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diff --git a/18648-h/18648-h.htm b/18648-h/18648-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..66d80c7 --- /dev/null +++ b/18648-h/18648-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,3700 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Bumper, The White Rabbit, by George Ethelbert Walsh. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + /*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ + <!-- + body {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + p {margin-top: .75em; text-align: justify; margin-bottom: .75em;} + h1 {text-align: center; clear: both; font-size: 180%;} + h2 {text-align: center; clear: both; font-size: 120%;} + table {margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; text-align: center;} + .pagenum {position: absolute; left: 92%; font-size: smaller; text-align: right;} + hr.full {width:100%; margin-top:2em; margin-bottom: 2em;} + hr.major {width:75%; margin-top:2em; margin-bottom: 2em;} + hr.minor {width:30%; margin-top:0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; } + .tnote {border: dashed 1px; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; + padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; padding-right: .5em; + font-size: 90% } + ins {text-decoration:none; border-bottom: thin dotted gray;} + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + .center {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps} + .caption {font-size: 80%;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's Bumper, The White Rabbit, by George Ethelbert Walsh + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Bumper, The White Rabbit + +Author: George Ethelbert Walsh + +Illustrator: Edwin John Prittie + +Release Date: June 21, 2006 [EBook #18648] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BUMPER, THE WHITE RABBIT *** + + + + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-001" id="illus-001"></a> +<img src='images/illus-cov.jpg' alt='book cover' title='book cover' /><br /> +</div> + +<hr class="major"/> + + +<table width="450" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="" border="1"> + <col style="width:80%;" /> + <tr> + <td align="center"> +<span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /><i>Twilight Animal Series</i></span><br /><br /> +<span style="font-size: 200%;">BUMPER</span><br /> +<span style="font-size: 180%;">THE WHITE RABBIT</span><br /><br /><br /> +<span style="font-size: 100%;">By</span><br /> +<span style="font-size: 100%;">GEORGE ETHELBERT WALSH</span><br /> +<span style="font-size: 80%;"><i>Author of "Bumper the White Rabbit," "Bumper the White Rabbit in the<br/> +Woods," "Bumper the White Rabbit and His Foes," "Bumper the<br/> +White Rabbit and His Friends," "Bobby Gray Squirrel,"<br/> +"Bobby Gray Squirrel's Adventures," Etc.</i></span><br /><br /><br /> +<span style="font-size: 100%;"><i>Colored Illustrations by</i></span><br /> +<span style="font-size: 100%;"><i>EDWIN JOHN PRITTIE</i></span><br /><br /><br /><br /> +<span style="font-size: 100%;">THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY</span><br /> +<span style="font-size: 80%;">CHICAGO PHILADELPHIA TORONTO</span><br /> + </td> + </tr> +</table> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-002" id="illus-002"></a> +<img src='images/illus-fpc.jpg' alt='Not until it approached very close did he duck his head and look up' title='' /><br /> +<span class='caption'>Not until it approached very close did he duck his head and look up</span> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<h2><a name="Contents" id="Contents"></a>Contents</h2> +<div class="smcap"> +<table border="0" width="500" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="Contents"> +<col style="width:25%;" /> +<col style="width:60%;" /> +<col style="width:15%;" /> +<tr><td align="left">STORY I</td><td align="left">WHERE BUMPER CAME FROM</td><td align="right"><a href="#r8664">9</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">STORY II</td><td align="left">WHY BUMPER WAS LEFT AT HOME</td><td align="right"><a href="#r9591">16</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">STORY III</td><td align="left">BUMPER IS SOLD</td><td align="right"><a href="#r6893">23</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">STORY IV</td><td align="left">WHAT HAPPENED IN THE DREADFUL HOUSE</td><td align="right"><a href="#r4930">30</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">STORY V</td><td align="left">BUMPER AND THE RED-HEADED GIRL</td><td align="right"><a href="#r8520">37</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">STORY VI</td><td align="left">BUMPER AND CARLO</td><td align="right"><a href="#r9806">44</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">STORY VII</td><td align="left">BUMPER MEETS THE SEWER RAT</td><td align="right"><a href="#r1424">51</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">STORY VIII</td><td align="left">BUMPER RUNS INTO A NEST OF BATS</td><td align="right"><a href="#r2554">58</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">STORY IX</td><td align="left">BUMPER ESCAPES ON A RAFT</td><td align="right"><a href="#r8665">65</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">STORY X</td><td align="left">BUMPER SEES HIS FIRST BLACK CROW</td><td align="right"><a href="#r6331">72</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">STORY XI</td><td align="left">BUMPER MEETS A FOX</td><td align="right"><a href="#r8494">79</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">STORY XII</td><td align="left">BUMPER ADMIRED BY THE BIRDS</td><td align="right"><a href="#r2183">86</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">STORY XIII</td><td align="left">BUMPER NEEDS A DOCTOR</td><td align="right"><a href="#r5645">93</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">STORY XIV</td><td align="left">BUMPER MEETS MR. BEAR</td><td align="right"><a href="#r8524">100</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">STORY XV</td><td align="left">BUMPER FINDS HIS COUNTRY COUSINS</td><td align="right"><a href="#r7283">107</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">STORY XVI</td><td align="left">BUMPER BECOMES THE WHITE KING OF THE RABBITS</td><td align="right"><a href="#r3003">114</a></td></tr> +</table> +</div> + +<hr class="major"/> + +<h2><a name="Illustrations" id="Illustrations"></a>Illustrations</h2> +<div class="smcap"> +<table border="0" width="500" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="Illustrations"> +<col style="width:85%;" /> +<col style="width:15%;" /> +<tr><td align="left">Not until it approached very close did he duck his head and look up</td><td align="right"><a href="#illus-002">Frontispiece</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">He couldn't believe it was anything but a magic carrot</td><td align="right"><a href="#illus-003">40</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">They tried to land on his back and claw him</td><td align="right"><a href="#illus-004">65</a></td></tr> +</table> +</div> + + +<hr class="full" /> + +<p style="text-align: center"> +<span style="font-size: 120%;">TWILIGHT ANIMAL SERIES</span><br /> +<span style="font-size: 120%;">FOR BOYS AND GIRLS</span><br /> +<span style="font-size: 80%;">FROM 4 TO 10 YEARS OF AGE</span><br /><br /> +<span style="font-size: 80%;">By</span><br /> +<span style="font-size: 100%;">GEORGE ETHELBERT WALSH</span><br /><br /> +<span style="font-size: 100%;">LIST OF TITLES</span></p> + +<table summary=''> +<tr><td style="text-align:right">1</td><td style="text-align:left">BUMPER THE WHITE RABBIT</td></tr> +<tr><td style="text-align:right">2</td><td style="text-align:left">BUMPER THE WHITE RABBIT IN THE WOODS</td></tr> +<tr><td style="text-align:right">3</td><td style="text-align:left">BUMPER THE WHITE RABBIT AND HIS FOES</td></tr> +<tr><td style="text-align:right">4</td><td style="text-align:left">BUMPER THE WHITE RABBIT AND HIS FRIENDS</td></tr> +<tr><td style="text-align:right">5</td><td style="text-align:left">BOBBY GRAY SQUIRREL</td></tr> +<tr><td style="text-align:right">6</td><td style="text-align:left">BOBBY GRAY SQUIRREL'S ADVENTURES</td></tr> +<tr><td style="text-align:right">7</td><td style="text-align:left">BUSTER THE BIG BROWN BEAR</td></tr> +<tr><td style="text-align:right">8</td><td style="text-align:left">BUSTER THE BIG BROWN BEAR'S ADVENTURES</td></tr> +<tr><td style="text-align:right">9</td><td style="text-align:left">WHITE TAIL THE DEER</td></tr> +<tr><td style="text-align:right">10</td><td style="text-align:left">WHITE TAIL THE DEER'S ADVENTURES</td></tr> +<tr><td style="text-align:right">11</td><td style="text-align:left">WASHER, THE RACCOON</td></tr> +</table> + +<p style="text-align:center"> +<span style="font-size: 100%;">(Other titles in preparation)</span><br /><br /><br /> +<span style="font-size: 100%;">Issued in uniform style with this volume</span><br /> +<span style="font-size: 100%;">PRICE 65 CENTS EACH, Postpaid</span><br /><br /><br /> +<span style="font-size: 100%;">EACH VOLUME CONTAINS COLORED ILLUSTRATIONS</span><br /><br /><br /> +<span style="font-size: 90%;">PRINTED IN U. S. A.</span><br /> +<span style="font-size: 90%;">Copyright 1922 by</span><br /> +<span style="font-size: 90%;">THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY</span><br /> +<span style="font-size: 90%;">Copyright MCMXVII by George E. Walsh</span><br /> +</p> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div style="margin-left:0%; margin-right:0%"> +<p style="text-align:center">INTRODUCTION TO THE<br/>TWILIGHT ANIMAL STORIES</p> + +<p style="text-align:center"><span class="smcap">By the Author</span></p> + +<p>All little boys and girls who love animals should become acquainted with +Bumper the white rabbit, with Bobby Gray Squirrel, with Buster the bear, +and with White Tail the deer, for they are all a jolly lot, brave and +fearless in danger, and so lovable that you won't lay down any one of +the books without saying wistfully, "I almost wish I had them really and +truly as friends and not just storybook acquaintances." That, of course, +is a splendid wish; but none of us could afford to have a big menagerie +of wild animals, and that's just what you would have to do if you went +outside of the books. Bumper had many friends, such as Mr. Blind Rabbit, +Fuzzy Wuzz and Goggle Eyes, his country cousins; and Bobby Gray Squirrel +had his near cousins, Stripe the chipmunk and Webb the flying squirrel; +while Buster and White Tail were favored with an endless number of +friends and relatives. If we turned them all loose from the books, and +put them in a ten-acre lot—but no, ten acres wouldn't be big enough to +accommodate them, perhaps not a hundred acres.</p> + +<p>So we will leave them just where they are—in the books—and read about +them, and let our imaginations take us to them where we can see them +playing, skipping, singing, and sometimes fighting, and if we read very +carefully, and <i>think</i> as we go along, we may come to know them even +better than if we went out hunting for them.</p> + +<p>Another thing we should remember. By leaving them in the books, hundreds +and thousands of other boys and girls can enjoy them, too, sharing with +us the pleasures of the imagination, which after all is one of the +greatest things in the world. In gathering them together in a real +menagerie, we would be selfish both to Bumper, Bobby, Buster, White Tail +and their friends as well as to thousands of other little readers who +could not share them with us. So these books of Twilight Animal Stories +are dedicated to all little boys and girls who love wild animals. All +others are forbidden to read them! They wouldn't understand them if they +did.</p> + +<p>So come out into the woods with me, and let us listen and watch, and I +promise you it will be worth while.</p> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<h1>Bumper the White Rabbit</h1> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="r8664" id="r8664"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> +<h2>STORY I<br/>WHERE BUMPER CAME FROM</h2> +</div> + +<p>There was once an old woman who had so many rabbits that she hardly knew +what to do. They ate her out of house and home, and kept the cupboard so +bare she often had to go to bed hungry. But none of the rabbits suffered +this way. They all had their supper, and their breakfast, too, even if +there wasn't a crust left in the old woman's cupboard.</p> + +<p>There were big rabbits and little rabbits; lean ones and fat ones; +comical little youngsters who played pranks upon their elders, and +staid, serious old ones who never laughed or smiled the livelong day; +boy rabbits and girl rabbits, mother rabbits and father rabbits, and +goodness knows how many aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, cousins, second +cousins and distant relatives-in-law! They all lived under one big roof +in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> backyard of the good old woman who kept them, and they had such +jolly times together that it seemed a shame to separate them.</p> + +<p>But once every day the old woman chose several of her pets, and carried +them away in a basket to a certain street corner of the city where she +offered them for sale. She was dreadfully poor, and often when she +returned home at night, counting her money, she would murmur: "It's a +cabbage for them or a loaf of bread for myself. I can't get both."</p> + +<p>She didn't always get the loaf of bread, but the rabbits always had +their cabbage. They were all pink-eyed, white rabbits, and people were +willing to pay good prices for them. But the whitest and pinkest-eyed of +them all was Bumper, a tiny rabbit when he was born, and not very big +when the old woman took him away on his first trip to the street corner. +Bumper had never seen so many people before, and he was a little shy and +frightened at first; but Jimsy and Wheedles, his brothers, laughed at +his fears, and told him not to mind.</p> + +<p>After that he plucked up courage, and when a little girl suddenly ran +out of the crowd and picked him up in her arms, he tried not to be +afraid. "Oh, you sweet little thing!" the girl exclaimed, pinching his +ears softly. "Where<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> did you come from, and where did you get those pink +eyes and those long, fluffy ears?"</p> + +<p>Then the girl kissed Bumper and rubbed his nose against her soft, fresh +young cheek; but when the old lady approached, all smiles, and said, +"Want him, dear?" she put him down in the basket again.</p> + +<p>"Want him? Of course, I want him!" she replied a little scornfully. "But +I can't buy him to-day. I spent all my birthday money on candies and +cakes. Take him now before I steal him and run away."</p> + +<p>She was a pretty girl, with red hair, a dimple in her chin, and one big +freckle on the end of her nose; but her eyes were blue, and they made +Bumper think of the sky which he could see through a hole in the roof of +his house. I suppose it was because he had pink eyes that he thought +blue was so becoming to little girls.</p> + +<p>That night when he got home, Bumper was bursting with excitement. The +day's experience was enough to cause this, but the words of the little +girl who had spent all of her birthday money for candies and cakes were +fresh in his mind. The first thing he did when he got in his box was to +pester his mother with so many questions that she had hard work +answering them.</p> + +<p>"A little girl asked me where I came from,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> mother, and I couldn't +answer her. Where did I come from?"</p> + +<p>"Why, dear, from a snowball, of course. How else could you be so white?"</p> + +<p>"And have I pink eyes?" That was the little girl's second question.</p> + +<p>"What color did you think they were?" asked Bumper's mother, smiling. +"Look at the eyes of your brothers and sisters."</p> + +<p>Bumper looked in Jimsy's and Wheedle's eyes, and saw they were pink, but +he was still doubtful. "But mine," he added, "are you sure they're pink? +They might be green or yellow—"</p> + +<p>Mother rabbit laughed and hopped over to a basin of water which the good +old woman kept filled for her pets. "Look in that," she said, "and then +tell me what you see."</p> + +<p>Trembling with excitement, Bumper plunged both front paws in the basin, +and the water rippled in little waves so that he could see nothing. He +was terribly disappointed at first, for the water was a little dirty, +and he was afraid the black specks floating in it might be the +reflection of his eyes. Then the water cleared as the dirt settled at +the bottom, and straight up from the depths there glowed two tiny pink +spots. Bumper watched them in silence until his mother asked: "What do +you see, dear?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Two pink stars!" he murmured.</p> + +<p>Mother rabbit, like all fond mothers, smiled and leaned over to kiss the +wet nose of her little one. Jimsy and Wheedles and all the other rabbits +were anxious to see the two pink stars in the water, and they crowded +around the basin to get a look. They held their breath in amazement, for +wonder of wonders! instead of two, there were a dozen tiny pink stars! +They twinkled and flashed, and when they bobbed their heads up the stars +faded away or disappeared entirely.</p> + +<p>Mother rabbit, who was very fond of her little ones, smiled proudly, and +said:</p> + +<p>"All my children have pink eyes!"</p> + +<p>"But don't all rabbits have pink eyes?" asked Bumper, whose little brain +was still bursting with questions.</p> + +<p>"No, dear, they do not—only those rabbits that come from snowballs have +pink eyes."</p> + +<p>"Oh!" exclaimed one and all, and particularly Bumper, who had started +all this probing into the family history.</p> + +<p>Then the last question of the little girl popped up into his head, and +without waiting to catch his breath, or to give his mother time to think +up a suitable answer, he blurted it out.</p> + +<p>"Where did I get these long, fluffy ears,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> mother? The little girl said +they were long and fluffy."</p> + +<p>Just to make sure he had not been deceived, he pulled them right down +between his two front paws, and looked at them. They were, indeed, long, +silky and fluffy, and as white as snow.</p> + +<p>Mother rabbit shook her head slowly just as if she intended to scold, +and then said in the softest, gentlest of voices:</p> + +<p>"I'm afraid that little girl has been putting vain ideas into your head, +dear. You must be careful, and not let compliments about your eyes and +ears spoil you. If you do people won't like you."</p> + +<p>Bumper promised not to be spoilt by listening to what little girls said, +and then eagerly repeated his question.</p> + +<p>"Why, that is simple enough," Mother rabbit answered, having had time to +think. "When you were only a little snowball, we had to hang you up to +dry, and that pulled your ears out."</p> + +<p>That was an answer good enough for any rabbit, and Bumper should have +been satisfied, but he had a very inquisitive mind.</p> + +<p>"But why didn't I melt when I was hung up to dry?" he asked quickly. +"Snowballs melt in the sun, don't they?"</p> + +<p>"Yes," gravely, "so they do, dear, if you leave<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> them in the sun too +long. But it was mother's business to see that you didn't melt. It's +like baking bread or cake. If you leave the dough in the oven too long +it burns up, and then it isn't either bread or cake. It's very hard to +know just when it's done, and it's harder"—sighing aloud—"for mothers +to know just when a snowball is turning into a white rabbit, and when +it's beginning to melt away into nothing. Now don't ask me any more +questions to-night. It's bed time, and little rabbits with pink eyes +should be fast asleep."