
-soda.
-
-So the little rabbit opened his knapsack and
-took out a handful of carrot pennies and bought
-a lovely apple pie, which the little chipmunk’s
-mother had baked that very morning. And as
-soon as the pie was all gone Billy Bunny hopped
-away and by and by he came to the cave where
-the Big Brown Bear sold honey.
-
-Now Mr. Bear was very cross this particular
-morning, for the day before while he was looking
-over a bees’ nest some of the bees had been
-very rude and had stung him on the nose.
-
-And now it was all swollen up so that he
-couldn’t find a pocket handkerchief big enough
-to tickle it with, and so of course he was very
-miserable.
-
-“I don’t feel at all sociable,” which means
-friendly, you know, he said to the little rabbit.
-“So you had better be on your way and leave a
-crusty old bear to himself.” But do you think
-Billy Bunny did this? No siree, and a no sireemam.
-
-He just opened his knapsack and took out
-some lettuce cold cream and rubbed it gently
-over the bear’s nose and pretty soon it felt so
-well that Mr. Bear said, “Come with me, Billy
-Bunny, and we’ll go down to the Three-and-one-cent
-store to buy a handkerchief, for now that
-my nose is well again, I don’t care if I spend all
-my money to buy a handkerchief.”
-
-So off they started, and when they reached
-the store the bear forgot all about his nose and
-bought a little blue tin whistle instead. Wasn’t
-that fine, for it’s lots more fun to blow on a
-whistle than on a handkerchief, don’t you think
-so?
-
-“Well, now that you are happy again,” said
-the little rabbit, “I’ll go my way, for I’m seeking
-adventures, you know, and I want to see the
-wide, wide world so as to grow up a learned
-rabbit,” and he hopped off down the Friendly
-Forest trail.
-
-And in the next story, if the ink-well on my
-desk doesn’t stub my quill pen when I sign my
-name to this story, I’ll tell you more about little
-Billy Bunny.
-
-STORY XXXVI—BILLY BUNNY AND PROFESSOR CROW
-==========================================
-
-Let me see. I left off in the last story
-just as little Billy Bunny was hopping
-down the Friendly Forest path. Well,
-he hadn’t gone very far when he saw old Professor
-Crow.
-
-Now, the professor wasn’t very busy, you
-know, for school was over and there were no
-little people to teach how to crow—I mean how
-to read and write—so he had plenty of time to
-himself, and as soon as he saw the little rabbit
-he flew down from the tree and began to talk.
-“I’m sorry to have to tell you,” he began, “that
-my little boy, Blackie Crow, has the measles.”
-
-And you know that’s a dreadfully uncomfortable
-kind of a thing to have, for you have to
-be so careful of your eyes. Now, when an owl
-gets the measles it doesn’t make so much difference,
-for they don’t want to go out in the sunlight,
-but with a crow, oh dear me and oh dear
-you! it’s the hardest thing in the world to keep
-in the dark, and Professor Crow gave a tremendous
-sigh and looked very sad.
-
-“I’m very sorry for Blackie Crow,” said the
-little rabbit. “Won’t you tell him I’m sorry?”
-and then the generous little rabbit took a lollypop
-out of his knapsack and told Professor
-Crow to take it home to his little boy.
-
-Wasn’t that nice? I think I know a little boy
-who would be glad to have the measles every
-day if he could get a lollypop.
-
-And after that Billy Bunny shut up his knapsack
-and swung it over his shoulder and hopped
-away, and by and by, not so very long, he heard
-a little bird singing:
-
- | “Up in my nest I’ve five little birds,
- | Waiting for mother to feed them.
- | What would I do if I should lose two?
- | I’d be too unhappy to heed them.
- | So that is the reason I look everywhere
- | When I fly from my nest in the bright morning
- | air.”
-
-And then she looked down at little Billy
-Bunny with his striped candy cane in his right
-paw and his knapsack over his shoulder.
-
-And then she laughed out loud, and her
-laugh sounded just like music, for it was a
-mother bird’s laugh, you know, and that always
-has the music of love in it.
-
-“Good morning, Mrs. Bird,” said the little
-rabbit. “I won’t hurt your little ones.”
-
-“I know that,” said the mother bird, “for you
-are a kind little rabbit. But there are lots of
-four-footed little animals who are very unkind
-to birds, so that is the reason I sing this song to
-let them know that I am always watching over
-my nest.”
-
-And after that Billy Bunny hopped away, but
-before he went he left a big piece of chocolate
-cake on a clean white stone for Mrs. Bird to
-crumble up for her little ones. Wasn’t that nice
-of the little rabbit, for he was very fond of
-chocolate cake, I know, for he once told me so.
-
-STORY XXXVII—BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. GROUSE
-========================================
-Well, before I go any further, I’ll tell
-you that the little birds were so delighted
-with the chocolate cake which
-the little rabbit left for them on the clean white
-stone, as I told you in the last story, that they
-went right to sleep after eating it and dreamed
-of a little white candy bunny and a big birthday
-cake with seven pink candles in it.
-
-And after that little Billy Bunny hopped
-away, lippity, lip, clippity clip, and by and by
-he came to the Old Brush Heap where Cousin
-Cottontail lived before she moved next door
-to his mother in the Old Brier Patch at Snake
-Fence Corner.
-
-And just as he reached the little patch that
-led into the Old Brush Heap he met Mrs.
-Grouse with her brood of little brown birdies.
-
-“Good morning, Billy Bunny,” she said,
-while her small brood hid themselves in the
-dry leaves that strewed the ground. “Come
-here, children,” she called, “Billy Bunny won’t
-hurt you. He’s a friend.” So the little brown
-birds came out from their hiding places and
-stood in a row and bowed as nicely as you
-please, and the little rabbit opened his knapsack
-and gave them each a candy carrot.
-
-Wasn’t that kind of him? And after that he
-said a little poem, and how I came to hear it
-was because a little wild canary, who was sitting
-close by, told it to me.
-
-And this is the way it went:
-
- | “I am Billy Bunny from Old Snake
- | Fence Corner Town,
- | So don’t be worried, don’t be hurried,
- | Little birds of brown.
- | Mother knows I will not harm you;
- | I’m no cruel snake to charm you,
- | So be merry; here’s a cherry
- | From the Circus Clown.”
-
-And then he gave them a big red cherry, a
-candy cherry, you know, which his friend the
-Clown at the circus had given him a long time
-ago.
-
-“Well, I must be hopping along,” said the
-little rabbit after the little birds had picked the
-cherry candy all to pieces until there was nothing
-left but the stone.
-
-So away he went again to seek more
-adventures, and after a little while, not so very long
-ago, he came to the railroad bridge where you
-remember he and his brother, Bobby Tail, had
-taken a ride one day, oh, so long ago, maybe
-one hundred stories back, in a big empty freight
-car. And just then a train came by, and when
-the engineer saw Billy Bunny he stopped the
-train, for I suppose he thought the little rabbit
-wanted to get aboard.
-
-And the brakeman helped him on and away
-went the train, over the rails that went clunkity,
-clunk, clunkity clunk, while the smoke from the
-engine trailed out behind, like a long gray feather.
-And the train didn’t stop until the brakeman
-called out Lettuceville, where a thousand
-little rabbits raised lovely green lettuce in a big
-field.
-
-And in the next story you shall hear how the
-little rabbit scratched his ear and had some lettuce
-salad, too, all covered o’er with sugar dew.
-
-STORY XXXVIII—BILLY BUNNY AND THE CARLOAD OF LETTUCE LEAVES
-===========================================================
-
-You remember in the last story I left off
-just as Billy Bunny got out of the train
-at Lettuceville, where there was a big
-family of rabbits who raised lettuce leaves for
-all the bunnies in the big U. S. A.
-
-And the first person he saw was an old gray-haired
-rabbit, who said: “Glad to see you, Mr.
-William Bunny. Do you want to buy a car-load
-of lettuce leaves?”
-
-“How much?” asked the little rabbit.
-
-“Five million carrot cents,” replied the old
-gentleman bunny, “and that’s very cheap, for
-the leaves are big and juicy and will keep all
-winter if you put them in the ice house.”
-
-.. figure:: images/illus-112.jpg
- :align: center
-
- THE RABBITS JUMPED INTO THE CUPBOARD AND CLOSED THE DOOR.
-
-Well, sir, this was a very cheap price, don’t
-you think so? And Billy Bunny thought so, too,
-for he opened his knapsack and took out five
-million carrot cents and gave them to the old
-gray-haired bunny, and after that all the farmer
-bunnies loaded a big freight car just full of
-lettuce leaves and marked on the outside in
-chalk:
-
- | “MR. WILLIAM BUNNY,
- | Brier Patch, Old Snake Fence Corner, U. S. A.”
- |
- | “RUSH! Fast Freight.”
-
-And then it was time for lunch, so the old
-rabbit said to his new customer, which was Billy
-Bunny, of course:
-
-“Come with me to my home and we’ll have
-something to eat.” And as Billy Bunny had a
-great big appetite by this time, and I might say
-right here that rabbits always are hungry, he
-hopped away with the lettuce rabbit farmer,
-and by and by they came to a little green house
-in a raspberry patch with a lovely clover field
-on one side and a peach orchard on the other.
-
-“I’ve brought my friend, Billy Bunny, home
-to lunch,” said the old gray-haired bunny to a
-nice-looking lady rabbit whose gray hair was
-parted in the middle and held down on each
-side by two red coral combs.
-
-“Why, it’s Billy Bunny,” she said. “I know
-his mother and his cousin, Mrs. Cottontail.”
-And she led them into the little green house.
-After they had eaten all they wanted she made
-the pianola play this song:
-
- | “The clover patch is in full bloom
- | With juicy red-topped clover.
- | Across the lea the honey bee
- | Looks like a golden rover.”
-
-And it might have kept on playing some
-more, only just then who should look into the
-door but Daddy Fox. As soon as the pianola
-saw him it stopped right then and there, and the
-rabbits jumped into the cupboard and closed the
-door and turned the key on the inside before
-you could say “Jack Rabbit.”
-
-“Ha! ha!” laughed Daddy Fox. “I’ll stay
-here till you get so tired of that cupboard prison
-that you’ll come out. And when you do, you
-know what will happen, for I don’t like lettuce
-leaves and I just love rabbits.”
-
-Wasn’t that a dreadful thing to hear? But,
-never mind. I’m not going to let that wicked
-fox get the best of Billy Bunny and his friends.
-No, sir. Not if I have to go there myself to-morrow
-and scare him away with a gun.
-
-But this book won’t hold any more, and I’ll
-have to tell what happened further to our animal
-friends in the next one, which is entitled “Billy
-Bunny and Uncle Bull Frog.”
