by David Cory
And would you believe it? Dear, kind Uncle Lucky almost cried! Yousee, he had never seen a mermaid before, and he thought she waslovely, and I guess she was, for Uncle Lucky couldn't make a mistake,I'm sure, for he had travelled abroad and had seen lots and lots ofbeautiful lady bunnies.
"And now where are we going?" asked the little rabbit, but Uncle Luckywas too busy trying to find his other blue polka-dot handkerchief withwhich to wipe his eyes to answer.
And then he couldn't find it, and the reason was because he had givenit to a Chinaman the day before, but he didn't remember that, for hewas so miserable at leaving the beautiful mermaid.
"Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" sighed the old gentleman rabbit,
"'Tis sad to part. My poor old heart Is nearly, nearly breaking; Alas! alas! that mermaid lass Has set my head a-shaking!"
And after that his old wedding stovepipe hat almost fell off his head,and it would have, I'm sure, if it hadn't been for the blue polka-dothandkerchief which he had tied over the top of it.
And just then, all of a sudden, the Whaleship bumped into a motorboat, and nearly upset it.
"What's the matter with your pilot?" screamed the man who was in themotor boat, and when Uncle Lucky looked over the side of the Whale hesaw it wasn't a man at all, but the old Billygoat who owned theFerryboat I told you about some umpty-leven stones ago.
"Excuse us, please," said the kind old gentleman rabbit, but what theBillygoat said I'll have to tell you in the next story, for there's nomore room in this one.
STORY XXVII.
BILLY BUNNY AND THE BEANSTALK.
Seeing it's you," answered the Billygoat, who, you remember in thelast story, had gotten very angry because Billy Bunny and Uncle Luckyhad bumped into his motor boat with their whaleship.
"I'll forgive you," and then he raced the Whale all the way to theshore and would have beaten him, too, if he had gone faster.
And as soon as the whaleship ran up on the beach, the two littlerabbits hopped off and got into their automobile and drove away, andthe Whale went back and told the Mermaid that the two little rabbitshad a beautiful Luckymobile, and she felt dreadfully sorry that shehadn't gone with them.
Well, after a little while, not so very far, they came across awonderful beanstalk, which was growing up so high that you couldn'tsee the top, and if Billy Bunny had only known the story about "Jackand the Beanstalk," I guess he would have thought that the story hadcome true.
"My gracious!" exclaimed Uncle Lucky. "My lima beans at home growpretty high but never as high as this," and he took out of hiswaistcoat pocket his spyglass and tried to find the top of thebeanstalk; but he couldn't, for it was hidden in the clouds. Justthink of that!
"I'm going to climb up that beanstalk," said the little bunny. "MaybeI'll find my fortune at the top."
"And I'll go with you," said the old gentleman rabbit, for he wasn'tgoing to let his small nephew go up a strange beanstalk and perhapsget lost in the clouds, you know.
Not good, kind Uncle Lucky. No, sireemam; so they hopped out of theLuckymobile and started up the beanstalk, and by and by, after apretty long time, they came to the top and the first thing they sawwas their friend American Eagle and his wife, and she was sitting onher nest hatching out the big eggs which she had laid.
"We'll need lots of eagles now that we've gone to war," said the bigbird, and he flapped his wings and sang "Yankee Doodle Dandy" threetimes over and then once more. And this made the old gentleman rabbitso excited that he stood up and made a speech, and then he threw hisold wedding stovepipe hat up into the air and gave three cheers andhalf a dozen tigers and two or three bears.
And after that Billy Bunny opened his knapsack and took out anAmerican flag and put it on the top of the beanstalk so that all thepeople in the aeroplane could see it and say "Hip-hur-ray for the U.S. A.!"
"When the little eagles come out of their shells you must bring themto call on me," said good, kind Uncle Lucky to Mrs. Eagle. "I havesome popcorn and lollypops at home, and I know how children like thosethings."
And this made Mrs. Eagle very happy and Mr. Eagle very proud, and hehelped the two little rabbits to climb down the beanstalk in time forme to write what they did in the next story, which will be about anadventure in the Friendly Forest.
STORY XXVIII.
BILLY BUNNY AND SCATTERBRAINS.
After Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky reached the ground, for they hadclimbed down the beanstalk, you remember, as I told you in the laststory, they jumped into the Luckymobile and drove off toward theFriendly Forest, and when they had gone maybe a mile in and out amongthe trees, for there wasn't really any automobile road to go on, youknow, they came across Scatterbrains, the gray squirrel.
Now Uncle Lucky knew Old Squirrel Nutcracker very well, and as the oldgentleman squirrel was very nice and well behaved it made Uncle Luckyprovoked to think that his son should be such a scatterbrains. SoUncle Lucky stopped the automobile and said:
"Well, young squirrel, have you been troubling your father lately?"and Scatterbrains answered, "No, Mr. Lucky Lefthindfoot, not lately.Not since yesterday."
"What!" exclaimed the old gentleman rabbit, "do you mean to say youtroubled him yesterday? Why didn't you wait until to-morrow?" and thenUncle Lucky winked at Billy Bunny and then scowled at Scatterbrains.
And just then they heard a dreadful noise. It sounded just as if thetrees were snapping to pieces and, all of a sudden, a tornado struckthem and up in the air went the Luckymobile with the two littlerabbits, but what happened to the little squirrel I really don't know,unless it took him up, too, and hid him in a cloud.
And perhaps it did, for I've often seen clouds that looked exactlylike squirrels, haven't you, and other animals, too, like bears andcats?
"Gracious me!" cried Uncle Billy. "Hang on, Billy Bunny, and don't letthe cushions slip or the electricity run out of the cabaret, for if weever get back to earth, I'd like to get home and stay home forever.Oh, home, sweet home," and the old gentleman rabbit took off hisautomobile goggles, for they were full of tears and he couldn't seeanything.
Well, by and by, the tornado let go and the automobile fell on top ofa clothesline and balanced there as nicely as a tight-rope dancer, andwhen the two little rabbits looked about them, they found they were inMrs. Bunny's backyard in the Old Brier Patch. Wasn't that lucky? Well,I guess it was!
And just then Mrs. Bunny came out of the kitchen door to hang up someof Billy Bunny's little shirts on the line, for it was Monday morning,you know.
And when she saw the Luckymobile on her clothesline she gave a scream,and then she began to laugh, and after that she ran back into thehouse and brought out her scissors and cut the rope and the automobilecame down with a bang, and out tumbled the two little rabbits.
"Well, well, well," said Mrs. Bunny, and she sat down on theclothespin basket and laughed, but, of course, there weren't anyclothespins, or any other kind of pins, in it, you see, for then shewouldn't have laughed.
And in the next story, if my umbrella doesn't open and stand over mybed to keep off the mosquitoes, I'll tell you another story to-morrownight.
STORY XXIX.
BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. BLACK CAT.
Awake, awake, 'tis early morn. The cow is climbing the stalks of corn, The little bird is beating an egg, And the rooster is dancing about on one leg, And the pig is trying on her new bonnet, With a little blue bow and a red cherry on it.
Uncle Lucky rolled over in bed and then he got up and wiggled his noseand his left ear, and after that he was so wide awake that he didn'twant to get back into bed, as I did, when I woke up this morning.
And just then the breakfast bell rang and Mrs. Bunny put on the coffeeand the baked lollypops and the stewed prunes, and, oh, dear me! Ireally can't remember what rabbits eat every day, for I'm sure theydon't eat the same old thing, for if they did they wouldn't be jollyand gay and hop about merrily all through the day, but would sit in acorner and sulk and be sad, and maybe get ang
ry and maybe get mad.
So always remember to have something new, for no one can always enjoya prune stew. There! I've gone and written another piece of poetry andmy typewriter wouldn't print it properly. Isn't that too bad?
Well, after breakfast the old gentleman rabbit went out for a walk inthe Pleasant Meadow, and he went all alone, too, for Billy Bunny hadto stay home and polish the front door knob and sweep the piazza andfeed the canary and bring in the wood, for Mrs. Bunny had to hurry upwith the breakfast dishes so as to be able to go over and see CousinCottontail, who had just had a new baby rabbit.
