Chapter II: Part 2

Well, by and by they came to the trout stream and commenced to fish, and in a little while they had three big trout. Then they put them in a basket with nice wet leaves and after that they sat down for lunch. And then they fell asleep. And while they were dreaming that a big whale had swallowed both hooks and was pulling them into the water a tramp cat came by and stole the basket of trout.

Yes, sir! As soon as she smelt fish she walked right up and without making a sound lifted up the basket and tiptoed away, and of course when the two little rabbits woke up they couldn't find the basket of fish.

"Well, that's a nice howdy-do," exclaimed Uncle Lucky ruefully, which means even worse than sadly, you know. "What shall we tell the Squirrel Innkeeper? It's his basket, you know, although the fish belonged to us?"

And while they were wondering what to do, an old basket maker came by with a pack of baskets. So Uncle Lucky took out his purse and bought one, and then he and Billy Bunny began again to fish. But, oh, dear me! I guess the trout had all gone away, for they never got a bite, except from a mean old mosquito, who stung dear Uncle Lucky on the little left hind toe.

And in the next story, if the Tailor Bird doesn't sew up the bottoms of my trousers so that I can't get my collar on in the morning, I'll tell you more about Uncle Lucky Lefthindfoot and his little nephew, Billy Bunny.

STORY XVIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE TAILOR BIRD

Well, the Tailor Bird didn't sew up the bottoms of my pantaloons so that I couldn't get on my collar, as I told you I was afraid he would in the last story.

But he did something else. He sent in his bill--I mean he pushed his bill in through the open window--and asked me if I was ready to try on my new spring suit. But I told him I didn't have time because I had to write a Billy Bunny story. So he flew away with his bill without another twitter.

And after he had flown for three hundred thousand short flutters he came to where Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky were fishing.

"There's no use to fish any more, my friends," said the Tailor Bird, "for the trout have gone to a dance and they don't bite when they dance."

"That's very kind of you to tell us that," said Uncle Lucky, and he pulled his hook out of the water. But would you believe it, he had a ten-dollar bill on the end of it! Yes, sir! He did.

And if I thought there were any more ten-dollar bills in that trout stream I'd go right off now without finishing this story and fish there for the rest of my life.

"Hip, hurray!" cried Billy Bunny, and then he pulled in his hook and line, and would you believe me again, even if I don't believe it myself, he had a twenty-dollar bill on his hook! Well, the little rabbit was so excited that he said "Hip, hurray!" three times and a half without stopping, and then he put the money in his pocket, and so did Uncle Lucky, and after that they said good-by to the Tailor Bird and went back to the hotel and told the Squirrel Innkeeper all about it. But he only laughed and said that was the best fish story he had ever heard.

"Well, then," said Uncle Lucky, "as long as you don't believe us, we'll be going." So he and Billy Bunny got into the Luckymobile and drove away, and by and by they came to a poor little mouse who had on a ragged skirt and a torn sunbonnet.

And what do you think dear, kind Uncle Lucky did? Why, he stopped the automobile and gave her his ten-dollar bill.

"Now run home to your mother," said the generous old gentleman rabbit, "and tell her to buy you a new dress and something for herself." And didn't she run!

That is, after she got over her surprise, for at first she could hardly believe her eyes, for I guess she'd never seen a ten-dollar bill before.

"The next poor person I see I'm going to give my twenty-dollar bill to," said Billy Bunny.

"Well, you'll have plenty of chances," said his Uncle, who of course had seen a good deal of the world and knew there were a few poor people left, although there were lots of money in banks and old stockings in farm-houses.

Now, I haven't room to-night to tell you who Billy Bunny gave his money to, but if you'll wait until to-morrow night you shall hear all about it--that is, unless some poor person sees Billy Bunny before I do.

STORY XIX--BILLY BUNNY AND ROBBIE REDBREAST

Well, it was two or three days before Billy Bunny came across a poor person to whom he might give his twenty-dollar bill, and then Uncle Lucky wouldn't let him. Wasn't that strange?

But the reason, you see, was because it was a tramp, and Uncle Lucky said: "A tramp is a man who hates work, and anybody who hates work is his own worst enemy."

And then he told Billy Bunny that if the tramp got the twenty dollars he'd hate work even more, so Billy Bunny put the money back into his pocket and later on he gave it to his dear mother. Which, I think, was the nicest thing he could have done.

"And now, my dear nephew," said the kind old gentleman rabbit, "let's go back to the Old Briar Patch, for I know your mother is lonely. You have been away so long."

And then they turned the automobile toward Old Snake Fence Corner and by and by they saw Mrs. Bunny hanging out the clothes on the line, for it was Monday morning, which is wash-day in Rabbitville, just as it is in Newport and Hoboken.

And when Mrs. Bunny saw them she was so excited that she pinned her thumb by mistake to the clothesline with a clothespin, and couldn't get away until Uncle Lucky pulled down the clothesline and Billy Bunny pulled off the clothespin.

"Where have you two been?" she asked when she had finished hugging her little bunny boy. But I won't tell you what Billy Bunny told her, for you know it already and, anyway, it would take maybe two hundred and forty-nine and a half stories to do it. So we'll leave Billy Bunny alone for a little while with his dear mother and go across the Pleasant Meadow to the Old Farm Yard to see how Cocky Docky and Henny Jenny are.