-
-.. class:: align-center
-
-THE END
-
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-|
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-.. image:: images/illus-ad1.jpg
- :align: center
-
-|
-|
-
-.. image:: images/illus-ad2.jpg
- :align: center
-
-.. vspace:: 5
-
-.. _pg_end_line:
-
-\*\*\* END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BILLY BUNNY AND DADDY FOX \*\*\*
-
-.. backmatter::
-
-.. toc-entry::
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diff --git a/35090-rst/images/cover.jpg b/35090-rst/images/cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 2751e6a..0000000 --- a/35090-rst/images/cover.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/35090-rst/images/illus-032.jpg b/35090-rst/images/illus-032.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 2e856d5..0000000 --- a/35090-rst/images/illus-032.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/35090-rst/images/illus-064.jpg b/35090-rst/images/illus-064.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 67165c4..0000000 --- a/35090-rst/images/illus-064.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/35090-rst/images/illus-112.jpg b/35090-rst/images/illus-112.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index cc77aaf..0000000 --- a/35090-rst/images/illus-112.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/35090-rst/images/illus-ad1.jpg b/35090-rst/images/illus-ad1.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 212e0c1..0000000 --- a/35090-rst/images/illus-ad1.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/35090-rst/images/illus-ad2.jpg b/35090-rst/images/illus-ad2.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 3cdb107..0000000 --- a/35090-rst/images/illus-ad2.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/35090-rst/images/illus-fpc.jpg b/35090-rst/images/illus-fpc.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 90d1e25..0000000 --- a/35090-rst/images/illus-fpc.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/35090.txt b/35090.txt deleted file mode 100644 index dbf1ca0..0000000 --- a/35090.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2973 +0,0 @@ - Billy Bunny and Daddy Fox - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost -no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Title: Billy Bunny and Daddy Fox - -Author: David Cory - -Release Date: January 27, 2011 [EBook #35090] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: US-ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BILLY BUNNY AND DADDY FOX *** - - - - -Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net. - - - [Illustration: DOWN THROUGH THE CEILING DROPPED DADDY FOX.] - - -_Billy Bunny Books_ - -BILLY BUNNY - -_AND_ - -DADDY FOX - - -BY - -DAVID CORY - - -AUTHOR OF "BILLY BUNNY AND UNCLE BULL FROG," -"BILLY BUNNY AND THE FRIENDLY ELEPHANT," -"BILLY BUNNY AND UNCLE LUCKY LEFTHINDFOOT" - - -ILLUSTRATIONS BY -HUGH SPENCER - -NEW YORK -CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY - - -BILLY BUNNY BOOKS -BY DAVID CORY - -_Large 12 mo. Illustrated_ - -1. BILLY BUNNY AND THE FRIENDLY ELEPHANT. -2. BILLY BUNNY AND DADDY FOX. -3. BILLY BUNNY AND UNCLE BULL FROG. -4. BILLY BUNNY AND UNCLE LUCKY LEFTHINDFOOT. - -_Other Volumes in Preparation_ - -CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, NEW YORK - - -COPYRIGHT, 1920, BY -CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY - -_Billy Bunny and Daddy Fox_ - -Printed in U. S. A. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - - STORY I--BILLY BUNNY AND THE JAIL HOUSE - - STORY II--BILLY BUNNY AND LADY HORNET - - STORY III--BILLY BUNNY AND PHOTOGRAPHER CRANE - - STORY IV--BILLY BUNNY AND THE ORGAN GRINDER - - STORY V--BILLY BUNNY AND MR. TOOTIE OWL - - STORY VI--BILLY BUNNY AND BILLY GOAT - - STORY VII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE HEAD OF LETTUCE - - STORY VIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE SCARECROW - - STORY IX--BILLY BUNNY AND MR. DRAKE - - STORY X--BILLY BUNNY AND THE FROG KING - - STORY XI--BILLY BUNNY AND THE TURKEY GOBBLER - - STORY XII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE DONKEY - - STORY XIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE LITTLE SUGAR PILLS - - STORY XIV--BILLY BUNNY AND THE BILLY GOAT - - STORY XV--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. BRUIN - - STORY XVI--BILLY BUNNY AND THE BEAR CUBS - - STORY XVII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE SQUIRREL INNKEEPER - - STORY XVIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE TAILOR BIRD - - STORY XIX--BILLY BUNNY AND ROBBIE REDBREAST - - STORY XX--BILLY BUNNY AND THE BABBLING BROOK - - STORY XXI--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. WILDCAT - - STORY XXII--BILLY BUNNY AT WINDY CAVE - - STORY XXIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE WILD CANARY - - STORY XXIV--BILLY BUNNY AND THE LITTLE SPARROWS - - STORY XXV--BILLY BUNNY AND ROBIN REDBREAST - - STORY XXVI--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. QUAIL - - STORY XXVII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE THEATER PLAY - - STORY XXVIII--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. WEASEL - - STORY XXIX--BILLY BUNNY AND THE POLICEMAN DOG - - STORY XXX--BILLY BUNNY AND THE CIRCUS ELEPHANT - - STORY XXXI--BILLY BUNNY AND THE CHEERFUL LITTLE BIRD - - STORY XXXII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE MILLER'S BOY - - STORY XXXIII--BILLY BUNNY AND OLD MOTHER MAGPIE - - STORY XXXIV--BILLY BUNNY AND DICKEY MEADOW MOUSE - - STORY XXXV--BILLY BUNNY AND BIG BROWN BEAR - - STORY XXXVI--BILLY BUNNY AND PROFESSOR CROW - - STORY XXXVII--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. GROUSE - - STORY XXXVIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE CARLOAD OF LETTUCE LEAVES - - - - -STORY I--BILLY BUNNY AND THE JAIL HOUSE - - -Daddy Fox was very irregular in his habits about coming home, so, when -the Bunny Boy Scouts captured him, after his escape from the Circus Cow -Boy, and put him in the Jail House at Lettuceville, no one became uneasy -for two or three days. After that time, Mrs. Fox said to Sly Boots and -Bushy Tail, her two little sons: "Something has happened to your father. -I know it, for he never stays away like this without telephoning or -sending a message home. We'd better go out to-night and look for him." - -So when the big, round, silver moon was shining in the middle of the sky -and the twinkle, twinkle star was peeping into the bedroom windows of -little boys and girls, who were sound asleep and dreaming of lollypops -and ice cream cones and other things, Mrs. Fox put on her bonnet and -started out with her two little foxes. - -And by and by they came to the Jail House. And while they were walking -around it, smelling here and there to find out where their Daddy Fox -was, they heard him singing in a sorrowful voice: - - "I wonder if my two little boys - Are thinking of Daddy Fox; - If mother would only find me here - She'd open this old jail box. - She'd find the key to the iron door, - Which is hid in the crack outside in the floor - Of the little porch, and she'd get me out. - Oh, dear, I wonder what they're about!" - -And of course when Mrs. Fox heard that, she looked on the floor of the -little porch; and, sure enough, there was the big iron key almost hidden -from sight in a little, tiny crack. - -Wasn't that lucky? Well, I guess it was, and in a jiffy and a half she -unlocked the iron door and set Daddy Fox free. - -My! But he was thin and miserable. They had shaved his head and put a -striped suit of clothes on him and he didn't look anything like their -dear, kind father, thought Sly Boots and Bushy Tail, although they -didn't say so. - -They just hugged him nearly to death, for they loved him, because he was -their father, and they didn't know it was wicked to steal chickens, -because all foxes do, and if you don't know a thing is wicked and then -go and do it it's not nearly so bad as when you know a thing is wrong -and then go and do it. So please remember this, for it's very important -and will help you keep out of lots of trouble. - -"Come home at once," said Mrs. Fox; "I have a nice stewed duck for -supper, although it's past supper time." So Daddy Fox hurried as fast as -he could so as not to let the duck stew get cooked too much, and by and -by they came to their den. - -And Mrs. Fox had the table set and the supper ready in less than a wink -and everybody was happy as could be. And perhaps Daddy Fox will be good -until the next time, that is if he doesn't see a chicken before the -chicken sees him. - - - - -STORY II--BILLY BUNNY AND LADY HORNET - - -"Early to rise, early to rise, Will make little bunny boys win the first -prize," sang Mrs. Bunny at the foot of the stairs. And then Billy Bunny -lifted up his left hind leg and his right ear, and he wiggled his nose -forty times less once, and after that he was wide awake. - -And when he had washed his face and whiskers, and parted his hair down -his back nice and smooth, he went down to eat his breakfast of carrot -mush and raspberry juice which his kind mother had made from the fruit -that grew in the old bramble patch. And then, oh yes, oh yes! he -polished the brass knob on the front door, and after that he went down -to the postoffice to see if a new spring mattress had come by parcel -post. - -But it hadn't, and the postmistress, who was a nice Lady Hornet, said it -was a bit early in the season for spring mattresses, but she thought by -next month it would come along, that is, if the weather kept nice and -warm. - -Well, anyway, she had something for the little rabbit. It was a letter -with two carrot cents postage due, which the little bunny paid. - -And then he opened his letter, and what do you think he found inside? -Why, a beautiful tinted photo of his circus elephant friend, and on the -back was written in purple ink, "To Billy Bunny, from Elly, the circus -elephant." - -"Now, isn't that nice of him," said Billy Bunny. "I must send him mine -right away," so he hopped away to the nearest photographer, who was a -nice Crane and had his place in Rabbitville about 450 hops away. - -By and by Billy Bunny reached the picture gallery, and after he had told -the Crane photographer what he wanted he sat down on a little green -mossy rock in front of a big canvas painted like the ocean with big -green waves and white foam. - -And all around the rock was sprinkled sand so that when the picture was -taken it looked just as if the little bunny had been to Newport for the -summer. - -"How many do you want?" asked the Photographer Crane, who was certainly -a splendid picture man, for his legs were just the right length so that -he could look into the back of the camera without standing on a stool. - -And, wasn't it funny, you couldn't tell his legs apart from the legs of -the camera, only the camera had three and the Crane only two. - -"I'll take seven," said the little rabbit. "That's my lucky number. I -want to send one to Mr. Lucky Lefthindfoot; he's my Uncle Lucky." - -"And one to my friend, the circus elephant, for he's my best friend. It -will make Daddy Fox mad to think he wasn't here at the same time, for -he's always trying to catch me." - -And just then who should peep in through the window but Daddy Fox -himself. And in the next story you shall hear what happened after that. - - - - -STORY III--BILLY BUNNY AND PHOTOGRAPHER CRANE - - -You remember in the last story Daddy Fox was peeping in through the -window just as Billy Bunny was having his picture taken, don't you? - -Well, no sooner did the little rabbit see him than he hopped quicker -than a lightning bug to the door and closed it, and the Photographer -Crane pulled down the window shade to make it dark inside so that Daddy -Fox couldn't see them. - -After that he stuffed the fireplace full of sofa cushions for fear the -crafty fox might slide down the chimney. But, oh dear me! he forgot all -about the skylights--the windows in the roof, you know, and the next -moment down through the ceiling dropped Daddy Fox. - -Oh, my! What a scramble there was in that photo parlor. The Crane flew -up on the mantelpiece and the little rabbit crept into the waste basket -and pulled a photograph album on top of him. - -And, of course, it was so dark that Daddy Fox didn't see them do all -this, so he had to play hide-and-seek and there was nobody to call out, -"You're getting hotter and hotter" when he stood near the mantelpiece, -nor "You're burning up!" when he passed close to the waste paper basket, -so after a while he sat down on a pincushion (excuse me, I mean a sofa -cushion), and listened with both ears cocked up. - -But the Crane never breathed and Billy Bunny held his breath, so by and -by Daddy Fox started to hunt around the room again. First he pulled all -the cushions out of the fireplace and then he pulled up the shades and -unlocked the front door. - -And this was very foolish of him, for he should have known that the -Crane and the little rabbit hadn't had time to get out. Then he went out -on the little porch and peeped into the woodbox, and while he was doing -that the Crane flew down the mantelpiece and locked the door. - -And then he pulled the strings to close the skylight and stuffed the -cushions back into the fireplace, and lifted the album off the little -rabbit, for it was so full of pictures of fat people that it was -dreadfully heavy. - -After this Billy Bunny opened his knapsack and took out his gun and -peeked out through a hole in the window shade. And right there by the -window stood the dreadful fox trying to open it. Bang! went the little -rabbit's gun and the cork hit the fox on the tip of his nose and made -him sneeze so badly that he had to run into the woods to find his -handkerchief. - -And he hunted all day long for it, and when evening came he remembered -he had sent it to the laundry, so he had to go out and buy one at the -three and one cent store. - -Of course, Billy Bunny didn't have any more pictures taken that day. He -hopped home as fast as he could, and the Crane telephoned down to the -police station and told them to send up a man to guard the studio, and -if the Twinkle Twinkle Star to-night sings me to sleep, I'll tell you -another story of Billy Bunny and the sheep. - - - - -STORY IV--BILLY BUNNY AND THE ORGAN GRINDER - - -Well, the Twinkle Twinkle Star didn't sing me to sleep and so I can't -tell you about Billy Bunny and the woolly sheep as I said I would in the -last story, but I will tell you something else if you'll only wait five -hundred short seconds. And this is what it's going to be about: - - The organ grinder's monkey - Who wears a little cap, - Is always kept so busy - He cannot take a nap. - - He's dancing to the music, - And picking up the dimes; - But oftener it's nickels. - And pennies most the times. - -As soon as Billy Bunny heard the "Star-Spangled Banner," for that was -the tune which the old organ grinder was playing, he pricked up his ears -and hopped out of the Old Briar Patch, and by and by he came up to the -monkey, who held out his little red cap. - -"Here's a carrot cent for you," said the little rabbit, but the organ -grinder scowled a deep, gloomy scowl and said: - -"Me no lika da mun!" But what could Billy Bunny do? And as the organ -grinder kept on scowling a deep, gloomy scowl, the little rabbit opened -his knapsack and looked through it. And pretty soon he found an apple -pie, and when the organ grinder saw it he stopped grinding the music and -put out his hand. - -And in a very few minutes there wasn't any pie to be seen anywhere -around for miles and miles, and the organ grinder had a lovely smile on -his face! And then he played that pretty song called "In this sweet pie -and pie there are apples fresh and dry," and after that he swung the -organ over his back and the monkey jumped on top and off they went to -grind out more tunes for money. - -But the little rabbit didn't go with them. No, siree. For if he had to -pay a whole apple pie for a tune he'd rather go another way, even if he -couldn't hear the lovely music, for you can't grind out apple pies the -way you can tunes. - -Well, by and by, after a while, not so very long, he came to a river and -he couldn't get across, so he looked all about him to find a little -horse; but there wasn't any horse and there wasn't any boat, so the -little rabbit said, "Well, I guess I'll have to float" So what did he do -but find an old plank and then floated over on it to the other bank. - -Now I don't know what is the matter with my typewriter that it didn't -make a verse out of all these rhymes, but it didn't--it just went along -in a prosy way, and so you'll have to make a poem out of them yourself, -for I have no more room in this story. - - - - -STORY V--BILLY BUNNY AND MR. TOOTIE OWL - - -Let's see, I left off in the last story just where Billy Bunny landed on -the bank of the river. Well, now I'm going to tell you what happened -after that. - -"I was lucky to get across on that old board," thought the little -rabbit, as he hopped up the bank to look about him. The field was -covered with daisies and in the distance a black cow stood flicking off -the flies with her long tail. - -"Helloa!" cried the little rabbit. "Why don't you eat the flowers?" The -black cow looked up and said: - -"Why don't you stand on your head?" And, would you believe it, Billy -Bunny did. Yes, sir. He stood first on his right ear and then on his -left ear, and then he turned two somersaults and a handspring backward, -and this made the cow laugh so hard that she got her tail twisted around -a fence rail and couldn't get away. - -"What shall I do?" she cried, anxiously. "It's almost milking time, and -when I don't come home they'll wonder where I am. Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" - -"Don't worry," said Billy Bunny, and he opened his knapsack and took out -his little hatchet and chopped the tail--I mean the rail--off the fence -so that she could get home, although, of course, she had to drag the -rail all the way back to the farm, and the farmer scolded her for -breaking down his fence, which was too bad, for she couldn't help it, -you know. - -Well, after that the little rabbit hopped away, and by and by, just as -it was getting quite dark, he came to a big pile of wood. "Now this will -be a good place for me to sleep," he said to himself, and looked about -for a hole to squeeze into. But, oh dear me, and oh dear you! - -A big owl flew out and hooted and tooted three times and a half, and -then winked his eyes at the little rabbit until he was so scared he -could hardly stand up. - -"Oh, please, Mr. Owl, don't hooty-tooty me so. I don't mean any harm." - -"What are you doing in my woodpile?" asked the blinky old bird fiercely. -"Trying to steal my wood, eh?" - -"Oh, no, Mr. Owl," cried Billy Bunny. "I was only looking for a place to -sleep." - -"I don't believe you," screeched the blinky winky bird, and he made a -grab for the little rabbit with his hooked feet. And he would have -caught Billy Bunny, too, and eaten him for supper that very night, I -guess, if the little rabbit hadn't pulled his popgun out of his knapsack -and hit the wicked owl on the tail with the cork bullet, which so scared -the ugly old bird that he flew into the forest. After that Billy Bunny -crept into the woodpile and went to sleep and dreamed that it caught on -fire and the sparks flew up into the air and covered the whole sky with -twinkling stars. - - - - -STORY VI--BILLY BUNNY AND BILLY GOAT - - -It was a bright and beautiful sunshiny morning as Billy Bunny hopped out -of the woodpile where he had slept all night and started off on his -journey of adventure. - -He had only gone a little ways when all of a sudden from behind a bush -out jumped a big Billy Goat. He had a long goatee and he looked very -fierce, and when he lowered his head and pointed his horns at the little -rabbit, how do you suppose Billy Bunny felt? - -Well, he felt just like a piece of paper all crinkled up, he was so -scarified. And so would you, for that goat's horns were as sharp as -needles. - -"Stop! Stop!" cried the little rabbit. "Don't you know who I am? Billy -Bunny's my name, from Old Brier Patch, Snake Fence Corner," and then he -handed his card to the angry Billy Goat, who ate it up without even -reading it. Wasn't that rude in him? - -"I don't like your card a bit," said the Goat. "It tastes like -peppermint." Of course it did, for the little rabbit carried his striped -candy cane in his front paws, and some of the candy came off on them and -got on to the card when he handed it to the Billy Goat. - -"If you had read it you wouldn't have tasted the peppermint," said Billy -Bunny politely, not wishing to make the Goat feel badly. - -Well, by this time the Goat had raised his head and so his sharp horns -didn't point at Billy Bunny, which made him feel lots better. Then he -opened his knapsack and took out an apple-pie and gave it to the Goat, -who ate it up in two and a half bites, and then asked for more. - -"Sorry, but that's all I have," said the little rabbit. "Would you like -a lollypop?" And when that was all gone, the little rabbit brought out a -chocolate cake and the Goat ate that up just as fast. - -"What else have you?" asked the Goat, wiping the crumbs from his goatee -and peeking over Billy Bunny's shoulder. - -"I've got a pair of rubber boots," said the little rabbit. And would you -believe it, that Goat ate those rubber boots up too and then asked for -more. - -"Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" sighed Billy Bunny, and he hunted all through his -knapsack again until he found a policeman's whistle. "That's all I've -got left, Mr. Billy Goat." - -"Well, I'll eat that for dessert," and the hungry, starving goat -commenced to eat that whistle as though he hadn't tasted any kind of -food for a year and five minutes. But would you believe me again? That -whistle began to whistle and this so scared the Billy Goat that he ran -away. - -And if that whistle doesn't keep me awake all night so that I'll have to -sleep all day tomorrow I'll tell you in the next story how Billy Bunny -went to see his kind Uncle Lucky. - - - - -STORY VII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE HEAD OF LETTUCE - - - Oh, it's dreadful to be lonely, - Even when you're not alone, - And you may be dreadful mournful - Though you have a happy tone. - And your lips may keep a-smiling - Though the tears are in your eyes. - Have you never seen it raining, - When the sun is in the skies? - If the one you want to be with - Isn't all the time with you, - There is nothing that will make you - Feel anything but blue. - -And this was the way little Billy Bunny felt. You see, he hadn't seen -his dear, kind Uncle Lucky for so long that the gold watch and chain -which the old gentleman rabbit had given him needed winding. - -So after the little rabbit had wound up the chain and put the watch back -in his pocket, he started out to see his uncle, Mr. Lucky Lefthindfoot, -who lived on Carrot street, near Lettuce Avenue, Bunnybridge, U. S. A. - -Well, after Billy Bunny had hopped and hopped and then some more, he -came to a cross road, and the sign on the post said, "5,281-1/2 hops to -Bunnybridge." - -"Well, I'm glad I'm on the right road," said the little rabbit, and he -took half a hop so as to start out even, you know, because he never did -like fractions, and by and by he came to Lettuce avenue. But just then -something happened. Something usually does happen when you least expect -it, and that's what's going to happen now if my typewriter doesn't get -balky and throw my hands off the keyboard. - -Yes, sir! Just as that dear little bunny stepped on Lettuce avenue -something big and soft hit him between his left ear and his left hind -foot and knocked the breath right out of him. And so of course he -couldn't say "Oh, dear; oh, dear!" so I'm going to make the typewriter -say it for him. - -And that will give him time to get his breath so that he can say it if -he wants to. Well, after that he looked around to find out what had hit -him, and what do you suppose it was that had knocked the "Oh, dear me!" -out of him! I'll tell you right away--a great big head of lettuce. There -it lay on the ground. So the little rabbit picked it up and was just -going to put it in his knapsack for his Uncle Lucky, when a cross voice -called out: - - "Don't you touch that lettuce, - For it belongs to me, - And I am going to take it - Home with me for tea." - -"Who are you?" asked the little rabbit, dropping the lettuce and looking -all around. But he couldn't see anybody, and neither can I, so I'm going -to let Billy Bunny look again. And this time he saw a Scarecrow in the -field close by. - -And if the old clothes man doesn't throw another head of lettuce and hit -my typewriter so it won't talk to the paper I'll tell you another story -to-morrow. - - - - -STORY VIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE SCARECROW - - -As soon as Billy Bunny saw the Scarecrow--who had thrown the head of -lettuce at the little rabbit in the last story, but he shan't do it -again in this story! I'll promise you that right now--the little rabbit -said: - -"Did you hit me just now between my left ear and my left hind leg with -this lettuce?" - -"I did," replied the Scarecrow, in a sort of scarecrowey voice. - -As soon as the little rabbit heard that he picked up that head of -lettuce and threw it right at the head of that Scarecrow and knocked off -his stovepipe hat. And when Billy Bunny looked at the hat he saw two -gold letters pasted inside the crown, and what do you think they were? I -don't know why I asked you, for I've got to tell you, anyway. Well, they -were the letters U. L. - -"Uncle Lucky!" cried the little rabbit. "It's Uncle Lucky's wedding -stovepipe hat! Oh, how glad he'll be to get it back!" And Billy Bunny -picked it up and put the lettuce inside and then hopped away as fast as -he could for his kind old uncle's house. And after he had gone for maybe -three miles or less, he came to the old gentleman rabbit's house. And -there was dear, kind Uncle Lucky swinging in the hammock on the front -porch. And when he saw his little nephew, he fell out--excuse me, I -mean, he hopped out--of the hammock and opened the front gate and said: - -"That looks like my old wedding stovepipe hat," and the old gentleman -rabbit put it on his head without even taking the head of lettuce out -first, but that didn't matter, for there was plenty of room in that old -stovepipe hat for two heads. - -Well, as soon as Uncle Lucky got over his excitement, he asked his bunny -nephew where he had found his hat, and when Billy Bunny told him, the -old gentleman rabbit took it off and took out the head of lettuce and he -and Billy Bunny ate it all up--not the hat, but the lettuce, you -know--and some apple pie and carrot ice cream besides, for Uncle Lucky -always had his pantry just full of the nicest things to eat you ever saw -or ever heard of. And that's one reason why all the bunny boys and girls -loved the old gentleman rabbit, for when they were coming home from -school he would stand on his front porch and say: - - "Come in and get some apple pie, - An ice cream cone or two; - A lollypop with jam on top, - Some sweet prunes a la stew, - Some lemonade--don't be afraid. - For I'm inviting you." - -And I hope with all my heart that if you ever pass by Uncle Lucky's -house on Carrot street he'll ask you, too. And in the next story, if the -pepper box doesn't fall into the ice cream freezer so that the little -mouse in the pantry sneezes his head 'most off. I'll tell you another -story to-morrow. - - - - -STORY IX--BILLY BUNNY AND MR. DRAKE - - -The next day after Billy Bunny arrived at Uncle Lucky's house the good, -kind old gentleman rabbit said: "Let's go out for a ride in the -Luckymobile, for that was the name of Uncle Lucky's new car, you know." - -So off they started, and this time you can well believe the old -gentleman rabbit filled his lamps full of electricity oil, for he hadn't -forgotten the time some million stories ago he had been caught without -any lights on his automobile. - -Well, as I was just going to say when my typewriter had to go and -explain all about how poor Uncle Lucky had once been arrested for not -having his lamps lit, they started off--not the lamps, but Billy Bunny -and Uncle Lucky, and by and by they came across an old Drake. - -And if you don't know what a Drake is, I'll tell you; he's the husband -of a duck and spends most of his time swimming on the pond while she -stays at home to look after the little ducks. Well, if Uncle Lucky -hadn't stopped the automobile just where he did, Mrs. Duck would have -been a widow. - -"What do you mean by not seeing where you're going?" shouted Uncle -Lucky, getting very red in the face. - -"Why didn't you toot your horn?" said Mr. Drake with an angry quack, and -then he waddled into the water and swam away. - -"What can you expect from an old ferryboat like that?" laughed Uncle -Lucky, watching Mr. Drake paddle away. "He's an old-fashioned -side-wheeler. Let him go!" and the kind old gentleman rabbit leaned out -of the automobile and handed a stick of candy to a little goose who had -stood by listening with eye and bill wide open to all he had said. - -Then the old gentleman rabbit took off his wedding stovepipe hat and -bowed to Mrs. Duck, who stood in the doorway of her house, and tooted -his horn and drove off. - -And by and by Billy Bunny asked Uncle Lucky to let him run the -automobile, so the old gentleman rabbit changed seats with his little -nephew, and after that he fell asleep. For the road was very smooth and -the wind was soft and warm, and Billy Bunny didn't talk all the time the -way some boys do. - -And as Billy Bunny didn't want to wake him up, he kept on going farther -and farther away from home until after a while he found himself in a -thick woods. And then the automobile came to a stop and Uncle Lucky, of -course, woke up with a bump. - -"Gracious me! Have I been asleep?" he exclaimed, rubbing his right eye -with his left hind foot. And just then a little flower struck 4 o'clock, -just like a little clock, and that's the reason they call this little -flower "Four o'Clock" I guess. "Gracious me! I have been asleep!" cried -Uncle Lucky, and then he took out the lunch basket and he and Billy -Bunny ate a lot of nice things. - -But, goodness me, it's so late that I must stop now, for there isn't -time for the two little rabbits to get home. But I guess they'll cuddle -up in the Luckymobile and sleep until to-morrow morning. - - - - -STORY X--BILLY BUNNY AND THE FROG KING - - -Well, when Billy Bunny and good, kind Uncle Lucky woke up the next -morning, for they had slept all night in the Luckymobile as I told you -in the last story, they ate their breakfast and then they started off -and by and by they had an adventure. - -A gypsy camp stood close to the roadside and just as they came up, an -old woman walked out of a tent and said, "Don't you want your fortunes -told?" Well, as Billy Bunny had never had his fortune told and Uncle -Lucky had forgotten whether he had or not, they got out of the -automobile and sat down on a log while the old gypsy woman looked at -their paws. - -"You have a very long life line, Mr. Lucky Lefthindfoot, and lots of -money," she said with a grin, "and you're going to have lots more." - -"That's very nice," said the old gentleman rabbit, "for I want to build -a library in Rabbitville where all the little bunnies can read nice -stories and grow very wise." - -"And you will grow up to be a great soldier," she said to Billy Bunny, -and then Uncle Lucky gave her two carrot nickels and said good-by. - -"I wonder where all that money is coming from," said the good, kind old -gentleman rabbit, and then they heard a deep voice singing: - - "Oh, I am king of the Bullfrog Pond, - Ker-plunk, ker-chunk, ker-plunk! - - And I'll never stir a foot beyond, - Ker-plunk, ker-plunk, ker-plunk! - - For it's cool and nice in the water here, - And the cat-tails wave in the atmosphere, - And this old dead log is a throne for me. - Oh yes, I'm as happy as I can be!" - -Then Uncle Lucky stopped the automobile and he and Billy Bunny got out -to make the acquaintance of this happy frog king. And weren't they -surprised to find that he was the brother of Uncle Bullfrog, who lived -in the Old Mill Pond. He had heard all about the two rabbits, and was -delighted to see them. - -"Sit down on the bank and I'll get you a watercress sandwich and some -pond-lily milk," cried the Frog King, and he waved a bullrush wand up -and down and whistled