</p> + +<p>Which was true, but Bumper went to sleep dreaming of a million questions +he would ask his mother in the morning.</p> + +<hr class="major" /> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="r9591" id="r9591"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> +<h2>STORY II<br/>WHY BUMPER WAS LEFT AT HOME</h2> +</div> + +<p>Bumper woke up the next morning so hungry that he couldn't think of any +of the million questions to ask until he'd finished eating his +breakfast. Besides a cabbage, there were some carrots and beet tops the +old woman had fished out of a grocer's backyard, and Bumper had to jump +lively to get his share. Jimsy and Wheedles were already on their second +carrot when he opened his eyes.</p> + +<p>"You'll never catch up with me!" said Jimsy, greedily. "I'm one carrot +ahead of you."</p> + +<p>"And I'm one and a half," mumbled Wheedles, with his mouth full.</p> + +<p>"I don't care. Sleep is better for you than so much eating. I had a +longer nap, and such beautiful dreams! Oh, I do hope some of them will +come true."</p> + +<p>"Tell us about them," said Jimsy, forgetting to eat. "I never have +dreams."</p> + +<p>"Neither do I," complained Wheedles. "You must tell us about your +dreams."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span></p> + +<p>"As soon as I finish my breakfast I will," replied Bumper. "Yes, they +were beautiful dreams! I thought I was in a big place filled with crisp +lettuce and golden carrots, and a girl with red hair picked me up in her +arms and carried me away."</p> + +<p>Bumper stopped talking while his brothers looked in amazement at him. +They had heard the day before his story of the red-haired girl who +wanted to buy him, and they were interested. But while they stopped and +waited for him to proceed, Bumper chewed away at his carrot until it was +all gone. Then, picking up a second one, he said: "Now I'm up with you. +I'm on my second carrot. To-morrow morning I'll tell you the rest of the +dream."</p> + +<p>Jimsy and Wheedles were greatly surprised and angered at the trick +Bumper had played upon them, and they immediately began eating their +carrots again as fast as they could.</p> + +<p>They were in the midst of their breakfast when the old woman came in the +backyard with her basket. All the rabbits set up a commotion then, for +they knew she would choose some of them to take away and sell. There +were two reasons why they all wanted to be chosen.</p> + +<p>One was they liked the change from their narrow quarters to the street +corner and the sights<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> of the city. Another was they all hoped some day +to be sold and taken away to a big house where they would be petted and +fed until their little stomachs would nearly burst open. They were a +little crowded in their home, and new baby rabbits were coming all the +time so that if some of them weren't sold they'd soon be walking all +over each other.</p> + +<p>"Now, which ones shall I take to-day?" the old woman mumbled, smiling +upon all of them.</p> + +<p>They all bobbed their heads and blinked their pink eyes, and Jimsy +jumped over Bumper's back and hopped right into the woman's hands.</p> + +<p>"Well, Jimsy," she said, "you seem very anxious to go, so I'll take you +for one."</p> + +<p>Wheedles tried the same trick, but it didn't work the second time. "No, +Wheedles, you've got a cold," she said, pushing him back. "People don't +want to buy rabbits that have colds."</p> + +<p>Bumper had no cold, and he decided to try his luck, but Topsy, a big +rabbit, got in his way, and nearly bowled him over. Bumper squealed, and +the old woman pushed Topsy away.</p> + +<p>"No, you can't go for being so rough," she scolded. "Poor little Bumper, +did Topsy hurt you?"</p> + +<p>Bumper was sure then that she intended to take him along with Jimsy; but +no! she put<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> him down gently, and selected three others. Bumper's +disappointment was so great that a tear came into one of his pink eyes.</p> + +<p>It was mother who consoled him when the old woman had filled her basket +and left the yard. "Never mind, dear, your time will come. You're +younger than Jimsy."</p> + +<p>"But why should I always be left at home?" complained Bumper.</p> + +<p>"It's the place for little rabbits," was the reply. "There's no place so +safe and comfortable."</p> + +<p>"But you always told us some day we'd find a better home, with plenty to +eat, and nothing to do," whimpered Bumper, who felt quite cross. "Why +did you tell us that?"</p> + +<p>Mother rabbit looked quite perplexed for a moment. "I think, dear," she +said finally, "you ask more questions than any child I ever had."</p> + +<p>Bumper's eyes shone with amusement. "I have a million more of them to +ask, mother. I dreamt of them last night."</p> + +<p>"Then," laughing at him, "find the answers to them in your dreams +to-night."</p> + +<p>The next day Bumper had his turn, and then again the following day, but +each time he returned home unsold. Jimsy was bought by a little boy, and +triumphantly carried off, and Wheedles was captured by a girl. Even +Topsy,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> who was big and clumsy, found a purchaser, and disappeared from +the backyard. On returning home the fourth time, Bumper was in a +disappointed mood, and felt very unhappy.</p> + +<p>"Why is it, mother," he asked, "that no one buys me? Am I so homely that +no one wants me?"</p> + +<p>"What a question to ask, dear!" smiled mother rabbit. Then, patting him +on the head, she added: "Bend down your ears, and I'll whisper a secret +in them."</p> + +<p>Bumper squatted down, and pulled both long ears toward his mother so he +wouldn't miss a word.</p> + +<p>"It isn't good for little rabbits to hear what I'm going to tell you," +she whispered. "It often makes them proud and vain; but I suppose you +will know it some day."</p> + +<p>Mother rabbit sighed, as if the secret was hard to tell, and not very +pleasant to hear. Mothers are very queer sometimes, even rabbit mothers.</p> + +<p>"It's because you're so beautiful, dear!" she whispered finally. "You're +whiter than any of my children, and you have the softest fur, and the +pinkest eyes. Now do you understand?"</p> + +<p>No, Bumper didn't understand a bit. He was more perplexed than ever. If +he was handsomer than other white rabbits, then why didn't people<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> buy +him first? Why did they look at him, and return him to the basket, and +say:</p> + +<p>"I guess I'll take the other one?"</p> + +<p>"It must be people don't know how pretty I am," he said finally. "What +can I do to make them see?"</p> + +<p>Mother rabbit laughed until her fat sides wobbled like a fur muff filled +with playful kittens. "Dear, dear," she exclaimed, with tears in her +eyes. "I thought you would understand. It's because the people don't +have the money to give."</p> + +<p>"Why don't they?" he asked, a little peeved. "Don't they have all the +money they want?"</p> + +<p>"No, dear, not all of them. Some are nearly as poor as we are, and they +have to be careful of the pennies. That's why they don't buy you. The +old woman asks too much for you."</p> + +<p>This didn't improve Bumper's temper any; but right away he thought of +the little girl with the red hair. "Do you think she has plenty of +money?" he asked. "She was beautifully dressed, and had a rose in her +hair."</p> + +<p>"I don't know. Some people put all their money on their backs, and +starve their stomachs. It may be this girl was that kind."</p> + +<p>Bumper was sure she was wrong, for the red-haired girl didn't look +starved; but she didn't<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> have any of her birthday money left, and she +confessed she'd spent it all for cakes and candies. Bumper wondered if +she'd had anything to eat since, or if she was saving up her money to +buy him.</p> + +<p>That night he had another dream in which the red-haired girl appeared; +but in the morning the old woman took him out of the box, and said: +"It's your turn, Bumper. I must sell you to-day. I need the money +badly."</p> + +<hr class="major" /> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="r6893" id="r6893"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> +<h2>STORY III<br/>BUMPER IS SOLD</h2> +</div> + +<p>Bumper was taken to the street corner with Fluffy, Dimples and Pickles. +It was a cloudy day, and the old woman limped as she walked along with +her basket on her arm. Damp weather always brought out her rheumatism, +and sometimes made her very cross.</p> + +<p>Dimples and Fluffy began playing they were on a ship in a storm, and +when a drop of rain hit Pickles on the nose he squealed with delight, +and joined them in the game. They scampered around so lively inside that +the old woman stopped and opened the cover of the basket.</p> + +<p>"Stop that!" she said quite angrily, "or I'll dump you all in the +gutter!"</p> + +<p>The threat was enough to send each to a corner of the basket, where they +eyed each other and tried to think up some less boisterous game. It was +beginning to rain steadily outside, and the water trickled through the +top of the basket. Every time a drop hit one, he squealed, but no one +dared to jump and run around.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span></p> + +<p>Now rabbits don't sell very well on rainy days, especially white +rabbits. Their fur gets all wet and roughened up, and they look more +like half-drowned rats than pretty, fluffy bunnies. Fluffy was taken out +of the basket first, but nobody took any notice of her, and when she +came back she was all wet and shivery.</p> + +<p>"B-r-r-r, it's awfully wet outside," she said, shaking with the cold. +"I'm glad nobody bought me, for I'd rather be in here safe and warm than +in somebody's arms."</p> + +<p>Pickles's turn came next. He had an ingrowing toe nail, which sometimes +made him grouchy and sour, so he was dubbed Pickles. He looked and acted +like his name now. He squealed when the old woman picked him up in her +hand, and when a splash of rain landed on the back of his neck he kicked +both hind legs and wriggled his body free and fell plump back into the +basket.</p> + +<p>The old woman was very angry. "You, Pickles," she growled, "you'll go to +bed to-night without any supper."</p> + +<p>Somebody passed just then, a lady with an umbrella over her head, and +the woman with rabbits to sell turned to her in her most beguiling way. +"Rabbits, lady! Nice, pretty rabbits for sale!"</p> + +<p>The lady stopped long enough to let her umbrella<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> drip all over the +basket, and then she asked: "Are they white rabbits? I don't want any +other kind."</p> + +<p>"Yes, ma'm, pure white bunnies, with pink eyes, and long, fluffy +ears—the dearest and cutest little things you ever saw. Let me show +you."</p> + +<p>With that she made a grab in the basket. It was a blind-man's bluff +grab, for she couldn't see one of the rabbits huddling in the corners. +Bumper was the nearest, and her hand closed over him.</p> + +<p>"That's the prettiest one I have, ma'm," she said. "He's my pet, an' I +hate to sell him, but I need the money an' you can have him."</p> + +<p>It was raining pitchforks outside, or something like that, and, for a +moment, Bumper couldn't see anything but the big drops of water +splashing in his eyes. Then the lady held the umbrella over his head, +and he looked up into her face. She was a sweet, womanly lady, but not +exactly the kind of mistress Bumper had pictured belonging to.</p> + +<p>"He is a dear little thing," the lady said, taking him in her arms and +rubbing his back. "And so friendly! Why, he's trying to cuddle up under +my arm."</p> + +<p>The fact was, Bumper was trying to get in her muff away from the +dripping umbrella. He<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> made a dive for the nearest open end, and +squeezed all but his tail through.</p> + +<p>"How cute of him! I believe I must take him. How much is he?"</p> + +<p>Now Bumper's heart nearly stopped beating when he heard the lady ask +this question, for had not his mother told him that he cost too much +money for most people to buy? Did this lady have plenty of money, or did +she put it all on her back and starve her stomach? She was beautifully +dressed, and her cheeks were not very plump and fat—not a bit like +those of the red-headed girl with a freckle on the end of her nose.</p> + +<p>"Two dollars, ma'm, an' he's cheap at that! You don't find rabbits like +him once in a year."</p> + +<p>Bumper's hopes took a sudden drop. Two dollars! Why, Jimsy had been sold +for one dollar, and Wheedles for seventy-five cents, while Topsy, who +was old and fat, brought only fifty cents. My, two dollars was an awful +lot of money!</p> + +<p>"Two dollars!" repeated the lady, fumbling in her dress with one hand. +Then, to Bumper's surprise and delight, she added: "I think I'll take +him. I want him for my nephew. Toby's hard to suit, but I think he'll be +pleased with a rabbit. What did you say you called him?"</p> + +<p>"Bumper, ma'm!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span></p> + +<p>"That's a queer name, but I like it."</p> + +<p>"It was because he was always bumping his nose when he was a tiny mite," +the old woman explained, taking the two dollars from the lady. "His +mother named him first, and then his brothers and sisters took it up, +and, of course, I had to follow 'em. Rabbits don't like to be called by +two different names, and if I was you, ma'm, I'd keep on calling him +Bumper. He wouldn't know any other name."</p> + +<p>"I will always call him Bumper, but"—sighing—"I'm afraid Toby will +want to nickname him. He makes up the funniest names for all his pets."</p> + +<p>"Tell him then Bumper will run away and never come back. Rabbits are +more knowing than you think, ma'm."</p> + +<p>"I always thought they were very cute and gentle, but very stupid," +replied the lady. "But maybe I was wrong. Bumper doesn't look stupid."</p> + +<p>"Lordy, ma'm! he ain't no more stupid than that Toby you speak of, +whoever he may be."</p> + +<p>"Well, Toby isn't stupid, whatever else you may say of him," smiled the +lady. "He's bright enough, but he's sometimes very thoughtless, and I +fear a little cruel."</p> + +<p>"Cruel, ma'm!" And the old woman who sold<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> rabbits for a living +stiffened her bent form, and frowned. She stretched forth a hand as if +to reclaim her Bumper, but the lady moved away with her purchase under +her arm.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I'll see that he isn't cruel to Bumper," she said.</p> + +<p>While listening to all this conversation, Bumper experienced strange and +unusual emotions. He had learned more about white rabbits in a few +moments than his mother had ever taught him in all the days of his +youth. They were considered stupid, were they?—but cute and gentle. +Huh! He wasn't stupid! No, indeed! If the lady thought so he'd show her +what a mistake she'd made.</p> + +<p>Just to prove it, Bumper began to gnaw at the lining of the muff, and +pretty soon got his whole body under it, and then he began to kick and +wriggle to get out. He felt he was being smothered alive, and he +squealed aloud. The lady finally rescued him, but not until she had torn +away half the lining from her muff.</p> + +<p>"Oh, you stupid little Bumper!" she said, reprovingly. "You mustn't do +such things!"</p> + +<p>Bumper felt so crestfallen at this rebuke that he remained perfectly +quiet during the rest of the walk. He snuggled up into the crook of her<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> +arm, and peeped out once only when they reached a big house and began +ascending the steps.</p> + +<p>So this was to be his future home! What a big place it was! Why, +hundreds and hundreds of white rabbits could live in that house and +never lack for elbow room.</p> + +<p>Just then, when Bumper began to feel a little proud about his future +home, a great noise and clatter behind the door startled him, and it +opened so suddenly that he nearly popped out of the lady's arms. And +what happened to him behind that door of the big house might fill +chapters and chapters, but it will all be told in the next story.</p> + +<hr class="major" /> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="r4930" id="r4930"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> +<h2>STORY IV<br/>WHAT HAPPENED IN THE DREADFUL HOUSE</h2> +</div> + +<p>When the door of the house flew open with a bang, the lady holding +Bumper put one hand to her heart, and exclaimed:</p> + +<p>"Oh, dear, what has happened now!"</p> + +<p>Bumper couldn't see any one in the dark, but evidently the lady could, +for a cool, quiet voice spoke to her.</p> + +<p>"Toby threw his playthings down the stairs, and he's riding the +banisters with a tin pan for a hat. I suppose you heard the clatter of +the pan as it fell off."</p> + +<p>"It sounded to me as if the house was falling down, Mary! I do wish Toby +would behave."</p> + +<p>The one addressed as Mary laughed. She seemed like a pleasant, wholesome +young woman, with pink cheeks and smiling gray eyes. "I've told him to +behave a dozen times, but he won't mind. He's been cutting up all the +morning. But what have you there in your arms, Aunt Helen?"</p> + +<p>"Guess, Mary. It's for Toby's birthday."</p> + +<p>"Some kind of a toy, I suppose—or maybe a book."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span></p> + +<p>"A book for Toby! What an idea! He'd throw it in the fire unless he +liked the pictures. No, it's something prettier and better than a book."</p> + +<p>She opened her arms, and held Bumper forward so Mary could see him, +long, white ears and blinking eyes and all.</p> + +<p>"Oh! A dear little rabbit!"</p> + +<p>Before Bumper could protest or stop his heart from beating like a +trip-hammer, Mary seized him in both hands, and began gently stroking +his head.</p> + +<p>"What a sweet little thing!" she murmured. "And so tame and friendly!"</p> + +<p>Bumper was rubbing his wet nose against her velvety hands and thinking +how soft and pleasant they were to the touch.</p> + +<p>"Yes, he's so tame he never once tried to jump out of my hands," replied +Aunt Helen. "I'm almost afraid to let Toby have him now that I've +brought him home. Do you think he'll be rough with him?"</p> + +<p>Mary's face turned very grave and serious. "He's pretty young to have a +rabbit, Aunt Helen. If he should drop him—or—or—Well, we must teach +him to be very careful."</p> + +<p>"Yes, I will speak to him myself."</p> + +<p>You can imagine the state of Bumper's feelings<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> by this time. Toby was +undoubtedly a cruel boy—Aunt Helen had said as much, and Mary had +confirmed it—and they were both afraid he was too young to own a pet +rabbit. What if he should drop him to the hard floor! Bumper peeked over +Mary's hands and looked below. The floor seemed a long distance away. If +he should fall it would very likely break a leg or his neck. Oh, why had +he been bought for a cruel boy's birthday present.</p> + +<p>Bumper wanted to run and hide. If it hadn't been for the fear of falling +to the hard floor, he would have jumped out of Mary's hands and +scampered away. But he had no chance to do this. There was another loud +racketty-rack-clumpity-bang! First a big tin dish pan rolled all the way +down the stairs into the hall; then a set of building-blocks, a wooden +hobby horse, a lot of animals from a Noah's ark, tin soldiers, a drum, +and a train of cars. Toby came last, sliding down the banisters, and +shouting in glee as he landed at the bottom.</p> + +<p>"It was a landslide, Auntie!" he shouted. "We all slid down the mountain +together."</p> + +<p>"Toby, how many times have I told you not to do that!" reproved Mary, +while Aunt Helen turned pale and stood stock still.