And maybe we'll hear something nice about Ducky Doodles and Turkey Purky and Mrs. Cow, unless you've forgotten all about these old friends.

Well, it's strange how news travels. Robbie Redbreast had seen Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky drive up to the Old Brier Patch, and had flown over to tell the Weathercock on the Old Barn, who told Cocky Docky and then, of course, all the Barn Yard Folk knew that Billy Bunny was back again at the Old Brier Patch.

Then Ducky Doodle said he thought he'd go for a swim, and off he waddled to the Old Mill Pond. And as soon as he got there he told Uncle Bullfrog. But he didn't tell the Miller's Boy. No, siree! He didn't want him to know, you may be sure.

And then, pretty soon, not so very long, Robbie Redbreast flew into the Friendly Forest and told Old Mother Magpie the news, and after that everybody knew that Mr. William Bunny had returned home from his travels. And that night the twinkle twinkle star shone right over the little rabbit's room and sang:

The twinkle twinkle star will peep
At Billy Bunny fast asleep,
And send to him a pretty dream
Of silver fishes in a stream.

STORY XX--BILLY BUNNY AND THE BABBLING BROOK

The next morning after Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky had returned to the Old Brier Patch, as I told you in the last story, it rained and poured, and, of course, nobody could go out.

If it had been a gentle shower it wouldn't have made any difference, but it rained so hard that I really believe Billy Bunny would have been drowned if he had even hopped out of the front door and back again.

"Now the best thing for you to do," said Mrs. Bunny after breakfast, "is to go up into the garret and play with all your old toys. You've been away so long they'll all seem just like new."

So Billy Bunny hopped upstairs and Uncle Lucky sat down and read the Bunnyville "Bugle," and Mrs. Bunny washed up the breakfast dishes, and, of course, they all had a lovely time in spite of the rain.

Well, it turned out just as Mrs. Bunny had said. The toys in the garret all seemed just like new and some Billy Bunny had forgotten all about, so that he had a lovely time till lunch, and then the sun came out and dried up the wet places, and the Pleasant Meadow looked twice as green and lovely as before.

Now whenever it rained Uncle Lucky's leg hurt him--the leg you remember that was shot by the Miller's Boy--so he said to his little nephew, "You run out on the meadow and play and I'll stay home with your mother, for my leg hurts me and I don't want to do any hopping to-day."

Then the little rabbit hopped away by himself and by and by he came to the Babbling Brook. So he looked into the water and when he saw his face he began to laugh.

For Billy Bunny hadn't looked at himself for so long he had forgotten how he looked, and, anyway, he had grown so large that he wouldn't have known himself if he hadn't been sure that there was nobody else looking into the water at the same time.

And while he was laughing Mrs. Cow came along, the little bell tinkling at her throat and making such pretty music it seemed to say to the little rabbit:

"I'm just a tiny tinkling bell,
But everywhere I go
The people say I am so gay,
They love to hear me so.
Tinkle, tinkle, dinkle, dell,
Oh, I'm a happy little bell!"

"Did you hear what the little bell was saying?" asked Billy Bunny, but Mrs. Cow shook her head.

"It didn't say anything but tinkle, tinkle, did it?" But the little rabbit felt sure it did say just what he thought it did, so he asked the little bell to tinkle again, and it did, and the tinkles said the same thing all over again, and this made Billy Bunny very happy, even if Mrs. Cow didn't understand.

And in the next story you shall hear how Billy Bunny made a call at the Old Farm.

STORY XXI--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. WILDCAT

Well, after Billy Bunny had said good-by to Mrs. Cow he hopped across the Pleasant Meadow till he came to the Old Barn Yard. And as soon as the Weathercock saw him you should have heard him crow. Yes, sireemam.

He crowed like a regular old-fashioned everyday rooster, and this made all the hens and chickens look up, and then, of course, they saw Billy Bunny. And they were so glad to see the little rabbit they forgot to wonder how the Weathercock could grow.

I guess the only person who wasn't glad to see little Billy Bunny was Mr. Sharptooth Rat. He peeked out of his hole and scowled, but the little rabbit didn't care, for nobody liked Mr. Sharptooth Rat, anyway.

Well, by and by, just as little Billy Bunny was looking in Henny Jenny's nest to see what a lot of lovely eggs she had, who should come along but the Miller's Boy, and as soon as he saw the little rabbit he gave a yell and tried to catch him.

The chickens tried to get in his way, and Cocky Docky even tried to trip him up, but the Miller's Boy didn't stumble a bit. No, siree! He almost caught Billy Bunny, but as long as he didn't it's all right, although he scared the little rabbit nearly to death.

If the Miller's Boy had had his gun with him, or even his dog, I'm afraid there would have been no more Billy Bunny stories.

"Oh, pshaw!" said the Miller's Boy, as the little rabbit squeezed through a hole in the hen-house and hopped away. "I should like to have caught that little rabbit!" Then Cocky Docky began to crow, he was so glad he hadn't.

But Billy Bunny didn't stop for anything, he was so scared, and pretty soon he found himself in the Friendly Forest under the tree where Parson Owl lived. It was a long time since Billy Bunny had seen the old gentleman owl, so he stopped and looked up into the branches.

