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diff --git a/35090-8.txt b/35090-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 58a21ff..0000000 --- a/35090-8.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: 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, "5,281½ 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. - - - [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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