</p> + +<p>Toby paid no attention to the rebuke. He<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> was a small, freckle-faced +boy. In one hand he held a whip, and in the other the broken head of a +wooden horse. He picked himself up, and began slashing his toys with the +whip. Bumper gave him one terrified glance, and made a desperate dive +for Mary's open waist. But Toby had sharp, bright eyes.</p> + +<p>"What you got, Mary?" he shouted, running toward her, whip in hand. "Oh, +a rabbit! Yes, it is! You needn't hide him! I see him! It's a rabbit! +Let me have him!"</p> + +<p>"Be careful, Toby, you'll tear my dress."</p> + +<p>"Let me have him! He's mine."</p> + +<p>"No, no, Toby, don't touch him. Wait! I'll show him to you!"</p> + +<p>But Toby was much too spry for Mary or Aunt Helen. He darted around back +of them, and caught Bumper by the tail—and you know a rabbit's tail is +the smallest part of him—and began pulling it. Bumper let out a squeal, +and pulled the other way with all his might.</p> + +<p>"I got him!" shrieked Toby gleefully. "I got him by the tail."</p> + +<p>"Toby! Toby!" cried Mary, catching his hand. "Let go of him this +instant."</p> + +<p>"I won't! I won't! He's mine!"</p> + +<p>Between Toby pulling at one end, and Mary holding the other, Bumper felt +as if he would<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> part somewhere in the middle. He kicked with his hind +legs, and scratched Toby's hands, but the boy would not release his +hold. He gave a sharp jerk, and Bumper let out a squeal.</p> + +<p>"You cruel, wicked boy!" exclaimed Mary, as Toby pulled the rabbit from +her arms, and swung him around by his hind legs. "Let me have him this +minute. You'll kill him!"</p> + +<p>"No, I won't! He's mine! Isn't he, Aunt Helen? You brought him to me, +didn't you? There now, Mary, she nodded her head! I'm going to keep +him."</p> + +<p>"But, dear, you must be very gentle with him," said Aunt Helen. "You'll +hurt him carrying him that way."</p> + +<p>"That's the way to carry rabbits, by their hind legs," replied Toby. "I +saw them in the market the other day—a whole bunch of them—hanging by +their hind legs."</p> + +<p>"But they were dead rabbits, Toby, and not live, white ones. Now let me +show you how to hold him."</p> + +<p>But Toby was more interested in the experiment of making Bumper squeal +than in listening to his aunt's instructions. It was better than the +squeaking camel he had or the girl's doll that said mamma every time you +squeezed it. All he had to do was to squeeze the legs or swing the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> +rabbit around to make him squeal. Each time he laughed and shouted with +joy.</p> + +<p>Mary could stand this cruel torture no longer. She made a dive for +Bumper, and caught him by the fore paws. In the struggle that followed +Bumper was likely to be pulled apart. What might have happened no one +could tell if the door had not suddenly opened, and a young girl, with +red hair and freckles on her nose, entered. She was humming some tune to +herself or to the doll she carried in her hands; but she stopped +singing, and stared at Toby and Mary pulling at the white rabbit.</p> + +<p>Then she dropped her doll, and sprang forward to Bumper's rescue. "Oh, +that's my rabbit, cousin Mary!" she cried. "It's the one I wanted to buy +from the old woman, but I didn't have the money. Let go of him, Toby! +You're hurting him!"</p> + +<p>"I won't! He's mine!" came the reply. "You let go of him!"</p> + +<p>"He's not! He's mine!"</p> + +<p>"He ain't! He's mine!"</p> + +<p>"Stop that!" cried the girl, when Toby squeezed the legs so hard Bumper +whimpered with pain.</p> + +<p>"I won't! I'll squeeze him all I want to."</p> + +<p>To make good his word he gave the rabbit a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> harder squeeze. Then +something happened that surprised every one. The girl raised a hand, and +boxed Toby's ears so hard that it made him howl.</p> + +<p>"Now, take that, and see how it feels to be hurt!"</p> + +<p>Toby clapped both hands to his ears, and in a flash the red-headed girl +seized Bumper in her arms and ran pell-mell from the room. Toby started +after her, but when the door slammed in his face he flopped down on the +floor to howl and kick just like a baby who had eaten pickles instead of +good milk for breakfast.</p> + +<hr class="major" /> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="r8520" id="r8520"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> +<h2>STORY V<br/>BUMPER AND THE RED-HEADED GIRL</h2> +</div> + +<p>The red-headed girl, with the freckles on her nose, and a dimple in her +chin, didn't stop until she was on the top floor of the big house where +Toby's howls couldn't be heard. She opened the door of a dark room, and +went in, slamming and locking the door after her.</p> + +<p>"There, now I guess he can't find us!" she exclaimed.</p> + +<p>Then to Bumper, she turned and began crooning: "You poor little rabbit! +Did Toby hurt you? Don't be frightened now. I won't let him have you +again. I'll buy you if it takes all my Christmas money. You're mine +now!"</p> + +<p>You can never imagine how these words soothed Bumper's ruffled feelings. +It was like being rescued from a terrible giant who intended to dash out +your brains and eat you for supper. Bumper's heart began to beat slower +and slower until pretty soon it wasn't going any faster than the ticking +of the clock outside in the hallway.</p> + +<p>They sat there in the dark room for a long time, the girl rubbing +Bumper's head and back<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> and crooning gently to him. Then a noise +outside—the sound of approaching footsteps—alarmed the white rabbit +again.</p> + +<p>"Edith!" a voice called. "Edith, are you up here?"</p> + +<p>It was Mary, her cousin, calling, and the red-haired girl gently pushed +open the door, and whispered.</p> + +<p>"I'm in here, cousin Mary. Where's Toby?"</p> + +<p>"He's looking for you. I think you'd better get out of the house before +he finds you. Take Bumper with you, and we'll buy him something else to +keep him quiet."</p> + +<p>"Then I can keep him?—call him really and truly mine?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, if you can get away with him. Toby isn't old enough yet for pets."</p> + +<p>"He's old enough," sniffed Edith, "but he's been spoilt, and don't know +how to treat them. If he ever lays hands on my rabbit again, I'll box +his ears so hard he'll never forget it. That's what I'll do!"</p> + +<p>Mary seemed to concur in this, for she smiled, and rubbed Bumper's head +before adding. "He'd raise an awful howl, I suppose, if he knew you were +here. You'd better go home now. You can get through the backyard without +Toby seeing you."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Let him see me if he likes," retorted Edith, shaking her red curls and +tilting her freckled nose upward. "I won't let him have the rabbit. Aunt +Helen ought to spank him. That's what he deserves."</p> + +<p>Mary walked ahead down the stairs to see if Toby was around, and then +when they reached the kitchen Edith climbed through an open window into +the backyard. There was a thick hedge around the yard, and back of that +another yard which smelt so sweet with flowers and green lawn that +Bumper raised his head and sniffed.</p> + +<p>My, what a whiff that was! There was a vegetable garden hidden back of +the rose bushes, filled with crisp lettuce, golden carrots, +emerald-green cabbages, blood-red beets, blanching celery, peas, beans, +corn, potatoes, and green grass everywhere. It was a whiff from Rabbit +Arcady, and Bumper forgot all the dangers he had been through.</p> + +<p>"No, no, you mustn't jump out of my arms!" warned Edith when he +struggled to get down and roll around in the green grass. "Toby might be +looking."</p> + +<p>There was an opening in the thick hedge, and through this the red-haired +girl crawled into the second garden. If anything, this was a more +wonderful garden than the first. The odors<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> were intoxicating. There +were flowers and birds and trees as well as succulent vegetables. A most +wonderful elm tree spread out like an umbrella and shaded the whole +lawn. Beneath this the girl stopped a moment, and let Bumper nibble at +the green grass.</p> + +<p>For a city rabbit who had never seen green grass growing, and had only +tasted of vegetables several days or a week old, this visit to the +garden was like a foretaste of what all rabbits must consider heaven. +Nothing Bumper had ever eaten tasted quite so good as that grass, and +when the girl picked a fresh, crisp carrot from the garden he couldn't +believe it was anything but a magic carrot. It was so sweet and juicy +that it made his mouth water.</p> + +<p>"Now you must come in the house," Edith said after he had eaten so much +that he was in danger of exploding like an over ripe tomato. "I'm going +to keep you right in my bedroom to-night. Then daddy will make a house +for you in the morning."</p> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-003" id="illus-003"></a> +<img src='images/illus-040.jpg' alt='He couldn't believe it was anything but a magic carrot' title='' /><br /> +<span class='caption'>He couldn't believe it was anything but a magic carrot</span> +</div> + +<p>Bumper spent the night in a box lined with fresh, green grass at the +foot of the little girl's bed, but not until after he had met another +person whom he feared and disliked almost as much as the bad boy called +Toby. She was a cross old nurse, who looked after Edith, and she didn't +like <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span>rabbits—not live ones. She admired Bumper's soft, white hair, +and remarked:</p> + +<p>"Wouldn't it make a handsome fur neck scarf? I wonder how much it would +cost."</p> + +<p>Edith snatched the rabbit from her hands. "You wicked old thing!" she +exclaimed. "I believe you'd kill Bumper just for his fur."</p> + +<p>"What a funny little girl you are," the nurse laughed. "What are rabbits +for if you can't use their skins for furs."</p> + +<p>With that Edith clapped Bumper in the box, and sat on the lid. "I'm +going to sit there until you go," she said.</p> + +<p>The nurse laughed, and when she finally left the room the red-haired +girl jumped up and locked the door. Then she patted Bumper again before +slipping in bed for the night.</p> + +<p>It was early morning before the rabbit heard another word from her. The +moon peeking in through the window made Bumper feel quite at home, and +with it came the sweet aroma of that garden, intoxicating smells of +roses, green grass and succulent vegetables.</p> + +<p>"Are you there, little Bumper?" the girl called just as the sun rose. +She was in her thin nightie, with her wonderful braids of red hair +streaming down her back. Bumper thumped on the box<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> with both hind feet +to express his delight at seeing her again.</p> + +<p>"Now you're coming to bed with me," she added. And sure enough, she +lifted the white rabbit from the box and carried him to her bed. It was +soft and warm under the sheets, and Bumper began playing hide-and-seek +with her toes, making her shout and giggle every time his whiskers +rubbed against one. It must have been the noise they made that attracted +the nurse, for she suddenly knocked on the door and tried to open it.</p> + +<p>Edith sprang out of bed, and put the rabbit in his box before she opened +the door. "Why was that door locked?" asked the nurse severely.</p> + +<p>"Because," replied Edith saucily, "I didn't want you snooping in here in +the night to steal bunny."</p> + +<p>"Well, of all things! If you ever do that again, I'll tell your mother! +Suppose the house took fire with you locked in here."</p> + +<p>"I'd know enough to unlock the door, wouldn't I?" retorted the girl.</p> + +<p>The nurse went to the bed and threw back the sheets to air them. Then, +in angry amazement, she exclaimed: "You've had that dirty beast in the +bed! Now don't tell me a story."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Yes, Nursy, and we had a beautiful time playing hide-and-seek under the +bedclothes."</p> + +<p>The nurse stared hard at Edith, and then shook her head. "You're a +naughty girl, and I'll give the rabbit to Carlo. See if I don't?"</p> + +<p>This didn't frighten the girl a bit, and she laughed in the nurse's +face; but it gave Bumper such a shock that he missed three heart beats +and one of his whiskers, for he knew Carlo was the dog he had heard +barking all night long.</p> + +<hr class="major" /> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="r9806" id="r9806"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> +<h2>STORY VI<br/>BUMPER AND CARLO</h2> +</div> + +<p>The little white rabbit found a home already waiting for him in the +prettiest corner of the garden, but before that the red-haired girl +harnessed him to a ribbon, and let him eat grass and vegetables to his +heart's content wherever he took a fancy to go. Edith lost her appetite +apparently in watching her pet eat, for she wouldn't go into breakfast +even after the nurse had called her several times; but finally, when her +mother came out, and took her by the hand, she obeyed.</p> + +<p>"Can't I take the rabbit in with me?" she asked.</p> + +<p>"No, dear, put him in the pen over there. He'll be quite content alone."</p> + +<p>So Bumper found himself alone in the garden, or rather in a pen shut off +from the rest of the garden by stout chicken wire. There was a box in +back of the pen, filled with soft grass and straw, and a tin pan filled +with fresh water. There was such a variety of things to eat that he kept +nibbling first a carrot, then a cabbage,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> then a blade of grass, then +some corn, then a piece of bread, then some crackers, then a red beet, +then a spear of grass again, and so on through all the long list of good +things.</p> + +<p>It was such a mixture that he was never sure just what he had in his +mouth. It was just as if a boy or girl had crammed the mouth full of gum +drops, chocolates, fudge, lollypops, taffy, peppermint, lemon and +wintergreen drops, and a few pieces of fruit cake by way of change. How +could he or she tell just what the teeth were munching on?</p> + +<p>Bumper tasted them all, and thought that each one was sweeter and better +than the other; but when he got around to the end of his circle he had +to begin all over again to see if they didn't all taste better the +second time. My, it was a feast that made his eyes open and his stomach +swell like a toad's trying to swallow a gnat.</p> + +<p>Edith came out so soon that Bumper knew right away that she hadn't eaten +much breakfast, and half of it was in her hands, and apparently the +other half was on her face instead of being in her stomach where it +should have been.</p> + +<p>"Do you like bread and jam?" she asked, poking the bread she had been +eating at Bumper.</p> + +<p>Like a well-bred rabbit, Bumper stuck his nose up and sniffed at the +dainty proffered him; but<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> when he got some of the jam on his nose he +hopped away and sneezed. It was gooseberry jam, and Bumper hated +gooseberries, although he had never tasted of them before.</p> + +<p>"Oh, you funny bunnie!" exclaimed the girl. "Why don't you like jam?"</p> + +<p>Then she caught a reflection of her face smeared with jam in the pan of +water, and she laughed happily. "I don't wonder you don't like it on +your face, Bumper," she said. "It does look awful, doesn't it? My, I +must have nearly a quart on my face."</p> + +<p>Then she began cleaning her lips and chin, using Bumper's pan of water +for a wash basin. Bumper didn't object to this, but he did hope she'd +remember to change it, and give him clean water to drink. Even +gooseberry-jam-water wasn't to his liking.</p> + +<p>Early in the morning Edith was carried away by the nurse for her +lessons, and then her music teacher appeared, and Bumper could hear her +fine, small voice singing in accompaniment to the piano. After that she +came into the garden again to play with him.</p> + +<p>But she was soon called away to lunch, and then she had to go walking +with her mother, and it was nearly sundown when she returned. Her first +thought was of the rabbit, and she came<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> running pell-mell across the +garden to greet him.</p> + +<p>"Have you missed me, Bumper?" she asked, squatting down on the grass in +her new white dress. "I've been awfully lonely without you. I do hate +music lessons and visiting. I wish I could stay here all the time with +you, and maybe eat grass and green things, and grow fat and white like +you. I wonder how it feels to be a rabbit. Yes, I believe next to being +a little girl, I'd rather be a rabbit than anything else. Rabbits don't +have to work or study or sing or do anything. Goodness! what an easy +time you have of it."</p> + +<p>Bumper thought so, too, and he began to swell up with pride. He was a +very young rabbit, and he was easily flattered. He wanted to tell her +that he would rather be a white rabbit than a girl with red hair, when +the nurse called Edith to dinner, and she had to leave him.</p> + +<p>It was a beautiful moonlight night, and Bumper wasn't a bit sleepy. What +rabbit could be in such a wonderful garden with the moon shining down +upon it. Bumper danced around in his small pen, and sat upon his hind +legs as if praying to the moon; but in reality he was trying to see how +high the wire fence was, and wondering if he could jump over it. He had +tried all day to nibble through it, and dig under it, but<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> the wire had +only hurt his teeth without giving way a particle. If he was going to +get out so he could run around the garden, he would have to do it by +jumping clear over the wire fence.</p> + +<p>He tried it once, and fell short by several inches. He got a hard jolt +in doing it, and rubbed his head where it hit the earth. But the next +time he nearly reached the top.</p> + +<p>"I can do it with a few more trials," he said, happy at the thought of +his freedom. "I'll surprise the little girl when she hunts for me in the +morning."</p> + +<p>He hopped back a few feet, and then took a flying leap, and landed plump +on the top of the fence. The wire caught him in the middle of the +stomach, and there he hung for a moment undecided which way to fall. But +he kicked with his hind feet, and that seemed to upset his balance, for +he plunged headfirst down, and landed on the other side in a wild +somersault.</p> + +<p>"Well, that wasn't exactly graceful," he said, "but I'm here, and that's +where I wanted to be. Now I'll explore the garden by moonlight."</p> + +<p>First he ran to the vegetable garden, and nibbled at whatever he could +find; but he was really so full he couldn't eat much more. Then he +frisked around on the lawn, playing with his tail, and trying to jump as +high up in the air as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> he could. It was great fun, and Bumper panted +with joy.</p> + +<p>Then suddenly out of the dark shadows of the garden something large, +fierce and frightfully noisy came bounding toward him. Bumper stood +stock still until a deep baying sound told him that it was Carlo, the +big dog, whose barking under the bedroom window had disturbed his sleep +the night before.</p> + +<p>With a bound Bumper leaped over a rose bush, and started for his pen in +the corner, but Carlo took the bush in a powerful leap and made a grab +for his neck with his jaws. Bumper squealed with fright, and turned to +the left to find shelter under some prickly gooseberry bushes. Carlo +yelped with pain when the thorns of the bushes stuck in his nose, and +from that moment Bumper began to like gooseberries.