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THE TALE OF
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2–
SLEEPY-TIME TALEs
BY
ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY
THE TALE of CUFFY BEAR
THE TALE of FRISKY
SQUIRREL
THE TALE OF TOMMY Fox
THE TALE OF FATTY Coon
THE TALE of BILLY WooD-
CHUCK
THE TALE OFJIMMY RABBIT
THE TALE OF PETER MINK
THE TALE OF SANDY CHIP-
MUNIK
THE TALE OF BROWN IE
B E AV ER
THE TALE OF PADDY MUSK-
RAT
He Trundled the Wheelbarrow Home

S L E E P Y-TIME TAL ES

THE TALE OF
JIMMY
RABBIT


$3Y
ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY
ILLUSTRATED BY
HARRY L. SMITH
NEW YORK
G R O S S E T & D U N L A P
PUBLISHERS
Made in the United States of America
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Copyright, 1916, by
GROSSET & DUNLAP
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CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I JIMMY FINDS A NEW TAIL 9
II TROUBLESOME MR. MINK . . 14
III MAY BASKETS . . . . . 19
TV MAKING SOMEBODY HAPPY . 23
V THE NEW WHEELBARRow . 28
VI A NARROW ESCAPE . . . 34
VIT A FAST RUNNER . . . . 40
VIII THE GREAT RACE . . . . 46
IX PLAYING LEAP-FROG . . . 52
|X THE TOOTH PULLER . . . 58
|XI A SLIGHT DISPUTE . . . 63
|XII THE STRANGE MAN . . . 69
JKIIT MR. CROW’s PICTURE . . . 74
XIV BOY LOST . . . . . . . 80
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
IXW TELLING FORTUNES . . . 85
|XVI RED LEGGINS . . . . . . 91
DXVII THE RABBITS’ BALL . . . 96
XVIII A DANCE WITHOUT MUSIC . 101
IXIX JIMMY GROWS TOO CHEEKY 105
XX A QUEER CURE . . . . . 109
THE TALE
OF JIMMY R ABBIT
I
JIMMY FINDS A NEW TAIL
JIMMY RABBIT wanted a new tail. To be
sure, he already had a tail—but it was so
short that he felt it was little better than
none at all. Frisky Squirrel and Billy
Woodchuck had fine, bushy tails; and so
had all the other forest-people, except the
Rabbit family.
Jimmy had tried his hardest to get a
handsome tail for himself. And once he
had nearly succeeded. For he almost cut
off Frisky Squirrel’s big brush. But Mrs.
9 -
10 JIMMY RABBIT
Squirrel had appeared just in time to
save her son from so dreadful a mishap.
After that, Jimmy Rabbit tried to buy
a tail; but no one would sell him one.
Then he set out to find one, in the hope
that some day some one would forget his
tail and go off and leave it lying in the
woods, and not be able to remember where
he left it.
In fact, Jimmy Rabbit often lurked be-
hind trees and bushes, watching his neigh-
bors as they took naps in the sunshine.
But when they awaked and stretched
themselves, and went trotting off, there
was not one of them that didn’t take his
tail right along with him.
It was disappointing. Still, Jimmy
Rabbit continued his search.
Now, Jimmy had decided that if he
could only get a long tail he didn’t care
what color it was, if it was only a brownish
JIMMY FINDS A NEW TAIL 11
yellow, to match the rest of him. And at
last, as he was wandering through the
woods one day, to his great joy he found
almost exactly what he wanted. Lying
near a heap of chips was a beautiful tail!
IBut it was red, with a black tip. That was
the only drawback about it.
This tail, however, was so handsome that
Jimmy made up his mind that he would
wear it, anyhow, even though it did not
match his coat. So with a bit of string
which he had carried with him for weeks
for that very purpose, he tied the red tail.
to his own short stub.
There was great excitement among the
forest-people when Jimmy Rabbit ap-
peared among them. Most everyone told
him how much better he looked. In fact,
old Mr. Crow was about the only person
who didn’t say something pleasant. He
only shook his head, and muttered some-
12 JIMMY RABBIT .
thing to himself about “handsome is as
handsome does.” But Jimmy Rabbit paid
little attention to him.
“Whose tail is that?” Mr. Crow finally
asked.
“Mine, of course!” Jimmy told him.
“Well, you’d better look out !” said Mr.
Crow. “Unless that tail is bought and
paid for, there's trouble ahead of you,
young man.”
To his friends Frisky Squirrel and Billy
Woodchuck, Jimmy said something about
Mr. Crow in a low voice. And they
laughed loudly. Whereupon Mr. Crow
flew away, croaking to himself about the
shocking way children are brought up
nowadays. You know, Mr. Crow was a
great gossip. And everywhere he went
that day he spread the news about Jimmy
Rabbit's finding a red tail in the woods.
Probably that was the pleasantest day,
JTMMY FINDS A NEW TAIL 13
of Jimmy Rabbit’s life. But toward even-
ing something startled him. He had been
over to the brook, to look at himself in a
pool. And he was coming back towards
home when some one called:
“Hi, there, young fellow !”
Jimmy Rabbit hurried along faster. He
knew that it was a mink's voice. And he
didn’t like minks.
Mr. Mink ran after him, calling “Stop,
thief!” at the top of his voice.
Jimmy Rabbit did not stop. But he
glanced around. And his heart sank as he
saw that Mr. Mink had no tail! At the
same time Jimmy ran faster than ever.
He did not want even to speak to Mr.
Mink, for he felt that by waiting to talk
with him he had nothing at all to gain, and
a great deal to lose.
There was his new tail! He certainly
did not want to part with that
TT
TROUPLESOME MR. MINK
JIMMY RABBIT arrived home somewhat
out of breath. But he was still happy, for
he thought that he had shaken off that
troublesome Mr. Mink. And he had no
idea that Mr. Mink knew where he lived.
Now, it happened that old Mr. Crow’s
story about Jimmy's new tail had reached
Mr. Mink’s ears. And as soon as he heard
it he had inquired where Jimmy Rabbit
lived.
Mr. Crow had told him. And he took
another look at Mr. Mink.
“I notice you’ve lost your tail,” he said.
“Yes!” Mr. Mink answered. “Farmer
14
TROUBLESOMEMR. MINK 15
Green threw an axe at me once. And it
cut off my tail, as you see. I left that
neighborhood then; and never cared to re-
turn to it. But if this young Rabbit boy
has found my tail, I shall certainly claim
it at once.” So off he went. And Mr.
Crow nodded his head wisely. It was just
as he had said! There was trouble ahead
for Jimmy Rabbit—or, you might say,
there was trouble behind for him; for it
was that handsome redtail, you remember,
that was the cause of it all.
Well, Jimmy Rabbit was trying to de-
cide what he would do that evening, when
all at once somebody else decided it for
him. For all at once a slim, red gentleman
rushed at Jimmy, crying, “Give me my
tail! I want my tail!”
It was Mr. Mink! And Jimmy Rabbit
ran off as fast as he could go.
“This is my tail!” he called over his
16 JIMMY RAEBIT
shoulder. “I found it. And I’m not go-
ing to give it up to anybody.”
But Mr. Mink hurried after Jimmy. To
be sure, Jimmy left him far behind. But
Mr. Mink kept following. It was very an-
noying, for Jimmy knew that sooner or
later that troublesome gentleman would be
on his heels again.
There was no use of Jimmy’s crawling
into any hole, for he was four times as big
as Mr. Mink; and, of course, anywhere he
went, Mr. Mink could easily follow.
Jimmy Rabbit didn’t know what to do.
Mr. Mink had terribly sharp teeth. And
he was very angry. But Jimmy was not
angry at all. He didn’t want to fight.
While he was trying to think of some
Way Out of his trouble, something suddenly
pulled him backward. Dooking around,
he saw Mr. Mink with his cruel teeth fast-
ened in that beautiful red tail.
TROUBLESOME MER. MINK 17
“Let go of me!” Jimmy Rabbit cried.
But Mr. Mink didn’t say a word. In
order to speak, he would have had to drop
that precious tail. And he had no idea of
doing that. Besides, there was nothing
he wanted to say. There was no use of
his calling, “Stop, thief!” when he had
already stopped him, you know.
Jimmy Rabbit pulled with all his might.
And Mr. Mink dug his four feet into the
ground and pulled with all of his.
And then, the first thing Jimmy knew,
he fell forward, head over heels. He was
up in a jiffy, and off like a flash, running
like the wind.
But this time Mr. Mink did not follow.
When at last Jimmy sat down to rest
he discovered why it was that Mr. Mink
had stopped chasing him. His beautiful,
new, red tail was gone! The bit of string
had broken under all that pulling. And
18 JIMMY RABBIT
now Jimmy Rabbit had no tail except his
OWI1. -
“Where's your fine, bushy tail?” Mr.
Crow asked Jimmy the next morning.
“Oh! I discovered who the owner of it
was,” Jimmy said. “He came for his
property; and I let him have it.”
but Mr. Crow was a wise old chap.
“Did you give him the string, too?” he
inquired.
III
MAY BASKETS
JIMMY RABBIT was very busy. He was
getting ready for May Day. And he in-
tended to hang two May baskets. One of
them was already finished, and filled with
things that Jimmy himself liked—such as
strips of tender bark from Farmer
Green’s young fruit trees, and bits of tur-
nip from his vegetable cellar. You might
almost think that Farmer Green himself
ought to have hung that basket. But
Jimmy Rabbit never once thought of such
a thing. He expected to hang it on the
door of a neighbor’s house, where there
lived a young girl-rabbit. Jimmy had
19
20 JIMMY RABBIT
made that basket the best he knew how.
The one he was working on now was a
very different sort of basket. But then—
you see, he intended to give it to a very
different sort of person. He was going to
hang this one on Henry Skunk’s door.
Frisky Squirrel, who happened to be
passing Jimmy's house, stopped and
watched him. And he was surprised to
learn that Jimmy was going to give a May
basket to Henry Skunk.
“What are you going to put in it?”
Frisky asked.
“Hens' eggs I’” said Jimmy Rabbit.
That surprised Frisky Squirrel still
more. If it had been a joke—a trick of
some sort—that Jimmy was going to play
on Henry Skunk, he could have under-
stood that. But hens' eggs! Why, every-
one knew how fond of hens’ eggs Henry
Skunk was 1
MAY BASKETS 21
“I thought you didn’t like Henry
Skunk,” Frisky said.
“Well, can't Ihang a May basket on his
door just the same?” asked Jimmy.
Erisky Squirrel said he supposed so—
but it was a strange thing to do.
“Look out he doesn’t catch you when
you’re doing it!” he warned Jimmy.
Henry Skunk was a quarrelsome fellow.
There was no knowing what he wouldn’t
do if he caught anyone tying anything to
his doorknob. “By the way,” Frisky
added, “where did you get the hens’
eggs?” . -
“Down at Farmer Green's 1” Jimmy
said.
“I suppose there are lots more,” said
Prisky.
Jimmy Rabbit smiled.
“Not like these !” he said.
“I suppose you had to be careful not
22 JIMMY RAEBIT
to break them—bringing them so far,”
Erisky Squirrel remarked.
“Oh, it’s easy when you know how,”
Jimmy Rabbit told him.