But oh, dear me! Instead of seeing the blinky-winky friendly face of old Parson Owl he saw a pair of yellow eyes and a big red mouth with sharp teeth. And then down from the tree jumped a wildcat and meowed in a dreadful way.

"Oh, please, Mrs. Wildcat, let me go," cried the little rabbit, and he looked around for a hollow stump to hide in or a hole to crawl into, but there wasn't anything like that in sight. So he turned to the cruel wildcat and said, "Please don't bite me!" And then he opened his knapsack and took out a big, round doughnut, the kind with a big hole inside, you know, and gave it to the wildcat.

"Take it home to your wild kittens instead of me, won't you please, Mrs. Wildcat?" And would you believe it, she said she would, for it pleased her to think that little Billy Bunny would give her a doughnut for her kittens, for no one else had ever done that before, you see.

STORY XXII--BILLY BUNNY AT WINDY CAVE

You remember in the last story that Billy Bunny gave the Wildcat a doughnut to take home to her little wild kittens, and that was why she didn't take the little rabbit.

Well, as she walked off with the doughnut, Billy Bunny said to himself, "I'll never, never be without a doughnut in my knapsack!" And I guess you would have said the same thing, too, if a doughnut had saved you from a wildcat!

After that the little rabbit hopped along through the Friendly Forest, and by and by he came to the Windy Cave. Now I know I've never told you about this cave before because Billy Bunny never happened to visit it, but now that he has I'll tell you that it was strange sort of a place.

If you stood at the opening you could hear the winds moan and groan, and every once in a while a great gust would come out of the mouth of the great cave and almost blow you off your feet.

Well, sir, that's just what happened to Billy Bunny. He no sooner stood right in front of the cave than a great blast of air knocked him off his feet and rolled him over thirty-three times and a half, and he would have rolled over thirty-four times even if a big log hadn't been in the way.

And it was mighty lucky for the little rabbit that the log was there, for if it hadn't been he would have rolled right over the edge of the mountain. Just think of that!

And just then a voice began to sing:

Oh, I'm the king of the windy cave
Where I have my windy throne.
And there I rule where it's nice and cool
'Mid the glitter of precious stone.
And when the autumn days are come
I come forth with a lusty shout,
And strip the trees of their whispering leaves
And strew them all about.

And then all the trees began to shiver and shake, but the wind king only laughed, as he whispered to the little rabbit: "Don't be afraid, Billy Bunny. I won't hurt you. Come into my cave and I'll give you a present!"

"What kind of a present?" asked the little rabbit, for he wasn't going to be fooled, no sireemam!

"A big ruby pin!" said the wind king.

So the little bunny went inside the cave with the wind king, but he didn't go in very far, for he was afraid.

"What's the matter?" asked the wind king. "You're not frightened, are you?"

"Not exactly," said Billy Bunny, trying to keep his teeth from chattering. "I guess I'm cold!"

Then the king opened a door and, oh my! wasn't it beautiful inside! The sides of the cave were diamonds and rubies and emeralds, and little gold and silver bells swung back and forth making a sweet kind of music.

"The little breezes are ringing the bells," said the wind king, and then he took out of a moss cushion a beautiful ruby scarfpin and handed it to Billy Bunny. "Put it in your tie," said the king, "and don't you ever lose it."

And in the next story if the dogwood tree in our yard doesn't catch cold to-night and lose its bark, so it can't scare the the pussy cat when she tries to climb up and catch the little robin in the nest, I'll tell you about Billy Bunny and the Canary bird.

STORY XXIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE WILD CANARY

Well, the Dogwood Tree in our yard was all right this morning. It hadn't taken cold, and it was covered with lovely flowers, so I'm going to tell you some more about Billy Bunny, as I promised to in the last story.

Well, as soon as the wind king placed the beautiful ruby scarfpin in the little rabbit's cravat he opened the door of his cave and gave a big puff, and away went Billy Bunny just like a bullet from a gun.

But he didn't care, for he landed as nicely as you please on a mossy bank, and then he looked in the brook to see if the ruby scarfpin was still in his cravat, and then he looked around to see what he would do next. And just then a little wild canary began singing this song:

"I wouldn't live within a cage,
I'd rather be wild and free;
Wherever I roam I'm always at home,
In forest or grassy lea."

"And so am I," cried Billy Bunny. "I'm a traveler; yes, I am." And then the little canary flew down from the tree and said to the little rabbit: "I have a little yellow brother who has always lived in a cage. But he can't get me to live with him. I love the trees and the tall grasses too much."

"Where do you live?" asked the little rabbit.

"Come and see," said the little canary, and he flew off, and by and by he pointed to his tiny nest.

"If I had a pair of wings," laughed the little rabbit, "I'd be able to look inside and see what kind of furniture you have. But I'm only a four-footed little rabbit. Good-by!" and he hopped away, and by and by he came to a field of corn. But it was too early for the corn to be ripe, so the little rabbit opened his knapsack and took out an apple pie, for it was lunch time. And just as he was going to bite off a nice, big, juicy piece a big black crow flew down and snatched the pie away.