</p> + +<p>But the chase was not over. Carlo drove him out of the bushes and chased +him across the lawn into the garden. Bumper tried to hide behind a +cabbage, but Carlo saw his white head, and pounced upon him. He missed +by an inch, and Bumper, now terribly frightened, and panting for breath, +made a dive for a big, dark hole that suddenly opened directly in his +pathway.</p> + +<p>He ran in this as fast as he could. Carlo followed a short distance, and +then got stuck. The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> black hole grew smaller at the other end, and +Bumper felt that he was safe for the present.</p> + +<p>"My, what a narrow escape!" he said, panting for breath. "Now, how am I +ever going to get out again! Carlo will pounce on me if I stick my nose +out. I guess the best thing I can do is to sleep in here, and in the +morning go out when Edith calls me. She'll keep Carlo away."</p> + +<p>And with this remark, he rolled up in a ball, and went to sleep.</p> + +<hr class="major" /> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="r1424" id="r1424"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> +<h2>STORY VII<br/>BUMPER MEETS THE SEWER RAT</h2> +</div> + +<p>Bumper was so young and inexperienced that he didn't know a drain-pipe +from an ordinary hole in the ground, nor for that matter a tree trunk +that was hollow inside from a rabbit's burrow. Bumper was a city-bred +rabbit, born in the backyard of a tenement house, and how could you +expect him to know much of the things that ordinary wild rabbits learn +by heart before their whiskers begin to sprout?</p> + +<p>When he opened his eyes the next morning, he stretched himself, and +blinked hard at the circular roof over his head, wondering what sort of +a house he was in now. It took some time for his brain to recall the +events of the previous night. Then he sat up and smiled.</p> + +<p>"Ho! Ho!" he laughed. "Carlo must have had a long, cold wait outside for +me. I think I'll take a peek at him."</p> + +<p>He was really anxious to see if the little girl was up yet, and if she +had missed him. He had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> perfect confidence in her, and knew that she +would call off the dog the instant she saw him.</p> + +<p>Bumper could see that it was morning, for the bright light shining +through the big end of the drain-pipe proved that. He crawled along +cautiously, making as little noise as possible. If Carlo was waiting at +the entrance to pounce upon him, he wasn't going to be caught napping.</p> + +<p>Another thing which drew him toward the mouth of the pipe was the +fragrant odor of good things from the garden. In spite of the big feast +of the night before, Bumper was hungry again, and he longed to get back +in the garden and devour a few more carrots and crisp lettuce leaves.</p> + +<p>He was within a few feet of the mouth of the drain-pipe, quite confident +that Carlo had grown tired of watching and left, when a shadow came +between him and the light. Bumper caught sight of a head and forelegs +thrust into the opening, and then, without stopping for further +investigation, he turned tail and ran back. There was a wild scampering +and scraping behind him, and he knew that Carlo was pursuing him in the +hole.</p> + +<p>But Carlo couldn't follow him very far. The pipe narrowed so that there +was just room for Bumper to squeeze through, and no dog, certainly not a +big dog like Carlo, could catch him<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> in there. When he reached the place +where he had spent the night, he stopped to look around him.</p> + +<p>Horror of Horrors! Carlo or some other animal was close behind him, +blocking the entire entrance to the hole. Bumper could hear him scraping +along, and could almost feel his breath. A shiver of terror went clear +through him. In some strange manner the hole had been enlarged over +night, or Carlo had shrunk in size, or what seemed more probable, +another dog much smaller had taken up the pursuit.</p> + +<p>With a little yip of fear, Bumper scrambled onward again, making his way +through the drain-pipe as fast as his feet would permit, which, after +all, was not so very fast, for he slipped and lost his footing a dozen +times, and once fell all in a heap where an elbow in the pipe brought +him to an abrupt stop. There were two holes opening before him, one +leading to the right and the other to the left.</p> + +<p>Bumper chose the one to the right, and so did the animal pursuing him. +The race continued until the rabbit came to another branch where there +seemed to be three holes leading off into different directions. Bumper +chose the middle One blindly, and ran through it for dear life.</p> + +<p>It was very dark, and it was impossible for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> him to tell where he was +going. His one great desire was to escape the pursuing dog or other +animal close behind him. Consequently, he was unprepared for the sudden +climax of his adventure.</p> + +<p>The narrow tunnel came to an abrupt ending, and when Bumper shot out of +it he landed in a big, circular space that gave him plenty of +opportunity to turn around and look at his enemy. He had no more idea +what kind of a place he was in now than before. It was all so strange to +him.</p> + +<p>"Hello!" a voice called to him out of the small hole.</p> + +<p>Bumper looked up, and saw a big Sewer Rat grinning at him from the mouth +of the drain-pipe.</p> + +<p>"I never saw a rabbit run faster in all my days," laughed Mr. Sewer Rat. +"I couldn't keep up with you. What did you think was after you?"</p> + +<p>Bumper was very angry and indignant now that he realized his flight was +all unnecessary. He disliked Mr. Sewer Rat and all his tribe, for they +had often made their way into the old woman's backyard to annoy the +young bunnies. Besides his bad manners and uncouth ways, the Sewer Rat +was disgustingly dirty in his habits. How could he be otherwise when he +chose to live<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> in sewers rather than in clean quarters above ground?</p> + +<p>"Why were <i>you</i> running so fast?" asked Bumper, not willing to admit the +rat had frightened him.</p> + +<p>"Just to frighten you," was the retort. "I wanted to give you the scare +of your life, and I guess I did."</p> + +<p>"Oh, no," replied Bumper, assuming an air of dignity. "I wasn't really +frightened so long as I knew you were behind me. Carlo couldn't catch me +until he nabbed you."</p> + +<p>"Carlo! Who's Carlo!" demanded the Sewer Rat, pretending ignorance.</p> + +<p>"Oh! Ho!" laughed Bumper. "Don't pretend that Carlo, the dog, wasn't +after you. Didn't I see him chase you in the hole? And how frightened +you looked! Why, it nearly made me die with laughter."</p> + +<p>Mr. Sewer Rat puffed up his cheeks and gnashed his long, white teeth +angrily. Bumper's fling had hit the mark.</p> + +<p>"If Carlo ever touches me," he said, "I'll bite his nose so he'll +remember it. Who's afraid of an old dog like Carlo?"</p> + +<p>"You are, I should say," smiled the white rabbit.</p> + +<p>The Sewer Rat started to deny this, and then<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> thought better of it. +"Well, I wasn't more frightened than you, Mr. White Rabbit. You're as +pale as a ghost this very minute."</p> + +<p>"That's a good one," laughed Bumper. "Pale as a ghost! Why, I'm whiter +than snow all the time. How could I get paler?"</p> + +<p>Mr. Sewer Rat gnashed his teeth again, and swished his long tail. He was +plainly angry and discomfitted. So he retorted maliciously:</p> + +<p>"You're not white at all. You're so dirty your own mother wouldn't know +you. White! Oh! Ho! Ho! I wish you could see yourself."</p> + +<p>Bumper did see himself, or, at least, a part of himself. Both front paws +were muddy; his long ears were covered with iron rust; his fat cheeks +were dusty and cobwebby, and to the ends of his whiskers clung specks of +dirt. In his progress through the drain-pipe he had accumulated +sufficient dirt to change his color from pure white to a rusty gray.</p> + +<p>"I can soon clean myself," he remarked, "and the little girl with the +red hair will help me. Is that the hole that leads back to the garden?"</p> + +<p>The Sewer Rat suddenly blinked his wicked little eyes. "Yes," he +replied, "if you know the right turns to take. If you don't you'll get +lost, and never find your way out."</p> + +<p>"I think I know my way back," said Bumper,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> hesitatingly. He hated to +ask favors of the Sewer Rat, but when the latter volunteered information +he was grateful for it.</p> + +<p>"You'll find a better way back to the garden by following the abandoned +sewer you're standing in. Keep straight on to the end. It's much better +than crawling back through this small drain-pipe."</p> + +<p>"Thank you!" replied Bumper. "I believe I'll go back that way!"</p> + +<p>"All right, then. I must be going to my family. I haven't had my +breakfast yet. Good morning!"</p> + +<p>Bumper thanked him again, and turned to follow the sewer back to the +garden, not realizing that the Rat had purposely deceived him out of +revenge.</p> + +<hr class="major" /> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="r2554" id="r2554"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> +<h2>STORY VIII<br/>BUMPER RUNS INTO A NEST OF BATS</h2> +</div> + +<p>The way back to the garden seemed a long one, and Bumper soon began to +entertain doubts about the kindness of Mr. Sewer Rat. It was an old +abandoned sewer, with plenty of room in it for a whole colony of +rabbits, but it was terribly dirty and damp. The musty odor was so +different from the pleasant fragrance of the garden he had recently +left.</p> + +<p>"I must have traveled miles and miles," he thought after a while, +stopping to clean off some of the dirt that clung to his white fur. +"Either that Rat didn't know what he was talking about, or he told a +whopping fib. They always were sneaky animals, the Sewer Rats, and I +shouldn't have listened to him."</p> + +<p>He stopped to consider whether he shouldn't turn around and retrace his +steps; but he was disturbed by the fear that he could never recognize +the mouth of the drain-pipe he had come through. He had passed a number +of these black holes on his way, all looking alike.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I should have counted them, and then I'd know which one was mine," he +reflected.</p> + +<p>But there was no good crying over spilt milk. He was in the abandoned +sewer, and he had to find his way out somehow. Meanwhile, he was getting +desperately hungry. Oh, for a mouthful of the succulent grass that grew +in the garden, or a cabbage leaf or a piece of celery—anything, in +fact, that would satisfy that gnawing at the stomach!</p> + +<p>"Ah, well!" he sighed. "I must keep going until I find something to eat. +There must be other gardens, and this sewer must lead somewhere."</p> + +<p>In a little while he became so thirsty that a drink of water seemed even +more desirable than a bite of food. He tried to lick some of the +moisture from the sides of the sewer, but that was only aggravating. It +seemed to increase rather than diminish his thirst.</p> + +<p>One hopeful feature of his adventure was that the big sewer seemed to +grow lighter as he proceeded, and he was sure he was coming near the +end. But before this hope was realized he stumbled upon something that +gave him a shock.</p> + +<p>Just ahead of him something long and black hung from the roof of the +sewer, reaching down almost to the bottom. Bumper stopped to gaze<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> +critically at it, his little heart beating with apprehension. Was this +the shadow of some strange animal, or was it simply an innocent log of +wood that had got wedged in the sewer?</p> + +<p>As it didn't move, and was perfectly noiseless, Bumper concluded that it +was harmless, and so he approached it and after sniffing at it began +nibbling the lower part. Suddenly there was a loud squeak, and the big +shadow seemed to part in the middle and fly in every direction. It took +wings so strangely that Bumper was more astounded than frightened.</p> + +<p>The sewer was filled with black shadows that flitted all around him. +Then followed a babel of noisy squeaks. Some came so close to his ears +that he dodged and ducked in fear. One pair of sharp beaks caught him on +the tip of his nose and made him squeal, and another nipped the back of +his head. He was too surprised and frightened by this time to run, and +he tried to defend himself with his two front paws.</p> + +<p>"It's the Sewer Rat! Bite him! Tweak his nose! Snap his tail! Tear out +his eyes!"</p> + +<p>The air was filled with these faint cries before Bumper began to realize +just what he was up against. He had run into a big bunch of bats +sleeping in the abandoned sewer, and his nibbling at them had alarmed +and angered them. It was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> apparent from their remarks that they mistook +him for Mr. Sewer Rat, who perhaps had annoyed them many times before, +and had even threatened to devour some of them.</p> + +<p>"I'm not the Sewer Rat!" cried Bumper. "Please don't snap out my eyes! I +didn't mean to disturb you! Wait! Wait, until I can explain!"</p> + +<p>"Who are you? And what are you, then?" cried the biggest and fiercest of +the bats, coming so close that his eyes looked like pin-points of light.</p> + +<p>"I'm Bumper, the white rabbit!"</p> + +<p>There was a pause, and the flittering wings seemed to stop beating the +air.</p> + +<p>"Bumper, the white rabbit! Who ever heard of a white rabbit! All rabbits +are brown or gray."</p> + +<p>It was the big bat speaking for the others, but they all joined him in +gnashing their teeth and in whipping the air with their soft, almost +noiseless, wings.</p> + +<p>"But I assure you I am a white rabbit," replied Bumper. "Come and look +at me."</p> + +<p>This challenge seemed fair, and some of the smaller bats approached +nearer, but the leader warned them back. "Keep away! It's the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> Sewer Rat +in disguise. It's a trick of his to catch you."</p> + +<p>"Is the Sewer Rat white?" interrupted Bumper.</p> + +<p>"No, not unless he's been whitewashed or been sleeping in a barrel of +flour."</p> + +<p>Bumper had to smile at this, for he recalled once how a big rat had been +caught in a bag of flour by the old woman who kept rabbits, and his hair +was as white as that of the whitest rabbit.</p> + +<p>"I can assure you, Mr. Bat, I haven't been whitewashed, and I haven't +been sleeping in flour. Look at my ears. Does Mr. Sewer Rat have long +ears like mine?"</p> + +<p>"No, but he could disguise them by using pieces of white paper. I +wouldn't trust him a minute."</p> + +<p>In desperation, Bumper then added: "But look at my tail! Did a Sewer Rat +or any other kind of a Rat have a tail like mine?"</p> + +<p>"Where is it?" asked the big Bat. "I don't see any tail at all. All +rabbits have white tails, and you haven't any at all."</p> + +<p>Bumper wagged the stump of tail that he thought would convince the bats, +but for a moment, he wasn't exactly sure that he saw it himself. Instead +of a white, fluffy stub of a tail as soft as cotton, he saw the +dirtiest, blackest<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> wad of hair waving in the air that had ever +disgraced a rabbit. The truth flashed upon his mind in an instant. What +he had supposed to be the blindness of the bats was nothing more than a +most natural circumstance.</p> + +<p>He was so black with the dust and mud of the drain-pipe that it was +misleading to call himself a white rabbit. He was far from it. He was as +dark as any wild rabbit of the woods—darker, in fact, for there was no +white fur under his stomach or around his stubby tail.</p> + +<p>He was so confused by this discovery that he could not find his tongue +to make reply. The Bats, accepting his silence as proof that his +deception had been found out, suddenly beat their wings and set up a +terrible uproar.</p> + +<p>"It's the Sewer Rat in disguise!" shouted the big leader of the Bats. +"Now we'll punish him! Drive him out of the sewer! Peck out his eyes!"</p> + +<p>Bumper stopped just long enough to realize that he had no chance in a +fight against all those whirring wings and little gnashing teeth. If he +was to escape at all, he had to get a start on the bats. Even though +flight seemed to confirm the suspicions of the Bats, he turned and fled +as fast as his four legs would carry him.</p> + +<p>There was plenty of room in the sewer, and Bumper made such tremendous +strides that he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> outdistanced all but a few of the leaders. They tried +to land on his back and claw him, but he shook them off, and dodged this +way and that, until the light ahead suddenly became so strong and +blinding that the bats gave up the chase.</p> + +<p>When Bumper finally came to the mouth of the sewer, he was all out of +breath, but the view ahead compensated for a lot of his troubles. He +could see the blue sky; green fields and waving trees, and near-by the +rippling surface of a lake or river. It looked like Paradise after the +darkness of the sewer; but all things that glitter, he found out, are +not gold, and every earthly Paradise seems to have its serpent lurking +somewhere around in the grass.</p> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-004" id="illus-004"></a> +<img src='images/illus-064.jpg' width='300' alt='They tried to land on his back and claw him' title='' /><br /> +<span class='caption'>They tried to land on his back and claw him</span> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="r8665" id="r8665"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> +<h2>STORY IX<br/>BUMPER ESCAPES ON A RAFT</h2> +</div> + +<p>Bumper took a long time to rest and get back some of his breath before +he ventured to the very mouth of the open sewer. As soon as he was sure +that the bats had abandoned the chase, he threw himself down and closed +his eyes from sheer weariness and exhaustion. Then, with returning +strength and hope, he raised himself on his two hind legs, and looked +around him.</p> + +<p>There was water at the mouth of the sewer, and he hopped toward it +eagerly. After lapping enough to satisfy his thirst, he began bathing +himself. He had never been so dirty before in all his life. He was +thankful the red-haired girl wasn't there to see him. She would perhaps +disown him.</p> + +<p>This thought soothed his feelings a little, and he splashed around in +the water until most of the dust and dirt was washed off. Then finding a +sunny spot near the entrance, he hopped to it, and sprawled himself out +to dry.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile, he began examining his surroundings very carefully, and a +little anxiously. The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> sewer dipped down into the river and disappeared +from view, and on either side of it, and above it, were very steep +walls. No rabbit could climb them. The only other possible way out of +the sewer was by swimming.</p> + +<p>Now Bumper had never learned to swim. Perhaps he could do it without +learning, but he felt afraid. None of his family had been swimmers, and +the river was certainly deep. From his place in the sun he could not see +bottom.</p> + +<p>Once more the thought of returning to the garden by the way he had come +occurred to him; but memory of the fierce bats and the Sewer Rat +immediately banished all ideas of this kind from his mind. "I'd never go +through that dark sewer again for anything," he said, shuddering. "I +must go on until I find another way back to the little girl."