“Well, Henry Skunk will break them
fast enough, when he finds them,” Frisky
said.
“Yes, he’ll break them!” Jimmy Rabbit
laughed. “That’s just the point! He'll
break them!” You notice that Jimmy
didn’t say what it was that Henry Skunk
would break.
TV
IMARING SOMEBODY HATPPY
WELL, that very evening Jimmy Rabbit
made a certain young neighbor very happy
by hanging a May basket on her door.
And then he hurried along to Henry
Skunk’s house. He hoped Henry was
still there; for when Henry Skunk went
out of an evening he seldom came home
until morning. -
Jimmy hung the basket of eggs on the
doorknob, rang the bell, and then ran and
hid behind a tree. He peeped out, as he
heard the door open; and he saw Henry
Skunk look all around. He seemed angry,
until he caught sight of the basket. And
23
24 JIMMY RABBIT
then Henry Skunk certainly was pleased.
“Ah, ha!” he exclaimed. “A May bas-
ket! Now, I wonder what friend of mine
has left this for me!” He looked inside
the basket. “Ah, ha! Hens' eggs!” he
cried. “I’ll sit down on my front steps
and eat them. Then I won’t have to give
anybody else a taste.”
That was like Henry Skunk. He was
a selfish fellow—always greedy, never of.
fering to share a dainty with anyone.
Jimmy Rabbit was holding his mouth.
He knew that if he laughed he would spoil
everything. As he listened, he heard a
Snap! And Henry Skunk said “Oh!” as
if something hurt him, and surprised him,
both. “I declare, I’ve broken a tooth !”
he exclaimed. “That’s the hardest egg. I
ever saw. I’ll try another.” And he took
another egg out of the basket.
There was another snap! This time
IMAKING SOMEBODY HAPPY 25
Henry cried “Ow!” It was queer, to
break two teeth like that. And he reached
into the basket for the third egg. “It cer-
tainly can’t happen again,” Henry told
himself. And he bit the third egg with
all his might.
How it hurt him! He fairly howled
with pain.
And then Jimmy Rabbit Snickered. He
could hold in his laughter no longer.
That was enough for Henry Skunk.
He looked around quickly. And what he
saw made him very angry. For he knew
then that those eggs were nothing but a
joke.
Now, when he tittered, Jimmy Rabbit
had jumped back behind the tree round
which he had been peeping. He thought
that he was safely out of sight. But he
had forgotten all about his ears. They
were so long, and they stuck out so far,
26 JIMMY RABBIT
that Henry Skunk could see them. And
he knew right away who had played that
trick on him.
He did not think it was any joke, to
break three teeth. And he began to creep
toward those ears. But there was one
thing that Henry Skunk had not noticed.
He had not looked up in the branches
above Jimmy Rabbit’s head. If he had,
he would have seen Frisky Squirrel, who
had come along to see the fun.
As soon as Frisky saw what was hap-
pening, he cried:
“Look out, Jimmy!”
And Jimmy Rabbit looked out just in
time. The smile faded from his face. And
he turned and ran.
Henry Skunk did not chase him. He
was no runner. But he hoped that some
day he could catch both those meddlesome
youngsters.
Jimmy Rabbit Rang the Bell

MAKING SOMEBODY HAPPY 27
“Well, what did I tell you?” Jimmy
Rabbit said, when Frisky joined him at
a good, safe distance from Henry Skunk’s
house. “Didn’t I say there’d be some
fun?”
“But I don’t understand what hap-
pened,” Frisky said. “I thought Henry
Skunk liked hens’ eggs.”
“So he does!” Jimmy Rabbit answered.
“But those were not real hens' eggs.
They were china eggs which I found in
Farmer Green's henhouse. And they were
almost as hard as stones.”
Frisky Squirrel laughed.
“I wish we had some more,” he said.
“Then we could hang a May basket on
Fatty Coon's door. . . . I don't suppose
you’d care to go back to Henry's house
and get those eggs?”
“I don’t suppose I would,” said Jimmy
Rabbit.
V
THE NEW WHEELBARROW
THERE was something that Jimmy Rab-
bit wanted. He had teased for it for a
long time. And at last, after he had
almost made up his mind that he wasn’t
going to get it, one day to his great joy
his father brought home the very thing
Jimmy had begged for. It was a wheel-
barrow! Jimmy Rabbit could hardly be-
lieve his eyes. -
“Well, young man, you ought to be
pretty grateful for this,” Mr. Rabbit said.
“Yes, Father!” Jimmy answered. He
picked up the handles of the wheelbarrow,
and began pushing it proudly about the
28 -
THE NEW WHEELBARROW 29
dooryard. “I’m going to play with my
wheelbarrow all the time after this,”
Jimmy said.
“I reckon you can do a little work with
it, too,” Mr. Rabbit told him. “I shall
expect you to bring home the vegetables
for the whole family, every morning.”
“Yes, Father l’’ Jimmy answered. He
thought that would be great sport. He
didn’t stop to think that it would take a
good many vegetables to feed his father
and his mother, his four sisters, his two
brothers, and himself.
“I hope, now, to have a little time for
recreation,” Mr. Rabbit remarked.
“It’s too bad you have to work so hard,”
said Jimmy. “Recreation” was a big
word. Jimmy supposed that it was some
kind of specially hard work. He did not
know that it meant play. “I’ll go down to
Farmer Green's garden right away and
30 JIMMY RABBIT
get a load of his best vegetables!” Jimmy
exclaimed.
Down in Farmer Green’s garden Jimmy
worked busily, loading his new wheelbar-
row to the very top. And then he trundled
it home again. No prouder youngster was
ever seen in Pleasant Valley than Jimmy
Rabbit, pushing that little wheelbarrow
up the hill.
“Let me push it!” Frisky Squirrel
begged. -
But Jimmy Rabbit said that he mustn't
let anybody else play with that wheelbar-
POW.
“Let me takehold of one handle!” Billy
Woodchuck pleaded.
But Jimmy Rabbit told him that that
was no way to wheel a wheelbarrow.
Somehow, the next day Jimmy didn’t
have half so much fun getting the vege-
tables. And the day after that he actually
THE NEW WHEELBARROW 31
began to think that gathering vegetables
was a good deal like work. And before
a week had passed he just hated the sight
of Farmer Green’s garden.
But all Jimmy’s friends still crowded
around and begged him to let them push
the wheelbarrow. And all the while he had
been very firm. He had not given one of
them leave to touch the barrow.
At last Jimmy Rabbit had an idea.
“I’ll tell you what I’ll do,” he said to
Frisky Squirrel. “If you weren’t my best
friend I’d never think of such a thing.
And you mustn't expect I’m going to let
you do this often—”
“Do what?” Frisky asked.
“Why, wheel my wheelbarrow!” said
Jimmy.
Frisky Squirrel jumped high up in the
air, he was so pleased.
“Hurrah!” he cried. “May I push it
32 JIMMY RABBIT
now, before you fill it with vegetables?”
“Well—no! It’s getting late,” said
Jimmy. “My mother will be expecting me
soon. I'll let you wheel the vegetables
home for me. But first, you must gather
them.”
Frisky Squirrel was more than willing.
And he filled the barrow with cabbages and
turnips, lettuce and peas, while Jimmy
Rabbit looked on and ordered him about.
“There!” said Jimmy, when the wheel-
barrow was full. “Now we’ll go home.”
And then, to Frisky Squirrel’s surprise,
Jimmy climbed on top of the load and sat
himself down.
“What's that for ?” asked Frisky.
“Why, to keep the vegetables from fall-
ing out !” Jimmy explained. “You see,
you don’t know how to wheel a wheelbar-
row. You’ll be tipping it, first one side
and then the other. And we’d have to stop
THE NEW WEIEELBARROW 33
every few steps and pick up a turnip or
a cabbage.”
“But I don’t want to wheel you!” said
Frisky. “You’re too heavy 1”
“Oh, very well, then!” Jimmy an-
swered. “If you don’t care to wheel the
wheelbarrow, it’s all the same to me.”
And he started to jump down from his
seat on top of the load.
“No, no!” Frisky cried. “Don’t get
off! I can manage all right!” After gath-
ering all those vegetables, he didn’t want
to lose the fun of pushing the wheelbar-
I’OW.
“Walk fast, now!” Jimmy said.
“We’re late already.”
VI
A NARROW ESCAPE
FRISKY SQUIRREL had a hard time push-
ing the wheelbarrow home with Jimmy
Rabbit on top of the load of vegetables.
He puffed and groaned. And he had to
stop every little while to catch his breath.
“You see, you’re not used to wheeling
a wheelbarrow,” Jimmy told him. “For
me, it’s no trouble at all. But then, I’m
stronger than you are.”
Now, Frisky had been almost ready to
tell Jimmy that he might trundle the bar-
row the rest of the way. But when he
heard that he made up his mind that he
would get that wheelbarrow up the hill to
34
A NARROW ESCAPE 35
Jimmy's house if he didn’t do another
thing that day. º
So he started on again. And at last
he stopped in front of Jimmy Rabbit's
door. -
Jimmy hopped nimbly to the ground.
But poor Frisky was so tired that he lay
right down and went to sleep. And the
next day he never went near Farmer
Green’s garden.
But Jimmy Rabbit didn’t mind that at
all. There were plenty of others who
wanted to trundle the wheelbarrow. And
this time Jimmy told Billy Woodchuck
that he might wheel the barrow home for
him.
Once more Jimmy Rabbit stood by while
the vegetables were gathered for him.
Once more he seated himself on top of the
load. And once more he had a free ride
up the long hill. Jimmy had changed his
36 JIMMY RABBIT
mind about Farmer Green's garden. He
even asked his mother if he might not
bring home two loads of vegetables each
day, instead of only one. And he was dis-
appointed when she said “No !”
There was one thing, however, that
Jimmy had overlooked. As the days went
by, one by one his friends stayed away
from the garden-patch. And at last there
was nobody left who wanted to push the
wheelbarrow except Fatty Coon. And
Fatty Coon was really no friend of his at
all. In fact, Jimmy did not like him, be-
cause he never could feel sure that Fatty
would not get hungry all at once and try
to eat him.
But Fatty teased so hard that at last
Jimmy agreed to give him his turn at the
fun (Jimmy was always careful to speak
of gathering vegetables and wheeling them
home as “fun”).
A NARROW ESCAPE 37
When the barrow was full, Jimmy Rab-
bit again climbed on top of the load. But
he kept very close watch of Fatty. And
he was ready, any moment, to leap off the
wheelbarrow in case Fatty should reach
for his legs.
Fatty Coon was strong. He did not tire
so easily as the others had. But finally
he let go the handles and straightened up.
“What's the matter?” asked Jimmy.
“You’re not tired, are you?”
“No!” said Fatty. “But it’s harder
Work than I supposed. T declare, I’m get-
ting terribly hungry.”
When Jimmy Rabbit heard him say
that, his heart went pitty-pat. And he
almost ran away, then and there.
But what would become of his nice new
wheelbarrow if he did that? He was
afraid that Fatty Coon would run off with
it.
$38 JIMMY RAEBIT
“My goodness! I’m growing hungrier
) every minute!” said Fatty Coon.