And this made Billy Bunny very angry. Oh, my, but he was mad. And then he opened his knapsack and took out his gun and before the thieving crow had flown off more than a mile he dropped that apple pie. Yes, sireemam. The cork bullet hit him right on the end of his bill, and then of course he couldn't hold on to the pie any longer. And before he could fly down to pick it up the little rabbit was there.

"Oh, ho! Mr. Crow,
Do you like apple pie?
If so, better go
And buy one by and by."

And this made the crow so angry that he flew over to a colored man who did whitewashing and asked him to paint him white. And in the next story you shall hear how Billy Bunny was fooled by three little sparrows.

STORY XXIV--BILLY BUNNY AND THE LITTLE SPARROWS

Well, as soon as Billy Bunny finished eating the apple pie which he had just gotten away from the bad crow who had stolen it, as I told you in the last story, he shouldered his knapsack and picked up his striped candy cane and then he set off once more on his journey of adventure.

And by and by he came to a telegraph pole where three little sparrows were swinging back and forth. And when they saw the little rabbit they cried out all together: "Helloa, Billy Bunny!"

"Who's telephoning to me?" asked the little rabbit, for he hadn't looked up, you see, and, of course, didn't know that the little sparrows were sitting on the wires.

And when the three little birds saw that he didn't know who was talking to him, they thought they'd have some fun and make believe some one was telephoning to the little rabbit. So one little sparrow said, in a deep, far-away kind of voice:

"Helloa! Helloa! Is this Billy Bunny of Snake Fence Corner?"

"Yes, this is Billy Bunny," cried the little rabbit, getting all excited and wiggling his little pink nose so fast that one of the little sparrows got so dizzy looking at him that she had to hold on with her bill. Pretty soon he hopped up close to the telegraph pole and leaned his ear against it.

"Helloa! Helloa! Who's calling me?
Please give the name, for I cannot see.
Who's at the other end of the wire, please?
Excuse me a minute--I'm going to sneeze."

And then Billy Bunny almost sneezed his head off, for the telegraph pole trembled so that it tickled his ear. And when you tickle a rabbit's ear you are very likely to make him sneeze.

Just then the three little sparrows began to laugh and twitter, and this, of course, made the little rabbit look up. And when he saw them he knew, at once, they were playing a joke.

"So you were calling me on the telephone, were you?" he asked, trying not to get angry. For he was a very good-natured little bunny, as you well know by this time.

"Yes, we were," said the littlest sparrow, "but please don't feel badly about it. We were only in fun."

"I thought perhaps it was my mother, that is all," answered the little rabbit, "and I was worried for fear she might be anxious about me."

"Oh, she isn't worried," said the largest sparrow. And the middling-sized sparrow--the one, you know, who hadn't said a word as yet--spoke up:

"Your Uncle Lucky is, though. I was at his house this morning and the little sparrow who lives on his front porch told me that the old gentleman rabbit was wondering what had become of you."

"Well, I'll go right off now and make him a call," said Billy Bunny. And in to-morrow night's story I'll tell you what happens next.

STORY XXV--BILLY BUNNY AND ROBIN REDBREAST

In the last story I left off just where Billy Bunny was setting out to make a call on his good kind Uncle Lucky, you remember, and if you have forgotten, please take my word for it, for I keep a scrapbook of all these little stories and I'm sure I'm right, for I just looked to see.

Well, as the little rabbit hopped along with his knapsack on his back and his striped candy cane in his right paw, he heard a robin redbreast singing in her nest, and this is what she sang:

"Some day you'll be old enough
To leave the dear home nest,
But till that day just grow and say
I'll try to do my best
To make my wings grow big and strong
And learn to sing the whole day long,
For some day when I'm big and free
I'll build a nest in an apple tree."

And then the robin flew down to the ground and pushed back the pink sunbonnet on her head so that she could see the little rabbit without standing up on her toes.

"Well, here is my dear little friend, Billy Bunny," she twittered. "How is he to-day?"

"Very well, thank you, ma'am," replied the little rabbit, opening his leather knapsack to give her a piece of sponge cake for her little birdies. "That won't hurt them a bit," said he, "for my mother made it and it's very simple."

And then the little robins peeped over their nest and cried, "Oh, hurry, mother dear, and give us the cake," for they were just as fond of sponge cake as Billy Bunny was of lollypops, and while they were eating the cake he took a lollypop out of his knapsack and ate it, for he was hungry too, for it was half-past noon, and that's the hungry hour for rabbits, I am told.

Well, after that he said good-by and started off again for Uncle Lucky's house. "I must get there before sundown," he said to himself, "for I don't want to sleep out of doors to-night if I can help it."

So he hopped along as fast as he was able, but Mr. Happy Sun was in a hurry, too, and pretty soon he went down behind the purple hills and it began to grow dark. "Oh, dear! oh, dear!" sighed the little rabbit, "where am I going to sleep if I don't get to Uncle Lucky's house pretty soon?" And just then a sleepy voice exclaimed:

"Under this bush is a soft pile of leaves,
Come and sleep on it if you please."

So Billy Bunny hopped under the bush and there he saw a little ruffed grouse, who is often called a quail and sometimes a pheasant. "Oh, thank you, Mrs. Quail," said Billy Bunny, "you are very kind," and then he made a soft bed for himself and went to sleep, and if he wakes up early enough in the morning I'll tell you in the next story how he reached dear kind Uncle Lucky's house.

