  Well, you remember in the last story little Jack Rabbit was making a call on Granddaddy Bullfrog at the Old Duck Pond. And I guess the little rabbit might have stayed until half-past thirteen o'clock if, all of a sudden, Old Sic'em, the farmer's dog, hadn't come along. Now, of course, Old Sic'em was too old to run very fast, but just the same the little bunny wasn't going to give him a chance to catch him, so off he went, clippity clip, hippity hip, and by and by he came to the Shady Forest, where all the little four-footed folk and the feathered people were busy making homes for the Summer. Old Squirrel Nutcracker sat outside his doorstep while Mrs. Nutcracker hung out the rugs and beat the sofa cushions. And Chippy Chipmunk chattered on the top of the Old Rail Fence at Bobbie Redvest, who had flown over from the Orchard to stretch his wings. "Tra la la, tra la la! Where's the little Twinkle Star? Mr. Merry Sun's on high In the meadows of the sky, And the dandelions wink All along the river's brink." You see, Bobbie Redvest loved to sing all sorts of songs, and that's why all the little people of the Shady Forest loved him so. For we all love to hear a song if it's not too slow and long. "Cock-a-doodle-doodle-do, Clouds are white and skies are blue, And the little bugs and flies Are a dinner that we prize," sang Cocky Doodle, for he wasn't going to have Bobbie Redvest be the only one who could sing a song, let me tell you. And just then Old Professor Jim Crow flew by with his little Black Book under his wing, and as soon as he saw the little bunny, he perched himself on a stump and turned to page forty-three: "When you're young it's time to learn, When you're older you must earn." And the Old Gentleman Crow took off his spectacles and said: "Do you hear that?" and then he cawed three times and a half and put his spectacles back into the case and closed his little Black Book. "Yes, sir," answered the little rabbit. "Every day I learn something. Only this morning I found out that my last Summer's straw hat won't do for this Summer," and then he hopped away as fast as he could for he knew that Professor Crow would think it was very ex-trav-a-gant not to wear last year's hat, no matter how shabby it was. "Clean your last year's panama, Wear your last year's suit, Don't replace a single thing Except a worn-out boot." Now who do you suppose sang that little verse? You'll never guess, so I'll tell you right away. Grandmother Magpie! "I'm sorry I can't wait," said the little rabbit, and off he hopped for the Old Bramble Patch to ask his mother if she were going to clean her last year's panama bonnet. |
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