Then Jimmy Rabbit had a happy
thought. He grabbed up a handful of
green peas and tossed them to Fatty.
“Here!” he said. “Eat those! Maybe
they’ll make you feel better.”
Fatty Coon ate the peas greedily.
“More!” he said. As you see, he was
not very polite.
Jimmy threw him two handfuls then.
Still Fatty Coon said “More!”
So Jimmy rolled a turnip off the load.
TAnd after that he threw out a cabbage, and
then a head of lettuce.
“More! more! more!” Fatty ordered.
And soon Jimmy Rabbit saw with dis-
may that the vegetables were nearly all
gone. Tn a few moments he reached the
very last one—a big turnip which he could
hardly lift.
A NARROW ESCAPE 39
|But he managed to pick it up and raise
it above his head. And then with all his
might he threw the turnip straight at
Eatty Coon.
Fatty was just opening his mouth to
say “More!” But he never said it. The
big turnip struck him right on his fat
stomach and knocked his breath out. He
gave a faint groan and toppled over on
the ground. And he was so fat that he
started to roll. -
Though he clawed at the grass to stop
himself, he rolled faster and faster down
the hill.
He was a very comical sight. And at
any other time Jimmy Rabbit would have
stopped to laugh. But Jimmy was so glad
to be rid of Fatty Coon that he picked up
the handles of his little wheelbarrow and
ran home as fast as he could jump.
VII
A FAST RUNNER
ON Blue Mountain, and in Pleasant
Valley as well, there lived many fast run-
ners. And among the swiftest was Jimmy
Rabbit. But he never ran very far.
Whenever he was startled he would go
bounding off like the wind; but pretty soon
he would stop and listen to see if anyone
was following him. And if it happened
to be dog Spot, he always hurried to a
hollow stump, or perhaps a woodchuck's
hole—or a skunk’s—and hid there until
Spot went away.
Of course, there was some risk in go-
ing into Somebody else's house. For if the
40
A FAST RUNNER 41
owner happened to be at home there was
likely to be a quarrel. Naturally, nobody
likes to have some outsider burst into his
house without even stopping to knock.
Now, everyone said that Jimmy Rabbit
could run fast—that is, all but Tommy
Fox. He never would admit that Jimmy
Rabbit was much of a runner. I should
hate to say that Tommy Fox was jealous.
But it certainly did annoy him to hear so
much said about Jimmy’s wonderful
Speed.
Berhaps he never would have suggested
the race, if Jimmy Rabbit hadn’t boasted
so much about his running. You see, in
time Jimmy’s head became turned. And
he was often heard to say that there was
no one in that part of the country who
could beat him.
“Of course, there may be some one,
somewhere, who can outrun me,” Jimmy
42 JIMMY RABBIT
Rabbit said. “But I have yet to meet
him.” º -
That was a little more than Tommy Fox
could bear. And he went off, looking very
sour. He trotted over to the creek, did
Tommy Fox. And there he might have
been seen talking to Mr. Turtle. He talked
with him for a long time. And when at
last he went away Tommy’s face wore a
very different look. He was actually
smiling.
The very next day Jimmy Rabbit met
Tommy Fox in the woods. -
“You’d better go home!” Tommy told
him. “You have a caller waiting to see
you. I just happened to pass your house,
and the caller asked me if I had seen you.”
“Who is it?” Jimmy asked him.
But Tommy Fox would not tell him.
“It’s really none of my business,” he
said. -
A FAST RUNNER 43
Jimmy Rabbit hurried off. He won-
dered who wanted to see him, and why.
He was surprised—and disappointed,
too—to find that it was nobody but Mr.
Turtle. And he was still more surprised
when he learned his errand.
“I have come to challenge you to a
race,” Mr. Turtle told him. *
Jimmy Rabbit laughed right in his face.
“A race!” he exclaimed. “Why—you
can’t run. I guess you’ve come to the
wrong house. I guess you’ve made a mis-
take.” -
But Mr. Turtle Said that he knew what
he was about.
“I want to race you all the way from
the creek to Broad Brook, where it runs
into Swift River,” he said.
Jimmy Rabbit had hard work to keep a
straight face.
“My dear sir!” he said. “I could run
44 JIMMY RABBIT
that distance a hundred times while you
were waddling it once. I don’t care to
race with you. It would be no fun at all
for me.”
When Mr. Turtle heard that, his beady
little eyes Snapped. -
“Don’t be so Sure!” he said. “I believe
I can beat you. And I will bet you—”
Jimmy Rabbit did not wait for him to
finish. -
“Bet !” he Gried. “I never bet ! I’m
not allowed to. My mother doesn’t ap-
prove of betting. And if she heard you
mention such a thing to me she would be
very angry.”
“I didn’t mean to say that,” Mr. Tur-
tle told him hastily. “It was just a slip
of the tongue. What I meant to say was
this: If you win the race, I’ll give you a
fine new sled; and if I win, you can give
me your wheelbarrow.”
A FAST RUNNER 45
Jimmy Rabbit began to be interested.
He had always wanted a sled. And by
another month or two there ought to be
good coasting. It certainly wasn’t bet-
ting, he thought. And as for losing the
race—and his wheelbarrow—he knew
that such a thing could never happen.
“I’ll race you!” he cried. “When shall
it be ‘2’’
“How would to-morrow do?” said Mr.
Turtle. “It’s a long way from the creek
to Broad Brook—a good day’s journey, I
call it. It’s too late to start to-day.”
Jimmy Rabbit grinned. He knew that
he could run that far fifty times a day.
“I’ll be at the creek early in the morn-
ing,” he promised.
VIII
THE GREAT RACH,
ON the morning of his great race with
Mr. Turtle, Jimmy Rabbit was at the creek
bright and early. He brought his two
brothers with him, to see the fun. And he
found that there were others, too, who had
heard of the sport and had come to enjoy
it. Frisky Squirrel was there, and Billy
Woodchuck, and Fatty Coon. Then there
was old Mr. Crow, who was always on hand
whenever a crowd gathered. And perhaps
the pleasantest and most interested of all
was Tommy Fox.
“I hope you’ll let me have a ride on
your new sled when the first snow comes,”
46
TEIE GREAT RACE 47
he said to Jimmy Rabbit. “For, of course,
you’ll win the race. And Mr. Turtle will
have to give you the sled, as he promised.”
“I’ll see,” said Jimmy. And that was
all the answer he would give.
But Tommy Fox seemed satisfied.
“I’m going to run along beside you,” he
told Jimmy, “to keep you company. And
I'll wait at Broad Brook with you, to see
the fun when Mr. Turtle gets there. For
everyone knows that you’re going to win
the race.”
“I fully expect to,” said Jimmy.
Then Tommy drew a line in the sand.
“Here’s where you start!” he said.
And Mr. Turtle and Jimmy Rabbit toed
the mark.
“One, two, three—go!” cried Tommy
Eox. And with that they were off. In
no time at all Jimmy Rabbit had run so
far that Mr. Turtle lost sight of him.
48 JIMMY RABBIT
“Just as I expected!” Tommy Fox said
to Jimmy Rabbit. They were in the Woods
now, and not far from Broad Brook.
“There’s no need of hurrying,” Tommy
remarked. “You can reach the brook
Quickly enough. It will be late in the af-
ternoon before Mr. Turtle gets this far. I
see you’re a little out of breath. Why
don’t you lie down and rest? I’d take a
nap, if I were you. And I’ll wake you in
time for you to win the race.”
“That’s a good idea,” Jimmy Rabbit
said. “I’ll do it!” And he lay down on
the ground and went to sleep.
Late in the afternoon there were as
many people at Broad Brook to see the fin-
ish of the race as there had been at the
Creek in the morning to watch the start.
“I don’t see where Jimmy can be,” said
Frisky Squirrel. “His brothers are both
here—and they can’t run as fast as he
THE GREAT RACE 49
can.” But no one seemed to know what
had become of Jimmy Rabbit.
“I’m afraid he's going to lose his wheel-
barrow,” Tommy Fox finally said. “If
he loses the race, he’ll have to give his
wheelbarrow to Mr. Turtle, just as he
promised.” And Tommy didn’t seem at
all sorry at such a thought. -
“Ihear some one coming!” Billy Wood-
chuck cried a little later. He had very
sharp ears.
“And I can see somebody!” Fatty Coon
exclaimed. He had very sharp eyes.
And sure enough! Pretty soon they all
saw Mr. Turtle waddle out of the woods
and hurry toward them.
Tommy Fox began to dance and sing.
“He’s going to win! He's going to
win!” he said, over and over again.
And it certainly did look as if that was
iust what was going to happen.
50 JIMMY RAIBIBIT
Tommy drew a mark in the sand near
the brook. “As soon as he crosses this line,
he’ll win the race!” he shouted.
The two Rabbit boys stepped across the
line and waited.
“Your brother is just as good as
beaten,” Tommy Fox told them. You see,
he had never been near Jimmy Rabbit to
wake him, as he had agreed. Of course, he
had never intended to wake him.
Then Mr. Turtle Crossed the line.
“You’ve won 1’’ Tommy exclaimed. And
he was so pleased that he gave Mr. Turtle
a good, hard slap on the back. “Ouch!”
Tommy said. There was a look of pain
on his face. He had forgotten that Mr.
Turtle had such a hard back.
“Who’s won $’’ one of the Rabbit broth-
ers asked. -
“Why, Mr. Turtle!” said Tommy Fox.
“That,” said the Rabbit boy, “that is
THE GREAT RACE 51
just where you are mistaken, sir. Jimmy
Rabbit has won the race—for I am Jimmy
Rabbit.” -
For a moment there was silence. And
then a great shout went up. For they all
saw that it was Jimmy Rabbit himself,
dressed like one of his brothers.
But Tommy Fox did not shout at all.
He was very angry. “There’s been some
trick played on us,” he said.
“Where's my sled, Mr. Turtle?” Jimmy
Rabbit asked. He turned around. But
Mr. Turtle had vanished. He had jumped
into the brook and swum away.
So Jimmy Rabbit did not get the sled
after all. But he was so pleased over the
way he had outwitted Tommy Fox that he
didn’t care very much. Andall his friends
said that he was not only a fast runner,
but a very clever fellow as well.
IX
TPLAYING LEAP-FROG
THERE was great joy in the woods.
Jimmy Rabbit had promised to teach his
friends a new game. Frisky Squirrel and
Billy Woodchuck, Fatty Coon and Tommy
Fox, were all on hand to have their share
of the fun.
“What’s the game called?” Frisky
Squirrel asked. -
“It’s leap-frog,” Jimmy told him.
“Shucks!” said Fatty Coon. “The
frog’s not here yet. And we can’t do any-
thing till he comes.” &
Jimmy Rabbit laughed.
“You don’t need a frog to play leap-
52
PLAYING LIEAP-FROG 53
frog,” he said. “Just squat down in front
of me and I’ll show you how it’s done.”
Erisky Squirrel did just as Jimmy told
him to do. And Jimmy ran up behind
him, put his front paws on Frisky’s back,
and leaped over him. Then he ran on a
little way. And when he stopped, he
crouched down and called to Fatty Coon
to jump over them both.