STORY XXVI--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. QUAIL

"Get up, get up, you lazy folks,
I'm shining in the sky.
Awake, awake, your breakfast take,
Before the noon is nigh.
No time for lazy folks I think,
So don't lie still and blink and blink,
But jump up with a laugh and smile
And sing a little all the while."

SO up jumped Billy Bunny from his bed of leaves where he had slept all night, as I told you in the last story, and after he had combed his fur with a little chip and dusted off his knapsack he opened it and took out his breakfast.

And what do you suppose he had? Well, first he ate some nice fresh lettuce leaves, with powdered sugar carrots, and then a piece of apple pie, and when kind Mrs. Quail saw what a nice breakfast he had, she said:

"I like pie, Mr. William Bunny." Now the reason the little rabbit hadn't offered her some was because he hadn't seen her. You see, she had gone to sleep on the other side of the bush.

"Here is some pie," said Billy Bunny, and he gave her a big piece and some cracker crumbs and some birdseed and then a drink of lemon soda. Pretty soon Mrs. Quail didn't feel a bit hungry, and neither did the little rabbit.

And after that he buckled on his knapsack and started off to find his dear Uncle Lucky, but first he thanked Mrs. Quail for her kindness in letting him sleep under her bush all night and part of the early morning.

Well, sir, that little rabbit hopped along almost all day, and still he didn't reach his Uncle Lucky's house. "I wonder if I have lost the way?" he said aloud, and, all of a sudden, a voice answered: "I guess you have. Lots of people do," and a kind-looking old mooley cow pushed her head over the fence and smiled at him. And, oh, my, she had a big, beautiful smile, and this made the little rabbit laugh and forget how tired he was.

"Do you know where my Uncle Lucky lives----Mr. Lucky Lefthindfoot?" he asked.

"To be sure," replied the mooley cow. "He lives over yonder," and she pointed across the meadow. "Hop under the fence, little rabbit, and then hop across the meadow, over the daisies and buttercups, and you'll find the place, never fear."

So the little rabbit did as she told him, and when he came to the fence on the other side he saw his uncle's house not very far away. But, oh, dear me! The fence was not at all like the fence on the other side. There wasn't any room between the woven wires to crawl through, and so Billy Bunny didn't know what to do.

But he didn't wonder very long. No, sireemam. He started right in to dig a tunnel under that wire fence, and pretty soon he was on the other side, hopping away toward Uncle Lucky's house, and in about five hundred and a half hops, skips and jumps he came to the front gate.

And there on the porch sat the kind old gentleman rabbit, with the big diamond pin which his nephew had given him shining like a star in his red tie. And in to-morrow's story I'll tell you what a good time the little rabbit had at his uncle's house.

STORY XXVII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE THEATER PLAY

As Billy Bunny hopped up the steps of Uncle Lucky's house, the old gentleman rabbit, who was lying in the hammock, as I told you in the last story, jumped up and said, "I'm glad to see you. Where have you been all this time?"

And then when he saw the beautiful ruby scarfpin in the little rabbit's tie--the ruby pin which the King of the Windy Cave had given Billy Bunny, you remember--he said: "And where did you get that mag-nif-i-cent pin?"

And of course the little rabbit told the old gentleman rabbit all about it, and when he finished the story it was time for supper. So Uncle Lucky opened the screen door just a little so that the flies wouldn't get in, and he and Billy Bunny squeezed through the crack and went into the dining room.

Well, after supper was over, they decided to go down to the village and see if there was a show at the Opera House that night. And sure enough there was, and the name of the play was "The Tortoise and the Hare."

"That sounds interesting," said Uncle Lucky and he bought two box seats for two carrot dollars, and he and his little nephew went inside.

"Mr. Hare is a first cousin," he said to Billy Bunny as they sat down in the box and leaned over the railing to look at the people.

Well, pretty soon the music started and then the curtain went up and the play commenced. I suppose you all have read the fable--how the tortoise and the hare ran a race and the hare got so far ahead that he lay down to take a nap, but the slow old tortoise kept right on all the time, and when the hare woke up it was too late, for the tortoise had won the race.

Well, anyway, I've told you the story, but I haven't told you what happened when the hare went to sleep. You see, he lay down near the box where Billy Bunny and kind Uncle Lucky were seated, and by and by, after he had been asleep for quite a long time, Uncle Lucky grew very nervous.

"My gracious!" he exclaimed to Billy Bunny, "if that silly cousin of ours does not wake up pretty soon he might as well sleep there all night, for the race will be won and the opera house closed up and we'll be home in bed."

And then Billy Bunny began to get very nervous, too, and he wiggled about in his seat and made funny little noises to wake up the hare. But the hare slept on, and I believe he even snored.

Well, sir, try as the two little rabbits might, they couldn't wake him up, until, at last, Billy Bunny took the automobile horn, which he had brought in with him so that nobody could blow on it, and blew a dreadful loud blast.

And this woke up the hare and one of the ushers, who ran up to the box and begged Uncle Lucky not to let Billy Bunny blow on the horn again. "For," said the usher, "it's only a play and the hare mustn't wake up until the tortoise wins the race."

