Little Jack Rabbit and Chippy Chipmunk, page 2
Granddaddy Bullfrog seated himself again on the old log to catch a fly for breakfast. All through the cold weather he had slept in the soft mud at the bottom of the Old Duck Pond, but now, that Mr. Merry Sun was shining down so warm and bright from the big blue sky, the old gentleman frog had kicked out his long legs and swam up to sit once more in his accustomed place.
But, goodness me! How thin he was. Why, his white waistcoat was all wrinkled and his pantaloons bagged dreadfully. Yes, sir. They were much too big for his long thin legs, and Granddaddy Bullfrog at once set to work to catch a million flies so as to grow nice and fat and jolly by the good old Summer time.
Teddy Turtle, too, had come up from the soft mud. He knew it was time to be about, for Gentle Spring has a way of telling all the little people of the Shady Forest and the Sunny Meadow just when it's time to wake up and get out in the warm sunshine.
And while Granddaddy Bullfrog quietly caught a dozen flies and Teddy Turtle crawled up on the bank, the little rabbit shouted:
"Helloa, helloa! There isn't much snow
Anywhere to be seen, and the meadow is green.
Say, Granddaddy Frog, out there on your log,
Are you glad it is Spring, ting-a-ling, ting-a-ling!"
"There, you've gone and made me lose a fly," said the old gentleman frog. "But, never mind! I'm glad to see you, little rabbit," and Granddaddy Bullfrog went "Ker-dunk, ker-chunk," and wiped his spectacles with a pink silk handkerchief.
Just then from a little pool close to the Old Duck Pond came the sound of voices. "What's that?" thought the little rabbit, and he hopped over the marshy ground to look into the little pool. And what do you think he saw? Why, a lot of dark spots on the water, each one singing a tune. And, Oh dear me! The little bunny was so surprised that he leaned way over the water, when, all of a sudden, the little dark spots disappeared and all he could see were funny little forms swimming away under the water.
"Ha, ha!" laughed Granddaddy Bullfrog. "They are little singing toads. Mr. Tree Toad's grandchildren!"
The little rabbit was so surprised that he said nothing. Neither did Granddaddy Bullfrog until the next story.
* * *
RAT-A-TAT-TAT
"Well, well, well," thought the little rabbit, as he hopped away from the Old Duck Pond, "Granddaddy Bullfrog is a wise old frog." And I guess the little rabbit was right, for everybody doesn't know that those little funny singing toads I told you about in the last story are called Hylas, although everybody knows that some candies are! But it isn't spelt the same way. Oh dear me, no! But I don't believe Granddaddy Bullfrog knew that!
And while the little rabbit was hopping along towards the Shady Forest, he heard a noise like the beating of a drum. So he stopped to listen. There it came again, rat-a-tat-tat! rat-a-tat-tat! Yes, sir. Those sounds certainly came from the old orchard. So the little rabbit turned and hopped along the Old Rail Fence until he came to an old apple tree just behind the Big Red Barn where the Weathercock lived.
Rat-a-tat-tat! rat-a-tat-tat! "Who can it be?" thought the little rabbit, and he looked all around, and then, all of a sudden, he saw Red Head, the Woodpecker, building a new home for himself in the old apple tree.
Chip, chop, chip, chop, back and forth went the woodpecker's sharp bill, cutting out the chips from the old apple bough.
My! but it was hard work. The Miller's Boy always grumbled when his father told him to chop the wood, but Red Head kept right along, happy as could be. You see, the little people of the wood don't grumble if they have to work, and let me tell you in the Spring they have lots to do. Every one is busy making his home. Some are digging holes in the ground and some are making nests in the trees. But everybody is happy as the day is long. And the birds sing as they work, for a song helps the work along. Helps you do your very best, whether it's a hole or nest. Sing away, and never fret, worry won't keep out the wet. Sing and work until the sun tells you that the day is done.
Oh, dear. There goes my typewriter making up poetry!
Well, let me see where I was before my typewriter became a poet. Oh, yes. Red Head, the Woodpecker, was chopping out a little home for himself in the old apple tree, and Little Jack Rabbit had just discovered who it was who was making that queer chip-chop noise.