Soon they were all playing leap-frog,
though Tommy Fox said that he didn’t
think it was much of a game.
“There’s more to it than you think,”
Jimmy said. “I haven’t taught you the
whole game yet.”
“Well, I want to learn it all,” Tommy
Fox grumbled.
“Wait until you do this part better,”
Jimmy Rabbit said. “Then I’ll show you
something different. You must learn to
leap higher and further. You’re not half
54 JTMMY RAF3BIT
as good a jumper as I supposed you were.”
Tommy Fox did not like that very well.
And if he and Jimmy Rabbit had been
alone T am afraid he would have done
something very unpleasant to Jimmy.
But now he only snarled a little, and
showed his teeth, and said that he could
leap higher and further than any of the
others.
“Well, you’re a good boaster, anyhow,”
said Jimmy.
Everybody laughed at that—except
Tommy Fox. He frowned. And when it
was his turn to leap over the others he
sprang so high and so far that he jumped
over Frisky Squirrel and Fatty Coon to-
gether, without once touching the ground.
It was really a wonderful jump.
“What do you think of that?” Tommy
asked with a grin. “Can any of you beat
that 27? -
T'LAYING LIEAP-FFOG. 55
“It’s a pretty fair leap,” Jimmy Rabbit
admitted. “But I’ve seen better. When
I’m in practice I can do better myself. A
really good leap-frog player ought to be
able to jump over three people at a time.”
Fatty Coon shook his head. He was
not much of a jumper—he was so fat, and
his legs were so short. And he didn’t be-
lieve he could ever leap over three people
at a time. -
“I could do it, if you’d let me start from
a tree,” Frisky Squirrel said.
But Jimmy told him that that was never
allowed.
“It’s against the rules of the game,” he
explained.
“Well, I can do it, and start on the
ground, too,” Tommy Fox boasted. “I
can do anything anybody else can do.”
“I believe you can,” Jimmy Rabbit
said, to everybody’s surprise. For they all
56 JTMMY RAEBIT
knew that he didn’t like Tommy Fox.
“We’ll give you a good, fair chance to try
it,” Jimmy went on. “You squat here,”
he told Fatty Coon. And he pointed out
the exact place where he wanted Fatty to
stand. A little way behind Fatty, he sta-
tioned Frisky Squirrel. And back of
Frisky he took his own place.
“Now!” Jimmy Rabbit said, “are you
all ready?”
“Yes,” they cried.
“I’m coming!” called Tommy Fox.
And he came running up behind them. He
rested his front paws on Jimmy Rabbit's
back. And just as he leaped, Jimmy Rab-
bit leaped too.
You might say that Tommy Fox made
a double jump. His own jump would have
been a high one. But when Jimmy
jumped, it sent Tommy Fox all the higher
into the air. He went sailing far above
PLAYING LEAP-FROG 57
Frisky Squirrel and Fatty Coon; and still
he kept on, turning and tumbling, head
over heels, until at last he landed with a
great splash in the same deep pool where
the hornets chased Cuffy Bear one time.
When Tommy Fox crawled out upon the
bank, dripping wet, the leap-frog play-
ers were nowhere to be seen.
Though Tommy did not know it, at that
very moment they were hidden in the
woods, rolling over and over upon the
ground, and laughing as if they would
never stop.
Finally Jimmy Rabbit sat up and wiped
the tears off his face. He had laughed so
hard that he had cried.
“I told him I'd teach him something
different about leap-frog,” he said.
Y.
THE TOOTH PULLER
JIMMY RABBIT was always changing his
mind about what he was going to be when
he grew up. First he thought he would be
a gardener, so he would always have plenty
of vegetables to eat. Next he decided he
would be a preacher, because, so far as he
could see, they never did anything except
talk—and he was sure that couldn’t be
very hard work. And one day he told his
mother that he expected to become a
tramp, so he wouldn’t have to wash his
face. But she soon put that idea out of his
head. So Jimmy had to think of some-
thing else.
58
THE TOOTH PULLER 59
Now, he had heard that there were
places where one could go to have a tooth
pulled. And it seemed to him that it must
be very pleasant to pull teeth. And he
saw no reason why he need wait till he
grew up, either. He saw no reason why
he should not begin at once.
Jimmy knew of a hollow stump not far
away which would make as fine an office as
anyone could want. So he hopped into
the woods. And outside the hollow stump
he nailed a sign that said:
JAMES RABBIT
TOOTH TEULLER
He didn’t have to wait any time at all
before some one came along.
It was Frisky Squirrel. And the mo–
ment he read the sign he decided that one
of his teeth was in need of pulling.
60 JIMMY RABBIT
“Come right in 1” Jimmy Rabbit said.
He had on a white apron, which he had
borrowed from his mother when she was
not looking. And in his hand he held a
big pair of pincers, which he had borrowed
from his father while Mr. Rabbit was
away from home.
“Do you really know how to pull a
tooth 3’’ Frisky asked.
“I’ve never yet had a complaint from
anyone who let me pull a tooth for him,”
Jimmy Rabbit said. And that was per-
fectly true—for he had never pulled a
tooth in his whole life.
It would have been a shame if Frisky
Squirrel had lost one of his sharp, white
teeth. But Frisky didn’t know that. He
thought it would be fun. And he sat down
and told Jimmy Rabbit he was ready.
So Jimmy Rabbit stepped up to him.
But he hadn’t any more than closed his
THE TOOTH PULLER 61
pincers when Frisky Squirrel began to
SCI’éalſT.
Jimmy Rabbit was so surprised that he
let the pincers drop and jumped back.
“My goodness!” he said. “How you
startled me! I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“Yes, you did!” Frisky answered. And
Jimmy could see that he was angry. “You
hurt my lip terribly.” -
“Well, you must have moved,” said
Jimmy. “Having a tooth pulled is a good
deal like having your picture taken. You
have to sit very still.”
Now, sitting still was something that
Frisky Squirrel never was able to do.
“I’m sorry,” he said, “but I shall have
to get along with my teeth just as they
are.”
“Better try once more!” Jimmy urged
him. “Most everybody has at least one
tooth out. It’s quite the fashion.”
62 JIMMY RAEBIT
But Frisky would not let him try again.
“I haven’t heard that it was the fashion
to have your lip pulled off,” he said. “But
I’ll stay here a while,” he added. He
wanted to see a tooth pulled, even if it
wasn’t his own.
“Do!” said Jimmy Rabbit. “And after
you’ve seen how easily the thing’s done,
I’ve no doubt you will want me to 'tend
to your case.” He was very cheerful.
But Frisky Squirrel did not appear
very happy. His lip pained him terribly.
XI
A SLIGHT DISPUTE
YoU may have heard somewhere of
Uncle Jerry Chuck. He was and old wood-
chuck who lived in Farmer Green’s pas-
ture. And he was known far and wide as
the stingiest person in Pleasant Valley.
He never paid for anything if he could
possibly help it.
Well, Uncle Jerry had the toothache.
That was nothing new for him, either. He
often had the toothache. And it was al-
ways the same tooth, too—because he had
only one in his head. But he never would
go and have his tooth pulled, because he
simply hated the thought of paying any-
63
64 JIMMY RAEBIT
one to take it out. He had an idea that
he was the one who should be paid. But
he never could find a dentist who looked
at the matter in that light.
TJncle Jerry was strolling through the
woods. He had a big red handkerchief
tied about his face, because it was a cold
day. And he was getting very tired of the
toothache. He was just wishing that he
could get rid of it—for nothing. He even
thought he would be willing to part with
that tooth without asking any pay for it,
when what should he see right in front
of him but a big sign, which said:
JAMES RATB.BIT
TOOTH PULLER
“Hello!” said Uncle Jerry. “Here's
something new l I’ve never noticed that
sign before.” And he stepped inside the
A SLIGHT I) ISPUTE 65
hollow stump to which the sign was nailed.
And there he found Jimmy Rabbit, in
a white apron, and with a pair of pincers
in his hand. Frisky Squirrel was there,
too, sitting in a corner and holding onto
his head.
“What are your prices?” Uncle Jerry
asked.
“An ear of corn for a tooth !” said
Jimmy Rabbit promptly. .
“That's reasonable enough,” Uncle
Jerry Chuck replied. And he sat down
at once. “Go ahead!” he said.
Jimmy Rabbit was delighted.
“Which One is it?” he asked.
“All of them!” said Uncle Jerry.
That was even better than Jimmy had
expected. But when he looked inside
Uncle Jerry’s mouth he was disappointed.
“Why, you’ve only one tooth in your
head!” he exclaimed in his surprise.
66 JIMMY RABBIT
“Hurry up!” Uncle Jerry snapped. “I
came here to have a tooth pulled—not to
be talked to.” He was always ill tem-
pered. And his toothache only made him
crosser than ever.
So Jimmy Rabbit went to work. He
tugged away with all his might and main.
Now and then Uncle Jerry groaned. And
whenever he groaned, Jimmy turned pale.
For he was somewhat afraid of the old
gentleman.
At last Jimmy tumbled backward, head
over heels. That was when the tooth came
out.
“Well, you were long enough about it,
I must say!” Uncle Jerry Chuck said.
“Give me my ear of corn now, for I must
hurry home.” -
“Give you your ear of corn?” Jimmy
Rabbit cried. He could scarcely believe
his own ears—and goodness knows they
A SLIGHT IDISPUTE 67
were big enough to hear anything any-
body said. se
“Why, certainly!” Uncle Jerry replied.
“I asked you your prices, you know. And
you said: ‘An ear of corn for a tooth !’”
Jimmy Rabbit didn’t know what to do.
“Why”—he gasped, “I thought you
were going to pay me!”
“Well, you see you were mistaken,”
Uncle Jerry told him. “And you had
better give me that ear of corn at once, or
it will be the worse for you.” *
Eor all the old fellow was toothless,
Jimmy saw that his claws were long and
sharp. He knew that he had got himself
into a fix. And he couldn’t think of any
way out of it.
“You’ve got my tooth ! I want an ear
of corn! You’ve got my tooth ! I want
an ear of corn!” Uncle Jerry Chuck kept
saying. And each time he said it, his voice
68 JIMMY RAEBIT
grew louder, until he was shouting at the
top of his lungs. •.
Then Jimmy Rabbit had an idea. He
picked up Uncle Jerry’s tooth off the floor
and placed it in Uncle Jerry’s hand.
“There's your tooth !” he cried. “I
don’t want it!”
“But you promised to give me an ear
of corn for my tooth !” said Uncle Jerry.
“Well, haven’t you got your tooth?”
asked Jimmy Rabbit.
And Uncle Jerry Chuck was so puzzled
that he went home without saying another
word.
YII
THE STRANGE MAN
A STRANGE man had come to stay at
Farmer Green’s house. It was Jasper Jay
who brought the news into the woods.
“He doesn’t seem to work with Farmer
Green, or the hired man, either,” said Jas-
per. “When I first saw him he was sitting
on the bank of the river, under a great,
brown umbrella. But what he was doing
I couldn’t make out.”
When Jimmy Rabbit heard that, he
knew at once that he wouldn’t be able to
sleep a wink that night unless he found
out exactly what the strange man was
about. So he went off toward Swift River
69
70 JIMMY RAEBIT
with a skip and a hop. He was always
like that. Whenever there was a new sight
to be seen, Jimmy Rabbit was sure to be
among the first to see it.