through his fingers, and then a dozen tadpoles -swam up. - -And then they swam off again and when they came back they had watercress -sandwiches and pond-lily milk enough to go around and some besides to -give to the Luckymobile, only automobiles don't drink anything but -gasoline, so they gave what was left to a nice friendly duck who -happened to pass by. - -And then Uncle Lucky took off his stovepipe hat and bowed to the Frog -King and Billy Bunny took a chocolate eclaire out of his knapsack and -said, "Give this to your Queen with my compliments," which tickled the -Frog King so he fell off his log throne into the water with a terrible -splash. - -And if the lawn mower doesn't run over our white poodle dog and cut off -all his hair, I'll tell you to-morrow another story about Billy Bunny -and Uncle Lucky. - - - - -STORY XI--BILLY BUNNY AND THE TURKEY GOBBLER - - -Well, as I was saying in the last story, Billy Bunny and his good, kind -Uncle Lucky said good-by to the Frog King. And the frog was very sorry -to see them go, for although he was a king, his kingdom was only a frog -pond. - -But then, when you come to think of it, he couldn't have his kingdom any -place else, so of course he was contented, and that's the chief thing in -life, whether you're a king or a poor man. - -"Now what are we going to do?" said Uncle Lucky as he and his rabbit -nephew rolled along as nicely as you please in the Luckymobile. - -"Oh, just roll along," answered the little bunny, slipping his knapsack -off his shoulder and laying his striped candy cane down on the bottom of -the automobile, "I'm just glad to be riding with you, dear Uncle Luck." - -And this so tickled the old gentleman rabbit that he turned to smile at -Billy Bunny, and then of course he didn't see where he was going, and -the first thing you know and the first thing he knew, the Luckymobile -ran right into a baker's shop and knocked over the counter, which was -full of pies and cakes. - -"Oh, please excuse me!" cried kind Uncle Lucky to the bakerman, who was -a big, red-faced Turkey Gobbler. But, oh, dear me! As soon as that -Turkey Gobbler saw Uncle Lucky's red tie he made a rush at the old -gentleman rabbit, for turkeys, you know, get terribly mad when they see -anything red, and if Uncle Lucky hadn't jumped out of the way that -Turkey Gobbler would have picked the diamond pin right out of the tie. - -Yes, sir, I'm sure he would, and Uncle Lucky was very fond of his -diamond pin because little Billy Bunny had given it to him, you -remember, some seventeen or more stories ago. - -Well, while the ugly red-faced turkey was chasing dear Uncle Lucky all -around the back yard, Billy Bunny backed the automobile out of the bake -shop, and after he had scraped custard pie off the cabaret and lemon pie -off the left front wheel and squash pie off the right front wheel and a -dozen other kinds of pie off the two front lights, Uncle Lucky came -hopping around the corner of the bake shop with the ugly red-faced -turkey gobbler baker close behind him. - - - [Illustration: THE TADPOLE CAME BACK WITH WATERCRESS SANDWICHES - AND POND-LILY MILK.] - - -"Start her up! Start her up!" yelled the old gentleman rabbit. And Billy -Bunny did, and Uncle Lucky jumped into the automobile just in time, too, -for the Turkey Gobbler almost had him by the tail. - -"Here's some money to pay for your pies," cried the honest old gentleman -bunny, and he threw twenty or less carrot cents at the turkey gobbler, -who gobbled them up, I mean picked them up, in a hurry for fear they -might take root in the ground and grow into plain ordinary carrots if he -let them lie there a minute. - -And by this time of course the two rabbits were far away in their -automobile, and if the next story has to be written to-night, as I know -it must, I'll stop right here and wish you pleasant dreams and happy -wakening. - - - - -STORY XII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE DONKEY - - -"That certainly was a lucky escape," said Uncle Lucky to Billy Bunny as -they sped away in their Luckymobile after overturning all the pies in -the bake shop, as I told you in the last story. - -"I shall be more careful the next time and see where I'm going," and the -old gentleman rabbit settled his stovepipe hat firmly on his head and -held on tighter to the steering wheel, and then he honked the horn three -times and a half to let everybody hear him coming before he ran over -them; and then, all of a sudden, quicker than a lightning bug, a little -gray donkey ran right in the middle of the road and kicked up his heels -and brayed, which is the way a donkey talks, you know. - -"Get out of the way!" yelled Uncle Lucky, and he put on the brake, but, -oh dear me, and oh dear donkey! the brake wouldn't work. It just got -obstinate, I guess, when it saw that donkey's heels, or else it thought -the donkey would stop the automobile just as well, which he did, I'm -sorry to say. - -Yes, Siree, and Yes, Siree Man! That donkey kicked his shoes right off -and the Luckymobile stopped and Uncle Lucky and Billy Bunny got out so -quickly that they rolled over and over on the ground for maybe a block -and a half and then they wouldn't have stopped, only a policeman grabbed -them. - -But he let the little rabbits go just as soon as they told him what had -happened. - -"I'm getting tired of always having an accident," said the old gentleman -rabbit when they reached the Luckymobile. - -"Don't be a grumbler," said the donkey. - -"Well, then, don't you be a kicker," replied the old gentleman rabbit -angrily, for Uncle Lucky had a temper, only he seldom used it because he -was so kind and good. "If you hadn't kicked, there would have been no -accident, and as I said before, I'm getting sick and tired of -accidents." - -Well, this made the donkey so ashamed he said he was sorry he had kicked -the Luckymobile, and then dear Uncle Lucky told him to climb in and he -would take him down to the seashore to pick up pretty shells. So off -they went again, the two little rabbits on the front seat and the donkey -in the back, and by and by they came to the seashore. - -"Let's all go in bathing," said Billy Bunny, so they went up to the -bathing houses and put on bathing suits. - -Well, after they were all dressed, I mean undressed, they hopped into -the water and swam out to the raft. And Uncle Lucky stood on Billy -Bunny's shoulders and dived into the water and then the donkey stood on -Uncle Lucky's shoulders and slipped and fell onto the raft and sprained -his tail, so that they all had to hurry out and get dressed and then go -for the doctor. - -And in the next story you shall hear how the doctor cured the donkey -with a little sugar pill. - - - - -STORY XIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE LITTLE SUGAR PILLS - - -I wonder if you remember where we left off in the last story? Well, in -case you don't, I'll tell you. Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky were taking -the donkey to the doctor, for the donkey had sprained his tail while in -bathing with the two little rabbits, you know. - -Well, when they reached the doctor's house he wasn't in, but his wife -was. So Uncle Lucky thought he'd tell her what was the matter with the -donkey, for the donkey was feeling pretty miserable and wouldn't get out -of the automobile, but just sat there braying every once in a while in a -mournful way. - -"Why don't you give him a sugar pill?" asked the kind doctor's wife. "I -haven't got any sugar pills," said Uncle Lucky, and neither had Billy -Bunny, although he looked all through his knapsack and in the cabaret of -the Luckymobile. - -"I'll get you some," said the doctor's wife, and presently she brought -out a little round box just full of sugar pills. - -"The directions are on the cover," she said, handing the box to Billy -Bunny, who ran back to the automobile to give some to the poor donkey, -who was braying dreadfully just then. - -Well, the little rabbit gave him one at once and then he read over the -directions. - -"One every minute until the patient feels worse and then one every -second until the box is empty!" - -"Gracious me!" exclaimed the little rabbit, "that's enough to cure one -of ever getting sick again," and I guess you'd have thought the same -thing if you had bitten one of those little sugar pills, for they were -dreadfully bitter inside. - -Well, Uncle Lucky and Billy Bunny took turns giving those pills to that -obstinate braying donkey. Uncle Lucky held the watch and Billy Bunny -held the donkey. You see, it took almost a minute to get a pill down -that obstinate donkey so that as soon as one was down it was time to -start with another, and as Uncle Lucky said it was dangerous not to -follow directions exactly when giving medicine, it was just about all -the two little rabbits could do to take care of that obstinate donkey. - - "Oh, let me go, I humbly bray. - I'll never be sick again, I say. - Don't make me take another pill; - They're only sugared on the sill. - - "Inside they're bitter as can be. - You'll surely end in killing me. - Oh, let me go, I humbly bray, - I'll never be sick again, I say." - -"Well, if you'll promise," said Uncle Lucky, "you may go." And would you -believe it, that donkey jumped out of the automobile and whisked his -tail and started for home as fast as you please, just as though he had -never been sick. Wasn't that wonderful? And if I can get that pill box -from Billy Bunny, I'll tell you the name of those pills in the next -story. - - - - -STORY XIV--BILLY BUNNY AND THE BILLY GOAT - - -I'm sorry, but Billy Bunny threw away the pill box after the donkey was -cured, so I can't tell you the name of those little sugar coated pills, -but if you call up Dr. Quack, one, two, three, down goes she, I'm sure -he will prescribe for you over the wire, and perhaps then you won't have -to take any medicine at all. - -Well, it's time now to tell about Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky -Lefthindfoot, his dear, kind, generous rabbit uncle. - -"I'm never going to give anybody any medicine as long as I live," said -the old gentleman rabbit, taking out his blue polka-dot handkerchief and -wiping his spectacles and then the back of his neck and the tip of his -nose. - -"You never even get thanked for it." And then Uncle Lucky put his -handkerchief on his nose and his spectacles in his pocket. Oh, dear me! -I mean he did just what I didn't say he did, and after that he climbed -into the Luckymobile beside Billy Bunny and drove away. - - "Hip hurrah! Hip hurray! - I'm going to join the colors to-day. - Maybe I'll be a soldier gay, - Or a sailor boy on the ocean spray. - It all depends what they're going to say - When I tell them I want to join the fray." - -"Who's singing?" asked Uncle Lucky, holding his right paw behind his -left ear and wiggling his nose up and down and sideways so fast that it -made a little fly dizzy to look at it. And just then they came across a -Billy Goat standing outside a tent dressed in khaki with a gun over his -shoulder. - -"Halt! Who goes there?" cried the sentry. "Halt!" and of course Uncle -Lucky put on the brakes and made the Luckymobile stop right then and -there. - -"Friend or foe?" asked the sentry, looking into the automobile and -lifting the cushions off the seats and opening the cabaret and lighting -the lamps and honking the horn, and, oh, dear me! doing anything and -everything he could to annoy good, kind Uncle Lucky. - -"What do you think we are?" asked Billy Bunny. "We are U. S. A. Bunnies. -Don't you make any mistake about that!" - -"I beg your pardon," said the sentry, saluting the two rabbits most -respectfully, "I only wanted to make sure. These are war times, you -know, and we must be on the lookout every minute of the day and every -second of the night!" - -And then he saluted again and turned away. And then, all of a sudden, -the band began playing, but it must have been off in the woods, -somewhere, for the little bunnies couldn't see it. - - Hurrah for Uncle Samuel, - King of the U. S. A. - Three cheers for the Blue, - And the Red and White, too, - And the Silver Stars, I say. - And here's to the sailor lad in blue - And the soldier boy in brown, - From the farm and the mine, - And the big steel mills, - Or the little old home town. - - - - -STORY XV--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. BRUIN - - -In the last story I left off very suddenly while the band was playing, -you remember, and I will tell you the reason why. - -My typewriter got so excited over the song about the sailor lad in blue -and the soldier boy in town, I mean in brown, that it began dancing to -the music and of course then I couldn't write another word. - -Well, anyway, you remember that Billy Bunny and his good, kind Uncle -Lucky were just leaving the Billy Goat Sentry who had stopped them in -their automobile, to continue their journey of adventure. So off they -started down the road and by and by they came across a big black bear -with two little cubs. - -"Now there's going to be more trouble, I know it," said little Billy -Bunny, but good, kind Uncle Lucky didn't think so. You see, he was -always looking on the bright side of things, so he called out to Mrs. -Bruin, which was the lady bear's name, I believe, "Won't you get into -the Luckymobile and we'll take you to town?" and of course the little -bears said yes right away, for they had never ridden in an automobile in -all their lives. - -Well, in they climbed and after Uncle Lucky had leaned over and closed -the door, for the bears were so excited they had forgotten to do it, he -started up the automobile and away they went to Rabbitville, for that -was the nearest town. - -And pretty soon the two little bears began to sing: - - "Uncle Lucky is so kind - To take us for a drive, - That we will get some honey - From out the big beehive. - We'll put it in a little box, - To keep it clean and neat, - And then the flies won't eat it - Nor touch it with their feet." - -And after that Mrs. Bruin said: "Mr. Lucky Lefthindfoot, if you will -stop at the next cross road I'll get out and see if I can't find the -honey for you." Well, when they came to the place, Mrs. Bruin climbed -out and went into the woods. But before she left she told the two little -bears not to move and not to annoy Uncle Lucky nor Billy Bunny, but to -be quiet until she came back. - -Well, I don't know exactly what happened in the woods, but pretty soon -Mrs. Bruin came tearing back with the whole swarm of bees after her. -Some had got under her bonnet and were stinging her ears and some had -crawled inside her silk mitts and were stinging her hands, and oh, dear -me, it was just dreadful! - -And when Uncle Lucky saw what was the matter he told her to hurry up and -get into the automobile. And then he made it go so fast that one of the -bees lost his stinger because he couldn't keep up with it, and he didn't -have time to take it out of Mrs. Bruin's ear. - -Well, wasn't it too bad? And in the next story I'll tell you how Mrs. -Bruin said good-by to Billy Bunny. - - - - -STORY XVI--BILLY BUNNY AND THE BEAR CUBS - - -You remember in the last story what a dreadful time Mrs. Bruin had to -get away from the stinging bees, and how if it had not been for dear, -kind Uncle Lucky she never would have gotten away? - -Well, the bees were soon left far behind, for the automobile went very -fast, and by and by they came to Mrs. Bruin's cave. So she invited the -two little rabbits in, for by this time everybody was hungry, and the -two little bears were almost starved. - -Now, Mrs. Bruin had a big closet where she kept all sorts of nice things -to eat and before long cake and milk and lettuce leaves and apple pie -were on the table and the feast commenced. - -And after that they wound up the graphophone and heard a lovely song, -which I'm going to tell to you because it was so pretty. And this is the -way the words went and you can make up any kind of music to go with it, -if you wish: - - By-o-by, little bear cub, - In your cave on the windy hill. - Safe in the care of dear mother bear - Cuddle up tight and be still. - Father is out in the woods, and soon he - Will be coming home safe to baby and me. - So cuddle up tight for the shadows of night - Are creeping o'er meadow and lea. - -And do you know, those dear little Bear cubs went