"Haven't got any time to talk," said the busy little woodpecker. "I must get this house ready for Mrs. Red Head. She says she won't wait another day," and he started to chop again, so the little rabbit hopped over to the Sunny Meadow where Mrs. Cow was eating the fresh young grass. Every now and then she would ring the bell on her collar, and then her little calf would run up and ask her what she wanted. And Mrs. Cow would rub her nose over the little calf's ear and whisper: "I only wanted to keep you from going away too far."
* * *
BUSY PEOPLE
The little Balmy Breezes shook
The Pussy Willows by the brook
Until they all began to mew,
Just like real pussy kittens do.
And this made Mrs. Cow laugh, who, in the story before this, you remember, had tinkled the little bell she carried on a leather collar around her neck, to caution her little calf not to run too far away.
Well, just then Little Jack Rabbit came along to tell Mrs. Cow what Red Head, the Woodpecker, was doing up in the old orchard. "Yes, he's making a nice little home for Mrs. Red Head," said the little rabbit "Everybody is working but me. I'm just hopping around doing nothing," and he gave a great big sigh and scratched his left ear with his right hind foot.
"You're the first person I ever met who longed for work," laughed Mrs. Cow. "Up at the farm the men are grumbling because they must get up with Mr. Merry Sun and work all day!"
Just then Jimmy Jay flew by in his beautiful blue coat and white waistcoat. Now Jimmy Jay is a dreadful tease. He's the biggest tease in all the Shady Forest. And when he saw the little bunny, he stopped to ask a question.
"Why don't you build a house for yourself on the Sunny Meadow?"
"I don't need one," answered the little rabbit. "Old Bramble Patch, U. S. A., is where I live."
"But everybody is building a home," went on Jimmy Jay. "Why don't you get to work?" and the mischievous little bird picked off a hard round bud and threw it at the little rabbit. Then off he flew, singing at the top of his voice:
"Some folks are so lazy
They never do a thing,
But bother everybody
Who's busy in the Spring."
"I wonder if he means me," thought the little rabbit. "Oh, dear me! I wonder if he means me!" and this time the little rabbit spoke out loud, for he felt so badly he just couldn't keep it to himself.
"If he does he isn't telling the truth," said Bobbie Redvest.
"He's a mischief maker," cried another voice, and there stood Timmy Meadow Mouse. "Don't let him worry you, little rabbit." After that the little bunny felt ever so much better, for what is nicer than to have your friends stick up for you in this world, I should like to know, and he hopped off home to help his mother, who was busy beating the carpets and putting up the curtains in camphor for the Summer. And after he had polished the front doorknob and fed the canary, she gave him five carrot cents and told him he might go down to the Three-in-One Cent Store to buy a raspberry lollypop.
* * *
MOTHER NATURE
"Oh, I shall be so glad when the leaves are on the trees and bushes and the Sunny Meadow is covered with grass," said Little Jack Rabbit, one lovely morning. You see, in the dear old Summer time there are thousands of hiding places, but in the Winter and early Spring everything is bare. I'm sure I don't know how this little bunny, all winter, would have escaped the eager eyes of Hungry Hawk, Mr. Wicked Weasel and Danny Fox, if his fur overcoat hadn't been white—for, of course, you haven't forgotten that his coat turns white in the Winter time, and that this is one way that Loving Mother Nature looks after the welfare of her little rabbit children. For when the snow is on the ground Little Jack Rabbit in his white fur overcoat looks like a snow ball, and at the first sign of danger he sits perfectly still, making it mighty hard for even Hungry Hawk's bright eyes to see him.
"Now, don't be wishing for something that's coming as surely as you're a foot high," said Mrs. Rabbit. "And if you're wishing for something you're not sure is going to happen, stop wishing and go out and get it," and then she patted the little rabbit on the cheek and went back to her ironing board.
As soon as he had brought in the wood and polished the front doorknob, he set off for the Shady Forest.