He had no trouble in finding what he
was looking for. There on the river bank
was a huge umbrella. Jimmy was sure it
was the biggest one in the world. And
under the umbrella sat the strange man.
In one hand he grasped a queerly shaped
board, and a number of sticks; and in the
other he held one of the sticks, with which
he kept dabbing at a big, flat thing that
stood in front of him.
Jimmy Rabbit was puzzled. He stole
nearer. And at last he had crept so close
that when he stood on his hind legs he
could see what the man was working at.
To his great surprise, he discovered that
Swift River was rushing and tumbling
across the big, flat object which was
THE STRANGE MAN 71.
propped upright in front of the stranger.
Jimmy couldn’t understandit. Was the
man fishing? he wondered. And how had
he managed to get Swift River out of its
banks like that?
Jimmy Rabbit began to think that the
strange man had used magic. Why, he
wasn’t even wet !
And Jimmy turned and ran back home.
If he hadn’t happened to meet Mr. Crow,
probably he would never have known to
this day what that man was doing.
But Mr. Crow knew right away.
“That wasn’t really Swift River that you
saw in front of him. It was just some-
thing that looked like it. . . . Haven’t
you ever seen a picture?” Mr. Crow asked.
Jimmy Rabbit had to admit that he had
never had that pleasure. *
“Well!” Said Mr. CrOW. “I can tell
you where you can see better pictures than
72 JIMMY RABBIT
that man can make. He only paints riv-
ers and mountains, and lakes. But down
at Farmer Green’s, all over the front of
the barn, you’ll find the most beautiful
pictures anyone could ask for. You’ll see
ladies riding on horses—standing up,
mind you! And you’ll see men perched
one on top of another until they reach
the clouds. And animals! There are the
oddest looking animals—different from
anything you ever saw in these woods.”
“I’m going right down there,” Jimmy
Rabbit said. “I’m very glad to have met
you, Mr. Crow. And thank you, very
much!” It was not often that Jimmy was
so polite.
He was almost afraid that Mr. Crow
was playing sometrick on him. But it was
all just as Mr. Crow had said—only ten
times more wonderful. And Jimmy Rab-
bit made up his mind, before he came
THE STRANGE MAN 73
away from Farmer Green's barn, that he
wanted to make pictures himself.
Mr. Crow had said that the strange man,
who made the picture of Swift River, was
an artist. Well, Jimmy intended to begin
to be an artist the very next day. And he
was so grateful to Mr. Crow for explain-
ing everything to him that he decided he
would do something specially nice for the
old gentleman. -
And all at once a happy thought came
into Jimmy’s head. He would make a
picture of Mr. Crow!
XIII
MR. CROW’S PICTURE
TN the Woods near the foot of Blue Moun-
tain news travels fast. Soon everybody
knew that Jimmy Rabbit had become an
artist. And many of the Woods-people
put on their best clothes and hurried to
Jimmy's house, to have their pictures
painted.
They were disappointed when Jimmy
told them all that they would have to wait.
“But after I’ve made a picture of Mr.
Crow you shall each have your turn,” he
promised.
Some of them grumbled. And Mr. Fox,
especially, was very disagreeable.
74
MR. CROW’S PICTURE 75
“I was the first one here,” he said. “I
don’t see why I should have to wait for
Old Mr. CrOW.”
But Jimmy Rabbit would not listen to
him. He felt quite important.
“I shall have to ask you all to go away
now,” he said. “Painting pictures is very
difficult work. It would make me nervous
to have so many people watching me.”
So his callers left him—all but Mr. Fox.
“I’m going to stay right here,” Mr. Fox .
said. “And as soon as you finish with Mr.
Crow, you can begin my picture.” And
he looked so surly that Jimmy Rabbit
didn’t dare object.
At last Mr. Crow arrived.
“I’d have been here before,” he said,
“but I stopped to get a new hat.”
“That’s too bad!” Jimmy told him. .
“You know, gentlemen never wear hats
when they’re having their portraits
76 JIMMY RABBIT
painted. But I’ll tell you what you can
do,” he added, for he saw that Mr. Crow
was disappointed. “You can hold your
hat in your hand.” -
That seemed to make Mr. Crow feel bet-
ter. But Mr. Fox almost spoiled every-
thing by saying, “Then he’ll have to stand
on one leg.”
Jimmy Rabbit hadn’t thought of that.
And Mr. Crow only made it harder for
him. For he said in a loud voice, “No hat,
no picture!”
Jimmy Rabbit thought very hard. And
pretty soon he smiled all over his face.
“It’s all right!” he said. “I know how
to fix it, Mr. Crow. You can hold your
hat, just as I said.” - -
So everybody was happy again—except
Mr. Fox, who had hoped that old Mr. Crow
would go away.
Jimmy Rabbit showed Mr. Crow where
MR. CROW’S PICTURE 77
to stand. And then he began to paint.
And while he worked, Mr. Fox looked over
his shoulder.
It was not long before something seemed
to please Mr. Fox, for he smiled broadly.
Mr. Crow noticed that grin.
“What's he laughing at 7” he asked. “I
don’t see anything to laugh at.”
Jimmy Rabbit looked around. But Mr.
Fox was as solemn as an owl.
“He isn’t laughing,” said Jimmy.
“Certainly not!” said Mr. Fox. “Your
eyes must be bad, Mr. Crow.”
“Well, I didn’t bring my spectacles,”
Mr. Crow answered. “I thought I'd look
better without them.”
After that Mr. Fox managed to keep a
sober face. But inside he was laughing
as hard as could be. º
“What makes him shake So?” Mr. Crow
asked, a few minutes later.
78 JIMMY RABBIT
“I must have caught cold,” Mr. Fox re-
plied. “I’ve been chilly all the morning.”
“You’d better go home,” Jimmy Rab-
bit advised him. But Mr. Fox wouldn’t
have left for anything.
“Now he's choking!” Mr. Crow said.
“I declare, I can’t have my picture
painted with such goings-on.” And he
started to fly away.
But Jimmy Rabbit begged him to stand
still just a little longer.
“The picture is almost done,” he said.
“There!” he added, a bit later. “It’s fin-
ished. And I know you’ll be pleased.”
It was clear that Mr. Fox was pleased,
for he was actually beaming. Jimmy
thought he had never seen him look so
pleasant. Mr. Crow had to ask him to
stand aside, so he ould have a look.
“I should think I might gaze on my own
picture,” he grumbled.
MR. CROW’S PICTURE 79
At first Mr. Crow was delighted. Then
he seemed somewhat puzzled.
“The face is good,” he said. “And no
one could ask for a better picture of a hat.
But there’s something that doesn’t look
quite right.” And all at once Mr. Crow
saw what was the matter. And he flew at
the picture and ran his bill through it in a
dozen places. “The idea!” he said. “I’ve
never been so insulted in all my life!”
And without another word he flew out of
sight.
It was no wonder that he was angry.
For in the picture Jimmy Rabbit had
painted him with four legs!
“Well,” said Jimmy, “he needn’t be so
cross about it. It was his own fault. He
wanted to hold his hat. And I just had to
give him more than one leg to stand on ”
XIV
BOY LOST |
POOR Mrs. Rabbit didn’t know what to
do. Her son Jimmy had not been home
since early morning; and she was sure he
was lost. She hurried through the woods,
looking for him everywhere. But not a
trace of him could she find. No one had
seen him.
At last Mrs. Rabbit happened to meet
Jasper Jay.
“Have you seen Jimmy?” she asked.
“Yes!” he said. “Right after break-
fast I saw him hurrying along the road by
the river. The gypsies have a camp there.
And I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if they
80.
BOY LOST | 81
had stolen him,” he added very cheerfully.
When Mrs. Rabbit heard that she was
terribly upset.
“Oh, dear! Oh, dear!” she cried.
“Whatever Shall I do?”
“The usual thing,” Jasper Jay told her,
*is to offer a reward.”
“Is that So?” said Mrs. Rabbit. “I’ve
never done anything like that. Will you
help me?”
“Why, certainly I’” said Jasper. And
he set to work and painted a big sign,
which looked like this:
LOST, STRAYED, OR STOLENT
A boy in a checkered suit, with a short
tail and long ears. He answers to the
name of Jimmy Rabbit. A reward
will be paid for his return, and no
questions asked.
MRS. RABBIT,
Near the Big Pine Tree.
82 JIMMY RAEBIT
“There!” said Jasper Jay, proudly.
“That ought to fetch him, if anything
will.” And he and Mrs. Rabbit took the
sign down to the road and hung it on a
fence-post. -
“Why do you say “No questions
asked’?” she inquired.
“That's the way it’s always done,” said
Jasper.
Now, it was almost as Jasper Jay had
thought. Jimmy Rabbit was at the gyp-
sies’ camp. But he hadn’t been stolen.
He was skulking about, as near the gypsies
as he dared to go. And he was so inter-
ested in what he saw that he had entirely
forgotten to go home to dinner. But late
in the afternoon he began to have such a
queer feeling in his stomach that he re-
membered then that he had had nothing
to eat since breakfast. And he started off
up the road, towards home.
BOY LOST | 83
You can imagine how surprised he was
when he stopped and read Jasper Jay's
sign. As soon as he had read it a second
time he decided that he had better hurry
home a little faster. For he could see that
his mother was worried.
So Jimmy jumped through the fence
and went hopping across the meadow.
Soon he was home again; and Mrs. Rab-
bit was hugging him and asking him where
he had been and what he had been doing.
Jimmy was just going to tell her. But
he happened to think that when his mother
learned that he had been at the gypsies’
camp all day she might not be pleased.
And then he remembered that sign. -
“Why don’t you answer me?” Mrs.
Rabbit asked. “You’d better speak up
at once. Where have you been?” .
“But the sign said “No questions
asked’l” Jimmy reminded her.
84 JIMMY RABBIT
When she heard that, Mrs. Rabbit
gasped.
“Yes!” Jimmy went on. “And it said
‘A reward will be paid for his return’l”
Mrs. Rabbit gasped again. She saw
that Jasper Jay had got her into trouble.
It seemed to her that it would be very hard
to have to pay a reward to her own son.
But Mrs. Rabbit was a person who always
kept her word.
“Well,” she said, “what do you want?”
“I think,” Jimmy told her, “that I
would like something to eat.”
“Then the gypsies didn’t give you your
dinner,” Mrs. Rabbit said.
“No, Mother!” Jimmy answered, before
he thought. So you see that Mrs. Rabbit
found out where he had been, after all,
even though she asked no questions.
It is very hard to keep anything from
one’s mother.
XV
TELLING FORTUNES
AT the gypsies’ camp Jimmy Rabbit had
seen something that was very interest-
ing. He had watched the gypsies tell-
ing fortunes. And he saw no reason why
he should not become a fortune-teller him-
self. It looked easy enough. All you had
to do was to hold the hand of the person
whose fortune you were telling and say
anything that came into your head. And
you were paid for it, too ! That was the
best part of it all.