sound to sleep and -were put to bed without waking up. Wasn't that nice? And that's the way -little boys and girls should behave. - -Never give mother a worry or care, but be good like a dear little fuzzy -wool bear. Goodness me! I'm making up poetry myself only my typewriter -didn't make the lines go just the way they should. - -Well, after this Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky got into the automobile and -drove away, and by and by the stars came out and the big round moon, and -they were still far from home. But they didn't care. No, sirreemam. - -Billy Bunny hopped out and lighted the lamps, and Uncle Lucky turned up -his coat collar for the night wind was chilly, and then they started off -again. And by and by, not so very long, they came to a little hotel -called "Cuddle Inn." "That's the place for your uncle," said the kind -old gentleman rabbit. "Let's inquire," which means to find out, "if they -will take us for the night." - -So Billy Bunny hopped out and went into the hotel office, and the -landlord, who was a nice-looking squirrel, with a beautiful gray bushy -tail, said, "I have a nice room with two beds," and then he put the -Luckymobile in the barn and the two little rabbits went to sleep before -they took off their watches; they were so tired, and if the old cow -doesn't blow her horn to wake me up before it's morn, I'll tell you in -the next story what happened after that. - - - - -STORY XVII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE SQUIRREL INNKEEPER - - - Wake up! Wake up! It's early morn, - The cock is tooting his little tin horn. - The morning wind is singing a tune - About the roses that bloom in June. - It's time to be up, for the day is here, - And the sky is shining bright and clear. - -So out of bed hopped Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky, and then they wound -their watches, for they were so tired the night before that they had -gone to bed with them on, as I told you in the last story. - -Well, when they got downstairs they found the squirrel who owned "Cuddle -Inn" already up and dressed. A most delicious smell of hot coffee and -rolls came from the kitchen, so the little rabbits went into the dining -room and read the menu card. - -And what do you think they ordered? Lettuce leaves, with cream all over -them, and carrot candies, with maple syrup, and corn flake muffins and -warm milk, and, let me see, oh, yes! oh, yes! apple pie! For Uncle Lucky -loved apple pie, and Billy Bunny loved it just as much, although he -couldn't eat as many as the old gentleman rabbit could, for the reason -that he ate so many candy carrots! - -"And now that we are through breakfast," cried little Billy Bunny, -"let's go fishing, for I heard a boy say outside the window that the -trout in the forest brook were nibbling at pieces of cheese, they were -so hungry." Just think of that! - -So the kind Squirrel Innkeeper got out two fishing poles and Billy Bunny -and Uncle Lucky started off. - -Well, by and by they came to the trout stream and commenced to fish, and -in a little while they had three big trout. Then they put them in a -basket with nice wet leaves and after that they sat down for lunch. And -then they fell asleep. And while they were dreaming that a big whale had -swallowed both hooks and was pulling them into the water a tramp cat -came by and stole the basket of trout. - -Yes, sir! As soon as she smelt fish she walked right up and without -making a sound lifted up the basket and tiptoed away, and of course when -the two little rabbits woke up they couldn't find the basket of fish. - -"Well, that's a nice howdy-do," exclaimed Uncle Lucky ruefully, which -means even worse than sadly, you know. "What shall we tell the Squirrel -Innkeeper? It's his basket, you know, although the fish belonged to us?" - -And while they were wondering what to do, an old basket maker came by -with a pack of baskets. So Uncle Lucky took out his purse and bought -one, and then he and Billy Bunny began again to fish. But, oh, dear me! -I guess the trout had all gone away, for they never got a bite, except -from a mean old mosquito, who stung dear Uncle Lucky on the little left -hind toe. - -And in the next story, if the Tailor Bird doesn't sew up the bottoms of -my trousers so that I can't get my collar on in the morning, I'll tell -you more about Uncle Lucky Lefthindfoot and his little nephew, Billy -Bunny. - - - - -STORY XVIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE TAILOR BIRD - - -Well, the Tailor Bird didn't sew up the bottoms of my pantaloons so that -I couldn't get on my collar, as I told you I was afraid he would in the -last story. - -But he did something else. He sent in his bill--I mean he pushed his -bill in through the open window--and asked me if I was ready to try on -my new spring suit. But I told him I didn't have time because I had to -write a Billy Bunny story. So he flew away with his bill without another -twitter. - -And after he had flown for three hundred thousand short flutters he came -to where Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky were fishing. - -"There's no use to fish any more, my friends," said the Tailor Bird, -"for the trout have gone to a dance and they don't bite when they -dance." - -"That's very kind of you to tell us that," said Uncle Lucky, and he -pulled his hook out of the water. But would you believe it, he had a -ten-dollar bill on the end of it! Yes, sir! He did. - -And if I thought there were any more ten-dollar bills in that trout -stream I'd go right off now without finishing this story and fish there -for the rest of my life. - -"Hip, hurray!" cried Billy Bunny, and then he pulled in his hook and -line, and would you believe me again, even if I don't believe it myself, -he had a twenty-dollar bill on his hook! Well, the little rabbit was so -excited that he said "Hip, hurray!" three times and a half without -stopping, and then he put the money in his pocket, and so did Uncle -Lucky, and after that they said good-by to the Tailor Bird and went back -to the hotel and told the Squirrel Innkeeper all about it. But he only -laughed and said that was the best fish story he had ever heard. - -"Well, then," said Uncle Lucky, "as long as you don't believe us, we'll -be going." So he and Billy Bunny got into the Luckymobile and drove -away, and by and by they came to a poor little mouse who had on a ragged -skirt and a torn sunbonnet. - -And what do you think dear, kind Uncle Lucky did? Why, he stopped the -automobile and gave her his ten-dollar bill. - -"Now run home to your mother," said the generous old gentleman rabbit, -"and tell her to buy you a new dress and something for herself." And -didn't she run! - -That is, after she got over her surprise, for at first she could hardly -believe her eyes, for I guess she'd never seen a ten-dollar bill before. - -"The next poor person I see I'm going to give my twenty-dollar bill to," -said Billy Bunny. - -"Well, you'll have plenty of chances," said his Uncle, who of course had -seen a good deal of the world and knew there were a few poor people -left, although there were lots of money in banks and old stockings in -farm-houses. - -Now, I haven't room to-night to tell you who Billy Bunny gave his money -to, but if you'll wait until to-morrow night you shall hear all about -it--that is, unless some poor person sees Billy Bunny before I do. - - - - -STORY XIX--BILLY BUNNY AND ROBBIE REDBREAST - - -Well, it was two or three days before Billy Bunny came across a poor -person to whom he might give his twenty-dollar bill, and then Uncle -Lucky wouldn't let him. Wasn't that strange? - -But the reason, you see, was because it was a tramp, and Uncle Lucky -said: "A tramp is a man who hates work, and anybody who hates work is -his own worst enemy." - -And then he told Billy Bunny that if the tramp got the twenty dollars -he'd hate work even more, so Billy Bunny put the money back into his -pocket and later on he gave it to his dear mother. Which, I think, was -the nicest thing he could have done. - -"And now, my dear nephew," said the kind old gentleman rabbit, "let's go -back to the Old Briar Patch, for I know your mother is lonely. You have -been away so long." - -And then they turned the automobile toward Old Snake Fence Corner and by -and by they saw Mrs. Bunny hanging out the clothes on the line, for it -was Monday morning, which is wash-day in Rabbitville, just as it is in -Newport and Hoboken. - -And when Mrs. Bunny saw them she was so excited that she pinned her -thumb by mistake to the clothesline with a clothespin, and couldn't get -away until Uncle Lucky pulled down the clothesline and Billy Bunny -pulled off the clothespin. - -"Where have you two been?" she asked when she had finished hugging her -little bunny boy. But I won't tell you what Billy Bunny told her, for -you know it already and, anyway, it would take maybe two hundred and -forty-nine and a half stories to do it. So we'll leave Billy Bunny alone -for a little while with his dear mother and go across the Pleasant -Meadow to the Old Farm Yard to see how Cocky Docky and Henny Jenny are. - -And maybe we'll hear something nice about Ducky Doodles and Turkey Purky -and Mrs. Cow, unless you've forgotten all about these old friends. - -Well, it's strange how news travels. Robbie Redbreast had seen Billy -Bunny and Uncle Lucky drive up to the Old Brier Patch, and had flown -over to tell the Weathercock on the Old Barn, who told Cocky Docky and -then, of course, all the Barn Yard Folk knew that Billy Bunny was back -again at the Old Brier Patch. - -Then Ducky Doodle said he thought he'd go for a swim, and off he waddled -to the Old Mill Pond. And as soon as he got there he told Uncle -Bullfrog. But he didn't tell the Miller's Boy. No, siree! He didn't want -him to know, you may be sure. - -And then, pretty soon, not so very long, Robbie Redbreast flew into the -Friendly Forest and told Old Mother Magpie the news, and after that -everybody knew that Mr. William Bunny had returned home from his -travels. And that night the twinkle twinkle star shone right over the -little rabbit's room and sang: - - The twinkle twinkle star will peep - At Billy Bunny fast asleep, - And send to him a pretty dream - Of silver fishes in a stream. - - - - -STORY XX--BILLY BUNNY AND THE BABBLING BROOK - - -The next morning after Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky had returned to the -Old Brier Patch, as I told you in the last story, it rained and poured, -and, of course, nobody could go out. - -If it had been a gentle shower it wouldn't have made any difference, but -it rained so hard that I really believe Billy Bunny would have been -drowned if he had even hopped out of the front door and back again. - -"Now the best thing for you to do," said Mrs. Bunny after breakfast, "is -to go up into the garret and play with all your old toys. You've been -away so long they'll all seem just like new." - -So Billy Bunny hopped upstairs and Uncle Lucky sat down and read the -Bunnyville "Bugle," and Mrs. Bunny washed up the breakfast dishes, and, -of course, they all had a lovely time in spite of the rain. - -Well, it turned out just as Mrs. Bunny had said. The toys in the garret -all seemed just like new and some Billy Bunny had forgotten all about, -so that he had a lovely time till lunch, and then the sun came out and -dried up the wet places, and the Pleasant Meadow looked twice as green -and lovely as before. - -Now whenever it rained Uncle Lucky's leg hurt him--the leg you remember -that was shot by the Miller's Boy--so he said to his little nephew, "You -run out on the meadow and play and I'll stay home with your mother, for -my leg hurts me and I don't want to do any hopping to-day." - -Then the little rabbit hopped away by himself and by and by he came to -the Babbling Brook. So he looked into the water and when he saw his face -he began to laugh. - -For Billy Bunny hadn't looked at himself for so long he had forgotten -how he looked, and, anyway, he had grown so large that he wouldn't have -known himself if he hadn't been sure that there was nobody else looking -into the water at the same time. - -And while he was laughing Mrs. Cow came along, the little bell tinkling -at her throat and making such pretty music it seemed to say to the -little rabbit: - - "I'm just a tiny tinkling bell, - But everywhere I go - The people say I am so gay, - They love to hear me so. - Tinkle, tinkle, dinkle, dell, - Oh, I'm a happy little bell!" - -"Did you hear what the little bell was saying?" asked Billy Bunny, but -Mrs. Cow shook her head. - -"It didn't say anything but tinkle, tinkle, did it?" But the little -rabbit felt sure it did say just what he thought it did, so he asked the -little bell to tinkle again, and it did, and the tinkles said the same -thing all over again, and this made Billy Bunny very happy, even if Mrs. -Cow didn't understand. - -And in the next story you shall hear how Billy Bunny made a call at the -Old Farm. - - - - -STORY XXI--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. WILDCAT - - -Well, after Billy Bunny had said good-by to Mrs. Cow he hopped across -the Pleasant Meadow till he came to the Old Barn Yard. And as soon as -the Weathercock saw him you should have heard him crow. Yes, sireemam. - -He crowed like a regular old-fashioned everyday rooster, and this made -all the hens and chickens look up, and then, of course, they saw Billy -Bunny. And they were so glad to see the little rabbit they forgot to -wonder how the Weathercock could grow. - -I guess the only person who wasn't glad to see little Billy Bunny was -Mr. Sharptooth Rat. He peeked out of his hole and scowled, but the -little rabbit didn't care, for nobody liked Mr. Sharptooth Rat, anyway. - -Well, by and by, just as little Billy Bunny was looking in Henny Jenny's -nest to see what a lot of lovely eggs she had, who should come along but -the Miller's Boy, and as soon as he saw the little rabbit he gave a yell -and tried to catch him. - -The chickens tried to get in his way, and Cocky Docky even tried to trip -him up, but the Miller's Boy didn't stumble a bit. No, siree! He almost -caught Billy Bunny, but as long as he didn't it's all right, although he -scared the little rabbit nearly to death. - -If the Miller's Boy had had his gun with him, or even his dog, I'm -afraid there would have been no more Billy Bunny stories. - -"Oh, pshaw!" said the Miller's Boy, as the little rabbit squeezed -through a hole in the hen-house and hopped away. "I should like to have -caught that little rabbit!" Then Cocky Docky began to crow, he was so -glad he hadn't. - -But Billy Bunny didn't stop for anything, he was so scared, and pretty -soon he found himself in the Friendly Forest under the tree where Parson -Owl lived. It was a long time since Billy Bunny had seen the old -gentleman owl, so he stopped and looked up into the branches. - -But oh, dear me! Instead of seeing the blinky-winky friendly face of old -Parson Owl he saw a pair of yellow eyes and a big red mouth with sharp -teeth. And then down from the tree jumped a wildcat and meowed in a -dreadful way. - -"Oh, please, Mrs. Wildcat, let me go," cried the little rabbit, and he -looked around for a hollow stump to hide in or a hole to crawl into, but -there wasn't anything like that in sight. So he turned to the cruel -wildcat and said, "Please don't bite me!" And then he opened his -knapsack and took out a big, round doughnut, the kind with a big hole -inside, you know, and gave it to the wildcat. - -"Take it home to your wild kittens instead of me, won't you please, Mrs. -Wildcat?" And would you believe it, she said she would, for it pleased -her to think that little Billy Bunny would give her a doughnut for her -kittens, for no one else had ever done that before, you see. - - - - -STORY XXII--BILLY BUNNY AT WINDY CAVE - - -You remember in the last story that Billy Bunny gave the Wildcat a -doughnut to take home to her little wild kittens, and that was why she -didn't take the little rabbit. - -Well, as she walked off with the doughnut, Billy Bunny said to himself, -"I'll never, never be without a doughnut in my knapsack!" And I guess -you would have said the same thing, too, if a doughnut had saved you -from a wildcat! - -After that the little rabbit hopped along through the Friendly Forest, -and by