"Well, I won't see my cousin beaten by an old tortoise," said Uncle Lucky.

And he and Billy Bunny hopped out of the Opera House and went home.

STORY XXVIII--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. WEASEL

As soon as Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky got home after leaving the Opera House, as I told you in the last story, they heard a loud noise in the back yard.

"What's that?" said Uncle Lucky, and he peeked around the corner of the porch while Billy Bunny took his popgun out of his knapsack so as to be ready in case it was a burglar.

"I don't see anything," whispered the old gentleman rabbit; "you take a look." So Billy Bunny peeped around the corner and then he hopped backward, almost knocking Uncle Lucky head over tail.

And before you could say "Jack Rabbit!" Old Man Weasel jumped from behind the house and glared at the two rabbits with his wicked eyes.

"Good evening, Mr. Weasel," said Uncle Lucky, pushing Billy Bunny behind him, for he was a brave old rabbit, was Uncle Lucky, and he was going to save his little nephew from being eaten up by the wicked weasel, if he could.

"Good evening, gentlemen," replied Old Man Weasel, licking his lips and glaring at them with his fierce little eyes. "You look sweet and tender to me."

"Your eyesight is pretty poor," said Uncle Lucky bravely, "and I don't feel very sweet just now, and I'm too old to be tender," and he wriggled his nose so fast in the moonlight that it made Old Man Weasel dizzy to look at it, and he had to turn away, and while he wasn't looking, Billy Bunny lifted his gun to his shoulder and pulled the trigger.

And when the cork hit the wicked weasel it made him jump right up into the air, and when he came down he sprained his right foot on a big stone so that he cried:

"Oh, dear! oh, dear! And woe is me!
I've sprained an ankle and a knee.
I cannot walk, I cannot run!
Plague take that little rabbit's gun!
Oh, won't you call an am-bu-lance,
My home is such a great dis-tance!"

"If you'll promise not to come here again," said kind Uncle Lucky, "I'll call up the hospital. If you don't promise I'll call the Policeman Dog and ask him to tickle you with his club," and the old gentleman rabbit hopped down to the front gate and pretended to call a policeman, which frightened Old Man Weasel nearly to death. He'd rather have a sprained knee than be tickled by a policeman's club any day in the week.

"I'll promise! I'll promise!" he cried, and then Billy Bunny went to the telephone and called up the hospital and they sent an ambulance around. And the doctor--the man in white, you know, who sits on the back seat of the ambulance--tied up the weasel's knee so he couldn't bend it, and his ankle so he couldn't wiggle it, and then he placed him in the ambulance, while the Policeman Dog stood by to keep the crowds away, only of course there wasn't any crowds there, for it was midnight, you know.

And in the next story I will tell you more about the two little rabbits if they only get up in time, for they've stayed up pretty late to-night and may not hear the alarm clock in the morning.

STORY XXIX--BILLY BUNNY AND THE POLICEMAN DOG

"Well, that's a great relief," exclaimed Uncle Lucky, as the ambulance drove away with Old Man Weasel, who had tried to eat up Billy Bunny and his kind uncle in the story before this, and would have swallowed them both if the little rabbit hadn't hit him with a cork bullet from his popgun, you remember.

Of course, it was very kind of Billy Bunny to call up the ambulance to take away the wicked weasel, after he had sprained his ankle, but it was also very wise. For who wants a wicked weasel around, even if he has a sprained ankle and can't do you any harm?

Well, after everything was quiet and the Policeman Dog had taken a drink of cider and a cigar, the two little rabbits sat down on the front porch, for it was too late to go to bed, or maybe it was too early, for the first faint streaks of daylight were spreading over the sky, and by the time Uncle Lucky could unlace his shoes and untie his red cravat and wind his gold watch, it would be time to get dressed again.

So he and Billy Bunny sat down and waited for breakfast, and by and by the Japanese cook came out to sweep off the front porch, and when he saw Mr. Lucky Lefthindfoot and his nephew, Billy Bunny, sitting there, he ran back into the kitchen and dropped two eggs on the floor and put the tea into the coffee grinder and the salt into the sugar bowl, he was so excited because he thought it must be 'way past breakfast time.

And then the old gentleman rabbit began to sing:

"Never hurry--makes worry;
Worry makes you thin.
If you're clever you'll endeavor
Never to begin."

And I guess the Japanese cook heard him, for in a few minutes breakfast was ready, and this time the eggs were dropped on toast instead of the floor.

By and by, after Uncle Lucky had smoked his cigar, he and Billy Bunny went out to the garage and cranked up the Luckymobile and went for a ride. And when they had gone for a mile or less they came across their old friend the Circus Elephant.

But, oh, dear me! He was an awful sight. His left eye had a bandage over it and his trunk was rolled up in cotton and his left hind foot had an old carpet slipper on and his tail was done up in splints and he was weeping great big tears, for he felt dreadfully miserable.

"What is the matter?" asked Billy Bunny, as Uncle Lucky stopped the automobile.

"Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" sobbed the big animal. "I was in a Fourth of July celebration and the roman candles got mixed up with the sky-rockets and the cannon crackers with the pin wheels, and the first thing I knew I was hit in two million, nine hundred and a few dozen places, and if it hadn't been for a pink cross nurse I'd be a dead elephant by this time."

