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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9015828 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #60098 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60098) diff --git a/old/60098-0.txt b/old/60098-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 1bf39d4..0000000 --- a/old/60098-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7360 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Mr. Rabbit at Home, by Joel Chandler Harris - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: Mr. Rabbit at Home - A sequel to Little Mr. Thimblefinger and his Queer Country - -Author: Joel Chandler Harris - -Illustrator: Oliver Herford - -Release Date: August 14, 2019 [EBook #60098] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MR. RABBIT AT HOME *** - - - - -Produced by David Edwards, Barry Abrahamsen, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - - Books by Joel Chandler Harris. - - -------------- - -NIGHTS WITH UNCLE REMUS. Illustrated. 12mo, $1.50; paper, 50 cents. - -MINGO, AND OTHER SKETCHES IN BLACK AND WHITE. 16mo, $1.25; paper, 50 - cents. - -BALAAM AND HIS MASTER, AND OTHER SKETCHES. 16mo, $1.25. - -UNCLE REMUS AND HIS FRIENDS. Illustrated. 12mo, $1.50. - -LITTLE MR. THIMBLEFINGER AND HIS QUEER COUNTRY. Illustrated. Crown 8vo, - $2.00. - - HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN & CO. - BOSTON AND NEW YORK. - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - -[Illustration: - - BROTHER LION WATCHED ME. PAGE 158 -] - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - MR. RABBIT AT HOME - - A SEQUEL TO - - Little Mr. Thimblefinger and his Queer Country - - BY - - JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS - - AUTHOR OF “UNCLE REMUS,” ETC. - - - ILLUSTRATED BY OLIVER HERFORD - - -[Illustration] - - - BOSTON AND NEW YORK - HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY - - The Riverside Press, Cambridge - - 1895 - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - Copyright, 1894 and 1895, - By JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS. - - Copyright, 1895, - BY HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN & CO. - - All rights reserved. - - - The Riverside Press, Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A. - Electrotyped and Printed by H. O. Houghton & Co. - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CONTENTS. - - -------------- - - - PAGE - - I. BUSTER JOHN ALARMS MR. RABBIT 5 - - II. WHERE THE THUNDER LIVES 15 - - III. THE JUMPING-OFF PLACE 28 - - IV. THE BLUE HEN’S CHICKEN 36 - - V. HOW A KING WAS FOUND 46 - - VI. THE MAGIC RING 57 - - VII. THE COW WITH THE GOLDEN HORNS 69 - - VIII. BROTHER WOLF’S TWO BIG DINNERS 82 - - IX. THE LITTLE BOY OF THE LANTERN 91 - - X. A LUCKY CONJURER 106 - - XI. THE KING OF THE CLINKERS 119 - - XII. THE TERRIBLE HORSE 132 - - XIII. HOW BROTHER LION LOST HIS WOOL 144 - - XIV. BROTHER LION HAS A SPELL OF 154 - SICKNESS - - XV. A MOUNTAIN OF GOLD 164 - - XVI. AN OLD-FASHIONED FUSS 178 - - XVII. THE RABBIT AND THE MOON 191 - - XVIII. WHY THE BEAR IS A WRESTLER 197 - - XIX. THE SHOEMAKER WHO MADE BUT ONE 209 - SHOE - - XX. THE WOOG AND THE WEEZE 240 - - XXI. UNCLE RAIN AND BROTHER DROUTH 252 - - XXII. THE SNOW-WHITE GOAT AND THE 266 - COAL-BLACK SHEEP - - XXIII. THE BUTTING COW AND THE 282 - HITTING STICK - - XXIV. THE FATE OF THE DIDDYPAWN 294 - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - PAGE - - BROTHER LION WATCHED ME. Frontispiece - - “HOW DID YOU GET HERE?” 12 - - SHE WAITED A LITTLE WHILE 22 - - PRESENTLY THEY CAME TO A 32 - PRECIPICE - - ONE OF THEM WAS ENTIRELY 42 - DIFFERENT FROM ALL THE REST - - THEY SAW THE HANDSOME BOY 52 - SLEEPING - - HER STEPMOTHER CREPT INTO THE 66 - ROOM - - SHE WOULD HAVE KNELT, BUT HE 80 - LIFTED HER UP - - HE WENT A LITTLE WAY DOWN ONE 86 - ROAD - - A LADY, RICHLY DRESSED, CAME 96 - OUT OF THE WOODS - - AS HE DID SO, A CROW HOPPED 114 - OUT - - HE SAW AN OLD MAN, NO BIGGER 124 - THAN A BROOMSTICK - - THE WOODEN HORSE HAD STAMPEDED 142 - THE ENEMY’S ARMY - - YOU NEVER HEARD SUCH HOWLING 150 - SINCE YOU WERE BORN - - HE WAS SO WEAK THAT HE 174 - COULDN’T GET UP - - THE MONKEYS WOULD MAKE FACES 180 - AND SQUEAL AT THE DOGS - - “WHAT IS THE TROUBLE?” SAYS 184 - THE OLDEST RABBIT - - HE RUBBED THE SIDE OF HIS HEAD 204 - - A QUEER-LOOKING LITTLE MAN 216 - CAME JOGGING ALONG THE ROAD - - “HAVE YOU SEEN ANYTHING OF A 232 - STRAY SHOE?” - - A HORRIBLE MONSTER GLARED AT 244 - THEM - - THE BOY TOLD UNCLE RAIN THE 258 - WHOLE STORY - - AT LAST THE ROBBERS MANAGED TO 274 - ESCAPE - - “HIT, STICK! STICK, HIT!” SHE 292 - CRIED - - IT MADE HIM GRIN FROM EAR TO 298 - EAR - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - MR. RABBIT AT HOME. - - -------------- - - - - - I. - - BUSTER JOHN ALARMS MR. RABBIT. - - -When Buster John and Sweetest Susan and Drusilla returned home after -their first visit to Mr. Thimblefinger’s queer country, a curious thing -happened. The children had made a bargain to say nothing about what they -had seen and heard, but one day, when there was nobody else to hear what -she had to say, Sweetest Susan concluded to tell her mother something -about the visit she had made next door to the world. So she began and -told about the Grandmother of the Dolls, and about Little Mr. -Thimblefinger, and all about her journey under the spring. Her mother -paid no attention at first, but after awhile she became interested, and -listened intently to everything her little daughter said. Sometimes she -looked serious, sometimes she smiled, and sometimes she laughed. -Sweetest Susan couldn’t remember everything, but she told enough to -astonish her mother. - -“Darling, when did you dream such nonsense as that?” the lady asked. - -“Oh, it wasn’t a dream, mamma,” cried Sweetest Susan. “I thought it was -a dream at first, but it turned out to be no dream at all. Now, please -don’t ask brother about it, and please don’t ask Drusilla, for we -promised one another to say nothing about it. I didn’t intend to tell -you, but I forgot and began to tell you before I thought.” - -A little while afterward Sweetest Susan’s mother was telling her husband -about the wonderful imagination of their little daughter, and then the -neighbors got hold of it, and some of the old ladies put their heads -together over their teacups and said it was a sign that Sweetest Susan -was too smart to stay in this world very long. - -One day, while Drusilla was helping about the house, Sweetest Susan’s -mother took occasion to ask her where she and the children went the day -they failed to come to dinner. - -“We wuz off gettin’ plums, I speck,” replied Drusilla. - -“Why, there were no plums to get,” said the lady. - -“Well, ’m, ef ’t wa’n’t plums, hit must ’a’ been hick’y nuts,” explained -Drusilla. - -“Hickory nuts were not ripe, stupid.” - -“Maybe dey wa’n’t,” said Drusilla stolidly; “but dat don’t hinder we -chilluns from huntin’ ’em.” - -“You know you didn’t go after hickory nuts, Drusilla,” the lady -insisted. “Now I want you to tell me where you and the children went. -I’ll not be angry if you tell me, but if you don’t”— - -Drusilla could infer a good deal from the tone of the lady’s voice, but -she shook her head. - -“Well, ’m,” she said, “we went down dar by de spring, an’ down dar by de -spring branch, an’ all roun’ down dar. Ef we warn’t huntin’ plums ner -hick’y nuts, I done fergot what we wuz huntin’.” - -Drusilla seemed so much in earnest that the lady didn’t push the -inquiry, but when she went into another room for a moment, the negro -girl looked after her and remarked to herself:— - -“I done crossed my heart dat I wouldn’t tell, an’ I ain’t gwine ter. Ef -I wuz ter tell, she wouldn’t b’lieve me, an’ so dar ’t is!” - -Sweetest Susan was careful to say nothing to Buster John and Drusilla -about the slip of the tongue that caused her to tell her mother about -their adventures in Mr. Thimblefinger’s queer country; but she didn’t -feel very comfortable when Drusilla told how she had been questioned by -her mistress. - -“Ef somebody ain’t done gone an’ tol’ ’er,” said Drusilla, “she got some -mighty quare notions in ’er head.” - -Buster John, who had ideas of his own, ignored all this, and said he was -going to put an apple in the spring the next day and watch for Mr. -Thimblefinger. - -“Well, ef you gwine down dar any mo’,” remarked Drusilla, “you kin des -count me out, kaze I ain’t gwine ’long wid you. I’m one er deze yer kind -er quare folks what know pine blank when dey done got nuff. I been shaky -ever since we went down in dat ar place what wa’n’t no place.” - -“You will go,” said Buster John. - -“Huh! Don’t you fool yo’self, honey! You can’t put no ’pen’ence in a -skeer’d nigger.” - -“If you don’t go, you’ll wish you had,” said Buster John. - -“How come?” asked Drusilla. - -“Wait and see,” replied Buster John. - -The next morning, bright and early, Buster John put an apple in the -spring. He watched it float around for awhile, and then his attention -was attracted to something else, and he ran away to see about it. -Whatever it was, it interested him so much that he forgot all about the -apple in the spring, and everything else likely to remind him of Mr. -Thimblefinger’s queer country. - -Buster John went away from the spring and left the apple floating there. -No sooner had he gone than one of the house servants chanced to come -along, and the apple was seized and appropriated. The result was that -neither Mr. Thimblefinger nor Mrs. Meadows saw the signal. - -Buster John, thinking the apple had remained in the spring for some -hours, waited patiently for two or three days for Mr. Thimblefinger, but -no Mr. Thimblefinger came. Finally the boy grew impatient, as youngsters -sometimes do. He remembered that the bottom of the spring, with the -daylight shining through, was the sky of Mr. Thimblefinger’s queer -country, and he concluded to give Mrs. Meadows and the rest a signal -that they couldn’t fail to see. So, one morning, after water had been -carried to the house for the cook, and the washerwoman’s tubs had been -filled, Buster John got him some short planks, carrying them to the -spring one by one. These he placed across the top of the gum, or curb, -close together, so as to shut out the light. Then he perched himself on -a stump not far away, and watched to see what the effect would be. He -knew he had the sky of Mr. Thimblefinger’s queer country securely roofed -in, and he laughed to himself as he thought of the predicament Mr. -Rabbit would be in, dropping his pipe and hunting for it in the dark. - -Buster John sat there a long time. Mandy, the washerwoman, got through -with her task and went toward the house, balancing a big basket of wet -clothes on her head and singing as she went. Sweetest Susan and Drusilla -had grown tired of playing with the dolls, and were hunting all over the -place for Buster John. They saw him presently, and came running toward -him, talking and laughing. He shook his head and motioned toward the -spring. They became quiet at once, and began to walk on their tiptoes. -They seated themselves on the stump by Buster John’s side, and waited -for him to explain himself. - -Presently Sweetest Susan saw the boards over the spring. “Oh, what have -you done?” she cried. “Why, you have shut out the light! They can’t see -a wink. I don’t think that’s right; do you, Drusilla?” - -“Don’t ax me, honey,” replied Drusilla. “I ain’t gwine ter git in no -’spute. Somebody done gone an’ put planks on de spring. Dar dey is, an’ -dar dey may stay, fer what I keer. I hope dey er nailed down.” - -“Please take the boards off,” pleaded Sweetest Susan. - -“No,” said Buster John. “I put an apple in the spring the other day, and -they paid no attention to it. Maybe they’ll pay some attention now.” - -Suddenly, before anybody else could say anything, Drusilla screamed and -rolled off the stump. Buster John and Sweetest Susan thought a bee had -stung her. But it was not a bee. She had no sooner rolled from the stump -than she sprang to her feet and cried out, “Dar he is! Look at ’im!” - -Buster John and Sweetest Susan turned to look, and there, upon the stump -beside them, stood Mr. Thimblefinger with his hat in hand, bowing and -smiling as politely as you please. - -“I hope you are well,” he said. Then he began to laugh, as he turned to -Buster John. “You may think it is a great joke to come to the spring, -but it’s no joke to me. I have had a very hard time getting here, but I -just had to come. Mrs. Meadows thinks there is a total eclipse going on, -and Mr. Rabbit has gone to bed and covered up his head.” - - -[Illustration: - - “HOW DID YOU GET HERE?” -] - - -“How did you get here?” asked Buster John. - -“Through the big poplar yonder,” said Mr. Thimblefinger. “It is hollow -from top to bottom, but it was so dark I could hardly find my way. The -jay birds used to go down through the poplar every Friday until I put up -the bars and shut them out. I had almost forgotten the road.” - -“Well,” said Buster John, “I covered the spring so that you might know -we hadn’t forgotten you. I dropped an apple in the other day, but you -paid no attention to it.” - -“I saw the apple,” remarked Mr. Thimblefinger, “but it didn’t stay in -the spring long. It disappeared in a few minutes.” - -“Aha! I know!” exclaimed Drusilla. “Dat ar Minervy nigger got it. I seed -her comin’ long eatin’ a apple, and I boun’ you she de ve’y nigger what -got it.” - -“Well, well!” said Mr. Thimblefinger. “It makes no difference now, and -if you’ll get ready we’ll go now pretty soon.” - -“Why, I thought you couldn’t go down through the spring until nine -minutes and nine seconds after twelve,” suggested Buster John. - -“The water gets wet or goes dry with the tide,” Mr. Thimblefinger -explained. “To-day we shall have to go at nineteen minutes and nineteen -seconds after nine. It was nine minutes and nine seconds after twelve -before, and now it is nineteen minutes and nineteen seconds after nine. -Multiply nineteen by nineteen, add the answer together, and you get -nothing but nines. You see we have to go by a system.” Mr. Thimblefinger -was very solemn as he said this. “Now, then, come on. We haven’t any -time to waste. When the nines get after us, we must be going. There are -four of us now, but if we were to be multiplied by nine there would be -nine of us, and nine is an odd number.” - -“How would we be nine?” asked Buster John. - -“It’s very simple,” replied Mr. Thimblefinger. “Nine times four are -thirty-six. Three and six stand for thirty-six, and six and three are -nine.” - -Buster John laughed as he ran to remove the boards from the spring. In a -few moments they were all ready in spite of Drusilla’s protests, and at -nineteen minutes and nineteen seconds after nine they walked through the -spring gate into Mr. Thimblefinger’s queer country. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - II. - - WHERE THE THUNDER LIVES. - - -Mrs. Meadows, Mr. Rabbit, Chickamy Crany Crow, and Tickle-My-Toes were -very glad to see the children, especially Mrs. Meadows, who did -everything she could to make the youngsters feel that they had conferred -a great obligation on her by coming back again. - -“I’ll be bound you forgot to bring me the apple I told you about,” said -she. - -But Sweetest Susan had not forgotten. She had one in her pocket. It was -not very large, but the sun had painted it red and yellow, and the south -winds that kissed it had left it fragrant with the perfume of summer. - -“Now, I declare!” exclaimed Mrs. Meadows. “To think you should remember -an old woman! You are just as good and as nice as you can be!” She -thanked Sweetest Susan so heartily that Buster John began to look and -feel uncomfortable,—seeing which, Mrs. Meadows placed her hand gently on -his shoulder. “Never mind,” said she, “boys are not expected to be as -thoughtful as girls. The next time you come, you may bring me a hatful, -if you can manage to think about it.” - -“He might start wid ’em,” remarked Drusilla, “but ’fo’ he got here he’d -set down an’ eat ’em all up, ter keep from stumpin’ his toe an’ spillin’ -’em.” - -Buster John had a reply ready, but he did not make any, for just at that -moment a low, rumbling sound was heard. It seemed to come nearer and -grow louder, and then it died away in the distance. - -“What is that?” asked Mrs. Meadows, in an impressive whisper. - -“Thunder,” answered Mr. Rabbit, who had listened intently. “Thunder, as -sure as you’re born.” - -“Yes,” said Mr. Thimblefinger. “I saw a cloud coming up next door, just -before we came through the spring gate.” - -“I must be getting nervous in my old age,” remarked Mrs. Meadows. “I had -an idea that it was too late in the season for thunder-storms.” - -“That may be so,” replied Mr. Thimblefinger, “but it’s never too late -for old man Thunder to rush out on his front porch and begin to cut up -his capers. But there’s no harm in him.” - -“But the Lightning kills people sometimes,” said Buster John. - -“The Lightning? Oh, yes, but I was talking about old man Thunder,” -replied Mr. Thimblefinger. “When I was a boy, I once heard of a little -girl”—Mr. Thimblefinger suddenly put his hand over his mouth and hung -his head, as if he had been caught doing something wrong. - -“Why, what in the world is the matter?” asked Mrs. Meadows. - -“Oh, nothing,” replied Mr. Thimblefinger. “I simply forgot my manners.” - -“I don’t see how,” remarked Mr. Rabbit, frowning. - -“Why, I was about to tell a story before I had been asked.” - -“Well, you won’t disturb me by telling a story, I’m sure,” said Mr. -Rabbit. “I can nod just as well when some one is talking as when -everything is still. You won’t pester me at all. Just go ahead.” - -“Maybe it isn’t story-telling time,” suggested Mrs. Meadows. - -“Oh, don’t say that,” cried Sweetest Susan. “If it is a story, please -tell it.” - -“Well, it is nothing but a plain, every-day story. After you hear it -you’ll lean back in your chair and wonder why somebody didn’t take hold -of it and twist it into a real old-fashioned tale. It’s old fashioned -enough, the way I heard it, but I always thought that the person who -heard it first must have forgotten parts of it.” - -“We won’t mind that,” said Sweetest Susan. - -Mr. Thimblefinger settled himself comfortably and began:— - -“Once upon a time—I don’t know how long ago, but not very long, for the -tale was new to me when I first heard it—once upon a time there was a -little girl about your age and size who was curious to know something -about everything that happened. She wanted to know how a bird could fly, -and why the clouds floated, and she was all the time trying to get at -the bottom of things. - -“Well, one day when the sky was covered with clouds, the Thunder came -rolling along, knocking at everybody’s door and running a race with the -noise it made; the little girl listened and wondered what the Thunder -was and where it went to. It wasn’t long before the Thunder came -rumbling along again, making a noise like a four-horse wagon running -away on a covered bridge. - -“While the little girl was standing there, wondering and listening, an -old man with a bundle on his back and a stout staff in his hand came -along the road. He bowed and smiled when he saw the little girl, but as -she didn’t return the bow or the smile, being too much interested in -listening for the Thunder, he paused and asked her what the trouble was. - -“‘I hope you are not lost?’ he said. - -“‘Oh, no, sir,’ she replied; ‘I was listening for the Thunder and -wondering where it goes.’ - -“‘Well, as you seem to be a very good little girl,’ the old man said, ‘I -don’t mind telling you. The Thunder lives on top of yonder mountain. It -is not so far away.’ - -“‘Oh, I should like ever so much to go there!’ exclaimed the little -girl. - -“‘Why not?’ said the old man. ‘The mountain is on my road, and, if you -say the word, we’ll go together.’ - -“The little girl took the old man’s hand and they journeyed toward the -mountain where the Thunder had his home. The way was long, but somehow -they seemed to go very fast. The old man took long strides forward, and -he was strong enough to lift the little girl at every step, so that when -they reached the foot of the mountain she was not very tired. - -“But, as the mountain was very steep and high, the two travelers stopped -to rest themselves before they began to climb it. Its sides seemed to be -rough and dark, but far up on the topmost peak the clouds had gathered, -and from these the Lightning flashed incessantly. The little girl saw -the flashes and asked what they meant. - -“‘Wherever the Thunder lives,’ replied the old man, ‘there the Lightning -builds its nest. No doubt the wind has blown the clouds about and torn -them apart and scattered them. The Lightning is piling them together -again, and fixing a warm, soft place to sleep to-night.’ - -“When they had rested awhile, the old man said it was time to be going, -and then he made the little girl climb on his back. At first she didn’t -want the old man to carry her; but he declared that she would do him a -great favor by climbing on his back and holding his bundle in place. So -she sat upon the bundle, and in this way they went up the high mountain, -going almost as rapidly as the little girl could run on level ground. -She enjoyed it very much, for, although the old man went swiftly, he -went smoothly, and the little girl felt as safe and as comfortable as if -she had been sitting in a rocking-chair. - -“When they had come nearly to the top of the mountain, the old man -stopped and lifted the little girl from his back. ‘I can go no farther,’ -he said. ‘The rest of the way you will have to go alone. There is -nothing to fear. Up the mountain yonder you can see the gable of the -Thunder’s house. Go to the door, knock, and do not be alarmed at any -noise you hear. When the time comes for you to go, you will find me -awaiting you here.’ - -“The little girl hesitated, but she had come so far to see where the -Thunder lived that she would not turn back now. So she went forward, and -soon came to the door of Mr. Thunder’s house. It was a very big door to -a very big house. The knocker was so heavy that the little girl could -hardly lift it, and when she let it fall against the panel, the noise it -made jarred the building and sent a loud echo rolling and tumbling down -the mountain. The little girl thought, ‘What have I done? If the Thunder -is taking a nap before dinner, he’ll be very angry.’ - - -[Illustration: - - SHE WAITED A LITTLE WHILE -] - - -“She waited a little while, not feeling very comfortable. Presently she -heard heavy footsteps coming down the wide hall to the door. - -“‘I thought I heard some one knocking,’ said a hoarse, gruff voice. Then -the big door flew open, and there, standing before her, the little girl -saw a huge figure that towered almost to the top of the high door. It -wore heavy boots, a big overcoat, and under its long, thick beard there -was a muffler a yard wide. The little girl was very much frightened at -first, but she soon remembered that there was nothing for such a little -bit of a girl to be afraid of. - -“The figure, that seemed to be so terrible at first glance, had nothing -threatening about it. ‘Who knocked at the door?’ it cried. - -“Its voice sounded so loud that the little girl put her fingers in her -ears. - -“‘Don’t talk so loud, please,’ she said. ‘I’m not deaf.’ - -“‘Oh!’ cried the giant at the door. ‘You are there, are you? You are so -small I didn’t see you at first. Come in!’ - -“The little girl started to go in, and then paused. ‘Are you the -Thunder?’ she asked. - -“‘Why, of course,’ was the reply; ‘who else did you think it was?’ - -“‘I didn’t know,’ said the little girl. ‘I wanted to be certain about -it.’ - -“‘Come in,’ said the Thunder. ‘It isn’t often I have company from the -people below, and I’m glad you found me at home.’ - -The Thunder led the way down the hall and into a wide sitting-room, -where a fire was burning brightly in the biggest fireplace the little -girl had ever seen. A two-horse wagon could turn around in it without -touching the andirons. A pair of tongs as tall as a man stood in one -corner, and in the other corner was a shovel to match. A long pipe lay -on the mantel. - -“‘There’s no place for you to sit except on the floor,’ said the -Thunder. - -“‘I can sit on the bed,’ suggested the little girl. - -“The Thunder laughed so loudly that the little girl had to close her -ears again. ‘Why, that is no bed,’ the Thunder said when it could catch -its breath; ‘that’s my footstool.’ - -“‘Well,’ said the little girl, ‘it’s big enough for a bed. It’s very -soft and nice.’ - -“‘I find it very comfortable,’ said the Thunder, ‘especially when I get -home after piloting a tornado through the country. It is tough work, as -sure as you are born.’ - -“The Thunder took the long pipe from the mantel and lit it with a pine -splinter, the flame of which flashed through the windows with dazzling -brightness. - -“‘Folks will say that is heat lightning,’ remarked the little girl. - -“‘Yes,’ replied the Thunder; ‘farmers to the north of us will say there -is going to be a drought, because of lightning in the south. Farmers to -the south of us will say there’s going to be rain, because of lightning -in the north. None of them knows that I am smoking my pipe.’ - -“But somehow, in turning around, the Thunder knocked the big tongs over, -and they fell upon the floor with a tremendous crash. The floor appeared -to give forth a sound like a drum, only a thousand times louder, and, -although the little girl had her fingers in her ears, she could hear the -echoes roused under the house by the falling tongs go rattling down the -mountain side and out into the valley beyond. - -“The Thunder sat in the big armchair smoking, and listening with legs -crossed. The little girl appeared to be sorry that she had come. - -“‘Now, that is too bad,’ said the Thunder. ‘The Whirlwind in the south -will hear that and come flying; the West Wind will hear it and come -rushing, and they will drag the clouds after them, thinking that I am -ready to take my ride. But it’s all my fault. Instead of turning the -winds in the pasture, I ought to have put them in the stable. Here they -come now!’ - -“The little girl listened, and, sure enough, the whirlwinds from the -south and the west came rushing around the house of the Thunder. The -west wind screamed around the windows, and the whirlwinds from the south -whistled through the cracks and keyholes. - -“‘I guess I’ll have to go with them,’ said the Thunder, rising from the -chair and walking around the room. ‘It’s the only way to quiet them.’ - -“‘Do you always wear your overcoat?’ the little girl asked. - -“‘Always,’ replied the Thunder. ‘There’s no telling what moment I’ll be -called. Sometimes I go just for a frolic, and sometimes I am obliged to -go. Will you stay until I return?’ - -“‘Oh, no,’ the little girl replied; ‘the house is too large. I should be -afraid to stay here alone.’ - -“‘I am sorry,’ said the Thunder. ‘Come and see me get in my carriage.’ - -“They went to the door. The whirlwinds from the south and the winds from -the west had drawn the clouds to the steps, and into these the Thunder -climbed. - -“‘Good-by,’ he cried to the little girl. ‘Stay where you are until we -are out of sight.’ - -“There was a flash of light, a snapping sound, a rattling crash, and the -Thunder, with the clouds for his carriage and the winds for his horses, -went roaming and rumbling through the sky, over the hills and valleys.” - -Mr. Thimblefinger paused and looked at the children. They, expecting him -to go on, said nothing. - -“How did you like my story?” he asked. - -“Is it a story?” inquired Buster John. - -“Well, call it a tale,” said Mr. Thimblefinger. - -“Hit’s too high up in de elements for ter suit me,” said Drusilla, -candidly. - -“What became of the little girl?” asked Sweetest Susan. - -“When the Thunder rolled away,” said Mr. Thimblefinger, “she went back -to where the old man was awaiting her, and he, having nothing to do, -carried her to the Jumping-Off Place.” - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - III. - - THE JUMPING-OFF PLACE. - - -The children looked at Mr. Thimblefinger to see whether he was joking -about the Jumping-Off Place, but he seemed to be very serious. - -“I have heard of the Jumping-Off Place,” remarked Mrs. Meadows, “but I -had an idea it was just a saying.” - -“Well,” replied Mr. Thimblefinger, “where you see a good deal of smoke, -there must be some fire. When you hear a great many different people -talking about anything, there must be something in it.” - -“What did the little girl see when she got to the Jumping-Off Place?” -inquired Sweetest Susan. - -“It was this way,” said Mr. Thimblefinger: “When the whirlwinds from the -south and the winds from the west, working in double harness, carried -the thick clouds away, and the Thunder with them, the little girl went -back to the place where she had left the old man who had carried her up -the mountain. - -“She found him waiting. He was sitting at the foot of a tree, sleeping -peacefully, but he awoke at once. - -“‘You see I am waiting for you,’ he said. ‘How did you enjoy your -visit?’ - -“‘I didn’t enjoy it much,’ replied the little girl. ‘Everything was so -large, and the Thunder made so much fuss.’ - -“‘I hope you didn’t mind that,’ said the old man. ‘The Thunder is a -great growler and grumbler, but when that’s said, all’s said. I am -sorry, though, you didn’t have a good time. I suppose you think it is my -fault, but it isn’t. If you say so, I’ll go to the Jumping-Off Place.’ - -“‘Where is that?’ asked the little girl. - -“‘Just beyond the Well at the End of the World.’ - -“‘If it isn’t too far, let’s go there,’ said the little girl. - -“So the old man lifted her on his back, and they went on their way. They -must have gone very swiftly, for it wasn’t long before they came to the -Well at the End of the World. An old woman was sitting near the Well, -combing her hair. She paid no attention to the travelers, nor they to -her. When they had gone beyond the Well a little distance, the little -girl noticed that the sky appeared to be very close at hand. It was no -longer blue, but dark, and seemed to hang down like a blanket or a -curtain.” - -“But that couldn’t be, you know,” said Buster John, “for the sky is no -sky at all. It is nothing but space.” - -“How comes it dey call it sky, ef ’t ain’t no sky?” asked Drusilla, -indignantly. “An’ how come’t ain’t no sky, when it’s right up dar, plain -ez de han’ fo’ yo’ face? Dat what I’d like ter know.” - -“Why, the moon is thousands of miles away,” said Buster John, “and some -of the stars are millions and millions of miles farther than the moon.” - -“Dat what dey say,” replied Drusilla, “but how dey know? Whar de string -what dey medjud ’em wid? Tell me dat!” - -“What about our sky?” asked Mrs. Meadows, smiling. “You would never -think it was only the bottom of the spring if you didn’t know it; now -would you?” - -Buster John had nothing to say in reply to this. Whereupon Sweetest -Susan begged Mr. Thimblefinger to please go on with his story. - -“Well,” said he, “if I am to go on with it, I’ll have to tell it just as -I heard it. I’ll have to put the sky just where I was told it was. When -the little girl and the old man came close to the Jumping-Off Place, -they saw that the sky was hanging close at hand. It may have been far, -it may have been near, but to the little girl it seemed to be close -enough to touch, and she wished very much for a long pole, so that she -could see whether it was made of muslin or ginghams. - - -[Illustration: - - PRESENTLY THEY CAME TO A PRECIPICE -] - - -“Presently they came to a precipice. There was nothing beyond it and -nothing below it. ‘This,’ said the old man to the little girl, ‘is the -Jumping-Off Place.’ - -“‘Does any one jump off here?’ said the little girl. - -“‘Not that I know of,’ replied the old man, ‘but if they should take a -notion to, the place is all ready for them.’ - -“‘Where would I fall to, if I jumped off?’ the little girl asked. - -“‘To Nowhere,’ answered the old man. - -“‘That is very funny,’ said the little girl. - -“‘Yes,’ remarked the old man, ‘you can get to the End of the World, but -you would have to travel many a long year before you get to Nowhere. -Some say it is a big city, some say it is a high mountain, and some say -it is a wide plain.’ - -“The little girl went to the Jumping-Off Place and looked over, the old -man holding her hand. - -“‘Why, I see the moon shining down there,’ she said. She was glad to see -so familiar a face. - -“The old man laughed. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘the moon is very fond of shining -down there, and it runs away from the sun every chance it gets, and -hunts up the darkest places, so that it may shine there undisturbed. -To-day it is shining down there where the sun can’t see it, but to-night -it will creep up here, when the sun goes away, and shine the whole night -through.’ - -“Turning back, the old man and the little girl came again to the Well at -the End of the World. The old woman was sitting there, combing her long -white hair. This time she looked hard at the little girl and smiled, -singing:— - - “‘When the heart is young the well is dry— - Oh, it’s good-by, dearie! good-by!’ - -“But the old man shook his head. ‘We have not come here for nothing, -Sister Jane,’ he said. With that he took a small vial, tied a long -string to it, and let it down the well. He fished about until the vial -was full of water, drew it to the top, and corked it tightly. The water -sparkled in the sun as if it were full of small diamonds. Then he placed -it carefully in his pocket, bowed politely to the old woman, who was -still combing her long, white hair, and, smiling, lifted the little girl -to his back, and returned along the road they had come, past the -Thunder’s house and down the mountain side, until they reached the -little girl’s home. Then he took the vial of sparkling water from his -pocket. ‘Take it,’ he said, ‘and wherever you go keep it with you. Touch -a drop of it to your forehead when Friday is the thirteenth day of a -month, and you will grow up to be both wise and beautiful. When you are -in trouble, turn the vial upside down—so—and hold it in that position -while you count twenty-six, and some of your friends will come to your -aid.’ - -“The little girl thanked the old man as politely as she knew how. - -“‘Do you know why I have carried you to the Thunder’s house and to the -Jumping-Off Place, and why I have given you a vial of this rare water?’ -The little girl shook her head. ‘Well, one day, not long ago, you were -sitting by the roadside with some of your companions. You were all -eating cake. A beggar came along and asked for a piece. You alone gave -him any, and you gave him all you had.’ - -“‘Were you the beggar?’ asked the little girl, smiling and blushing. - -“‘That I leave you to guess,’ replied the old man. He kissed the little -girl’s hand, and was soon hid from sight by a turn in the road.” - -Mr. Thimblefinger stopped short here, and waited to see what the -children would say. They had listened attentively, but they manifested -no very great interest. - -“I reckon they think there is more talk than tale in what you have -told,” remarked Mr. Rabbit, leaning back in his chair. “That’s the way -it appeared to me.” - -“Well, I’ll not say that I have come to the end of my story,” remarked -Mr. Thimblefinger, with some show of dignity, “but I have come to the -part where we can rest awhile, so as to give Mr. Rabbit a chance to see -if he can do any better. We’ll allow the little girl to grow some, just -as she does in the story.” - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - IV. - - THE BLUE HEN’S CHICKEN. - - -“I’m not much of a story-teller,” said Mr. Rabbit, “and I never set up -for one, but I will say that I like the rough-and-tumble tales a great -deal better than I do the kind where some great somebody is always -coming in with conjurings and other carryings-on. It’s on account of my -raising, I reckon.” - -“Well, stories can’t be all alike,” remarked Mrs. Meadows. “You might as -well expect a fiddle to play one tune.” - -“Tell us the kind of story you like best,” said Buster John to Mr. -Rabbit. - -“No, not now,” responded Mr. Rabbit. “I’ll do that some other time. I -happened to think just now of a little circumstance that I used to hear -mentioned when I was younger. - -“In the country next door there used to be a great many chickens. Some -were of the barnyard breed, some were of the kind they call game, some -were black, some were white, some were brown, some were speckled, and -some had their feathers curled the wrong way. Among all these there was -one whose name, as well as I can remember, was Mrs. Blue Hen.” - -“Was she really blue?” Sweetest Susan inquired. - -“Well, not an indigo blue,” replied Mr. Rabbit, after reflecting a -moment, “nor yet a sky blue. She was just a plain, dull, every-day blue. -But, such as she was, she was very fine. She belonged to one of the -first families and moved in the very best circles. She was trim-looking, -so I’ve heard said, and, as she grew older, came to have a very bad -temper, so much so that she used to fly at a hawk if he came near her -premises. Some of her neighbors used to whisper it around that she tried -to crow like a rooster, but this was after she had grown old and -hard-headed. - -“When Mrs. Blue Hen was growing up, she was very nice and particular. -She couldn’t bear to get water on her feet, and she was always shaking -the dust from her clothes. Some said she was finicky, and some said she -was nervous. Once, when she fanned out little Billy Bantam, who called -on her one day, a great many of her acquaintances said she would never -settle down and make a good housekeeper. - -“But after awhile Mrs. Blue Hen concluded that it was about time for her -to have a family of her own, so she went away off from the other -chickens and made her a nest in the middle of a thick briar patch. She -made her a nest there and laid an egg. It was new and white, and Mrs. -Blue Hen was very proud of it. She was so proud, in fact, that, although -she had made up her mind to make no fuss over it, she went running and -cackling toward the house, just as any common hen would do. She made so -much fuss that away down in the branch Mr. Willy Weasel winked at Miss -Mimy Mink. - -“‘Do you hear that?’ says he. - -“‘I never heard anything plainer in my life,’ says she. - -“Mrs. Blue Hen was so proud of her new, white egg that she went back -after awhile to look at it. There it was, shining white in the grass. -She covered it up and hid it as well as she could, and then she went -about getting dinner ready. - -“The next morning she went to the nest and laid another egg just like -the first one. This happened for three mornings; but on the fourth -morning, when Mrs. Blue Hen went back, she found four eggs in the nest, -and all four appeared to be dingy and muddy looking. She was very much -astonished and alarmed, as well she might be, for here right before her -eyes she saw four eggs, when she knew in reason that there should be but -three; and not only that, they were all dingy and dirty. - -“Mrs. Blue Hen was so excited that she took off her bonnet and began to -fan herself. Then she wondered whether she had not made a miscount; -whether she had not really laid four instead of three eggs. The more she -thought about it, the more confused she became. She hung her bonnet on a -blackberry bush and tried to count off the days on her toes. She began -to count,—’One, two, three,’—and she would have stopped there, but she -couldn’t. She had four toes on her foot, and she was compelled to count -them all. There was a toe on the foot for every egg in the nest. - -“This caused Mrs. Blue Hen to feel somewhat more comfortable in mind and -body, but she was left in such a hysterical state that she went off -cackling nervously, and postponed laying an egg until late in the -afternoon. After that there were five in the nest, and she kept on -laying until there were ten altogether. Then Mrs. Blue Hen rumpled up -her feathers and got mad with herself, and went to setting. I reckon -that’s what you call it. I’ve heard some call it ‘setting’ and others -‘sitting.’ Once, when I was courting, I spoke of a sitting hen, but the -young lady said I was too prissy for anything.” - -“What is prissy?” asked Sweetest Susan. - -Mr. Rabbit shut his eyes and scratched his ear. Then he shook his head -slowly. - -“It’s nothing but a girl’s word,” remarked Mrs. Meadows by way of -explanation. “It means that somebody’s trying hard to show off.” - -“I reckon that’s so,” said Mr. Rabbit, opening his eyes. He appeared to -be much relieved. “Well, Mrs. Blue Hen got mad and went to setting. She -was in a snug place and nobody bothered her. It was such a quiet place -that she could hear Mr. Willy Weasel and Miss Mimy Mink gossiping in the -calamus bushes, and she could hear Mrs. Puddle Duck wading in the -branch. One day Mrs. Puddle Duck made so bold as to push her way through -the briars and look in upon Mrs. Blue Hen. But her visit was not -relished. Mrs. Blue Hen rumpled her feathers up and spread out her tail -to such a degree and squalled out such a harsh protest that Mrs. Puddle -Duck was glad to waddle off with whole bones. But when she got back to -the branch she spluttered about a good deal, crying out: - -“‘Aha! aha! quack, quack! Aha! You are there, are you? Aha! you’ll have -trouble before you get away. Aha!’ - -“Now the fact was that Mrs. Puddle Duck was the very one that had caused -Mrs. Blue Hen all the trouble,” said Mr. Rabbit, nodding his head -solemnly. “While wading in the branch, Mrs. Puddle Duck had seen Mrs. -Blue Hen going to her nest for three days, slipping and creeping through -the weeds and bushes, and she wanted to know what all the slipping and -creeping was about. So, on the third day Mrs. Puddle Duck did some -slipping and creeping on her own account. She crept up close enough to -see Mrs. Blue Hen on her nest, and she was near enough to see Mrs. Blue -Hen when she ran away cackling. - -“Then Mrs. Puddle Duck waddled up and peeped in the nest. There she saw -three eggs as white and as smooth as ivory, and the sight filled her -with jealousy. She began to talk to herself:— - -“‘I knew she must be mighty proud, the stuck-up thing! I can see that by -the way she steps around here. Quack, quack! and I’ll just show her a -thing or two.’ - -“Then and there Mrs. Puddle Duck, all muddy as she was, got in Mrs. Blue -Hen’s nest and sat on her beautiful white eggs and soiled them. And even -that was not all. Out of pure spite Mrs. Puddle Duck laid one of her own -dingy-looking eggs in Mrs. Blue Hen’s nest, and that was the cause of -all the trouble. That was the reason Mrs. Blue Hen found four dingy eggs -in her nest when there ought to have been three clean white ones. - -“Well, Mrs. Blue Hen went to setting, and after so long a time nine -little chickens were hatched. She was very proud of them. She taught -them how to talk, and then she wanted to get off her nest and teach them -how to scratch about and earn their own living. But there was still one -egg to hatch, and so Mrs. Blue Hen continued to set on it. One day she -made up her mind to take her chicks off and leave the egg that wouldn’t -hatch. The old Speckled Hen happened to be passing and Mrs. Blue Hen -asked her advice. But the old Speckled Hen was very much shocked when -she heard the particulars. - -“‘What! with nine chickens!’ she cried. ‘Why, nine is an odd number. It -would never do in the world. Hatch out the other egg.’ - - -[Illustration: - - ONE OF THEM WAS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT FROM ALL THE REST -] - - -“But young people are very impatient, and Mrs. Blue Hen was young. She -fretted and worried a good deal, but in a few days the tenth egg -hatched. Mrs. Blue Hen felt very much better after this. In fact, she -felt so comfortable that she didn’t take the trouble to look at the -chicken that hatched from the tenth egg. But when she brought her -children off the nest she was very much astonished to find that one of -them was entirely different from all the rest. She was not only -surprised, but shocked. Nine of her children were as neat-looking as she -could wish them to be, but the tenth one was a sight to see. It had weak -eyes, a bill as broad as a case-knife, and big, flat feet. Its feet were -so big that it waddled when it walked, and all the toes of each foot -were joined together. - -“Mrs. Blue Hen had very high notions. She wanted everybody to think that -she belonged to the quality, but this wabbly chicken with a broad bill -and a foot that had no instep to it took her pride down a peg. She kept -her children hid as long as she could, but she had to come out in public -after a while, and when she did—well, I’ll let you know there was an -uproar in the barnyard. The old Speckled Hen was the first to begin it. -She cried out:— - -“‘Look—look—look! Look at the Blue Hen’s chickens!’ - -“Then the Guinea hens began to laugh, and the old Turkey Gobbler was so -tickled he came near swallowing his snout. Mrs. Blue Hen hung her head -with shame, and carried her children away off in the woods. - -“But her flat-footed chicken gave rise to a byword in all that country. -When any stranger came along looking rough and ragged, it was the common -saying that he was the Blue Hen’s chicken.” - -“I’ve heard it many a time,” remarked Mrs. Meadows. - -“There was no story in that,” Buster John suggested. - -“No,” replied Mr. Rabbit. “Just some every-day facts picked up and -strung together.” - -“Speaking of stories,” said Mrs. Meadows, “I have one in my mind that is -a sure enough story—one of the old-fashioned kind.” - -“Well, please, ma’am, tell it,” said Buster John, so seriously that they -all laughed except Mr. Rabbit. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - V. - - HOW A KING WAS FOUND. - - -“What about the little girl who had the vial of sparkling water?” said -Sweetest Susan, turning to Mr. Thimblefinger, just as Mrs. Meadows was -about to begin her story. - -“Oh, she is growing,” replied Mr. Thimblefinger. - -Buster John frowned at his sister, as boys will do when they are -impatient, and Sweetest Susan said no more. - -“Once upon a time,” Mrs. Meadows began, rubbing her chin thoughtfully, -“there was a country that suddenly found itself without a king. This was -a long time ago, before people in some parts of the world began to think -it was unfashionable to have kings. I don’t know what the trouble was -exactly, whether the king died, or whether he was carried off, or -whether he did something to cause the people to take away his crown and -put him in the calaboose. - -“Anyhow, they suddenly found themselves without a king, and it made them -feel very uncomfortable. They were so restless and uneasy that they -couldn’t sleep well at night. They were in the habit of having a king to -govern them, and they felt very nervous without one. - -“Now in that country there were eleven wise men whose trade it was to -give advice. Instead of falling out and wrangling with one another and -ruining their business, these eleven wise men had formed a copartnership -and set up a sort of store, where anybody and everybody could get advice -by the wholesale or retail. I don’t know whether they charged anything, -because there never has been a time since the world had more than two -people in it that advice wasn’t as cheap as dirt. - -“The eleven wise men were there, ready to give advice, and so the people -went to them and asked them how to select a king. The eleven wise men -put their heads together, and after a while they told the people that -they must select nine of their best men and send them out on the roads -leading to the capital city, and when these nine men found a man -sleeping in the shade of a tree, they were to watch him for four hours, -and if the shadow of the tree stood still so as to keep the sun from -shining on him, he was the one to select for their king. Then the eleven -wise men, looking very solemn, bowed the people out, and the people went -off and selected nine of their best men to find them a king. - -“Now it happened that in a part of the country not far from the capital -city there lived a boy with his mother and stepfather. They were not -poor and they were not rich, but everybody said the boy was the -handsomest and brightest that had ever been seen in that section. He was -about sixteen years old, and was very strong and tall. - -“One day, when the stepfather was in the village near which they lived, -a stranger passed through on his way to the capital city. He had neither -wallet nor staff, but he drew a great crowd of idle people around him. -He was carrying a red rooster, and although the fowl’s feet were tied -together and his head hanging down, he crowed lustily every few minutes. -It was this that drew the crowd of idle people. One with more curiosity -than the rest asked the stranger why the rooster crowed and continued to -crow. - -“‘He is a royal bird,’ the stranger replied. ‘There is no king in this -country, and whoever eats this bird’s head will reign as king.’ - -“‘He must be worth a pretty sum,’ said one. - -“‘By no means,’ answered the stranger. ‘He is worth no more than a -silver piece.’ - -“But the people only laughed. They thought the stranger was making fun -of them. He went on his way, and had soon passed beyond the village. Now -it chanced that the stepfather of the bright and handsome boy was in the -crowd that gathered around the stranger. He thought it was very queer -that a rooster should be crowing so bravely when his legs were tied -together and while his head was hanging down. So he said to himself that -there might be some truth in what the stranger said. He ran after the -man and soon overtook him. - -“‘That is a fine fowl,’ said the boy’s stepfather. - -“‘It is a royal bird,’ the stranger replied. - -“‘What is he worth?’ asked the boy’s stepfather. - -“‘I shall be glad to get rid of him,’ said the stranger. ‘Give me a -piece of silver and take him.’ - -“This was soon done, and the stepfather took the rooster under his arm. - -“‘Remember this,’ remarked the stranger; ‘if you eat the head of that -bird you will reign in this country as king.’ - -“‘Oh, ho!’ laughed the boy’s stepfather, ‘you are a fine joker.’ - -“With the fowl under his arm he went toward his home. He had gone but a -little way when he turned to look at the stranger, but the man had -disappeared. The country was level for a long distance in all -directions, but the stranger could not be seen. - -“The boy’s stepfather carried the fowl home and said to his wife:— - -“‘Cook this bird for supper. Cook the head also.’ - -“The man was afraid to tell his wife why he wanted the head cooked. He -knew she was very fond of her son, and he reasoned to himself that if -she knew what the stranger had said she would give the head to the boy. -So he only told her to be careful to cook the fowl’s head and save it -for him. - -“The wife did as she was bid. She cooked the fowl and the fowl’s head, -and placed them away in the cupboard until her husband and her son came -home. It happened that something kept the husband in the village a -little later than usual, and while the woman was waiting for him her son -came in and said he was very hungry. - -“‘You will find something in the cupboard,’ his mother said. ‘Eat a -little now, and when your stepfather returns we will have supper.’ - -“The boy went to the cupboard. The fowl was on a big dish ready to be -carved, and the head was in the saucer by itself. To save time and -trouble the boy took the head and ate it, and then felt as if he could -wait for supper very comfortably. The husband came, and the woman -proceeded to set the table. When she came to look for the fowl’s head it -was gone. - -“‘Why, I ate it,’ said her son, when he heard her exclamation of -surprise. ‘I found it in the saucer, and I ate it rather than cut the -fowl.’ - -“The stepfather was angry enough to tear his hair, but he said nothing. -The next day the boy went hunting. He was ready to return about noon, -but, being tired, he stretched himself in the shade of a tree and was -soon sound asleep. - - -[Illustration: - - THEY SAW THE HANDSOME BOY SLEEPING -] - - -“While he was sleeping his soundest, the nine men who had been appointed -by the people to find them a king chanced to pass that way. They saw the -handsome boy sleeping in the shade of the tree, and they stationed -themselves around and watched him. For four long hours they watched the -boy, but still the shadow of the tree kept the sun from his face. The -nine men consulted among themselves, and they came to the conclusion -that the shadow of the tree hadn’t moved, and that the boy was a -well-favored lad who would look very well when he was dressed up and put -on a throne with a crown on his head. - -“So they shook the boy and aroused him from his sleep. - -“‘What’s your name?’ asked the spokesman. - -“‘Telambus,’ replied the boy. - -“‘Where do you live?’ - -“‘Not far from here.’ - -“‘How would you like to be king?’ - -“‘I have never tried it. Is it an easy trade to learn?’ - -“The nine men looked at each other shrewdly and smiled. They each had -the same thought. - -“They went with the boy to his home and saw his mother, and inquired -about his age and his education, and asked a hundred other questions -besides. They cautioned the woman as they were leaving to say nothing of -their visit except this, that they were going about hunting for a king -and had called to make some inquiries. - -“When her husband came home he had already heard of the visit of the -distinguished company, and so he asked his wife a thousand questions. -All the answer he got was that the visitors were hunting for a king. - -“‘I’m sure it was for me they were hunting,’ said the man. ‘How -unfortunate that I was away.’ - -“‘Well, don’t worry,’ replied his wife. ‘If they ever intended to make -you king, they’ll come back after you.’ - -“‘You don’t seem to think much about it,’ remarked the man, ‘but some of -these days you’ll find out that you narrowly escaped being the king’s -wife.’ - -“The nine citizens were so certain that they had found the right person -to rule over their country as king, that they made haste to return to -the capital city and tell the news to the eleven wise men who had sent -them out. They made their report, and the eleven wise men put their -heads together once more. When they had consulted together a long time, -they said to the people:— - -“‘There is one test by which you may know whether a king has been found. -Send a messenger and ask this young man to send us a rope made of sand a -hundred feet long.’ - -“The messenger straightway went to the house of Telambus and told him -what the eleven wise men had said. His mother straightway fell to -crying. But Telambus laughed at her fears. - -“‘Tell the eleven wise men,’ he said to the messenger, ‘that there are -various patterns of sand ropes. Let them send me a sample of the kind -they want—a piece only a foot long—and I will make them one a hundred -feet long.’ - -“The messenger returned to the eleven wise men and told them what -Telambus had said. They put their heads together again and then told the -people that the young man was wise enough to be their king. There was -great rejoicing then, and the nine wise men who had found him went to -fetch him. - -“But Telambus shook his head. ‘Kings are not carried about in this way. -Where are your banners and your chariots? Where are your drums and your -cymbals?’ - -“So the nine men returned to the eleven wise men and told them what -Telambus had said. - -“‘He is right,’ said the eleven wise men. ‘He is a king already. Get -your horses, your chariots, your banners, and your music, and bring our -king in as he deserves to be brought.’ - -“So Telambus was made the king of that country.” - -At this point Mrs. Meadows began to hunt for a knitting-needle she had -dropped, and the children knew that the story was ended. - -“That was a pretty good story,” said Mr. Thimblefinger. “It was short -and sweet, as the king-bird said to the honey-bee.” - -“Dey wuz too much kingin’ in it ter suit me. Ef folks got ter have -kings, how come we ain’t got none?” asked Drusilla. - -“Please tell me about the little girl with the vial of sparkling water -from the Well at the End of the World,” said Sweetest Susan to Mr. -Thimblefinger. “I expect she is nearly grown by this time.” - -“Oh, yes,” replied Mr. Thimblefinger, “she has now grown to be quite a -young lady.” - -“Huh!” grunted Drusilla, “ef folks grow up dat quick, I dunner what -hinder me from bein’ a ol’ gray-head ’oman by sundown.” - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - VI. - - THE MAGIC RING. - - -“Don’t you see,” said Mr. Thimblefinger, with apparent seriousness, -“that if we hadn’t left off the story of the little girl who went to the -Well at the End of the World just where we did, she would have had no -time to grow?” - -Buster John smiled faintly, but Sweetest Susan took the statement -seriously, though she said nothing. Drusilla boldly indorsed it. - -“I speck dat’s so,” she said, “kaze when de lil’ gal got back home wid -dat vial she wa’n’t in no fix fer ter cut up dem kind er capers what de -tales tell about.” - -“Certainly not,” remarked Mr. Thimblefinger, “but now she has had time -to grow up to be a young lady, almost. Names go for so little down here -that I haven’t told you hers. She was named Eolen. Some said it was a -beautiful name, but her stepmother and her stepmother’s daughter said it -was very ugly. Anyhow, that was her name, and whether it was ugly or -whether it was beautiful, she had to make the best of it. - -“Well, Eolen went home when the old man gave her the vial of water from -the Well at the End of the World. She hid the vial beneath her apron -until she reached her own room, and then she placed it at the very -bottom of her little trunk,—a trunk that had belonged to her mother, who -was dead. - -“Nothing happened for a long time. Whenever Friday fell on the -thirteenth of a month, Eolen would rub a drop of the sparkling water on -her forehead, and she grew to be the loveliest young lady that ever was -seen. Her stepsister was not bad-looking, but, compared with Eolen, she -was ugly. The contrast between them was so great that people could not -help noticing it and making remarks about it. Some of these remarks came -to the ears of her stepmother. - -“Now a stepmother can be just as nice and as good as anybody, but this -particular stepmother cared for nothing except her own child, and she -soon came to hate Eolen for being so beautiful. She had never treated -the child kindly, but now she began to treat her cruelly. Eolen never -told her father, but somehow he seemed to know what was going on, and he -treated her more affectionately each day, as her stepmother grew more -cruel. - -“This lasted for some time, but finally Eolen’s father fell ill and -died, and then, although she had many admirers, she was left without a -friend she could confide in or rely on. To make matters worse, her -stepmother produced a will in which her husband had left everything to -her and nothing to Eolen. The poor girl didn’t know what to do. She knew -that her father had made no such will, but how could she prove it? She -happened to think of the vial of sparkling waters. She found it and -turned it upside down. - -“On the instant there was a loud knock at the street door. Eolen would -have gone to open it, but her stepmother was there before her. She -peeped from behind the curtains in the hallway, and saw a tall, -richly-dressed stranger standing on the steps. - -“‘I wish to see a young lady who lives here. She is the daughter of an -old friend,’ said the stranger. - -“The stepmother smiled very sweetly. ‘Come in. I will call her.’ - -“But instead of calling Eolen she called her own daughter. The girl -went, but not with a good grace. She had been petted and spoiled, and -was very saucy and impolite. The stranger smiled when he saw her. - -“‘What was my mother doing when you saw her sitting by the Well at the -End of the World?’ he asked. - -“‘Do you take me for a crazy person?’ replied the girl. - -“‘By no means,’ said the stranger. ‘You are not the young lady I came to -see.’ - -“The stepmother then called Eolen and stood in the room frowning to see -what was going to happen. Eolen came as soon as she was called, and the -stranger seemed to be much struck by her beauty and modesty. He took her -by the hand and led her to a chair. - -“‘What was my mother doing when you saw her sitting by the Well at the -End of the World?’ he asked. - -“‘She was combing her hair,’ replied Eolen. - -“‘That is true,’ remarked the stranger. ‘Yes, she was combing her hair.’ -Then he turned to the stepmother and said: ‘May I see this young lady -alone for a little while? I have a message for her from an old friend.’ - -“‘Certainly!’ the stepmother answered. ‘I hope her friend is well-to-do, -for her father has died without leaving her so much as a farthing.’ -Having said this, the stepmother flounced from the room. - -“‘I came at your summons,’ said the stranger; ‘you turned the vial of -sparkling water upside down, and now I am here to do your bidding.’ - -“Then Eolen told him of the death of her father, and how he had left all -of his property to her stepmother. The stranger listened attentively, -and while he listened played with a heavy gold ring that he wore on his -third finger. When Eolen was through with her story he took this ring -from his finger and handed it to her. - -“‘Look through that,’ he said, ‘and tell me what you see.’ - -“Eolen held the ring to one of her eyes, and peeped through the golden -circle. She was so surprised that she came near dropping the ring. She -had held it up toward the stranger, but instead of seeing him through -the ring she seemed to be looking into a room in which some person was -moving about. As she continued to look, the scene appeared to be a -familiar one. The room was the one her stepmother occupied—the room in -which her father had died. She saw her stepmother take from her father’s -private drawer a folded paper and hide it behind the mantel. Then the -scene vanished, and through the ring she saw the stranger smiling at -her. - -“‘What you have seen happened some time ago.’ He took the ring and -replaced it on his finger. ‘Your stepmother is now coming this way. She -has been trying to hear what we are saying. When she comes in, do you -get your father’s real will from behind the mantel and bring it to me.’ - -“Sure enough the stepmother came into the room silently and suddenly. -She pretended to be much surprised to find any one there. - -“‘You must excuse me,’ she said to the stranger. ‘I imagined I heard you -take your leave some time ago.’ - -“‘You are excusable,’ replied the stranger. ‘I have been reflecting -rather than talking. I have been thinking what could be done for your -stepdaughter, who must be quite a burden to you.’ - -“The stepmother took this for an invitation to tell what she knew about -Eolen, and you may be sure she didn’t waste any praise on the young -lady. But right in the midst of it all Eolen, who had gone out, returned -and handed the stranger the folded paper that had been hid behind the -mantel. The stepmother recognized it and turned pale. - -“‘This,’ said the stranger, opening the paper and reading it at a -glance, ‘is your father’s will. I see he has left you half the -property.’ - -“‘That is the will my husband forgot to destroy,’ cried the stepmother. -‘I have the real will.’ - -“‘May I see it?’ asked the stranger. - -“The stepmother ran to fetch it, but when the stranger had opened it, -not a line nor a word of writing could be found on it. - -“‘I see you are fond of a joke,’ said the stranger, but the stepmother -had fallen into a chair and sat with her face hid in her hands. ‘I am -fond of a joke myself,’ continued the stranger, ‘and I think I can match -yours.’ - -“With that the stranger took the real will, tore it in small pieces and -threw it into the fireplace. - -“‘What have you done?’ cried Eolen. - -“‘The most difficult thing in the world,’ replied the stranger; ‘I have -made this lady happy.’ - -“And sure enough the stepmother was smiling and thanking him. - -“‘I thought you were my enemy,’ she said, ‘but now I see you are my -friend indeed. How can I repay you?’ - -“‘By treating this young lady here as your daughter,’ he replied. ‘Have -no fear,’ he said, turning to Eolen. ‘No harm can befall you. What I -have done is for the best.’ - -“But before he went away he gave Eolen the gold ring, and told her to -wear it for the sake of his mother, who sat by the Well at the End of -the World. She thanked him for his kindness and promised she would keep -the ring and treasure it as long as she lived. - -“But there was one trouble with this magic ring. It was too large for -any of Eolen’s fingers. She had the whitest and most beautiful hands -ever seen, but the ring would fit none of her fingers. Around her neck -she wore a necklace of coral beads, and on this necklace she hung the -ring. - -“For many day’s Eolen’s stepmother was kind to her, almost too kind. But -the woman was afraid her stepdaughter would inform the judges of her -effort to steal and hide her husband’s will. The judges were very severe -in those days and in that country, and if the woman had been brought -before them and such a crime proven on her, she would have been sent to -the rack.” - -“What is a rack?” asked Sweetest Susan. - -“Hit’s de place whar dey scrunch folks’s ve’y vitals out’n ’em,” said -Drusilla solemnly. - -“That’s about right, I reckon,” assented Mr. Thimblefinger. “Well, the -stepmother was as kind to Eolen as she knew how to be, but the kindness -didn’t last long. She hated her stepdaughter worse than ever. She was -afraid of her, but she didn’t hate her any the less on that account. - -“Eolen had a habit of taking off her coral necklace and placing it under -her pillow at night. One night, when she was fast asleep, her stepmother -crept into the room and slipped the ring from the necklace. She had no -idea it was a magic ring. She said to herself that it would look better -on her daughter’s finger than it did on Eolen’s coral necklace, so she -took the ring and slipped it on the finger of her sleeping daughter, and -then stepped back a little to admire the big golden circle on the -coarse, red hand. - -“Almost immediately the daughter began to toss and tumble in her sleep. -She flung her arms wildly about and tried to talk. The mother, becoming -alarmed, tried to wake her, but it was some time before the girl could -be roused from her troubled sleep. - -“‘Oh!’ she cried, when she awoke, ‘what is the matter with me? I dreamed -some one was cutting my finger off. What was it? Oh! it hurts me still!’ - -“She held up the finger on which her mother had placed the ring and -tried to tear off the golden band. ‘It burns—it burns!’ she cried. ‘Take -it off.’ - -“Her mother tried to take the ring off, but it was some time before she -succeeded. Her daughter struggled and cried so that it was a hard matter -to remove the ring, which seemed to be as hot as fire. A red blister was -left on the girl’s finger, and she was in great pain. - - -[Illustration: - - HER STEPMOTHER CREPT INTO THE ROOM -] - - -“‘What have I done?’ the mother cried, seeing her daughter’s condition. -The two made so much noise that Eolen awoke and went to the door to find -out what the trouble was. - -“‘Go away, you hussy!’ screamed the stepmother when she saw Eolen at the -door. ‘Go away! You are a witch!’ - -“‘Why, what have I done?’ Eolen asked. - -“‘You are the cause of all this trouble. For amusement I placed your -gold ring on my dear daughter’s finger, and now see her condition!’ - -“‘Why, then, did you take my ring? If you had left it where I placed it, -you would have had none of this trouble.’ Eolen spoke with so much -dignity that her stepmother was surprised into silence, though she could -talk faster and louder than a flutter-mill. But finally she found her -voice. - -“‘Go away! You are a witch!’ she said to Eolen. - -“But Eolen went boldly into the room. ‘Give me my ring!’ she exclaimed. -‘You shall wrong me no further. Give me my ring! I will have it!’ - -“This roused the stepmother’s temper. She searched on the floor till she -found the ring. Then she opened a window and flung it as far as she -could send it. - -“‘Now let’s see you get it!’ she cried. With that she seized Eolen by -the arm and pushed her from the room, saying, ‘Go away, you witch!’ - -“Now, then,” said Mr. Thimblefinger, after pausing to take breath, “what -was the poor girl to do?” He looked at Sweetest Susan as if expecting -her to answer the question. - -“I’m sure I don’t know,” replied Sweetest Susan. - -“Shake up de bottle,” exclaimed Drusilla. - -“Exactly so,” said Mr. Thimblefinger. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - VII. - - THE COW WITH THE GOLDEN HORNS. - - -“I hope that isn’t all of the story,—if you call it a story,” said -Buster John. - -“Which?” remarked Mr. Thimblefinger, with an air of having forgotten the -whole business. - -“Why, that about throwing the gold ring from the window,” replied Buster -John. - -“Well, no,” said Mr. Thimblefinger, in an absent-minded way. “In a book, -you know, you can read right on if you want to, or you can put the book -down and rest yourself when you get tired. But when I’m telling a story, -you must give me time to rest. I’m so little, you know, that it doesn’t -take much to tire me. Of course, if you don’t like the story, I can stop -any time. It’s no trouble at all to stop. Just wink your eye at me -twice, and I’m mum.” - -“Oh, we don’t want you to stop,” said Sweetest Susan. - -“No, don’t stop,” remarked Mr. Rabbit, drowsily, “because then everybody -gets to talking, and I can’t doze comfortably. Your stories are as -comforting to me as a feather-bed.” - -“Then I’ll add a bolster to the bed,” exclaimed Mr. Thimblefinger. He -hesitated a moment, and then went on with the story:— - -“Of course, Eolen didn’t know what to do when her stepmother threw the -gold ring from the window and pushed her from the room. She went back to -her bed and lay down, but she couldn’t sleep. After a while daylight -came, and then she dressed herself and went down into the garden to hunt -for the ring. She searched everywhere, but the ring was not to be found. - -“Now the ring could have been found very easily if it had been where it -fell when Eolen’s stepmother threw it from the window. But that night a -tame crow, belonging to the Prince of that country, was roosting in one -of the trees in the garden.” - -“Oh, was it a sure enough Prince?” asked Sweetest Susan. - -“Why, certainly,” replied Mr. Thimblefinger, with great solemnity. “A -make-believe Prince could never have reigned in that country. The people -would have found him out, and he would have been put in the calaboose. -Well, this tame crow that belonged to the Prince had wandered off over -the fields, and had gone so far away from the palace that it was unable -to get back before dark, and so it went to bed in one of the trees -growing in the garden behind the house where Eolen lived. - -“Of course, as soon as morning came, the crow was wide awake and ready -for any mischief that might turn up. It flew to the ground, hoping to -find something for breakfast, and hopped about, searching in the leaves -and grass. Suddenly the crow saw the ring shining on the ground and -picked it up and turned it over. What could it be? The crow’s curiosity -was such that it forgot all about breakfast. It seized the ring in its -beak and went flopping to the palace. It was so early in the morning -that the palace was closed, but the crow flew straight to the Prince’s -window and beat his wings against it until some of the attendants came -and opened it, when the crow walked in with great dignity. - -“The Prince had been awakened by the noise, but when he saw the bird -stalking into the room as stiff as a major-general of militia, he fell -back on his bed laughing. The crow hopped to the foot-board of the bed -and stood there holding the gold ring in his beak, as much as to say, -‘Don’t you wish you were as rich as I am?’ - -“The Prince rose from his bed and took the ring from the crow, but it -was so hot that he made haste to drop it in a basin of cold water. Then -a curious thing happened. The ring seemed to expand in the basin until -it was as large as the bottom, and within the circle it made the picture -of a beautiful girl standing by a milk-white cow. There were two -peculiarities about the milk-white cow. Her ears were as black as jet, -and her horns shone and glittered as if they were made of gold. - -“The Prince was entranced. He gazed at the beautiful picture long and -lovingly, and the crow sat on the rim of the basin and chuckled as -proudly as if it had painted the picture. The girl was the loveliest the -Prince had ever seen, and the cow was surely the most beautiful of her -kind. The Prince’s attendants uttered exclamations of delight when they -saw the picture, and his ministers, when they were sent for, were struck -dumb with astonishment. - -“‘If this bird could only speak!’ cried the Prince. - -“But the crow went chuckling about the room saying to itself, ‘What a -fool a Prince must be who cannot understand my simple language!’ - -“The Prince gazed at the picture framed by the gold ring for a long -time. At last he concluded to take it from the water. As he did so it -shrunk to its natural size, and the picture of the beautiful girl and -the Cow with the Golden Horns disappeared, and the ring no longer burnt -his fingers. He dropped it in the basin once more, but it remained a -simple gold ring and the picture failed to appear again. - -“The Prince was disconsolate. He remained in the palace and refused to -go out. He moped and pined, until the family doctor was called in. The -doctor fussed about and felt of the Prince’s pulse and looked at his -tongue, and said that a change of air was necessary; but the Prince said -he didn’t want any change of air and wouldn’t have it. In fact, he said -he didn’t want any air at all, and he wouldn’t take any pills or -powders, and he wouldn’t drink any sage tea, and he wouldn’t have any -mustard plaster put on him. He was in love, and he knew that the more -medicine he took, the worse off he would be.” - -“Well, a little sage tea ain’t bad when you are in love,” remarked Mrs. -Meadows. “It’s mighty soothing.” - -“Maybe,” continued Mr. Thimblefinger, “but the Prince didn’t want it, -and wouldn’t have it. He wanted the beautiful girl he had seen in the -picture. He was in love with her, and he wanted to marry her. So his -ministers consulted together and finally they sent around a bailiff”— - -“Nonsense!” cried Mrs. Meadows. - -“Tut—tut!” exclaimed Mr. Rabbit. - -“Well,” said Mr. Thimblefinger, “he sent a crier around”— - -“A herald, you mean,” suggested Buster John, who had read a good many -story books. - -“A bailiff could do the work just as well, but you can have it your way. -Well,” continued Mr. Thimblefinger, “the Prince’s ministers sent a -herald around to inquire at all the people’s houses if any of them had a -Cow with Golden Horns, but nobody had such a cow, and everybody wondered -what the herald meant. A Cow with Golden Horns! People went about asking -one another if they had ever heard of such a thing before. Some said the -throne was tottering. Others said the politicians were trying to work a -scheme to increase taxation. Still others talked about the peril of the -nation. Everybody had some explanation, but nobody had the right one. -The poor young Prince was nearly crazy to find the young girl whose -picture he had seen in the basin of water. - -“For a few days the people heard no more of the matter, but at the end -of a week the herald went round the city again declaring that the Prince -would marry any young lady who would bring as her marriage portion a Cow -with Golden Horns. She need not have riches of any kind; all that was -necessary was a Cow with Golden Horns. This word went around among the -people and from city to city. Rich men with daughters tried everywhere -to buy a Cow with Golden Horns, but all to no purpose. - -“The Prince waited and waited and pined and grew thinner. But just as -matters were getting to be very serious indeed, an old man appeared in -the palace park leading a beautiful white cow with jet black ears and -golden horns. The servants set up such a shout when they saw the -beautiful cow that everybody in the palace was aroused and all came out -to see what caused the noise. Then the servants and attendants ran over -one another in their efforts to reach the Prince, who was moping in his -room. As they ran they cried:— - -“‘The Cow with the Golden Horns has come! The Cow with the Golden Horns -has come!’ - -“The Prince forgot his dignity and hurried out to see the Cow with the -Golden Horns. The old man came leading her, and she was, indeed, a -beautiful creature. Her head and limbs were almost as delicate as those -of a deer, and her eyes were large and soft. Her body was as white as -snow, her ears glistened like black silk, and her golden horns shone in -the sun. The old man bowed low as he led the beautiful cow forward. - -“‘I wouldn’t make much of a bride myself, your Majesty,’ he said. ‘I -have brought you the Cow with the Golden Horns. She might find you the -bride that I failed to bring you.’ - -“‘I fear I shall have no such good fortune,’ replied the Prince. ‘But I -think you have proved to me that I am not dreaming. How shall I reward -you?’ - -“‘I ask no reward, your Majesty. I only ask the privilege of taking away -my Cow with the Golden Horns when you have found your bride.’ - -“When the Prince had given his promise, the old man said, ‘You have a -ring, your Majesty, that came to you in a curious way. Let this ring be -placed on the left horn of the cow. The girl or woman that is able to -remove this ring will be the bride you are wishing for. Every morning -the Cow with the Golden Horns will appear here in the lawn and remain -until night falls. Let it be announced, your Majesty, that whoever takes -the ring from her shall be the Princess of the Realm.’” - -“Huh!” exclaimed Drusilla suddenly. “He talk like he been ter college.” - -“Will you hush?” cried Buster John. But Mr. Thimblefinger paid no -attention to the interruption. - -“‘But how do you know,’ asked the Prince, ‘that the right one will come -to get the ring?’ - -“‘How do I know that your Majesty has the ring?’ the old man answered. - -“This seemed to satisfy the Prince, who caused it to be announced all -through his kingdom that he would choose for his bride the girl or woman -who would take the ring from the golden horn of the Cow. - -“Of course there was a great commotion among the ladies when this -announcement was made, and nearly all of them tried to take the ring -from the golden horn of the Cow. Some said they tried it just for fun, -and some said they tried it just out of curiosity; but all of them -failed. Even Eolen’s stepmother tried, and then she made her daughter -try, but when the daughter touched the ring it burnt her so that she -screamed. And then some of those who had tried and failed turned up -their noses and said it was a trick. - -“Eolen had never thought of trying. She had seen the Prince and admired -him, yet she had no idea of going up before all these people. But as -soon as her stepmother started for the palace with her daughter, there -came a knock at the door. Eolen opened it, and there, standing before -her, was the old man who had carried her to the Thunder’s house, and to -the Jumping-Off Place. She was very glad to see him, and told him so, -and he was just as glad to see her. - -“‘Why don’t you go and get your ring?’ he asked. - -“‘It is lost,’ she answered. - -“‘It is found,’ he said. ‘I have placed it on the golden horn of the Cow -that stands near the palace door. You must go and get it.’ - -“‘I have nothing to wear,’ she replied. - -“Then the old man tapped on the wall and called:— - -“‘Sister Jane! Sister Jane! Where are you?’ - -“‘I am where I ought to be,’ was the reply. The wall opened and out -stepped the old, old woman that Eolen had seen combing her hair by the -Well at the End of the World. - -“‘Clothe this child in silk and satin and comb her hair out fine, Sister -Jane.’ - -“The old woman grumbled a little, but gave Eolen a touch here and there, -and in a moment she was dressed as fine as the finest lady in the land. - -“‘Now she is ready, brother,’ said the old, old woman, and then she -disappeared in the wall, combing her long gray hair and smiling. - -“‘Must I walk?’ asked Eolen, looking at her satin slippers. - -“‘Nonsense!’ exclaimed the old man. Then he tapped in another part of -the wall. ‘Nephew! Nephew! Where are you?’ - -“‘Wherever you wish me to be,’ a voice replied, and then the wall -opened, and out stepped the handsome stranger who had given Eolen the -gold ring. ‘What do you want?’ - -“‘A carriage and horses,’ said the old man. - -“‘They are at the door,’ was the reply, ‘and I’ll drive them myself.’ - -“Sure enough, there stood at the door a coach and four, and Eolen was -carried to the palace in grand style. Liveried servants appeared and -spread a strip of carpet before her, and the Cow with the Golden Horns -came running to meet her, and in a moment she had the ring. Then the -people set up a loud shout, crying:— - -“‘The Princess! the Princess!’ - - -[Illustration: - - SHE WOULD HAVE KNELT, BUT HE LIFTED HER UP -] - - -“And then the Prince came out and went to her. She would have knelt, but -he lifted her up and knelt himself before her, and kissed her hand, and -smiled on her, for she was the lovely girl he had seen in the picture.” - -“What is the moral of that?” inquired Mr. Rabbit, waking from his nap. - -“Why, you didn’t even hear the story,” said Mr. Thimblefinger. - -“That is the reason I want to hear the moral of it,” remarked Mr. -Rabbit. - -“There is no moral at all,” said Mr. Thimblefinger. - -“Then I’m mighty glad I was asleep,” grumbled Mr. Rabbit. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - VIII. - - BROTHER WOLF’S TWO BIG DINNERS. - - -The children said they were very much pleased with the story about the -Cow with the Golden Horns. Buster John even went so far as to say that -it was as good as some of the stories in the books. But Mr. -Thimblefinger shook his head. He said he was very glad they were pleased -with it, but he knew Mr. Rabbit was right. The story couldn’t be a very -good story, because it had no moral. - -“But I think it had a very good moral,” remarked Mrs. Meadows. - -“What was it?” inquired Mr. Rabbit with great solemnity. - -“Why, if the little girl had been too stingy to give the old beggar a -piece of her cake, she would never have come to be Princess,” replied -Mrs. Meadows. - -“Did she give the beggar a piece of cake?” asked Mr. Rabbit. - -“Why, certainly she did,” Mr. Thimblefinger answered. - -“Well,” remarked Mr. Rabbit, setting himself back in his chair, “I must -have been fast asleep when she did it. But the place for a moral, as -I’ve been told, is right at the end of a story, and not at the -beginning.” - -“Can’t you tell us a story with a moral?” suggested Mrs. Meadows. - -“I can,” replied Mr. Rabbit. “I can for a fact, and the piece of cake -you mentioned puts me in mind of it.” - -Mr. Rabbit closed his eyes and rubbed his nose, and then began:— - -“Once upon a time, when Brother Fox and myself were living on pretty -good terms with each other, we received an invitation to attend a -barbecue that Brother Wolf was going to give on the following Saturday. -The next day we received an invitation to a barbecue that Brother Bear -was going to give on the same Saturday. - -“I made up my mind at once to go to Brother Bear’s barbecue, because I -knew he would have fresh roasting ears, and if there’s anything I like -better than another, it is fresh roasting ears. I asked Brother Fox -whether he was going to Brother Bear’s barbecue or to Brother Wolf’s, -but he shook his head. He said he hadn’t made up his mind. I just asked -him out of idle curiosity, for I didn’t care whether he went or whether -he stayed. - -“I went about my work as usual. Cold weather was coming on, and I wanted -to get my crops in before the big freeze came. But I noticed that -Brother Fox was mighty restless in his mind. He didn’t do a stroke of -work. He’d sit down and then he’d get up; he’d stand still and look up -in the tops of the trees, and then he’d walk back and forth with his -hands behind him and look down at the ground. - -“I says to him, says I, ‘I hope you are not sick, Brother Fox.’ - -“Says he, ‘Oh, no, Brother Rabbit; I never felt better in my life.’ - -“I says to him, says I, ‘I hope money matters are not troubling you.’ - -“Says he, ‘Oh, no, Brother Rabbit, money was never easier with me than -it is this season.’ - -“I says to him, says I, ‘I hope I’ll have the pleasure of your company -to the barbecue to-morrow.’ - -“Says he, ‘I can’t tell, Brother Rabbit; I can’t tell. I haven’t made up -my mind. I may go to the one, or I may go to the other; but which it -will be, I can’t tell you to save my life.’ - -“As the next day was Saturday, I was up bright and early. I dug my -goobers and spread ’em out to dry in the sun, and then, ten o’clock, as -near as I could judge, I started out to the barbecue. Brother Wolf lived -near the river, and Brother Bear lived right on the river, a mile or two -below Brother Wolf’s. The big road, that passed near where Brother Fox -and I lived, led in the direction of the river for about three miles, -and then it forked, one prong going to Brother Wolf’s house, and the -other prong going to Brother Bear’s house. - -“Well, when I came to the forks of the road, who should I see there but -old Brother Fox. I stopped before he saw me, and watched him. He went a -little way down one road, and licked his chops; then he came back and -went a little way down the other road, and licked his chops. - -“Not choosing to be late, I showed myself and passed the time of day -with Brother Fox. I said, says I, that if he was going to Brother Bear’s -barbecue, I’d be glad to have his company. But he said, says he, that he -wouldn’t keep me waiting. He had just come down to the forks of the road -to see if that would help him to make up his mind. I told him I was -mighty sorry to miss his company and his conversation, and then I tipped -my hat and took my cane from under my arm and went down the road that -led to Brother Bear’s house.” - -Here Mr. Rabbit paused, straightened himself up a little, and looked at -the children. Then he continued:— - -“I reckon you all never stood on the top of a hill three quarters of a -mile from the smoking pits and got a whiff or two of the barbecue?” - -“I is! I is!” exclaimed Drusilla. “Don’t talk! Hit make me dribble at de -mouf. I wish I had some right now.” - - -[Illustration: - - HE WENT A LITTLE WAY DOWN ONE ROAD -] - - -“Well,” said Mr. Rabbit, “I got a whiff of it and I was truly glad I had -come—truly glad. It was a fine barbecue, too. There was lamb, and kid, -and shote, all cooked to a turn and well seasoned, and then there was -the hash made out of the giblets. I’ll not tell you any more about the -dinner, except that I’d like to have one like it every Saturday in the -year. If I happened to be too sick to eat it, I could sit up and look at -it. Anyhow, we all had enough and to spare. - -“After we had finished with the barbecue and were sitting in Brother -Bear’s front porch smoking our pipes and talking politics, I happened to -mention to Brother Bear something about Brother Wolf’s barbecue. I said, -says I, that I thought I’d go by Brother Wolf’s house as I went on home, -though it was a right smart step out of the way, just to see how the -land lay. - -“Says Brother Bear, says he: ‘If you’ll wait till my company take their -leave, I don’t mind trotting over to Brother Wolf’s with you. The walk -will help to settle my dinner.’ - -“So, about two hours by sun, we started out and went to Brother Wolf’s -house. Brother Bear knew a short cut through the big canebrake, and it -didn’t take us more than half an hour to get there. Brother Wolf was -just telling his company good-by; and when they had all gone he would -have us go in and taste his mutton stew, and then he declared he’d think -right hard of us if we didn’t drink a mug or two of his persimmon beer. - -“I said, says I, ‘Brother Wolf, have you seen Brother Fox to-day?’ - -“Brother Wolf said, says he, ‘I declare, I haven’t seen hair nor hide of -Brother Fox. I don’t see why he didn’t come. He’s always keen to go -where there’s fresh meat a-frying.’ - -“I said, says I, ‘The reason I asked was because I left Brother Fox at -the forks of the road trying to make up his mind whether he’d eat at -your house or at Brother Bear’s.’ - -“‘Well, I’m mighty sorry,’ says Brother Wolf, says he; ‘Brother Fox -never missed a finer chance to pick a bone than he’s had to-day. Please -tell him so for me.’ - -“I said I would, and then I told Brother Wolf and Brother Bear good-by -and set out for home. Brother Wolf’s persimmon beer had a little age on -it, and it made me light-headed and nimble-footed. I went in a gallop, -as you may say, and came to the forks of the road before the sun went -down. - -“You may not believe it, but when I got there Brother Fox was there -going through the same motions that made me laugh in the morning—running -down one road and licking his chops, and then running down the other and -licking his chops. - -“Says I, ‘I hope you had a good dinner at Brother Wolf’s to-day, Brother -Fox.’ - -“Says he, ‘I’ve had no dinner.’ - -“Says I, ‘That’s mighty funny. Brother Bear had a famous barbecue, and I -thought Brother Wolf was going to have one, too.’ - -“Says Brother Fox, ‘Is dinner over? Is it too late to go?’ - -“Says I, ‘Why, Brother Fox, the sun’s nearly down. By the time you get -to Brother Bear’s house, he’ll be gone to bed; and by the time you go -across the swamp to Brother Wolf’s house, the chickens will be crowing -for day.’ - -“‘Well, well, well!’ says Brother Fox, ‘I’ve been all day trying to make -up my mind which road I’d take, and now it’s too late.’ - -“And that was the fact,” continued Mr. Rabbit. “The poor creature had -been all day trying to make up his mind which road he’d take. Now, then, -what is the moral?” - -Sweetest Susan looked at Mrs. Meadows, but Mrs. Meadows merely smiled. -Buster John rattled the marbles in his pocket. - -“I know,” said Drusilla. - -“What?” inquired Mr. Rabbit. - -“Go down one road an’ git one dinner, den cut ’cross an’ git some mo’ -dinner, an’ den go back home down de yuther road.” - -Mr. Rabbit shook his head. - -“Tar-Baby, you are wrong,” he said. - -“If you want anything, go and get it,” suggested Buster John. - -Mr. Rabbit shook his head and looked at Sweetest Susan, whereupon she -said:— - -“If you can’t make up your mind, you’ll have to go hungry.” - -Mr. Rabbit shook his head. - -“Eat a good breakfast,” said Mrs. Meadows, “and you won’t be worried -about your dinner.” - -“All wrong!” exclaimed Mr. Rabbit, with a chuckle. “The moral is this: -He who wants too much is more than likely to get nothing.” - -“Well,” remarked Mrs. Meadows dubiously, “if you have to work out a -moral as if it was a sum in arithmetic, I’ll thank you not to trouble me -with any more morals.” - -“The motion is seconded and carried,” exclaimed Mr. Thimblefinger. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - IX. - - THE LITTLE BOY OF THE LANTERN. - - -“Of course,” said Mr. Thimblefinger, “all of you can tell better stories -than I can, because you are larger. Being taller, you can see farther -and talk louder; but I sometimes think that if I was to climb a tree, -I’d see as far as any of you.” - -“Well, I hope your feelings are not hurt,” remarked Mr. Rabbit -sympathetically. “It’s not the fault of your stories that I fall asleep -when you are telling them. It’s my habit to sit and nod at certain hours -of the day, and if you’ll watch me right close, you’ll see that I -sometimes drop off when I’m telling a story myself. I’ll try and keep -awake the next time you tell one.” - -“I’m afraid I’ll have to prop Mr. Rabbit’s eyelids open with straws,” -said Mrs. Meadows, laughing. - -“I’ll just try you with a little one,” Mr. Thimblefinger declared. “I’ll -tell you one I heard when I was younger. I want to see whether Mr. -Rabbit will keep awake, and I want to see whether there’s a moral in the -tale.” - -So he took off his little hat, which was shaped like a thimble, and run -his hand over the feather ornament to straighten it out. Then he began:— - -“A long time ago, when there was a great deal more room in the country -next door than there is now, there lived a man who had a wife, one son, -a horse, a cow, and a calf. He was a hard-working man, so much so that -he had little or no time to devote to his family. He worked hard in the -field all day, and when night came he was too tired to trouble much -about his son. His wife, too, having no servant, was always busy about -the house, sewing, washing, cooking, cleaning, patching, milking, and -sweeping. Day in and day out it was always the same. The man was always -working, and the woman was always working. They had no rest except on -Sunday, and then they were too tired to pay much attention to their son. - -“The consequence was, that while the boy was a very bright lad, he was -full of mischief, up to all sorts of tricks and pranks that some people -call meanness. By hook or by crook—or maybe by book—he had learned how -to spell and read. But the only book he had to read was one with big -pictures of men dressed in red clothes, and armed with yellow cutlasses. -The book was called ‘The Pirooters of Peruvia.’” - -“Maybe the name was ‘The Pirates of Peru,’” suggested Buster John. - -“Oh, no,” replied Mr. Thimblefinger. “I don’t suppose any such country -as Peru had been found on the map when that book was written. But never -mind about that. The boy read only that book, and he became rather wild -in his mind. He wanted to be a pirooter, whatever that was, and so he -armed himself with old hoe helves and called them pikes, and he tied a -shingle to his side and called it a cutlass, and he got him a -broom-handle and called it a horse. - -“This boy’s name was Johnny, but sometimes they called him Jack for -short. Some people said he was mean as he could be; but I don’t say -that. He was fonder of scampering over the country than he was of -helping his mother. Maybe he didn’t know any better because he wasn’t -taught any better. But one morning his mother was so tired that she -couldn’t get out of bed. She had worn herself out with work. The next -morning she couldn’t get up, nor the next; and then the neighbors, who -had come in to see what the matter was, said that she would never get up -any more. So one day Johnny found everything very still in the house, -and the neighbors who were there were kinder to him than they ever had -been, and then he knew that his mother would never get tired any more. - -“He felt so bad that he wandered off into the woods, crying as he went. -His eyes were so full of tears that he couldn’t see where he was going, -and he didn’t care. He went on and on, until, finally, when he took -heart to look around, he found himself in a part of the country that was -new to him. This caused him to dry his eyes, for he was perfectly sure -that he had traveled neither fast nor far enough to be beyond the limits -of the numberless journeys he had made in all directions from his -father’s house; and yet, here he was, suddenly and without knowing how -he got there, in a country that was altogether new to him. - -“It was just like when you came down through our spring gate,” said Mr. -Thimblefinger. “The grass was different and the trees were different, -and even the sand and the gravel were of a color that Johnny had never -seen before. Suddenly, while he was wondering how he could have missed -seeing all these strange things when he had journeyed this way before, a -lady, richly dressed, came out of the woods and stood before him. She -neither smiled nor looked severe, but pity seemed to shine in her face. - -“‘What now?’ she said, raising her hand to her head. ‘You have come fast -and come far. You are in trouble. Go back. When you want me, go to the -Whispering Poplar that stands on the hill and call my name.’ - -“‘Who are you?’ asked Johnny, forgetting to be polite, if he ever knew -how. - -“‘The Keeper of the Cows that roam in the night,’ replied the lady. -‘When you go to the Whispering Poplar that stands on the hill, whisper -this:— - - O Keeper of Cows that roam in the night, - Come over the hill and lend me your light.’ - -“Johnny would have thanked the woman, but in the twinkling of an eye she -was gone without making a sound, and not a blade of grass shook to show -that she had been there. Johnny turned in his tracks and started home -the way he came. Before he had gone far he stopped to look back, but the -strange country was nowhere to be seen—only the old familiar hills and -trees that he had always known. - -“When he got home there was a strange woman cooking and fixing his -father’s supper. The table was set, and everything was almost as neat -and as tidy as it used to be when his mother was alive. Even his own -little plate was in its place, and his mug, with the picture of a blue -castle painted on it, was by the plate. But Johnny had no appetite. He -went to the door and looked in, and then went to the stable. Once there, -he suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to drive the cow in from -the pasture. He went running to get her, but found her coming along of -her own accord, something she was not in the habit of doing. - - -[Illustration: - - A LADY, RICHLY DRESSED, CAME OUT OF THE WOODS -] - - -“Johnny wondered a little at this, but it soon passed out of his mind, -and he got behind the cow and made her go faster. He drove the cow into -the lot, and waited awhile for the woman to come and milk. But she -delayed so long that he went to the house and found his father eating -supper. Instead of going to the table, he went and sat by the fire. - -“‘Have something to eat?’ said the woman. - -“‘I am not hungry,’ he replied. - -“‘Have a glass of fresh milk, then?’ she said. - -“‘Not to-night,’ he answered. ‘I have just driven the cow in from the -pasture.’ - -“‘I brought her from the pasture myself,’ said the woman, ‘milked her, -and turned her out again.’ - -“Johnny said nothing to this, but he knew the cow had not been milked, -and he wondered where the woman got the milk that his father was -drinking. He thought it over, and forgot all about his grief. He noticed -that as soon as his father drank the milk he began to smile at the -woman. He smiled at the woman, but was cross to Johnny. - -“After supper the woman went out, and after a while Johnny went out, -too, leaving his father sitting by the fire smoking his pipe. Johnny -went to the lot, thinking the woman had gone there. He wanted to see -whether she would milk the cow. He crept along the side of the fence, -and soon he was near enough to peep through a crack without being seen. -He saw the woman rubbing the cow on the back while the calf was getting -all the milk. - -“‘You see how good I am to you, sister,’ said she. ‘Now I want you to be -good to me. When that boy Jack goes after you to the pasture, I want you -to lead him a chase. I saw him beating your calf to-day. But see how -good I am to your calf, sister. I give it all the milk.’ - -“The cow shook her horn and switched her tail, and Johnny, sitting in -the fence corner, wondered what it all meant. - -“‘I see,’ said the cow, after a while. ‘You want to marry the boy’s -father, and the boy is in the way. But suppose they find you out. What -then?’ - -“‘Trust me for that, sister,’ said the woman; ‘trust me for that.’ - -“Johnny waited to hear no more, but crept away and went to bed. He was -dressed and out by sun-up next morning, but the woman was up before him, -and had breakfast nearly ready. Johnny asked her if she had milked the -cow, and she replied that she had milked and forgotten about it. Johnny -saw the milk-pail setting on the shelf, and when he looked at it he knew -the cow had not been milked, else the sides of the pail would have been -spattered. - -“But the cow had been turned out, and the calf was sleeping contentedly -in the fence corner, instead of nibbling the grass. Johnny drank no milk -at breakfast, but his father did, and smiled at the woman more than -ever. During the day Johnny forgot all about the cow, but when night -came he knew she must be brought up, so he went to the pasture after -her. She was not to be found. He hunted over the hills and fields, and -then, not finding her, began to cry. - -“Suddenly the lady he had seen the day before stepped out of the wood -and spoke to him. She held in her hand a tiny lantern. - -“‘Take this,’ she said, holding out the lantern. ‘You wouldn’t call me, -and so I came to you.’ - -“‘I forgot,’ whispered Johnny. - -“‘Don’t forget any more,’ said the lady. ‘Take this lantern and run to -the Whispering Poplar that stands on the hill. You’ll find your cow tied -there. Drive her home, and don’t spare her.’ - -“Johnny found the cow tied to the poplar sure enough, and he made her -gallop home as fast as she could. He blew out his tiny lantern before he -got in sight of the house, but it dropped from his hand and he could -find it no more. He ceased to hunt for it after a while, and drove the -cow to the lot, where the woman was waiting. - -“‘Go get your supper,’ she said to Johnny. - -“‘Yes ’m,’ replied Johnny, but he went off only to creep back to see -what the woman would do. - -“She abused the cow terribly. He could see that she was angry. ‘You are -a nice sister,’ she exclaimed, ‘to let that boy bring you home so -early.’ - -“‘Don’t “sister” me,’ moaned the cow. ‘I’m nearly famished, and that boy -has nearly run me off my legs. Somebody that I couldn’t see caught me -and tied me to a tree this morning, and there I’ve been all day. We’d -better go away from here. That boy will find you out yet.’ - -“Then Johnny crept away, ate his supper, and went to bed. He slept late -the next morning, but when he awoke he found that his father, instead of -being at work, as was his habit, was smoking his pipe and talking to the -woman, and both were smiling at each other very sweetly. That afternoon, -Johnny went to bring the cow home before sundown, but he couldn’t find -her. He hunted and hunted for her until long after dark, and then he -went to the Whispering Poplar that stands on the hill, and said:— - - “‘O Keeper of Cows that roam in the night, - Come over the hills and lend me your light!’ - -“Instantly Johnny heard a cow lowing in the valley, and saw a light -glimmering faintly in the distance. In a little while he heard a -tremendous clatter of hoofs up the hill, and the rushing of some large -animal through the bushes. It seemed to have one eye only and that eye -shone as fiercely as a flame of fire as its head swayed from side to -side. It came rushing to the poplar-tree where Johnny stood, and stopped -there. Johnny peeped from behind the tree and saw that the frightful -animal was nothing more than his cow, with a tiny lantern hanging on her -horn. She stood there panting and trembling. Johnny waited to see if the -Keeper of Cows that roam in the night would make her appearance, but he -waited in vain. Then he drove the cow home, turned her into the lot, and -went in the house to get his supper. His father and the woman were -sitting very close together. - -“‘Have you brought the cow?’ the woman asked. - -“‘She’s in the lot,’ replied Johnny. - -“‘You are a smart boy,’ said the woman. - -“‘Thanky, ma’am,’ exclaimed Johnny. - -“So it went on day after day. The woman would make the cow wander -farther and farther away from home, and Johnny would go to the -Whispering Poplar that stands on the hill and call for the beautiful -lady, the Keeper of the Cows that roam in the night, and soon the cow -would come running and lowing. Then Johnny would drive her home by the -light of his little lantern. This happened so often that the neighbors, -and indeed the people in all that country, when they saw a light bobbing -around at night, would shake their heads and say, ‘There goes Jack with -his lantern,’ and then after a while they called him ‘Jack of the -Lantern.’ - -“One day he heard two of the neighbors talking about him, saying it was -a pity that so bright a boy should have such a stepmother as the woman -his father was about to marry. Then Johnny (or Jack, as he was sometimes -called) knew that his father was preparing to marry the woman who was -keeping house for him, and it made the boy feel very wretched to think -that this woman was to take the place of his mother. - -“That very day he went to the Whispering Poplar that stands on the hill -and called for the Keeper of the Cows that roam in the night. The lady -made her appearance, and then Johnny told her his troubles. The lady -smiled for the first time. Then she told Johnny that if he would follow -her directions his troubles would disappear. She gave him a roll of blue -ribbon, and told him what to say when he presented it to the woman just -before the marriage took place. She told him also what to do with his -little lantern. Johnny went home feeling very much better, and that -night his father told him he was to have a new mother the next day. He -said nothing in reply, but smiled as if the news pleased him. - -“Johnny lay awake that night a long time, and once he thought the woman -came and leaned over his bed as if to listen, but just then a cow not -far away lowed once, twice, thrice. Then the woman went away muttering -something. - -“The next day the invited guests began to assemble early, and after a -while the preacher came. The women neighbors would have the bride to -stand up in the middle of the floor to admire her just before the -ceremony, and when she stood up Johnny began to march around her, waving -his lantern and his blue ribbon and singing:— - - “‘I have for the bride ten yards of blue ribbon— - Ten yards of blue ribbon, ten yards of blue ribbon— - I have for the bride ten yards of blue ribbon, - So rich and so soft and so rare; - Five yards to pin on her snowy white bosom— - Her snowy white bosom, her snowy white bosom— - Five yards to pin on her snowy white bosom, - And five to tie in her hair. - - “‘I have a lantern to light her along with— - To light her along with, to light her along with— - I have a lantern to light her along with, - When forth she fares in the night; - Out in the dark, the ribbon will rustle— - The ribbon will rustle, the ribbon will rustle— - Out in the dark the ribbon will rustle, - And the lantern will lend her its light!’ - -“Johnny threw the blue ribbon over the woman’s shoulder and around her -neck, and waved his lantern, and instantly the woman disappeared, and in -her place stood a cow. Before the people could recover their surprise, -the lady that Johnny had seen at the Whispering Poplar came into the -room and bowed to the company. - -“‘This is the most malicious cow in all my herd,’ said she, ‘and this -brave boy has caught her. Here is a purse of gold for his reward. As for -you, sir,’ turning to Johnny’s father, ‘you may thank your son for -saving you from this witch.’ Then she bowed again, and went away, -leading the cow, and neither of them was ever seen in that country -again. - -“But to this day, when people see a light bobbing up and down in the -fields at night, they say, ‘Yonder’s Jack of the Lantern!’” - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - X. - - A LUCKY CONJURER. - - -“Now, I think that was a pretty good story,” said Mr. Rabbit. “It had -something about cows in it, and there was nothing about kings and -princes. I wouldn’t give _that_”—Mr. Rabbit blew a whiff of smoke from -his mouth—“or all your princes and kings. Of course that’s on account of -my ignorance. I don’t know anything about them. I reckon they are just -as good neighbors as anybody, when you come to know them right well.” - -Buster John laughed at this, but Sweetest Susan only smiled. - -“Oh, I am not joking,” remarked Mr. Rabbit solemnly. “There’s no reason -why kings and queens and princes shouldn’t be just as neighborly as -other people. If a king and queen were keeping house anywhere near me, -and were to send over after a mess of salad, or to borrow a cup of sugar -or a spoonful of lard, I’d be as ready to accommodate them as I would -any other neighbors, and I reckon they’d do the same by me.” - -“They’d be mighty foolish if they didn’t,” said Mrs. Meadows. - -“I hear tell dat folks hafter be monstus umble-come-tumble when dey go -foolin’ ’roun’ whar dey er kingin’ an’ a queenin’ at,” remarked -Drusilla. “Ef dey sont me fer ter borry any sugar er lard fum de house -whar dey does de kingin’ an’ queenin’, I boun’ you I’d stan’ at the back -gate an’ holler ’fo’ I went in dar whar dey wuz a-havin’ der gwines on. -Dey wouldn’t git me in dar ’fo’ I know’d how de lan’ lay.” - -“I expect you are right, Tar-Baby,” replied Mr. Rabbit. - -“Well, I’m glad you didn’t go to sleep over the story of the little boy -and the lantern. But it didn’t have any moral,” said Mr. Thimblefinger. - -“Why, I reckon that’s the reason I didn’t do any nodding,” explained Mr. -Rabbit. “I knew there was something the matter.” - -There was a pause, during which Mr. Rabbit betrayed a tendency to fall -to nodding again. Presently Mrs. Meadows remarked:— - -“I mind me of a story that I heard once—I reckon the talk about kings -and queens made me remember it. Anyway, it popped into my head all of a -sudden, though I hadn’t thought about it in years.” - -“Fire away!” exclaimed Mr. Rabbit, opening his eyes and slowly closing -them again. - -“Once upon a time there lived in the land of Moraria a man who was very -poor. He worked whenever and wherever he could find work, yet he had so -many children that even if he had found work every day he could have -made hardly enough for all to eat and wear. As it was, times were so -hard and work was so scarce that he frequently had to go hungry and half -clothed. His wife did the best she could, which was very little. She -worked about the palace where the king had lived, but as she was only -one among a hundred, she got small wages, and had few opportunities to -carry any scraps of victuals to her children. - -“Finally the man came to the conclusion that he must make a desperate -effort to better his condition, so he said to his wife:— - -“‘What are my five senses for? I see other people living by their wits, -and dressing fine and enjoying the best in the land. Why shouldn’t I do -the same? What is to prevent me but my stupidity?’ - -“‘Stupidity is a high fence to climb over,’ replied the man’s wife. ‘But -if you are willing to try how far your wits will carry you, you will -have a good opportunity in a few days. The king’s daughter, the Princess -Myla, is to be married next week, and even now the guests are assembling -at the palace—most of them belonging to the bridegroom’s retinue.’ - -“The man leaned his head on his hand and thought a while, and then he -rose and put on the best clothes he had, which were poor enough, and -tied a rope girdle around his waist. - -“‘I shall go to court as a pilgrim,’ he said to his wife. ‘When you see -me, do you go around among the other servants and tell them that a great -conjurer has arrived from the East. In this way it will come quickly to -the King’s ears. Nothing will come of that, but the next morning -something valuable will be missing from the palace. When you hear of it, -do you tell the rest that you know a man who can find whatever is -missing.’ - -“‘But how will you do this?’ asked the woman. - -“‘Leave that to me,’ he replied. - -“The man carried out his plan, and his wife followed his directions. She -pointed him out to her fellow-servants as a great conjurer from the -East. Ragged as he was, the man stalked majestically about the -palace-yard, and after a while sat on the ground with his face to the -wall, and shook his head from side to side, and made many queer motions -with his hands. - -“Now, while the man sat there going through his queer motions, he heard -voices on the other side of the wall. He judged that two men were -resting in the shade on that side, and he knew by the way they talked -that they had come with the young Prince who was to marry the Princess -Myla. - -“‘You have left the blanket on the horse, I hope,’ said one. - -“‘Yes, everything is attended to,’ replied the other. - -“‘That is well,’ remarked the first. ‘The Prince, our master, desires -the Princess Myla to be the first to look on this beautiful horse, which -has just come out of Arabia. I will go myself to see that the animal is -properly cared for.’ - -“Presently two strangers came through the gate, laughing and talking, -and the man who was playing the conjurer knew they were the keepers of -the horse. He rose when they went by, and watched them until he saw what -part of the palace stables they entered. Then he slowly made his way out -of the palace grounds. - -“That night he went back and removed the horse, placing it where no one -would be likely to find it. Then he told his wife what he had done. - -“‘There will be a great outcry,’ said he, ‘when the horse is missed. In -the midst of it make your voice heard, and remind the young Prince’s -attendants that there is a famous conjurer within reach who can no doubt -find the horse.’ - -“As the man said, so it turned out. There was a great noise made when it -was found that the beautiful Arabian horse had been stolen. The young -Prince was ready to tear his hair, so great was his disappointment. He -offered a large sum of money to any one who would recover the horse. -When the excitement was at its highest, the woman mentioned to some of -the attendants that a famous conjurer had come to the palace. She then -pointed her husband out to the men. At once the news was carried to the -Prince, who was with the King. - -“The King was not a believer in conjurers, and he quickly told the -attendants to go send the vagabond about his business. But the young -Prince was so keen to recover the beautiful horse which he had intended -as a wedding gift for the Princess Myla that he insisted on consulting -the conjurer. So the man was sent for. He came, followed by a number of -people who were anxious to see what he would do. He had a very wise look -as he bowed to the King and to the Prince. - -“‘Who are you?’ the King asked with a frown. - -“‘A poor pilgrim, your Majesty. Nothing more.’ - -“‘What is your business?’ - -“‘I am a student, your Majesty.’ - -“‘Where are your books?’ - -“‘In men’s faces, your Majesty.’ - -“The man’s replies were so apt that the King’s ill-humor partly passed -away. - -“‘A horse has been stolen from the royal stables,’ said the King. ‘I am -told you are a conjurer. If you are, find the horse.’ - -“The man seated himself on the carpet, drew a crystal stone from his -pocket, and asked the young Prince to warm it in the palm of his hand. -Then the man took it and looked at it a few moments, rubbing his hand -over it as if something blurred his sight. Then he said:— - -“‘The horse has on a blanket woven on a Russian loom. I see! A -dapple-gray with milk-white mane and tail.’ - -“‘That is the horse!’ cried the Prince. ‘Where is he?’ - -“‘He is tied in a thicket a half league from here, near a road that -leads to the river. He paws the ground and whinnies for his master. He -is hungry.’ - -“At once messengers were sent and the horse found. The Prince was about -to give the man a purse of gold, but the King stayed his hand, saying:— - -“‘I’ll test this fellow. I believe he is an imposter.’ - -“The man was very much frightened at this, but there was no escape for -him. The King went to his private apartment, and shortly came back with -a covered basket in his hand. - -“‘There is a bird in this nest,’ said the King. ‘If you are a conjurer, -tell me the name of it.’ - -“‘Alas, your Majesty,’ cried the man, preparing to fall on his knees and -beg for mercy, ‘a nest that wouldn’t fit a sparrow might chance to fit a -crow.’ - - -[Illustration: - - AS HE DID SO, A CROW HOPPED OUT -] - - -“‘You certainly have gifts,’ remarked the King as he lifted the cover -from the basket. As he did so a crow hopped out and went stalking about -the room. The man was more astonished than the King. In his fright he -had hit on an old saying that he had often heard, and it saved his life. - -“The Prince gave the man a purse of gold and he was about to retire, -when suddenly an attendant came running into the chamber crying that -some one had stolen the beautiful diamond ring belonging to the Princess -Myla. - -“‘Tell the Princess to trouble herself no further. We have here a man -who will be able to find it,’ said the King. - -“‘Allow me a little time, your Majesty,’ cried the man, who was now -frightened nearly out of his wits. ‘Let me go into a vacant room in a -quiet part of the palace, where I may have an opportunity to look into -this matter.’ - -“He was soon placed in a room near the servants’ quarters, the -attendants telling him that he would be summoned by the King in an hour. -He went into the room, shut the door, and flung himself on the floor, -bewailing his unhappy condition. - -“Now the ring had been stolen by one of the women in attendance on the -Princess. She was so pale and sad-looking that her companions had -nicknamed her Misery, and sometimes the Princess herself, in a spirit of -fun, called her by that name. She had heard how the conjurer had -discovered the stolen horse, and she had seen him name the crow in the -covered basket. Consequently she was very much frightened when she heard -the King command him to find the stolen ring. She saw the conjurer go -into the room, and after a while she crept to the door to listen, so -great was her fear. - -“The man in the room was not thinking of the stolen ring at all. He was -merely bewailing his unhappy lot. - -“‘Oh, misery, misery!’ he cried; ‘I have heard of you, but now I know -you!’ - -“He had no sooner said this than there came a knock on the door and a -voice said:— - -“‘Don’t talk so loud! Open the door!’ - -“The man opened the door and saw a woman standing there trembling and -weeping. - -“‘Don’t expose me,’ she said, ‘but spare my life. I have the ring here. -I did wrong to steal it.’ - -“For a moment the man was so overcome with astonishment that he was -unable to speak. He took the ring in his hand and looked at it while the -woman continued to plead with him. He handed her the ring again. - -“‘Take it,’ he said, ‘and place it beneath the corner of one of the rugs -in the bedroom of the Princess. Be quick about it, for I am going to the -King.’ - -“The woman ran and did as she had been told, and then the man came from -the room and sent an attendant to inform the King that the ring had been -found. The King sent for him. - -“‘Where is the ring?’ - -“‘Under a corner of a rug in the bedroom of the Princess, your Majesty,’ -replied the man, bowing low and smiling. - -“Search was at once made, and sure enough the beautiful ring was found -under a corner of a rug in the Princess’s bedroom. The Princess herself -came to thank the conjurer, and if he had not been a very sensible man -his head would have been turned by the attention he received. Even the -King no longer doubted the conjurer’s powers. - -“‘There is something in this man,’ said the King, and he straightway -offered him a high position among his councilors. - -“The man thanked the King most heartily, but declared that his business -would not allow him to remain another day at court. So the King gave him -a purse of gold, the young Prince gave him another, and the beautiful -Princess Myla gave him a string of pearls of great value. Then he went -home, bought him some land, built him a comfortable house, and went into -business for himself. - -“It sometimes happened that his wife complained because he did not -accept the King’s offer and remain at court, so that she might have -flourished as a fine lady, but he always replied by saying that the man -is a fool who will tempt Providence more than three times in a lifetime. -Though he went into the palace poor and came out of it rich, he had -escaped only by the skin of his teeth. He was always grateful for his -good fortune, and by his example taught his children to lead virtuous -lives and always to help the poor and needy.” - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - XI. - - THE KING OF THE CLINKERS. - - -Chickamy Crany Crow and Tickle-My-Toes had stopped frolicking, and were -now listening to the stories. While Mrs. Meadows was telling about the -lucky conjurer, Tickle-My-Toes became very uneasy. He moved about -restlessly, pulled off his big straw hat, put it on again, and seemed to -be waiting impatiently for the time to come when he might say something. - -So, when Mrs. Meadows had finished, she looked at Tickle-My-Toes to see -what he wanted. The rest did the same. But Tickle-My-Toes blushed very -red, and looked at his feet. - -“You acted as if you wanted to say something,” said Mrs. Meadows, “and -if you do, now’s your chance. What’s the matter? Have you run a splinter -in your foot? You look as if you wanted to cry.” - -“I did want to say something,” replied Tickle-My-Toes. - -“What was it?” Mrs. Meadows inquired. - -“Nothing much,” answered Tickle-My-Toes, putting his finger in his -mouth. - -“I declare, I’m ashamed of you,” exclaimed Mrs. Meadows. “Here you are -mighty near as old as I am, and yet trying to play boo-hoo baby.” - -“I don’t think you ought to talk that way,” said Tickle-My-Toes. “I -thread your needles for you every day, and I do everything you ask me.” - -“I know what’s the matter with you,” remarked Mrs. Meadows. “You want me -to take you in my lap and rock you to sleep.” - -“Oh! I don’t!” cried Tickle-My-Toes, blushing again. “I wanted to tell a -story I heard, but I’ll go off somewhere and tell it to myself.” - -“There wouldn’t be any fun in that,” suggested Buster John. - -“No,” said Mrs. Meadows. “Tell the story right here, so we can enjoy it -with you.” - -“You’ll laugh,” protested Tickle-My-Toes. - -“Not unless there’s something in the story to laugh at.” - -“This is no laughing story. It’s just as solemn as it can be,” explained -Tickle-My-Toes. - -“Good!” exclaimed Mr. Rabbit. “If there’s anything I like, it is one of -those solemn stories that make you feel like you want to go off behind -the house and shake hands with yourself, and cry boo-hoo to the -ell-and-yard and seven stars.” - -Mr. Rabbit’s enthusiastic remark was very encouraging to Tickle-My-Toes, -who, after scratching his head a little, and looking around to see if he -could find a place to hide when the time came, began his story in this -wise:— - -“Once upon a time, and in a big town away off yonder somewhere, there -lived a little boy who had no father nor mother. He was so small that -nobody seemed to care anything about him. But one day a woman, the wife -of a baker, heard him crying in the streets, and carried him into the -house, and gave him something to eat, and warmed him by the fire, and -after that he felt better. - -“The baker himself grumbled a great deal when he came home and found -what his wife had done. He said he wouldn’t be surprised to come home -some day and find his house full of other people’s children. But his -wife replied that it would be well enough to complain when he found the -house full. As for this little brat, she said, he wouldn’t fill a milk -jar if he was put in it, much less a great big house. - -“The baker growled and grumbled, but his wife paid no attention to him. -She sat in her chair and rocked and sang, and was just as good-natured -as she could be. After a while the baker himself got over his grumbling, -and began to laugh. He told his wife that he had sold all his bread that -day, and had orders for as much the next day. - -“‘Of course,’ said she; ‘but if I had left that child crying in the -streets your business would have been ruined before the year is out.’ - -“‘Maybe so,’ replied the baker. - -“Well, the little boy grew very fast, and was as lively as a cricket. -The baker’s wife thought as much of him as if he had been her own son, -and the baker himself soon came to be very fond of him. He was very -smart, too. He learned to watch the fire under the big oven, and to make -himself useful in many ways. He played about the oven so much, and was -so fond of watching the bread bake and the fire burn, that the baker’s -wife called him Sparkle Spry. - -“For many years the country where the baker and his wife and Sparkle -Spry lived had been at peace with all the other countries. But one day a -man from a neighboring country had his nose pulled by somebody in the -baker’s country, and then war was declared by the kings and queens, and -the people fell to fighting. - -“Now, when people fight they must be fed, and the cheapest thing to feed -them on is bread. A part of the army camped near the town where the -baker lived, and there was a great demand for bread. The baker’s oven -was not a large one, and by running it day and night he could only bake -three hundred loaves. - -“He and his wife baked until they were tired out. They told Sparkle Spry -to watch the oven so that the bread wouldn’t burn, and to wake them when -it was brown. They were so tired that Sparkle Spry was sorry for them, -and he wondered why he wasn’t big enough to take their places, if only -for one day and night. While he was thinking and wishing, he saw -something moving. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, and then he saw -an old man, no bigger than a broomstick, and no taller than a teacup, -peeping from behind the oven. - - -[Illustration: - - HE SAW AN OLD MAN, NO BIGGER THAN A BROOMSTICK -] - - -“‘Are they all gone?’ he whispered, coming forward a little way. - -“‘All who?’ asked Sparkle Spry. - -“‘The old ones—the big man and the fat woman.’ - -“‘They have gone to bed,’ said Sparkle Spry. ‘I can call them!’ - -“‘No, no,’ cried the old man. ‘They are such fools! They don’t know what -is good for them. I have been waiting for years to get a chance to show -them how to bake bread. Once I showed myself to the man, and he thought -I was a snake; once to the woman, and she thought I was a rat. What -fools they are!’ - -“‘Who are you?’ inquired Sparkle Spry. He didn’t like to hear his -friends abused. - -“‘Who—me? I’m the King of the Clinkers—twice plunged in the water and -twice burned in the fire.’ - -“‘Well, to-night you can bake all the bread you want to,’ said Sparkle -Spry. ‘The baker and his wife have been trying to supply the army that -is camped here, but their oven is too small. They have worked until they -can work no longer, and now they have gone to bed to rest.’ - -“‘Good!’ cried the King of the Clinkers. ‘Shut the door, so they can’t -hear us! I’ll show them a thing or two about baking bread.’ - -“Then he walked close to the hot oven, tapped on it with a little poker -that he carried in his belt, and called out: ‘Wake up! Get out! Come on! -Hurry up! We’ve no time to lose! Show yourselves! Stir about! Be -lively!’ - -“With that, hundreds of little men swarmed out of the ash heap behind -the oven, some of them sneezing and some rubbing their eyes, but all -jumping about with motions as quick as those of a flea when he jumps.” - -“Oh, please don’t talk about fleas,” pleaded Mr. Rabbit, shuddering and -scratching himself behind the ear. “It makes the cold chills run up my -back. I never hear ’em named but I think I can feel ’em crawling on me.” - -“Anyhow, that’s the way the little men jumped about,” said -Tickle-My-Toes, resuming his story. “They swarmed in and out of the -oven, hot as it was; they swarmed in and out of the flour barrels; they -swarmed in and out of the trough where the dough was kneaded; and they -swarmed in and out of the woodshed. - -“The King of the Clinkers stood sometimes on the edge of the oven, -sometimes on the edge of the flour barrels, sometimes on the edge of the -trough, sometimes on the woodpile, and sometimes at the door of the -furnace. And wherever he stood he waved his tiny poker and told the -others what to do. - -“Some of the little men carried wood to the furnace, some carried flour -and water to the trough, some carried dough to the oven, and some -brought out the hot and smoking bread. Sparkle Spry watched all this -with so much surprise that he didn’t know what to say or do. He saw the -loaves of bread rise up in rows as high as the ceiling, and he sat and -watched it as dumb as an oyster. He had seen bread baked, but he had -never seen such baking as this. - -“Finally the eye of the King of the Clinkers fell on Sparkle Spry. -‘Don’t sit there doing nothing,’ he cried. ‘Go fetch wood and pile it -here by the furnace door. You can do that!’ - -“Sparkle Spry did as he was bid, but though he brought the wood as fast -as he could, he found that he couldn’t bring it fast enough. Pretty soon -the King of the Clinkers called out to him: - -“‘You can rest now. The flour is all gone, and we have hardly begun.’ - -“‘There’s plenty in the storehouse,’ said Sparkle Spry. - -“‘How many barrels?’ asked the King of the Clinkers. - -“‘Two hundred,’ Sparkle Spry answered. - -“The King of the Clinkers wrung his hands in despair. ‘Hardly a -mouthful—hardly a mouthful! It will all be gone before the chickens crow -for day. But run fetch the key. Two hundred barrels will keep us busy -while they last.’ - -“Sparkle Spry brought the key of the storehouse door, and the little men -swarmed in and rolled the barrels out in a jiffy. Only one accident -happened. In taking the flour out of one of the barrels, after they had -rolled it near the dough trough, one of the little men fell in and would -have been drowned but for Sparkle Spry, who felt around in the loose -flour and lifted him out.” - -“Drowned!” cried Sweetest Susan. - -“Of course,” answered Tickle-My-Toes. “Why not? I ought to have said -‘smothered,’ but now that I’ve said ‘drowned’ I’ll stick to it.” - -“Better stick to the story,” remarked Mr. Rabbit solemnly,—“Better stick -to the story.” - -“Now, I think he’s doing very well,” said Mrs. Meadows in an encouraging -tone. - -“Well,” said Tickle-My-Toes, “the little men worked away until they had -baked the two hundred barrels of flour into nice brown loaves of bread. -This made five hundred barrels they had used, and that was all the baker -had on hand. The fifteen hundred pounds of flour made twenty hundred and -odd fat loaves, and these the King of the Clinkers had carried into the -storehouse. - -“When all this was done, and nicely done, the King of the Clinkers went -to the door of the room where the baker and his wife were sleeping. They -were snoring as peacefully as two good people ever did. Then he went to -the street door and listened. - -“‘Get home—get home!’ he cried to the little men. ‘I hear wagons -rumbling on the pavement; they will be here presently for bread.’ - -“The little men scampered this way and that, behind the oven and into -the ash heap, and, in a few seconds, all had disappeared. - -“‘Now,’ said the King of the Clinkers, ‘I want to tell you that I’ve had -a splendid time, and I’m very much obliged to you for it. I have enjoyed -myself, and I want to make some returns for it. Pretty soon the bread -wagons will be at the door clamoring for bread. You will wake the baker -and his wife. When they find all their flour made into nice bread they -will be very much surprised. They will ask you who did it. You must tell -them the truth. They will not believe it, but they’ll be very proud of -you. They will be willing to give you anything you want. Tell them you -want a wooden horse. They will have it built for you. It must have a -window on each side and good strong hinges in the legs. Good-by! I hear -the wagons at the door.’ - -“The King of the Clinkers waved his hand and disappeared behind the -oven. The wagons rattled near the door, the teamsters cracking their -whips and calling for bread for the hungry army. Sparkle Spry ran to the -baker and shook him, and ran to the baker’s wife and shook her. They -were soon awake, but when the baker learned that the wagons had come for -bread, he threw up both hands in despair. - -“‘I’m ruined!’ he cried. ‘I ought to have been baking and here I’ve been -sleeping! And the army marches away to-day, leaving me with all my stock -of flour on hand. Oh, why didn’t the boy wake me?’ - -“‘Come,’ said his wife; ‘we’ll sell what we’ve got, and not cry over the -rest.’ - -“They went into the storehouse, and there they saw a sight such as they -had never seen before. The room was so full of steaming bread that they -could hardly squeeze in at the door. From floor to ceiling it was -stacked and packed. They sold and sold until every loaf was gone, and -then, instead of the bread, the baker and his wife had a sack full of -silver money. - -“The baker went in to count it, but his wife took it away from him. ‘Not -now,’ she said; ‘not until we have thanked this boy.’ - -“‘You are right!’ cried the baker. ‘It’s the most wonderful thing I ever -heard of. How did you manage it?’ - -“‘Some little men helped me,’ answered Sparkle Spry. - -“The woman seized his hands and kissed his fingers. ‘These are the -little men,’ she exclaimed. - -“‘There’s one thing I’m sorry for,’ said Sparkle Spry. - -“‘What is that?’ asked the baker. - -“‘Why, we had to burn so much wood.’ - -“‘Don’t mention it—don’t mention it,’ protested the baker. - -“‘Now,’ said the baker’s wife, embracing Sparkle Spry again, ‘you -deserve something for making us rich. What shall it be?’ - -“The baker frowned a little at this, but his brow cleared when Sparkle -Spry replied that he wanted a wooden horse built. - -“‘You shall have it,’ said the baker’s wife. - -“‘Yes, indeed,’ assented the baker. ‘As fine a one as you want.’” - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - XII. - - THE TERRIBLE HORSE. - - -When Tickle-My-Toes had told about how pleased the baker and his wife -were with Sparkle Spry, he paused and looked at Chickamy Crany Crow, as -if he expected that she would beckon him away. But, instead of that, she -said:— - -“Why, that isn’t all.” - -“Well, it’s enough, I hope,” replied Tickle-My-Toes. - -“No,” said Mrs. Meadows, “it’s not enough, if there’s any more. Why, so -far it’s the best of all the stories. It’s new to me. I had an idea that -I had heard all the stories, but this one is a pole over my persimmon, -as we used to say in the country next door.” - -“I don’t like to tell stories,” protested Tickle-My-Toes, puckering his -face in a comical way. “It’s too confining.” - -“Nonsense!” exclaimed Mr. Rabbit. “It’s time you were settling down. -What will you look like a year or two from now, if you keep on cutting -up your capers?” - -Tickle-My-Toes caught hold of the corner of Chickamy Crany Crow’s apron, -and, thus fortified, resumed his story:— - -“Well, the baker and his wife promised Sparkle Spry they would have him -a big wooden horse made, and they were as good as their word. They sent -right off that very day for a carpenter and joiner, and when he came, -Sparkle Spry showed the man what he wanted. He said the horse must be as -much like a real horse as could be made out of wood, and three times as -big. - -“The man asked the baker’s wife what the brat wanted with such a machine -as that, and this made the good woman mad. - -“‘He’s no brat, I can tell you that!’ she exclaimed, ‘and if he wants a -play horse as big as a whale and the same shape, he shall have it. Now -if you want to make his play horse, get to work and make it. If not, -I’ll get somebody else to make it.’ - -“But the man declared he meant no harm, and said he was glad to get the -work. So he got the lumber, and in a few days, being a very clever -workman, he had finished the wooden horse. He made it just as Sparkle -Spry wanted him to. He put big hinges at the joints of the legs, cut a -window in each side of the body, made the ears and the nostrils hollow, -and fixed pieces of glass for the eyes. - -“The carpenter seemed to enjoy his work, too, for every time he went off -a little distance to see how his work looked, he laughed as hard as he -could. When he was nearly done he asked Sparkle Spry if he wanted the -roof shingled. - -“‘Why, no,’ replied the boy. ‘There’s no roof there. Besides, horses -don’t have shingles on them.’ - -“He’ll look pretty rough,” remarked the man. - -“‘Yes,’ said Sparkle Spry, ‘but after you get through with him he is to -be polished off.’ - -“‘That’s so,’ the carpenter assented, ‘but this horse has a good many -things about him that other horses haven’t got.’ - -“So, when the carpenter was through with the horse, a leather finisher -was sent for, and he covered the horse with hides of cows tanned with -the hair on, and fixed a cow’s tail where the horse’s tail should have -been. - -“The baker grumbled a little at this extra expense, and said he was -afraid Sparkle Spry had strained his head the night he baked so much -bread. But the baker’s wife said she would like to have a whole house -full of crazy children, if Sparkle Spry was crazy. - -“When the wooden horse was finished, Sparkle Spry waited until the baker -and his wife had gone to bed, and then he tapped on the oven and -whistled. Presently the King of the Clinkers peeped out to see what the -matter was. He came from behind the oven cautiously, until he found that -Sparkle Spry was alone, and then he came forth boldly. - -“‘The horse is ready,’ said Sparkle Spry. - -“‘Ready!’ exclaimed the King of the Clinkers. ‘Well, I think it is high -time. My workmen could have built it in a night; and here I have been -waiting and waiting for I don’t know how long.’ - -“‘I hope you’ll like it,’ Sparkle Spry suggested. - -“‘Like it!’ cried the King of the Clinkers. ‘Why, of course I’ll like -it. I haven’t enjoyed a ride in so long that I’m not likely to quarrel -with the horse that carries me.’ - -“‘But this is a wooden horse,’ remarked Sparkle Spry. - -“‘I should hope so; yes, indeed!’ grunted the King of the Clinkers. ‘I -have been riding wooden horses as long as I can remember. They may be a -little clumsy, but they suit me.’ - -“‘But this horse has no rockers,’ persisted Sparkle Spry. ‘It is as -solid as a house.’ - -“‘Much you know about wooden horses,’ said the King of the Clinkers. -‘Wait; I’ll call my torchbearers.’ - -“He tapped on the oven with his tiny poker, and immediately a company of -little men filed out from behind it. As they passed the furnace door -they lit their torches at a live coal, and marched out to the wooden -horse, followed by the King of the Clinkers and Sparkle Spry. - -“The latter had reason to be very much astonished at what he saw then -and afterwards. The torchbearers led the way to the left foreleg of the -wooden horse, opened a door, and filed up a spiral stairway, the King of -the Clinkers following after. Sparkle Spry climbed up by means of a -stepladder that the carpenter had used. When he crawled through the -window in the side of the wooden horse, he saw that a great -transformation had taken place, and the sight of it almost took his -breath away. - -“A furnace with a small bake oven had been fitted up, and there was also -a supply of flour, coal, and wood. The flue from the furnace ran in the -inside of the horse’s neck, finding a vent for the smoke at the ears. On -all sides were to be seen the tools and furniture of a bakery, and there -were places where the little men might stow themselves away when they -were not on duty, and there was a special apartment for the King of the -Clinkers. - -“In a little while the whole interior of the horse swarmed with the -followers of the King of the Clinkers, who stood counting them as they -came in. - -“‘All here,’ he said, waving his little poker. ‘Now get to bed and rest -yourselves.’ - -“They complied so promptly that they seemed to disappear as if by magic. -The torchbearers had thrown their torches in the furnace, and as wood -had already been placed there, a fire was soon kindled. - -“‘Now,’ said the King of the Clinkers, closing the draught, ‘we’ll let -it warm up a little and see if the carpenter has done his work well.’ - -“Thereupon he pulled a cord that seemed to be tied to a bell, and, in a -little while, Sparkle Spry felt that the horse was in motion. He hardly -knew what to make of it. He went to the window and peeped out, and the -lights in the houses seemed to be all going to the rear. Occasionally a -creaking sound was heard, and sometimes he could feel a jar or jolt in -the horse’s frame. - -“‘Are we flying?’ he asked, turning to the King of the Clinkers. - -“‘Flying! Nothing of the sort. Don’t you feel a jolt when the horse -lifts up a foot and puts it down again? I’m mighty glad it is a pacing -horse. If it was a trotting horse it would shake us all to pieces.’ - -“‘Where are we going?’ inquired Sparkle Spry. - -“‘Following the army—following the army,’ replied the King of the -Clinkers. ‘There’s going to be a big battle not far from here, and we -may take a hand in it. The king of the country is a fat old rascal, and -isn’t very well thought of by the rest of the kings, who are his -cousins; but I live here, and he has never bothered me. Consequently, I -don’t mind helping him out in a pinch.’ - -“‘How far do you have to go?’ asked Sparkle Spry, who had no great -relish for war if it was as hard as he had heard it was. - -“‘Oh, a good many miles,’ replied the King of the Clinkers, ‘and we are -not getting on at all. There’s not enough mutton suet on the knee hinges -to suit me.’ - -“So saying, he struck the bell twice, and instantly Sparkle Spry could -feel that the wooden horse was going faster. - -“‘Does the horse go by the road or through the fields?’ asked Sparkle -Spry. - -“‘Oh, we take short cuts when necessary,’ answered the King of the -Clinkers. ‘We have no time to go round by the road. I hope you are not -scared.’ - -“‘No, not scared,’ replied Sparkle Spry somewhat doubtfully; ‘but it -makes me feel queer to be traveling through the country in a wooden -horse.’ - -“Nothing more was said for some time, and Sparkle Spry must have dropped -off to sleep, for suddenly he was aroused by the voice of the King of -the Clinkers, who called out:— - -“‘Here we are! Get up! Stir about!’ - -“Sparkle Spry jumped to his feet and looked from the window. Day was -just dawning, and on the plain before him he saw hundreds of twinkling -lights, as if a shower of small stars had fallen to the ground during -the night. Being somewhat dazed by his experiences, he asked what they -were. - -“‘Camp-fires,’ replied the King of the Clinkers. ‘The army that we are -going to attack is camped further away, but if you will lift your eyes a -little, you will see their camp-fires.’ - -“‘Do we attack them by ourselves?’ Sparkle Spry asked. - -“‘Of course!’ the King of the Clinkers answered. ‘I never did like too -much company; besides, I want you to get the credit of it.’ - -“‘Now, I’d rather be certain of a whole skin than to have any credit,’ -protested Sparkle Spry. - -“But the King of the Clinkers paid no attention to his protests. He gave -his orders to his little men, and strutted about with an air of -importance that Sparkle Spry would have thought comical if he had not -been thinking of the battle. - -“Daylight came on and drowned out the camp-fires, leaving only thin -columns of blue smoke to mark them. The wooden horse moved nearer and -nearer to the army directly in front of them, and finally came close to -the headquarters of the commanding general, who sent out a soldier to -inquire the meaning of the apparition. Finally the general came himself, -accompanied by his staff, and to him Sparkle Spry repeated what the King -of the Clinkers had told him to say. The general pulled his mustache and -knitted his brows mightily, and finally he said:— - -“‘I’m obliged to you for coming. You’ll have to do the best you can. I -never have commanded a wooden horse, and if I were to tell you what to -do, I might get you into trouble. I’ll just send word along the line -that the wooden horse is on our side, and you’ll have to do the best you -can.’ - -“As he said, so he did. The army soon knew that a big wooden horse had -come to help it, and when the queer-looking machine moved to the front, -the soldiers got out of the way as fast as they could, and some of them -forgot to carry their arms with them. But order was soon restored, and -presently it was seen that the opposing army was marching forward to -begin the battle. - -“The King of the Clinkers waited until the line was formed, and then he -sounded the little bell. The horse started off. The bell rang twice, and -the horse went faster. Sparkle Spry, looking from the window, could see -that he was going at a tremendous rate. The horse went close to the -opposing army, and then turned and went down the line to the left. -Turning, it came up the line, this time very close. Turning again, it -came back, and the soldiers in the front line were compelled to scamper -out of the way. While this was going on, the other army came up, but by -the time it arrived on the battle-ground there was nothing to fight. - - -[Illustration: - - THE WOODEN HORSE HAD STAMPEDED THE ENEMY’S ARMY -] - - -“The wooden horse had stampeded the enemy’s army, and the soldiers had -all run away, leaving their arms, their tents, and their bread wagons to -be captured. - -“The commanding general of the victorious army thanked Sparkle Spry very -heartily. ‘I’ll mention your name in my report to the king,’ he said. -‘But I hardly know what to say about the affair. You wouldn’t call this -a battle, would you?’ - -“‘No,’ replied Sparkle Spry, ‘I saw no signs of a battle where I went -along.’ - -“‘It is very curious,’ said the general. ‘I don’t know what we are -coming to. A great victory, but nobody killed and no prisoners taken.’ - -“Then he went off to write his report, and some time afterward the king -sent for Sparkle Spry, and gave him lands and houses and money, and made -him change his every-day name for a high-sounding one. And the baker and -his wife came to live near him, and the King of the Clinkers used to -come at night with all his little men, and they had a very good time -after all, in spite of the high-sounding name.” - -With this, Tickle-My-Toes turned and ran away as hard as he could, -whereupon Mr. Rabbit opened his eyes and asked in the most solemn way:— - -“Is there a wooden horse after him? I wish you’d look.” - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - XIII. - - HOW BROTHER LION LOST HIS WOOL. - - -Mr. Rabbit shaded his eyes with his hand, and pretended to believe that -there might be a wooden horse trying to catch Tickle-My-Toes after all. -But Mrs. Meadows said that there was no danger of anything like that. -She explained that Tickle-My-Toes was running away because he didn’t -want to hear what was said about his story. - -“I think he’s right,” remarked Mr. Rabbit. “It was the queerest tale I -ever heard in all my life. You might sit and listen to tales from now -until—well—until the first Tuesday before the last Saturday in the year -seven hundred thousand, seven hundred and seventy-seven, and you’d never -hear another tale like it.” - -“I don’t see why,” suggested Mrs. Meadows. - -“Well,” replied Mr. Rabbit, chewing his tobacco very slowly, “there are -more reasons than I have hairs in my head, but I’ll only give you three. -In the first place, this Sparkle Spry doesn’t marry the king’s daughter. -In the second place, he doesn’t live happily forever after; and in the -third place”—Mr. Rabbit paused and scratched his head—“I declare, I’ve -forgotten the third reason.” - -“If it’s no better than the other two, it doesn’t amount to much,” said -Mrs. Meadows. “There’s no reason why he shouldn’t have married the -king’s daughter, if the king had a daughter, and if he didn’t live -happily it was his own fault. Stories are not expected to tell -everything.” - -“Now, I’m glad of that,” exclaimed Mr. Rabbit, “truly glad. I’ve had a -story on my mind for many years, and I’ve kept it to myself because I -had an idea that in telling a story you had to tell everything.” - -“Well, you were very much mistaken,” said Mrs. Meadows with emphasis. - -“So it seems—so it seems,” remarked Mr. Rabbit. - -“What was the story?” asked Buster John. - -“I called it a story,” replied Mr. Rabbit, “but that is too big a name -for it. I reckon you have heard of the time when Brother Lion had hair -all over him as long and as thick as the mane he now has?” - -But the children shook their heads. They had never heard of that, and -even Mrs. Meadows said it was news to her. - -“Now, that is very queer,” remarked Mr. Rabbit, filling his pipe slowly -and deliberately. “Very queer, indeed. Time and again I’ve had it on the -tip of my tongue to mention this matter, but I always came to the -conclusion that everybody knew all about it. Of course it doesn’t seem -reasonable that Brother Lion went about covered from head to foot, and -to the tip of his tail, with long, woolly hair; but, on the other hand, -when he was first seen without his long, woolly hair, he was the -laughing-stock of the whole district. I know mighty well he was the most -miserable looking creature I ever saw. - -“It was curious, too, how it happened,” Mr. Rabbit continued. “We were -all living in a much colder climate than that in the country next door. -Six months in the year there was ice in the river and snow on the -ground, and them that didn’t lay up something to eat when the weather -was open had a pretty tough time of it the rest of the year. Brother -Lion’s long woolly hair belonged to the climate. But for that, he would -have frozen to death, for he was a great hunter, and he had to be out in -all sorts of weather. - -“One season we had a tremendous spell of cold weather, the coldest I had -ever felt. I happened to be out one day, browsing around, when I saw -blue smoke rising a little distance off, so I says to myself, says I, -I’ll go within smelling distance of the fire and thaw myself out. I went -towards the smoke, and I soon saw that Mr. Man, who lived not far off, -had been killing hogs. - -“Now, the funny thing about that hog-killing business,” continued Mr. -Rabbit, leaning back in his chair and smacking his lips together, as old -people will do sometimes, “was that, after the hogs were killed, Mr. Man -had to get their hair off. I don’t know how people do now, but that was -what Mr. Man did then. He had to get the hair off—but how? Well, he -piled up wood, and in between the logs he placed rocks and stones. Then -he dug a hole in the ground and half buried a hogshead, the open end -tilted up a little higher than the other end. This hogshead he filled -with as much water as it would hold in that position. Then he set fire -to the pile of wood. As it burned, of course the rocks would become -heated. These Mr. Man would take in a shovel and throw in the hogshead -of water. The hot rocks would heat the water, and in this way the hogs -were scalded so the hair on their hides could be scraped off. - -“Well, the day I’m telling you about, Mr. Man had been killing hogs and -scalding the hair off. When I got there the pile of wood had burned -away, and Mr. Man had just taken his hogs home in his wagon. The weather -was very cold, and as I stood there warming myself I heard Brother Lion -roaring a little way off. He had scented the fresh meat, and I knew he -would head right for the place where the hogs had been killed. - -“Now, Brother Lion had been worrying me a good deal. He had hired -Brother Wolf to capture me, and Brother Wolf had failed. Then he hired -Brother Bear, and Brother Bear got into deep trouble. Finally he hired -Brother Fox, and I knew the day wasn’t far off when Mrs. Fox would have -to hang crape on her door and go in mourning. All this had happened some -time before, and I bore Brother Lion no good will. - -“So, when I heard him in the woods singing out that he smelled fresh -blood, I grabbed the shovel the man had left, and threw a dozen or so -hot rocks in the hogshead, and then threw some fresh dirt on the fire. -Presently Brother Lion came trotting up, sniffing the air, purring like -a spinning wheel a-running, and dribbling at the mouth. - -“I passed the time of day with him as he came up, but kept further away -from him than he could jump. He seemed very much surprised to see me, -and said it was pretty bad weather for such little chaps to be out; but -I told him I had on pretty thick underwear, and besides that I had just -taken a hot bath in the hogshead. - -“‘I’m both cold and dirty,’ says he, smelling around the hogshead, ‘and -I need a bath. I’ve been asleep in the woods yonder, and I’m right stiff -with cold. But that water is bubbling around in there mightily.’ - -“‘I’ve just flung some rocks in,’ says I. - -“‘How do you get in?’ says he. - -“‘Back in,’ says I. - -“Brother Lion walked around the hogshead once or twice, as if to satisfy -himself that there was no trap, and then he squatted and began to crawl -into the hogshead backwards. By the time his hind leg touched the water, -he pulled it out with a howl, and tried to jump away, but, somehow, his -foot slipped off the rim of the hogshead, and he soused into the -water—kerchug!—up to his shoulders.” - -Mr. Rabbit paused, shut his eyes, and chuckled to himself. - - -[Illustration: - - YOU NEVER HEARD SUCH HOWLING SINCE YOU WERE BORN -] - - -“Well, you never heard such howling since you were born. Brother Lion -scrambled out quicker than a cat can wink her left eye, and rolled on -the ground, and scratched around, and tore up the earth considerably. I -thought at first he was putting on and pretending; but the water must -have been mighty hot, for while Brother Lion was scuffling around, all -the wool on his body came off up to his shoulders, and if you were to -see him to-day you’d find him just that way. - -“And more than that—before he soused himself in that hogshead of hot -water, Brother Lion used to strut around considerably. Being the king of -all the animals, he felt very proud, and he used to go with his tail -curled over his back. But since that time, he sneaks around as if he was -afraid somebody would see him. - -“There’s another thing. His hide hurt him so bad for a week that every -time a fly lit on him he’d wiggle his tail. Some of the other animals, -seeing him do this, thought it was a new fashion, and so they began to -wiggle their tails. Watch your old house cat when you go home, and you -will see her wiggle her tail forty times a day without any reason or -provocation. Why? Simply because the other animals, when they saw -Brother Lion wiggling his tail, thought it was the fashion; and so they -all began it, and now it has become a habit with the most of them. It is -curious how such things go. - -“But the queerest thing of all,” continued Mr. Rabbit, leaning back in -his chair, and looking at Mrs. Meadows and the children through -half-closed eyes, “was this—that the only wool left on Brother Lion’s -body, with the exception of his mane, was a little tuft right on the end -of his tail.” - -“How was that?” inquired Mrs. Meadows. - -Mr. Rabbit laughed heartily, but made no reply. - -“I don’t see anything to laugh at,” said Mrs. Meadows with some -emphasis. “A civil question deserves a civil answer, I’ve always heard.” - -“Well, you know what you said a while ago,” remarked Mr. Rabbit. - -“I don’t know as I remember,” replied Mrs. Meadows. - -“Why, you said pointedly that it was not necessary to tell everything in -a story.” Mr. Rabbit made this remark with great dignity. “And I judged -by the way you said it that it was bad taste to tell everything.” - -“Oh, I remember now,” said Mrs. Meadows, laughing. “It was only one of -my jokes.” - -“But this is no joke,” protested Mr. Rabbit, winking at the children, -but keeping the serious side of his face toward Mrs. Meadows. “I took -you at your solemn word. Now there is a tuft of wool on Brother Lion’s -tail, and you ask me how it happened to be there. I answer you as you -answered me—’You don’t have to tell everything in a story.’ Am I right, -or am I wrong?” - -“I’ll not dispute with you,” remarked Mrs. Meadows, taking up her -knitting. - -“I don’t mind telling you,” remarked Mr. Rabbit, turning to the children -with a confidential air. “It was as simple as falling off a log. When -Brother Lion fell into the hogshead of hot water, the end of his tail -slipped through the bunghole.” - -This explanation was such an unexpected one that the children laughed, -and so did Mrs. Meadows. But Mr. Thimblefinger, who had put in an -appearance, shook his head and remarked that he was afraid that Mr. -Rabbit got worse as he grew older, instead of better. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - XIV. - - BROTHER LION HAS A SPELL OF SICKNESS. - - -“The fact is,” remarked Mr. Rabbit, “I was just telling the story—if you -can call it a story—to please company. If you think the end of Brother -Lion’s tale is the end of the story, well and good; but it didn’t stop -there when I told it in my young days. And it didn’t stop there when it -happened. But maybe I’ve talked too long and said too much. You know how -we gabble when we get old.” - -“I like to hear you talk,” said Sweetest Susan, edging a little closer -to Mr. Rabbit and smiling cutely. - -Mr. Rabbit took off his glasses and wiped them on his big red -handkerchief. - -“There’s some comfort in that,” he declared. “If you really like to hear -me talk, I’ll go right ahead and tell the rest of the story. It’s a -little rough in spots, but you’ll know how to make allowances for that. -The creatures had claws and tushes, and where these grow thick and long, -there’s bound to be more or less scratching and biting. - -“Of course, when Brother Lion had the wool scalded off his hide, he was -in a pretty bad condition. He managed to get home, but it was a long -time before he could come out and go roaming around the country. As he -was the king of the animals, of course all the rest of the creatures -called on him to see how he was getting on. I didn’t go myself, because -I didn’t know how he felt towards me. I was afraid he had heard me laugh -when he backed into the hogshead of hot water, though I made believe I -was sneezing. Consequently, I didn’t go and ask him how he was getting -on. - -“But I went close enough to know that Brother Fox had told Brother Lion -a great rigamarole about me. That was Brother Fox’s way. In front of -your face, he was sweeter than sauce and softer than pudding, but behind -your back—well, he didn’t have any claws, but what tushes he had he -showed them. - -“I never did hear what Brother Fox said about me in any one place and at -any one time, but I heard a little here and a little there, and when it -was all patched up and put together it made a great mess. I had done -this, and I had done that; I had laughed at Brother Lion behind his -back, and I had snickered at him before his face; I had talked about him -and made fun of him; and, besides all that, I had never had the -politeness to call on him. - -“All the other animals found Brother Lion so willing to listen that they -learned Brother Fox’s lies by heart, and went and recited them here and -there about the country; and in that way I got hold of the worst of -them. The trouble with Brother Fox was that he had an old grudge against -me. He had been trying to outdo me for many a long year, but somehow or -other he always got caught in his own trap. He had a willing mind and a -thick head, and when these get together there’s always trouble. The -willing mind pushes and the thick head goes with its eyes shut. - -“In old times, people used to say that Brother Fox was cunning, but I -believe they’ve quit that since the facts have come to light. My -experience with him is that he is blessed with about as much sense as a -half-grown guinea pig. He’s a pretty swift runner, but he doesn’t even -know when the time comes to run. - -“Of course, when Brother Fox found out that for some reason or other I -wasn’t visiting Brother Lion, he seized the chance to talk about me, and -it wasn’t such a great while before he managed to make Brother Lion -believe that I was the worst enemy he had and the cause of all his -trouble. - -“I knew pretty well that something of the sort was going on, for every -time I’d meet any of the other animals, they’d ask me why I didn’t call -and see Brother Lion. Brother Fox, especially, was anxious to know why I -hadn’t gone to ask after Brother Lion’s health. - -“I put them all off for some time, until finally one day I heard that -Brother Lion had given Brother Fox orders to catch me and bring me -before him. This didn’t worry me at all, because I knew that Brother Fox -was just as able to catch me as I was to catch a wild duck in the middle -of a mill-pond. But I concluded I’d go and see Brother Lion and find out -all about his health. - -“So I went, taking good care to go galloping by Brother Fox’s house. He -was sitting on his front porch, and I could see he was astonished, but I -neither said howdy nor turned my head. I knew he would follow along -after. - -“When I got to Brother Lion’s house everything was very quiet, but I -knew Brother Lion was awake, for I heard him groan every time he tried -to turn over. So I rapped at the door and then walked in. Brother Lion -watched me from under his tousled mane for some time before he said -anything. Then he says, says he:— - -“‘What’s this I hear?’ - -“Says I, ‘Not having your ears, I can’t say.’ - -“‘My ears are as good as anybody’s ears,’ says he. - -“‘But I can’t hear through them,’ says I. - -“He grunted and grumbled a little over this, because he didn’t know what -reply to make. - -“‘You haven’t been to see me until now,’ says he. - -“‘No,’ says I; ‘I knew you were pretty bad off, and so I had no need to -come and ask you how you were. I knew I was partly to blame in the -matter, and so I went off to see if I couldn’t find a cure for you.’ - -“Says he, ‘Don’t talk about cures. Everybody that has come to see me has -a cure. I’ve tried ’em all, and now I’m worse off than I was at first.’ - -“Says I, ‘I could have come as often as Brother Fox did, and my coming -would have done you just as much good.’ - -“‘I don’t know about that,’ says he. ‘Brother Fox has been mighty -neighborly. He has lost sleep on my account, and he has told me a great -many things that I didn’t know before.’ - -“‘Likely enough,’ says I. ‘I’ve known him to tell people a great many -things that he didn’t know himself. But Brother Fox,’ says I, ‘was the -least of all things in my mind when I found out that you had been -scalded by water that was not more than milk-warm. I didn’t need to be -told that when milk-warm water scalds the hair off of anybody, something -else is the matter beside the scalding.’ - -“At this Brother Lion seemed to quiet down a little. He didn’t talk so -loud, and he began to show the whites of his eyes. - -“‘Yes,’ says I, ‘Brother Fox is famous for talking behind the door, but -I’ve noticed that he never says anything nice about anybody. You know -what he’s said about me, but do you know what he’s said about you? Of -course you don’t, and I’m not going to tell you, because I don’t want -you to be worried.’ - -“‘But I’d like to know,’ says Brother Lion, says he. - -“‘It wouldn’t do you any good,’ says I. ‘I could have come here and -jowered and made a good deal of trouble, but instead of that I knew of -an old friend of mine who knows how to cure hot burns and cold burns, -and so I’ve been off on a long trip to see the witch doctor, old -Mammy-Bammy Big Money.’ - -“‘And did you see her?’ says Brother Lion, says he. - -“‘I most certainly did,’ says I, ‘and furthermore I laid the whole case -before her. I had to travel far and wide to find her, but when I did -find her I asked her to tell me what was good for a person who had been -scalded by milk-warm water. She asked me three times the name of the -person, and three times I told her. Then she lit a pine splinter, blew -it out, and watched the smoke scatter. There was something wrong, for -she shook her head three times.’ - -“‘What did Mammy-Bammy Big Money say?’ says Brother Lion, says he. His -voice sounded very weak. - -“‘She said nothing,’ says I. ‘She watched the smoke scatter, and then -she put her hands before her face and rocked from side to side. After -that she walked back and forth, and when she sat down again she took off -her left slipper, shook out the gravel, and counted it as it fell. Once -more she asked me the name of the person who had been scalded in -milk-warm water, and once more I told her.’ - -“‘Wait!’ says Brother Lion, says he. ‘Do you mean to tell me the water I -fell in was only milk-warm?’ - -“Says I, ‘It seemed so to me. I had just washed my face and hands in -it.’ - -“‘Well, well, well!’ says Brother Lion. ‘What else did she say?’ says -he. - -“‘I don’t like to tell you,’ says I; and just about that time Brother -Fox walked in. - -“‘But you must tell me,’ says Brother Lion, says he. - -“‘Well,’ says I, ‘if I must I will, but I don’t like to. When -Mammy-Bammy Big Money had counted the white pebbles that fell from her -slipper, and asked me the name of the person who was scalded in -milk-warm water, she told me that he could be cured by poulticing the -burns with the fresh hide of his best friend. I asked her the name of -this friend, but she shook her head and said she would call no names. -Then she said that your best friend had short ears, a sharp nose, keen -eyes, slim legs, and a bushy tail.’ - -“Brother Lion shut his eyes and pretended to be thinking. I looked at -Brother Fox as solemnly as I knew how, and shook my head slowly. Brother -Fox got mighty restless. He got up and walked around. - -“‘Well, well, well!’ says Brother Lion, says he. ‘That might mean -Brother Wolf, or it might mean Brother Fox.’ - -“‘I expect it means Brother Wolf,’ says Brother Fox. - -“‘Why, you don’t mean to stand up here and say right before Brother -Lion’s face and eyes that Brother Wolf is a better friend to him than -you are!’ says I. - -“Brother Fox’s mouth fell open and his tongue hung out, and just about -that time I made my best bow, and put out for home.” - -“But did Brother Lion try the remedy?” Buster John inquired, as Mr. -Rabbit paused and began to light his pipe. - -“I think Brother Lion caught him and skinned him. It’s a great pity if -he didn’t. But I’ll not be certain. So many things have happened since -then that I disremember about the hide business. But you may be sure -Brother Lion was very superstitious. My best opinion is that he tried -the cure.” - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - XV. - - A MOUNTAIN OF GOLD. - - -“That is a funny name for a witch,” said Buster John, as Rabbit paused -and began to nod. - -“Which name was that?” inquired Mr. Thimblefinger. - -“Why, Mammy-Bammy Big Money,” replied Buster John, elevating his voice a -little. - -“Well, it’s very simple,” remarked Mr. Thimblefinger. “‘Mammy-Bammy’ was -to catch the ear of the animals, and ‘Big Money’ was to attract the -attention of the people.” - -“Dat’s so,” said Drusilla. “Kaze time you say ‘money’ folks’ll stop der -work an’ lissen at you; an’ ef you say ‘Big Money’ dey’ll ax you ter say -it agin’.” - -“It’s very curious about money,” continued Mr. Thimblefinger. “I don’t -know whether you ever thought about it much—and I hope you haven’t—but -it has pestered me a good deal, this thing you call money.” - -“It’s mighty bothersome,” assented Mrs. Meadows, “when you are where -people use it, and when you have none except what you can beg or borrow. -Thank goodness! I’m free from all bother now.” - -“Yes,” said Mr. Thimblefinger, “I don’t see that people have much the -advantage of the animals when it comes to using money. I’ve seen grown -people work night and day for a few pieces of metal.” - -“Why, of course!” cried Buster John. “They can take the pieces of metal -and buy bread and meat to eat and clothes to wear.” - -“So much the more wonderful!” remarked Mr. Thimblefinger. “What do the -people who have more bread and meat and clothes than they can use want -with the pieces of metal?” - -“So they may buy something else that they haven’t got,” said Buster -John. - -But Mr. Thimblefinger shook his head. He was not satisfied. - -“It puts me in mind of a tale I heard once about a poor man who was the -richest person in the world.” - -“But that couldn’t be, you know,” protested Buster John. - -“Anyhow, that’s the way it seemed to me in the story,” replied Mr. -Thimblefinger. “But the story is so old-fashioned it would hardly pass -muster now. Besides, they tell me that, as there’s not enough metal to -go round, people have begun to make up their minds that pieces of paper -with pictures on them are just as good as the metal, and perhaps better. -It’s mighty funny to me.” - -“What was the story?” asked Sweetest Susan. “Please tell us about it.” - -“Why, yes,” remarked Mr. Rabbit, “tell us about it. If calamus root -passes current with some of my acquaintances and catnip with others, I -see no reason why people shouldn’t play make-believe among themselves, -and say that pieces of metal and pieces of paper are worth something. In -this business people have a great advantage over us. They can put -figures on their pieces of metal and paper and make them worth anything, -but with us a joint of calamus root is worth just so much. It has been -worth that since the year one, and it will be worth that right on to the -end of things. Just so with a twist of catnip. But tell us the -story—tell us the story. I may drop off to sleep, but if I do, that will -be no sign that the tale isn’t interesting.” - -“Well,” said Mr. Thimblefinger, “once upon a time there was a country in -which money became very scarce. The people had a great deal, but they -hid it in their stockings and in the chinks of the chimneys and in their -teapots. The reason of this was that other countries close at hand made -their money out of the same kind of metal, and they’d bring their goods -in and sell them and carry the money off home with them. - -“Of course this helped to make money scarce, and the scarcer it was the -more the people clung to it, and this made it still scarcer. Naturally -everybody kept an eye out in the hope of finding a supply of this -metal.” - -“What sort of metal was it?” asked Buster John. - -“Gold,” replied Mr. Thimblefinger. - -“Oh!” exclaimed Buster John, in a disappointed tone. - -“Yes,” continued Mr. Thimblefinger, “nothing in the world but gold. -Those who had money held on to it as long as they could, because they -didn’t know how much scarcer it would be, and those who didn’t have any -were willing to sell whatever they had for any price in order to get -some. - -“It was lots worse than playing dolls—lots worse. When children play -make-believe with dolls, they soon forget about it; but when grown -people begin to play make-believe with money, they never get over it. -The wisest men get their heads turned when they begin to think and talk -about money. They have forgotten that it was all a make-believe in the -beginning.” - -Here Mr. Rabbit yawned and said: “You’ll have to excuse me if I nod a -little here.” - -“Yes,” remarked Mrs. Meadows, “I feel a little sleepy myself, but I’ll -try to keep awake for the sake of appearances.” - -“Don’t mind me,” said Mr. Thimblefinger, with mock politeness. “Go to -sleep if you want to, you two. I won’t have to talk so loud. - -“Well, in this country I was telling you about, there was a young man -who had saved some money by working hard, but he didn’t save it fast -enough to suit himself. He thought so much about it that he would stop -in the middle of his work, and sit and study about it an hour at a time. - -“He thought about it so much that he began to dream about it, and one -night he dreamed that he got in a boat and went to an island on which -there was a mountain of gold that shone and glistened in the sun. He was -very unhappy when he woke in the morning and found it was nothing but a -dream. - -“He didn’t go to work that day, but wandered about doing nothing. That -night he had the same dream. He had the same dream the next night; and -the morning after, the first person he saw was an old man who had -stopped to rest on the doorsteps. This old man would have been like -other old men but for one thing. His beard was so long that he had to -part it in the middle of his chin, pass it under each arm, cross the -wisps on his back, and bring them around in front again, where the two -ends were tied together with a bow of red ribbon. - -“‘How are you, my young friend, and how goes it?’ said the old man, -smiling pleasantly. ‘You look as if you had been having wonderful -dreams.’ - -“‘So I have, gran’sir,’ replied the young man. - -“‘Well, a dream isn’t worth a snap of your finger unless it comes true, -and a dream never comes true until you have dreamed it three times.’ - -“‘I have dreamed mine three times, gran’sir, and yet it is impossible -that it should come true.’ - -“‘Nonsense! Nothing is impossible. Tell me your dream.’ - -“So the young man told the old man his dream. - -“‘The Island of the Mountain of Gold!’ exclaimed the old man. ‘Why, that -is right in my line of travel. I can land you there without any trouble. -It is a little out of my way, but not much.’ - -“‘How shall we get there?’ the young man asked. - -“‘On the other side of the town, I have a boat,’ replied the old man. -‘You are welcome to go with me. It is so seldom that dreams come true -that I shall be glad to help this one along as well as I can. Besides, I -have long wanted an excuse to visit the Island of the Mountain of Gold. -I have passed within sight of it hundreds of times, but have always been -too busy to land there.’ - -“The young man looked at the old man with astonishment. If he had spoken -his thoughts he would have declared the old man to be crazy, but he said -nothing. He simply followed after him. The old man led the way across -the town to a wharf, where his boat was tied. It was a light little -skiff that could be sailed by one man. In this the two embarked. - -“The old man managed the sail with one hand and the rudder with the -other, and he had hardly made things ready and taken his seat before a -light breeze sprang up and filled the sail. The skiff glided along the -water so easily that the shore seemed to be receding while the boat -stood still. But the breeze grew stronger and stronger, and the sail -bore so heavily on the nose of the boat that the foam and spray flew -high in the air. - -“The sun was bright and the sky was blue, and the dark green water -seemed to boil beneath them, so swiftly the light boat sped along. The -young man clapped his hands as joyously as a boy, and the old man -smiled. Presently he leaned over the side of the boat and pointed to -something shining and sparkling in the distance. The young man saw it, -too, and turned an inquiring eye upon his companion. - -“‘That is your mountain of gold,’ said the old man. - -“‘It seems to be very small,’ said the other. He ceased to smile, and a -frown clouded his face. - -“The old man noticed the frown, and shook his head and frowned a little -himself, coughing in the muffler that was tied around his neck. But he -said:— - -“‘The mountain of gold is more than twenty miles away.’ - -“‘How far have we come?’ - -“‘Some hundred and odd miles.’ - -“The young man seemed to be very much surprised, but he said nothing. He -leaned so far over the side of the boat to watch the mountain of gold -that he was in danger of falling out. The old man kept an eye on him, -but did not lift a finger to warn him. - -“In due time they came to the island, if it could be called an island. -It seemed to be a barren rock that had lifted itself out of the sea to -show the mountain of gold. The mountain was only a hill, but it was a -pretty high one, considering it was of solid gold.” - -“Sure enough gold?” asked Sweetest Susan. - -“Pure gold,” answered Mr. Thimblefinger. “The old man landed his skiff -at a convenient place, and the two got out and went to the mountain, or -hill, of gold that rose shining in the middle of the small island. The -actions of the young man showed that he considered himself the -proprietor of both island and mountain. He broke off a chunk of gold as -big as your fist, weighed it in his hand, and would have given it to the -old man, but the latter shook his head. - -“‘You refuse it?’ cried the other. ‘If it is not enough I’ll give you as -much more.’ - -“‘No,’ replied the old man. ‘Keep it for yourself. You owe me nothing. I -could have carried away tons of the stuff long before I saw you, but I -had no use for it. You are welcome to as much as you can take away with -you.’ - -“‘As much as I can take away!’ exclaimed the other. ‘I shall take it -all.’ - -“‘But how?’ - -“‘It is mine! I am rich. I will buy me a ship.’ He walked back and -forth, rubbing his hands together. - -“‘Then you have no further need of me?’ said the old man. - -“‘Not now—not now,’ replied the other with a grand air. ‘You won’t -accept pay for your services, and I can do no more than thank you.’ - -“The old man bowed politely, got in his skiff, and sailed away. The -other continued to walk about the island and rub his hands together, and -make his plans. He was now the richest man in the world. He could buy -kings and princes and empires. He had enough gold to buy all the ships -on the sea and to control all the trade on the land. He was great. He -was powerful. - -“All these thoughts passed through his mind and he was very happy. The -sun looked at the young man a long time, and then went to bed in the -sea. Two little gray lizards looked at him until the sun went down, and -then they crawled back in their holes. A big black bird sailed round and -round and watched him until nearly dark, and then sailed away. - - -[Illustration: - - HE WAS SO WEAK THAT HE COULDN’T GET UP -] - - -“When night came the young man found the air damp and chilly, but he -knew he was rich, and so he laughed at the cold. He crept close under -his mountain of gold, and, after a long time, went to sleep. In the -morning he awoke and found that nobody had taken away his precious -mountain of gold during the night. The sun rose to keep him company, the -two gray lizards crept out of their holes and looked at him, and the big -black bird sailed round and round overhead. - -“The day passed, and then another and another. The young man was hungry -and thirsty, but he was rich. The night winds chilled him, but he was -rich. The midday sun scorched him, but he was the richest man in the -world. Every night, no matter how hungry or weak he was, he crept upon -the side of the mountain, and stretched himself out, and tried to hug it -to his bosom. He knew that if he was hungry, it wasn’t because he was -poor, and if he died, he knew he would die rich. So there he was.” - -“What then?” asked Buster John, as Mr. Thimblefinger paused to look at -his watch. - -“Well, I’ll tell you,” continued Mr. Thimblefinger, holding the watch to -his ear. “One fine morning this rich young man was so weak that he -couldn’t get up. He tried to, but his foot slipped, and he rolled to the -foot of the mountain of gold and lay there. He lay there so long and so -quietly that the two gray lizards crept close to him to see what was the -matter. He moved one of his fingers, and they darted back to their -holes. - -“The rich young man lay so still that the big black bird, sailing -overhead, came nearer and nearer, and finally alighted at a respectful -distance from the rich young man. The two gray lizards came out again, -and crawled cautiously toward the rich young man. The big black bird -craned his neck and looked, and then went a little closer. A sudden gust -of wind caused the rich young man’s coat to flap. The gray lizards -scrambled towards their holes, and the big black bird jumped up in the -air and flew off a little way. - -“But presently they all came back, bird and lizards, and this time they -went still closer to the rich young man. The big black bird went so -close that there is no telling what he would have done next, but just -then the old man came running towards them. He had untied the two ends -of his beard, and was waving them in the air as if they were flags. The -big black bird flew away very angry, and the gray lizards ran over each -other trying to get to their holes. - -“The old man, tied up his beard again, took up the rich young man on his -shoulder, and carried him to the boat. Once there he gave the rich young -man some wine. This revived him, and in a little while he was able to -eat. But he had no opportunity to talk. The wind whirled the boat -through the water, and in a few hours it had arrived at the young man’s -town. - -“He went home, and soon recovered in more ways than one. He found his -strength again, and lost his appetite for riches. But he worked hard, -saved all he could, and was soon prosperous; but he never remembered -without a shiver the time that he was the richest man in the world.” - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - XVI. - - AN OLD-FASHIONED FUSS. - - -“I don’t blame ’im fer shiverin’,” said Drusilla; “but, I let you know, -here’s what wouldn’t shiver none ef she had dat ar big pile er gol’ what -de man had. I’d ’a’ cotch me some fish; I’d ’a’ gobbled up dem lizards, -yit!” - -“Well,” remarked Mr. Rabbit, “I expect money is a pretty big thing. I’ve -heard a heap of talk about it, and I’ve known some big fusses to grow -out of it. And yet money doesn’t cause all the fusses—oh, no! not by a -long jump. I once heard of a fuss that happened long before there was -any money, and the curious part about it was that nobody knew what the -fuss grew out of.” - -“What fuss was that?” asked Buster John, who thought that perhaps there -might be a story in it. - -“Why, it was the quarrel between the Monkeys and the Dogs. My -great-grandfather knew all about the facts, and I’ve heard him talk it -over many a time when he was sitting in the kitchen corner chewing his -quid. I’ve often heard him wonder, between naps, what caused the -dispute.” - -“It seems to me I’ve heard something about it,” remarked Mrs. Meadows in -an encouraging tone. - -“Oh, yes!” exclaimed Mr. Rabbit. “It was notorious in our young days. I -reckon it has been settled long before this; anyhow, I hope so.” - -“What did your great-grandfather say about it?” inquired Buster John. - -“If I were to tell you all he said,” responded Mr. Rabbit, shaking his -head slowly, “you’d have to sit here with me for a fortnight, and of -course you wouldn’t like to do that. So I’ll just up and tell you about -it in my own way. I may not get it exactly right, but I’ll be bound I -won’t get it far wrong, for I have nothing else in the round world to do -but to sit here and think about old times. - -“As well as I can remember, the way of it was about this: Away back -yonder, in the times before everybody had got to be so busy trying to -get the best of each other, a coolness sprang up between the Monkeys and -the Dogs. Nobody knew the right of it, because nobody paid any attention -to it along at first. But after awhile it got so that every time a Dog -would meet a Monkey in the road, the Monkey would get up in a tree and -laugh at him, and then the Dog would stop and scratch up the dirt with -all four of his feet and growl.” - -“Oh, I’ve seen them do that way,” said Sweetest Susan, laughing. - - -[Illustration: - - THE MONKEYS WOULD MAKE FACES AND SQUEAL AT THE DOGS -] - - -“Yes,” replied Mr. Rabbit, with a more solemn air than ever. “They have -never got out of the habit of that kind of caper from that day to this. -Well, the coolness grew into a dispute, and the dispute into a quarrel, -and so there it was. The Monkeys would make faces and squeal at the -Dogs, and the Dogs would show their teeth and growl at the Monkeys. It -went from bad to worse, and after awhile, the Dogs would chase the -Monkeys wherever they saw them, and the Monkeys would swing down from -the hanging limbs and give the tails of the Dogs some terrible twists. - -“Before that time the Monkeys had been living on the ground just like -everybody else lived, but the Dogs had such sharp teeth and such nimble -feet that the Monkeys had to take to the trees and saplings. At first -they couldn’t get about in the trees as they do now. Sometimes they’d -miss their footing, or lose their grip, and down they’d come right into -the red jaws of the Dogs. - -“Now this wasn’t pleasant at all. Even when the Monkeys didn’t fall, the -ants and crawling bugs would get on them, and the dead limbs of the -trees would fall and hurt them, and the wind would blow them about, and -the heavy rains would fall and wet them. - -“About that time the Monkeys were the most miserable creatures in the -world. They were so miserable that, finally, the Head Monkey made up his -mind to go and see the Wise Man who used to settle all disputes as far -as he could. So the Head Monkey set out on his journey, and traveled -till he came to the Wise Man’s house. - -“He got on the gatepost, and looked all around, to see if there was a -Dog anywhere in sight. Seeing none, he went to the front door and -knocked. The Wise Man came out. He was very old. He had a beard as long -as Brother Billy Goat’s, and as gray, but he was very nice and kind. The -Head Monkey told his story all the way through, and the Wise Man sat and -listened to every word. When he had heard it all, he shut his eyes and -studied the matter over, and then he said:— - -“‘Only fools get up fusses that they can’t settle. I’ll give you a -fool’s remedy to settle a fool’s fuss. Go back to your own country and -fetch me a bunch of the hair of a Brindle Dog. Then I’ll show you a -cheap and an easy way to get rid of the whole tribe of Dogs. But be sure -that you make no mistake. I must have the hair of a Brindle Dog—just -that and nothing else. Then I can show you how to get rid of all the -Dogs. But if you make any mistake, you will ruin the whole tribe of -Monkeys.’ - -“The Head Monkey scratched himself on the side, quick like. Says he, -‘Oh, I’ll make no mistake. Don’t worry about me. The first time the Dogs -have a burying I’ll get on a swinging limb, and when a Brindle Dog comes -along I’ll reach down and pull a bunch of hair out of his hide, and by -the time he gets through howling I’ll be on my journey back.’ - -“The Wise Man ran his fingers through his beard, and laughed to himself. -Says he, ‘Very well, my young friend, but you had best be careful. A Dog -of any kind will bear watching, but especially a Brindle Dog.’ - -“The Head Monkey made no answer. He simply grinned, and started back -home. Now, it happened that after his journey was over, the Dogs had no -burying for a long time. They seemed to be in better health than ever. -Some traveling doctor had come along and told them that whenever they -felt out of sorts they must go out in the fields and hunt for a -particular kind of grass. When they found it they were to eat -twenty-seven blades of it, and then go on about their business. You may -not believe this,” said Mr. Rabbit, pausing in the midst of his story, -“but if you will watch the Dogs right close, you will find that to this -day they’ll go out and eat grass whenever they are ailing. They don’t -chew it. They just bite off a great long sprig of it, and wallop it -around their tongues and swallow it whole. I don’t know how they do it, -but I’m telling you the plain facts. - -“Well, as I was saying, it was a long time after the Head Monkey got -home before the Dogs had a burying, and when they did have one it -happened that there was no Brindle Dog in the procession. The rest of -the Monkeys were all waiting to see what the Head Monkey was going to -do, and so they forgot to bother the Dogs. When the Dogs saw that the -Monkeys were quiet, they kept quiet themselves, and there was no trouble -between them for a long time. Seeing that the Dogs were no longer -snapping and snarling at them, some of the older Monkeys began to travel -on the ground again, but the younger ones stayed in the trees where they -were born. - -“The Head Monkey was mighty restless. Sometimes he’d stay in the trees, -and then again he’d travel on the ground, but wherever he was he always -kept his eye out for a Brindle Dog. Finally, one day, when he was -traveling on the ground, he heard a noise up the road, and when he -turned around he saw a big Brindle Dog coming towards him. He thought to -himself that now was his time or never; so he got behind a bush and -waited for the Brindle Dog to come up. - -“He didn’t have long to wait, for the Brindle Dog was going in a -swinging trot. When he came by the bush, the Head Monkey rushed out and -tried to pull a bunch of hair from the Brindle Dog’s hide. But he rushed -too far. The Brindle Dog shied, as old Mr. Horse used to do when he saw -a bunch of shucks in the road. He shied so quick, and he shied so far, -that the Head Monkey fell short with his arm, and was carried too far by -his legs. As the Brindle Dog shied, he turned and saw what it was, and -then he made a rush for the Head Monkey. There was no tree near, and no -way for the Head Monkey to escape. The Brindle Dog grabbed him and made -short work of him. There was considerable of a fight, for the Head -Monkey was strong in his arms and quick on his feet. But the Brindle Dog -had a long jaw and a strong one. He grabbed the Head Monkey between -shoulder and ham, and shook him up as you have seen people shake a -sifter. He just held on and shook, and when he turned loose he’d shut -his teeth down in a new place, so that when the rippit was over, it -seemed as if there wasn’t a whole bone in the Head Monkey’s hide. But -quick done is quick over: and after the Brindle Dog had done all the -shaking that the case called for, he dropped the Head Monkey and went on -about his business; but he had some bites and scratches on his hide, and -as he trotted off he shook his ears, for one of them had been split -mighty nigh in two by the Head Monkey. - -“Well, after the Brindle Dog had trotted off, the Head Monkey rose from -the ground and began to feel of himself. He was afraid that he had been -torn in two and scattered all over the road, but when he found that he -had his legs and his arms and his head and his body, he began to be more -cheerful. He found he could walk. And then he found he could use his -hands, and then he strutted around, and said to himself that he had -whipped the fight. He was badly bruised and pretty sore, but he was not -too sore to strut, and so he walked up and down the road and made his -brags that he had compelled the Brindle Dog to take to his heels. - -“Then he happened to think what he had come for, and he hunted all about -in the road to see if he could find a bunch of the Brindle Dog’s hair. -There was a good deal of hair scattered around, and in a little while -the Head Monkey had gathered up a handful. He picked it over and sorted -it out, and wrapped it up in a poplar leaf. Then he went home to his -family and rested a day or two, for he was pretty badly bruised. And he -told a big tale of how he had met the great Brindle Dog in the road, and -had fanned him out in a fair fight. His children listened with all their -ears, and then they jumped from limb to limb and told all the neighbors’ -children that their pa was the biggest and the best of all the Monkeys. - -“This went on for some time, and finally the Head Monkey felt well -enough to visit the Wise Man. So he started on the journey, and after -awhile he got there. He climbed the gatepost again, and looked all -around to see if there was a Brindle Dog in sight. Seeing none, he went -to the door and knocked, and the Wise Man came out. - -“‘Good-morning,’ says the Wise Man. ‘I hope you are well.’ - -“‘Tolerably well, I thank you,’ says the Head Monkey. ‘And I’ve come -agreeable to promise to bring you a bunch of the hair of a Brindle Dog.’ - -“With that he unrolled the poplar leaf, and showed the Wise Man the hair -he had picked up in the road. The Wise Man took the bunch of hair and -turned it over in his hand, and looked at it. Then he looked at the Head -Monkey. - -“‘What is this?’ says he. - -“‘A bunch of hair from a Brindle Dog,’ says the Head Monkey. - -“The Wise Man shook his head. Says he, ‘It may be, but it doesn’t look -like the samples I have seen. Are you sure about it?’ says he. - -“‘As sure as I am standing here,’ says the Head Monkey. - -“Says the Wise Man, ‘It’s none of my business. I just wanted to be -certain about it, because if there’s any Monkey hair in it, everything -will go wrong. The whole tribe of Monkeys will be ruined. They will have -to leave this country and the Dogs will stay here. Did you have any -trouble in getting this hair?’ says he. - -“‘Well,’ says the Head Monkey, ‘there was a dispute, nothing serious.’ - -“‘How long did the dispute last?’ says the Wise Man. - -“‘No longer than I could reach out and get the hair,’ says the Head -Monkey. - -“‘That’s funny,’ says the Wise Man. ‘When the Brindle Dog gets into a -dispute, he usually shows his teeth.’ - -“‘Oh, he showed his teeth, and he had more than I thought,’ says the -Head Monkey. - -“‘But are you sure this hair came out of the hide of a Brindle Dog?’ -says the Wise Man. - -“Says the Head Monkey, ‘As sure as I’m standing here. I pulled it out -with my own hands.’ - -“Says the Wise Man, ‘It looks to me as if there were some other kind of -hair in this bunch. Did you have any trouble in getting it?’ says he. - -“‘Well,’ says the Head Monkey, ‘we had a little dispute.’ - -“Says the Wise Man, ‘Was that all?’ - -“‘Well,’ says the Head Monkey, scratching himself, ‘we passed a few -licks.’ - -“‘How was that?’ says the Wise Man. - -“‘Well,’ says the Head Monkey, ‘he growled and I squealed, and then he -bit and I scratched.’ - -“‘I see,’ says the Wise Man. ‘What else?’ - -“‘Well, to tell you the truth,’ says the Head Monkey, ‘there was right -smart of a scuffle.’ - -“‘Aha!’ says the Wise Man. ‘A scuffle!’ - -“‘Yes,’ says the Head Monkey, ‘and worse than that. There was a regular -knock-down-and-drag-out fight,’ says he. - -“‘I see,’ says the Wise Man. ‘You have brought me some of your own hair -instead of the Brindle Dog’s hair, and now you and your whole tribe will -have to leave this country and cross the ocean; and when you get into -the new country, you will have to live in the trees to keep the -four-footed animals from destroying you.’ - -“And so it happened,” continued Mr. Rabbit. “Since that time, there have -been no Monkeys in this country. They had to cross the big water, and -when they got over there they had to live in the trees; and I expect -they are living that way yet—at least, they were at last accounts.” - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - XVII. - - THE RABBIT AND THE MOON. - - -“I reckon that’s so about the Monkeys,” remarked Mrs. Meadows. “They -used to be in the country next door, and now they are no longer there.” - -“Yes,” said Mr. Rabbit; “it’s just like I tell you: they were there -once, but now they are not there any more. But in the world next door -everybody has his ups and downs, especially his downs. I’ve heard my -great-grandfather tell many a time how our family used to live close to -the Moon. So I don’t make any brags about the way the Monkeys had to -take to the bushes. I remember about my own family, and then I feel like -hanging my head down and saying nothing. It is a very funny feeling, -too. When I think we used to live close to the Moon, and that we now -live on the ground and have to crawl there like snails, I sometimes feel -like crying; and I tell you right now if I was to begin to boo-hoo, -you’d be astonished.” - -Buster John and Sweetest Susan looked very serious, but Drusilla showed -a desire to laugh. - -“You say you used to live close to the Moon?” asked Buster John, with -more curiosity than usual. - -“Why, certainly,” replied Mr. Rabbit. “I don’t say that I did, but I’m -certain that my family did. I’ve heard my great-grandfather tell about -it a hundred times. I’ve heard that it was a better country up there -than it is where you live, even better than it is down here,—a good deal -more fun and fiddling, and not half so much looking around for something -to eat. That is the great trouble. If we didn’t have to scuffle around -and get something to eat, we’d be lots better off. - -“It’s mighty funny. If you let well enough alone, you are all right; but -the minute you try to better it, everything goes wrong.” - -“Dat wuz de way wid ol’ man Adam,” remarked Drusilla. - -“Why, of course,” said Mr. Rabbit, “and it was the way with all the -Rabbits and everybody and everything else.” - -“But how did they live up there by the Moon?” asked Sweetest Susan. “How -did they keep from falling off?” - -Mr. Rabbit scratched his head a little before replying. “Well,” said he, -after awhile, “they got along just as we do down here,—heads up and feet -down. But one time, as I’ve heard my great-grandfather say, the Moon got -into a sort of fidget, and was mighty restless for quite a while. At -last, one of our family, the oldest of all, made bold to look over the -fence and ask the Moon what the trouble was. He noticed, too, that the -Moon had shrunk considerably, and seemed to be in a very bad way. It -could hardly hold up its head. - -“But the Moon managed to look up when it heard the fuss at the fence, -and, in a very shaky voice, told the oldest of all the Rabbits howdy. - - -[Illustration: - - “WHAT IS THE TROUBLE?” SAYS THE OLDEST RABBIT -] - - -“‘What is the trouble?’ says the oldest Rabbit. Says he, ‘Can I do -anything to help you?’ - -“‘I’m afraid not,’ says the Moon. ‘You are not nimble enough.’ - -“‘Maybe I’m nimbler than you think,’ says the oldest Rabbit. - -“‘Well,’ says the Moon, ‘I’ll tell you what the trouble is. I want to -get a message to Mr. Man, who lives in the world down yonder. I’ve been -shining on him at night, and I’ve caught a bad cold by being out after -dark. My health is breaking down, and if I don’t put out my lights for a -while and take a rest, I’ll have to go out altogether. Now, it’s like -this: I’ve been shining for Mr. Man so long that if I don’t send him -some word he’ll think something serious has happened. I must take a -rest, but I want to send him a message, telling him that I won’t be gone -long.’ - -“‘Well,’ says the oldest Rabbit, ‘I don’t mind going, if you’ll show me -the way and tell me what to say.’ - -“So the Moon pointed out the way, and showed him how to put his fingers -in his ears and hold his breath when he took the long jump. Then it gave -him this message:— - - _‘I am growing weak to gather strength: - I go into the shadows to gather light.’_ - -“The oldest Rabbit said this message over to himself many times, and -then he got ready for the journey. Everything went well until he came to -the long jump. But he braced himself, and shut his eyes, and put his -fingers in his ears, and held his breath. Now, the jump was a long one, -sure enough. It was so long that the oldest Rabbit opened one eye, and -then he got the notion that he was falling instead of jumping, and he -opened both eyes so wide that they have been that way ever since. This -scared him terribly, and by the time he landed on the world he had -forgotten what he came for. He wasn’t hurt a bit, but he was badly -scared. - -“He sat on the ground and tried to remember, and then he got up and -walked about. Finally, he looked up and saw the Moon winking one eye at -him. Then he thought about the message, and he ran off to Mr. Man’s -house, and knocked at the door. Mr. Man had gone to bed, but he got up -and opened the door, and asked what was wanted. - -“‘Well,’ says the oldest Rabbit, ‘I’ve just come from the Moon with a -message for you.’ - -“‘What is it?’ says Mr. Man. - -“‘The Moon told me to tell you this:— - - ‘_I’m growing weak and have no strength: - I’m going off where the shadows are dark._’ - -“Mr. Man scratched his head. He couldn’t make the message out. Then he -said, ‘Take this message back:— - - ‘_Seldom seen and soon forgot: - When a Moon dies her feet get cold._’ - -“The oldest Rabbit bowed politely and started back home. He came to the -Jumping-Off Place, and then he took the long jump. He was soon at home, -and went at once to the Moon’s house, and gave the message that Mr. Man -had sent. This made the Moon very mad. It declared that the oldest -Rabbit had carried the wrong message. Then it grabbed the shovel and -struck him in the face. This made the oldest Rabbit very mad, and he -jumped at the Moon and used his claws. The fight was a hard one, and you -can see the marks of it to this day. All the Rabbits have their upper -lips split, and the Moon still has the marks on its face where the -oldest Rabbit clawed it. - -“The way of it was this,” continued Mr. Rabbit, seeing that the children -had hardly caught the drift of the story: “the Moon had been shining -constantly for many years, and was growing weak. It wanted to take a -rest, and it was afraid Mr. Man would get scared when he failed to see -it at night. Since that time the Moon has been taking a rest about every -two weeks. At least it used to be that way. I never bother about it -now.” - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - XVIII. - - WHY THE BEAR IS A WRESTLER. - - -“Well,” said Mr. Rabbit, after a pause, “what about the story? Was there -any moral to it?” - -“None at all,” replied Mrs. Meadows. “It was just an old-time tale.” - -“Now, I’m truly glad to hear you say so,” cried Mr. Rabbit, appearing to -be very much pleased. “It’s as good as taking a nap.” He winked gravely -at Buster John, and then proceeded to refill his pipe. - -“I thought it was a pretty good story,” said Buster John. “It turned out -to be a story so quick that it was all over with before I knew it was a -story.” - -“Well,” replied Mr. Rabbit, “I had to tell it mighty quick. Suppose I -had stopped to light my pipe and left my own kin dangling between the -Moon and the World! I knew in reason it would never do, and so I rattled -away almost as fast as the oldest Rabbit jumped. It was a long story -quickly told of a long journey quickly made.” - -Mr. Rabbit seemed to be in better humor than ever. He leaned back, and -patted the ground softly with one foot. - -“Speaking of journeys,” he said, after awhile, “makes me think about how -Brother Bear started out in the world. But what am I doing?” he cried. -“I don’t want to do all the talking. I don’t have any chance to sleep -unless somebody else is telling a story.” - -“Now, please tell us the story,” pleaded Sweetest Susan. - -“I’ll have to,” replied Mr. Rabbit, “since I’ve got it started. Well, -one time when Brother Bear was young, the time came for him to scratch -around and scuffle for himself. He had already learned how to grabble -for sweet potatoes, how to tote an armful of roasting ears, and how to -shut his eyes and rob a bee-tree, and so his daddy thought it was about -time for him to go off and earn his own living. Brother Bear said he was -more than willing, and when he came to tell his folks good-by, his daddy -gave him seven pieces of honey-in-the-comb, saying:— - -“‘This is all I have to give you, but it’s enough. Whoever eats this -honey with you will have to wrestle with you seven years or give you -everything he owns.’ - -“So Brother Bear put his seven pieces of honey-in-the-comb in a bag, -slung the bag over his back, and went shuffling down the big road. He -traveled all that day, and camped out in the woods at night. The next -morning, just as he was about to eat breakfast, he heard a rustling in -the bushes, and presently Brother Tiger came slipping and sliding along, -hunting for his breakfast. Brother Bear howdied, and Brother Tiger said -he was only tolerable—not as peart as he might be, and yet pearter than -he had been. Then Brother Tiger sat and watched Brother Bear take put a -piece of his honey-in-the-comb, and the sight made his mouth water. -Brother Bear noticed this, and he says, says he:— - -“‘I wish you mighty well, Brother Tiger, and I’d like to ask you to have -some of my breakfast, for I have more than a plenty for two. But the -trouble is, that whoever eats any of this honey-in-the-comb will have to -wrestle with me seven years or give me all his belongings.’ - -“‘Don’t let that bother you,’ says Brother Tiger, says he. ‘I’m a pretty -good wrestler myself, and I don’t mind trying my hand with you after -I’ve tasted your honey-in-the-comb.’ - -“But Brother Bear hemmed and hawed, and acted so that Brother Tiger -thought he was either afraid to wrestle or mighty stingy with his -honey-in-the-comb. He thought so, and he said so, and this put Brother -Bear on his mettle. So he says, says he:— - -“‘Well, Brother Tiger, come and get a piece of my honey-in-the-comb. I’m -more than glad to give it to you, and sorry, too, because, as sure as -you eat it, you’ll be put under a spell, and you’ll be obliged to -wrestle with me seven long years or give me all your belongings.’ - -“Brother Tiger grinned from ear to ear. Says he, ‘If I don’t have to -wrestle before I get the honey-in-the-comb, it will be all right. Just -let me get my fill of that, and I’ll wrestle with you seven times seven -years. I’ll promise to make you tired of wrestling.’ - -“‘So be it,’ says Brother Bear. ‘Come and get the honey-in-the-comb, and -take all you want, for I won’t need any after I’ve wrestled with you a -time or two,’ says he. - -“Brother Tiger went up and tasted the honey-in-the-comb, and it was so -good that he smacked his lips and asked for more. Brother Bear gave him -some. After both had eat as much as they wanted, Brother Tiger took a -notion to go home, but something held him back. The spell was working. -But finally he pulled himself together, and said he believed he’d go -home and see his old woman. - -“But Brother Bear chuckled to himself. Says he, ‘Now that you’ve gobbled -up my honey-in-the-comb, you don’t want to wrestle. You can’t help -yourself. When I say wrestle, you’ll have to wrestle. You can go home -now, but to-morrow, bright and early, I’ll knock at your door, and -you’ll have to come out and wrestle.’ - -“Says Brother Tiger, says he, ‘I’ll be more than glad to accommodate -you. Just knock at the door any hour after daybreak, and you’ll find me -on hand.’ - -“Says Brother Bear, ‘I’ll do so, I’ll do so. Just remember your spoken -word, Brother Tiger!’ - -“Brother Tiger started home, but before he had gone very far he began to -feel mighty queer. He had a buzzing noise in his head and a creepy, -crawly feeling on his hide. He began to get scared. Once he thought the -honey had poisoned him, but he wasn’t sick. He never felt better in his -life. He wanted to jump and run, and I believe the tale does say that he -capered around a time or two. But every time he’d start home he’d have -that buzzing sound in his head and that creepy, crawly feeling in his -hide. - -“So, by and by, he thought he would turn back and see what Brother Bear -thought about it. No sooner said than done. He went back at a hand -gallop, and found Brother Bear curled up at the foot of a tree fast -asleep. The honey had made him feel so good that he concluded to enjoy -himself by taking another nap. But he got up brisk enough when he heard -Brother Tiger calling him, and by the time he had rubbed his eyes once -or twice, and gaped and stretched himself, he was as wide awake as ever. - -“Says he, ‘I knew you’d come back, Brother Tiger, and so I just waited -for you; and while I was waiting I ups and drops off to sleep. But -anyhow and anyway, here you are, and there’s no harm done.’ - -“Says Brother Tiger, says he, ‘I just came back to ask you about the -queer feeling I have.’ - -“Says Brother Bear, ‘That’s easy enough. You just wanted to wrestle, and -so you had to come back. I have the feeling most all the time when I’m -not sleeping or eating. It’s a sort of zooning sound in the ears, and a -sort of ticklish feeling on the hide. Well, there isn’t anything the -matter at all. You just want to wrestle, and as the feeling is new to -you, you didn’t know what it was.’ - -“Says Brother Tiger, ‘I believe you are right, Brother Bear; I believe -that’s the whole trouble.’ - -“‘Well,’ says Brother Bear, ‘I’ll try you one round, just to loosen up -my hide and put me in traveling trim. I’ll not wrestle with you very -hard, because you are not used to it, and it’s too soon to get down to -business with you. I told you about it when you wanted to eat the honey, -but you would eat it, and now you’ll have to wrestle with me, off and -on, first and last, for seven long years; and if you don’t, you’ll have -to give me your house and all your belongings.’ - -“So they took off their coats and made ready to wrestle. ‘As you are not -used to these capers,’ says Brother Bear, ‘I’ll give you all-under holt, -and promise not to use the in-turn, the ham-twist, or the knee-lock.’ - -“Now, Brother Tiger didn’t know whether Brother Bear was talking Latin -or Chinese, but he said nothing: he just stood up and grabbed Brother -Bear around the waist, or where the waist ought to be. - -“‘When you are ready,’ says Brother Bear, ‘just give the word.’ - -“‘Well,’ says Brother Tiger, ‘I reckon I’m as ready now as I ever will -be.’ - -“With that Brother Bear hugged Brother Tiger pretty tight, whirled -around with him a time or two, fell on him, and then cuffed him, first -on one ear and then on the other. It was all done so quick that Brother -Tiger didn’t have time to say don’t. He got up and felt of his ribs to -see if they were still whole, and then he rubbed the side of his head -where Brother Bear had cuffed him. It had already begun to swell. His -breeches were badly ripped, and he was sore all over. - - -[Illustration: - - HE RUBBED THE SIDE OF HIS HEAD -] - - -“Says he, ‘And so this is what you call wrestling—this is what I was -itching for, is it?’ - -“‘Oh, no!’ says Brother Bear. ‘It wouldn’t do to call that wrestling. -That was only playing. I was just showing you the first few capers: you -can’t wrestle until you learn how. I’ll drop by your house to-morrow -morning, bright and early, and give you another whirl.’ - -“Brother Tiger looked mighty solemn, but he didn’t say anything. He -ambled off home as well as he could in his condition, and got his old -woman to mend his breeches. She wanted to know who he had been fighting -with, but he told her he had just been playing with Brother Bear. She -laughed, and said that when he had played that way a few more times -there wouldn’t be enough of him left, neither breeches, body, nor bones, -to sew up in a bag. - -“Well, the next morning, bright and early, Brother Bear rapped at -Brother Tiger’s door, and told him to come out and take some exercise -before breakfast. Brother Tiger didn’t like this invitation at all. He -said he wanted to sleep a little longer; but Brother Bear sent in word -that the night was made for sleeping, while the day was made for work -and play. Now, it so happened that the honey which Brother Tiger had ate -had put a spell on him, and when Brother Bear asked him out to wrestle -he had to come. He pulled on his clothes with no good heart, for he was -still very sore, and came limping out, trying to put a good face on the -affair. Brother Bear laughed, and told Brother Tiger howdy, but Brother -Tiger didn’t make much of a reply. - -“So Brother Bear says, says he, ‘I hope you are not begrudging your -bargain, Brother Tiger, but you made it yourself, and at no invitation -of mine. I had the seven pieces of honey-in-the-comb, and you had the -bad taste in the mouth. I told you how it would be, but you would have -the honey, and now you’ll have to stand to your bargain: you can’t help -yourself now. I told you the plain truth about it, but you wouldn’t -believe it. You’ll find out the truth before you get the taste of that -honey out of your mouth.’ - -“Then they made a few passes at each other; but Brother Bear finally -grabbed Brother Tiger around his striped waist, squeezed the breath out -of him, dashed him on the ground, cuffed his ears, and then stood there -on his hind legs, waiting to see what Brother Tiger was going to do. But -Brother Tiger didn’t want any more wrestling for that day. He went into -the house and washed his face and hands, and sat down and licked his -bruises the best he could. - -“But the next morning he had to come out and wrestle again, and this -happened until he was so weak he could hardly walk. His hide was split, -his ears were swollen, and every stripe on his long body was crossed by -a scar. Wrestling was fine fun for Brother Bear, who was used to it, but -it was no fun for Brother Tiger, who didn’t know how. Every time he -wrestled he got new bruises, and his head swelled until he could hardly -get in the door of his house without backing his ears. - -“Finally, one day he told Brother Bear candidly that he would rather -give up his house and lot than to be tossed around and cuffed at that -rate. Brother Bear said that he would rather wrestle and have a jolly -time than to take Brother Tiger’s house; but Brother Tiger wouldn’t hear -to that. He said he couldn’t stay in that part of the country and hear -the talk of the neighbors. They would pester him mighty near to death on -the week days, and fairly kill him out on Sunday, when they had nothing -to do but sit around and gossip. - -“So Brother Tiger moved out, and Brother Bear moved in; and it has come -to pass that Brother Tiger won’t stay in the same country with Brother -Bear for fear that he will have to do some more wrestling.” - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - XIX. - - THE SHOEMAKER WHO MADE BUT ONE SHOE. - - -“Now, I’ll tell you honestly,” said Little Mr. Thimblefinger, popping -out from under Mr. Rabbit’s big armchair, “I don’t like such stories. -They give me the all-overs. I expect maybe it’s because they are true.” - -“No doubt that’s the trouble with them,” remarked Mr. Rabbit in a tone -unusually solemn. “You don’t think that at my time of life my tongue is -nimble enough for me to sit here and make up stories to suit the hour -and the company? By the bye,” he continued, turning around so as to -catch Little Mr. Thimblefinger’s eye, “what stories were you talking -about?” - -“Well, to tell you the truth, I was fast asleep, for the most part, but -I distinctly remember something about Moons and Monkeys. When I heard -that, I just went off to sleep in spite of myself.” - -“There’s no accounting for tastes,” said Mr. Rabbit. “There are some -tales that put me to sleep, and I have no complaint to make when anybody -begins to doze over them that I tell.” - -“Oh, you tell ’em well enough,” Little Mr. Thimblefinger declared. “If -anything, you make them better than they ought to be. You lift your ears -at the right place, and pat your foot when the time comes. I don’t know -what more could be asked in telling a story.” - -“So far so good,” remarked Mrs. Meadows, who had thus far said nothing. -“Suppose you whirl in and tell us the kind of tale that you really -admire.” - -“That’s easier said than done,” replied Little Mr. Thimblefinger, -fidgeting about a little. “You have to take the tales as they come. -Sometimes one will pop into your head in spite of yourself. You remember -it just because you didn’t like it when you first heard it.” - -“Tell us one, anyway, just to pass away the time,” said Sweetest Susan. - -“If I tell you one,” Little Mr. Thimblefinger replied, “I’ll not promise -it will be one that I like. That would be promising too much. But the -talk about the Moon, that I heard before I dozed off just now, reminded -me of a tale I heard when I was a good deal smaller than I am now. - -“Once upon a time there was a man who had two sons. They were twins, but -they were just as different from each other as they could possibly be. -One was dark, and the other was light complected. One was slim, and the -other was fat. One was good, and the other was what people call bad. He -was lazy, and full of fun and mischief. They grew up that way until they -were nineteen or twenty years old. The good boy would work hard every -day, or pretend to work hard, and then he’d go back home and tell his -mother and father that his brother hadn’t done a stroke of work. Of -course, this made the old people feel very queer. The mother felt -sorrowful, and the father felt angry. This went on, until finally, one -day, the father became so angry that he concluded to take his bad son -into some foreign country, and bind him out to some person who could -make him work and cure him of his mischievousness. In those days people -sometimes bound out their children to learn trades and good manners and -things of that sort.” - -“I wish dey’d do it now,” exclaimed Drusilla. “Kaze den I wouldn’t -hafter be playin’ nuss, an’ be gwine in all kind er quare places whar -you dunner when ner whar you kin git out.” - -“Stuff!” cried Buster John. “Why don’t you be quiet and listen to the -story?” - -“It go long too slow fer ter suit me,” said Drusilla in a grumbling -tone. - -“Well,” remarked Mr. Thimblefinger, turning to Buster John, “you’ve come -mighty close to telling a part of the tale I had in my mind.” - -“I don’t see how,” replied Buster John with some surprise. - -“You said ‘stuff!’” responded Mr. Thimblefinger, “and that’s a part of -my story. If you listen, you’ll soon find out. As I was saying, people -in old times bound out their sons to some good man, who taught them a -good trade or something of that kind. Well, this man that I was telling -you about took his bad son off to a foreign country, and tried to find -some one to bind him out to. They traveled many days and nights. They -went over mountains and passed through valleys. They crossed plains, and -they went through the wild woods. - -“Now, the man who was taking his son into a foreign country was getting -old, and the farther they walked, the more tired he grew. At last, one -day, when they were going through the big woods, he sat down to rest -near a tall poplar-tree, and, turning to his son, said angrily:— - -“‘Stuff! you are not worth all this trouble. But for you I’d be at home -now, enjoying myself and smoking my pipe.’ - -“The son, who was used to these outbreaks, made no reply, but stretched -himself out on the dead leaves that littered the ground. He had hardly -done so when there was a tremendous noise in the woods, and then both -father and son saw rushing toward them an old man with a long beard, -followed by a small army of fierce-looking dwarfs armed with clubs and -knives and pikes. They rushed up and surrounded the father and son. - -“‘Which of you called my name and abused me?’ cried the old man with the -long beard. - -“‘Not I,’ said the bad son. - -“‘Not I,’ said the father. ‘I am sure I never saw you or heard of you -before.’ - -“This made the old man more furious than ever. He fairly trembled with -rage. ‘Didn’t I hear one of you say, “Stuff! but for you I’d be at home -now enjoying myself, and smoking my pipe?”’ - -“‘I did say something like that,’ replied the father in great -astonishment. - -“‘How dare you?’ cried the old man, beside himself with rage. ‘How did I -ever harm you? Seize him!’ he said to his army of dwarfs. ‘Seize him, -and bind him hard and fast! I’ll show him whether he can come into my -kingdom and abuse me!’ - -“The father was speechless with astonishment, and made no attempt to -prevent the dwarfs from seizing and binding him. They had him tied hard -and fast before he could say a word, even if he had had a word to say. -But by this time the son had risen to his feet. - -“‘Wait!’ he cried, ‘let’s see what the trouble is! Who are you?’ he -inquired, turning to the old man with the long beard. - -“‘My name is Stuff,’ he replied, ‘and I am king of this country which -you are passing through. I’m not going to allow any one to abuse me in -my own kingdom. You may go free, but mind you go straight back the way -you came.’ - -“The son thought the matter over a little while, and then turned on his -heel and went back the way he had come, and, as he walked, he whistled -all the lively tunes he could think of. For a time he was glad that his -father was no longer with him to quarrel and complain; but finally he -grew lonely, and then he began to think how his father had raised him up -from a little child. The more he thought about this, the sorrier he was -that he had given his father any trouble. He sat down on a log by the -side of the road and thought it all over, and presently he began to cry. - - -[Illustration: - - A QUEER-LOOKING LITTLE MAN CAME JOGGING ALONG THE ROAD -] - - -“While he was sitting there with his head between his hands, crying over -the fate of his father, a queer-looking little man came jogging along -the road. He had bushy hair and a beard that grew all over his face, -except right around his eyes and lips and the tip-end of his nose. His -beard was not long, but it was very thick, and it stood out around his -face like the spokes in a buggy-wheel. He seemed to be in a big hurry, -but when he saw the young man sitting on the log crying, he stopped, and -stared at him. - -“‘Tut, tut!’ he cried. ‘What’s all this? Who has hurt your feelings?’ - -“If the young man had not been so sorrowful, he would have been -surprised to see the queer-looking little man standing by him. But, as -it was, he didn’t seem to be surprised at all. He just looked at the -stranger with red eyes. - -“‘My name is Mum,’ said the stranger, ‘and I’m the Man in the Moon. Tell -me your troubles. Maybe I can help you. I’m in a great hurry, because -the Moon must change day after to-morrow, and I must be there to lend a -hand; but I’ll not allow my hurry to prevent me from hearing your -troubles and helping you if I can.’ - -“So then and there the young man told his story, and the Man in the Moon -sighed heavily when he heard it. - -“‘I see how it is,’ he said. ‘You are young and thoughtless, and your -father is old and crabbed. You never thought of what you owed him, and -he never made any allowances for your youth. He’s in no danger. I know -old Stuff well. I’ve watched him many a night when he thought nobody had -an eye on him, and he’s a pretty tough and cunning customer. You must -have help if you get your father out of trouble.’ - -“‘What am I to do?’ asked the young man. - -“‘Well,’ replied the Man in the Moon, ‘in the first place you will have -to go home. Say nothing about the trouble your father is in. Just tell -your mother that he has lost the sole of his shoe, and has sent you for -the awl that is in the big red cupboard, a piece of leather, a handful -of pegs, and a piece of wax.’ - -“‘What then?’ the young man inquired. - -“‘Bring them here,’ said the Man in the Moon. ‘By the time you get back, -I will have another holiday. We’ll put our heads together and see what -can be done.’ - -“The young man made no delay. He was so anxious about his father that he -started for home at once. It was a long journey, but he lost no time on -the way. He was in rags and tatters when he reached home, but that made -no difference to him. He took no time to eat, or to sleep, or to rest, -but went to his mother at once, and told her that his father had lost -the sole of his shoe, and had sent for the awl that lay in the big red -cupboard, a strong piece of leather, a handful of shoe-pegs, and a cake -of shoemaker’s wax. - -“His mother asked him a great many questions, as women will, but all the -answer the son would make was that his father had lost the sole of his -shoe, and had sent for the awl that lay in the big red cupboard, a -strong piece of leather, a handful of shoe-pegs, and a cake of -shoemaker’s wax. Of course, the mother was very much worried. She -finally came to the conclusion that some great calamity had befallen her -husband, and she went about crying and wringing her hands, and declaring -that they were all ruined; that her husband was dead; and that more than -likely he had been murdered by this bad, bad son of hers, who had no -other story to tell except to ask for the awl that lay in the big red -cupboard, a strong piece of leather, a handful of shoe-pegs, and a cake -of shoemaker’s wax. - -“Now, the good son heard all this, but he said nothing. He just folded -his hands and fetched a sigh or two, and seemed to be sorry for -everything in general. But while the mother was going about wringing her -hands and weeping, and the good son was heaving and fetching his sighs, -the other son went to the big red cupboard. There on a shelf he saw the -awl sticking in a cake of shoemaker’s wax. Near it was a strong piece of -leather, and close by was a handful of shoe-pegs. He took these, changed -his ragged coat, and started back on his journey. - -“Now, although the good son did nothing but sigh and look sorry, he had -deep ideas of his own. The reason he was called the good son was because -he was so cunning. He thought to himself that now would be a good time -to do a fine stroke of business. He knew that his brother had something -more on his mind than the awl, the leather, the pegs, and the -shoemaker’s wax, and he wanted to find out about it. So he ran after his -brother to ask him what the real trouble was. He caught up with him a -little way beyond the limits of the village, but no satisfaction could -he get. Then he began to abuse his brother and to accuse him of all -sorts of things. - -“But the son, who was trying to get his father out of trouble, paid no -attention to this. He went forward on his journey, turning his head -neither to the right nor to the left. The good brother (as he was -called) followed along after the best he could, being determined to see -the end of the business. But somehow it happened that, on the second -day, the brother who was going to meet the Man in the Moon was so tired -and worn out that he was compelled to crawl under a haystack and go to -sleep. In this way the good brother passed him on the road and went -forward on his journey, never doubting that the other was just ahead of -him. Finally, one day, the good brother grew tired and sat down on a log -to rest. He sat there so long that the brother he thought he was -following came up. He was very much surprised to see his nice and good -brother sitting on a log and nodding in that country. So he woke him up -and asked him what the trouble was. - -“‘Stuff!’ cried the other, ‘you know you have made way with our father!’ - -“At once there was a roaring noise in the woods and a rustling sound in -the underbrush, and out came an old man with a long beard, followed by -an army of dwarfs. - -“‘How dare you abuse me in my own kingdom?’ he cried to the good -brother. ‘How did I ever harm you?’ - -“The brother, who had seen this game played before, tried to explain, -but King Stuff would listen to no explanation. He commanded his armed -dwarfs to seize and bind the good brother, and they soon carried him out -of sight in spite of his cries. - -“Now, the young man who had gone home for the awl and the axe and the -shoemaker’s wax was very much puzzled. He had more business on his hands -than he knew what to do with. He saw that he must now rescue his brother -as well as his father, and he didn’t know how to go about it. He had the -awl and the axe and the shoemaker’s wax. He also had the shoe-pegs and -leather that he found together. But what was he to do with them? He sat -on the log and thought about it a long time. - -“While he was sitting there, and just as he was about to go forward on -his journey, he heard some one coming briskly down the road singing. He -heard enough of the song to be very much interested in it. It ran thus:— - - “‘With the awl and the axe - And the shoemaker’s wax, - And the pegs and the leather - That were found close together - Where the old man had fling’d ’em, - We’ll bore through and roar through; - We’ll cut down, we’ll put down, - This king and his kingdom.’ - -“Of course, it was the Man in the Moon who was coming along the road -singing the song, and he seemed to be in high good humor. He caught -sight of the solemn face of the young man and began to laugh. - -“‘There you are!’ cried Mum, the Man in the Moon, ‘and I’m glad to see -you; but I’d feel a great deal better if you didn’t look so lonesome. I -don’t know what to do about it. Your face is as long as a hind quarter -of beef.’ - -“‘I can’t help it,’ replied the young man. ‘I am in deeper trouble than -ever. My brother has been carried off by the same people that captured -my father.’ - -“‘What of it?’ exclaimed the Man in the Moon. ‘If you knew as much about -that brother of yours as I do, you’d go on about your business, and let -him stay where he is.’ - -“‘No,’ said the young man. ‘I couldn’t do that. I know he is my brother, -and that is enough. And then there’s my father.’ - -“The Man in the Moon looked at the young man a long time, and finally -said:— - -“‘Since we are to have a sort of holiday together, maybe you won’t mind -telling me your name.’ - -“‘Why, of course not,’ replied the young man. ‘My name is Smat.’ - -“The Man in the Moon scratched his head and then laughed. ‘It is a queer -name,’ he said; ‘but I see no objection to it. I suppose it just -happened so.’ - -“‘Now, I can’t tell you anything about that,’ replied Smat. ‘I was too -young when the name was given to take any part in the performance. They -seized me, and named me at a time when I had to take any name that they -chose to give me. They named me Smat, and that was the end of it so far -as I was concerned. They never asked me how I liked it, but just slapped -the name in my face, as you may say, and left it there.’ - -“‘Well,’ said the Man in the Moon, ‘they’ll put another letter in the -name when you get back home. Instead of calling you Smat, they’ll say -you are Smart, and there’s some consolation in that.’ - -“‘Not much as I can see,’ remarked Smat. ‘It’s all in your mouth, and -what is in your mouth is pretty much all wind and water, if you try to -spit it out. What I want now is to get my father and my brother out of -the trouble that my mischief has plunged them in. Please help me. They -ought to be at home right now. There’s the corn to grind, and the cows -are waiting to be milked, and the grain is to be gathered. Times are -pretty hard at our house when everybody is away.’ - -“‘Very well,’ said the Man in the Moon. He had hanging by his side the -horn of the new Moon, and on this he blew a loud blast. Immediately -there was a roaring noise in the woods, and very soon there swarmed -about them a company of little men, all bearing the tiniest and the -prettiest lanterns that were ever seen. It was not night, but their -lanterns were blazing, and as they marched around the Man in the Moon in -regular order, it seemed as though the light of their lanterns had -quenched that of the sun, so that Smat saw the woods in a different -light altogether. He had not moved, but he seemed to be in another -country entirely. The trees had changed, and the ground itself. He was -no longer sitting on a log by the side of the big road, but was now -standing on his feet in a strange country, as it seemed to him. - -“He had risen from his seat on the log when the little men with their -lanterns began marching around, but otherwise he had not moved. And yet -here he was in a country that was new to him. He rubbed his eyes in a -dazed way, and when he opened them again, another change had taken -place. Neither he nor the Man in the Moon had made any movement away -from the big road and the log that was lying by the side of it, but now -they were down in a wide valley, that stretched as far as the eye could -see, between two high mountain ranges. - -“‘Now, then,’ said the Man in the Moon, ‘you must be set up in business. -On the side of the mountain yonder is the palace of King Stuff, and -somewhere not far away you will find your father and your brother, and -perhaps some one else.’ - -“He then called to the leaders of the little men with the lanterns, and -gave each one a task to do. Their names were Drift and Sift, Glimmer and -Gleam, and Shimmer and Sheen. These six leaders waved their lanterns -about, called their followers about them, and at once began to build a -house.” - -“And they so little, too,” remarked Mrs. Meadows sympathetically. - -“Why, it was no trouble in the world to them,” said Little Mr. -Thimblefinger. “It didn’t seem as if they were building a house. Did you -ever see a flower open? You look at it one minute, turn your head away -and forget about it, and the next time you look, there it is open wide. -That was the way with this house the little men built. It just seemed to -grow out of the ground. As it grew, the little men climbed on it, waved -their lanterns about, and the house continued to grow higher and higher, -and larger and larger, until it was finished. Not a nail had been -driven, not a board had been rived, not a plank had been planed, not a -sill had been hewn, not a brick had been burned. And yet there was the -house all new and fine, with a big chimney-stack in the middle. - -“‘Now,’ said the Man in the Moon, when everything was done, ‘here is -your house, and you may move in with bag and baggage.’ - -“‘That is quickly done,’ replied Smat. ‘What then?’ - -“‘Why, you must set up as a shoemaker,’ said the Man in the Moon. - -“‘But I never made a shoe in my life,’ the young man declared. - -“‘So much the more reason why you should make ’em before you die,’ the -Man in the Moon remarked. ‘The sooner you begin to make shoes, the -sooner you’ll learn how.’ - -“‘That’s so true,’ said Smat, ‘that I have no reply to make. ‘I’ll do as -you say, if I can.’ - -“‘That’s better,’ cried the Man in the Moon. ‘If you do that, you’ll -have small trouble. If you don’t, I wouldn’t like to tell you what will -happen. Now listen! There is in this kingdom a person (I’ll not say who) -that goes about with only one shoe. When you see that person, no matter -when or where,—no matter whether it’s man, woman, or child,—you must let -it be known that you are ready to make a shoe.’ - -“Then the Man in the Moon called to the leaders of his army of lantern -bearers, and waved his hands. They, in turn, waved their tiny lanterns, -and in a moment all were out of sight, and Smat was left alone. For some -time afterwards he felt both lonely and uneasy, but this feeling passed -away as soon as he went into his house. He was so astonished by what he -saw in there that he forgot to feel uneasy. He saw that, although the -house was newly built,—if it had been built,—it was in fact old enough -inside to seem like home. Every room was finely furnished and carpeted, -and in one part of the house, in a sort of shed-room, he found that a -shoemaker’s shop had been fixed up. There he saw the awl and the axe, -and the shoemaker’s wax, with the pegs and the leather that were found -close together. - -“He thought to himself that all that was very nice, but he knew, too, -that he was not much of a shoemaker, and this bothered him not a little. -Anyhow, he made himself comfortable and waited to see what was going to -happen. - -“One day a head officer of the kingdom chanced to pass that way. He saw -the house and rubbed his eyes. He was so astonished that he went and -told another officer, and this officer told another, and finally all the -officers in the kingdom knew about it. Now, if you’ve ever noticed, -those who hold government offices have less to do and more time to do it -in than any other day laborers. So they went about and caucussed among -themselves, and examined into the books, and found that no taxes had -ever been gathered from the owner of such a house. There was great -commotion among them. One of them, more meddlesome than the rest, took a -big book under his arm and went to Smat’s house to make inquiries. The -first question he asked was the last. - -“Says he, ‘How long have you been living in this precinct?’ - -“Says Smat, ‘Ever since the house was built and a little while before.’ - -“The officer looked at the house and saw that it was a very old one, and -then he tucked his big book under his arm and went off home. At last the -king—the same King Stuff whose name you’ve heard me mention—heard about -the new house that was old, and of the shoemaker who didn’t know how to -make shoes. So he concluded to look into the matter. He summoned his -high and mighty men, and when they had gathered together they went into -a back room of the palace and shut the door, and had a long talk -together. All this took time; and while the king and his high and mighty -men were confabbing together, other things were happening, as you shall -presently see. - -“It seems that in that kingdom there was a beautiful girl who went -wandering about the country. If she had any kinsfolk, nobody knew -anything about it, and, indeed, nobody cared. She had lost one of her -shoes, and she went about from place to place hunting for it. Some -pitied her, and some laughed at her, which is the way of the world, as -you’ll find out; but nobody tried to help her. Some said that one shoe -was better than no shoe, and others said that a new shoe would do just -as well as an old shoe.” - -“That’s where they made a big mistake,” said Mrs. Meadows. “I’ve tried -it, and I ought to know. A new shoe is bound to hurt you a little at -first, I don’t care how well it fits.” - -“Well, I’m only telling you what they said,” replied little Mr. -Thimblefinger. “From all I can hear, new shoes hurt the ladies a great -deal worse than they do the men. But that’s natural, for their toes and -their heels are a good deal tenderer than those of the men folks. -Anyhow, this beautiful girl had lost one of her shoes, and, rather than -buy another one or a new pair, she went hunting it everywhere. One day -she came by Smat’s house. He, sitting by one of the windows, and wishing -that he could see his father and brother, paid no attention to the -passers-by. But this beautiful girl saw him at the window and spoke to -him. - - -[Illustration: - - “HAVE YOU SEEN ANYTHING OF A STRAY SHOE?” -] - - -“‘Kind sir,’ she said, ‘have you seen anything of a stray shoe? I have -lost one of mine, and I’m in great trouble about it.’ - -“Smat looked at the girl, and she was so beautiful that he couldn’t help -but blush. Seeing this, the girl began to blush. And so there they were, -two young things a-blushing at one another, and wondering what was the -matter. - -“‘I have seen no stray shoe,’ said Smat; ‘but if you’ll come in and show -me the one you have on, I think I’ll know its fellow when I see it.’ - -“The girl went into the house and sat on a chair, and showed Smat the -shoe that she hadn’t lost. She had the smallest and the neatest foot he -had ever seen. - -“‘I hope you are no kin to Cinderella,’ said Smat, ‘for then you -couldn’t get a shoe to fit your other foot until some kind fairy made -it.’ - -“‘I never heard of Cinderella,’ the girl replied. ‘I only know that I -have lost my shoe, and I’m afraid I’ll never get another just like it.’ - -“Smat scratched his head, and then he thought about the awl and the axe -and the shoemaker’s wax, and the pegs and the leather that were found -close together. So he said to the beautiful girl:— - -“‘Just sit here a little while, and I’ll see if I can’t get you a shoe -to fit your foot. But I must have the other shoe as a pattern to work -by.’ - -“At first the girl didn’t want to trust him with the shoe, but she saw -that he was in earnest, and so she pulled off the only shoe she had and -placed it in Smat’s hands. He saw at once that the leather he had was a -match for that in the shoe, and he set to work with a light heart,—with -a light heart, but his hand was heavy. And yet, somehow or other, he -found that he knew all about making shoes, although he had never learned -how. The leather fitted itself to the last, and everything went -smoothly. But the beautiful girl, instead of feeling happy that she -would soon have a mate to her shoe, began to grow sad. She sat in a -corner with her head between her hands and her hair hanging down to her -feet, and sighed every time Smat bored a hole in the leather with his -awl or drove in a peg. Finally, when he handed her the shoe entirely -finished, she looked at it, sighed, and let it fall from her hands. - -“‘Of course,’ said Smat, ‘I don’t feel bad over a little thing like -that. But you don’t have to pay anything for the shoe, and you don’t -have to wear it unless you want to.’ - -“‘Oh, it is not that,’ cried the beautiful girl. ‘The shoe will do very -well, but the moment I put it on, your troubles will begin.’ - -“‘Well,’ replied Smat, ‘we must have troubles of some sort anyhow, and -the sooner they begin, the sooner they’ll be ended. So put on your -shoe.’ - -“Now, it happened that just as the girl put on the shoe, which fitted -her foot exactly, King Stuff and his councilors came driving up to the -door. King Stuff was not a large man, but he was very fierce-looking. He -called out from his carriage of state and asked what sort of a person -lived in that house that he couldn’t come out and salute when the king -and his councilors went riding by. Smat went to the door and bowed as -politely as he could, and said that he would have been glad to bow and -salute, if he had known his royal highness and their excellent -excellencies intended to honor his poor house even so much as to pass by -it. The king and his councilors looked at one another and shook their -heads. - -“‘This man is none of us,’ said the oldest and wisest of the councilors. -‘We must be careful.’ - -“‘How long have you lived here?’ asked the king. - -“‘Longer than I wanted to,’ replied Smat. ‘My house is so far from the -palace that I have not been able to call and pay my respects to your -majesty.’ - -“‘I see you are a maker of shoes,’ remarked the king, seeing the awl in -Smat’s hand. - -“‘No, your majesty, not a maker of shoes, but simply a shoemaker. Thus -far I have succeeded in making only one shoe.’ - -“At this the king and his councilors began to shake and tremble. ‘What -was the prophecy?’ cried the king to the oldest and wisest. ‘Repeat it!’ - -“The oldest and the wisest closed his eyes, allowed his head to drop to -one side, and said in solemn tones:— - - ‘Wherever you go, and whatever you do, - Beware of the man that makes but one shoe; - Beware of the man with the awl and the axe, - With the pegs and the leather and the shoemaker’s wax. - If you’re out of your palace when you meet this man, - You’d better get back as fast as you can.’ - -“Smat felt very much like laughing at the solemn way in which the oldest -and wisest councilor repeated this prophecy, or whatever it might be -called. ‘Your majesty needn’t be worried about that prophecy,’ said he. -‘It’s the easiest thing in the world to break the force of it.’ - -“‘How?’ asked the king. - -“‘Why, having made one shoe, I’ll go to work and make another,’ replied -Smat. - -“The oldest and wisest of the councilors said that was a pretty good -plan,—anyhow, it was worth trying. Smat promised to make another shoe, -and have it ready in two days. But this was easier said than done. In -the first place, he had used nearly all his leather in making a shoe for -the beautiful girl. In the second place, the awl point wouldn’t stay in -the handle. In the third place, the pegs split and broke every time he -tried to drive them, and the shoemaker’s wax wouldn’t stick. Everything -went wrong at first and grew worse at last, so that when the king sent -his officers for the shoe it was no nearer done than it had been before -Smat began. - -“The beautiful girl had not gone very far away, and she came every day -to see how Smat prospered in making the second shoe. She was watching -him when the king’s officers came for the shoe, and when she saw them -she began to weep. But Smat looked as cheerful as ever, and even began -to whistle when the officers knocked at the door. - -“‘We are in a fix,’ said he, ‘but we’ll get out of it. Lend me the shoe -I made for you. I’ll send that to the king and then get it back again.’ - -“The girl tried to take the shoe from her foot, but nothing would move -it. ‘That is a sign,’ said Smat, ‘that it ought not to come off. I’ll -just go to the king myself and tell him the facts in the case. That is -the best way.’ - -“So he gathered the awl and the axe and the shoemaker’s wax, and the -scraps of leather, and bundled them together. Then he told the officers -that he would go with them and carry the shoe himself, so as to be sure -that it came safely into the king’s hands. They went toward the palace, -and Smat noticed, as they went along, that it grew darker and darker as -they came nearer to the palace. The officers seemed to notice it too. By -the time they reached the palace, it was so dark that Smat had great -trouble in keeping up with the officers. - -“There was great commotion in the palace. Nobody had ever seen it so -dark before except just at the stroke of midnight, when the shadows grow -thick and heavy and run together and over everything. - -“Now, old King Stuff was a sort of magician himself (as, indeed, he had -to be in those times, in order to manage a kingdom properly), and as -soon as he saw the great darkness coming on at the wrong time of day, he -thought at once of the prophecy in regard to the man who made but one -shoe. So he hustled and bustled around the palace, calling for the -officers he had sent after the shoe. But nobody had seen them return -before the dark began to fall, and after that it was impossible to see -them. - -“In the midst of it all, the officers, followed by Smat, stumbled into -the palace and went groping about from room to room hunting for old King -Stuff and his ministers. At last, they heard him grumbling and growling, -and felt their way toward him. - -“‘The shoe! the shoe!’ cried King Stuff, when the officers had made -themselves known. - -“‘I have something that will answer just as well,’ said Smat. - -“‘The shoe! give me the shoe!’ cried the king. - -“‘Take this, your majesty,’ said Smat, handing him the bundle. - -“No sooner had the king’s hands touched the bundle than there was a -rumbling noise in the air, the building began to shake and totter and -crumble away. In the midst of it all some one cried out in a loud -voice:— - - ‘Wherever you go, and whatever you do, - Beware of the man that makes but one shoe!’ - -“In the twinkling of an eye, King Stuff and his army and his palace had -disappeared from sight. At the same time the darkness had cleared away, -and Smat saw his father and his brother standing near, dazed and -frightened, and not far away was the beautiful girl. The father and the -brother were very much astonished when they found that Smat had been the -means of their rescue. They talked about it until night fell, and then -the Man in the Moon, with his tiny lantern-bearers, came and escorted -them to their own country. - -“Now it happened that the beautiful girl was a princess, the daughter of -the king. It fell to the lot of Smat to take the princess home. Not long -after that the king gave a great festival, to celebrate the return of -his daughter. Smat’s father and brother got close enough to the palace -to see him standing in a large room, where there was a large crowd of -people and music and flowers. They saw, too, that he was holding the -princess by the hand. - -“And so,” said little Mr. Thimblefinger, wiping the perspiration from -his forehead, “the story ended.” - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - XX. - - THE WOOG AND THE WEEZE. - - -“Phew!” exclaimed Mr. Rabbit, when he was sure that little Mr. -Thimblefinger had finished. “That beats anything I ever heard.” - -“I’m glad you like it,” said Mr. Thimblefinger. - -“Oh, hold on there!” protested Mr. Rabbit, “you are going too fast. I -never said I liked it. I said it beat any story I ever heard, and so it -does,—for length. I didn’t know that such a little chap could be so -long-winded. It was such a long story that I’ve forgotten what the moral -ought to be.” - -“Why, I thought you said you didn’t believe much in stories that had -morals tacked to them,” remarked Mrs. Meadows. - -“No doubt I did,” replied Mr. Rabbit,—“No doubt I did. But this story -was long enough to have a dozen morals cropping out in different places, -like dog fennel in a cow pasture.” - -“Well,” said Mr. Thimblefinger, “there was a moral or two in the story, -but I didn’t call attention to them in the telling, and I’ll not dwell -on them now.” - -“I thought it was a tolerably fair story,” said Buster John, yet with a -tone of doubt. - -“Oh, I thought it was splendid all the way through,” said Sweetest -Susan. - -“There are some stories that are hard to tell,” suggested Mrs. Meadows. -“They go in such a rambledy-wambledy way that it’s not easy to keep the -track of them. I remember I once heard Chickamy Crany Crow trying to -repeat a story that she heard the Looking-glass Children tell. I never -found head nor tail to it, but I sat and listened almost without -shutting my eyes.” - -“What was the story?” asked Sweetest Susan. - -In reply, Mrs. Meadows said she would call Chickamy Crany Crow, and ask -her to tell it. As usual, Chickamy Crany Crow was off at play with -Tickle-My-Toes. They both came when Mrs. Meadows called them, and -Chickamy Crany Crow, after some persuasion, began to tell the story. - -“One day,” she said, brushing her hair behind her ears with her fingers, -“I wanted to see the Looking-glass Children. Tickle-My-Toes was off -playing by himself, and I was lonesome; so I went to the Looking-glass, -whirled it around in its frame, and waited for the children to come out. -But they didn’t come. I called them, but they made no answer. I went -close to the Glass, and looked in. At first, I couldn’t see anything; -but after a while I saw, away off in the Glass, one of the children,—the -one they all say looks like me. I called her; but she was so far off in -the Glass that she couldn’t hear me, and, as she had her face turned the -other way, she couldn’t see me. - -“After so long a time, she came up to the frame of the Glass, and then -stepped out and sat down on the ground. I saw she had been crying. - -“Says I, ‘Honey, what in the world is the matter?’ I always call her -Honey when we are by ourselves. - -“Says she, ‘There’s enough the matter. I’m e’en about scared to death, -and I expect that all the other children in this Looking-glass are -either captured, or killed, or scared to death.’ - -“Says I, ‘Why didn’t you holler for help?’ - -“Says she, ‘What good would that have done? You all could help us very -well on dry land, out here, but how could you have helped us in the -Looking-glass, when you can’t even get in at the door? I’ve seen you try -to follow us, but you’ve always failed. You stop at the Glass, and you -can’t get any farther.’ - -“Says I, ‘You are right about that; but if we outside folks can’t get in -the Glass to play with you and keep you company, how can anybody or -anything get in there to scare you and hurt you?’ - -“Says she, ‘The thing that scared us has been in there all the time. It -was born in there, I reckon, but I’ve never seen it before; and I tell -you right now I never want to see it again.’ - -“Says I, ‘What sort of a thing is it?’ - -“Says she in a whisper, ‘_It’s the Woog!_‘ - -“‘The what?’ says I. - -“‘_The Woog!_‘ says she. - -“Says I, ‘It’s new to me. I never heard of it before.’ - -“Says she, ‘To hear of it is as close as you want to get to it.’ - -“Why, I heard of the Woog in my younger days,” remarked Mr. -Thimblefinger. “I thought the thing had gone out of fashion.” - -“Don’t you believe a word of it,” said Chickamy Crany Crow. “It’s just -as much in fashion now as ever it was, especially at certain seasons of -the year. The little girl in the Looking-glass—I say little girl, though -she’s about my size and shape—told me all about it; and as she lives in -the same country with the Woog, she ought to know.” - -“What did she say about it?” asked Buster John, who had a vague idea -that he might some day be able to organize an expedition to go in search -of the Woog. - - -[Illustration: - - A HORRIBLE MONSTER GLARED AT THEM -] - - -“Well,” replied Chickamy Crany Crow, “she said this,—she said that she -and the other children were sitting under the shade of a bazzle-bush in -the Looking-glass, telling fairy stories. It had come her turn to tell a -story, and she was trying to remember the one about the little girl who -had a silk dress made out of a muscadine skin, when all of a sudden -there was a roaring noise in the bushes near by. While they were shaking -with fright, a most horrible monster came rushing out, and glared at -them, growling all the while. It wore great green goggles. Its hair -stood out from its head on all sides, except in the bald place on top, -and its ears stuck out as big as the wings of a buzzard. - -“‘Do you know who I am?’ it growled. ‘No, you don’t; but I’ll show you. -I am the Woog. Do you hear that? The Woog! Don’t forget that. What did I -hear you talking about just now? You were talking about fairies. Don’t -say you weren’t, for I heard you.’ - -“‘Well,’ says one of the Looking-glass Children, ‘what harm is there in -that?’ - -“‘Harm!’ screamed the Woog. ‘Do you want to defy me? I have caught and -killed and crushed and smoked out all the fairies that ever lived on the -earth, except a few that have hid themselves in this Looking-glass -country. What harm, indeed!—a pretty question to ask me, when I’ve spent -years and years trying to run down and smother out the whole fairy -tribe.’ - -“The Looking-glass Children,” Chickamy Crany Crow continued, “told the -Woog that they didn’t know there was any harm in the fairies themselves, -or in talking about them. The Woog paid no attention to their apologies. -He just stood and glared at them through his green goggles, gnashing his -teeth and clenching his hands. - -“Says the monster after awhile, ‘How dare any of you wish that you could -see a fairy, or that you had a fairy godmother? What shall I do with -you? I crushed a whole population of fairies between the lids of this -book’ (he held up a big book, opened it, and clapped it together again -so hard that it sounded like some one had fired off a gun), ‘and I’ve a -great mind to smash every one of you good-for-nothing children the same -way.’ - -“You may be sure that by this time the poor little Looking-glass -Children were very much frightened, especially when they saw that the -Woog was fixing to make an attack on them. He dropped his big book, and -when the children saw him do this they broke and run: some went one way -and some another. The last they saw of him, he was rushing through the -bushes like a blind horse, threshing his arms about, and doing more -damage to himself than to anybody else. But the children had a terrible -scare, and if he hasn’t made way with some of them it’s not because he -is too good to do it.” - -“The poor dears!” exclaimed Mrs. Meadows sympathetically. - -“Dat ar creetur can’t come out’n dat Lookin’-glass like de yuthers, kin -he?” inquired Drusilla, moving about uneasily: “kaze ef he kin, I’m -gwine ’way fum here. I dun seed so many quare doin’s an’ gwine’s on dat -I’ll jump an’ holler ef anybody pints der finger at me.” - -“Well, Tar-Baby,” replied Mr. Rabbit with some dignity, “he hasn’t never -come out yet. That’s all that can be said in that line. He may come out, -but if he does you’ll be in no danger at all. The Woog would never -mistake you for a fairy, no matter whether he had his green goggles on -or whether he had them off.” - -“No matter ’bout dat,” remarked Drusilla. “I mayn’t look like no fairy, -but I don’t want no Woog fer ter be cuttin’ up no capers ’roun’ me. I -tell you dat, an’ I don’t charge nothin’ fer tellin’ it. Black folks -don’t stan’ much chance wid dem what knows ’em, let ’lone dem ar Woog -an’ things what don’t know ’em. Ef you all hear ’im comin’, des give de -word, and I boun’ you’ll say ter yo’se’f dat Drusilla got wings. Now you -min’ dat.” - -“What does the Woog want to kill the fairies for?” asked Sweetest Susan. -“He must be very mean and cruel.” - -“He’s all of that, and more,” replied Mrs. Meadows. “The fairies please -the children, and give them something beautiful to think about in the -day and to dream about at night, and the Woog doesn’t like that. He -hates the fairies because it pleases the children to hear about them, -and he hates the children because they like to hear about the fairies.” - -“Well, I never want to see him until I am big enough to tote a gun,” -said Buster John. “After that, I don’t care how soon I meet him.” - -“Now,” remarked Mr. Rabbit, turning to Mrs. Meadows with a solemn air, -“didn’t you say that all this about the Woog was a tale, or something of -that sort.” - -“I believe I did,” replied Mrs. Meadows. “What about it?” - -“Just this,” said Mr. Rabbit,—“a tale’s a tale, and it never stops until -all is told.” - -“If that’s the case, I’ve heard some here that overshot the mark,” -remarked Mrs. Meadows. - -“No doubt, no doubt,” responded Mr. Rabbit. “But what became of the -Woog?” - -“I know! I know!” cried Tickle-My-Toes, who had been listening to all -that was said about the Woog. - -“Very well; let’s hear about it,” suggested Mr. Rabbit. - -“’Taint much,” said Tickle-My-Toes modestly. “The chap in the -Looking-glass that looks like me, he was the one that fell into the -hands or the claws of the Woog. He could have got away with the rest, -but a piece of straw was caught between his toes, and it tickled him so -that he laughed until he couldn’t run. He just fell on the ground and -rolled over and over, laughing all the time. In this way the Woog caught -up with him and grabbed him, and carried him away off in the woods in -the Looking-glass country. They were away off in that part of the -country where there was no green grass on the ground. There were no -green leaves on the trees, no flowers blooming, and no birds singing. - -“The Woog carried the little chap that looks like me to that dark place, -and nearly scared him to death. - -“‘You pretend to be something or somebody, do you?—you, a shadow in a -glass,’ growled the Woog. - -“‘I’m what I am,’ said the little chap. - -“‘You are not,’ cried the Woog. ‘You are nothing. Why do you pretend to -be somebody or something?’ - -“The little chap didn’t say anything in reply, because there was nothing -to say. There’s no use in disputing when you can’t help yourself. So the -Woog took him and tied him to a dead tree, leaving his big book lying -near. There is no telling what would have happened to the little chap; -but just as soon as the Woog got out of sight, a strong, tall man, with -gray hair combed straight back over his head, suddenly made his -appearance, and untied the cords, and set the little chap free. - -“‘Don’t be frightened,’ said the tall man; ‘I am the Weeze. I have been -hunting the Woog for many a long day, and now I think I’ll put an end to -him.’ - -“Presently the Woog came back growling and grumbling. When he looked up -and saw the Weeze, it was too late for him to escape. But he turned and -tried to run. Just then the Weeze seized the big book and threw it at -the Woog. As it hit him, there was a big explosion, and the Woog and his -big book both disappeared. - -“The little chap that looks like me,” said Tickle-My-Toes, “was telling -me about it to-day; and he said that it wasn’t long after the explosion -before the flowers began to bloom in that place, and the birds to sing, -and the leaves began to grow on the trees. And after awhile the fairies -began to peep out from their hiding-places; and when the little chap -came away he could see them playing Ring-Around-Rosy on the green grass. - -“It was mighty funny, wasn’t it?” asked Tickle-My-Toes, in conclusion. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - XXI. - - UNCLE RAIN AND BROTHER DROUTH. - - -“Now I’m not so mighty certain that that is a real tale after all,” said -Mr. Rabbit, “although it took two to tell it. There’s something the -matter with it somewhere. The running-gear is out of order. I’m not -complaining, because what might suit me might not suit other people. -It’s all a matter of taste, as Mrs. Meadows’s grandmother said when she -wiped her mouth with her apron and kissed the cow.” - -“Well,” remarked Mr. Thimblefinger, “there’s no telling what happens in -a Looking-glass when nobody is watching. I’ve often wanted to know. The -little that I’ve heard about the Woog and the Weeze will do me until I -can hear more.” - -“I remember a story that I thought was a very good one when I first -heard it,” said Mrs. Meadows. “But sometimes a great deal more depends -on the time, place, and company than on the stories that are told. I’m -such a poor hand at telling tales that I’m almost afraid to tell any -that I know. I’ve heard a great many in my day and time, but the trouble -is to pick out them that don’t depend on a wink of the eye and a wave of -the hand.” - -“Give us a taste of it, anyhow,” suggested Mr. Rabbit. “I’ll do the -winking, the Tar-Baby can do the blinking, and Mr. Thimblefinger can -wave his hands.” - -“Well,” said Mrs. Meadows, “once upon a time there lived in a country -not very far from here a man who had a wife and two children,—a boy and -a girl. This was not a large family, but the man was very poor, and he -found it a hard matter to get along. He was a farmer, and farming, no -matter what they say, depends almost entirely on the weather. Now, this -farmer never could get the weather he wanted. One year the Rain would -come and drown out his crops, and the next year the Drouth would come -and burn them up. - -“Matters went from bad to worse, and the farmer and his wife talked of -nothing else but the Rain and the Drouth. One year they said they would -have made a living but for the Drouth, and the next they said they would -have been very well off but for the Rain. So it went on from year to -year until the two children,—the boy and the girl,—grew up large enough -to understand what their father and mother were talking about. One year -they’d hear they could have no Sunday clothes and shoes because of the -Drouth. The next year they’d hear they could have no shoes and Sunday -clothes because of the Rain. - -“All this set them to thinking. The boy was about ten years old and the -girl was about nine. One day at their play they began to talk as they -had heard their father and mother talk. It was early in the spring, and -their father was even then ploughing and preparing his fields for -planting another crop. - -“‘We will have warm shoes and good clothes next winter if the Rain -doesn’t come and stay too long,’ said the boy. - -“‘Yes,’ replied the girl, ‘and we’ll have good clothes and warm shoes if -the Drouth doesn’t come and stay too long.’ - -“‘I wonder why they’ve got such a spite against us,’ remarked the boy. - -“‘I’m sure I don’t know,’ replied the girl. ‘If we go and see them, and -tell them who we are, and beg them not to make us so cold and hungry -when the ice grows in the ponds and on the trees, maybe they’ll take -pity on us.’ - -“This plan pleased the boy, and the two children continued to talk it -over, until finally they agreed to go in search of the Rain and the -Drouth. ‘Do you,’ said the boy, ‘go in search of Brother Drouth, and I -will go in search of Uncle Rain. When we have found them, we must ask -them to visit our father’s house and farm, and see the trouble and ruin -they have caused.’ - -“To this the girl agreed; and early the next morning, after eating a -piece of corn bread, which was all they had for breakfast, they started -on their journey, the boy going to the east and the girl to the south. -The boy traveled a long way, and for many days. Sometimes he thought he -would never come to the end of his journey; but finally he came to -Cousin Mist’s house, and there he inquired his way. - -“‘What do you want with Uncle Rain?’ asked Cousin Mist. ‘He is holding -court now, and he is very busy. Besides, you are not dressed properly. -When people go to court, they have to wear a certain kind of dress. In -your case, you ought to have a big umbrella and an oilcloth overcoat.’ - -“‘Well,’ replied the boy, ‘I haven’t got ’em, and that’s the end of that -part of it. If you’ll show me the way to Uncle Rain’s house, I’ll go on -and be much obliged to boot.’ - -“Cousin Mist looked at the boy and laughed. ‘You are a bold lad,’ he -said, ‘and since you are so bold, I’ll lend you an umbrella and an -oilcloth overcoat, and go a part of the way with you.’ - -“So the boy put on the overcoat and hoisted the umbrella, and trudged -along the muddy road toward the house of Uncle Rain. When they came in -sight of it, Cousin Mist pointed it out, told the boy good-by, and then -went drizzling back home. The boy went forward boldly, and knocked at -the door of Uncle Rain’s house. - -“‘Who is there?’ inquired Uncle Rain in a hoarse and wheezy voice. He -seemed to have the asthma, the choking quinsy, and the croup, all at the -same time. - -“‘It’s only me,’ said the boy. ‘Please, Uncle Rain, open the door.’ - -“With that, Uncle Rain opened the door and invited the little fellow in. -He did more than that: he went to the closet and got out a dry spot, and -told the boy to make himself as comfortable as he could.” - -“Got out a—what?” asked Buster John, trying hard to keep from laughing. - -“A dry spot,” replied Mrs. Meadows solemnly. “Uncle Rain went to the -closet and got out a dry spot. Of course,” she continued, “Uncle Rain -had to keep a supply of dry spots on hand, so as to make his visitors -comfortable. It’s a great thing to be polite. Well, the boy sat on the -dry spot, and, after some remarks about the weather, Uncle Rain asked -him why he had come so far over the rough roads. Then the boy told Uncle -Rain the whole story about how poor his father was, and how he had been -made poorer year after year, first by Brother Drouth and then by Uncle -Rain. And then he told how he and his little sister had to go without -shoes and wear thin clothes in cold weather, all because the crops were -ruined year after year, either by Brother Drouth or Uncle Rain. - - -[Illustration: - - THE BOY TOLD UNCLE RAIN THE WHOLE STORY -] - - -“He told his story so simply and with so much feeling that Uncle Rain -was compelled to wipe his eyes on a corner of the fog that hung on the -towel rack behind the door. He asked the boy a great many questions -about his father and his mother. - -“‘I reckon,’ said Uncle Rain finally, ‘that I have done all of you a -great deal of damage without knowing it, but I think I can pay it back. -Bring the dry spot with you, and come with me.’ He went into the -barnyard, and the boy followed. They went into the barn, and there the -boy saw, tied by a silver cord, a little black sheep. It was very small, -but seemed to be full grown, because it had long horns that curled round -and round on the sides of its head. And, although the horns were long -and hard, the little sheep was very friendly. It rubbed its head softly -against the boy’s hand, and seemed to be fond of him at first sight. - -“Uncle Rain untied the silver cord, and placed the loose end in the -boy’s hand. ‘Here is a sheep,’ he said, ‘that is worth more than all the -flocks in the world. When you want gold, all you have to do is to press -the golden spring under the left horn. The horn will then come off, and -you will find it full of gold. When you want silver, press the silver -spring under the right horn. The horn will come off, and you will find -it full of silver. When the horns have been emptied, place them back -where they belong. This may be done once, twice, or fifty times a day.’ - -“The boy didn’t know how to thank Uncle Rain enough for this wonderful -gift. He was so anxious to get home that he would have started off at -once. - -“‘Wait a minute,’ said Uncle Rain. ‘You may tell your father about this, -but he must tell no one else. The moment the secret of the sheep is told -outside your family, it will no longer be valuable to you.’ - -“The boy thanked Uncle Rain again, and started home, leading his -wonderful sheep, which trotted along after him, as if it were glad to go -along. The boy went home much faster than he had gone away, and it was -not long before he reached there.” - -“But what became of the little girl?” asked Sweetest Susan, as Mrs. -Meadows paused a moment. - -“I am coming to her now,” said Mrs. Meadows. “The girl, according to the -bargain that had been made between her and her brother, was to visit -Brother Drouth, and lay her complaints before him. So she started on her -way. As she went along, the roads began to get drier and drier, and the -grass on the ground and the leaves on the trees began to look as if they -had been sprinkled with yellow powder. By these signs, the girl knew -that she was not far from the house of Cousin Dust, and presently she -saw it in the distance. She went to the door, which was open, and -inquired the way to Brother Drouth’s. Cousin Dust was much surprised to -see a little girl at his door; but, after a long fit of coughing, he -recovered himself, and told her that she was now in Brother Drouth’s -country. - -“‘If you’ll show me the way,’ said the girl, ‘I’ll be more than obliged -to you.’ - -“‘I’ll go a part of the way with you,’ said Cousin Dust, ‘and lend you a -fan besides.’ - -“So they went along until they came in sight of Brother Drouth’s house, -and then Cousin Dust went eddying back home in the shape of a small -whirlwind. The girl went to Brother Drouth’s door and knocked. Brother -Drouth came at once and opened the door, and invited her in. - -“‘I’ll not deny that I’m surprised,’ said he, ‘for I never expected to -find a little girl knocking at my door at this time of day. But you are -welcome. I’m glad to see you. You must have come a long journey, for you -look hot.’ - -“With that he went to the cupboard and got her a cool place to sit on, -and this she found very comfortable. But still Brother Drouth wasn’t -satisfied. As his visitor was a little girl, he wanted to be extra -polite, and so he went to his private closet and brought her a fresh -breeze with a handle to it; and, as the cool place had a cushioned back -and the fresh breeze a handle that the girl could manage, she felt -better in Brother Drouth’s house than she had at any time during her -long journey. She sat there on the cool place and fanned with the fresh -breeze, and Brother Drouth sat in his big armchair and smiled at her. -The little girl noticed this after awhile, and so she said:— - -“‘Oh, you can laugh, but it’s no laughing matter. If you could see the -trouble you’ve caused at our house, you’d laugh on the other side of -your mouth.’ - -“When he heard this, Brother Drouth at once became very serious, and -apologized. He said he wasn’t laughing, but just smiling because he -thought she was enjoying herself. - -“‘I may be enjoying myself now,’ said the little girl, ‘and I’m much -obliged to you; but if I was at home, I shouldn’t be enjoying myself.’ - -“Then she went on to tell Brother Drouth how her father’s crops had been -ruined year after year, either by Uncle Rain or by Brother Drouth, and -how the family got poorer and poorer all the time on that account, so -that the little children couldn’t have warm shoes and thick clothes in -cold weather, but had to go barefooted and wear rags. Brother Drouth -listened with all his ears; and when the little girl had told her story, -he shook his head, and said that he was to blame as well as Uncle Rain. -He explained that, for many years, there had been a trial of strength -going on between him and Uncle Rain, and they had become so much -interested in overcoming each other that they had paid no attention to -poor people’s crops. He said he was very sorry that he had taken part in -any such affair. Then he told the little girl that he thought he could -pay her back for a part of the damage he had done, and that he would be -more than glad to do so. - -“Says he, ‘Bring your cool place and your fresh breeze with you, and -come with me.’ - -“She followed Brother Drouth out into the barnyard, and into the barn; -and there, tied by a golden cord, she saw a snow-white goat. - -“‘This goat,’ said Brother Drouth, ‘is worth more than all the goats in -the world, tame or wild.’ With that he untied the golden cord, and -placed the loose end in the girl’s hand. The goat was small, but seemed -to be old; for its horns, which were of the color of ivory, curved -upward and over its back. They were so long that, by turning its head a -bit, the snow-white goat could scratch itself on its ham. And though it -seemed to be old, it was very gentle; for it rubbed its nose and face -against the little girl’s frock, and appeared to be very glad to see -her. - -“‘Now then,’ said Brother Drouth, ‘this goat is yours. Take it, and take -care of it. On the under side of each horn, you will find a small -spring. Touch it, and the horn will come off; and each horn, no matter -how many times you touch the spring, you will always find full of gold -and silver. But this is not all. At each change of the moon, you will -find the right horn full of diamonds, and the left horn full of pearls. -Now listen to me. You may tell your father about this treasure; but as -soon as the secret is told out of the family, your goat will be worth no -more to you than any other goat.’ - -“The little girl thanked Brother Drouth until he would allow her to -thank him no more. She would have left the cool place and the fresh -breeze, but Brother Drouth said she was welcome to both of them. ‘When -the weather is cold,’ said he, ‘you can put them away; but when it is -warm, you will find that the cool place and the fresh breeze will come -in right handy.’ - -“Thanking Brother Drouth again and again, the girl started on her -journey home, leading her wonderful goat, and carrying with her the cool -place and the fresh breeze. In this way, she made the long journey with -ease and comfort, and came to her father’s house without any trouble. -She reached the gate, too, just as her brother did. They were very glad -to see each other, and the sheep and the goat appeared to be old -friends; for they rubbed their noses together in friendly fashion. - -“‘I’ll make our father and mother rich,’ said the boy proudly. - -“‘And I’ll make them richer,’ said the girl still more proudly. - -“So they took their wonderful goat and sheep into the stable, gave them -some hay to eat, and then went into the house.” - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - XXII. - - THE SNOW-WHITE GOAT AND THE COAL-BLACK SHEEP. - - -“Please don’t say that is the end of the story,” said Sweetest Susan, as -Mrs. Meadows made a longer pause than usual. - -“Well, it ought to be the end,” replied Mrs. Meadows. “The two children -had come home with treasure and riches enough to suit anybody. That -ought to be the end of the story. You ought to be able to say that they -all lived happily together forever after. That’s the way they put it -down in the books; but this is not a book story, and so we’ll have to -stick to the facts. - -“Now, then, when the boy and the girl returned home, one with the -wonderful sheep and the other with the wonderful goat, they found their -father and mother in a great state of mind. The whole country round -about had been searched for the children. The mother was sure they had -been stolen and carried off. The father, who had his own miseries always -in mind, was sure that they had grown tired of the poverty that -surrounded them, and had run away to see if they couldn’t do better -among strangers. - -“So, when the children had returned home, as happy as larks, their -mother fell to weeping, and cried out: ‘I am so glad you have escaped, -my pretty dears.’ The father grinned and said: ‘Why do you come back? Is -it because the fare elsewhere is no better than it is here?’ - -“Now, of course, the children didn’t know what to make of all this. They -stood with their fingers in their mouths, and wondered what the trouble -was. Then they were compelled to answer a shower of questions; and by -the time the inquiries had come to an end, they were not feeling very -comfortable at all. Finally the boy said:— - -“‘My sister and myself were tired of wearing ragged clothes and having -little to eat, and so we concluded to seek our fortunes. We knew that -Uncle Rain and Brother Drouth had caused all the trouble, and so we -thought the best way to do would be to hunt them up and tell them the -trouble they were causing to one poor family. I went to see Uncle Rain, -and my sister went to see Brother Drouth. We found them at home, and -both were in good humor. Uncle Rain gave me a coal-black sheep, and -Brother Drouth gave my sister a snow-white goat, and told us that with -these we could make our fortunes.’ - -“‘A likely story—a very likely story indeed!’ exclaimed the father. ‘If -you have brought the sheep and the goat home, you would do well to take -them back where you got them, else we shall all be put in jail for -stealing and for harboring stolen property.’ - -“‘Now don’t talk that way to your own children,’ said the tender-hearted -mother. ‘For my part, I believe every word they say;’ then she kissed -them, and hugged them, and cried over them a little, while the father -sat by, looking sour and glum. The children, when they placed the goat -and the sheep in the stable, had each taken a handful of gold and silver -coins from the horns of the wonderful animals. So now the boy went -forward and placed upon the table near his father a handful of gold and -silver. The girl did the same. - -“The father heard the rattle and jingle of coin, and, looking around, -saw there at his elbow more money than he had ever seen before in all -his life. He was both astonished and alarmed. - -“‘Worse and worse!’ he cried, throwing up his hands. ‘Worse and worse! -We are ruined! Tell me where you got that treasure, that I may take it -back to its owner. Make haste! If there’s any delay about it, we shall -all be thrown into prison.’ - -“‘Come with us,’ said the boy, ‘and we will show you where we found the -treasure.’ - -“So they went out of the house and into the stable, and there the -children showed their father where the treasure came from. - -“‘Wonderful! most wonderful!’ exclaimed the father. ‘Wonderful! most -wonderful!’ cried the mother. Then they hugged and kissed their children -again and again, and all were very happy. It made no difference now -whether crops were good or bad.” - -“The man was mighty honest,” remarked Mr. Rabbit. - -“Yes,” said Mrs. Meadows. “But a man can be honest and thick-headed at -the same time, and that was the way with this man. He was too honest to -keep other people’s money, and too thick-headed to know how to keep his -own.” - -“Excuse me!” exclaimed Mr. Rabbit, with a bow that made his ears flop; -“excuse me! I thought the story had come to an end. You said they were -all very happy; so I says to myself, ‘Now is the time to make a slight -remark.’” - -“No; the end of the story is yet to come,” replied Mrs. Meadows. “But if -these children are getting tired, I’m ready to quit. Goodness knows, I -don’t want to worry them, and I don’t want to make them think that I -want to do all the talking.” - -“Please go on,” said Sweetest Susan. - -“Well, when the father found where the money and treasure came from, he -was willing to believe that his children had visited Uncle Rain and -Brother Drouth; for he knew perfectly well that the wonderful black -sheep and the wonderful snow-white goat were not bred on any farm in -that country. So his mind was easy; and, as I said, the father, the -mother, and the two children were all happy together. - -“The mother and the children were so happy that they stayed at home and -enjoyed one another’s company, and the father was so happy that it made -him restless in the mind. He got in the habit of going to the tavern -every day, and sometimes more than once a day; and he got to drinking -more ale and wine than was good for him. And on these occasions his legs -would wobble under him, as if one leg wanted to go home, and the other -wanted to go back to the tavern. - -“Sometimes, at the tavern, he would get to gaming; and when he lost his -money, as he always did, he’d ask his companions to wait until he could -go home and get more. He would soon come back with his pockets full. -This happened so often that people began to talk about it, and to wonder -how a man who had been so very poor could suddenly become so wealthy -that he had money to throw away at the gaming-table. His neighbors were -very curious about it, but they asked him no questions, and he went on -drinking and gambling for many long days. - -“But finally there came to that village a company of five men, who let -it be understood that they were peddlers. They came into the village on -foot, carrying packs on their backs, and put up at the tavern. They were -not peddlers, but robbers, who had been attracted to the village by -rumors about the poor man who was rich enough to throw away money night -after night at the gaming-table. - -“Shortly after nightfall, three of the five men arranged themselves -around a table; and when the man came in, they invited him to join them. -Two of the five sat by the fire, and appeared to be watching the game. -The man didn’t wait for two invitations, but seated himself at the -table, and called for wine. Then the gaming began. Aided by their two -companions, the three robbers at the table had no difficulty in -swindling the man. Though he came with all his pockets filled with gold -and silver, they were soon emptied. The robbers plied him with wine, and -he played wildly. - -“When his money was all gone, he excused himself and said he would go -and get more, and then continue the game. He went out; and, at a sign -from the leader, the two robbers who had been sitting by the fire, rose -and followed him. They had no trouble in doing this, for the man’s legs -were already getting wobbly. One leg wanted to go home and go to bed, -and the other wanted to go back and be stretched out under the table. - -“But, though the man’s legs were wobbly, his head was pretty clear. He -knew his way home, and he knew his way into the stable, where the -coal-black sheep and the snow-white goat were housed. The two robbers -followed him as closely as they dared, but it was too dark for them to -see what he was doing. They knew that he went into the stable, and -presently they heard the jingle and clinking of gold and silver, and -then he came out with his pockets full. - -“They waited until he had gone on toward the tavern and was out of -sight. Then they slipped into the yard, and crept into the stable. It -was very dark in the stable, but not too dark to see dimly. The two men -felt their way along, and soon saw that there were but two stalls in the -stable. Each went into a stall, and began to feel around. They expected -to find bags of gold and silver stacked around, but they were mistaken. -Finally they stooped to feel along the ground; and, as they did so, -there was a loud thump in each stall and a yell of pain from both -robbers. When they stooped to feel along the ground, the coal-black -sheep and the snow-white goat rushed at them, and gave each one a thump -that nearly jarred the senses out of him. The robbers rolled over with a -howl, and the goat and the sheep thumped them again, and kept on -thumping them. - - -[Illustration: - - AT LAST THE ROBBERS MANAGED TO ESCAPE -] - - -“But at last the robbers managed to escape, though they made a pretty -looking sight. Their hats were lost, their clothes were torn and muddy, -their heads were bleeding, their eyes were knocked black and blue, and -they felt as if there was not a whole bone in their body. They were too -frightened to talk, but finally their voices came to them. - -“‘What was it hit you?’ says one. - -“‘I’m blessed if I know,’ says the other. ‘What hit you?’ - -“‘Something hard,’ says one. - -“‘What did it look like?’ - -“‘Satan dressed in white, and he had his maul and wedge with him. What -did yours look like?’ - -“‘Satan dressed in black, and he had all his horns and hoofs with him; -and I think he must have struck me one or two licks with his forked -tail.’ - -“They went off to the nearest branch, and bathed themselves the best -they could, but even then they made a sorry spectacle. Their heads and -faces were still swollen, their eyes were nearly closed, and their -clothes were split and ripped from heel to collar. They didn’t know -where to go. They knew that it wouldn’t do to go back to the tavern and -present themselves among the guests, for that would cast suspicion on -their companions. Finally, they went outside the village, and hid -themselves under a haystack, where they soon fell asleep, and would have -slept soundly if their dreams had not been disturbed by visions of a -black Satan and a white Satan, both armed with long, hard horns and -sharp hoofs. - -“All this time, the father of the children, wobbly as he was, sat at the -gaming-table with the three robbers. The robbers were waiting for the -return of their companions, and at last they became so uneasy that they -played loosely, and the man began to win his gold and silver back again. -At last the robbers concluded to go in search of their companions; and -the man went home, carrying with him more gold and silver than he had -ever before brought away from the tavern. The robbers failed to find -their companions until the next day, and the story they told was so -alarming that the band concluded to leave that part of the country, at -least for awhile. - -“But reports and rumors of the great wealth of the poor farmer continued -to travel about, and finally they came to the ears of a company of -merchants, who were more cunning in their line of business than the -robbers were in theirs. So these merchants journeyed to the village, and -put up at the tavern. There they soon made the acquaintance of the -fortunate farmer who owned the wonderful coal-black sheep and the -wonderful snow-white goat. - -“They talked business with him from the word go. They wanted him to put -his money in all sorts of schemes that were warranted to double it in a -few months. But the man said he didn’t want his money doubled. He -already had as much as he wanted. He told them that if he were to sit on -the street and throw away a million dollars a minute for ten years he’d -be just as rich at the end of that time as he was before he threw away -the first million. - -“Of course, the merchants didn’t understand this. Some said the man was -crazy, but the shrewder ones concluded that there must be some secret -behind it all. So they set to work to find it out. They flattered him in -every way. They made him rich presents for himself, his wife, and -children. For the first time he began to wear fine clothes and put on -airs. The shrewd merchants asked his advice about their own business, -and went about telling everybody what a wise man he was. They pretended -to tell him all their own business secrets. - -“This, of course, pleased the man very much; and, at last, one day, when -he had more wine in his head than wit, he told his merchant friends that -he made all his gold and silver by shearing a black sheep and milking a -white goat. - -“‘Where do you keep these wonderful creatures?’ one of the merchants -asked. - -“‘In my stable,’ replied the man,—’in my stable night and day.’ - -“The greedy merchants were not long in finding out that the man kept a -coal-black sheep and a snow-white-goat in his stable sure enough; and, -after a good deal of persuading and flattering, they got him to consent -to bring his coal-black sheep and his snow-white goat to the tavern, so -that they might see for themselves how rare and valuable the animals -were. - -“Well, one night after his wife and children had gone to bed, the man -carried the sheep and the goat to the tavern, and showed them to the -merchants. They offered him immense sums of money for the animals, but -he refused them all. Then they invited him to remain to a banquet which -they had prepared. He wanted to carry his sheep and his goat back home, -and then return to the banquet; but the merchants said the table was -already spread, and he could tie his wonderful animals in the rear hall, -where nobody would bother them. - -“Meantime, the merchants had sent out into the country and bought a -black sheep and a white goat; and while some of them were pouring wine -down the man’s goozle, others were untying the wonderful black sheep and -white goat, and putting in their place the animals that had been bought. -When the time came for the man to go home, he was so wobbly in the legs -and so befuddled in the head that he couldn’t tell the difference -between a sheep and a goat. In fact, he had forgotten all about them, -until one of the merchants asked him if he wasn’t going to take his rare -and valuable animals back home. - -“The strange sheep and goat were not used to being led about at night by -a man with wobbly legs and a befuddled head, and they cut up such queer -capers that it was much as the man could do to keep on his feet at all. -But, after so long a time, he managed to get them home, and tied them in -the stable. - -“So far, so good: but the next morning, when the boy and the girl got up -betimes and went out to feed their pets, as they were in the habit of -doing, they saw at once that something had happened. Their precious pets -had been made way with, and these rough, dirty, and mean-looking animals -put in their place. One glance was enough to satisfy the children of -this, and they set up such a wail that the whole neighborhood was -aroused. Even their father stuck his head out of the window and asked -what was the matter. His head was still befuddled by the night’s -banquet, but his alarm sobered him instantly when he heard what his -children said. He wouldn’t believe it at first; but when he went out -into the stable and saw for himself, he was nearly beside himself with -grief. He declared that it was all his fault, and told what he had done -the night before. - -“He was now as poor as he ever was; and his wife said she wasn’t sorry a -bit, because he would now have a chance to go to work and an excuse for -not hanging around the tavern. But the children begged him to go after -their coal-black sheep and their snow-white goat. - -“This he promised to do, and he made haste to go to the tavern. The -merchants were still there, but they only laughed at him when he asked -them for his sheep and his goat. They called on the tavern-keeper to -witness that the man had started home with a black sheep and a white -goat. - -“‘That is true,’ said the man, ‘and I have them there now. But they are -not mine. Some of you ruffians stole mine and put these in their place.’ - -“The merchants pretended to be very angry at this, and made as if they -would fall on the man with their fists. But he was a stout fellow, and -was armed with a stout hickory, and so they merely threatened. But the -man failed to get his coal-black sheep and his snow-white goat, and went -home full of grief and remorse.” - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - XXIII. - - THE BUTTING COW AND THE HITTING STICK. - - -“I hope that isn’t the end of the story,” remarked Buster John. - -“Well,” replied Mr. Rabbit, “we can either cut it off here, or we can -carry it on for weeks and weeks.” - -“Speak for yourself,” said Mrs. Meadows; “or, if you want to, you can -tell the rest of the story yourself. No doubt you can tell it a great -deal better than I can.” - -“Now you’ll have to excuse me,” remarked Mr. Rabbit. “I thought maybe -you were getting tired, and wanted to rest. Go on with the tale. I’m -getting old and trembly in the limbs, but I can stand it if the rest -can.” - -“Well,” said Mrs. Meadows, turning to Buster John and Sweetest Susan, -“the children were very much worried over the loss of the coal-black -sheep and the snow-white goat, and they made up their minds to try and -get them back. The boy said he would go and ask Uncle Rain’s advice, and -the girl said she would visit Brother Drouth once more. So they started -on their journey, one going east and the other going south. - -“They met with no adventure by the way, and, having traveled the road -once, they were not long in coming to the end of their journey. The boy -found Uncle Rain at home, and told him all about the loss of his -beautiful black sheep. Uncle Rain grunted at the news, and looked very -solemn. - -“‘That’s about the way I thought it would be,’ said he. ‘It takes a -mighty strong-minded person to stand prosperity. But you needn’t be -afraid. Your sheep is not lost. The men who have stolen him can stand -great prosperity no better than your father can. They will wrangle among -themselves, and they will never take the sheep away from the tavern. But -they shall be punished. Come with me.’ - -“Uncle Rain went out into his barnyard, and the boy followed him. He -went to a stall where a black cow was tied. ‘This,’ said he, ‘is the -butting cow. You are to take her with you. She will allow no one to come -near her but you, and when you give her the word she will run over and -knock down whoever and whatever is in sight. She knows the black sheep, -too, for they have long been in the barn together. When she begins to -low, the black sheep will bleat, and in that way you may know when you -have found it. More than that, the cow will give you the most beautiful -golden butter that ever was seen.’ - -“Uncle Rain untied the cow, placed the end of the rope in the boy’s -hand, and bade him good-by. The boy went back the way he came, the cow -following closely and seeming to be eager to go with him. - -“The girl, who had taken the road to Brother Drouth’s house, arrived -there safely and told her trouble. Brother Drouth said he was very sorry -about it, but as it was not a thing to weep over, he didn’t propose to -shed any tears. - -“‘What’s done,’ he said, ‘can’t be undone; but I’ll see that it’s not -done over again.’ He went to a corner of the room, picked up a -walking-stick, and gave it to the little girl. ‘We have here,’ he said, -‘a walking-stick. It is called the hitting stick. Whenever you are in -danger, or whenever you want to punish your enemies, you have only to -say: “Hit, stick! Stick, hit!” and neither one man nor a hundred can -stand up against it. It is not too heavy for you to carry, but if your -hands grow tired of carrying it, just say, “Jump, stick!” and the stick -will jump along before you or by your side, just as you please.’ - -“Then Brother Drouth bade the girl good-by; and she went on her way, -sometimes carrying the hitting stick, and sometimes making it jump along -the road before her. - -“Now, then, while all this was going on, the greedy merchants found -themselves in a fix. When they first got hold of the coal-black sheep -and the snow-white goat, they thought that they had had a good deal of -trouble for nothing. But merchants, especially the merchants of those -days, when there was not as much trade as there is now, had very sharp -eyes, and it was not long before they found the springs under the horns -of the sheep and the goat. Having found the treasure, they remembered -that the man had spent more money in two days than the horns of the -animals would hold, and this led them to discover that the horns were -always full of treasure. - -“For a little while they were very happy, and congratulated one another -many times over. But in the midst of their enjoyment the thought came to -them that there must be a division of this treasure. The moment the -subject was broached, the wrangle began. There were more than a dozen of -the merchants, and the question was how to divide the treasure so that -each might have an equal share. Though they took millions from the horns -of the black sheep and the white goat, yet whoever had the animals would -still have the most. - -“It was a mighty serious question. They argued, they reasoned, they -disputed, and they wrangled, and once or twice they came near having a -pitched battle. But finally, after many days, it was decided that one -party of merchants should have the black sheep and that another party -should have the white goat. This didn’t satisfy all of them, but it was -the best that could be done; and so they departed, the party with the -white goat going south, and the party with the black sheep going east. - -“Now, a very curious thing happened. If either party had kept on -traveling, it would have met the boy or the girl; one with the butting -cow, and the other with the hitting stick. But both parties were -dissatisfied; and they had gone but a little way before they stopped, -and after some talk determined to go back. The merchants with the white -goat determined to follow on after the merchants that had the black -sheep, and secure the animal by fair means or foul. The merchants with -the black sheep determined to follow the merchants with the white goat, -and buy the animal or seize him. So each party turned back. - -“The merchants with the white goat reached the tavern first. They had -hardly refreshed themselves, when the tavern-keeper came running in, to -tell them that the other merchants were coming. - -“‘Then take our white goat and hide it in your stable,’ they said. - -“The landlord did as he was bid; and then meeting the merchants with the -black sheep, he told them that their companions of the morning had also -returned. - -“‘Then take our black sheep and hide it in your stable,’ they said. This -the landlord quickly did, and returned to the tavern in time to hear the -merchants greet each other. - -“‘What are you doing here?’ asked the black sheep merchants. - -“‘We have lost our white goat,’ they replied, ‘and have come here to -hunt it. Why have you returned?’ - -“‘We have come on the same errand,’ said the others. ‘We have lost our -black sheep, and have returned to find it.’ - -“Now, the tavern-keeper was not a very smart man, but he had no lack of -shrewdness and cunning. He had heard the merchants wrangling and -quarreling over the black sheep and the white goat, and now he saw them -coming back pretending to be hunting for both the animals, though -neither one was lost. He had sense enough to see that there must be -something very valuable about the black sheep and the white goat; and -so, while the merchants were taking their refreshments, each party -eyeing the other with suspicion, the tavern-keeper slipped out into his -stable, and carried the black sheep and the white goat to an outhouse -out of sight and hearing of the guests. - -“As for the merchants, they were in a pickle. Neither party wanted to go -away and leave the other at the tavern; so they waited and waited,—the -black sheep party waiting for the white goat party to go, and the white -goat party waiting for the black sheep party to go. - -“‘When do you leave?’ says one. - -“‘As soon as we find our sheep. When do you leave?’ says the other. - -“‘Quite as soon.’ - -“There was not much satisfaction in this for either side. Finally, one -of the merchants called the tavern-keeper aside, and asked him where he -had put the black sheep. - -“‘In my stable, your honor,’ replied the man. - -“Then another merchant called the tavern-keeper aside, and asked him -where he had put the white goat. - -“‘In my stable, your honor,’ he replied. - -“Now as each of these merchants went out to see that his precious animal -was safe, it was perfectly natural that they should see each other -slipping about in the yard, and that they should meet face to face in -the stable. Both made the excuse that they thought they might find their -lost animals at that point, and both were terribly worked up when they -saw that the stable was empty. Each went back and told his companions, -and pretty soon there was the biggest uproar in that house that the -tavern-keeper had ever heard. - -“Both parties went running to the stable, falling over each other on the -way; but the black sheep and the white goat were gone. Then the -merchants went running back into the tavern, and all began yelling at -the tavern-keeper. Instead of making any answer, that cunning chap put -his fingers in his ears, and politely asked the merchants if they wanted -to jar the roof off of the house. They danced around him, yelling and -shaking their fists at him, but he kept his fingers in his ears. - -“Finally, they caught hold of the man, and began to pull and haul him -around at a great rate. In this way they compelled him to take his -fingers out of his ears; but he could hear little better, for the whole -crowd was dancing around and squalling like a lot of crazy people at a -picnic. All the tavern-keeper could hear was:— - -“‘Where’s our’—‘You’ve got our’—‘Sheep!’ ‘Goat!’ - -“There was more noise than sense to this rippit. There was so much noise -that it roused the whole neighborhood, and the people of the village -came running in to see what the trouble was. Among them was the mayor; -and he succeeded in quieting the rumpus, not because he was mayor, but -because he had a louder voice than any of them. - -“When everything was quiet, the mayor asked the merchants why they were -acting like crazy people. - -“‘Because this man has robbed us,’ they cried, pointing to the -tavern-keeper. - -“‘Of what has he robbed you?’ asked the mayor. - -“‘Of a black sheep and a white goat,’ they replied. - -“‘Your honor,’ said the tavern-keeper, when the mayor had turned to him, -‘you have known me all my life, and have never heard that I was a thief. -I want to ask these men a few questions.’ By this time the two parties -of merchants had ranged themselves on different sides of the room. The -tavern-keeper turned to the black sheep party. ‘Didn’t the men over -there come into this house and tell you that they had lost their white -goat?’ - -“‘They certainly did,’ was the reply. - -“Then he turned to the white goat party. ‘Didn’t the men over there tell -you that they had lost their black sheep and had come back to hunt it?’ - -“‘They certainly did,’ came the answer. - -“Both parties tried to explain that they had placed their animals in -charge of the tavern-keeper, but while they were hemming and hawing a -queer thing happened. The boy had come up with his butting cow; and -seeing the merchants still in the tavern, he led her to the door, and -told her to do her whole duty, and nothing but her duty. - -“While the merchants were trying to explain, the cow rushed into the -room with a bellow, her tail curled over her back, and went at the men -with head down and horn points up. Tables and chairs were nothing to the -butting cow. She ran over them and through them; and in a little while -the room was cleared of the merchants, and some of them were hurt so -badly that they could scarcely crawl away. - -“The mayor had jumped through a window, and the village people had -scattered in all directions. By this time the tavern-keeper, who had -remained unhurt, was laughing to himself at the fix the merchants found -themselves in, for the butting cow was still pursuing them. But he -laughed too soon. The little girl came to the door with her hitting -stick. - - -[Illustration: - - “HIT STICK! STICK HIT!” SHE CRIED -] - - -“‘Hit, stick! Stick, hit!’ she cried; and in an instant the stick was -mauling the tavern-keeper over the head and shoulders and all about the -body. - -“‘Help! help!’ shouted the tavern-keeper. ‘Somebody run here! Help! I’ll -tell you where they are! I’ll show you where they are!’ - -“‘Stop, stick!’ said the girl. ‘Now show me where my snow-white goat -is.’ - -“‘Yes!’ exclaimed the boy. ‘Show me where my coal-black sheep is!’ - -“‘Come,’ said the tavern-keeper; and he went as fast as he could to the -outhouse where he had hid the animals. They were in there, safe and -sound, and the children made haste to carry them home. - -“So the farmer was once more rich and prosperous. He shunned the tavern -and kept at work, and in this way prosperity brought happiness and -content to all the family. And by giving freely to the poor they made -others happy too.” - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - XXIV. - - THE FATE OF THE DIDDYPAWN. - - -“It has always been mighty curious to me,” said Mr. Rabbit, “why -everything and everybody is not contented with what they’ve got. There’d -be lots less trouble in the country next door if everybody was -satisfied.” - -“Well,” remarked Mr. Thimblefinger, “some people have nothing at all. I -hope you don’t want a man who has nothing to be satisfied. An empty -pocket makes an empty stomach, and an empty stomach has a way of talking -so it can be heard.” - -“That is true,” replied Mr. Rabbit; “but there is a living in the world -for every creature, if he will only get out of bed and walk about and -look for it. But a good many folks and a heap of the animals think that -if there is a living in the world for everybody, it ought to be handed -round in a silver dish. Then there are some folks and a great many -creatures that are not satisfied with what they are, but want to be -somebody or something else. That sort of talk puts me in mind of the -Diddypawn.” - -“What is the Diddypawn?” asked Buster John. - -“Well, it would be hard to tell you at this time of day,” replied Mr. -Rabbit, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “There are no Diddypawns now, and -I don’t know that I ever saw but one. He is the chap I’m going to tell -you about. He was a great big strong creature, with a long head and -short ears, and eyes that could see in the dark. He had legs that could -carry him many a mile in a day, and teeth strong enough to crunch an -elephant’s hind leg. The Diddypawn would have weeded a wide row if he -had been a mind to; but, instead of doing that, he just lay in the mud -on the river bank, and let the sun shine and the rain fall. He had but -to reach down in the water to pick up a fish, or up in the bushes to -catch a bird. - -“But all this didn’t make his mind easy. He wasn’t contented. The -thought came to him that a fine large creature such as he was ought to -be able to swim as fast as a fish, and fly as high as a bird. So he -worried and worried and worried about it, until there was no peace in -that neighborhood. All the creatures that crawled, or walked, or swam, -or flew, heard of the Diddypawn’s troubles. At first they paid no -attention to him, but he groaned so long and he groaned so loud that -they couldn’t help but pay attention. They couldn’t sleep at night, and -they couldn’t have any peace in the daytime. - -“For I don’t know how long the Diddypawn rolled and tumbled in the mud, -and moaned and groaned because he didn’t have as many fins as the fishes -and as many feathers as the birds. He moaned and mumbled in the daytime, -and groaned and grumbled at night. The other creatures paid no attention -to him at first; but matters went from bad to worse, and they soon found -that they had to do something or leave the country. - -“So, after awhile the fishes held a convention, and the porpoise and the -catfish made speeches, saying that the Diddypawn was in a peck of -trouble, and asking what could be done for him. Finally, after a good -deal of talk about one thing and another, the convention of fishes -concluded to call on the Diddypawn in a body, and ask him what in the -name of goodness he wanted. - -“This they did; and the reply that the Diddypawn made was that he wanted -to know how to swim as well as any fish. There wasn’t anything -unreasonable in this; and so the convention, after a good deal more -talk, said that the best way to do would be for every fish to lend the -Diddypawn a fin. - -“The convention told the Diddypawn about this, and it made him grin from -one ear to the other to think that he would be able to swim as fast as -the fishes. He rolled from the bank into the shallow water, and the -fishes, as good as their word, loaned him each a fin. With these the -Diddypawn found he was able to get about in the water right nimbly. He -swam around and around, far and near, and finally reached an island -where there were some trees. - -“‘Don’t go too near the land,’ says the catfish. ‘Don’t go too near the -land,’ says the perch. - -“‘Don’t bother about me,’ says the Diddypawn. “I can walk on the land as -well as I can swim in the water.’ - -“‘But our fins!’ says the catfish and the perch. ‘If you go on land and -let them dry in the sun, they’ll be no good to either us or you.’ - -“‘No matter,’ says the Diddypawn, ‘on the land I’ll go, and I’ll be -bound the fins will be just as limber after they get dry as they were -when they were wet.’ - -“But the fishes set up such a cry and made such a fuss that the -Diddypawn concluded to give them back their fins, while he went on dry -land and rested himself. He went on the island, and stretched himself -out in the tall grass at the foot of the big trees, and soon fell -asleep. When he awoke, the sun was nearly down. He crawled to the -waterside, and soon saw that the fishes had all gone away. He had no way -of calling them up or of sending them a message, and so there he was. - - -[Illustration: - - IT MADE HIM GRIN FROM EAR TO EAR -] - - -“While the Diddypawn was lying there wondering how he was going to get -back home, he heard a roaring and rustling noise in the air. Looking up, -he saw that the sky was nearly black with birds. They came in swarms, in -droves, and in flocks. There were big birds and little birds, and all -sorts and sizes of birds. The trees on the island were their -roosting-place, but they were coming home earlier than usual, because -they wanted to get rid of the moanings and groanings of the Diddypawn. - -“The birds came and settled in the trees, and were about to say -good-night to one another, when the Diddypawn rolled over, and began to -moan and groan and growl and grumble. At once the birds ceased their -chattering, and began to listen. Then they knew they would have no sound -sleep that night if something wasn’t done; and so the King-Bird flew -down, lit close to the Diddypawn’s ear, and asked him what in the name -of goodness gracious he was doing there, how he got there, and what the -trouble was anyway. - -“All the answer the Diddypawn made was to roll over on his other side, -and moan and mumble. Once more the King-Bird fluttered in the air, and -lit near the Diddypawn’s ear, and asked him what in the name of goodness -gracious he was doing there, how he got there, and what the trouble was -anyway. For answer, the Diddypawn turned on the other side, and groaned -and grumbled. - -“How long this was kept up I’ll never tell you, but after a while, the -Diddypawn said the trouble with him was that he wanted to fly. He said -he would fly well enough if he only had feathers; but, as it was, he -didn’t have a feather to his name, or to his hide either. - -“Well, the birds held a convention over this situation, and after a good -deal of loud talk, it was decided that each bird should lend the -Diddypawn a feather. This was done in the midst of a good deal of -fluttering and chattering. When the Diddypawn was decked out in his -feathers, he strutted around and shook his wings at a great rate. - -“‘Where shall I fly to?’ he asked. - -“Now, there was another island not far away, on which everything was -dead,—the trees, the bushes, the grass, and even the honeysuckle vines. -But some of the trees were still standing. With their lack of leaf and -twig they looked like a group of tall, black lighthouses. When the -Diddypawn asked where he should fly, Brother Turkey Buzzard made this -remark:— - - “‘If you want to fly fast and not fly far, - Fly to the place where the dead trees are!’ - -“To this the Diddypawn made reply,— - - “‘I want to fly fast and not too far, - So I’ll fly to the place where the dead trees are!’ - -“Then the Diddypawn fluttered his feathers and hopped about, and, after -a while, took a running start and began to fly. He didn’t fly very well -at first, being a new hand at the business. He wobbled from side to -side, and sometimes it seemed that he was going to fall in the water, -but he always caught himself just in time. After a while he reached the -island where everything was dead, and landed with a tremendous splash -and splutter in the wet marsh grass. - -“As dark had not set in, the most of the birds flew along with the -Diddypawn, to see how he was going to come out. The Diddypawn had hardly -lit, before Brother Turkey Buzzard ups and says:— - -“‘I don’t want my feather to get wet, and so I’ll just take it back -again.’ This was the sign for all the birds. None wanted his feather to -get wet, so they just swooped down on the Diddypawn and took their -feathers one by one. When the fluttering was over, the Diddypawn had no -more feathers than fins. But he made no complaint. He had it in his mind -that he’d rest easy during the night and begin his complaints the next -morning. - -“Says he, ‘I’ve got the birds and the fishes so trained that when I want -to fly, all I’ve got to do is to turn over on my left side and grunt, -and when I want to swim, all I’ve got to do is to turn over on my right -side and groan.’ Then the Diddypawn smiled, until there were wrinkles in -his countenance as deep and as wide as a horse-trough. - -“But the birds went back to their roosting-place that night, and there -was nothing to disturb them; and the fishes swam around the next day, -and there was nothing to bother them. - -“Matters went on in this way for several days, and at last some of the -birds began to ask about the Diddypawn. ‘Had anybody seen him?’ or ‘Did -anybody know how he was getting on?’ - -“This was passed around among the birds, until at last it came to the -ears of Brother Turkey Buzzard. He stretched out his wings and gaped, -and said that he had been thinking about taking his family and calling -on the Diddypawn. So that very day, Brother Turkey Buzzard, his wife and -his children and some of his blood kin, went down to the dead island, to -call on the Diddypawn. They went and stayed several days. The rest of -the birds, when they came home to roost, could see the Turkey Buzzard -family sitting in the dead trees; and after so long a time they came -back, and went to roost with the rest of the birds. Some of them asked -how the Diddypawn was getting on, and Brother Turkey Buzzard made this -reply:— - - “‘The Diddypawn needs neither feather nor fin, - He’s been falling off, till he’s grown quite thin, - He has lost all his meat and all of his skin, - And he needs now a bag to put his bones in.’ - -“This made Brother Owl hoot a little, but it wasn’t long before all the -birds were fast asleep.” - -Mr. Rabbit never knew how the children liked the story of the Diddypawn. -Buster John was about to say something, but he saw little Mr. -Thimblefinger pull out his watch and look up at the bottom of the -spring. - -“What time is it?” asked Mrs. Meadows, seeing that Mr. Thimblefinger -still held his watch in his hand. - -“A quarter to twelve.” - -“Oh,” cried Sweetest Susan, “we promised mamma to be back by dinner -time.” - -“There’s plenty of time for that,” said Mrs. Meadows. “I do hope you’ll -come again. It rests me to see you.” - -The children shook hands all around when Mr. Thimblefinger said he was -ready to go, and Mr. Rabbit remarked to Buster John:— - -“Don’t forget what I told you about Aaron.” - -There was no danger of that, Buster John said; and then the children -followed Mr. Thimblefinger, who led them safely through the spring, and -they were soon at home again. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - ● Transcriber’s Notes: - ○ Missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected. - ○ Typographical errors were silently corrected. - ○ Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only - when a predominant form was found in this book. - ○ Text that was in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_). - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Mr. Rabbit at Home, by Joel Chandler Harris - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MR. 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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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: Mr. Rabbit at Home - A sequel to Little Mr. Thimblefinger and his Queer Country - -Author: Joel Chandler Harris - -Illustrator: Oliver Herford - -Release Date: August 14, 2019 [EBook #60098] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MR. RABBIT AT HOME *** - - - - -Produced by David Edwards, Barry Abrahamsen, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class='figcenter id001'> -<img src='images/cover.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -</div> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<p class='c001'> </p> -<div class='box'> - -<div class='blackletter'> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div><span class='xlarge'>Books by Joel Chandler Harris.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<hr class='c002' /> - -<div class='sans'> - -<p class='c003'><b>NIGHTS WITH UNCLE REMUS.</b> Illustrated. -12mo, $1.50; paper, 50 cents.</p> -<p class='c003'><b>MINGO, AND OTHER SKETCHES IN BLACK -AND WHITE.</b> 16mo, $1.25; paper, 50 cents.</p> -<p class='c003'><b>BALAAM AND HIS MASTER, AND OTHER -SKETCHES.</b> 16mo, $1.25.</p> -<p class='c003'><b>UNCLE REMUS AND HIS FRIENDS.</b> Illustrated. -12mo, $1.50.</p> -<p class='c003'><b>LITTLE MR. THIMBLEFINGER AND HIS -QUEER COUNTRY.</b> Illustrated. Crown 8vo, -$2.00.</p> - -</div> -<div class='serif'> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN & CO.</div> - <div><span class='sc'>Boston and New York.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -</div> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c004' /> -</div> -<div id='frontis' class='figcenter id002'> -<img src='images/frontis.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>BROTHER LION WATCHED ME. <span class='sc'>Page <a href='#p-158'>158</a></span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div> - <h1 class='c006'><span class='xlarge'>MR. RABBIT AT HOME</span></h1> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c000'> - <div>A SEQUEL TO</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='blackletter'> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div><span class='large'>Little Mr. Thimblefinger and his Queer Country</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>BY</div> - <div class='c000'><span class='xlarge'>JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS</span></div> - <div class='c000'><span class='small'>AUTHOR OF “UNCLE REMUS,” ETC.</span></div> - <div class='c005'><i>ILLUSTRATED BY OLIVER HERFORD</i></div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='figcenter id003'> -<img src='images/publogo.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div>BOSTON AND NEW YORK</div> - <div>HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='blackletter'> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>The Riverside Press, Cambridge</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>1895</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c004'> - <div>Copyright, 1894 and 1895,</div> - <div><span class='large'>By JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS.</span></div> - <div class='c000'>Copyright, 1895,</div> - <div><span class='large'><span class='sc'>By</span> HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN & CO.</span></div> - <div class='c000'><i>All rights reserved.</i></div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div><i>The Riverside Press, Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A.</i></div> - <div>Electrotyped and Printed by H. O. Houghton & Co.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c004' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 class='c007'>CONTENTS.</h2> -</div> -<hr class='c008' /> -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='14%' /> -<col width='73%' /> -<col width='12%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c009'> </td> - <td class='c010'> </td> - <td class='c011'><span class='xsmall'>PAGE</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>I.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>Buster John alarms Mr. Rabbit</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch01'>5</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>II.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>Where the Thunder lives</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch02'>15</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>III.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>The Jumping-off Place</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch03'>28</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>IV.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>The Blue Hen’s Chicken</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch04'>36</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>V.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>How a King was Found</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch05'>46</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>VI.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>The Magic Ring</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch06'>57</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>VII.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>The Cow with the Golden Horns</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch07'>69</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>VIII.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>Brother Wolf’s two Big Dinners</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch08'>82</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>IX.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>The Little Boy of the Lantern</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch09'>91</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>X.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>A Lucky Conjurer</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch10'>106</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>XI.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>The King of the Clinkers</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch11'>119</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>XII.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>The Terrible Horse</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch12'>132</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>XIII.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>How Brother Lion lost his Wool</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch13'>144</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>XIV.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>Brother Lion has a Spell of Sickness</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch14'>154</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>XV.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>A Mountain of Gold</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch15'>164</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>XVI.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>An Old-Fashioned Fuss</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch16'>178</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>XVII.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>The Rabbit and the Moon</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch17'>191</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>XVIII.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>Why the Bear is a Wrestler</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch18'>197</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>XIX.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>The Shoemaker who made but One Shoe</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch19'>209</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>XX.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>The Woog and the Weeze</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch20'>240</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>XXI.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>Uncle Rain and Brother Drouth</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch21'>252</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>XXII.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>The Snow-White Goat and the Coal-Black Sheep</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch22'>266</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>XXIII.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>The Butting Cow and the Hitting Stick</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch23'>282</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c009'>XXIV.