</p> + +<p>Bumper's one desire was to return to Edith. He was sorry now that he had +ever jumped out of his pen. If he had been contented and stayed where +the red-haired girl had put him, he would be eating delicious grass and +vegetables now instead of lying there alone, hungry and afraid to go on +or go back.</p> + +<p>His hunger came back to him, and gave him a sharp pain in the stomach. +"I must have something to eat," he said. "I'm nearly famished."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span></p> + +<p>But there was really nothing in sight that he could eat—not a spear of +grass nor a leaf. Then, just as if to prove to him that manna sometimes +falls from heaven to feed even poor, destitute rabbits, a big leaf came +floating down on the wind and fell almost at his feet. Bumper grabbed +it, and began chewing it greedily.</p> + +<p>"Oh, you mean, horrid thing!" chirped a voice. "That leaf belonged to +me. It was for my nest, and the wind blew it out of my bill."</p> + +<p>Bumper looked up, and saw a small sparrow perched on the top of the +embankment over his head.</p> + +<p>"I didn't know it was yours, Mrs. Sparrow," Bumper replied. "I thought +the wind just blew it to me."</p> + +<p>"Well, you know it now. Please give it to me."</p> + +<p>Bumper held the leaf in his mouth, with half of it already chewed up. It +tasted so good that the thought of abandoning it was more than he could +stand.</p> + +<p>"If you need it more than I do, Mrs. Sparrow," he said, "I'll give it to +you. But you must prove it."</p> + +<p>"Why, of course I do. I need it for my nest."</p> + +<p>"And I need it to keep me from starving."</p> + +<p>Mrs. Sparrow cocked her head sideways and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> looked queerly at him. "You +don't look as if you were starving," she observed. "You're as plump and +sleek as any rabbit I ever saw."</p> + +<p>"Maybe. But I haven't had any breakfast, and I'm not used to it. This +leaf tastes so good I wish I had a hundred more of them."</p> + +<p>"Then why don't you go and get them? There are plenty in the park and +woods."</p> + +<p>"But how am I going to get them?" asked Bumper. "Don't you see I'm +caught here in the mouth of the sewer. I can't get out without +swimming."</p> + +<p>Mrs. Sparrow looked surprised at this information, and flew from her +perch on the embankment to a stone below. She cocked her head sideways, +and looked all around her.</p> + +<p>"What puzzles me," she said finally, "is how you ever got in there +without swimming. You can't fly."</p> + +<p>Bumper smiled, and shook his head. "No, but I wish I could. I wouldn't +stay here arguing with you about this leaf but fly away and get a good +breakfast of a lot of them."</p> + +<p>"Are you really so hungry, Mr. White Rabbit?"</p> + +<p>"Indeed, I am nearly famished."</p> + +<p>And then he told Mrs. Sparrow of his adventures in the drain-pipe of the +garden and the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> big abandoned sewer. Mrs. Sparrow was evidently affected +by his recital, for she immediately flew away and soon returned with +another green leaf.</p> + +<p>"Now eat that, and I'll get you another," she said. "I know what it is +to go without breakfast and dinner. I've had to do it many times. Now +eat your full."</p> + +<p>Bumper devoured the leaf so quickly that it seemed as if he must have +swallowed it without chewing it. "You see, Mrs. Sparrow," he remarked, +"you couldn't feed me enough. I have a very big appetite. Why, I could +eat leaves much faster than you could bring them to me."</p> + +<p>"So it seems," murmured the sparrow in a little surprised voice. "I +never realized how much some animals can eat at once. I don't think I +can do more than just take the edge of your appetite off."</p> + +<p>"That's very kind of you. And I shall be grateful to you! If you'll +bring me just a few more leaves, I will then ask you to direct me back +to the little girl's garden."</p> + +<p>"I'm sure I'd like to, but there are so many gardens around, and they +all look alike."</p> + +<p>"But there's only one with a red-haired girl in it," replied Bumper. +"Can't you fly away, and find her?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I'll try," said Mrs. Sparrow.</p> + +<p>So after feeding Bumper a few more green leaves, she flew away to find +the garden. She was gone so long that Bumper got very restless and +discouraged. The few leaves hadn't satisfied his hunger; they had merely +stimulated his desire for more. It was past noon when Mrs. Sparrow +finally reappeared at the entrance to the sewer.</p> + +<p>"What news?" asked Bumper, eagerly.</p> + +<p>"Nothing that's good, Mr. White Rabbit. I flew into garden after +garden—and all of them pretty, and full of fruits and vegetables—but +there was no red-headed girl in any of them. I saw dogs, too—many of +them—but I couldn't tell whether any of them answered to the name of +Carlo."</p> + +<p>"Then it looks to me," remarked Bumper, "that I'm in for a long swim. +Where does this river go to?"</p> + +<p>"Way out into the country through beautiful fields and woods," replied +Mrs. Sparrow.</p> + +<p>"Could I reach them, I wonder! I might drown before I could get ashore."</p> + +<p>"Wait!" exclaimed Mrs. Sparrow. "Why not escape on a raft? Here comes a +big board down the river. You could hop on it, and not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> even get wet. +Yes, you could do it. It's floating close to the shore."</p> + +<p>"Where is it?" exclaimed Bumper, eagerly.</p> + +<p>"Right here! Now get ready for a long jump."</p> + +<p>Bumper was not only ready, but very anxious, and when the floating board +appeared a yard or more from the mouth of the sewer he crouched for a +spring. It was a long jump, and Bumper had some doubts about making it; +but he put all his strength in it, and hopped high in the air, and +landed safely on the raft.</p> + +<p>"Hi! How was that for a jump!" he exclaimed, when he stood upright on +the board.</p> + +<p>"Fine!" said Mrs. Sparrow. "I wish you a good voyage! Good-bye!"</p> + +<p>Bumper wagged his ears in reply, and shouted back a hearty farewell. +Then he turned to look down the river. He had escaped from the sewer, +but evidently he had adventures still ahead, for the river was broad and +long, and very swift in places.</p> + +<hr class="major" /> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="r6331" id="r6331"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> +<h2>STORY X<br/>BUMPER SEES HIS FIRST BLACK CROW</h2> +</div> + +<p>When Bumper floated away from the mouth of the sewer on his raft, he +felt quite jubilant, and a little proud of his achievement. He had +escaped the bats successfully, and now he had found a way out of the +sewer itself. He was so puffed up by these exploits that he wasn't a bit +afraid of what might happen to him on the river.</p> + +<p>"This is really much better than being cooped up in the old woman's +backyard," he reflected. "Not even Jimsy or Wheedles ever dreamed of +such adventures as I've had. My! I feel like a great traveler already."</p> + +<p>But when the current of the river began to draw his raft away from the +shore into the middle, his enthusiasm was not quite so great. The stream +grew rougher, and little white caps appeared ahead. His raft began to +bob up and down, and pretty soon a wave washed over it and wet Bumper's +feet.</p> + +<p>This made him very uncomfortable, for a rabbit doesn't like wet feet any +more than a cat<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> does. He tried to sit up on his hind legs and dry his +front paws, but other waves washed over the raft and wet his haunches. +He couldn't very well stand on his front paws, and dry his hind ones, so +he had to endure the wet and cold.</p> + +<p>The river passed through a beautiful field all aglow with flowers and +green grass, but the shore was too far away for Bumper to swim to it. +"I'll leave well enough alone," he said, "and stick to my raft."</p> + +<p>Then he came to a woods through which the river flowed. It was swampy +here, and twigs and tree trunks seemed to grow out of the water long +distances from the shore.</p> + +<p>"If I can find a tree fallen in the river, I'll hop on it and escape," +Bumper reasoned.</p> + +<p>He was so absorbed in watching for a chance to escape that he hardly +noticed a black shadow hovering over him. Not until it approached very +close did he duck his head and look up.</p> + +<p>"Caw! Caw!"</p> + +<p>It was a big, black crow. Now Bumper had never seen a crow. In fact, he +had never seen any of the wild animals of the woods, for it must be +remembered that he was born in the city. Of course, he had seen plenty +of sparrows, for they live in the cities, and also sewer rats. A few +bats had also flown over the old woman's<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> backyard on warm nights +hunting insects, and Bumper was more or less acquainted with them.</p> + +<p>But a crow! He didn't know what it was. So when the loud, raucous cry +assailed his ears, he squatted down on his raft, expecting every minute +to be attacked by the black shadow above.</p> + +<p>"Caw! Caw!" screamed the big bird.</p> + +<p>"Mr. Caw! Mr. Caw!" cried Bumper, supposing that was the bird's name. +"Good morning! How do you do?"</p> + +<p>Now, the crow is very sensitive about his inability to sing. He used to +think that cawing was singing until the birds all laughed at him. After +that he kept by himself, and very rarely joined the other birds in the +woods or fields.</p> + +<p>Bumper's calling him by that name very naturally angered him. It was a +slight, a slur upon his voice, and he resented it at once. It must be +remembered also that the crow had never seen a white rabbit before, and +Bumper's appearance floating on the plank had excited the bird's +curiosity. White rabbits don't run wild in the woods, and Bumper was +almost as much a mystery to the crow as the latter was to the former. +All the rabbits Mr. Crow knew were gray or brown, with a white belly and +tail, and none of them had pink eyes. So it was quite natural that the +black bird should be curious and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> surprised at the sight of a pure white +rabbit, with pink eyes, floating down the river on a raft.</p> + +<p>"Caw! Caw!" screamed the crow, flapping his wings so that the wind made +by them ruffled Bumper's hair.</p> + +<p>"Yes, yes, Mr. Caw. I understand," replied Bumper, getting excited by +the nearness of this big, black thing.</p> + +<p>"How dare you make fun of me!" cried Mr. Crow, striking the tip of +Bumper's ears with his wings. "I'll teach you to laugh at my voice."</p> + +<p>With that he struck out with both wings, and nearly upset Bumper from +his raft. Frightened by this exhibition of anger, Bumper's teeth +chattered, and his voice shook.</p> + +<p>"I wasn't making fun of your voice, Mr. Caw," he said. "I think it's a +very sweet and pleasant voice. Please don't upset my raft."</p> + +<p>The crow, a little mollified by this flattery, circled around the raft, +and surveyed the scene below with eyes filled with curiosity.</p> + +<p>"What are you, anyway?" he called down at last. "You look like Mr. +Rabbit, but I never saw one so white before. What's your name? And what +are you doing on that raft?"</p> + +<p>"I'm Bumper, the White Rabbit, and—"</p> + +<p>"Rabbits are never white," interrupted the crow.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span></p> + +<p>"But I assure you I am."</p> + +<p>"Then you're not a rabbit. You're something else."</p> + +<p>Bumper smiled and tried to look pleased. "Would you be something else if +you were white?" he asked.</p> + +<p>Now this reference to an old fable of the crows touched a sensitive +spot. There were white crows, or at least there were rumors of them, and +every crow liked to believe the story was true. If one white crow, then +why not more? Why shouldn't all crows be white?</p> + +<p>"Did you ever see a white crow?" the bird asked.</p> + +<p>"Crow! Crow!" stammered Bumper. "Is that your name? I'm sorry, Mr. Crow, +I made a mistake. You see, I'm from the city, and crows don't live +there."</p> + +<p>"No, I should say not—unless the white ones do." He came nearer and +showed excitement. "Answer me. Did you ever see a white crow? If all +rabbits from the city are white, then maybe that's where the white crows +come from."</p> + +<p>Now Bumper was learning shrewdness, and he saw right away through the +vanity of the bird that had him at his mercy. So, instead of answering +directly, he pretended that he knew a great deal more than he did.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I'm surprised, Mr. Crow," he said, "that you've never been in the city +to see for yourself. You really mean to tell me you've never been in the +city?"</p> + +<p>"Why, no, it's not a place for crows."</p> + +<p>"Maybe not for black ones, but white crows are perfectly safe there, the +same as white rabbits. I never saw one hurt there."</p> + +<p>"Don't men shoot them?"</p> + +<p>"No. People don't shoot birds and animals in the city. They're not +allowed to carry guns at all. You're really safer than out here in the +country."</p> + +<p>"But there's nothing to eat in the city—not for crows. Is there?"</p> + +<p>"All the white crows I knew were well fed. And the sparrows get plenty. +People feed them sometimes in the park. Why, there are squirrels that +have all the nuts they can eat, and they don't have to hunt for them."</p> + +<p>"White squirrels?" interrupted Mr. Crow, eagerly.</p> + +<p>"Did you ever see a white squirrel, Mr. Crow?" asked Bumper, instead of +answering this question.</p> + +<p>"No, I never did."</p> + +<p>"Then," sighing, "I'm afraid there are none."</p> + +<p>Mr. Crow wasn't so much interested in white<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> squirrels as in white +crows, and he dismissed the matter from his mind. After a pause, he +added: "I believe I'll take a trip to the city, if there's no danger. +I'd like to visit some of the white crows. It may be if I stay with them +in the city, I'll turn white, too."</p> + +<p>Bumper didn't want to deceive him, but he was still afraid of him. +Instead of answering directly, he asked: "Before you go, Mr. Crow, can't +you help me to get ashore? I'm very tired of this raft. You make so much +wind with your beautiful wings, I'm sure you could blow me inshore with +them."</p> + +<p>"Yes, I suppose I could," was the reply. "Well, since you were kind +enough to tell me about my relatives in the city, I'll help you."</p> + +<p>He began beating his wings violently, and the wind from them nearly blew +Bumper off the raft, but the board floated closer and closer to the +shore until the rabbit with a hop landed on it, and bade the crow +good-bye.</p> + +<hr class="major" /> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="r8494" id="r8494"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XI<br/>BUMPER MEETS A FOX</h2> +</div> + +<p>When the White Rabbit hopped ashore from his raft, he was so happy that +he gave the board a kick with his two hind legs, and sent it spinning +far out into the stream. He supposed that he was all alone, and no one +had seen him land, but he was surprised when a voice near him cried out:</p> + +<p>"Look out! What are you trying to do?"</p> + +<p>There was a flop in the water, and when Bumper turned he saw a queer +looking fish swimming toward the shore, using his hind legs instead of +fins to propel him along. He had big, staring eyes, and a green head, +with white under his throat.</p> + +<p>"That's what I call a mean trick!" the swimmer added, hopping upon a +lily-pad, for it was Mr. Bull-Frog that Bumper had mistaken for a queer +fish. "You upset me from that leaf and disturbed my sleep. If I hadn't +been an excellent swimmer I should have been dead by this time."</p> + +<p>"What did I do?" asked Bumper, in surprise.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span></p> + +<p>"What did you do?" was the indignant retort. "What but push that board +against my lily-pad and knock me in the water! I call that doing a good +deal."</p> + +<p>Bumper was inclined to laugh at the angry Bull-Frog, who was swelling up +to twice his usual size and puffing out his cheeks; but he refrained +from this when he realized that he had unintentionally disturbed the +frog's noonday siesta. So he answered in a friendly way, hoping to +pacify his feelings.</p> + +<p>"I'm sorry, Mr. Frog, but I didn't see you on the lily-pad. The fact is, +your head is exactly the color of the lily-pad, and no one could +distinguish it a few feet away. What a lovely green it is, too—your +head, I mean."</p> + +<p>Mr. Bull-Frog was apparently as susceptible to flattery as Mr. Crow, and +his ruffled feelings began to subside. "Yes, I fancy it is a pretty +green," he said. "I've always heard that the lily was the prettiest of +flowers, and that's why my family is attracted by it. Would you like to +sun yourself on one of these pads? They're very soft and cool."</p> + +<p>"No, thank you," laughed Bumper, "I'm afraid I'd get my feet wet. +Besides, I'm desperately hungry. If you don't mind I'll eat some of +these delicious leaves and grasses."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Go ahead. I don't mind. But I can't see what you like about them to +eat."</p> + +<p>"Neither can I see why a frog likes flies and insects. Ugh! The thought +of eating them makes me sick."</p> + +<p>"Well," remarked Mr. Frog, "I suppose every one to his taste. As for me, +I prefer flies and worms, and—"</p> + +<p>He stopped suddenly, and looked through the low brush into the woods +back of the river front. Bumper was so busy filling his little stomach +with green, succulent things that he scarcely noticed the other's +hesitation.</p> + +<p>"—and," continued Mr. Frog, after a pause, "some animals prefer eating +rats, lizards, toads, and rabbits."</p> + +<p>"Rabbits!" exclaimed Bumper. "Who eats rabbits?"</p> + +<p>"Mr. Fox for one," answered the Frog, "and if my eyes don't deceive me +there's one in the bushes waiting to eat you. If you'll excuse me, I'll +take a dive. I've known Mr. Fox to eat frogs when he was very hungry."</p> + +<p>There was a flop in the water, and the bullfrog disappeared from sight. +Bumper reared up on his hind legs and looked around him. He had never +seen a fox, but his mother had often told him tales about their cruelty. +They were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> forever hunting little rabbits to eat, and they were as sly +and cunning as they were barbarous.</p> + +<p>Bumper's quick eyes caught sight of Mr. Fox hiding in the bushes, and, +for a moment, his heart beat a loud tattoo. What was he to do? Jump back +in the river and try to swim across to the opposite shore, or face the +fox and try to escape from him by running?</p> + +<p>The woods were very thick all along the river's bank, and there were +many good hiding-places; but Mr. Fox stood ready to head him off either +way he ran. Bumper was in a quandary just what to do.</p> + +<p>"Good morning, Mr. Fox!" he called, hoping to gain time by being polite +and friendly.</p> + +<p>Mr. Fox sniffed the air, raising his nose several inches above his head. +He seemed quite uncertain about something, but his nose apparently +satisfied him.</p> + +<p>"Good morning," he answered finally, grinning. "But what a joke you +played on me, Mr. Rabbit. I couldn't believe my own eyes. What's +happened to you?"</p> + +<p>"Why, nothing," stammered Bumper, mystified. "Why do you ask such a +question."</p> + +<p>"Why? Because you're all white. I thought first you were a ghost. And +your eyes—they're<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> pink. Whoever heard of a white rabbit with pink +eyes?"</p> + +<p>Bumper was quick to see the cause of the fox's surprise. Like the crow, +he had never seen a white rabbit before, and he suddenly gained +confidence by this knowledge.</p> + +<p>"How do you know I'm not a ghost?" he asked, smiling.