and by he came to the Windy Cave. Now I know I've never told you -about this cave before because Billy Bunny never happened to visit it, -but now that he has I'll tell you that it was strange sort of a place. - -If you stood at the opening you could hear the winds moan and groan, and -every once in a while a great gust would come out of the mouth of the -great cave and almost blow you off your feet. - - - [Illustration: DOWN FROM THE TREE JUMPED THE WILDCAT.] - - -Well, sir, that's just what happened to Billy Bunny. He no sooner stood -right in front of the cave than a great blast of air knocked him off his -feet and rolled him over thirty-three times and a half, and he would -have rolled over thirty-four times even if a big log hadn't been in the -way. - -And it was mighty lucky for the little rabbit that the log was there, -for if it hadn't been he would have rolled right over the edge of the -mountain. Just think of that! - -And just then a voice began to sing: - - Oh, I'm the king of the windy cave - Where I have my windy throne. - And there I rule where it's nice and cool - 'Mid the glitter of precious stone. - And when the autumn days are come - I come forth with a lusty shout, - And strip the trees of their whispering leaves - And strew them all about. - -And then all the trees began to shiver and shake, but the wind king only -laughed, as he whispered to the little rabbit: "Don't be afraid, Billy -Bunny. I won't hurt you. Come into my cave and I'll give you a present!" - -"What kind of a present?" asked the little rabbit, for he wasn't going -to be fooled, no sireemam! - -"A big ruby pin!" said the wind king. - -So the little bunny went inside the cave with the wind king, but he -didn't go in very far, for he was afraid. - -"What's the matter?" asked the wind king. "You're not frightened, are -you?" - -"Not exactly," said Billy Bunny, trying to keep his teeth from -chattering. "I guess I'm cold!" - -Then the king opened a door and, oh my! wasn't it beautiful inside! The -sides of the cave were diamonds and rubies and emeralds, and little gold -and silver bells swung back and forth making a sweet kind of music. - -"The little breezes are ringing the bells," said the wind king, and then -he took out of a moss cushion a beautiful ruby scarfpin and handed it to -Billy Bunny. "Put it in your tie," said the king, "and don't you ever -lose it." - -And in the next story if the dogwood tree in our yard doesn't catch cold -to-night and lose its bark, so it can't scare the the pussy cat when she -tries to climb up and catch the little robin in the nest, I'll tell you -about Billy Bunny and the Canary bird. - - - - -STORY XXIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE WILD CANARY - - -Well, the Dogwood Tree in our yard was all right this morning. It hadn't -taken cold, and it was covered with lovely flowers, so I'm going to tell -you some more about Billy Bunny, as I promised to in the last story. - -Well, as soon as the wind king placed the beautiful ruby scarfpin in the -little rabbit's cravat he opened the door of his cave and gave a big -puff, and away went Billy Bunny just like a bullet from a gun. - -But he didn't care, for he landed as nicely as you please on a mossy -bank, and then he looked in the brook to see if the ruby scarfpin was -still in his cravat, and then he looked around to see what he would do -next. And just then a little wild canary began singing this song: - - "I wouldn't live within a cage, - I'd rather be wild and free; - Wherever I roam I'm always at home, - In forest or grassy lea." - -"And so am I," cried Billy Bunny. "I'm a traveler; yes, I am." And then -the little canary flew down from the tree and said to the little rabbit: -"I have a little yellow brother who has always lived in a cage. But he -can't get me to live with him. I love the trees and the tall grasses too -much." - -"Where do you live?" asked the little rabbit. - -"Come and see," said the little canary, and he flew off, and by and by -he pointed to his tiny nest. - -"If I had a pair of wings," laughed the little rabbit, "I'd be able to -look inside and see what kind of furniture you have. But I'm only a -four-footed little rabbit. Good-by!" and he hopped away, and by and by -he came to a field of corn. But it was too early for the corn to be -ripe, so the little rabbit opened his knapsack and took out an apple -pie, for it was lunch time. And just as he was going to bite off a nice, -big, juicy piece a big black crow flew down and snatched the pie away. - -And this made Billy Bunny very angry. Oh, my, but he was mad. And then -he opened his knapsack and took out his gun and before the thieving crow -had flown off more than a mile he dropped that apple pie. Yes, sireemam. -The cork bullet hit him right on the end of his bill, and then of course -he couldn't hold on to the pie any longer. And before he could fly down -to pick it up the little rabbit was there. - - "Oh, ho! Mr. Crow, - Do you like apple pie? - If so, better go - And buy one by and by." - -And this made the crow so angry that he flew over to a colored man who -did whitewashing and asked him to paint him white. And in the next story -you shall hear how Billy Bunny was fooled by three little sparrows. - - - - -STORY XXIV--BILLY BUNNY AND THE LITTLE SPARROWS - - -Well, as soon as Billy Bunny finished eating the apple pie which he had -just gotten away from the bad crow who had stolen it, as I told you in -the last story, he shouldered his knapsack and picked up his striped -candy cane and then he set off once more on his journey of adventure. - -And by and by he came to a telegraph pole where three little sparrows -were swinging back and forth. And when they saw the little rabbit they -cried out all together: "Helloa, Billy Bunny!" - -"Who's telephoning to me?" asked the little rabbit, for he hadn't looked -up, you see, and, of course, didn't know that the little sparrows were -sitting on the wires. - -And when the three little birds saw that he didn't know who was talking -to him, they thought they'd have some fun and make believe some one was -telephoning to the little rabbit. So one little sparrow said, in a deep, -far-away kind of voice: - -"Helloa! Helloa! Is this Billy Bunny of Snake Fence Corner?" - -"Yes, this is Billy Bunny," cried the little rabbit, getting all excited -and wiggling his little pink nose so fast that one of the little -sparrows got so dizzy looking at him that she had to hold on with her -bill. Pretty soon he hopped up close to the telegraph pole and leaned -his ear against it. - - "Helloa! Helloa! Who's calling me? - Please give the name, for I cannot see. - Who's at the other end of the wire, please? - Excuse me a minute--I'm going to sneeze." - -And then Billy Bunny almost sneezed his head off, for the telegraph pole -trembled so that it tickled his ear. And when you tickle a rabbit's ear -you are very likely to make him sneeze. - -Just then the three little sparrows began to laugh and twitter, and -this, of course, made the little rabbit look up. And when he saw them he -knew, at once, they were playing a joke. - -"So you were calling me on the telephone, were you?" he asked, trying -not to get angry. For he was a very good-natured little bunny, as you -well know by this time. - -"Yes, we were," said the littlest sparrow, "but please don't feel badly -about it. We were only in fun." - -"I thought perhaps it was my mother, that is all," answered the little -rabbit, "and I was worried for fear she might be anxious about me." - -"Oh, she isn't worried," said the largest sparrow. And the -middling-sized sparrow--the one, you know, who hadn't said a word as -yet--spoke up: - -"Your Uncle Lucky is, though. I was at his house this morning and the -little sparrow who lives on his front porch told me that the old -gentleman rabbit was wondering what had become of you." - -"Well, I'll go right off now and make him a call," said Billy Bunny. And -in to-morrow night's story I'll tell you what happens next. - - - - -STORY XXV--BILLY BUNNY AND ROBIN REDBREAST - - -In the last story I left off just where Billy Bunny was setting out to -make a call on his good kind Uncle Lucky, you remember, and if you have -forgotten, please take my word for it, for I keep a scrapbook of all -these little stories and I'm sure I'm right, for I just looked to see. - -Well, as the little rabbit hopped along with his knapsack on his back -and his striped candy cane in his right paw, he heard a robin redbreast -singing in her nest, and this is what she sang: - - "Some day you'll be old enough - To leave the dear home nest, - But till that day just grow and say - I'll try to do my best - To make my wings grow big and strong - And learn to sing the whole day long, - For some day when I'm big and free - I'll build a nest in an apple tree." - -And then the robin flew down to the ground and pushed back the pink -sunbonnet on her head so that she could see the little rabbit without -standing up on her toes. - -"Well, here is my dear little friend, Billy Bunny," she twittered. "How -is he to-day?" - -"Very well, thank you, ma'am," replied the little rabbit, opening his -leather knapsack to give her a piece of sponge cake for her little -birdies. "That won't hurt them a bit," said he, "for my mother made it -and it's very simple." - -And then the little robins peeped over their nest and cried, "Oh, hurry, -mother dear, and give us the cake," for they were just as fond of sponge -cake as Billy Bunny was of lollypops, and while they were eating the -cake he took a lollypop out of his knapsack and ate it, for he was -hungry too, for it was half-past noon, and that's the hungry hour for -rabbits, I am told. - -Well, after that he said good-by and started off again for Uncle Lucky's -house. "I must get there before sundown," he said to himself, "for I -don't want to sleep out of doors to-night if I can help it." - -So he hopped along as fast as he was able, but Mr. Happy Sun was in a -hurry, too, and pretty soon he went down behind the purple hills and it -began to grow dark. "Oh, dear! oh, dear!" sighed the little rabbit, -"where am I going to sleep if I don't get to Uncle Lucky's house pretty -soon?" And just then a sleepy voice exclaimed: - - "Under this bush is a soft pile of leaves, - Come and sleep on it if you please." - -So Billy Bunny hopped under the bush and there he saw a little ruffed -grouse, who is often called a quail and sometimes a pheasant. "Oh, thank -you, Mrs. Quail," said Billy Bunny, "you are very kind," and then he -made a soft bed for himself and went to sleep, and if he wakes up early -enough in the morning I'll tell you in the next story how he reached -dear kind Uncle Lucky's house. - - - - -STORY XXVI--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. QUAIL - - - "Get up, get up, you lazy folks, - I'm shining in the sky. - Awake, awake, your breakfast take, - Before the noon is nigh. - No time for lazy folks I think, - So don't lie still and blink and blink, - But jump up with a laugh and smile - And sing a little all the while." - -SO up jumped Billy Bunny from his bed of leaves where he had slept all -night, as I told you in the last story, and after he had combed his fur -with a little chip and dusted off his knapsack he opened it and took out -his breakfast. - -And what do you suppose he had? Well, first he ate some nice fresh -lettuce leaves, with powdered sugar carrots, and then a piece of apple -pie, and when kind Mrs. Quail saw what a nice breakfast he had, she -said: - -"I like pie, Mr. William Bunny." Now the reason the little rabbit hadn't -offered her some was because he hadn't seen her. You see, she had gone -to sleep on the other side of the bush. - -"Here is some pie," said Billy Bunny, and he gave her a big piece and -some cracker crumbs and some birdseed and then a drink of lemon soda. -Pretty soon Mrs. Quail didn't feel a bit hungry, and neither did the -little rabbit. - -And after that he buckled on his knapsack and started off to find his -dear Uncle Lucky, but first he thanked Mrs. Quail for her kindness in -letting him sleep under her bush all night and part of the early -morning. - -Well, sir, that little rabbit hopped along almost all day, and still he -didn't reach his Uncle Lucky's house. "I wonder if I have lost the way?" -he said aloud, and, all of a sudden, a voice answered: "I guess you -have. Lots of people do," and a kind-looking old mooley cow pushed her -head over the fence and smiled at him. And, oh, my, she had a big, -beautiful smile, and this made the little rabbit laugh and forget how -tired he was. - -"Do you know where my Uncle Lucky lives----Mr. Lucky Lefthindfoot?" he -asked. - -"To be sure," replied the mooley cow. "He lives over yonder," and she -pointed across the meadow. "Hop under the fence, little rabbit, and then -hop across the meadow, over the daisies and buttercups, and you'll find -the place, never fear." - -So the little rabbit did as she told him, and when he came to the fence -on the other side he saw his uncle's house not very far away. But, oh, -dear me! The fence was not at all like the fence on the other side. -There wasn't any room between the woven wires to crawl through, and so -Billy Bunny didn't know what to do. - -But he didn't wonder very long. No, sireemam. He started right in to dig -a tunnel under that wire fence, and pretty soon he was on the other -side, hopping away toward Uncle Lucky's house, and in about five hundred -and a half hops, skips and jumps he came to the front gate. - -And there on the porch sat the kind old gentleman rabbit, with the big -diamond pin which his nephew had given him shining like a star in his -red tie. And in to-morrow's story I'll tell you what a good time the -little rabbit had at his uncle's house. - - - - -STORY XXVII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE THEATER PLAY - - -As Billy Bunny hopped up the steps of Uncle Lucky's house, the old -gentleman rabbit, who was lying in the hammock, as I told you in the -last story, jumped up and said, "I'm glad to see you. Where have you -been all this time?" - -And then when he saw the beautiful ruby scarfpin in the little rabbit's -tie--the ruby pin which the King of the Windy Cave had given Billy -Bunny, you remember--he said: "And where did you get that mag-nif-i-cent -pin?" - -And of course the little rabbit told the old gentleman rabbit all about -it, and when he finished the story it was time for supper. So Uncle -Lucky opened the screen door just a little so that the flies wouldn't -get in, and he and Billy Bunny squeezed through the crack and went into -the dining room. - -Well, after supper was over, they decided to go down to the village and -see if there was a show at the Opera House that night. And sure enough -there was, and the name of the play was "The Tortoise and the Hare." - -"That sounds interesting," said Uncle Lucky and he bought two box seats -for two carrot dollars, and he and his little nephew went inside. - -"Mr. Hare is a first cousin," he said to Billy Bunny as they sat down in -the box and leaned over the railing to look at the people. - -Well, pretty soon the music started and then the curtain went up and the -play commenced. I suppose you all have read the fable--how the tortoise -and the hare ran a race and the hare got so far ahead that he lay down -to take a nap, but the slow old tortoise kept right on all the time, and -when the hare woke up it was too late, for the tortoise had won the -race. - -Well, anyway, I've told you the story, but I haven't told you what -happened when the hare went to sleep. You see, he lay down near the box -where Billy Bunny and kind Uncle Lucky were seated, and by and by, after -he had been asleep for quite a long time, Uncle Lucky grew very nervous. - -"My gracious!" he exclaimed to Billy Bunny, "if that silly cousin of -ours does not wake up pretty soon he might as well sleep there all -night, for the race will be won and the opera house closed up and we'll -be home in bed." - -And then Billy Bunny began to get very nervous, too, and he wiggled -about in his seat and made funny little noises to wake up the hare. But -the hare slept on, and I believe he even snored. - -Well, sir, try as the two little rabbits might, they couldn't wake him -up, until, at last, Billy Bunny took the automobile horn, which he had -brought in with him