</td> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>The Fate of the Diddypawn</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#ch24'>294</a></td> - </tr> -</table> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 class='c007'>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.</h2> -</div> -<table class='table1' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='85%' /> -<col width='14%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c010'> </td> - <td class='c011'><span class='xsmall'>PAGE</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>Brother Lion watched me.</span></td> - <td class='c011'><i><a href='#frontis'>Frontispiece</a></i></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'>“<span class='sc'>How did you get here?</span>”</td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i012'>12</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>She waited a Little While</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i022'>22</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>Presently they came to a Precipice</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i032'>32</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>One of them was entirely different from all the Rest</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i042'>42</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>They saw the Handsome Boy sleeping</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i052'>52</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>Her Stepmother crept into the Room</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i066'>66</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>She would have knelt, but he lifted her up</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i080'>80</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>He went a little Way down one Road</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i086'>86</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>A Lady, richly dressed, came out of the Woods</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i096'>96</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>As he did so, a Crow hopped out</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i114'>114</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>He saw an old Man, no bigger than a Broomstick</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i124'>124</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>The Wooden Horse had stampeded the Enemy’s Army</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i142'>142</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>You never heard such Howling since you were born</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i150'>150</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>He was so weak that he couldn’t get up</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i174'>174</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>The Monkeys would make Faces and squeal at the Dogs</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i180'>180</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>“What is the Trouble?” says the Oldest Rabbit</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i184'>184</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>He rubbed the Side of his Head</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i204'>204</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>A Queer-looking little Man came jogging along the Road</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i216'>216</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'>“<span class='sc'>Have you seen Anything of a Stray Shoe?</span>”</td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i232'>232</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>A Horrible Monster glared at them</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i244'>244</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>The Boy told Uncle Rain the whole Story</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i258'>258</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>At last the Robbers managed to escape</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i274'>274</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>“Hit, Stick! Stick, hit!” she cried</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i292'>292</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c010'><span class='sc'>It made him grin from Ear to Ear</span></td> - <td class='c011'><a href='#i298'>298</a></td> - </tr> -</table> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c004'> - <div><span class='xxlarge'>MR. RABBIT AT HOME.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<hr class='c002' /> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch01' class='c007'>I.<br /> <br />BUSTER JOHN ALARMS MR. RABBIT.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c012'>When Buster John and Sweetest Susan and -Drusilla returned home after their first visit to -Mr. Thimblefinger’s queer country, a curious thing -happened. The children had made a bargain -to say nothing about what they had seen and -heard, but one day, when there was nobody else to -hear what she had to say, Sweetest Susan concluded -to tell her mother something about the -visit she had made next door to the world. So -she began and told about the Grandmother of the -Dolls, and about Little Mr. Thimblefinger, and -all about her journey under the spring. Her mother -paid no attention at first, but after awhile she -became interested, and listened intently to everything -her little daughter said. Sometimes she -looked serious, sometimes she smiled, and sometimes -she laughed. Sweetest Susan couldn’t -remember everything, but she told enough to -astonish her mother.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Darling, when did you dream such nonsense -as that?” the lady asked.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Oh, it wasn’t a dream, mamma,” cried Sweetest -Susan. “I thought it was a dream at first, -but it turned out to be no dream at all. Now, -please don’t ask brother about it, and please don’t -ask Drusilla, for we promised one another to say -nothing about it. I didn’t intend to tell you, -but I forgot and began to tell you before I -thought.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>A little while afterward Sweetest Susan’s mother -was telling her husband about the wonderful imagination -of their little daughter, and then the -neighbors got hold of it, and some of the old -ladies put their heads together over their teacups -and said it was a sign that Sweetest Susan was -too smart to stay in this world very long.</p> - -<p class='c013'>One day, while Drusilla was helping about the -house, Sweetest Susan’s mother took occasion to -ask her where she and the children went the day -they failed to come to dinner.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“We wuz off gettin’ plums, I speck,” replied -Drusilla.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Why, there were no plums to get,” said the -lady.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, ’m, ef ’t wa’n’t plums, hit must ’a’ been -hick’y nuts,” explained Drusilla.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Hickory nuts were not ripe, stupid.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Maybe dey wa’n’t,” said Drusilla stolidly; -“but dat don’t hinder we chilluns from huntin’ -’em.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“You know you didn’t go after hickory nuts, -Drusilla,” the lady insisted. “Now I want you -to tell me where you and the children went. I’ll -not be angry if you tell me, but if you don’t”—</p> - -<p class='c013'>Drusilla could infer a good deal from the tone -of the lady’s voice, but she shook her head.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, ’m,” she said, “we went down dar by de -spring, an’ down dar by de spring branch, an’ all -roun’ down dar. Ef we warn’t huntin’ plums ner -hick’y nuts, I done fergot what we wuz huntin’.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Drusilla seemed so much in earnest that the -lady didn’t push the inquiry, but when she went -into another room for a moment, the negro girl -looked after her and remarked to herself:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I done crossed my heart dat I wouldn’t tell, -an’ I ain’t gwine ter. Ef I wuz ter tell, she -wouldn’t b’lieve me, an’ so dar ’t is!”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Sweetest Susan was careful to say nothing to -Buster John and Drusilla about the slip of the -tongue that caused her to tell her mother about -their adventures in Mr. Thimblefinger’s queer -country; but she didn’t feel very comfortable -when Drusilla told how she had been questioned -by her mistress.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Ef somebody ain’t done gone an’ tol’ ’er,” -said Drusilla, “she got some mighty quare notions -in ’er head.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Buster John, who had ideas of his own, ignored -all this, and said he was going to put an apple in -the spring the next day and watch for Mr. Thimblefinger.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, ef you gwine down dar any mo’,” remarked -Drusilla, “you kin des count me out, kaze -I ain’t gwine ’long wid you. I’m one er deze yer -kind er quare folks what know pine blank when -dey done got nuff. I been shaky ever since we -went down in dat ar place what wa’n’t no place.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“You will go,” said Buster John.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Huh! Don’t you fool yo’self, honey! You -can’t put no ’pen’ence in a skeer’d nigger.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“If you don’t go, you’ll wish you had,” said -Buster John.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“How come?” asked Drusilla.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Wait and see,” replied Buster John.</p> - -<p class='c013'>The next morning, bright and early, Buster -John put an apple in the spring. He watched it -float around for awhile, and then his attention -was attracted to something else, and he ran away -to see about it. Whatever it was, it interested -him so much that he forgot all about the apple in -the spring, and everything else likely to remind -him of Mr. Thimblefinger’s queer country.</p> - -<p class='c013'>Buster John went away from the spring and -left the apple floating there. No sooner had he -gone than one of the house servants chanced to -come along, and the apple was seized and appropriated. -The result was that neither Mr. Thimblefinger -nor Mrs. Meadows saw the signal.</p> - -<p class='c013'>Buster John, thinking the apple had remained -in the spring for some hours, waited patiently for -two or three days for Mr. Thimblefinger, but no -Mr. Thimblefinger came. Finally the boy grew -impatient, as youngsters sometimes do. He remembered -that the bottom of the spring, with the -daylight shining through, was the sky of Mr. -Thimblefinger’s queer country, and he concluded -to give Mrs. Meadows and the rest a signal that -they couldn’t fail to see. So, one morning, after -water had been carried to the house for the cook, -and the washerwoman’s tubs had been filled, Buster -John got him some short planks, carrying -them to the spring one by one. These he placed -across the top of the gum, or curb, close together, -so as to shut out the light. Then he perched -himself on a stump not far away, and watched to -see what the effect would be. He knew he had -the sky of Mr. Thimblefinger’s queer country -securely roofed in, and he laughed to himself as -he thought of the predicament Mr. Rabbit would -be in, dropping his pipe and hunting for it in -the dark.</p> - -<p class='c013'>Buster John sat there a long time. Mandy, -the washerwoman, got through with her task and -went toward the house, balancing a big basket of -wet clothes on her head and singing as she went. -Sweetest Susan and Drusilla had grown tired -of playing with the dolls, and were hunting all -over the place for Buster John. They saw him -presently, and came running toward him, talking -and laughing. He shook his head and motioned -toward the spring. They became quiet at once, -and began to walk on their tiptoes. They seated -themselves on the stump by Buster John’s side, -and waited for him to explain himself.</p> - -<p class='c013'>Presently Sweetest Susan saw the boards over -the spring. “Oh, what have you done?” she -cried. “Why, you have shut out the light! -They can’t see a wink. I don’t think that’s right; -do you, Drusilla?”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Don’t ax me, honey,” replied Drusilla. “I -ain’t gwine ter git in no ’spute. Somebody done -gone an’ put planks on de spring. Dar dey is, -an’ dar dey may stay, fer what I keer. I hope -dey er nailed down.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Please take the boards off,” pleaded Sweetest -Susan.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“No,” said Buster John. “I put an apple in -the spring the other day, and they paid no attention -to it. Maybe they’ll pay some attention -now.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Suddenly, before anybody else could say anything, -Drusilla screamed and rolled off the stump. -Buster John and Sweetest Susan thought a bee -had stung her. But it was not a bee. She had -no sooner rolled from the stump than she sprang -to her feet and cried out, “Dar he is! Look -at ’im!”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Buster John and Sweetest Susan turned to -look, and there, upon the stump beside them, -stood Mr. Thimblefinger with his hat in hand, -bowing and smiling as politely as you please.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I hope you are well,” he said. Then he -began to laugh, as he turned to Buster John. -“You may think it is a great joke to come to the -spring, but it’s no joke to me. I have had a very -hard time getting here, but I just had to come. -Mrs. Meadows thinks there is a total eclipse going -on, and Mr. Rabbit has gone to bed and covered -up his head.”</p> -<div id='i012' class='figcenter id004'> -<img src='images/i012.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>“HOW DID YOU GET HERE?”</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“How did you get here?” asked Buster John.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Through the big poplar yonder,” said Mr. -Thimblefinger. “It is hollow from top to bottom, -but it was so dark I could hardly find my -way. The jay birds used to go down through -the poplar every Friday until I put up the bars -and shut them out. I had almost forgotten the -road.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well,” said Buster John, “I covered the -spring so that you might know we hadn’t forgotten -you. I dropped an apple in the other day, -but you paid no attention to it.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I saw the apple,” remarked Mr. Thimblefinger, -“but it didn’t stay in the spring long. It -disappeared in a few minutes.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Aha! I know!” exclaimed Drusilla. “Dat -ar Minervy nigger got it. I seed her comin’ -long eatin’ a apple, and I boun’ you she de ve’y -nigger what got it.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, well!” said Mr. Thimblefinger. “It -makes no difference now, and if you’ll get ready -we’ll go now pretty soon.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Why, I thought you couldn’t go down through -the spring until nine minutes and nine seconds -after twelve,” suggested Buster John.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The water gets wet or goes dry with the -tide,” Mr. Thimblefinger explained. “To-day we -shall have to go at nineteen minutes and nineteen -seconds after nine. It was nine minutes and -nine seconds after twelve before, and now it is -nineteen minutes and nineteen seconds after nine. -Multiply nineteen by nineteen, add the answer together, -and you get nothing but nines. You see -we have to go by a system.” Mr. Thimblefinger -was very solemn as he said this. “Now, then, -come on. We haven’t any time to waste. When -the nines get after us, we must be going. There -are four of us now, but if we were to be multiplied -by nine there would be nine of us, and nine -is an odd number.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“How would we be nine?” asked Buster John.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“It’s very simple,” replied Mr. Thimblefinger. -“Nine times four are thirty-six. Three and six -stand for thirty-six, and six and three are nine.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Buster John laughed as he ran to remove the -boards from the spring. In a few moments they -were all ready in spite of Drusilla’s protests, and -at nineteen minutes and nineteen seconds after -nine they walked through the spring gate into -Mr. Thimblefinger’s queer country.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch02' class='c007'>II.<br /> <br /> WHERE THE THUNDER LIVES.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c012'>Mrs. Meadows, Mr. Rabbit, Chickamy Crany -Crow, and Tickle-My-Toes were very glad to see -the children, especially Mrs. Meadows, who did -everything she could to make the youngsters feel -that they had conferred a great obligation on her -by coming back again.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I’ll be bound you forgot to bring me the -apple I told you about,” said she.</p> - -<p class='c013'>But Sweetest Susan had not forgotten. She -had one in her pocket. It was not very large, -but the sun had painted it red and yellow, and -the south winds that kissed it had left it fragrant -with the perfume of summer.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, I declare!” exclaimed Mrs. Meadows. -“To think you should remember an old woman! -You are just as good and as nice as you -can be!” She thanked Sweetest Susan so heartily -that Buster John began to look and feel uncomfortable,—seeing -which, Mrs. Meadows placed -her hand gently on his shoulder. “Never mind,” -said she, “boys are not expected to be as thoughtful -as girls. The next time you come, you may -bring me a hatful, if you can manage to think -about it.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“He might start wid ’em,” remarked Drusilla, -“but ’fo’ he got here he’d set down an’ eat ’em -all up, ter keep from stumpin’ his toe an’ spillin’ -’em.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Buster John had a reply ready, but he did not -make any, for just at that moment a low, rumbling -sound was heard. It seemed to come nearer -and grow louder, and then it died away in the -distance.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“What is that?” asked Mrs. Meadows, in an -impressive whisper.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Thunder,” answered Mr. Rabbit, who had -listened intently. “Thunder, as sure as you’re -born.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Yes,” said Mr. Thimblefinger. “I saw a -cloud coming up next door, just before we came -through the spring gate.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I must be getting nervous in my old age,” -remarked Mrs. Meadows. “I had an idea that it -was too late in the season for thunder-storms.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“That may be so,” replied Mr. Thimblefinger, -“but it’s never too late for old man Thunder to -rush out on his front porch and begin to cut up -his capers. But there’s no harm in him.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But the Lightning kills people sometimes,” -said Buster John.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The Lightning? Oh, yes, but I was talking -about old man Thunder,” replied Mr. Thimblefinger. -“When I was a boy, I once heard of a -little girl”—Mr. Thimblefinger suddenly put -his hand over his mouth and hung his head, as if -he had been caught doing something wrong.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Why, what in the world is the matter?” -asked Mrs. Meadows.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Oh, nothing,” replied Mr. Thimblefinger. -“I simply forgot my manners.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I don’t see how,” remarked Mr. Rabbit, -frowning.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Why, I was about to tell a story before I had -been asked.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, you won’t disturb me by telling a story, -I’m sure,” said Mr. Rabbit. “I can nod just as -well when some one is talking as when everything -is still. You won’t pester me at all. Just go -ahead.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Maybe it isn’t story-telling time,” suggested -Mrs. Meadows.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Oh, don’t say that,” cried Sweetest Susan. -“If it is a story, please tell it.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, it is nothing but a plain, every-day -story. After you hear it you’ll lean back in your -chair and wonder why somebody didn’t take hold -of it and twist it into a real old-fashioned tale. -It’s old fashioned enough, the way I heard it, but -I always thought that the person who heard it -first must have forgotten parts of it.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“We won’t mind that,” said Sweetest Susan.</p> - -<p class='c013'>Mr. Thimblefinger settled himself comfortably -and began:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Once upon a time—I don’t know how long -ago, but not very long, for the tale was new to -me when I first heard it—once upon a time there -was a little girl about your age and size who was -curious to know something about everything that -happened. She wanted to know how a bird could -fly, and why the clouds floated, and she was all -the time trying to get at the bottom of things.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, one day when the sky was covered with -clouds, the Thunder came rolling along, knocking -at everybody’s door and running a race with the -noise it made; the little girl listened and wondered -what the Thunder was and where it went to. It -wasn’t long before the Thunder came rumbling -along again, making a noise like a four-horse -wagon running away on a covered bridge.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“While the little girl was standing there, wondering -and listening, an old man with a bundle on -his back and a stout staff in his hand came along -the road. He bowed and smiled when he saw the -little girl, but as she didn’t return the bow or the -smile, being too much interested in listening for -the Thunder, he paused and asked her what the -trouble was.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I hope you are not lost?’ he said.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Oh, no, sir,’ she replied; ‘I was listening -for the Thunder and wondering where it goes.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well, as you seem to be a very good little -girl,’ the old man said, ‘I don’t mind telling you. -The Thunder lives on top of yonder mountain. -It is not so far away.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Oh, I should like ever so much to go there!’ -exclaimed the little girl.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Why not?’ said the old man. ‘The mountain -is on my road, and, if you say the word, we’ll -go together.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The little girl took the old man’s hand and -they journeyed toward the mountain where the -Thunder had his home. The way was long, but -somehow they seemed to go very fast. The old -man took long strides forward, and he was strong -enough to lift the little girl at every step, so that -when they reached the foot of the mountain she -was not very tired.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But, as the mountain was very steep and high, -the two travelers stopped to rest themselves before -they began to climb it. Its sides seemed to be -rough and dark, but far up on the topmost peak -the clouds had gathered, and from these the -Lightning flashed incessantly. The little girl -saw the flashes and asked what they meant.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Wherever the Thunder lives,’ replied the old -man, ‘there the Lightning builds its nest. No -doubt the wind has blown the clouds about and -torn them apart and scattered them. The Lightning -is piling them together again, and fixing a -warm, soft place to sleep to-night.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“When they had rested awhile, the old man -said it was time to be going, and then he made -the little girl climb on his back. At first she -didn’t want the old man to carry her; but he -declared that she would do him a great favor by -climbing on his back and holding his bundle in -place. So she sat upon the bundle, and in this -way they went up the high mountain, going -almost as rapidly as the little girl could run on -level ground. She enjoyed it very much, for, -although the old man went swiftly, he went -smoothly, and the little girl felt as safe and as -comfortable as if she had been sitting in a rocking-chair.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“When they had come nearly to the top of the -mountain, the old man stopped and lifted the little -girl from his back. ‘I can go no farther,’ he -said. ‘The rest of the way you will have to go -alone. There is nothing to fear. Up the mountain -yonder you can see the gable of the Thunder’s -house. Go to the door, knock, and do not -be alarmed at any noise you hear. When the -time comes for you to go, you will find me awaiting -you here.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The little girl hesitated, but she had come so -far to see where the Thunder lived that she would -not turn back now. So she went forward, and -soon came to the door of Mr. Thunder’s house. -It was a very big door to a very big house. The -knocker was so heavy that the little girl could -hardly lift it, and when she let it fall against the -panel, the noise it made jarred the building and -sent a loud echo rolling and tumbling down the -mountain. The little girl thought, ‘What have I -done? If the Thunder is taking a nap before -dinner, he’ll be very angry.’</p> -<div id='i022' class='figcenter id005'> -<img src='images/i022.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>SHE WAITED A LITTLE WHILE</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“She waited a little while, not feeling very -comfortable. Presently she heard heavy footsteps -coming down the wide hall to the door.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I thought I heard some one knocking,’ said -a hoarse, gruff voice. Then the big door flew -open, and there, standing before her, the little girl -saw a huge figure that towered almost to the top -of the high door. It wore heavy boots, a big -overcoat, and under its long, thick beard there -was a muffler a yard wide. The little girl was -very much frightened at first, but she soon remembered -that there was nothing for such a little -bit of a girl to be afraid of.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The figure, that seemed to be so terrible at -first glance, had nothing threatening about it. -‘Who knocked at the door?’ it cried.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Its voice sounded so loud that the little girl -put her fingers in her ears.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Don’t talk so loud, please,’ she said. ‘I’m -not deaf.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Oh!’ cried the giant at the door. ‘You are -there, are you? You are so small I didn’t see -you at first. Come in!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The little girl started to go in, and then -paused. ‘Are you the Thunder?’ she asked.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Why, of course,’ was the reply; ‘who else -did you think it was?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I didn’t know,’ said the little girl. ‘I -wanted to be certain about it.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Come in,’ said the Thunder. ‘It isn’t often -I have company from the people below, and I’m -glad you found me at home.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>The Thunder led the way down the hall and -into a wide sitting-room, where a fire was burning -brightly in the biggest fireplace the little girl had -ever seen. A two-horse wagon could turn around -in it without touching the andirons. A pair of -tongs as tall as a man stood in one corner, and in -the other corner was a shovel to match. A long -pipe lay on the mantel.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘There’s no place for you to sit except on the -floor,’ said the Thunder.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I can sit on the bed,’ suggested the little -girl.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The Thunder laughed so loudly that the little -girl had to close her ears again. ‘Why, that is -no bed,’ the Thunder said when it could catch its -breath; ‘that’s my footstool.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well,’ said the little girl, ‘it’s big enough -for a bed. It’s very soft and nice.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I find it very comfortable,’ said the Thunder, -‘especially when I get home after piloting a -tornado through the country. It is tough work, -as sure as you are born.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The Thunder took the long pipe from the -mantel and lit it with a pine splinter, the flame of -which flashed through the windows with dazzling -brightness.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Folks will say that is heat lightning,’ remarked -the little girl.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Yes,’ replied the Thunder; ‘farmers to the -north of us will say there is going to be a drought, -because of lightning in the south. Farmers to -the south of us will say there’s going to be rain, -because of lightning in the north. None of them -knows that I am smoking my pipe.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But somehow, in turning around, the Thunder -knocked the big tongs over, and they fell upon -the floor with a tremendous crash. The floor -appeared to give forth a sound like a drum, only -a thousand times louder, and, although the little -girl had her fingers in her ears, she could hear -the echoes roused under the house by the falling -tongs go rattling down the mountain side and out -into the valley beyond.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The Thunder sat in the big armchair smoking, -and listening with legs crossed. The little -girl appeared to be sorry that she had come.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Now, that is too bad,’ said the Thunder. -‘The Whirlwind in the south will hear that and -come flying; the West Wind will hear it and -come rushing, and they will drag the clouds after -them, thinking that I am ready to take my ride. -But it’s all my fault. Instead of turning the -winds in the pasture, I ought to have put them in -the stable. Here they come now!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The little girl listened, and, sure enough, the -whirlwinds from the south and the west came -rushing around the house of the Thunder. The -west wind screamed around the windows, and the -whirlwinds from the south whistled through the -cracks and keyholes.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I guess I’ll have to go with them,’ said the -Thunder, rising from the chair and walking -around the room. ‘It’s the only way to quiet -them.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Do you always wear your overcoat?’ the little -girl asked.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Always,’ replied the Thunder. ‘There’s no -telling what moment I’ll be called. Sometimes I -go just for a frolic, and sometimes I am obliged -to go. Will you stay until I return?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Oh, no,’ the little girl replied; ‘the house is -too large. I should be afraid to stay here alone.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I am sorry,’ said the Thunder. ‘Come and -see me get in my carriage.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“They went to the door. The whirlwinds -from the south and the winds from the west had -drawn the clouds to the steps, and into these the -Thunder climbed.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Good-by,’ he cried to the little girl. ‘Stay -where you are until we are out of sight.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“There was a flash of light, a snapping sound, -a rattling crash, and the Thunder, with the clouds -for his carriage and the winds for his horses, went -roaming and rumbling through the sky, over the -hills and valleys.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Mr. Thimblefinger paused and looked at the -children. They, expecting him to go on, said -nothing.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“How did you like my story?” he asked.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Is it a story?” inquired Buster John.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, call it a tale,” said Mr. Thimblefinger.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Hit’s too high up in de elements for ter suit -me,” said Drusilla, candidly.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“What became of the little girl?” asked -Sweetest Susan.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“When the Thunder rolled away,” said Mr. -Thimblefinger, “she went back to where the old -man was awaiting her, and he, having nothing to -do, carried her to the Jumping-Off Place.”</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch03' class='c007'>III.<br /> <br />THE JUMPING-OFF PLACE.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c012'>The children looked at Mr. Thimblefinger to -see whether he was joking about the Jumping-Off -Place, but he seemed to be very serious.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I have heard of the Jumping-Off Place,” remarked -Mrs. Meadows, “but I had an idea it was -just a saying.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well,” replied Mr. Thimblefinger, “where -you see a good deal of smoke, there must be some -fire. When you hear a great many different people -talking about anything, there must be something -in it.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“What did the little girl see when she got -to the Jumping-Off Place?” inquired Sweetest -Susan.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“It was this way,” said Mr. Thimblefinger: -“When the whirlwinds from the south and the -winds from the west, working in double harness, -carried the thick clouds away, and the Thunder -with them, the little girl went back to the place -where she had left the old man who had carried -her up the mountain.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“She found him waiting. He was sitting at -the foot of a tree, sleeping peacefully, but he -awoke at once.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘You see I am waiting for you,’ he said. -‘How did you enjoy your visit?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I didn’t enjoy it much,’ replied the little -girl. ‘Everything was so large, and the Thunder -made so much fuss.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I hope you didn’t mind that,’ said the old -man. ‘The Thunder is a great growler and -grumbler, but when that’s said, all’s said. I -am sorry, though, you didn’t have a good time. -I suppose you think it is my fault, but it isn’t. -If you say so, I’ll go to the Jumping-Off Place.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Where is that?’ asked the little girl.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Just beyond the Well at the End of the -World.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘If it isn’t too far, let’s go there,’ said the -little girl.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So the old man lifted her on his back, and -they went on their way. They must have gone -very swiftly, for it wasn’t long before they came -to the Well at the End of the World. An old -woman was sitting near the Well, combing her -hair. She paid no attention to the travelers, nor -they to her. When they had gone beyond the -Well a little distance, the little girl noticed that -the sky appeared to be very close at hand. It -was no longer blue, but dark, and seemed to -hang down like a blanket or a curtain.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But that couldn’t be, you know,” said Buster -John, “for the sky is no sky at all. It is -nothing but space.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“How comes it dey call it sky, ef ’t ain’t no -sky?” asked Drusilla, indignantly. “An’ how -come’t ain’t no sky, when it’s right up dar, plain -ez de han’ fo’ yo’ face? Dat what I’d like ter -know.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Why, the moon is thousands of miles away,” -said Buster John, “and some of the stars are -millions and millions of miles farther than the -moon.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Dat what dey say,” replied Drusilla, “but -how dey know? Whar de string what dey -medjud ’em wid? Tell me dat!”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“What about our sky?” asked Mrs. Meadows, -smiling. “You would never think it was only -the bottom of the spring if you didn’t know it; -now would you?”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Buster John had nothing to say in reply to -this. Whereupon Sweetest Susan begged Mr. -Thimblefinger to please go on with his story.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well,” said he, “if I am to go on with it, -I’ll have to tell it just as I heard it. I’ll have -to put the sky just where I was told it was. -When the little girl and the old man came close -to the Jumping-Off Place, they saw that the sky -was hanging close at hand. It may have been -far, it may have been near, but to the little girl -it seemed to be close enough to touch, and she -wished very much for a long pole, so that she -could see whether it was made of muslin or ginghams.</p> -<div id='i032' class='figcenter id006'> -<img src='images/i032.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>PRESENTLY THEY CAME TO A PRECIPICE</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“Presently they came to a precipice. There -was nothing beyond it and nothing below it. -‘This,’ said the old man to the little girl, ‘is the -Jumping-Off Place.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Does any one jump off here?’ said the little -girl.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Not that I know of,’ replied the old man, -‘but if they should take a notion to, the place is -all ready for them.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Where would I fall to, if I jumped off?’ the -little girl asked.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘To Nowhere,’ answered the old man.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘That is very funny,’ said the little girl.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Yes,’ remarked the old man, ‘you can get -to the End of the World, but you would have to -travel many a long year before you get to Nowhere. -Some say it is a big city, some say it -is a high mountain, and some say it is a wide -plain.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The little girl went to the Jumping-Off Place -and looked over, the old man holding her hand.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Why, I see the moon shining down there,’ -she said. She was glad to see so familiar a face.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The old man laughed. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘the -moon is very fond of shining down there, and it -runs away from the sun every chance it gets, and -hunts up the darkest places, so that it may shine -there undisturbed. To-day it is shining down -there where the sun can’t see it, but to-night it -will creep up here, when the sun goes away, and -shine the whole night through.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Turning back, the old man and the little girl -came again to the Well at the End of the World. -The old woman was sitting there, combing her -long white hair. This time she looked hard at -the little girl and smiled, singing:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c014'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“‘When the heart is young the well is dry—</div> - <div class='line in1'>Oh, it’s good-by, dearie! good-by!’</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c015'>“But the old man shook his head. ‘We have -not come here for nothing, Sister Jane,’ he said. -With that he took a small vial, tied a long string -to it, and let it down the well. He fished about -until the vial was full of water, drew it to the top, -and corked it tightly. The water sparkled in the -sun as if it were full of small diamonds. Then -he placed it carefully in his pocket, bowed politely -to the old woman, who was still combing -her long, white hair, and, smiling, lifted the little -girl to his back, and returned along the road they -had come, past the Thunder’s house and down -the mountain side, until they reached the little -girl’s home. Then he took the vial of sparkling -water from his pocket. ‘Take it,’ he said, ‘and -wherever you go keep it with you. Touch a drop -of it to your forehead when Friday is the thirteenth -day of a month, and you will grow up to -be both wise and beautiful. When you are in -trouble, turn the vial upside down—so—and -hold it in that position while you count twenty-six, -and some of your friends will come to your -aid.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The little girl thanked the old man as politely -as she knew how.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Do you know why I have carried you to the -Thunder’s house and to the Jumping-Off Place, -and why I have given you a vial of this rare -water?’ The little girl shook her head. ‘Well, -one day, not long ago, you were sitting by the -roadside with some of your companions. You -were all eating cake. A beggar came along and -asked for a piece. You alone gave him any, and -you gave him all you had.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Were you the beggar?’ asked the little girl, -smiling and blushing.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘That I leave you to guess,’ replied the old -man. He kissed the little girl’s hand, and was -soon hid from sight by a turn in the road.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Mr. Thimblefinger stopped short here, and -waited to see what the children would say. They -had listened attentively, but they manifested no -very great interest.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I reckon they think there is more talk than -tale in what you have told,” remarked Mr. Rabbit, -leaning back in his chair. “That’s the way -it appeared to me.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, I’ll not say that I have come to the -end of my story,” remarked Mr. Thimblefinger, -with some show of dignity, “but I have come to -the part where we can rest awhile, so as to give -Mr. Rabbit a chance to see if he can do any better. -We’ll allow the little girl to grow some, -just as she does in the story.”</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch04' class='c007'>IV.<br /> <br />THE BLUE HEN’S CHICKEN.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“I’m not much of a story-teller,” said Mr. -Rabbit, “and I never set up for one, but I will -say that I like the rough-and-tumble tales a great -deal better than I do the kind where some great -somebody is always coming in with conjurings -and other carryings-on. It’s on account of my -raising, I reckon.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, stories can’t be all alike,” remarked -Mrs. Meadows. “You might as well expect a -fiddle to play one tune.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Tell us the kind of story you like best,” said -Buster John to Mr. Rabbit.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“No, not now,” responded Mr. Rabbit. “I’ll -do that some other time. I happened to think -just now of a little circumstance that I used to -hear mentioned when I was younger.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“In the country next door there used to be a -great many chickens. Some were of the barnyard -breed, some were of the kind they call game, -some were black, some were white, some were -brown, some were speckled, and some had their -feathers curled the wrong way. Among all these -there was one whose name, as well as I can remember, -was Mrs. Blue Hen.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Was she really blue?” Sweetest Susan inquired.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, not an indigo blue,” replied Mr. Rabbit, -after reflecting a moment, “nor yet a sky -blue. She was just a plain, dull, every-day blue. -But, such as she was, she was very fine. She belonged -to one of the first families and moved in -the very best circles. She was trim-looking, so -I’ve heard said, and, as she grew older, came to -have a very bad temper, so much so that she used -to fly at a hawk if he came near her premises. -Some of her neighbors used to whisper it around -that she tried to crow like a rooster, but this was -after she had grown old and hard-headed.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“When Mrs. Blue Hen was growing up, she -was very nice and particular. She couldn’t bear -to get water on her feet, and she was always -shaking the dust from her clothes. Some said -she was finicky, and some said she was nervous. -Once, when she fanned out little Billy Bantam, -who called on her one day, a great many of her -acquaintances said she would never settle down -and make a good housekeeper.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But after awhile Mrs. Blue Hen concluded -that it was about time for her to have a family of -her own, so she went away off from the other -chickens and made her a nest in the middle of a -thick briar patch. She made her a nest there and -laid an egg. It was new and white, and Mrs. -Blue Hen was very proud of it. She was so -proud, in fact, that, although she had made up -her mind to make no fuss over it, she went running -and cackling toward the house, just as any -common hen would do. She made so much fuss -that away down in the branch Mr. Willy Weasel -winked at Miss Mimy Mink.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Do you hear that?’ says he.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I never heard anything plainer in my life,’ -says she.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Mrs. Blue Hen was so proud of her new, -white egg that she went back after awhile to look -at it. There it was, shining white in the grass. -She covered it up and hid it as well as she could, -and then she went about getting dinner ready.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The next morning she went to the nest and -laid another egg just like the first one. This -happened for three mornings; but on the fourth -morning, when Mrs. Blue Hen went back, she -found four eggs in the nest, and all four appeared -to be dingy and muddy looking. She was very -much astonished and alarmed, as well she might -be, for here right before her eyes she saw four -eggs, when she knew in reason that there should -be but three; and not only that, they were all -dingy and dirty.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Mrs. Blue Hen was so excited that she took -off her bonnet and began to fan herself. Then -she wondered whether she had not made a miscount; -whether she had not really laid four instead -of three eggs. The more she thought about -it, the more confused she became. She hung her -bonnet on a blackberry bush and tried to count -off the days on her toes. She began to count,—’One, -two, three,’—and she would have stopped -there, but she couldn’t. She had four toes on -her foot, and she was compelled to count them -all. There was a toe on the foot for every egg -in the nest.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“This caused Mrs. Blue Hen to feel somewhat -more comfortable in mind and body, but she was -left in such a hysterical state that she went off -cackling nervously, and postponed laying an egg -until late in the afternoon. After that there were -five in the nest, and she kept on laying until there -were ten altogether. Then Mrs. Blue Hen rumpled -up her feathers and got mad with herself, and -went to setting. I reckon that’s what you call -it. I’ve heard some call it ‘setting’ and others -‘sitting.’ Once, when I was courting, I spoke of -a sitting hen, but the young lady said I was too -prissy for anything.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“What is prissy?” asked Sweetest Susan.</p> - -<p class='c013'>Mr. Rabbit shut his eyes and scratched his ear. -Then he shook his head slowly.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“It’s nothing but a girl’s word,” remarked -Mrs. Meadows by way of explanation. “It means -that somebody’s trying hard to show off.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I reckon that’s so,” said Mr. Rabbit, opening -his eyes. He appeared to be much relieved. -“Well, Mrs. Blue Hen got mad and went to setting. -She was in a snug place and nobody bothered -her. It was such a quiet place that she could -hear Mr. Willy Weasel and Miss Mimy Mink gossiping -in the calamus bushes, and she could hear -Mrs. Puddle Duck wading in the branch. One -day Mrs. Puddle Duck made so bold as to push -her way through the briars and look in upon -Mrs. Blue Hen. But her visit was not relished. -Mrs. Blue Hen rumpled her feathers up and -spread out her tail to such a degree and squalled -out such a harsh protest that Mrs. Puddle Duck -was glad to waddle off with whole bones. But -when she got back to the branch she spluttered -about a good deal, crying out:</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Aha! aha! quack, quack! Aha! You are -there, are you? Aha! you’ll have trouble before -you get away. Aha!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now the fact was that Mrs. Puddle Duck was -the very one that had caused Mrs. Blue Hen all -the trouble,” said Mr. Rabbit, nodding his head -solemnly. “While wading in the branch, Mrs. -Puddle Duck had seen Mrs. Blue Hen going to -her nest for three days, slipping and creeping -through the weeds and bushes, and she wanted -to know what all the slipping and creeping was -about. So, on the third day Mrs. Puddle Duck -did some slipping and creeping on her own account. -She crept up close enough to see Mrs. -Blue Hen on her nest, and she was near enough to -see Mrs. Blue Hen when she ran away cackling.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Then Mrs. Puddle Duck waddled up and -peeped in the nest. There she saw three eggs as -white and as smooth as ivory, and the sight filled -her with jealousy. She began to talk to herself:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I knew she must be mighty proud, the stuck-up -thing! I can see that by the way she steps -around here. Quack, quack! and I’ll just show -her a thing or two.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Then and there Mrs. Puddle Duck, all muddy -as she was, got in Mrs. Blue Hen’s nest and sat -on her beautiful white eggs and soiled them. -And even that was not all. Out of pure spite -Mrs. Puddle Duck laid one of her own dingy-looking -eggs in Mrs. Blue Hen’s nest, and that -was the cause of all the trouble. That was the -reason Mrs. Blue Hen found four dingy eggs in -her nest when there ought to have been three -clean white ones.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, Mrs. Blue Hen went to setting, and -after so long a time nine little chickens were -hatched. She was very proud of them. She -taught them how to talk, and then she wanted to -get off her nest and teach them how to scratch -about and earn their own living. But there was -still one egg to hatch, and so Mrs. Blue Hen continued -to set on it. One day she made up her -mind to take her chicks off and leave the egg that -wouldn’t hatch. The old Speckled Hen happened -to be passing and Mrs. Blue Hen asked -her advice. But the old Speckled Hen was very -much shocked when she heard the particulars.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘What! with nine chickens!’ she cried. -‘Why, nine is an odd number. It would never -do in the world. Hatch out the other egg.’</p> -<div id='i042' class='figcenter id007'> -<img src='images/i042.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>ONE OF THEM WAS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT FROM ALL THE REST</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“But young people are very impatient, and -Mrs. Blue Hen was young. She fretted and worried -a good deal, but in a few days the tenth egg -hatched. Mrs. Blue Hen felt very much better -after this. In fact, she felt so comfortable that -she didn’t take the trouble to look at the chicken -that hatched from the tenth egg. But when she -brought her children off the nest she was very -much astonished to find that one of them was entirely -different from all the rest. She was not -only surprised, but shocked. Nine of her children -were as neat-looking as she could wish them -to be, but the tenth one was a sight to see. It -had weak eyes, a bill as broad as a case-knife, and -big, flat feet. Its feet were so big that it waddled -when it walked, and all the toes of each foot -were joined together.