As soon as he had eaten the lunch that
his mother gave him, Jimmy skipped away
to ask everyone he met if he wanted his
85
86 JTMMY RABBIT
fortune told. And there wasn’t a single
person who didn’t say “Yes!” at once. *
“All right!” Jimmy told everybody.
“It will cost you one cabbage. . . . And
you can find me under the big willow near
the brook.”
“I’ll come along with you now,” said
Fatty Coon. “You can tell my fortune.
And afterward I’ll go down to Farmer
Green’s and get a cabbage for you.”
“That won’t do!” said Jimmy. “You’ll
have to give me the cabbage first.”
So Fatty hurried down the hill. Never
before had he seen so many of his neigh-
bors in Farmer Green’s garden. And
they were all looking for cabbages. It was
Quite clear that Jimmy Rabbit was going
to be very busy.
Those who could run the fastest had
their fortunes told first, for they were
the ones that reached the big willow the
2
TELLING FORTUNES 87
soonest. And Mr. Fox was the quickest
of all.
Jimmy Rabbit looked at Mr. Fox’s paw.
He wouldn’t hold it, as he had seen the
gypsies hold the hands of the people who
visited them, for he never liked to get too
near Mr. Fox. But Mr. Fox didn’t know
the difference. -
“First I’ll tell your past,” Jimmy said.
But Mr. Fox thought there was no sense
in doing that. “I know all about my past,”
he said.
“Well, I’ll tell your present, then,” said
Jimmy Rabbit. -
“Oh, that’s silly!” Mr. Fox sneered.
“You’re telling my fortune—that’s what
my present is.”
“Your future, then!” Jimmy continued.
“I’ll tell your future.”
“Good!” said Mr. Fox. “That's just
what I want.”
88 JIMMY RAEBIT
So Jimmy Rabbit looked at his paw
again. -
“Beware of a dark man!” he said.
“He’ll make trouble for you if he can.”
“That must be Farmer Green,” Mr.
Fox remarked. “I shall have to be care-
ful.”
“And I see a spotted person chasing
you,” said Jimmy.
Mr. Fox shuddered.
“Old dog Spot!” he said. “Hurry and
finish ' I must be running along.” And
he glanced over his shoulder as if he half
expected to see Spot come bounding to-

Ç 2^
wards him. …’ -
“You are going on a journey,” Jimmy
Rabbit told him. “You are going to the
other side of Blue Mountain. Beneath
the great oak near the lake” (everybody
had heard of the great oak) “when the
moon comes up to-night, you will find the
TELLING FORTUNES 89
surprise of your life. . . . That’s all!”
Jimmy said.
Mr. Fox thought it was well worth one
cabbage. And he went off wondering about
that surprise.
Jimmy Rabbit told many fortunes that
day. And the last one of all was Henry
Skunk’s, because Henry was so slow in
coming up the hill from the garden.
By the time he had reached Henry
Skunk, Jimmy could think of nothing new
to say. So he began at the beginning again
and told Henry Skunk exactly what he
had said to Mr. Fox.
And Henry seemed just as pleased as
Mr. Fox had been.
Then Jimmy waited for some time, be-
cause Fatty Coon had not appeared at all.
You see, Fatty had been trying and try-
ing to bring a cabbage up the hill, to pay
for having his fortune told. But before
90 JIMMY RABBIT
he was half way up he always grew so
hungry that he had to eat the cabbage, and
then there was nothing to do but go back
for another. So poor Fatty never had his
fortune told at all.
The next day Jimmy Rabbit heard that
Mr. Fox and Henry Skunk had had a ter-
rible battle on the other side of Blue
Mountain, just as the moon came up. It
was said that each thought the other was
Spying on him.
Jimmy Rabbit was the only person who
knew how it had come about. And he
wouldn’t tell.
it Made a Speech
immy Rabb
J

XVI
RED LEGGINS
TT was winter. And you would natur-
ally think that Jimmy Rabbit would be
happy, there was so much snow to play in.
But he wasn’t. I am sorry to say that he
was sulking in the house, while all his
friends were out of doors, having a good
time in the snow.
The trouble was this: Mrs. Rabbit
wouldn’t let Jimmy play in the Snowdrifts
unless he wore his red leggins. And
Jimmy just hated them. None of the
other youngsters had to wear red leggins.
And they made all manner of fun of
Jimmy, and called him names, whenever
§ 91
92 JIMMY RAEBIT
he appeared in those bright red things.
The worst name that they called him was
one that Fatty Coon made up. It was
“Red Legs.” And it was a little more
than Jimmy could bear. So Jimmy said
he would rather not go out at all, than
wear those horrid leggins.
“Very well!” his mother said.
|But all the time Jimmy kept wishing he
was out there with the others. He could
hear them laughing and shouting.
“Mayn’t I go out without my leggins if
I stay in my own yard?” he asked his
mother.
“Yes!” she said, “if you won’t step in
the deep snow.” So Jimmy went outside
and watched his friends.
“Come on, Jimmy!” they cried. “Tom-
my Fox has taught us a new game. It’s
fox-and-geese!”
But Jimmy Rabbit shook his head.
RED LEGGINS 93
“I can't!” he said. “I’m too busy.”
“Ho! Jimmy Rabbit has to work!”
somebody cried. -
But Jimmy Rabbit smiled.
“Maybe you’d call it work,” he said.
“But I call it a good deal of fun. . . . I’m
forming a club,” he told them.
“A club? What's that?” asked Frisky
Squirrel.
“It’s a jolly band of fellows,” Jimmy
told him. “Sort of a secret society, you
know. We’ll have all kinds of fun.”
“Who’s in your club?”
“That’s one of the secrets,” Jimmy an-
SWered. “We don’t tell.”
“I’d like to join,” Frisky told him.
And the others all said that they would
like to be members, too. -
“Well, everything has to be very pri-
vate,” Jimmy said. “Anybody who wants
to belong to the club has to come and ask
94 JIMMY RABBIT
me. And I’ll tell him what to do, if I
want him to belong. . . . One at a time,
liow! Don’t crowd!” Jimmy said. For
everybody was coming inside his yard.
He stood at one side and wouldn’t talk
above a whisper. And to each of his
friends he said: -
“You have to have a uniform, you
know. . . . The name of the club is The
Scarlet Spies. And everyone who is in it
must wear a pair of scarlet leggins.”
Just as soon as they learned that, the
whole troop hurried away. And by after-
noon the woods seemed to have turned red,
there were so many pairs of scarlet leggins
twinkling almost anywhere you looked.
In fact, there was only one of Jimmy’s
young neighbors who hadn’t been able to
get a pair. And that was Fatty Coon.
Goodness knows he wanted some scarlet
leggins. But his mother simply would not
RED LEGGINS 95
buy him any, in spite of all his teasing.
“Why are we called The Scarlet
Spies?” Frisky Squirrel asked Jimmy.
“Because we spy on everybody who
doesn’t wear the uniform,” Jimmy Rabbit
explained. “Now, there’s Fatty Coon!
We’ll follow him wherever he goes, and
watch everything he does. But we mustn't
have anything to do with him, because
he’s what is called an ‘outsider’.”
Fatty Coon didn’t like it at all when he
found that The Scarlet Spies were follow-
ing him about, hiding behind trees, and
peeping at him.
“Shucks!” he cried. “Those are noth-
ing but red leggins! Jimmy Rabbit has
played another trick on you.”
But Jimmy Rabbit didn’t mind what he
said. He could play in the snow now with-
out being called names. And that was
enough for him.
|XVII
THE RATB.BITS’ BAILL
THE Rabbits’ Ball (that was a dancing
party, you know) was something to which
Jimmy Rabbit had looked forward for a
long time.
Now, only rabbits were invited. And
everybody that came was expected to wear
fancy clothes, and a mask.
Jimmy Rabbit had decided that he
would go to the Ball dressed like one of
his sisters. He thought that he could have
a good deal of fun in that way. And as it
happened, he was not disappointed.
The night of the great Ball had come;
and Jimmy Rabbit had a delightful time
96
THE RATBBTTS’ BALL 97
dancing with friends of his who thought
he was a girl. But after a while almost
everybody knew almost everybody else—
in spite of the masks they wore. But there
were two dancers whom nobody seemed
to know.
One was dressed as a giant-dwarf, and
the other as a dwarf-giant. And they
looked a good deal alike, except that one
of them (that was the gentleman) was tall
and thin; and the other (that was the
lady) was short and fat. They didn’t ap-
pear even to know each other. But they
both enjoyed the Ball—at least they told
everyone that they did.
Before the Ball was over the tall, thin
stranger invited Jimmy Rabbit to dance
with him—supposing, of course, that
Jimmy was a girl.
It struck Jimmy that the stranger was
very, very tall for a rabbit. Only rabbits
98 JIMMY RABBIT
were invited to the party, you remember.
Well, as the stranger walked away,
after the dance was done, Jimmy Rabbit
caught a glimpse of a bushy red tail be-
neath his coat. And he knew right away
who it was. It was Tommy Fox! And, of
course, he had no business to be there, at
the Rabbits’ Ball!
That set Jimmy to thinking. And he
wasn’t long in making up his mind that the
short, fat lady was no other than Fatty
Coon. When Jimmy looked sharply he
could see where Fatty’s tail was hidden be-
neath the dress he was wearing. And, of
course, he had no business there, either.
Pretty soon Jimmy Rabbit thought of
a plan. And he hurried up to the tall
stranger and said:
“We are now going to have a new sort
of dance. And knowing you to be a fine
dancer, I would suggest that you ask that
THE RAEBITS’ BAILL 99
shortish, stoutish lady to be your partner.
I should say that next to you, she is the
most graceful dancer at the Ball.”
Tommy Fox hurried over at once to
claim a dance with the strange lady, who
was really Fatty Coon—only Tommy
didn't know it.
As soon as everyone was ready, Jimmy
Rabbit climbed on top of a toadstool and
made a speech.
“The new dance,” he said, “will be like
this: Everybody must be blindfolded.” So
every dancer pulled out his pocket-hand-
kerchief and tied it over his eyes. “The
new dance will be without music,” Jimmy
added. “You will dance until the music
begins, instead of dancing until it stops.”
Everyone said that that was a queer sort
of dance. But Jimmy Rabbit paid no at-
tention to such remarks.
“All ready!” he called. “One, two,
100 JIMMY RAEBIT
three—dance!” he cried in a loud voice.
Among all that crowd, Jimmy Rabbit
was the only one who was not blindfolded.
but no one else knew that, for nobody
could see him—except the musicians. And
as soon as Jimmy whispered something to
them they tucked their corn-stalk fiddles
under their arms and ran away.
But everybody kept dancing—because,
you remember, it was to be a dance without
music. Jimmy Rabbit had said that they
weren’t to stop dancing till the music be-
gan. And with the fiddlers gone, you
might think they’d be dancing yet.
But it was not so.
XVIII
A DANCE WITHOUT MUSIC
As soon as Tommy Fox began to dance
with the strange lady (she was really
Fatty Coon, you know), he saw very
Quickly that she was not a good dancer at
all. She kept stepping on Tommy’s feet,
and tripping him. And Tommy kept wish-
ing that the music would begin, so he could
stop dancing. You remember that Jimmy
Rabbit had said that this was to be a dance
without music, and that everybody had to
be blindfolded, too.