</p> + +<p>"How do I know? Ha! Ha! That's a good one! But I'll tell you how I know. +I smell you. No ghost could have that delicious rabbit smell that fills +my nose every time the wind blows toward me."</p> + +<p>Bumper, for the lack of any words to say, laughed long and hard at this +remark. Then he controlled himself, and added: "I wouldn't trust my +nose, Mr. Fox. A rabbit's ghost might smell just as sweet and delicious +as a real one."</p> + +<p>"I don't believe it," grinned Mr. Fox. "Anyway, I'm going to find out. +If you're a ghost, why, it will be easy enough for you to disappear."</p> + +<p>"Yes, of course, but I should hate to disappoint you. Now, do you know +where rabbits go when they die?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, in my stomach."</p> + +<p>Mr. Fox laughed long and loud at this cruel joke, and Bumper winced; but +he was playing for time to think of a plan to escape. Evidently<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> Mr. Fox +was not to be outwitted by flattery, and he determined upon another +ruse.</p> + +<p>There was a fallen tree near him, but to reach it he would have to +advance a few feet straight toward the fox. The heart of the tree was +rotten and hollow, and to escape in this was Bumper's design. But how to +distract Mr. Fox's attention until he could reach it was the question.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Mr. Fox," he said suddenly, "I met Mr. Crow on the river, and he +asked me about the white crows in the city. When I told him, he flew +away to the city to see if living there would turn him white. That's a +joke on Mr. Crow all right, isn't it?"</p> + +<p>"Yes—but are there white crows in the city?"</p> + +<p>"There are white rabbits. Then why not white crows, and white foxes?"</p> + +<p>"White foxes?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, why not? Didn't you ever see one?"</p> + +<p>"No, but I've heard of them, it seems to me, but they live way up north, +don't they?"</p> + +<p>"If you want to see one now," continued Bumper, "look at the sun for ten +seconds, and sneeze twice, and then—"</p> + +<p>"What then?"</p> + +<p>"Do as I tell you, and then I'll tell you the rest."</p> + +<p>Mr. Fox, after all, was a little vain, or at least<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> very curious, and +this strange proposition interested him. He raised his head, and looked +straight into the blinding sun.</p> + +<p>"Now count—one, two, three, four, and sneeze," added Bumper.</p> + +<p>No fox can look hard at the sun long without sneezing, and after +counting six this one nearly sneezed his head off. That was what Bumper +was waiting for. He made a dive for the hollow tree, and got inside of +it. When Mr. Fox reached the log, and found the hole too small for him, +he was quite mad, and said: "I'll make you pay for that trick some day, +Mr. Rabbit."</p> + +<hr class="major" /> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="r2183" id="r2183"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XII<br/>BUMPER ADMIRED BY THE BIRDS</h2> +</div> + +<p>It isn't good for us to be too smart. It sometimes makes us vain, and +then one day we overdo it. Bumper had some excuse for playing the trick +on Mr. Crow and Mr. Fox, for his life depended upon it; but his success +was giving him a little swelled head. He began to feel that he could get +out of any danger by using his wits.</p> + +<p>"It takes a city rabbit to find a way out of difficulty," he reflected, +as he lay snugly in the hollow trunk of the tree. "These country animals +are dull-witted. I do hope my cousins of the woods are not so stupid. +Perhaps they are, and that's why people say rabbits are cunning but very +stupid."</p> + +<p>This sort of reasoning was the very thing that got him in trouble, and +nearly caused his death. He was so sure that he had outwitted Mr. Fox, +he decided after a while to leave the hollow trunk, and eat some of the +green leaves and branches growing around outside.</p> + +<p>But he knew less about the cunning and patience of the fox than he +thought. Instead of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> trotting off in the woods, chagrined and disgusted +by his defeat, the fox was lying low ready to pounce on the white rabbit +the moment he showed himself. He was so still that Bumper couldn't hear +the rustle of a leaf or the snap of a twig.</p> + +<p>"I think I'll go out now," Bumper said finally. "I'm dreadfully hungry."</p> + +<p>Instead of poking his head out cautiously to investigate, he walked +straight from the hollow trunk into the very jaws of the fox. There was +a sharp click of teeth, and Bumper felt a terrible pain in one of his +long ears. He must have leaped five feet in the air, and another five +feet sideways. The fox had missed his neck by an inch, but to make up +for this mistake, he now pursued the rabbit, leaping nearly as high in +the air to catch him as Bumper.</p> + +<p>Terrified by the attack, and not knowing what to do, the white rabbit +jumped this way and that, clearing high bushes and landing in dense +thickets that tore his fur and hurt him terribly. But the fox followed +him, paying no attention to the briers and thorns.</p> + +<p>It was a narrow escape. For a moment Bumper thought his time had come. +He couldn't get back to the hollow tree trunk, and there was no other +hiding-place near that the fox couldn't follow him in.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span></p> + +<p>It certainly would have gone hard with him, and the rest of his +adventures could never have been told, if a couple of blue jays hadn't +built a nest in a tree directly over him. The commotion in the bushes +startled the birds, and with loud, shrill cries they darted down to see +what was doing. The sight of the fox angered them. Foxes robbed birds' +nests whenever they got a chance, and the blue jays knew this. +Therefore, a fox in the neighborhood of their home was not to be +tolerated.</p> + +<p>They flew down like two blue streaks and landed their sharp bills on the +head and face of Mr. Fox. One stroke came so near to one of his eyes +that he dodged and ducked, and stopped pursuing Bumper long enough to +snap at the birds.</p> + +<p>But the blue jays were prepared for this, and they kept well beyond his +reach. As soon as he turned from them to the rabbit again they flew back +to the attack. They punished him unmercifully, pecking at him until he +was so angry that he could hardly see straight.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile, of course, Bumper was taking advantage of this interruption. +He was running through the underbrush as fast as he could until he was +far ahead. Right and left he searched for a hole or any kind of an +opening he could<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> crawl in. And there, just ahead of him, appeared what +he was looking for! This time it was the hollow branch of a giant tree +hanging down, with one end still attached to the trunk.</p> + +<p>Bumper was in the hollow branch like a flash. Mr. Fox reached it just a +moment too late, and to vent his anger at losing the rabbit the second +time he clawed and snapped at the branch as if he would rip it asunder. +But the limb, with a decayed heart, had a stout shell, and the fox soon +gave it up in disgust.</p> + +<p>Now, the hollow branch, as you know, had one end on the ground, and the +other still attached to the trunk where the wind had broken it off. So +Bumper found his hole slanting upward, and as he crawled through to the +other end he was actually climbing a tree. Perhaps you have heard that +rabbits can't climb trees, but Bumper did in this instance.</p> + +<p>When he reached the upper end, he found himself ten feet from the +ground, with Mr. Fox below and unable to reach him. It was such an +unusual sight to see a rabbit up a tree that the fox was more puzzled +than ever. "Could white rabbits climb trees?" he asked himself.</p> + +<p>Between his discouragement at being twice outwitted, and his amazement +at finding a white rabbit with pink eyes that could climb a tree, Mr.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> +Fox finally dropped his tail between his legs and trotted away. Bumper +watched him go, and sighed with relief. The blue jays were equally +relieved in mind, and once more returned to their home to guard it +against invasion.</p> + +<p>When Bumper stuck his head out of the upper end of the big tree branch, +he noticed that he was up among the birds which had been singing a +lively concert until he interrupted them. There were birds which Bumper +had never seen before, some with startling plumage, and others with +voices that sounded like flutes.</p> + +<p>They did not renew their singing, but perked their heads sideways and +watched this strange thing popping out of the hollow limb. Finally one +of them, Mrs. Oriole, clad in a suit of gold, streaked with black and +gray, spoke.</p> + +<p>"It's Mr. Rabbit's ghost, I do believe. Mr. Fox must have caught him +after all."</p> + +<p>"If it's a ghost, I'd like to have some of his white fur for my nest," +remarked Rusty the Blackbird. "I think I'll steal some."</p> + +<p>"He's a pretty lively ghost," warned Piney the Purple Finch. "I wouldn't +venture too near."</p> + +<p>Bumper blinked his pink eyes at them, and smiled.</p> + +<p>"I'm not a ghost yet," he said. "I'm quite<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> alive and well, but very +hungry. If you don't mind I'll eat a few of these delicious green +leaves."</p> + +<p>The birds watched him in silence. They were as curious and puzzled as +the Crow had been. Finally, Mr. Pine Grosbeak plucked up courage to +approach nearer.</p> + +<p>"If you're really alive," he said, "let me pluck some of those beautiful +white hairs as souvenirs. I never saw such lovely fur before."</p> + +<p>"You can have one hair," laughed Bumper, "just to prove to you that I'm +a real live rabbit."</p> + +<p>Mr. Pine Grosbeak took him at his word, and plucked a hair from his +back. It made Bumper wince.</p> + +<p>"Surely you'll give me one, too, for my nest," added Piney the Purple +Finch, and without waiting for consent he plucked two. Rusty the +Blackbird came swooping down next. "I need some of your beautiful white +fur to show my little ones," he said. "I'll take three."</p> + +<p>The other birds expressed their admiration, and then begged a few hairs, +too. There was Mrs. Crested Flycatcher, and Mrs. Ph[oe]be Bird, and +little Towhee the Chewink. The process of extracting a few hairs from +his back caused Bumper exquisite pain, but he wanted to be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> obliging, +especially as the birds all admired and flattered him.</p> + +<p>But when Mr. Woodpecker, who had been rapping on the dead trees of the +woods, appeared, Bumper decided it was time for him to call a halt. +"That's all I can spare," he said, and darted back into the hollow +branch.</p> + +<p>He was glad to make friends with the birds, but he didn't want to be +robbed of all the clothes he had.</p> + +<hr class="major" /> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="r5645" id="r5645"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XIII<br/>BUMPER NEEDS A DOCTOR</h2> +</div> + +<p>It was necessary for Bumper to show a certain amount of firmness with +his newly-made friends, and when he finally emerged from the hollow +branch again he made a little speech to the birds.</p> + +<p>"If you don't mind, dear friends," he said, "I must ask you to stop +plucking me any more. I really can't afford to lose my fur. It's all the +protection I have from the rain, and when winter comes I'll need it to +keep me warm."</p> + +<p>"But a few hairs to line my nest with won't hurt you," pleaded Mrs. +Ph[oe]be Bird.</p> + +<p>"No," replied Bumper firmly, "if I let you have some I must do the same +to all the others, and I don't want to offend Towhee the Chewink or Mr. +Crested Flycatcher or any of the others. I want to be friends with all +of you."</p> + +<p>The justice of this was recognized by all the birds, and they decided +not to press the question; but they were voluble with their expressions +of admiration.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I never saw such beautiful pink eyes before," remarked Piney the Purple +Finch.</p> + +<p>"Nor such snow-white fur," added Mr. Pine Grosbeak.</p> + +<p>"I never knew there was such a thing as a white rabbit in the world," +said Rusty the Blackbird.</p> + +<p>Bumper could not feel other than puffed up by such remarks, but he tried +to hide it from his new friends.</p> + +<p>"Are all the rabbits in the woods brown or gray, then?" he asked. "I +should like to see them. Do they live around here?"</p> + +<p>"Yes," replied the Purple Finch, "but they're very much frightened and +keep to their burrows since Mr. Fox came here to live."</p> + +<p>"I should like to find them," sighed Bumper. "The fact is, I'm lonesome, +and a little bit homesick. I'm not used to the woods, and I should +dearly like to find some of my brown cousins so they could teach me +things."</p> + +<p>"I shouldn't think you needed much teaching," laughed the Red-Headed +Woodpecker, tapping the limb with his powerful bill. "Any rabbit that +can escape from Mr. Fox and climb a tree as you did must know a great +deal."</p> + +<p>The other birds nodded their heads at this remark,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> and Bumper looked +pleased at the compliment to his shrewdness.</p> + +<p>"Still," he said, "I'd like to meet my country cousins."</p> + +<p>"If I see any of them," Rusty the Blackbird replied, "I'll tell them +about you. They'll be surprised to know of your coming."</p> + +<p>The rest agreed to carry the news to the wild rabbits when they saw +them, and Bumper knew that he would soon find his country cousins. He +felt that he would be welcome, and safer with them. There were so many +puzzling things about the woods that, in spite of his self-confidence, +he was often embarrassed.</p> + +<p>This conclusion was further impressed upon him very forcibly a few hours +later. When he was certain that the fox had left the vicinity for good, +he crawled through his tunnel to the ground, and began feeding on the +wild grasses, leaves and strange plants that grew so thickly in the +woods.</p> + +<p>Most of the plants were new to him. He hardly recognized any of them. +Some were sweet and juicy, and others were so bitter that one taste was +enough. No one could help him in the selection of his food, and he had +to trust to his instinct.</p> + +<p>But instinct isn't always a safe guide when<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> one is not familiar with +his surroundings. Now just what plant it was that disagreed with him +Bumper never knew. His little stomach was so full of leaves and plants +that when he first began to feel sick and giddy he thought it was due to +overeating.</p> + +<p>"I'll just lie down in the shade now and rest," he said. "Then when I +feel better I'll hop around and find a place to spend the night."</p> + +<p>This was a wise decision, but it wasn't a cure. Something he had eaten +clearly disagreed with him. Instead of growing better he felt worse the +longer he rested. In time he was feeling so sick and giddy that if Mr. +Fox had appeared he would have made short work of Bumper. His groans +soon attracted the birds, and they flew to where he was lying and asked +him the trouble.</p> + +<p>"I'm dying, I think," moaned Bumper. "I must have eaten some poisonous +plant, and I know I'm dying."</p> + +<p>The birds were startled by this information, and they held an immediate +consultation.</p> + +<p>"It's perhaps true what he says," remarked Mrs. Ph[oe]be Bird. "He's +eaten some poisonous plant."</p> + +<p>"If we only knew what it was," added the Pine Grosbeak, "we might help +him. There's an antidote for every poison."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Yes," assented the Purple Finch, "but not knowing the kind of poison, +we can't prescribe the antidote."</p> + +<p>"Why not," suggested the Crested Flycatcher, "give him all the +antidotes, and then we're sure to give him the right one."</p> + +<p>Rusty the Blackbird laughed out loud at this suggestion. "Why," he said, +"we'd stuff him so full of antidotes that he'd die anyhow. No, I think +we'd better see Mr. Crane."</p> + +<p>"What could he do? He's no kind of a doctor," indignantly remarked Mrs. +Ph[oe]be Bird. "The idea of calling him in!"</p> + +<p>Rusty, who was a jolly, rollicking bird, winked, and added: "No, he +isn't much of a doctor, it's true, but he's got one medicine that nearly +always works. I'll go fetch him."</p> + +<p>During the dispute that followed, Rusty slipped away, and before the +argument had reached a climax, he returned, accompanied by Mr. Crane.</p> + +<p>"Now, Dr. Crane," said Rusty, smiling and winking, "see what you can do +with the White Rabbit. I told you what ailed him. He's eaten too much of +something that disagrees with him."</p> + +<p>"Then I can cure him," gravely replied Dr. Crane, approaching Bumper's +side. The other birds crowded around to see what he would do.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> The +appearance of Mr. Crane in the rôle of a doctor was a new one to them, +and they were curious to see how well he would acquit himself.</p> + +<p>"Let me see your tongue," Mr. Crane said solemnly.</p> + +<p>Bumper stuck out his tongue obediently, for he felt so sick that he +didn't care what happened to him.</p> + +<p>"That's good! Now I must look down your throat. Open it wide."</p> + +<p>Bumper readily complied, and Mr. Crane looked down it.</p> + +<p>"Now hold it open," Mr. Crane continued. "Don't close it until I tell +you. I won't hurt you."</p> + +<p>Then to the surprise of Bumper and all the birds, he inserted his long, +slender bill down the throat as if he intended to pull something out of +it. But he had no such intention. He simply twisted the bill around +gently.</p> + +<p>Bumper felt a tickling sensation in his throat, and he wanted to gag, +but the bill prevented him. The tickling went on for some time until +Bumper, in spite of himself, began to gag and retch. Then, as suddenly +as Dr. Crane had inserted his bill in the throat, he withdrew it.</p> + +<p>But Dr. Crane had accomplished his purpose. The tickling in the throat +had started Bumper<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> to vomiting, and all his dinner, including the +poisonous plant, came up with a rush. It made him weak and faint, but +the pain in his stomach was relieved, and when he was through he looked +up and said faintly: "Thank you, Dr. Crane, I feel much better."</p> + +<p>And Rusty the Blackbird, flapping his wings, crowed with delight: "What +did I tell you! Dr. Crane carries an antidote for every poison in his +bill! But it's a bitter medicine sometimes."</p> + +<hr class="major" /> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="r8524" id="r8524"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XIV<br/>BUMPER MEETS MR. BEAR</h2> +</div> + +<p>Bumper spent a quiet, restful night after Dr. Crane had removed the +trouble that was causing his sickness; but he was very weak and faint, +and he slept long after the birds were up and singing. He was a little +afraid at first to eat anything when he finally crawled from his hole in +the decayed tree branch; but, recognizing some sweet birch trees, he ate +moderately of the leaves and bark.</p> + +<p>This seemed to put new life in him, and by early noon he felt quite +himself again. Rusty the Blackbird, who had taken quite an interest in +him, brought him the cheering news that his country cousins were living +in a burrow a few miles back in the thick woods.</p> + +<p>"Take this deer trail back about a mile, and you'll find them," he said. +"You can't miss their home. It's under a big rock which you'll come to."