"Get into the automobile," said Uncle Lucky, "and we'll take you home with us," and in the next story, if the catbird doesn't scratch the dogfish, I'll tell you who broke the springs in the automobile, unless you guess who did before to-morrow night.

STORY XXX--BILLY BUNNY AND THE CIRCUS ELEPHANT

Let me see. I left off in the last story when the Circus Elephant stepped into the Luckymobile, didn't I? You remember he had been injured in a Fourth of July celebration, and good, kind Uncle Lucky offered to take him home.

Well as soon as he sat down the tires burst and then, of course, the automobile wouldn't go, for the cabaret wouldn't work and the engine wouldn't whistle. So Billy Bunny got out the sticking plaster and fixed the tires and then he made the elephant blow them up with his trunk, but he wouldn't let him get in again.

No, sir. He said, "Now look here, Elly. You're too heavy for the Luckymobile, so you'll have to walk, but you can put your trunk in the back seat if that will help any." So the Circus Elephant lifted his trunk into the automobile and ran along behind until they came to Uncle Lucky's house.

And wasn't he tired when they reached the front gate! He was so tired that he lay down in the hammock and went sound to sleep and snored so loud that everybody thought the janitor had put on the steam, although it was July.

"Goodness me!" exclaimed the kind old gentleman rabbit, "that elephant makes so much noise that nobody will be able to sleep to-night!" And Uncle Lucky scratched his left ear with his right hind leg and tried to think what was best to do, for he just hated to wake up that poor tired elephant.

Well, just then, who should come along but a man with a piano organ, and as soon as Uncle Lucky saw him he asked him to play the loudest tune and play it just as fast as he could.

Of course the poor, tired Circus Elephant woke up, and when he saw that organ man, he jumped out of the hammock and ran down the front walk and grabbed the piano and threw it clear across the road into a pond.

And when the organ man saw that he started off as fast as he could and never came back, for he had always been dreadfully afraid of elephants, because when he was a boy he had given one a piece of chewing gum instead of a peanut, and he never forgot what the elephant did to him when he found it out.

"Look here, Elly," said Uncle Lucky, "if you'll promise not to snore I'll let you sleep in my bed to-night; but if you don't, you'll have to sleep out in the field, for nobody can stand the noise you make."

"Well, I can't stay all night, anyway," said the elephant, "for the circus comes to town to-day and I'll be in the performance this evening. Thank you, just the same." And then he said good-by to Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky and walked down the road, but before he left he gave them each two tickets with his compliments.

And if the trolley car doesn't swim across the river and splash the conductor so that he can't ring up the fares, I'll tell you next time whether Uncle Lucky and Billy Bunny went to the circus.

STORY XXXI--BILLY BUNNY AND THE CHEERFUL LITTLE BIRD

You remember in the last story that the Circus Elephant gave Uncle Lucky and Billy Bunny tickets to go to the show. Well, I'm awfully sorry to tell you they didn't go, and the reason was because the tent caught fire, and before the firemen in Bunnytown could put out the flames the spangles were all burnt off the circus queen's dress and the ice cream cones were all melted and the peanuts roasted blacker than a coal, and the lemonade boiled over and burnt the alligator's tail so that he wouldn't stand on his head.

And oh, dear me! The circus folk all had to sleep with the animals, and the fat lady couldn't get into the monkey cage, so she had to lie down on the grass underneath for the night, and she caught an awful cold and almost had the chickenpox.

Of course Billy Bunny and his good, kind uncle were dreadfully disappointed, and when they got home they played on the victrola a new song called: "If you want to borrow money don't you ever come to me," and after that they went to bed, and when they woke up they heard the little sparrow singing on the front porch:

Sing a song of summer,
And the happy flowers;
Sing a song of sunshine
Through the golden hours

Always sing of gladness
Through the live-long year
Even in December,
When it's cold and drear.

"I'm going to take some crumbs out to that cheerful little bird," and kind Uncle Lucky sprinkled sponge cake crumbs all over the porch, and the sparrow and her little birdies had a scrumptious feast.

And after that the telephone rang and Mrs. Bunny called up to find out how Billy Bunny was. And when Uncle Lucky said he was very well she said she was glad, because if he had been sick she would have wanted him brought home im-me-die-ate-ly.

But as long as he wasn't she wanted him back anyway, because she was so lonely without him. And then of course the little rabbit had to say good-by to his dear kind uncle and start right oft for the Old Brier Patch.

Well, sir! He hadn't gone for more than a million hops, and maybe a few skips and jumps, when he came across his old friend the Brown Horse. "Hello, there!" said the good-natured animal; "how is your Bunny Highness?"

"I'm all right," said the little rabbit, "but what are you doing here in the woods?"

"Ssh!" whispered the Brown Horse. "I ran away to-day and I'm afraid the policeman will catch me for exceeding the speed limit."

"So I'm hiding here." And just then they heard a whistle, but you'll have to wait to find out whether it's a policeman or a locomotive engine until the next story, for I've no more room in this one.

STORY XXXII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE MILLER'S BOY

As soon as the Brown Horse heard that whistle which I mentioned in the last story, but couldn't tell you what kind of a whistle it was because I had no more room, he jumped clear across the brook which was close by and never stopped running until he found himself once more in his own stable.