At first, Tommy Fox and his partner
kept bumping into other dancers. That
was natural enough, too, because how
101
102 JIMMY RABBIT
could anyone see, with a pocket-handker-
chief tied over his eyes? -
After a while Tommy noticed that they
bumped into fewer and fewer people, until
at last they never ran into any others at
all. But he never stopped to wonder at
that. He was only glad that it was so.
Being blindfolded, he had not seen what
was going on. But Jimmy Rabbit was
very busy. He kept going up to all the
rabbit dancers, and whispering to them,
and telling them to take their pocket-hand-
kerchiefs off their eyes and run away, be-
cause Tommy Fox and Fatty Coon had
come to the Rabbits’ Ball, without being
invited. So two by two the dancers stole
off, until there were only three of the mer-
rymakers left. Two of those were Tommy
Fox and Fatty Coon, who were still danc-
ing, still blindfolded, and each still think-
ing that the other was a rabbit. The third
A T)ANCE WITHOUT MUSIC 103
was Jimmy Rabbit himself. But he was
not dancing. He was peeping out from
behind a tree, and wondering what was
going to happen.
And all the time Tommy Fox was wish-
ing the music would begin. Of course, he
didn’t know that Jimmy Rabbit had sent
the fiddlers away. -
Now, the longer they danced, the oftener
the fat lady stepped on Tommy’s feet.
And he grew so angry that he finally said:
“Do be careful where you step !”
That remark did not please Fatty Coon.
“Don’t tell me how to dance!” he said.
“You’re a great, clumsy creature!”
“I’m not!” Tommy retorted. “I’m the
best dancer at the Ball. But you can’t
dance any better than a coon!”
That was enough for Fatty. He tore the
handkerchief off his eyes. And Tommy
Fox was just as quick. He saw that he had
104. JIMMY RATB.BIT
made an unwise speech. And he snatched
the bandage from his own face.
“You’ve played a trick on me!” Tommy
Fox cried, when he saw that all the other
dancers—and the fiddlers, too—had gone.
“You’ve played one on me!” Fatty
Coon shouted. And he pulled the mask off
Tommy Fox’s face.
And again Tommy Fox was just as
quick. He reached out and twitched away
Fatty Coon's mask.
For one second they stared at each other.
And then they jumped at each other.
Jimmy Rabbit didn’t wait to see any-
thing more. He felt that it would be much
safer somewhere else. And besides, the
Rabbits’ Ball had come to an end. *.
That was the last time that Fatty Coon
and Tommy Fox ever went to a party to
which they were not invited. Jimmy Rab-
bit had taught them a lesson.
XIX
JIMMY GROWS TOO CHIEEEY
}
MRS. RABBIT always tried to teach her
children good manners. It was no easy
matter, either, with four girls and three
boys. But she was glad that she hadn’t
four boys and three girls, because her boys
always stuffed their mouths when they ate.
One day at dinner Mrs. Rabbit said:
“Jimmy! Don’t fill your mouth so full!
If you could see how you look, with your
cheeks sticking out, you’d be more care-
ful.”
The first thing Mrs. Rabbit knew,
Jimmy burst into tears. *
“I haven’t eaten a thing!” he said.
105
106 JIMMY RATB.BIT
“There’s nothing in my mouth at all. I’m
not a bit hungry.” -
When Mrs. Rabbit looked at his plate
she knew at once that there must be some-
thing the matter with him, for she saw that
Jimmy hadn’t touched his dinner. And
usually he was the first to ask for more.
“That boy is not well!” she told her
husband. “I wish you would go and ask
Aunt PollyWoodchuck to step over here.”
Aunt Polly, you know, was a famous doc-
tor.
Well, Mr. Rabbit hurried away as soon
as he had finished his meal. And it wasn’t
long before old Aunt Polly hobbled up to
Mrs. Rabbit’s door.
“Come right in 1” Mrs. Rabbit said.
“It’s Jimmy! I want you to look at him.
He wouldn’t eat any dinner, and his
cheeks stick out very queerly.”
Old Aunt Polly gave Jimmy a sharp
JIMMY GROWS TOO CHEEKY 107
pinch on one of his puffed-out cheeks.
“Ouch!” he said.
“Did that hurt?” Aunt Polly asked him.
“Yessum!” he answered. -
“Hm—I thought sol” she said. You
see, Aunt Polly was a good doctor. She
generally knew what was what.
Then she reached into her basket and
drew out a green apple, and gave it to
Jimmy Rabbit.
“Here!” she said. “Take a big bite!”
Jimmy did just as she told him to. And
then he cried “Ouch!” again.
“Did it hurt??’ she asked him.
“Yessum !” he said.
“I thought sol” Aunt Polly replied.
And turning to Mrs. Rabbit, she said,
“This boy has mumps.”
“You don’t say so!” Mrs. Rabbit ex-
claimed.
“I do, indeed!” Aunt Polly declared.
108 JIMMY RABBIT
“Give him a cup of catnip tea and put him
to bed. And let him have a hot-water bot-
tle at his feet. And if everything isn’t all
right, just send for me again.” So she
went away. And Jimmy went to bed.
Eſe kept his mother busy for a few days,
for he was always asking her to fill his
hot-water bottle with hotter water. But
she was glad to do that for him. And she
was pleased to see that he was improving.
Then one day Mrs. Rabbit discovered
that the hot-water bottle was full of Small
holes. The water ran out of it almost as
fast as she poured it in.
Mrs. Rabbit was surprised. She was
worried, too, for it was no easy matter to
get a new hot-water bottle where she lived.
“Aunt Polly said to send for her again
if everything wasn’t all right,” she said
to Mr. Rabbit. “So you’d better go and
tell her to come over at once.”
YX.
A QUEER, CURE
WHEN that famous doctor, Aunt Polly
Woodchuck, reached Mrs. Rabbit’s house,
she said:
“Is Jimmy worse? He ought to be
almost well by this time; for mumps don’t
last long, as a rule.’’ •
“It isn’t Jimmy,” Mrs. Rabbit told her.
“It’s the hot-Water bottle ! I find that it’s
full of holes; and I can’t think how they
came there.”
Aunt Polly put on another pair of spec-
tacles.
“Let me see it!” She said. “Aha!” she
exclaimed, as she looked at the hot-water
109
110 JIMMY RAEBIT
bottle closely. “I thought sol” she said.
“What is it?” Mrs. Rabbit inquired.
“I hope it’s nothing catching. For just
think what a fix we’d be in if all the chil-
dren should have that same trouble!”
Aunt Polly told her not to worry.
“You’d better get a new bottle,” she
said, “for this one can’t be cured. But
I’ll show you what to do to prevent the
new hot-water bottle from getting full of
holes like this one. . . . Get me a piece of
string !” said Aunt Polly.
Now, for some reason or other, Jimmy
Rabbit began to feel very uncomfortable.
He was no longer in bed. And when he
heard Aunt Polly ask for a piece of string
he started to sneak out of the room.
But Aunt Polly saw him.
“Come back here!” she said. “I want
you!” And she made Jimmy sit at her
feet and wait until his mother returned.
A QUEER CURE 111.
“Here!” Mrs. Rabbit said when she
came back at last. “Is this string what
you need? It’s a very strong piece.”
“Just the thing!” Aunt Polly told her.
And she took hold of Jimmy Rabbit.
He began to howl. And he squirmed.
And he would have kicked, if he had dared.
Aunt Polly Woodchuck did a strange
thing then. She hung the hot-water bottle
from Jimmy’s neck. y
“There !” she said. “Just let him wear
that for a few days! I don’t think you’ll
have any more trouble with holes in hot-
Water bottles.”
“Have you known cases like this be-
fore?” Mrs. Rabbit asked her.
“A few 1” said Aunt Polly. “And this
is by far the best way to treat them. I’ve
never known it to fail.” *
“It seems to me it's rather hard on
Jimmy,” Mrs. Rabbit said.
112 JIMMY RABBIT
“Don’t you worry about him l’’ Aunt
Polly told her. “It will do him a world of
good.” e
Jimmy Rabbit hung his head. He hated
to have that hot-water bottle dangling
from his neck. And he made up his mind
that he would never prick another pin-hole
in anything else so long as he lived.
But he was glad of one thing. He was
glad Aunt Polly hadn’t told his mother
what he had done.
THE END
A WORD TO GROWN UPS
To you;-parents, guardians, teachers
and all others upon whom devolves the su-
premely important responsibility of di- -
recting the early years of development of
childhood, this series of TUCK-ME-IN
TALES which sketch such vivid and de-
lightful scenes of the vibrant life of
meadow and woodland should have tre-
mendous appeal. In this collection of
stories you will find precisely the sort of
healthy, imaginative entertainment that
is an essential in stimulating thought-
germs in the child mind.
Merely from the standpoint of their
desirability for helping the growing tot
to pass an idle half hour, any one of these
volumes would be worth your while. But
A WORD TO GROWN UPS
the author had something further than
that in mind. He has, with simplicity and
grace, worthy of high commendation,
sought to convey a two-fold lesson
throughout the entire series, the first
based upon natural history and the sec-
ond upon the elementary principles of
living which should be made clear to
every child at the earliest age of under-
standing.
The first of these aims he has accom-
plished by adapting every one of his bird
characters to its living counterpart in the
realm of biology. The child learns very
definite truths about which the story is
woven; learns in such a facinating man-
ner that he will not quickly forget, and is
brought into such pleasant intimacy that
his immediate sympathy is aroused.
The author accomplishes the purpose
of driving home simple lessons on good
A WORD TO GROWN UPs
conduct by attributing the many of the
same traits of character to his feathered
heroes and heroines that are to be found
wherever the human race made its habi-
tation. The praise-worthy qualities of
courage, love, unselfishness, truth, indus-
try, and humility are portrayed in the
dealings of the field and forest folk and
the consequential reward of these virtues
is clearly shown; he also reveals the un-
happy results of greed, jealousy, trickery
and other character weaknesses. The ef-
fect is to impress indelibly upon the im-
agination of the child that certain deeds
are their own desirable reward while cer-
tain others are much better left undone.
If any further recommendation is nec-
essary, would it not be well to resort to
the court of final appeal, the child him-
self? Simply purchase a trial copy from
your bookseller with the understanding
A WORD TO GROWN UPS
that if it meets with the disapproval of
the little man or woman for whom it is
intended, he will accept its return.
TEIE TALE OF JOLLY ROBIN
Of course, there is a time when Jolly
Robin is only a nestling. Then one day,
after he tumbles out of the apple tree and
falls squawking and fluttering to the
ground, he takes his first lesson in flying.
So pleased is Jolly to know that he can
actually sail through the air on his wings,
that he goes out into the wide, wide world
to shift for himself. One day, after ad-
vising with Jimmy Rabbit, he decides to
become general laugh-maker to the inhab-
itants of Pleasant Valley, and he be-
comes one of Mother Nature's happiest
little feathered folk, going about trying
to make things a bit better in the world.
True, he falls into many blunders and has
many strange experiences, but his inten-
tions are always the best, remember.
Slyly tucked away in this story of Jolly
Robin and of his adventures, is much bird
lore and philosophy, both instructive
and entertaining.