</p> + +<p>Bumper thanked him, and decided to begin his journey at once. He was +very anxious to find a home with the wild rabbits, for his chance of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> +getting back to the garden where the red-headed girl lived was very +slim. He had no idea how far down the river he had floated, nor what +direction to take to find the garden.</p> + +<p>"Is there any danger of meeting Mr. Fox on the trail?" he asked a little +anxiously.</p> + +<p>"No," replied Rusty, "for Buster the Bear frequents the trail, and Mr. +Fox is dreadfully afraid of him."</p> + +<p>"But how about Buster the Bear eating me up?"</p> + +<p>"He might," admitted Rusty, "if he caught you, and was very hungry, but +you don't want to let him catch you."</p> + +<p>"That's true," replied Bumper, "but I might not be able to avoid him. Is +he as quick as Mr. Fox?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, dear, no! You can easily outrun him. He's so clumsy he falls over +his own big feet sometimes, and he makes such a noise you can hear him +coming a mile away."</p> + +<p>"Then I don't believe I'm afraid of him," replied Bumper, in a voice of +relief.</p> + +<p>When he started out on his travels he felt pretty good, and on the way +he stopped to eat every time he found something he knew was good for +him. He avoided all strange plants, and ate only those he recognized.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span></p> + +<p>In a short time he came to such thick woods that if it hadn't been for +the deer trail he would have been lost, but he followed Rusty's +directions, and kept strictly to the well-worn path. When he grew tired, +he rested by the wayside, always hiding in the thick bushes, and keeping +one eye and both ears open. There were many strange and wonderful noises +in the woods, and more than once Bumper started up with fright.</p> + +<p>But nothing happened to him until he was so far in the woods that he +thought the big rock must be near. He kept a sharp lookout for it. Just +then he heard a noise so different from anything that had startled him +before that he stopped to listen. It seemed as if some one was in great +pain, and needed help.</p> + +<p>Now Bumper was very tender-hearted, and any one in distress made him +very sad. So instead of keeping on the trail, he wandered off to find +out who was moaning so loudly.</p> + +<p>And what he beheld was enough to make any rabbit laugh! It was Buster +the Bear fast asleep, snoring as if he enjoyed it. Bumper was frightened +at first by the sight of the big, shaggy head and body, but when he +recalled Rusty's words, and saw that Buster was sleeping, he stopped and +laughed. It was a sight to make any one laugh.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span></p> + +<p>Buster's big, shaggy body rose and fell with every breath, and each time +a loud snore came from his half open mouth. It sounded like a wheezy +pair of bellows trying to play a tune. Bumper had never heard anything +like it in his life.</p> + +<p>While he stood off at a safe distance watching, a bumblebee lighted on +Buster's nose and tickled it. The bear brushed it off with a paw, and +rolled over to renew his sleep. But, unfortunately for Buster, he +whacked the bee so hard that he must have hurt it.</p> + +<p>Anyway, the bumblebee resented it, and gave him a sharp sting on the +nose. The effect was startling. Buster came to life with a jump, and let +out a loud:</p> + +<p>"B-r-r-r! Whoof!"</p> + +<p>The ground seemed to tremble as he struggled to his feet, and swung his +huge paws at the bee. But the bumblebee, having accomplished its +purpose, calmly flew away. Buster rubbed his smarting nose, and growled +angrily.</p> + +<p>Suddenly he caught sight of Bumper grinning at him. He stopped rubbing +his nose to stare and blink at the white rabbit. Bumper, now that he was +discovered, ceased grinning, and began to feel afraid.</p> + +<p>"You think it very funny, don't you?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> growled Buster, his little eyes +flashing. "I wish he'd stung you instead of me. Drat the old bumblebees! +I wonder what they're made for!"</p> + +<p>"I'm sure I couldn't tell you," replied Bumper, in an unsteady voice.</p> + +<p>"What do you suppose you're made for?" continued Buster, eyeing him +queerly.</p> + +<p>"Why—to—make little boys and girls happy, I suppose," Bumper +stammered.</p> + +<p>Buster grinned at this stammering remark. Then, with a leer, he added: +"No, that isn't the reason. It's something else. Want me to tell you?"</p> + +<p>"Why, yes, I'd like to know."</p> + +<p>"Well, then, it's to give Mr. Fox right back of you a good meal."</p> + +<p>Bumper gave a jump of nearly three feet when he heard this. He didn't +suppose the fox was anywhere near, and the thought that he was right +behind, ready to spring upon him, sent the blood racing through his +body. But when he turned, expecting to see dripping jaws about to close +upon his neck, he was surprised and then puzzled. There was no fox in +sight. However, he wasn't to be deceived, if Mr. Fox was hiding, and he +stood ready to spring away, his body quivering with fright, and his pink +eyes dilated.</p> + +<p>"Ha! Ha! Ha!" laughed Buster the Bear<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> in a deep rumble, rolling over on +his fat sides. "Ho! Ho! Ho! What a scare I gave you! Now we're quits. +The joke's on you!"</p> + +<p>It took Bumper some time to realize that it was only a joke, and not a +near tragedy for him. Finally he turned a shamed, embarrassed face +toward Buster, and grinned good-naturedly.</p> + +<p>"The next time I see any one in trouble," he said, "I won't laugh at +him, Mr. Bear. You've taught me a good lesson."</p> + +<p>"Well, that's what I call taking a joke in the proper spirit," smiled +Buster. "I'm sorry I gave you such a shock."</p> + +<p>"And I'm sorry I laughed when the bee stung your nose."</p> + +<p>"Oh, as for that, I didn't mind the sting so much as the interruption of +my sleep." Buster rubbed his nose as he spoke. Then he added, addressing +the white rabbit:</p> + +<p>"Where are you bound? You must be lost. I never saw a white rabbit out +of the city before."</p> + +<p>"Were you ever in the city?" asked Bumper, eagerly.</p> + +<p>"Sure! I was in the Zoo for a whole year until I escaped."</p> + +<p>"Then you know something how I feel. The country's very strange to me, +and I feel a bit<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> lonesome. Could you tell me where my country cousins +live—the wild rabbits?"</p> + +<p>"Yes," replied Buster, "but I'm not sure they'll welcome your coming. +However, you can find them by following that trail a little further +until you come to a big rock. They live under it where Mr. Fox can't get +them."</p> + +<p>"Thank you," replied Bumper. "I think I'll be going, then. I must find +them before night."</p> + +<hr class="major" /> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="r7283" id="r7283"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XV<br/>BUMPER FINDS HIS COUNTRY COUSINS</h2> +</div> + +<p>After leaving Buster the Bear, Bumper did not have far to go before he +stumbled upon the rock under which the wild rabbits had their burrow. It +was a big, towering rock right in the middle of the woods, with trees +trying to grow on top of it, and under it, as if they were determined to +lift it and roll it away.</p> + +<p>When the white rabbit first saw it his heart beat high with expectation. +This was to be the end of his journey. When he found it impossible to +get back to the garden where the red-headed girl lived, he concluded the +best he could do was to join the wild rabbits and live with them. They +would teach him the ways of the woods, and perhaps, in time he would be +happy and content as a member of their family.</p> + +<p>In spite of the dangers and ventures that had marked his progress, he +was greatly pleased with the woods, and the freedom he enjoyed appealed +to him. But to make his happiness complete he needed companions and +friends of his own kind.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span></p> + +<p>The friendship of the birds was all right, but they had their own +families to look after, and besides, he could not always depend upon +having them near.</p> + +<p>It was natural that he should be a bit homesick and lonely without other +rabbits to associate with. He often thought of Jimsy and Wheedles, and +of his mother and of Topsy. Any one of them would be welcome. In his +newly-acquired knowledge of the woods and its inhabitants, he felt that +he could give Jimsy and Wheedles pointers that would make their eyes +open.</p> + +<p>When he reached the big rock, he hopped all around it, looking for the +entrance to the rabbit burrow, and sniffing the ground expectantly. +There were many signs that rabbits had recently been there, but he could +find nothing that looked like a burrow. Around and around the big rock +he hopped, sniffing, pounding with his hind feet, and calling to his +cousins. But there was no response.</p> + +<p>"Perhaps they're all out," he reflected finally, "and I'd better rest on +the top of the rock until they return."</p> + +<p>He scrambled to the summit of the rock and sprawled out full length to +watch and wait. From his high position, he could see any one approaching +from any direction. The sun found<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> its way down through the trees and +lit up the top of the rock, and, feeling very tired, Bumper fell asleep.</p> + +<p>He was aroused from this suddenly by the breaking of a twig near-by. He +raised his head and looked around. Not a dozen feet away from him was a +wild rabbit, one of his country cousins. Now, Bumper had never met a +wild rabbit before, and this one certainly looked very dirty and uncouth +compared to himself. The only white he had was under his throat and +belly. The rest of him was a dull gray and brown.</p> + +<p>"Hello, Cousin!" Bumper called softly.</p> + +<p>The approaching rabbit stopped and looked around, his two ears raised +straight up in the air. Then his quick eyes saw Bumper on the top of the +rock. Whether he took him for a ghost or some strange, dangerous animal, +no one could say; but he turned swiftly and disappeared in the bushes.</p> + +<p>"Don't be afraid, Cousin!" Bumper called loudly. "I'm Bumper the White +Rabbit, and I've come to visit you!"</p> + +<p>But this had no effect whatever on the wild rabbit. Bumper could hear +him scurrying away in the bushes. Then all was quiet. For a long time +Bumper watched and waited. Once he caught a glimpse of his cousin on the +right of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> rock, then on the left, then behind, and again in front. +The amazing rapidity with which the wild rabbit changed his position +surprised Bumper.</p> + +<p>It was not until after he had caught sight of two heads simultaneously +peeping above the bushes did he realize that the rabbit was not alone. +Then he caught sight of a third head, then of a fourth, and of a fifth. +The whole burrow of rabbits was circled around him, watching him either +in fear or curiosity. Bumper thought it was a good time to make a +speech.</p> + +<p>"Cousins," he began, rearing upon his hind legs, "I've come a long +distance to visit you. I've always lived in the city, but I got lost, +and if it hadn't been for the birds and Buster the Bear I would never +have found my way here. I hope you will welcome me, and let me live with +you. I'm lonesome and homesick for friends and companions."</p> + +<p>He supposed this speech would have a good effect, and he waited eagerly +for one of the wild rabbits to respond. But they were quiet for so long +that he felt despondent. Then, to his surprise, a big rabbit rose +near-by, and turned to his companions.</p> + +<p>"Beware!" he said. "It's a trick of Mr. Fox! We must run for it +altogether!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span></p> + +<p>Bumper didn't know just what the speaker meant by this last sentence. +But he soon found out. There was a rush and scramble in the bushes all +around him, and then a dozen or more rabbits appeared. They came toward +the rock like an army closing in upon the enemy, leaping over bushes or +crawling through the underbrush.</p> + +<p>For a moment Bumper was startled. He had a vision of being attacked on +all sides by his country cousins and driven ignominiously from the +woods. But his anxiety was of short duration. The rabbits reached the +side of the rock, and disappeared as if by magic.</p> + +<p>Then Bumper understood. They had made a simultaneous rush for their +burrow, knowing that this was the safest place for them. When the last +rabbit had disappeared, Bumper hopped down, and began looking for the +entrance. There was certainly an entrance to the burrow, or his cousins +couldn't have disappeared so quickly.</p> + +<p>Bumper searched on every side for over an hour, but so artfully +concealed was the entrance to the burrow that he was unsuccessful. There +was no noise under the rock—nothing to indicate that there were rabbits +there.</p> + +<p>Discouraged and down-hearted, he was nearly ready to give up when he +happened to poke his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> head in the hollow end of a tree whose roots were +pinioned down by the huge rock. The small heart of the trunk had +decayed, offering an entrance just large enough for a rabbit to squeeze +through.</p> + +<p>Bumper thought this would be a safe place for him to spend the night, +and he began crawling through. The hole followed the trunk of the tree +downward for some distance. Then suddenly it turned sharply to the +right.</p> + +<p>At this point Bumper met an unexpected challenge. A big, gray rabbit at +the other end of the hollow trunk thumped hard with his two hind feet, +and instantly there was an uproar. Bumper had accidentally found his way +into the burrow through the hollow tree trunk!</p> + +<p>"Stop where you are!" the rabbit guarding the hole shouted. "What do you +want in here?"</p> + +<p>"I want to greet my cousins. If you don't let me come in Mr. Fox will +catch me after dark. I have no other home."</p> + +<p>"You're not a rabbit!" replied the other. "We have no white cousins. +There're no white rabbits in the world."</p> + +<p>"But I'm one," returned Bumper, amused by the same cry that had been +made by the crow and birds.</p> + +<p>There was silence inside, followed by a buzz<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> of many voices. Finally a +weak, trembling voice said authoritatively:</p> + +<p>"Admit him! It can't be Mr. Fox in disguise, for he could never crawl +through that hole. Admit him so I can talk to him."</p> + +<p>Evidently the speaker was one in authority, for the other instantly +obeyed, and Bumper was allowed to hop through the hole into the burrow.</p> + +<hr class="major" /> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="r3003" id="r3003"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> +<h2>STORY XVI<br/>BUMPER BECOMES THE WHITE KING OF THE RABBITS</h2> +</div> + +<p>What Bumper saw and smelt when he hopped into the burrow under the rocks +made a great impression upon his mind. It was a large burrow directly +under the huge rock, with no other entrance to it than the one through +the hollow tree trunk. No wonder the fox couldn't reach the rabbits! +They were as well protected from him as if they lived in a house of +stone.</p> + +<p>There were all sizes of rabbits around him—little ones scarcely able to +hop around without falling over, big, husky fellows with fierce looking +muzzles and eyes, and very old ones who seemed too feeble to move very +fast. But it was the one who had commanded the others to let Bumper in +that attracted his attention the most.</p> + +<p>He had been a big, stalwart rabbit at one time, and his frame was still +large and angular, but age had shrunken his body and haunches, and his +cheeks were thin and wrinkled. The eyes stared straight at Bumper as +though they would go right through him. It was not until later<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> that +Bumper understood it was blindness that made that stare seem so +penetrating.</p> + +<p>"Tell me your name again!" this old patriarch said when Bumper stood +trembling before him.</p> + +<p>"Bumper the White Rabbit!"</p> + +<p>The old one hopped nearer, using one of his companions as a guide.</p> + +<p>"Is it true," he asked finally, turning to the others, "that he's +white?"</p> + +<p>"Yes," they all responded in chorus.</p> + +<p>"No gray or brown hairs on him?"</p> + +<p>"No gray or brown hairs on him."</p> + +<p>"Be sure!" commanded the old leader. "Lick them to see if the gray shows +underneath."</p> + +<p>Several obeyed this order, and Bumper felt as if he was being washed all +over, so vigorously did the tongues of his cousins lick him to discover +any fraud.</p> + +<p>"He still remains white," one of the rabbits said finally. "There are no +gray or brown hairs underneath."</p> + +<p>"That is well!" ejaculated the blind leader. "Now tell me the color of +his eyes."</p> + +<p>"Pink!" they cried.</p> + +<p>"Ah!" The blind rabbit seemed suddenly excited and trembled with +emotion. "Pure white, you say, and pink eyes! Is he a young rabbit, or +very, very old?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span></p> + +<p>"He is young, no older than Piggy."</p> + +<p>"Then it must be true," murmured the old blind patriarch. "It must be +true."</p> + +<p>The others were all quiet, and waited for their wise, blind leader to +speak again. This he did after a long pause.</p> + +<p>"Years ago," he began slowly, "there was a white rabbit who was sent to +us as a leader. He was the wisest and shrewdest and bravest of our kind. +Where he came from no one knew. We made him king, and he ruled wisely +and well for many years. He died before I was born, and that you know +was a long time ago. Before he died he told us that some day another +white rabbit, with pink eyes, would come to us, and his coming would be +as strange and unknown as his."</p> + +<p>The speaker stopped and seemed to weigh his words. All the rabbits held +their breaths, and glanced from the blind leader to Bumper.</p> + +<p>"When he came—this white rabbit, with pink eyes—we were to receive him +and make him our king and leader. His wisdom would be greater than that +of all ours combined, and in time he would deliver us from our enemies. +You know how it is with us in the woods here. We're the meekest and most +innocent of the wild animals. Even the birds prey upon us at times, and +Mr. Fox and Buster the Bear hold us in contempt<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> because we cannot +defend ourselves. We would live on friendly terms with all the wild +creatures of the woods, but they won't let us."</p> + +<p>He sighed, and then continued: "Our only weapon is our teeth, but we +never use them except to chew our food. Yet they are as sharp as those +of the Squirrel, and nearly as long as those of the Fox. Yet we don't +know how to use them in defence, or if we do we're too timid to attempt +it. We're cowardly, and easily get frightened so that our enemies kill +us without danger to themselves. They all hold us in contempt here in +the woods."</p> + +<p>This remarkable speech made many of the rabbits drop their heads in +dejection, for the truth of it was all too well known to them.</p> + +<p>"But this new leader and king was to deliver us from our fear and +timidity," the blind speaker continued. "He was to show us how we could +make friends with all through his wisdom and foresight. We have been +waiting for him for many, many years, and now that he has come we should +be glad and joyful. Let us do homage to Bumper the White Rabbit, for he +is our new leader and king! I am happy to live to see the day come when +I could welcome him! My only regret is that age has blinded me, and I +cannot<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> see him with my own eyes. I could die in peace then!"