And by and by, after maybe a mile, he saw Jimmy Crow on a tree top. And what do you suppose that little crow was doing? Why, he was building a nest for himself. Yes, sir, that's what he was about. And why shouldn't he? For he wasn't such a very young crow now, when you come to think of it. He was a year old, and when a crow gets to be a year old he knows how to build a nest, let me tell you.
"How long will it take you, I'd like to know,
To build your nest, Mr. Jimmy Crow?
High up there in the tall pine tree,
Where the sun is warm and the wind is free,"
asked the little rabbit.
"Don't bother me just now," answered Jimmy Crow. "Can't you see I'm in an awful hurry?" and he laid some more sticks crosswise, and then he flew away after more things to finish his nest with. So the little bunny hopped away, and pretty soon he came to the cave where the Big Brown Bear lived. And as it was a bright warm morning Mr. Bear was sitting outside on his doorstep, sunning himself, for it had been a dreadfully cold winter and Mr. Bear at one time had no coal at all, and his cave got so cold that the water pipes froze and he couldn't take a bath for a week. "How do you do this beautiful Spring morning," asked the little rabbit.
"I'll tell you in the next story," answered the Big Brown Bear. Now I wonder how he knew there's no more room in this one!
* * *
THE WHISTLING STOVE
Well, as I explained to you in the last story, the Big Brown Bear would have answered the little bunny, only there was no more room in the story for him to say even "Howdy!" So we had to wait until we turned over the page.
"Yes, it's a beautiful Spring morning. But, do you know my fur overcoat needs pressing and I'm afraid my cap's not at all in style."
"Never mind," replied the little rabbit. "Down at the Three-in-One Cent Store they have some lovely caps. Why don't you go buy yourself a new spring style?"
"I will," said the bear. "Come along with me."
So off they started, and by and by, not so very far, they came to the store, and right there in the window were lots and lots of nice looking caps. Pretty soon Mr. Bear picked out one, the one he liked best, and after he had paid for it, he and the little rabbit went outside. When, all of a sudden, who should come by but a man with a little peanut wagon. In one end was a stove that whistled the funniest kind of a song, and if I'm not mistaken the words went something like this:
Roasted peanuts, fresh and fine,
Here's a lovely way to dine,
Crisp and brown, and fresh and sweet,
Where are nicer things to eat?
Ting a ling, a ling, a loo,
Won't you come and buy a few?
"Don't they smell nice?" said the Big Brown Bear and he put his right paw way down in his left coat pocket, but, oh dear me! The only thing he found was a cigar coupon. And wasn't he disappointed? Well, I just guess he was. So the little rabbit opened his knapsack and took out a handful of carrot pennies and bought two bags of peanuts. Pretty soon after the Big Brown Bear had eaten his, he said:
"Well, I must be going back to my cave," and away he went, so the little rabbit looked around to see what he would do next. But there wasn't anything to do for all he could see, so away he hopped and by and by he came to a big billboard on which was pasted a colored poster of a May Day party of little bunnies, and underneath the words:
"Enquire at Rabbitville Gazette."
Without waiting to read the other side of the billboard, he hopped down Turnip Street till he came to the Newspaper Office, when he hopped upstairs to see the advertising man—a little Field Mouse. But, oh dear me, the tickets were a dollar apiece, so Little Jack Rabbit said: "I'll give a May Day Party of my own!"
* * *
MESSENGER BOYS
The little Balmy Breezes were very busy. Indeed they were. They were busier than messenger boys, for Little Jack Rabbit had asked them to tell all his friends in the Shady Forest and the Sunny Meadow to come to his May party.
So the little Balmy Breezes had plenty to do, for the little rabbit had lots and lots of friends, let me tell you.
Well, no sooner had the little Balmy Breezes started off than they came to Granddaddy Bullfrog on his log in the Old Duck Pond.
"You are invited to Little Jack Rabbit's May party."
"All right, ker dunk, I'll come, ker plunk!" croaked the old gentleman frog, and he swallowed a big green fly that came too near, and then he closed his left eye and waited for another, for that hungry old bullfrog could eat more than twenty flies for breakfast.