THE TALE OF BETSY BUTTERFLY
IBetsy Butterfly is the owner of a pair
of such beautifully colored wings and her
sweet disposition matches them so per-
fectly that it is a very common occurrence
to hear one of the tiny dwellers in Farmer
Green’s meadow remark: “Why, the
sun just has to smile on her l’’ Of course,
any lady so gifted is bound to have many
admirers and Betsy is no exception. But
there are a few of her acquaintances who
cannot keep from showing their jealousy
of her popularity and these try in various
unkind ways to make her disliked. The
story of how she politely overlooks these
rude attempts, in that way causing her-
self to be all the more thought of, is the
best sort of example to any human girl
or boy who wishes to know how to be sure
of making friends. You will find that
Betsy is a great girl for giving parties
and perhaps she will give you a few val-
uable ideas that will be useful sometime
when you have a party of your own.
BUSTER BUMBLEBEE
Buster’s intentions are all very good,
but he is so awkward and stupid that he
constantly stumbles into trouble, thereby
causing his acquaintances much unneces-
sary discomfiture and himself no end of
embarrassment. He is, furthermore, a
terrific boaster, as you will learn when
you read of his many declarations of the
pummeling he would give the ferocious
Robber Fly, if ever he chanced to meet
that devouring assassin. What Buster
actually does when the unexpected en-
counter takes place will afford you a good
laugh at his expense, and, finally, after
you have romped and dallied with him
through his many happy excursions you
will close the book with a feeling that it
has done you good to have known him,
lazy and blundering though he is, for he
is indeed the best natured fellow, and he
is so anxious to buzz into everything that
attracts his attention that you find you
have learned a great many things you
never before dreamed of about the tiny
creatures of the fields.
THE TALE OF FREDDIE FIREFLY
Freddie Firefly is most anxious to
lighten the cares of his friends in Pleas-
ant Valley for he is a most unselfish fel-
low and enjoys nothing more than seeing
other people as happy as he. He has one
grave fault, however, that prevents him
from being a very great help, and that is
his inability to remain long in one place.
He is so full of spry gaiety that he never
can be quite content unless he is dancing
with his relatives in the hollow near the
swamp or darting about Farmer Green’s
lawn. His friends often give him advice
as to how he may use the wonderful light
which he always carries with him, and
finally Mrs. Ladybug tells him he should
go to the railroad and work as a signal-
man for the trains. You will hold your
breath as you read about the exciting ad-
venture that follows this suggestion, and
you will no doubt agree with those to
whom he later tells it that he is a very
lucky Freddie to escape.
THE TALE OF RUSTY WREN
Rusty Wren is another little neighbor
in Pleasant Valley. His particular home
there is Farmer Green's yard where he
lives in a bright shiny home which is
really a tin can with a hole in it! And
dear me! I forgot all about Rusty
Wren’s family—his wife and six baby
children who had to be given Wren food
by Rusty and little Chippy, Jr. You will
laugh heartily when you read about
Chippy growing so big and fat that he
gets stuck in Rusty's tiny doorway and
can’t get pulled out. My, what an excit-
ing time it was 1 And you will laugh
again when you watch Rusty Wren go
'way over to the bank of Black Creek all
ready for a party when there really is no
party. Yes, you will agree with Farmer
Green's boy and the rest of our friends
in Pleasant Valley that Rusty certainly is
a very interesting little neighbor.
THE TALE OF DADDY LONG-LEGS
Daddy is a person of such unusual ap-
pearance with his eight scrawny legs in
contrast to ordinary people’s two, and
everything about his private life is such
a mystery to his neighbors that his ac-
quaintances give him credit for having a
marvelous ability to look into the future.
In fact, there are many two-legged hu-
mans, even today, who think he is a sort
of soothsayer and mystery man. Perhaps,
if you are one of these, you will be in-
clined to change your mind after reading
about his contest with Old Mr. Crow to
see which is really the wiser of the two.
And would you not naturally suppose
that anybody with so many legs to carry
him would be the champion walker of the
world? Maybe Daddy finds that it takes
time to decide which of his feet he should
put forward in taking the next step, or
may be each separate foot has a notion of
its own as to the direction Daddy should
choose; at any rate, he proves to be the
slowest traveler imaginable. But he is
so popular among his neighbors and you
will like him too—he has so many quaint
ideas.
TEIE TALE OF KIDDIE EATYDTD
Riddy Katydid and his relatives were
in possession of a secret that none of the
Pleasant Valley folk can solve, though
they waste much time and energy trying
to guess it. Even to this day it is doubt-
ful if anyone other than Kiddie himself
really knows what Katy did! But his
friends are a curious lot and they work
their brains over-time to think of some
scheme to make Kiddie tell. If you want
to know what they do accidentally dis-
cover about Kiddie himself and how ex-
cited every body becomes as the rare news
spreads from mouth to mouth, you will
find that and many other remarkable
things about him in this interesting story
of his life in the Maple tree that grows in
Farmer Green's yard. You will like
Kiddie. He is very modest and retiring
—behaving very much as any well raised
youngster should, and when you under-
stand just how it happens that he keeps
repeating that funny remark about Katy,
you can join him in the hearty laugh he
has on his friends.
THE TALE OF OLD MR. CROW
Mr. Crow has a very solemn look—un-
less you regard him closely. But it is a
very sly, knowing look, if you take pains
to stare boldly into his eyes. Like many
human beings, he is fond of clothes, and
he particularly likes gay ones, but per-
haps that is because he is so black himself.
Anyhow, so long as he can wear a bright
red coat and a yellow necktie—or a bright
red necktie and a yellow coat—he is gen-
erally quite happy. One fall Mr. Crow
decides to stay in Pleasant Valley during
the winter, instead of going South, and
he remembers all at once that he will need
some warm clothing. Now, Mr. Frog, the
tailor, and Jimmy Rabbit, the shoemaker,
know just how to talk to Mr. Crow to sell
their merchandise, playing upon his van-
ity to buy the latest, and even to “set the
styles,” but they have to be pretty keen
and sly to get the best of Mr. Crow in the
end. Mr. Crow has his good points as
well as his bad ones, and he helps Farmer
Green a lot more than he injures him it
is said. Nevertheless, Farmer Green
does not figure that way, and in justice
to old “Jim Crow,” you should read of
his adventures for yourself.
THE TALE OF SOLOMON OWL
All the folks down in Pleasant Valley
know Solomon Owl. Well, it’s this way.
If you hear Solomon Owl on a dark night
,when his “Wha-Whal Whoo-ah!” sends
a chill 'way up your spine, and if you see
him you can never forget him, either. He
has great, big, staring eyes that make you
feel queer when you look at his pale face.
No, sir, little folks like Mr. Frog, the
tailor, certainly don’t like to have any
visits from Solomon Owl when Solomon
has a fine appetite. To be sure, Farmer
Green isn’t happy when Solomon steals
some of his fine chickens, and neither are
the chickens for that matter. But Solo-
mon doesn’t have all the fun on some one
else. Oh no! Reddy Woodpecker knows
how to tease him by tapping with his bill
on Solomon’s wooden house in the day-
time, when every owl likes to sleep and
dream of all the nice frogs and fat chick-
ens they are going to feast on the next
night, and then, out comes Solomon all
blinking with his big, black eyes. But
this wise owl, who really isn’t as wise as
he looks, you know, finds a good way to
fool Reddy and the rest of the folks who
like to annoy him, and lives his own
happy life.
THE TALE OF JASPER JAY
Jasper Jay really is a good sort of a
fellow even though he does make a dread-
ful racket when he is around; but that is
his way of talking. He just likes to tease
for the fun of teasing and so naturally he
gets into lots of scraps and seems bound
to get into more. Of course, lots of folks
in Pleasant Valley don’t like him because
he plays tricks and pranks on them and
makes them feel all ruffled up. Why, he
even thinks he can spoil the Singing So-
ciety, but do you know, the Society fools
Jasper himself. And that time Jimmy
Rabbit teaches Jasper Jay some man-
ners down by the cedar tree—the poor
jay stays there until his feet are frozen
in the water before he finds out—well—
you may discover for yourself what hap-
pens next.
fºLittle Jack Rabbit Books
ſº º (Trademark Registered)
By DAVID CORY
Author of “Little Journeys to Happyland”
Colored Wrappers With Text Illustrations.
–º
—-
rººf A new and unique series about the furred and feathered
; little people of the wood and meadow.
*::: Children will eagerly follow the doings of little Jack
Rabbit, and the clever way in which he escapes from his
three enemies, Danny Fox, Mr. Wicked Wolf and
Hungry Hawk will delight the youngsters.
LITTLE JACK RABBIT's ADVENTUREs
LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND DANNY Fox
LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND THE SQUIRREL BROTHERS
LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND CHIPPY CHIPMUNK
LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND THE BIG BROWN BEAR
LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND UNCLE JOHN HARE
LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND PROFESSOR CROW
LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND OLD MAN WEASEL
LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND MR. WICKED WOLF
LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND HUNGRY HAWK
LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND THE POLICEMAN DOG
LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND MISS MOUSIE
LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND UNCLE LUCKY
LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND THE YELLOW DOG
TRAMP
GROSSET & DUNLAP, Publishers, NEW YORK

THE LITTLE WASHINGTONº.
By LILLIAN ELIZABETH ROY º §
Handsomely Bound. Colored wrappers. Illustrated. # -
For Children 6 to 12 Years :- º:
This series presents early American history in a mann,
that impresses the young readers. Because of George an º
Martha Washington Parke, two young descendants of the .
famous General Washington, these stories follow exactly j
the life of the great American, by means of playing they º
act the life of the Washingtons, both in battles and in #
society. . .
THE LITTLE WASHINGTONS
Their thrilling battles and expeditions generally end in “punishment"
lessons read by Mrs. Parke from the “Life of VVashington.” The culprits
listen intently, for this reading generally gives them new ideas for further
games of Indian warfare and Colonists' battles. -
THE LITTLE WASHINGTONS RELATIVES
The Davis children visit the Parke home and join zealously in the games
of playing General VVashington. So zealously, in fact, that little Jim
almost loses his scalp.
THE LITTLE WASHINGTONS’ TRAVELS -
The children wage a fierce battle upon the roof of a hotel in New York
City. Then, visiting the Davis home in Philadelphia, the patriotic VVash-
ingtons vanquish the Hessians on a battle-field in the empty lot back of
the Davis property.
THE LITTLE WASHINGTONS AT SCHOOL
After the school-house battle the VVashingtons discover a band of gyp-
sies camping near the back road to their homes and incidentally they secure
the stolen horse which the gypsies had taken from the “butter and egg
farmer" of the Parkes.
THE LITTLE WASHINGTONS' HOLIDAYS
They spend a pleasant summer on two adjoining farms in Vermont.
During the voyage they try to capture a “frigate" but little Jim is caught
and about to be punished by the Captain when his confederates hasten in
and save him.
GROSSET & DUNLAP, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK
tº-->



| University OF Michigan - -
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“Run Along, Tommy Fox,” the Squirrel Said
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Fatty Saw Mrs. Turtle Digging in the Sand








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