And then before Billy Bunny could even say "Call me up on the telephone," or "Won't you lunch with me to-morrow," of course the Brown Horse was out of sight. So the little rabbit waited a minute to see if he could hear the strange whistle again, and sure enough he did, and it was right close to him this time, and when he looked around there stood the Miller's Boy.

And before Billy Bunny could hop away something hard hit him on the head and he rolled over on the ground and didn't wake up until he found himself rolled up in the Miller Boy's jacket, and oh, dear me! The Miller's Boy was walking home as fast as he could and there was our dear little Billy Bunny wrapped up like a Christmas present so that he couldn't even wiggle his left ear.

"Oh, mercy me!" cried the little rabbit, "I'm a goner now as sure as Monday comes after Sunday and sunshine after rain and a stomach ache after eating green apples!"

And then he tried to squirm about, but the Miller's Boy squeezed all the harder, so Billy Funny decided to keep quiet, for he didn't want to have all his breath squeezed out of him, you know.

Well, by and by, as the Miller's Boy walked along, the jacket slipped a little under his arm, and then Billy Bunny saw a little light through the arm sleeve. And before you could say "Jumping cats!" he pushed through the sleeve and down to the ground and hopped away, free as a bird in the air or a fish in the ocean.

And I'm so glad that I'm going to say "Hip, hip, hurrah!" just as loud as I can, for if there is anybody I hate it is that Miller's Boy. Ever since I started to tell you about Billy Bunny he has been trying to catch this dear little rabbit and this time I certainly thought he had. And now that Billy Bunny is safe I'm so happy I could shout again.

Go home you horrid Miller's Boy,
Who's always trying to annoy
The Friendly Little Forest Folk
By trying every kind of joke.
Go home and tie the bags of meal
And never try again to steal
A little rabbit on his way,
Who's always cheerful all the day.

Well, after the little rabbit had hopped for maybe a mile or three, he thought he was safe, and so he stopped to rest, and I would tell you right now what he did, only I must stop so as to get this story in the paper in time for tonight, so pleasant dreams and happy wakening.

STORY XXXIII--BILLY BUNNY AND OLD MOTHER MAGPIE

As I told you in the last story, little Billy Bunny stopped to rest after escaping from the Miller's Boy, and while he stood on his hind legs and looked around, who should fly down from a tree but Old Mother Magpie. And the very first thing she said to the little rabbit was, "My goodness, what a dirty little bunny you are."

And this of course made Billy Bunny very angry, for he didn't think he was dirty. So he opened his knapsack and took out a little mirror which a lady bunny had dropped one day in the Friendly Forest and looked at himself, and sure enough there was a great black smudge right across his face.

"Ha! Ha!" laughed Old Mother Magpie. "You wouldn't believe me, would you?" And then she laughed again.

"No, I wouldn't believe anything you said," answered the little rabbit, "for you've told more untruths about people than anybody I know, and that's the reason they call you 'Old Mother Mischief.'"

Well, sir! This made her so mad that she flew at the little rabbit, and maybe she would have pecked his eyes out if he hadn't put on a pair of goggles that belonged to his dear, kind Uncle Lucky.

"Please go 'way," said the little rabbit, "I can't help being rude to you because you're so rude to other people," and he hopped away as fast as he could before she could say another unkind word, and by and by he came across Squirrel Nutcracker.

Now the old gentleman squirrel had grown pretty old and was very hard of hearing, and when Billy Bunny said "Good morning" he never heard him at all, but just sat there on the old log and ate a peanut which he had saved from the last circus.

So Billy Bunny hopped up behind him and leaned over and called out quite loud right in his left ear, "Good morning!" And this so startled Old Squirrel Nutcracker that he swallowed the peanut shell, and then he began to choke until he got black and blue in the face.

And, of course, this frightened the little rabbit, too, for he felt it was his fault, so he patted Old Squirrel Nutcracker on the back, and by and by the old gentleman squirrel stopped coughing, although he was dreadfully mad to think that he had swallowed the circus peanut without even tasting it.

"Look here, young rabbit," he said with a scowl, "don't you ever again shout in my ear! If you do I'll pin back both your ears with a pine needle and send you home to your mother!" Wasn't that a dreadful thing for him to say?

Well, sir, after that Billy Bunny thought it was time to be going, so he bowed to the old squirrel and hopped away, and after maybe a million hops, skips and jumps, he reached the Old Brier Patch, where he found his dear mother standing in the doorway of her little house waiting for her bunny boy.

And that's a good place to leave him for to-night, don't you think so? For we'll know he's safe and sound with his own dear mother, so go to sleep and to-morrow I'll tell you another story; yes, I will, if you are good.

STORY XXXIV--BILLY BUNNY AND DICKEY MEADOW MOUSE

Ting-a-ling! went the rising bell, and Billy Bunny opened his left eye and twinkled his nose and stretched his right hind leg, and then he was wide awake.

But before he got out of bed he pulled out his gold watch and chain, the watch which his kind Uncle Lucky Lefthindfoot had given him, you remember, from under his pillow, for he was so sleepy he wondered if his mother hadn't made a mistake. But, no, she hadn't.