</p> + +<p>With that the blind, old rabbit humbled himself before Bumper and kissed +one of his paws. This apparently was the signal for all the others to do +likewise. They came to him in turn, and promised to follow and obey his +word, secretly admiring his white fur and pink eyes.</p> + +<p>To Bumper this sudden change of hostility to abject admiration and +worship was embarrassing. His mind was all in a whirl, and when the +others knelt before him and kissed his paw he could find no words to +say. He simply smiled as graciously as he could, and accepted the homage +in silence.</p> + +<p>Without knowing it this was the correct thing to do. It was more +impressive than if he had protested or tried to explain that there was a +mistake. He was almost king-like in his attitude without trying to be +so.</p> + +<p>It all seemed like a dream to him. He was led away to the choicest +sleeping part of the burrow, and attendants brought him food and drink. +There was always some one to wait on him no matter what he wanted to do. +It was slightly embarrassing at first, but, as the novelty of it wore +off he accepted the situation with a smile.</p> + +<p>"If they take me for their king, why not act the part?" he asked +himself. "I believe I could<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> do it. I certainly look more like a king +than any of the others. And I'm prettier than any of my cousins."</p> + +<p>Bumper was in danger of getting intolerably conceited, and for a time he +showed it; but his better sense came to his rescue finally.</p> + +<p>"If I'm going to be their king and leader," he concluded, "I'll try to +be a wise and good one. I'll not disappoint them. I'll listen to Mr. +Blind Rabbit, and when I know all he does I'll try to use the knowledge +for the good of all the rabbits in the woods."</p> + +<p>So Bumper the White Rabbit did not regret his loss of the red-headed +girl and the beautiful garden, for in becoming the king of the wild +rabbits he had a greater career before him, and how well he acquitted +himself in that position we shall see in future stories, in the book +entitled</p> + +<p>"Bumper the White Rabbit in the Woods."</p> + +<hr class="full" /> + +<h2>WHITE TAIL'S ADVENTURES</h2> +<h2>STORY I</h2> +<p style="text-align:center"><span class="smcap">White Tail Jumps Stepping Stone Brook</span></p> + +<p>White Tail grew rapidly in size and strength, his long, clean limbs +showing taut muscles and great springing power; and his neck grew thick +and short, which is well for a buck, who must use it in savage thrusts +when the head is a battering ram. His horns were short and bony, but +they protruded in front like knobs against which it would be unpleasant +to fall.</p> + +<p>But his antlers were his pride. They spread out fan-shape on his head, +crowning it with a glory that made Mother Deer supremely happy. At times +it seemed as if the antlers were too heavy for the head and neck, but +White Tail carried them easily, and when he shook them in sport or anger +any one could see they were just fitted to him.</p> + +<p>In time he stood as high as Father Buck, and a head taller than Mother +Deer. The day the tip of his antlers reached an inch above Father +Buck's, he felt a little thrill of pride.</p> + +<div style="font-size:80%"> +<p style="text-align:center">The continuation of this interesting story will be found in<br /> +WHITE TAIL THE DEER'S ADVENTURES<br /> +Price 65 Cents Postpaid<br /> +THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY, Publishers</p> + +<table border="0" width="500" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<col style="width:30%;" /> +<col style="width:30%;" /> +<col style="width:30%;" /> + <tr> + <td align="left">517 S. Wabash Ave.<br/>CHICAGO, ILL.</td> + <td align="center">Winston Building<br/>PHILADELPHIA, PA.</td> + <td align="right">129 Spadina Ave.<br/>TORONTO, ONT.</td> + </tr> +</table> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<h2>WASHER THE RACCOON</h2> +<h2>STORY ONE</h2> +<p style="text-align:center"><span class="smcap">Washer's First Adventure</span></p> + +<p>Washer was the youngest of a family of three Raccoons, born in the woods +close to the shores of Beaver Pond, and not half a mile from Rocky Falls +where the water, as you know, turns into silvery spray that sparkles in +the sun-shine like diamonds and rubies. And, indeed, the animals and +birds of the North Woods much prefer this glittering spray and foam that +rise in a steady cloud from the bottom of the falls to all the jewels +and gems ever dug out of the earth! For, though each drop sparkles but a +moment, and then vanishes from sight, there are a million others to +follow it, and when you bathe in them they wash and scour away the dirt, +and make you clean and fresh in body and soul.</p> + +<p>Washer had his first great adventure at Rocky Falls, and it is a wonder +that he ever lived to tell the tale, for the water which flows over the +falls is almost as cruel and terrible as it Is sparkling and inviting. +But...</p> + +<div style="font-size:80%"> +<p style="text-align:center">The continuation of this interesting story will be found in<br /> +WASHER THE RACCOON<br /> +Price 65 Cents Postpaid<br /> +THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY, Publishers</p> + +<table border="0" width="500" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<col style="width:30%;" /> +<col style="width:30%;" /> +<col style="width:30%;" /> + <tr> + <td align="left">517 S. Wabash Ave.<br/>CHICAGO, ILL.</td> + <td align="center">Winston Building<br/>PHILADELPHIA, PA.</td> + <td align="right">129 Spadina Ave.<br/>TORONTO, ONT.</td> + </tr> +</table> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<h2>WHITE TAIL THE DEER</h2> +<h2>STORY I</h2> +<p style="text-align:center"><span class="smcap">White Tail's First Lesson</span></p> + +<p>High among the timberland of the North Woods White Tail the Deer was +born, and if you had stumbled upon his home in the thickets you would +have been surprised by a noise like the rushing of the wind, and then by +a very remarkable silence that could almost be felt. The first was made +by Mother White Tail as she deserted her young and took to quick flight.</p> + +<p>White Tail, crouching low down in the bushes, so still that he scarcely +moved a hair, would hide his beautiful head in the branches and leaves +like an obedient child. Left alone he knew that his one chance of escape +was not to move or whimper or cry.</p> + +<p>That was the first lesson White Tail was taught by his mother—to keep +absolutely quiet in the presence of danger. When he was so small that he +could hardly hold up his head, she whispered to him: "Listen, White +Tail! When I give the signal that the hunters are coming, you must +flatten yourself down...</p> + +<div style="font-size:80%"> +<p style="text-align:center">The continuation of this interesting story will be found in<br /> +WHITE TAIL THE DEER<br /> +Price 65 Cents Postpaid<br /> +THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY, Publishers</p> + +<table border="0" width="500" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<col style="width:30%;" /> +<col style="width:30%;" /> +<col style="width:30%;" /> + <tr> + <td align="left">517 S. Wabash Ave.<br/>CHICAGO, ILL.</td> + <td align="center">Winston Building<br/>PHILADELPHIA, PA.</td> + <td align="right">129 Spadina Ave.<br/>TORONTO, ONT.</td> + </tr> +</table> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<h2>BUSTER THE BIG BROWN BEAR'S ADVENTURES</h2> +<h2>STORY I</h2> +<p style="text-align:center"><span class="smcap">Buster Visits His Birthplace</span></p> + +<p>Buster's return to the North Woods, after his many travels in different +parts of the country as a trick bear in a circus, was an important event +to him. He had been away so long—ever since he was a little cub—that +nothing seemed familiar to him. His recollection of the river that +flowed in front of the cave where he had been born was very dim and +uncertain, and he was not sure which way to go when he had crossed it.</p> + +<p>Browny the Woodchuck had informed him that he was in the North Woods +when he waded up on shore, but Browny had an important engagement with +his family, and immediately left him. Happy and excited that he was now +free in the woods, and no longer in danger of being pursued and +captured, Buster for a time was satisfied in roaming around in the +bushes, eating the wild fruit and berries.</p> + +<div style="font-size:80%"> +<p style="text-align:center">The continuation of this interesting story will be found in<br /> +BUSTER THE BIG BROWN BEAR'S ADVENTURES<br /> +Price 65 Cents Postpaid<br /> +THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY, Publishers</p> + +<table border="0" width="500" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<col style="width:30%;" /> +<col style="width:30%;" /> +<col style="width:30%;" /> + <tr> + <td align="left">517 S. Wabash Ave.<br/>CHICAGO, ILL.</td> + <td align="center">Winston Building<br/>PHILADELPHIA, PA.</td> + <td align="right">129 Spadina Ave.<br/>TORONTO, ONT.</td> + </tr> +</table> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<h2>BOBBY GRAY SQUIRREL'S ADVENTURES</h2> +<h2>STORY I</h2> +<p style="text-align:center"><span class="smcap">An Adventure With Dasher the Hawk</span></p> + +<p>When Bobby Gray Squirrel left the deserted house where he had spent the +winter with Stripe the Chipmunk and Web the Flying Squirrel, not to +mention White Foot the Deer Mouse, he was in a very serious mood, and +his first thought was to go right to work to build a home for himself in +some friendly tree, and stock it early with nuts for winter use.</p> + +<p>His experience that winter, before he had found his fortune in the bag +of nuts in the tower room, had made him very thoughtful. "I'm not going +to put off work again that should be done to-day," he said to himself as +he frisked along from tree to tree. "I can't expect to have such good +luck another winter. But my!"—smiling in recollection—"those nuts were +delicious!"</p> + +<p>He smacked his lips at the thought, and right on top of it came the low +trill of a bird. It was Goldy the Oriole, who had just returned north.</p> + +<div style="font-size:80%"> +<p style="text-align:center">The continuation of this interesting story will be found in<br /> +BOBBY GRAY SQUIRREL'S ADVENTURES<br /> +Price 65 Cents Postpaid<br /> +THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY, Publishers</p> + +<table border="0" width="500" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<col style="width:30%;" /> +<col style="width:30%;" /> +<col style="width:30%;" /> + <tr> + <td align="left">517 S. Wabash Ave.<br/>CHICAGO, ILL.</td> + <td align="center">Winston Building<br/>PHILADELPHIA, PA.</td> + <td align="right">129 Spadina Ave.<br/>TORONTO, ONT.</td> + </tr> +</table> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<h2>BUSTER THE BIG BROWN BEAR</h2> +<h2>STORY I</h2> +<p style="text-align:center"><span class="smcap">When Buster Was a Cub</span></p> + +<p>In the North Woods where Buster was born, a wide river tinkles merrily +over stones that are so white you'd mistake them for snowballs, if you +were not careful, and begin pelting each other with them. The birches +hanging over the water look like white sticks of peppermint candy, +except in the spring of the year when they blossom out in green leaves, +and then they make you think of fairyland where everything is painted +the colors of the rainbow.</p> + +<p>The rocks that slope up from the bank of the river are dented and broken +as if some giant in the past had smashed them with his hammer, cracking +some and punching deep holes in others. It was in one of these holes, or +caves, that Buster was born.</p> + +<p>He didn't mind the hard rocky floor of his bed a bit, nor did he mind +the darkness, nor the cold winds that swept through the open doorway. He +was so well protected by his...</p> + +<div style="font-size:80%"> +<p style="text-align:center">The continuation of this interesting story will be found in<br /> +BUSTER THE BIG BROWN BEAR<br /> +Price 65 Cents Postpaid<br /> +THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY, Publishers</p> + +<table border="0" width="500" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<col style="width:30%;" /> +<col style="width:30%;" /> +<col style="width:30%;" /> + <tr> + <td align="left">517 S. Wabash Ave.<br/>CHICAGO, ILL.</td> + <td align="center">Winston Building<br/>PHILADELPHIA, PA.</td> + <td align="right">129 Spadina Ave.<br/>TORONTO, ONT.</td> + </tr> +</table> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<h2>BUMPER THE WHITE RABBIT AND HIS FRIENDS</h2> +<h2>STORY I</h2> +<p style="text-align:center"><span class="smcap">Bumper and Sleepy the Opossum</span></p> + +<p>Bumper, after working hard to trick his enemies so they would be more +afraid of the rabbits in the woods, had decided the ways of peace were +better than those of war. Not that he was going to permit Sneaky the +Wolf or Loup the Lynx to pounce upon his people and eat them up without +fighting, but instead of going around with a chip on his shoulder, +expecting and looking for trouble, he intended to make friends of all +the animals and birds, and be helpful to them.</p> + +<p>It is wonderful how much good to others we can overlook if we go about +with our eyes shut. There is plenty to do if we look for it. So Bumper +found in a short time that he had missed a good deal in always looking +for the worst in others instead of for the best.</p> + +<p>Only a few days after his change of plans, which was told of in a former +book, Bumper stumbled upon Sleepy the Opossum in a tree, with his eyes +closed in slumber. At first he...</p> + +<div style="font-size:80%"> +<p style="text-align:center">The continuation of this interesting story will be found in<br /> +BUMPER THE WHITE RABBIT AND HIS FRIENDS<br /> +Price 65 Cents Postpaid<br /> +THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY, Publishers</p> + +<table border="0" width="500" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<col style="width:30%;" /> +<col style="width:30%;" /> +<col style="width:30%;" /> + <tr> + <td align="left">517 S. Wabash Ave.<br/>CHICAGO, ILL.</td> + <td align="center">Winston Building<br/>PHILADELPHIA, PA.</td> + <td align="right">129 Spadina Ave.<br/>TORONTO, ONT.</td> + </tr> +</table> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<h2>BOBBY GRAY SQUIRREL</h2> +<p style="text-align:center"><span class="smcap">Bobby's Introduction</span></p> + +<p>There are many squirrels living in the North Woods, but only one real +Bobby Gray Squirrel, and if you saw him once you would never mistake him +for any other. Bobby was a gay, rollicking happy-go-lucky fellow, who +believed in enjoying himself to-day and letting the morrow take care of +itself. He wasn't exactly lazy, but he didn't believe in doing work that +wasn't actually necessary, and sometimes, I'm afraid, he forgot to do +what was really necessary.</p> + +<p>Bobby had many friends in the woods, and they all liked him and smiled +at him, but there were some who thought his careless ways might get him +in trouble some day. So instead of chattering pleasantly with him, they +shook their heads and preached to him.</p> + +<p>"Why don't you get busy these pleasant days, Bobby, and store up food +for the winter?" Gray Back the Weasel asked reprovingly one bright, +sunny day.</p> + +<div style="font-size:80%"> +<p style="text-align:center">The continuation of this interesting story will be found in<br /> +BOBBY GRAY SQUIRREL<br /> +Price 65 Cents Postpaid<br /> +THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY, Publishers</p> + +<table border="0" width="500" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<col style="width:30%;" /> +<col style="width:30%;" /> +<col style="width:30%;" /> + <tr> + <td align="left">517 S. Wabash Ave.<br/>CHICAGO, ILL.</td> + <td align="center">Winston Building<br/>PHILADELPHIA, PA.</td> + <td align="right">129 Spadina Ave.<br/>TORONTO, ONT.</td> + </tr> +</table> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<h2>BUMPER THE WHITE RABBIT IN THE WOODS</h2> +<h2>STORY I</h2> +<p style="text-align:center"><span class="smcap">Bumper Hunts With The Pack</span></p> + +<p>Bumper the White Rabbit, when he escaped from Edith, the red-headed girl +who owned the garden where he lived, found his way into the woods, and, +after many adventures with the Bats, the Crow, the Fox and Buster the +Bear, he was adopted by the wild rabbits as their leader and king. The +Old Blind Rabbit welcomed him, and told the story of how it was +prophesied that some day a pure white rabbit, with pink eyes, would come +to deliver them from their enemies, and teach them how to live in the +woods without fear of danger.</p> + +<p>No one had been more surprised than Bumper at this sudden welcome. At +first he was for telling them he was no leader, and not fit to be their +king; but, as he was very lonely and without a...</p> + +<div style="font-size:80%"> +<p style="text-align:center">The continuation of this interesting story will be found in<br /> +BUMPER THE WHITE RABBIT IN THE WOODS<br /> +Price 65 Cents Postpaid<br /> +THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY, Publishers</p> + +<table border="0" width="500" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<col style="width:30%;" /> +<col style="width:30%;" /> +<col style="width:30%;" /> + <tr> + <td align="left">517 S. Wabash Ave.<br/>CHICAGO, ILL.</td> + <td align="center">Winston Building<br/>PHILADELPHIA, PA.</td> + <td align="right">129 Spadina Ave.<br/>TORONTO, ONT.</td> + </tr> +</table> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<h2>BUMPER THE WHITE RABBIT AND HIS FOES</h2> +<h2>STORY I</h2> +<p style="text-align:center"><span class="smcap">Bumper Plans to Fight His Enemies</span></p> + +<p>Now in the reign of King Bumper and +Queen Fuzzy Wuzz many things happened +in the woods that made exciting times for the +wild rabbits and their friends. They came to +pass in the first year of their reign, for Bumper +the white rabbit was not content to be idle +when his people were surrounded by so many +enemies that their lives were never safe.</p> + +<p>Some kings just eat and drink and make +merry the live long day, and forget all about +duty; but lots of such kings have lost their +thrones, and others who have ruled wisely +have been blessed with many friends, and +when they died all the people mourned their +loss.</p> + +<p>Bumper the white rabbit intended to be a +good and wise ruler, and therefore he spent +much time in trying to think of ways to help +his wild cousins of the woods. The story of +how he escaped from the garden owned by the...</p> + +<div style="font-size:80%"> +<p style="text-align:center">The continuation of this interesting story will be found in<br /> +BUMPER THE WHITE RABBIT AND HIS FOES<br /> +Price 65 Cents Postpaid<br /> +THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY, Publishers</p> + +<table border="0" width="500" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<col style="width:30%;" /> +<col style="width:30%;" /> +<col style="width:30%;" /> + <tr> + <td align="left">517 S. Wabash Ave.<br/>CHICAGO, ILL.</td> + <td align="center">Winston Building<br/>PHILADELPHIA, PA.</td> + <td align="right">129 Spadina Ave.<br/>TORONTO, ONT.</td> + </tr> +</table> +</div> + +<hr class="full" /> + +<div class='tnote'><h3>Transcriber's Notes</h3> +<p>1. Punctuation has been normalized to contemporary standards.</p> +<p>2. Frontispiece illustration relocated to after title page.</p> +</div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Bumper, The White Rabbit, by George Ethelbert Walsh + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BUMPER, THE WHITE RABBIT *** + +***** This file should be named 18648-h.htm or 18648-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/8/6/4/18648/ + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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