Well, as I was saying, Uncle Lucky hopped along the Pleasant Meadowuntil he came to the Old Farm Yard where Cocky Docky and Henny Jennyand all the other Barn Yard Folk lived with the good-natured farmer.
And just as he was going through the gate, who should bounce out athim but a big black cat. And, oh, dear me. Her claws were sticking outof her feet like pins and her eyes were yellow as fire and her teethglittered and her whiskers stood out like bayonets, and her tail wasas big as a rolling pin and her back was humped up worse than acamel's.
If you can think of anything worse than the way that cat looked I wishyou would write me a letter and tell me so that I can scare UncleLucky, for, would you believe it, he wasn't the least big frightened.No, sireemam.
He just took off his old wedding stovepipe hat and bowed most politelyto Mrs. Black Cat, and she was so surprised that she turned around andwent back to her three little kittens who never wore mittens becausethey didn't have any.
And after that the old gentleman rabbit hopped into the barn and atesome corn and had a talk with Mr. Sharptooth Rat. And maybe he wouldhave been talking there yet if something hadn't happened. And when youdon't expect it, something very often, and sometimes most always, doeshappen. The Miller's dog ran into the barn and made a grab for the oldgentleman rabbit, but Uncle Lucky was too quick for him.
He hopped to one side and then out of that barn so that he hoppedright into to-morrow night's story. Wasn't that wonderful?
STORY XXX.
BILLY BUNNY AND BIG YELLOW DOG.
Let me see. Didn't I say that Billy Bunny hopped out of the Old Barnso fast in last night's story that he jumped right into this one?Well, he did, and here he is saying, "I'm ready for anotheradventure!"
And no sooner had he said this than along came a big yellow dog with amuzzle on his nose, and when the little rabbit saw him he laughed outloud, "Oh, ho! Mr. Yellow Dog! Did you put your nose into a mousetrap?"
"No, I didn't," replied the Yellow Dog. "It's a muzzle to keep me frombiting little rabbits," and then he gave a dreadful growl and tried topull off the muzzle with his front paws.
"I won't wait until you get it off," said Billy Bunny, and he hoppedaway as fast as he could, for he wasn't the least bit curious to seewhether that muzzle was tied on tight!
And by and by he came to a hollow stump where lived an old rabbitnamed Hoppity-hop.
"Helloa, my little friend," said the old rabbit, and then he wriggledhis nose a million times or less, for I guess he smelt the lettucesandwich which Billy Bunny had in his knapsack.
"Good morning," said Billy Bunny, but he didn't open his knapsack. No,sir! It wasn't fourteen o'clock, which is the luncheon hour inRabbitville, so I've been told. And this, of course, made the oldrabbit very sad. "Oh, dear me," he cried, "I'm so hungry, and if thereis anything I love more than a lettuce sandwich it's apple pie!"
"How do you know I've got an apple pie?" asked Billy Bunny, and hetook out his gold watch and chain to see what time it was, for hebegan to feel hungry all of a sudden. But, oh, dear me!
It wasn't fourteen o'clock, or anywhere near it, so he twisted thestem of his watch until the hands pointed at the luncheon time, andthen he took out the lettuce sandwich and the apple pie and he and theold rabbit ate them up right then and there, and after that they feltever so much better.
"Now I'll tell you a secret," said the old rabbit. "There's a carrotcandy shop not very far from here, and if you've got any money in yourknapsack I'll take you there."
Wasn't that kind of that old rabbit? So off they hopped and prettysoon, not so very far, they came to the candy shop, and the old ladywoodchuck who kept it was awfully kind and generous, for she filled upa paper bag right to the top for a lettuce dollar bill, which I thinkwas a very cheap price to pay for all that candy, don't you?
And when it was all gone, Billy Bunny said good-by and hopped awaysinging at the top of his voice:
"Oh, who is so merry and who is so gay As a rabbit who always has money to pay For candy and popcorn and nice apple pie And other sweet things that you're longing to buy."
And in the next story, if Billy Bunny does eat any more carrot candyand get so dizzy he can't hop in a circle, I'll tell you some moreabout the little rabbit.
STORY XXXI.
BILLY BUNNY AND A HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
It very often happens You don't know what to do, And then's the time the Mischief Man Comes smiling round to you. He whispers something in your ear You know you shouldn't stop to hear, And then's the time for you to say, "Oh, Mischief Man, please go away!"