And then, pretty soon the little Balmy Breezes came to the Tall Pine Tree where Professor Jim Crow had his nest.
"Oh, I'll come," he said, "never fear. And I'll bring my little black book with me, too, and read some verses to the guests," and then that old black crow put on his spectacles and opened his book, but the little breezes didn't wait, for they had no time just then to hear anything.
"There goes Squirrel Nutcracker! Come to Little Jack Rabbit's May Day Party," they cried before the old squirrel could run up to the top of the chestnut tree.
"Oh, I'll be there, don't worry," he said. "And I'll bring the Squirrel Brothers and Mrs. Nutcracker with me."
"Thank you," said the little Balmy Breezes, and off they went until they came to Chippy Chipmunk's house. He was in, and he promised to come. Then off went the little breezes again and by and by they came to the Forest Pond where Busy Beaver and Mr. Muskrat lived.
"Won't you come to Little Jack Rabbit's May Day Party?" asked the little Balmy Breezes, and of course the beaver and the muskrat answered yes.
Well, the next place the little breezes came to was the Old Farm Yard.
"Little Jack Rabbit wants you all to come to his May Party," they whispered, for Black Cat was standing in the kitchen doorway, and they didn't want him to come, you see, for fear he might spoil the fun.
"I'll come," cried Henny Penny,
"And I'll bring my sister Jenny."
"I'll come," said Timmy Turkey,
And he looked quite fierce and perky.
And Mrs. Cow said she'd come too,
And so did Cocky Doodle-do.
And Ducky Waddles also said,
"I'll come if I'm not sick in bed."
* * *
A RUDE INTERRUPTION
Now you remember in the last story how the Little Balmy Breezes were asking everybody in the Shady Forest and on the Sunny Meadows to come to Little Jack Rabbit's May Day Party. Well, there were one or two, and maybe three, who weren't invited. And if you haven't guessed by this time, I'll tell you. Old Danny Fox was one, and Mr. Wicked Weasel was two, and, let me see, who was number three? Why, yes, of course, Old Hungry Hawk. Nobody wanted these three robbers, so they weren't invited, but that isn't saying they didn't come. But you must wait and let me tell you the story, for I nearly said something I should have kept for the last.
Well, it was almost the middle of the day by the time the Little Balmy Breezes had told everybody about the May Day Party. You see, they had to go here and there and everywhere. And the Old Brown Horse lived a long way off, and so did the Yellow Dog Tramp and the Billy Goat, who ran the ferryboat over the river.
Heigh ho, come to my party,
Let us be merry, my little Jack Hearty.
Blow on the whistle and make the bells ring,
For it's Spring, lovely Spring.
Ting-a-ling, ting-a-ling.
Well, pretty soon Mrs. Cow came across the Sunny Meadow with her little bell tinkling at her neck, and after her came Cocky Doodle and Henny Penny side by side. Then Ducky Waddles on his big, flat, yellow feet, and Turkey Tim with his big, wide-spreading tail, and right behind them came Goosey Lucy. I almost forgot her, for she was so long in curling her hair that the others started off without her.
And then from the Shady Forest came the Squirrel Brothers and Chippy Chipmunk and Professor Jim Crow, with his little black book, and the Jay Bird in his flying machine, and, oh, dear me. So many more I haven't room to tell.
"Wait for me! Wait for me!" cried a voice, and over the Old Rail Fence jumped the Brown Horse, and after him came the Yellow Dog Tramp and the Billy Goat Ferryman.
And when they were all there, the Photographer Crane from Rabbitville got ready to take a picture. He set up his camera and put his head under the black cloth, and after he had turned a little brass knob, he said in a solemn voice:
"Don't you move and don't you smile,
Hold your breath a little while.
Keep your eyes just where they are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star."
* * *
Photographer Crane Got Ready to Take the Picture.
* * *
But, good gracious me! Just then something dreadful happened. And it just spoiled that lovely picture, for through the fence jumped Danny Fox and Mr. Wicked Weasel, and there was nobody left on the Sunny Meadow except the Crane Photographer. And maybe he won't be there on the next page.
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