so that nobody could blow on it, and blew a dreadful -loud blast. - -And this woke up the hare and one of the ushers, who ran up to the box -and begged Uncle Lucky not to let Billy Bunny blow on the horn again. -"For," said the usher, "it's only a play and the hare mustn't wake up -until the tortoise wins the race." - -"Well, I won't see my cousin beaten by an old tortoise," said Uncle -Lucky. - -And he and Billy Bunny hopped out of the Opera House and went home. - - - - -STORY XXVIII--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. WEASEL - - -As soon as Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky got home after leaving the Opera -House, as I told you in the last story, they heard a loud noise in the -back yard. - -"What's that?" said Uncle Lucky, and he peeked around the corner of the -porch while Billy Bunny took his popgun out of his knapsack so as to be -ready in case it was a burglar. - -"I don't see anything," whispered the old gentleman rabbit; "you take a -look." So Billy Bunny peeped around the corner and then he hopped -backward, almost knocking Uncle Lucky head over tail. - -And before you could say "Jack Rabbit!" Old Man Weasel jumped from -behind the house and glared at the two rabbits with his wicked eyes. - -"Good evening, Mr. Weasel," said Uncle Lucky, pushing Billy Bunny behind -him, for he was a brave old rabbit, was Uncle Lucky, and he was going to -save his little nephew from being eaten up by the wicked weasel, if he -could. - -"Good evening, gentlemen," replied Old Man Weasel, licking his lips and -glaring at them with his fierce little eyes. "You look sweet and tender -to me." - -"Your eyesight is pretty poor," said Uncle Lucky bravely, "and I don't -feel very sweet just now, and I'm too old to be tender," and he wriggled -his nose so fast in the moonlight that it made Old Man Weasel dizzy to -look at it, and he had to turn away, and while he wasn't looking, Billy -Bunny lifted his gun to his shoulder and pulled the trigger. - -And when the cork hit the wicked weasel it made him jump right up into -the air, and when he came down he sprained his right foot on a big stone -so that he cried: - - "Oh, dear! oh, dear! And woe is me! - I've sprained an ankle and a knee. - I cannot walk, I cannot run! - Plague take that little rabbit's gun! - Oh, won't you call an am-bu-lance, - My home is such a great dis-tance!" - -"If you'll promise not to come here again," said kind Uncle Lucky, "I'll -call up the hospital. If you don't promise I'll call the Policeman Dog -and ask him to tickle you with his club," and the old gentleman rabbit -hopped down to the front gate and pretended to call a policeman, which -frightened Old Man Weasel nearly to death. He'd rather have a sprained -knee than be tickled by a policeman's club any day in the week. - -"I'll promise! I'll promise!" he cried, and then Billy Bunny went to the -telephone and called up the hospital and they sent an ambulance around. -And the doctor--the man in white, you know, who sits on the back seat of -the ambulance--tied up the weasel's knee so he couldn't bend it, and his -ankle so he couldn't wiggle it, and then he placed him in the ambulance, -while the Policeman Dog stood by to keep the crowds away, only of course -there wasn't any crowds there, for it was midnight, you know. - -And in the next story I will tell you more about the two little rabbits -if they only get up in time, for they've stayed up pretty late to-night -and may not hear the alarm clock in the morning. - - - - -STORY XXIX--BILLY BUNNY AND THE POLICEMAN DOG - - -"Well, that's a great relief," exclaimed Uncle Lucky, as the ambulance -drove away with Old Man Weasel, who had tried to eat up Billy Bunny and -his kind uncle in the story before this, and would have swallowed them -both if the little rabbit hadn't hit him with a cork bullet from his -popgun, you remember. - -Of course, it was very kind of Billy Bunny to call up the ambulance to -take away the wicked weasel, after he had sprained his ankle, but it was -also very wise. For who wants a wicked weasel around, even if he has a -sprained ankle and can't do you any harm? - -Well, after everything was quiet and the Policeman Dog had taken a drink -of cider and a cigar, the two little rabbits sat down on the front -porch, for it was too late to go to bed, or maybe it was too early, for -the first faint streaks of daylight were spreading over the sky, and by -the time Uncle Lucky could unlace his shoes and untie his red cravat and -wind his gold watch, it would be time to get dressed again. - -So he and Billy Bunny sat down and waited for breakfast, and by and by -the Japanese cook came out to sweep off the front porch, and when he saw -Mr. Lucky Lefthindfoot and his nephew, Billy Bunny, sitting there, he -ran back into the kitchen and dropped two eggs on the floor and put the -tea into the coffee grinder and the salt into the sugar bowl, he was so -excited because he thought it must be 'way past breakfast time. - -And then the old gentleman rabbit began to sing: - - "Never hurry--makes worry; - Worry makes you thin. - If you're clever you'll endeavor - Never to begin." - -And I guess the Japanese cook heard him, for in a few minutes breakfast -was ready, and this time the eggs were dropped on toast instead of the -floor. - -By and by, after Uncle Lucky had smoked his cigar, he and Billy Bunny -went out to the garage and cranked up the Luckymobile and went for a -ride. And when they had gone for a mile or less they came across their -old friend the Circus Elephant. - -But, oh, dear me! He was an awful sight. His left eye had a bandage over -it and his trunk was rolled up in cotton and his left hind foot had an -old carpet slipper on and his tail was done up in splints and he was -weeping great big tears, for he felt dreadfully miserable. - -"What is the matter?" asked Billy Bunny, as Uncle Lucky stopped the -automobile. - -"Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" sobbed the big animal. "I was in a Fourth of July -celebration and the roman candles got mixed up with the sky-rockets and -the cannon crackers with the pin wheels, and the first thing I knew I -was hit in two million, nine hundred and a few dozen places, and if it -hadn't been for a pink cross nurse I'd be a dead elephant by this time." - -"Get into the automobile," said Uncle Lucky, "and we'll take you home -with us," and in the next story, if the catbird doesn't scratch the -dogfish, I'll tell you who broke the springs in the automobile, unless -you guess who did before to-morrow night. - - - - -STORY XXX--BILLY BUNNY AND THE CIRCUS ELEPHANT - - -Let me see. I left off in the last story when the Circus Elephant -stepped into the Luckymobile, didn't I? You remember he had been injured -in a Fourth of July celebration, and good, kind Uncle Lucky offered to -take him home. - -Well as soon as he sat down the tires burst and then, of course, the -automobile wouldn't go, for the cabaret wouldn't work and the engine -wouldn't whistle. So Billy Bunny got out the sticking plaster and fixed -the tires and then he made the elephant blow them up with his trunk, but -he wouldn't let him get in again. - -No, sir. He said, "Now look here, Elly. You're too heavy for the -Luckymobile, so you'll have to walk, but you can put your trunk in the -back seat if that will help any." So the Circus Elephant lifted his -trunk into the automobile and ran along behind until they came to Uncle -Lucky's house. - -And wasn't he tired when they reached the front gate! He was so tired -that he lay down in the hammock and went sound to sleep and snored so -loud that everybody thought the janitor had put on the steam, although -it was July. - -"Goodness me!" exclaimed the kind old gentleman rabbit, "that elephant -makes so much noise that nobody will be able to sleep to-night!" And -Uncle Lucky scratched his left ear with his right hind leg and tried to -think what was best to do, for he just hated to wake up that poor tired -elephant. - -Well, just then, who should come along but a man with a piano organ, and -as soon as Uncle Lucky saw him he asked him to play the loudest tune and -play it just as fast as he could. - -Of course the poor, tired Circus Elephant woke up, and when he saw that -organ man, he jumped out of the hammock and ran down the front walk and -grabbed the piano and threw it clear across the road into a pond. - -And when the organ man saw that he started off as fast as he could and -never came back, for he had always been dreadfully afraid of elephants, -because when he was a boy he had given one a piece of chewing gum -instead of a peanut, and he never forgot what the elephant did to him -when he found it out. - -"Look here, Elly," said Uncle Lucky, "if you'll promise not to snore -I'll let you sleep in my bed to-night; but if you don't, you'll have to -sleep out in the field, for nobody can stand the noise you make." - -"Well, I can't stay all night, anyway," said the elephant, "for the -circus comes to town to-day and I'll be in the performance this evening. -Thank you, just the same." And then he said good-by to Billy Bunny and -Uncle Lucky and walked down the road, but before he left he gave them -each two tickets with his compliments. - -And if the trolley car doesn't swim across the river and splash the -conductor so that he can't ring up the fares, I'll tell you next time -whether Uncle Lucky and Billy Bunny went to the circus. - - - - -STORY XXXI--BILLY BUNNY AND THE CHEERFUL LITTLE BIRD - - -You remember in the last story that the Circus Elephant gave Uncle Lucky -and Billy Bunny tickets to go to the show. Well, I'm awfully sorry to -tell you they didn't go, and the reason was because the tent caught -fire, and before the firemen in Bunnytown could put out the flames the -spangles were all burnt off the circus queen's dress and the ice cream -cones were all melted and the peanuts roasted blacker than a coal, and -the lemonade boiled over and burnt the alligator's tail so that he -wouldn't stand on his head. - -And oh, dear me! The circus folk all had to sleep with the animals, and -the fat lady couldn't get into the monkey cage, so she had to lie down -on the grass underneath for the night, and she caught an awful cold and -almost had the chickenpox. - -Of course Billy Bunny and his good, kind uncle were dreadfully -disappointed, and when they got home they played on the victrola a new -song called: "If you want to borrow money don't you ever come to me," -and after that they went to bed, and when they woke up they heard the -little sparrow singing on the front porch: - - Sing a song of summer, - And the happy flowers; - Sing a song of sunshine - Through the golden hours - - Always sing of gladness - Through the live-long year - Even in December, - When it's cold and drear. - -"I'm going to take some crumbs out to that cheerful little bird," and -kind Uncle Lucky sprinkled sponge cake crumbs all over the porch, and -the sparrow and her little birdies had a scrumptious feast. - -And after that the telephone rang and Mrs. Bunny called up to find out -how Billy Bunny was. And when Uncle Lucky said he was very well she said -she was glad, because if he had been sick she would have wanted him -brought home im-me-die-ate-ly. - -But as long as he wasn't she wanted him back anyway, because she was so -lonely without him. And then of course the little rabbit had to say -good-by to his dear kind uncle and start right oft for the Old Brier -Patch. - -Well, sir! He hadn't gone for more than a million hops, and maybe a few -skips and jumps, when he came across his old friend the Brown Horse. -"Hello, there!" said the good-natured animal; "how is your Bunny -Highness?" - -"I'm all right," said the little rabbit, "but what are you doing here in -the woods?" - -"Ssh!" whispered the Brown Horse. "I ran away to-day and I'm afraid the -policeman will catch me for exceeding the speed limit." - -"So I'm hiding here." And just then they heard a whistle, but you'll -have to wait to find out whether it's a policeman or a locomotive engine -until the next story, for I've no more room in this one. - - - - -STORY XXXII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE MILLER'S BOY - - -As soon as the Brown Horse heard that whistle which I mentioned in the -last story, but couldn't tell you what kind of a whistle it was because -I had no more room, he jumped clear across the brook which was close by -and never stopped running until he found himself once more in his own -stable. - -And then before Billy Bunny could even say "Call me up on the -telephone," or "Won't you lunch with me to-morrow," of course the Brown -Horse was out of sight. So the little rabbit waited a minute to see if -he could hear the strange whistle again, and sure enough he did, and it -was right close to him this time, and when he looked around there stood -the Miller's Boy. - -And before Billy Bunny could hop away something hard hit him on the head -and he rolled over on the ground and didn't wake up until he found -himself rolled up in the Miller Boy's jacket, and oh, dear me! The -Miller's Boy was walking home as fast as he could and there was our dear -little Billy Bunny wrapped up like a Christmas present so that he -couldn't even wiggle his left ear. - -"Oh, mercy me!" cried the little rabbit, "I'm a goner now as sure as -Monday comes after Sunday and sunshine after rain and a stomach ache -after eating green apples!" - -And then he tried to squirm about, but the Miller's Boy squeezed all the -harder, so Billy Funny decided to keep quiet, for he didn't want to have -all his breath squeezed out of him, you know. - -Well, by and by, as the Miller's Boy walked along, the jacket slipped a -little under his arm, and then Billy Bunny saw a little light through -the arm sleeve. And before you could say "Jumping cats!" he pushed -through the sleeve and down to the ground and hopped away, free as a -bird in the air or a fish in the ocean. - -And I'm so glad that I'm going to say "Hip, hip, hurrah!" just as loud -as I can, for if there is anybody I hate it is that Miller's Boy. Ever -since I started to tell you about Billy Bunny he has been trying to -catch this dear little rabbit and this time I certainly thought he had. -And now that Billy Bunny is safe I'm so happy I could shout again. - - Go home you horrid Miller's Boy, - Who's always trying to annoy - The Friendly Little Forest Folk - By trying every kind of joke. - Go home and tie the bags of meal - And never try again to steal - A little rabbit on his way, - Who's always cheerful all the day. - -Well, after the little rabbit had hopped for maybe a mile or three, he -thought he was safe, and so he stopped to rest, and I would tell you -right now what he did, only I must stop so as to get this story in the -paper in time for tonight, so pleasant dreams and happy wakening. - - - - -STORY XXXIII--BILLY BUNNY AND OLD MOTHER MAGPIE - - -As I told you in the last story, little Billy Bunny stopped to rest -after escaping from the Miller's Boy, and while he stood on his hind -legs and looked around, who should fly down from a tree but Old Mother -Magpie. And the very first thing she said to the little rabbit was, "My -goodness, what a dirty little bunny you are." - -And this of course made Billy Bunny very angry, for he didn't think he -was dirty. So he opened his knapsack and took out a little mirror which -a lady bunny had dropped one day in the Friendly Forest and looked at -himself, and sure enough there was a great black smudge right across his -face. - -"Ha! Ha!" laughed Old Mother Magpie. "You wouldn't believe me, would -you?" And then she laughed again. - -"No, I wouldn't believe anything you said," answered the little rabbit, -"for you've told more untruths about people than anybody I know, and -that's the reason they call you 'Old Mother Mischief.'" - -Well, sir! This made her so mad that she flew at the little rabbit, and -maybe she would have pecked his eyes out if he hadn't put on a pair of -goggles that belonged to his dear, kind Uncle Lucky. - -"Please go 'way," said the little rabbit, "I can't help being rude to -you because you're so rude to other people," and he hopped away as fast -as he could before she could say another unkind word, and by and by he -came across Squirrel Nutcracker. - -Now the old gentleman squirrel had grown pretty old