This is what dear good Uncle Lucky wrote in Billy Bunny's album, forit was the little rabbit's birthday, you know, and Uncle Lucky thoughthe ought to warn him against the Mischief Man.
Well, as soon as the ink was dry so that the little rabbit could putthe album away in Uncle Lucky's desk, the kind old gentleman rabbitsaid: "Let us take a ride in the Luckymobile. Maybe we can go someplace where we will have a good time."
So they got into the automobile and started off, and by and by theycame to a shady spot in the woods. And there right under a bigspreading chestnut tree, was a little table covered with a clean whitecloth and in the middle was a lovely birthday cake with candles andbig frosted letters, which read, "A Happy Birthday to Billy Bunny!"
And oh, my, wasn't he delighted and so were all the little forestfolk, for they were all there, let me tell you, from Old SquirrelNutcracker to the Big Brown Bear.
And so were the little people from the Pleasant Meadow, Dicky MeadowMouse and Robbie Redbreast and many others. And pretty soon along camethe barnyard folk, Cocky Docky, Henny Jenny and Duckey Daddies. EvenMrs. Cow wasn't too busy to be there, and if you'll wait a minute I'lltell you the names of some more of Billy Bunny's friends:
Turkey Purky, Danny Beaver, Old Mother Magpie, Timmy Chipmunk,Scatterbrains, the gray squirrel, and Shadow Tail, his brother. DaddyFox would like to have been there, only Uncle Lucky hadn't sent him aninvitation. The only friend who wasn't there was Uncle Bullfrog. Hecouldn't leave his log in the Old Mill Pond, so he sent his regrets bylittle Mrs. Oriole, who lived in the willow tree by the Old Mill.
"Now we'll cut the cake," said kind Uncle Lucky, and he went over tothe Luckymobile to get the big carving knife which he had hidden underthe cushions.
"There's a little gold ring hidden away somewhere," he said as he cutthe cake very carefully so as not to topple over the pretty candlesand get the pink and green melted wax all over the white frosting.
And then everybody ate up his piece of cake as fast as he could tofind the little gold ring. "I've got it! I've got it!" screamed TimmyChipmunk. But, oh, dear me. It wasn't the ring at all. It was only ahard nut.
And the little chipmunk was so disappointed that he ran home to tellhis mother all about it, and she gave him one she had found when shewas a little girl in the toe of her stocking one happy Christmasmorning. And in the next story you'll be surprised to hear who got thering after all.
STORY XXXII.
BILLY BUNNY AND THE LOST RING.
Something's going to happen; I feel it in the air. But what it is you soon shall know, So hold your breath and stare.
You remember in the last story I told you about Billy Bunny's birthdayparty and promised to tell you who found the little gold ring in thefrosted cake.
Well, just as the little rabbit said, "I'
ve found it!" Daddy Foxsprang from behind a bush and grabbed the piece of cake right out ofthe little rabbit's paw.
And then he jumped over the Luckymobile and ran off to his den to giveit to Slyboots or Bushy Tail, his two little sons, you know, but whichone got it I can't remember, for everybody was so excited that theyforgot to ask the naughty old fox before he got away.
"That's too bad," said kind Uncle Lucky; "I'll have to get you anotherone," so he said good-by to everybody and took Billy Bunny down to the3 and 10 cents store, where they bought a lovely gold ring with a bigruby in it. Wasn't that nice?
And then they came back to the woods, but everybody had gone home andthere was no more birthday cake anywhere to be seen, not even a littlepiece of candle.
"Well, what shall we do now?" said the kind old gentleman rabbit, andhe poured some lettuce oil into the cabaret and took out his bluepolka-dot handkerchief and wiped his ear, and then he dusted off hisold wedding stovepipe hat and honked the automobile horn and blew up atire and turned a cushion upside down to hide a grease spot. And afterthat he put on his goggles and started off again, and by and by, notso very long, they came to a signpost on which was written:
"Which road shall I take?"
"Goodness, gracious me!" exclaimed the old gentleman rabbit, "what'sthe matter with my goggles?" and he took them off and looked at thesignpost again.