and was very hard of -hearing, and when Billy Bunny said "Good morning" he never heard him at -all, but just sat there on the old log and ate a peanut which he had -saved from the last circus. - -So Billy Bunny hopped up behind him and leaned over and called out quite -loud right in his left ear, "Good morning!" And this so startled Old -Squirrel Nutcracker that he swallowed the peanut shell, and then he -began to choke until he got black and blue in the face. - -And, of course, this frightened the little rabbit, too, for he felt it -was his fault, so he patted Old Squirrel Nutcracker on the back, and by -and by the old gentleman squirrel stopped coughing, although he was -dreadfully mad to think that he had swallowed the circus peanut without -even tasting it. - -"Look here, young rabbit," he said with a scowl, "don't you ever again -shout in my ear! If you do I'll pin back both your ears with a pine -needle and send you home to your mother!" Wasn't that a dreadful thing -for him to say? - -Well, sir, after that Billy Bunny thought it was time to be going, so he -bowed to the old squirrel and hopped away, and after maybe a million -hops, skips and jumps, he reached the Old Brier Patch, where he found -his dear mother standing in the doorway of her little house waiting for -her bunny boy. - -And that's a good place to leave him for to-night, don't you think so? -For we'll know he's safe and sound with his own dear mother, so go to -sleep and to-morrow I'll tell you another story; yes, I will, if you are -good. - - - - -STORY XXXIV--BILLY BUNNY AND DICKEY MEADOW MOUSE - - -Ting-a-ling! went the rising bell, and Billy Bunny opened his left eye -and twinkled his nose and stretched his right hind leg, and then he was -wide awake. - -But before he got out of bed he pulled out his gold watch and chain, the -watch which his kind Uncle Lucky Lefthindfoot had given him, you -remember, from under his pillow, for he was so sleepy he wondered if his -mother hadn't made a mistake. But, no, she hadn't. - -It was half past fourteen o'clock and Mr. Happy Sun was laughing through -the little window. So up jumped Billy Bunny and combed his fur and -parted it in the middle down his back, and after that he was almost -ready for breakfast, except to brush his teeth with a new toothbrush -which he had bought at the Three-in-one-cent store. - -After breakfast he started right out to play on the Pleasant Meadow, and -the first person he saw was little Dickey Meadow Mouse. He had just come -out of his little grass ball house and was looking around to see what he -would do. - -"Good morning," said Billy Bunny, "how are you this lovely day?" - -And of course Dickey Meadow Mouse said he was well, for the little -people of the Pleasant Meadow are never ill unless some enemy injures -them, for they know how to take very good care of themselves, you know, -and kind Mother Nature always provides them with enough to eat, and -sometimes more. - -And while they stood there laughing and talking Tommy Turtle passed by -with his little shell house on his back, which always goes with him, -rain or shine. Isn't it nice not to have to move out of your house, but -always have it go with you? - -"Come with me, Billy Bunny," cried Tommy Turtle, "I'm going down to the -Old Mill Pond for a swim." So the little rabbit said good-by to Dickey -Meadow Mouse and went with Tommy Turtle, and by and by they came to the -pond where Old Uncle Bullfrog sat all day on his log and caught flies -until he grew so fat that his white waistcoat bulged out till the -buttons nearly popped off. - - "Kerchunk! Kerchunk! Kerplunk! Kerplunk! - I'm king of this Old Mill Pond. - I never care to go anywhere, - Not even a foot beyond. - - For I'm contented to stay right here - Where the cattails wave in the at-mos-phere, - And the Darning Needles and Bottle Flies - Dart and skim 'neath the summer skies." - -And then the old frog blinked his eyes and swallowed a foolish fly that -came too near. - -"Top of the morning to you, Uncle Bullfrog," said little Billy Bunny. -"Does the Miller's Boy throw stones at you nowadays?" - -"Sometimes," said the old gentleman frog, "but not so often of late, for -his father is away and he doesn't have the time. He has to look after -the Old Mill, you know." - -And just then a stone splashed in the water, but I'll let you guess who -threw it until the next story. - - - - -STORY XXXV--BILLY BUNNY AND BIG BROWN BEAR - - -If you haven't guessed who threw the stone at Old Uncle Bullfrog in the -last story, I'll tell you right now. It was that bad Miller's Boy. - -Yes, siree. There he stood, not very far away, and he was just going to -throw another, when the old gentleman frog thought it was time to take a -dive and the little rabbit thought it was time to take a hop, and Tommy -Turtle to take a swim and soon Uncle Bullfrog was deep down on the muddy -bottom where he ate his breakfast without a thought of the Miller's Boy. - -Well, after a few short hops Billy Bunny found himself in the Friendly -Forest close to Timmy Chipmunk's little store, where he sold candy -carrots and lettuce sandwiches and lemon soda. - -So the little rabbit opened his knapsack and took out a handful of -carrot pennies and bought a lovely apple pie, which the little -chipmunk's mother had baked that very morning. And as soon as the pie -was all gone Billy Bunny hopped away and by and by he came to the cave -where the Big Brown Bear sold honey. - -Now Mr. Bear was very cross this particular morning, for the day before -while he was looking over a bees' nest some of the bees had been very -rude and had stung him on the nose. - -And now it was all swollen up so that he couldn't find a pocket -handkerchief big enough to tickle it with, and so of course he was very -miserable. - -"I don't feel at all sociable," which means friendly, you know, he said -to the little rabbit. "So you had better be on your way and leave a -crusty old bear to himself." But do you think Billy Bunny did this? No -siree, and a no sireemam. - -He just opened his knapsack and took out some lettuce cold cream and -rubbed it gently over the bear's nose and pretty soon it felt so well -that Mr. Bear said, "Come with me, Billy Bunny, and we'll go down to the -Three-and-one-cent store to buy a handkerchief, for now that my nose is -well again, I don't care if I spend all my money to buy a handkerchief." - -So off they started, and when they reached the store the bear forgot all -about his nose and bought a little blue tin whistle instead. Wasn't that -fine, for it's lots more fun to blow on a whistle than on a -handkerchief, don't you think so? - -"Well, now that you are happy again," said the little rabbit, "I'll go -my way, for I'm seeking adventures, you know, and I want to see the -wide, wide world so as to grow up a learned rabbit," and he hopped off -down the Friendly Forest trail. - -And in the next story, if the ink-well on my desk doesn't stub my quill -pen when I sign my name to this story, I'll tell you more about little -Billy Bunny. - - - - -STORY XXXVI--BILLY BUNNY AND PROFESSOR CROW - - -Let me see. I left off in the last story just as little Billy Bunny was -hopping down the Friendly Forest path. Well, he hadn't gone very far -when he saw old Professor Crow. - -Now, the professor wasn't very busy, you know, for school was over and -there were no little people to teach how to crow--I mean how to read and -write--so he had plenty of time to himself, and as soon as he saw the -little rabbit he flew down from the tree and began to talk. "I'm sorry -to have to tell you," he began, "that my little boy, Blackie Crow, has -the measles." - -And you know that's a dreadfully uncomfortable kind of a thing to have, -for you have to be so careful of your eyes. Now, when an owl gets the -measles it doesn't make so much difference, for they don't want to go -out in the sunlight, but with a crow, oh dear me and oh dear you! it's -the hardest thing in the world to keep in the dark, and Professor Crow -gave a tremendous sigh and looked very sad. - -"I'm very sorry for Blackie Crow," said the little rabbit. "Won't you -tell him I'm sorry?" and then the generous little rabbit took a lollypop -out of his knapsack and told Professor Crow to take it home to his -little boy. - -Wasn't that nice? I think I know a little boy who would be glad to have -the measles every day if he could get a lollypop. - -And after that Billy Bunny shut up his knapsack and swung it over his -shoulder and hopped away, and by and by, not so very long, he heard a -little bird singing: - - "Up in my nest I've five little birds, - Waiting for mother to feed them. - What would I do if I should lose two? - I'd be too unhappy to heed them. - So that is the reason I look everywhere - When I fly from my nest in the bright morning - air." - -And then she looked down at little Billy Bunny with his striped candy -cane in his right paw and his knapsack over his shoulder. - -And then she laughed out loud, and her laugh sounded just like music, -for it was a mother bird's laugh, you know, and that always has the -music of love in it. - -"Good morning, Mrs. Bird," said the little rabbit. "I won't hurt your -little ones." - -"I know that," said the mother bird, "for you are a kind little rabbit. -But there are lots of four-footed little animals who are very unkind to -birds, so that is the reason I sing this song to let them know that I am -always watching over my nest." - -And after that Billy Bunny hopped away, but before he went he left a big -piece of chocolate cake on a clean white stone for Mrs. Bird to crumble -up for her little ones. Wasn't that nice of the little rabbit, for he -was very fond of chocolate cake, I know, for he once told me so. - - - - -STORY XXXVII--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. GROUSE - - -Well, before I go any further, I'll tell you that the little birds were -so delighted with the chocolate cake which the little rabbit left for -them on the clean white stone, as I told you in the last story, that -they went right to sleep after eating it and dreamed of a little white -candy bunny and a big birthday cake with seven pink candles in it. - -And after that little Billy Bunny hopped away, lippity, lip, clippity -clip, and by and by he came to the Old Brush Heap where Cousin -Cottontail lived before she moved next door to his mother in the Old -Brier Patch at Snake Fence Corner. - -And just as he reached the little patch that led into the Old Brush Heap -he met Mrs. Grouse with her brood of little brown birdies. - -"Good morning, Billy Bunny," she said, while her small brood hid -themselves in the dry leaves that strewed the ground. "Come here, -children," she called, "Billy Bunny won't hurt you. He's a friend." So -the little brown birds came out from their hiding places and stood in a -row and bowed as nicely as you please, and the little rabbit opened his -knapsack and gave them each a candy carrot. - -Wasn't that kind of him? And after that he said a little poem, and how I -came to hear it was because a little wild canary, who was sitting close -by, told it to me. - -And this is the way it went: - - "I am Billy Bunny from Old Snake - Fence Corner Town, - So don't be worried, don't be hurried, - Little birds of brown. - Mother knows I will not harm you; - I'm no cruel snake to charm you, - So be merry; here's a cherry - From the Circus Clown." - -And then he gave them a big red cherry, a candy cherry, you know, which -his friend the Clown at the circus had given him a long time ago. - -"Well, I must be hopping along," said the little rabbit after the little -birds had picked the cherry candy all to pieces until there was nothing -left but the stone. - -So away he went again to seek more adventures, and after a little while, -not so very long ago, he came to the railroad bridge where you remember -he and his brother, Bobby Tail, had taken a ride one day, oh, so long -ago, maybe one hundred stories back, in a big empty freight car. And -just then a train came by, and when the engineer saw Billy Bunny he -stopped the train, for I suppose he thought the little rabbit wanted to -get aboard. - -And the brakeman helped him on and away went the train, over the rails -that went clunkity, clunk, clunkity clunk, while the smoke from the -engine trailed out behind, like a long gray feather. And the train -didn't stop until the brakeman called out Lettuceville, where a thousand -little rabbits raised lovely green lettuce in a big field. - -And in the next story you shall hear how the little rabbit scratched his -ear and had some lettuce salad, too, all covered o'er with sugar dew. - - - - -STORY XXXVIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE CARLOAD OF LETTUCE LEAVES - - -You remember in the last story I left off just as Billy Bunny got out of -the train at Lettuceville, where there was a big family of rabbits who -raised lettuce leaves for all the bunnies in the big U. S. A. - -And the first person he saw was an old gray-haired rabbit, who said: -"Glad to see you, Mr. William Bunny. Do you want to buy a car-load of -lettuce leaves?" - -"How much?" asked the little rabbit. - -"Five million carrot cents," replied the old gentleman bunny, "and -that's very cheap, for the leaves are big and juicy and will keep all -winter if you put them in the ice house." - - - [Illustration: THE RABBITS JUMPED INTO THE CUPBOARD AND CLOSED - THE DOOR.] - - -Well, sir, this was a very cheap price, don't you think so? And Billy -Bunny thought so, too, for he opened his knapsack and took out five -million carrot cents and gave them to the old gray-haired bunny, and -after that all the farmer bunnies loaded a big freight car just full of -lettuce leaves and marked on the outside in chalk: - - "MR. WILLIAM BUNNY, - Brier Patch, Old Snake Fence Corner, U. S. A." - - "RUSH! Fast Freight." - -And then it was time for lunch, so the old rabbit said to his new -customer, which was Billy Bunny, of course: - -"Come with me to my home and we'll have something to eat." And as Billy -Bunny had a great big appetite by this time, and I might say right here -that rabbits always are hungry, he hopped away with the lettuce rabbit -farmer, and by and by they came to a little green house in a raspberry -patch with a lovely clover field on one side and a peach orchard on the -other. - -"I've brought my friend, Billy Bunny, home to lunch," said the old -gray-haired bunny to a nice-looking lady rabbit whose gray hair was -parted in the middle and held down on each side by two red coral combs. - -"Why, it's Billy Bunny," she said. "I know his mother and his cousin, -Mrs. Cottontail." And she led them into the little green house. After -they had eaten all they wanted she made the pianola play this song: - - "The clover patch is in full bloom - With juicy red-topped clover. - Across the lea the honey bee - Looks like a golden rover." - -And it might have kept on playing some more, only just then who should -look into the door but Daddy Fox. As soon as the pianola saw him it -stopped right then and there, and the rabbits jumped into the cupboard -and closed the door and turned the key on the inside before you could -say "Jack Rabbit." - -"Ha! ha!" laughed Daddy Fox. "I'll stay here till you get so tired of -that cupboard prison that you'll come out. And when you do, you know -what will happen, for I don't like lettuce leaves and I just love -rabbits." - -Wasn't that a dreadful thing to hear? But, never mind. I'm not going to -let that wicked fox get the best of Billy Bunny and his friends. No, -sir. Not if I have to go there myself to-morrow and scare him away with -a gun. - -But this book won't hold any more, and I'll have to tell what happened -further to our animal friends in the next one, which is entitled "Billy -Bunny and Uncle Bull Frog." - -THE END - - - - - - - - - - - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BILLY BUNNY AND DADDY FOX *** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35090 - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission -and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the -General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and -distributing Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works to protect the -Project Gutenberg(tm) concept and trademark. 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