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Mrs. Blue Hen had very high notions. She -wanted everybody to think that she belonged to -the quality, but this wabbly chicken with a broad -bill and a foot that had no instep to it took her -pride down a peg. She kept her children hid as -long as she could, but she had to come out in -public after a while, and when she did—well, -I’ll let you know there was an uproar in the -barnyard. The old Speckled Hen was the first -to begin it. She cried out:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Look—look—look! Look at the Blue -Hen’s chickens!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Then the Guinea hens began to laugh, and the -old Turkey Gobbler was so tickled he came near -swallowing his snout. Mrs. Blue Hen hung her -head with shame, and carried her children away -off in the woods.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But her flat-footed chicken gave rise to a byword -in all that country. When any stranger -came along looking rough and ragged, it was -the common saying that he was the Blue Hen’s -chicken.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I’ve heard it many a time,” remarked Mrs. -Meadows.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“There was no story in that,” Buster John -suggested.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“No,” replied Mr. Rabbit. “Just some every-day -facts picked up and strung together.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Speaking of stories,” said Mrs. Meadows, “I -have one in my mind that is a sure enough story—one -of the old-fashioned kind.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, please, ma’am, tell it,” said Buster -John, so seriously that they all laughed except -Mr. Rabbit.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch05' class='c007'>V.<br /> <br />HOW A KING WAS FOUND.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“What about the little girl who had the vial of -sparkling water?” said Sweetest Susan, turning -to Mr. Thimblefinger, just as Mrs. Meadows was -about to begin her story.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Oh, she is growing,” replied Mr. Thimblefinger.</p> - -<p class='c013'>Buster John frowned at his sister, as boys will -do when they are impatient, and Sweetest Susan -said no more.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Once upon a time,” Mrs. Meadows began, -rubbing her chin thoughtfully, “there was a -country that suddenly found itself without a king. -This was a long time ago, before people in some -parts of the world began to think it was unfashionable -to have kings. I don’t know what -the trouble was exactly, whether the king died, -or whether he was carried off, or whether he did -something to cause the people to take away his -crown and put him in the calaboose.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Anyhow, they suddenly found themselves -without a king, and it made them feel very uncomfortable. -They were so restless and uneasy that -they couldn’t sleep well at night. They were in -the habit of having a king to govern them, and -they felt very nervous without one.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now in that country there were eleven wise -men whose trade it was to give advice. Instead -of falling out and wrangling with one another -and ruining their business, these eleven wise men -had formed a copartnership and set up a sort -of store, where anybody and everybody could get -advice by the wholesale or retail. I don’t know -whether they charged anything, because there -never has been a time since the world had more -than two people in it that advice wasn’t as cheap -as dirt.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The eleven wise men were there, ready to -give advice, and so the people went to them and -asked them how to select a king. The eleven -wise men put their heads together, and after -a while they told the people that they must select -nine of their best men and send them out on the -roads leading to the capital city, and when these -nine men found a man sleeping in the shade of a -tree, they were to watch him for four hours, and -if the shadow of the tree stood still so as to keep -the sun from shining on him, he was the one to -select for their king. Then the eleven wise men, -looking very solemn, bowed the people out, and -the people went off and selected nine of their -best men to find them a king.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now it happened that in a part of the country -not far from the capital city there lived a boy -with his mother and stepfather. They were not -poor and they were not rich, but everybody said -the boy was the handsomest and brightest that -had ever been seen in that section. He was about -sixteen years old, and was very strong and tall.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“One day, when the stepfather was in the village -near which they lived, a stranger passed -through on his way to the capital city. He had -neither wallet nor staff, but he drew a great crowd -of idle people around him. He was carrying a -red rooster, and although the fowl’s feet were tied -together and his head hanging down, he crowed -lustily every few minutes. It was this that drew -the crowd of idle people. One with more curiosity -than the rest asked the stranger why the -rooster crowed and continued to crow.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘He is a royal bird,’ the stranger replied. -‘There is no king in this country, and whoever -eats this bird’s head will reign as king.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘He must be worth a pretty sum,’ said one.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘By no means,’ answered the stranger. ‘He -is worth no more than a silver piece.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But the people only laughed. They thought -the stranger was making fun of them. He went -on his way, and had soon passed beyond the village. -Now it chanced that the stepfather of the -bright and handsome boy was in the crowd that -gathered around the stranger. He thought it -was very queer that a rooster should be crowing -so bravely when his legs were tied together and -while his head was hanging down. So he said to -himself that there might be some truth in what -the stranger said. He ran after the man and soon -overtook him.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘That is a fine fowl,’ said the boy’s stepfather.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘It is a royal bird,’ the stranger replied.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘What is he worth?’ asked the boy’s stepfather.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I shall be glad to get rid of him,’ said the -stranger. ‘Give me a piece of silver and take -him.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“This was soon done, and the stepfather took -the rooster under his arm.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Remember this,’ remarked the stranger; ‘if -you eat the head of that bird you will reign in -this country as king.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Oh, ho!’ laughed the boy’s stepfather, ‘you -are a fine joker.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“With the fowl under his arm he went toward -his home. He had gone but a little way when he -turned to look at the stranger, but the man had -disappeared. The country was level for a long -distance in all directions, but the stranger could -not be seen.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The boy’s stepfather carried the fowl home -and said to his wife:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Cook this bird for supper. Cook the head -also.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The man was afraid to tell his wife why he -wanted the head cooked. He knew she was very -fond of her son, and he reasoned to himself that -if she knew what the stranger had said she would -give the head to the boy. So he only told her to -be careful to cook the fowl’s head and save it for -him.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The wife did as she was bid. She cooked the -fowl and the fowl’s head, and placed them away -in the cupboard until her husband and her son -came home. It happened that something kept -the husband in the village a little later than usual, -and while the woman was waiting for him her son -came in and said he was very hungry.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘You will find something in the cupboard,’ -his mother said. ‘Eat a little now, and when -your stepfather returns we will have supper.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The boy went to the cupboard. The fowl -was on a big dish ready to be carved, and the -head was in the saucer by itself. To save time -and trouble the boy took the head and ate it, and -then felt as if he could wait for supper very comfortably. -The husband came, and the woman -proceeded to set the table. When she came to -look for the fowl’s head it was gone.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Why, I ate it,’ said her son, when he heard -her exclamation of surprise. ‘I found it in the -saucer, and I ate it rather than cut the fowl.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The stepfather was angry enough to tear his -hair, but he said nothing. The next day the boy -went hunting. He was ready to return about -noon, but, being tired, he stretched himself in the -shade of a tree and was soon sound asleep.</p> -<div id='i052' class='figcenter id008'> -<img src='images/i052.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>THEY SAW THE HANDSOME BOY SLEEPING</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“While he was sleeping his soundest, the nine -men who had been appointed by the people to -find them a king chanced to pass that way. They -saw the handsome boy sleeping in the shade of -the tree, and they stationed themselves around and -watched him. For four long hours they watched -the boy, but still the shadow of the tree kept -the sun from his face. The nine men consulted -among themselves, and they came to the conclusion -that the shadow of the tree hadn’t moved, -and that the boy was a well-favored lad who -would look very well when he was dressed up and -put on a throne with a crown on his head.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So they shook the boy and aroused him from -his sleep.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘What’s your name?’ asked the spokesman.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Telambus,’ replied the boy.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Where do you live?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Not far from here.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘How would you like to be king?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I have never tried it. Is it an easy trade to -learn?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The nine men looked at each other shrewdly -and smiled. They each had the same thought.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“They went with the boy to his home and saw -his mother, and inquired about his age and his -education, and asked a hundred other questions -besides. They cautioned the woman as they were -leaving to say nothing of their visit except this, -that they were going about hunting for a king -and had called to make some inquiries.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“When her husband came home he had already -heard of the visit of the distinguished company, -and so he asked his wife a thousand questions. -All the answer he got was that the visitors were -hunting for a king.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I’m sure it was for me they were hunting,’ -said the man. ‘How unfortunate that I was -away.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well, don’t worry,’ replied his wife. ‘If -they ever intended to make you king, they’ll come -back after you.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘You don’t seem to think much about it,’ -remarked the man, ‘but some of these days -you’ll find out that you narrowly escaped being -the king’s wife.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The nine citizens were so certain that they -had found the right person to rule over their -country as king, that they made haste to return -to the capital city and tell the news to the eleven -wise men who had sent them out. They made -their report, and the eleven wise men put their -heads together once more. When they had consulted -together a long time, they said to the people:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘There is one test by which you may know -whether a king has been found. Send a messenger -and ask this young man to send us a rope -made of sand a hundred feet long.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The messenger straightway went to the -house of Telambus and told him what the eleven -wise men had said. His mother straightway fell -to crying. But Telambus laughed at her fears.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Tell the eleven wise men,’ he said to the -messenger, ‘that there are various patterns of -sand ropes. Let them send me a sample of the -kind they want—a piece only a foot long—and -I will make them one a hundred feet long.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The messenger returned to the eleven wise -men and told them what Telambus had said. -They put their heads together again and then told -the people that the young man was wise enough -to be their king. There was great rejoicing then, -and the nine wise men who had found him went -to fetch him.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But Telambus shook his head. ‘Kings are -not carried about in this way. Where are your -banners and your chariots? Where are your -drums and your cymbals?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So the nine men returned to the eleven wise -men and told them what Telambus had said.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘He is right,’ said the eleven wise men. ‘He -is a king already. Get your horses, your chariots, -your banners, and your music, and bring our -king in as he deserves to be brought.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So Telambus was made the king of that -country.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>At this point Mrs. Meadows began to hunt for -a knitting-needle she had dropped, and the children -knew that the story was ended.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“That was a pretty good story,” said Mr. -Thimblefinger. “It was short and sweet, as the -king-bird said to the honey-bee.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Dey wuz too much kingin’ in it ter suit me. -Ef folks got ter have kings, how come we ain’t -got none?” asked Drusilla.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Please tell me about the little girl with the -vial of sparkling water from the Well at the End -of the World,” said Sweetest Susan to Mr. Thimblefinger. -“I expect she is nearly grown by this -time.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Oh, yes,” replied Mr. Thimblefinger, “she -has now grown to be quite a young lady.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Huh!” grunted Drusilla, “ef folks grow up -dat quick, I dunner what hinder me from bein’ -a ol’ gray-head ’oman by sundown.”</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch06' class='c007'>VI.<br /> <br />THE MAGIC RING.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“Don’t you see,” said Mr. Thimblefinger, with -apparent seriousness, “that if we hadn’t left off -the story of the little girl who went to the Well -at the End of the World just where we did, she -would have had no time to grow?”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Buster John smiled faintly, but Sweetest Susan -took the statement seriously, though she said -nothing. Drusilla boldly indorsed it.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I speck dat’s so,” she said, “kaze when de -lil’ gal got back home wid dat vial she wa’n’t in -no fix fer ter cut up dem kind er capers what de -tales tell about.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Certainly not,” remarked Mr. Thimblefinger, -“but now she has had time to grow up to be a -young lady, almost. Names go for so little down -here that I haven’t told you hers. She was -named Eolen. Some said it was a beautiful name, -but her stepmother and her stepmother’s daughter -said it was very ugly. Anyhow, that was her -name, and whether it was ugly or whether it was -beautiful, she had to make the best of it.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, Eolen went home when the old man -gave her the vial of water from the Well at the -End of the World. She hid the vial beneath her -apron until she reached her own room, and then -she placed it at the very bottom of her little trunk,—a -trunk that had belonged to her mother, who -was dead.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Nothing happened for a long time. Whenever -Friday fell on the thirteenth of a month, -Eolen would rub a drop of the sparkling water -on her forehead, and she grew to be the loveliest -young lady that ever was seen. Her stepsister -was not bad-looking, but, compared with Eolen, -she was ugly. The contrast between them was so -great that people could not help noticing it and -making remarks about it. Some of these remarks -came to the ears of her stepmother.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now a stepmother can be just as nice and as -good as anybody, but this particular stepmother -cared for nothing except her own child, and she -soon came to hate Eolen for being so beautiful. -She had never treated the child kindly, but now -she began to treat her cruelly. Eolen never told -her father, but somehow he seemed to know what -was going on, and he treated her more affectionately -each day, as her stepmother grew more -cruel.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“This lasted for some time, but finally Eolen’s -father fell ill and died, and then, although she -had many admirers, she was left without a friend -she could confide in or rely on. To make matters -worse, her stepmother produced a will in -which her husband had left everything to her -and nothing to Eolen. The poor girl didn’t -know what to do. She knew that her father had -made no such will, but how could she prove it? -She happened to think of the vial of sparkling -waters. She found it and turned it upside down.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“On the instant there was a loud knock at the -street door. Eolen would have gone to open it, -but her stepmother was there before her. She -peeped from behind the curtains in the hallway, -and saw a tall, richly-dressed stranger standing -on the steps.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I wish to see a young lady who lives here. -She is the daughter of an old friend,’ said the -stranger.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The stepmother smiled very sweetly. ‘Come -in. I will call her.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But instead of calling Eolen she called her -own daughter. The girl went, but not with a -good grace. She had been petted and spoiled, -and was very saucy and impolite. The stranger -smiled when he saw her.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘What was my mother doing when you saw -her sitting by the Well at the End of the World?’ -he asked.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Do you take me for a crazy person?’ replied -the girl.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘By no means,’ said the stranger. ‘You are -not the young lady I came to see.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The stepmother then called Eolen and stood -in the room frowning to see what was going to -happen. Eolen came as soon as she was called, -and the stranger seemed to be much struck by her -beauty and modesty. He took her by the hand -and led her to a chair.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘What was my mother doing when you saw -her sitting by the Well at the End of the World?’ -he asked.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘She was combing her hair,’ replied Eolen.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘That is true,’ remarked the stranger. ‘Yes, -she was combing her hair.’ Then he turned to -the stepmother and said: ‘May I see this young -lady alone for a little while? I have a message -for her from an old friend.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Certainly!’ the stepmother answered. ‘I -hope her friend is well-to-do, for her father has -died without leaving her so much as a farthing.’ -Having said this, the stepmother flounced from -the room.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I came at your summons,’ said the stranger; -‘you turned the vial of sparkling water upside -down, and now I am here to do your bidding.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Then Eolen told him of the death of her -father, and how he had left all of his property -to her stepmother. The stranger listened attentively, -and while he listened played with a heavy -gold ring that he wore on his third finger. When -Eolen was through with her story he took this -ring from his finger and handed it to her.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Look through that,’ he said, ‘and tell me -what you see.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Eolen held the ring to one of her eyes, and -peeped through the golden circle. She was so -surprised that she came near dropping the ring. -She had held it up toward the stranger, but instead -of seeing him through the ring she seemed -to be looking into a room in which some person -was moving about. As she continued to look, the -scene appeared to be a familiar one. The room -was the one her stepmother occupied—the room -in which her father had died. She saw her stepmother -take from her father’s private drawer a -folded paper and hide it behind the mantel. Then -the scene vanished, and through the ring she saw -the stranger smiling at her.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘What you have seen happened some time -ago.’ He took the ring and replaced it on his -finger. ‘Your stepmother is now coming this -way. She has been trying to hear what we are -saying. When she comes in, do you get your -father’s real will from behind the mantel and -bring it to me.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Sure enough the stepmother came into the -room silently and suddenly. She pretended to be -much surprised to find any one there.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘You must excuse me,’ she said to the stranger. -‘I imagined I heard you take your leave -some time ago.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘You are excusable,’ replied the stranger. -‘I have been reflecting rather than talking. I -have been thinking what could be done for your -stepdaughter, who must be quite a burden to -you.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The stepmother took this for an invitation to -tell what she knew about Eolen, and you may be -sure she didn’t waste any praise on the young -lady. But right in the midst of it all Eolen, who -had gone out, returned and handed the stranger -the folded paper that had been hid behind the -mantel. The stepmother recognized it and turned -pale.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘This,’ said the stranger, opening the paper -and reading it at a glance, ‘is your father’s will. -I see he has left you half the property.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘That is the will my husband forgot to destroy,’ -cried the stepmother. ‘I have the real -will.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘May I see it?’ asked the stranger.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The stepmother ran to fetch it, but when the -stranger had opened it, not a line nor a word of -writing could be found on it.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I see you are fond of a joke,’ said the -stranger, but the stepmother had fallen into a -chair and sat with her face hid in her hands. ‘I -am fond of a joke myself,’ continued the stranger, -‘and I think I can match yours.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“With that the stranger took the real will, -tore it in small pieces and threw it into the fireplace.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘What have you done?’ cried Eolen.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘The most difficult thing in the world,’ replied -the stranger; ‘I have made this lady happy.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“And sure enough the stepmother was smiling -and thanking him.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I thought you were my enemy,’ she said, -‘but now I see you are my friend indeed. How -can I repay you?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘By treating this young lady here as your -daughter,’ he replied. ‘Have no fear,’ he said, -turning to Eolen. ‘No harm can befall you. -What I have done is for the best.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But before he went away he gave Eolen the -gold ring, and told her to wear it for the sake of -his mother, who sat by the Well at the End of -the World. She thanked him for his kindness -and promised she would keep the ring and treasure -it as long as she lived.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But there was one trouble with this magic -ring. It was too large for any of Eolen’s fingers. -She had the whitest and most beautiful hands -ever seen, but the ring would fit none of her -fingers. Around her neck she wore a necklace -of coral beads, and on this necklace she hung the -ring.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“For many day’s Eolen’s stepmother was kind -to her, almost too kind. But the woman was -afraid her stepdaughter would inform the judges -of her effort to steal and hide her husband’s will. -The judges were very severe in those days and in -that country, and if the woman had been brought -before them and such a crime proven on her, she -would have been sent to the rack.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“What is a rack?” asked Sweetest Susan.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Hit’s de place whar dey scrunch folks’s ve’y -vitals out’n ’em,” said Drusilla solemnly.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“That’s about right, I reckon,” assented Mr. -Thimblefinger. “Well, the stepmother was as -kind to Eolen as she knew how to be, but the -kindness didn’t last long. She hated her stepdaughter -worse than ever. She was afraid of -her, but she didn’t hate her any the less on that -account.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Eolen had a habit of taking off her coral -necklace and placing it under her pillow at night. -One night, when she was fast asleep, her stepmother -crept into the room and slipped the ring -from the necklace. She had no idea it was a -magic ring. She said to herself that it would -look better on her daughter’s finger than it did -on Eolen’s coral necklace, so she took the ring -and slipped it on the finger of her sleeping daughter, -and then stepped back a little to admire the -big golden circle on the coarse, red hand.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Almost immediately the daughter began to -toss and tumble in her sleep. She flung her arms -wildly about and tried to talk. The mother, becoming -alarmed, tried to wake her, but it was some -time before the girl could be roused from her -troubled sleep.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Oh!’ she cried, when she awoke, ‘what is -the matter with me? I dreamed some one was -cutting my finger off. What was it? Oh! it -hurts me still!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“She held up the finger on which her mother -had placed the ring and tried to tear off the -golden band. ‘It burns—it burns!’ she cried. -‘Take it off.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Her mother tried to take the ring off, but it -was some time before she succeeded. Her daughter -struggled and cried so that it was a hard matter -to remove the ring, which seemed to be as hot -as fire. A red blister was left on the girl’s finger, -and she was in great pain.</p> -<div id='i066' class='figcenter id009'> -<img src='images/i066.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>HER STEPMOTHER CREPT INTO THE ROOM</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“‘What have I done?’ the mother cried, seeing -her daughter’s condition. The two made so -much noise that Eolen awoke and went to the -door to find out what the trouble was.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Go away, you hussy!’ screamed the stepmother -when she saw Eolen at the door. ‘Go -away! You are a witch!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Why, what have I done?’ Eolen asked.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘You are the cause of all this trouble. For -amusement I placed your gold ring on my dear -daughter’s finger, and now see her condition!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Why, then, did you take my ring? If you -had left it where I placed it, you would have had -none of this trouble.’ Eolen spoke with so much -dignity that her stepmother was surprised into -silence, though she could talk faster and louder -than a flutter-mill. But finally she found her -voice.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Go away! You are a witch!’ she said to -Eolen.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But Eolen went boldly into the room. ‘Give -me my ring!’ she exclaimed. ‘You shall wrong -me no further. Give me my ring! I will have -it!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“This roused the stepmother’s temper. She -searched on the floor till she found the ring. -Then she opened a window and flung it as far as -she could send it.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Now let’s see you get it!’ she cried. With -that she seized Eolen by the arm and pushed her -from the room, saying, ‘Go away, you witch!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, then,” said Mr. Thimblefinger, after -pausing to take breath, “what was the poor girl -to do?” He looked at Sweetest Susan as if -expecting her to answer the question.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I’m sure I don’t know,” replied Sweetest -Susan.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Shake up de bottle,” exclaimed Drusilla.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Exactly so,” said Mr. Thimblefinger.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch07' class='c007'>VII.<br /> <br />THE COW WITH THE GOLDEN HORNS.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“I hope that isn’t all of the story,—if you -call it a story,” said Buster John.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Which?” remarked Mr. Thimblefinger, with -an air of having forgotten the whole business.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Why, that about throwing the gold ring from -the window,” replied Buster John.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, no,” said Mr. Thimblefinger, in an absent-minded -way. “In a book, you know, you -can read right on if you want to, or you can put -the book down and rest yourself when you get -tired. But when I’m telling a story, you must -give me time to rest. I’m so little, you know, -that it doesn’t take much to tire me. Of course, -if you don’t like the story, I can stop any time. -It’s no trouble at all to stop. Just wink your -eye at me twice, and I’m mum.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Oh, we don’t want you to stop,” said Sweetest -Susan.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“No, don’t stop,” remarked Mr. Rabbit, drowsily, -“because then everybody gets to talking, -and I can’t doze comfortably. Your stories are -as comforting to me as a feather-bed.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Then I’ll add a bolster to the bed,” exclaimed -Mr. Thimblefinger. He hesitated a moment, -and then went on with the story:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Of course, Eolen didn’t know what to do -when her stepmother threw the gold ring from -the window and pushed her from the room. She -went back to her bed and lay down, but she -couldn’t sleep. After a while daylight came, -and then she dressed herself and went down into -the garden to hunt for the ring. She searched -everywhere, but the ring was not to be found.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now the ring could have been found very -easily if it had been where it fell when Eolen’s -stepmother threw it from the window. But that -night a tame crow, belonging to the Prince of -that country, was roosting in one of the trees in -the garden.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Oh, was it a sure enough Prince?” asked -Sweetest Susan.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Why, certainly,” replied Mr. Thimblefinger, -with great solemnity. “A make-believe Prince -could never have reigned in that country. The -people would have found him out, and he would -have been put in the calaboose. Well, this tame -crow that belonged to the Prince had wandered -off over the fields, and had gone so far away from -the palace that it was unable to get back before -dark, and so it went to bed in one of the trees -growing in the garden behind the house where -Eolen lived.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Of course, as soon as morning came, the crow -was wide awake and ready for any mischief that -might turn up. It flew to the ground, hoping to -find something for breakfast, and hopped about, -searching in the leaves and grass. Suddenly the -crow saw the ring shining on the ground and -picked it up and turned it over. What could it -be? The crow’s curiosity was such that it forgot -all about breakfast. It seized the ring in its beak -and went flopping to the palace. It was so early -in the morning that the palace was closed, but the -crow flew straight to the Prince’s window and beat -his wings against it until some of the attendants -came and opened it, when the crow walked in -with great dignity.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The Prince had been awakened by the noise, -but when he saw the bird stalking into the room -as stiff as a major-general of militia, he fell back -on his bed laughing. The crow hopped to the -foot-board of the bed and stood there holding the -gold ring in his beak, as much as to say, ‘Don’t -you wish you were as rich as I am?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The Prince rose from his bed and took the -ring from the crow, but it was so hot that he -made haste to drop it in a basin of cold water. -Then a curious thing happened. The ring seemed -to expand in the basin until it was as large as the -bottom, and within the circle it made the picture -of a beautiful girl standing by a milk-white cow. -There were two peculiarities about the milk-white -cow. Her ears were as black as jet, and her horns -shone and glittered as if they were made of gold.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The Prince was entranced. He gazed at the -beautiful picture long and lovingly, and the crow -sat on the rim of the basin and chuckled as -proudly as if it had painted the picture. The -girl was the loveliest the Prince had ever seen, and -the cow was surely the most beautiful of her kind. -The Prince’s attendants uttered exclamations of -delight when they saw the picture, and his ministers, -when they were sent for, were struck dumb -with astonishment.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘If this bird could only speak!’ cried the -Prince.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But the crow went chuckling about the room -saying to itself, ‘What a fool a Prince must be -who cannot understand my simple language!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The Prince gazed at the picture framed by -the gold ring for a long time. At last he concluded -to take it from the water. As he did so -it shrunk to its natural size, and the picture of -the beautiful girl and the Cow with the Golden -Horns disappeared, and the ring no longer burnt -his fingers. He dropped it in the basin once -more, but it remained a simple gold ring and the -picture failed to appear again.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The Prince was disconsolate. He remained -in the palace and refused to go out. He moped -and pined, until the family doctor was called in. -The doctor fussed about and felt of the Prince’s -pulse and looked at his tongue, and said that a -change of air was necessary; but the Prince said -he didn’t want any change of air and wouldn’t -have it. In fact, he said he didn’t want any air -at all, and he wouldn’t take any pills or powders, -and he wouldn’t drink any sage tea, and he -wouldn’t have any mustard plaster put on him. -He was in love, and he knew that the more medicine -he took, the worse off he would be.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, a little sage tea ain’t bad when you are -in love,” remarked Mrs. Meadows. “It’s mighty -soothing.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Maybe,” continued Mr. Thimblefinger, “but -the Prince didn’t want it, and wouldn’t have it. -He wanted the beautiful girl he had seen in the -picture. He was in love with her, and he wanted -to marry her. So his ministers consulted together -and finally they sent around a bailiff”—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Nonsense!” cried Mrs. Meadows.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Tut—tut!” exclaimed Mr. Rabbit.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well,” said Mr. Thimblefinger, “he sent a -crier around”—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“A herald, you mean,” suggested Buster John, -who had read a good many story books.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“A bailiff could do the work just as well, but -you can have it your way. Well,” continued Mr. -Thimblefinger, “the Prince’s ministers sent a herald -around to inquire at all the people’s houses if -any of them had a Cow with Golden Horns, but -nobody had such a cow, and everybody wondered -what the herald meant. A Cow with Golden -Horns! People went about asking one another -if they had ever heard of such a thing before. -Some said the throne was tottering. Others said -the politicians were trying to work a scheme to -increase taxation. Still others talked about the -peril of the nation. Everybody had some explanation, -but nobody had the right one. The poor -young Prince was nearly crazy to find the young -girl whose picture he had seen in the basin of -water.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“For a few days the people heard no more of -the matter, but at the end of a week the herald -went round the city again declaring that the -Prince would marry any young lady who would -bring as her marriage portion a Cow with Golden -Horns. She need not have riches of any kind; -all that was necessary was a Cow with Golden -Horns. This word went around among the people -and from city to city. Rich men with daughters -tried everywhere to buy a Cow with Golden -Horns, but all to no purpose.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The Prince waited and waited and pined and -grew thinner. But just as matters were getting -to be very serious indeed, an old man appeared -in the palace park leading a beautiful white cow -with jet black ears and golden horns. The servants -set up such a shout when they saw the beautiful -cow that everybody in the palace was aroused -and all came out to see what caused the noise. -Then the servants and attendants ran over one -another in their efforts to reach the Prince, who -was moping in his room. As they ran they -cried:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘The Cow with the Golden Horns has come! -The Cow with the Golden Horns has come!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The Prince forgot his dignity and hurried out -to see the Cow with the Golden Horns. The old -man came leading her, and she was, indeed, a -beautiful creature. Her head and limbs were almost -as delicate as those of a deer, and her eyes -were large and soft. Her body was as white as -snow, her ears glistened like black silk, and her -golden horns shone in the sun. The old man -bowed low as he led the beautiful cow forward.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I wouldn’t make much of a bride myself, -your Majesty,’ he said. ‘I have brought you the -Cow with the Golden Horns. She might find you -the bride that I failed to bring you.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I fear I shall have no such good fortune,’ -replied the Prince. ‘But I think you have proved -to me that I am not dreaming. How shall I -reward you?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I ask no reward, your Majesty. I only ask -the privilege of taking away my Cow with the -Golden Horns when you have found your bride.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“When the Prince had given his promise, the -old man said, ‘You have a ring, your Majesty, -that came to you in a curious way. Let this ring -be placed on the left horn of the cow. The girl -or woman that is able to remove this ring will be -the bride you are wishing for. Every morning -the Cow with the Golden Horns will appear here -in the lawn and remain until night falls. Let -it be announced, your Majesty, that whoever -takes the ring from her shall be the Princess of -the Realm.’”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Huh!” exclaimed Drusilla suddenly. “He -talk like he been ter college.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Will you hush?” cried Buster John. But -Mr. Thimblefinger paid no attention to the -interruption.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘But how do you know,’ asked the Prince, -‘that the right one will come to get the ring?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘How do I know that your Majesty has the -ring?’ the old man answered.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“This seemed to satisfy the Prince, who caused -it to be announced all through his kingdom that -he would choose for his bride the girl or woman -who would take the ring from the golden horn of -the Cow.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Of course there was a great commotion among -the ladies when this announcement was made, and -nearly all of them tried to take the ring from the -golden horn of the Cow. Some said they tried it -just for fun, and some said they tried it just out -of curiosity; but all of them failed. Even Eolen’s -stepmother tried, and then she made her daughter -try, but when the daughter touched the ring it -burnt her so that she screamed. And then some -of those who had tried and failed turned up their -noses and said it was a trick.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Eolen had never thought of trying. She had -seen the Prince and admired him, yet she had no -idea of going up before all these people. But as -soon as her stepmother started for the palace with -her daughter, there came a knock at the door. -Eolen opened it, and there, standing before her, -was the old man who had carried her to the -Thunder’s house, and to the Jumping-Off Place. -She was very glad to see him, and told him so, -and he was just as glad to see her.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Why don’t you go and get your ring?’ he -asked.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘It is lost,’ she answered.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘It is found,’ he said. ‘I have placed it on -the golden horn of the Cow that stands near the -palace door. You must go and get it.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I have nothing to wear,’ she replied.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Then the old man tapped on the wall and -called:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Sister Jane! Sister Jane! Where are -you?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I am where I ought to be,’ was the reply. -The wall opened and out stepped the old, old -woman that Eolen had seen combing her hair by -the Well at the End of the World.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Clothe this child in silk and satin and comb -her hair out fine, Sister Jane.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The old woman grumbled a little, but gave -Eolen a touch here and there, and in a moment -she was dressed as fine as the finest lady in the -land.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Now she is ready, brother,’ said the old, old -woman, and then she disappeared in the wall, -combing her long gray hair and smiling.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Must I walk?’ asked Eolen, looking at her -satin slippers.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Nonsense!’ exclaimed the old man. Then -he tapped in another part of the wall. ‘Nephew! -Nephew! Where are you?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Wherever you wish me to be,’ a voice replied, -and then the wall opened, and out stepped -the handsome stranger who had given Eolen the -gold ring. ‘What do you want?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘A carriage and horses,’ said the old man.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘They are at the door,’ was the reply, ‘and -I’ll drive them myself.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Sure enough, there stood at the door a coach -and four, and Eolen was carried to the palace -in grand style. Liveried servants appeared and -spread a strip of carpet before her, and the Cow -with the Golden Horns came running to meet her, -and in a moment she had the ring. Then the -people set up a loud shout, crying:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘The Princess! the Princess!’</p> -<div id='i080' class='figcenter id010'> -<img src='images/i080.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>SHE WOULD HAVE KNELT, BUT HE LIFTED HER UP</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“And then the Prince came out and went to -her. She would have knelt, but he lifted her up -and knelt himself before her, and kissed her hand, -and smiled on her, for she was the lovely girl he -had seen in the picture.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“What is the moral of that?” inquired Mr. -Rabbit, waking from his nap.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Why, you didn’t even hear the story,” said -Mr. Thimblefinger.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“That is the reason I want to hear the moral -of it,” remarked Mr. Rabbit.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“There is no moral at all,” said Mr. Thimblefinger.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Then I’m mighty glad I was asleep,” grumbled -Mr. Rabbit.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch08' class='c007'>VIII.<br /> <br />BROTHER WOLF’S TWO BIG DINNERS.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c012'>The children said they were very much pleased -with the story about the Cow with the Golden -Horns. Buster John even went so far as to say -that it was as good as some of the stories in the -books. But Mr. Thimblefinger shook his head. -He said he was very glad they were pleased with -it, but he knew Mr. Rabbit was right. The story -couldn’t be a very good story, because it had no -moral.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But I think it had a very good moral,” remarked -Mrs. Meadows.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“What was it?” inquired Mr. Rabbit with -great solemnity.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Why, if the little girl had been too stingy to -give the old beggar a piece of her cake, she would -never have come to be Princess,” replied Mrs. -Meadows.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Did she give the beggar a piece of cake?” -asked Mr. Rabbit.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Why, certainly she did,” Mr. Thimblefinger -answered.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well,” remarked Mr. Rabbit, setting himself -back in his chair, “I must have been fast asleep -when she did it. But the place for a moral, as -I’ve been told, is right at the end of a story, and -not at the beginning.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Can’t you tell us a story with a moral?” suggested -Mrs. Meadows.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I can,” replied Mr. Rabbit. “I can for a -fact, and the piece of cake you mentioned puts -me in mind of it.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Mr. Rabbit closed his eyes and rubbed his nose, -and then began:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Once upon a time, when Brother Fox and -myself were living on pretty good terms with each -other, we received an invitation to attend a barbecue -that Brother Wolf was going to give on the -following Saturday. The next day we received -an invitation to a barbecue that Brother Bear was -going to give on the same Saturday.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I made up my mind at once to go to Brother -Bear’s barbecue, because I knew he would have -fresh roasting ears, and if there’s anything I -like better than another, it is fresh roasting ears. -I asked Brother Fox whether he was going to -Brother Bear’s barbecue or to Brother Wolf’s, -but he shook his head. He said he hadn’t -made up his mind. I just asked him out of idle -curiosity, for I didn’t care whether he went or -whether he stayed.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I went about my work as usual. Cold weather -was coming on, and I wanted to get my crops in -before the big freeze came. But I noticed that -Brother Fox was mighty restless in his mind. He -didn’t do a stroke of work. He’d sit down and -then he’d get up; he’d stand still and look up -in the tops of the trees, and then he’d walk back -and forth with his hands behind him and look -down at the ground.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I says to him, says I, ‘I hope you are not -sick, Brother Fox.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says he, ‘Oh, no, Brother Rabbit; I never -felt better in my life.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I says to him, says I, ‘I hope money matters -are not troubling you.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says he, ‘Oh, no, Brother Rabbit, money was -never easier with me than it is this season.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I says to him, says I, ‘I hope I’ll have the -pleasure of your company to the barbecue to-morrow.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says he, ‘I can’t tell, Brother Rabbit; I can’t -tell. I haven’t made up my mind. I may go to -the one, or I may go to the other; but which -it will be, I can’t tell you to save my life.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“As the next day was Saturday, I was up -bright and early. I dug my goobers and spread -’em out to dry in the sun, and then, ten o’clock, -as near as I could judge, I started out to the barbecue. -Brother Wolf lived near the river, and -Brother Bear lived right on the river, a mile or -two below Brother Wolf’s. The big road, that -passed near where Brother Fox and I lived, led in -the direction of the river for about three miles, -and then it forked, one prong going to Brother -Wolf’s house, and the other prong going to Brother -Bear’s house.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, when I came to the forks of the road, -who should I see there but old Brother Fox. I -stopped before he saw me, and watched him. He -went a little way down one road, and licked his -chops; then he came back and went a little way -down the other road, and licked his chops.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Not choosing to be late, I showed myself and -passed the time of day with Brother Fox. I said, -says I, that if he was going to Brother Bear’s barbecue, -I’d be glad to have his company. But he -said, says he, that he wouldn’t keep me waiting. -He had just come down to the forks of the road -to see if that would help him to make up his mind. -I told him I was mighty sorry to miss his company -and his conversation, and then I tipped my -hat and took my cane from under my arm and -went down the road that led to Brother Bear’s -house.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Here Mr. Rabbit paused, straightened himself -up a little, and looked at the children. Then he -continued:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I reckon you all never stood on the top of a -hill three quarters of a mile from the smoking pits -and got a whiff or two of the barbecue?”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I is! I is!” exclaimed Drusilla. “Don’t talk! -Hit make me dribble at de mouf. I wish I had -some right now.”</p> -<div id='i086' class='figcenter id011'> -<img src='images/i086.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>HE WENT A LITTLE WAY DOWN ONE ROAD</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“Well,” said Mr. Rabbit, “I got a whiff of it -and I was truly glad I had come—truly glad. It -was a fine barbecue, too. There was lamb, and -kid, and shote, all cooked to a turn and well seasoned, -and then there was the hash made out of -the giblets. I’ll not tell you any more about the -dinner, except that I’d like to have one like it -every Saturday in the year. If I happened to be -too sick to eat it, I could sit up and look at it. -Anyhow, we all had enough and to spare.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“After we had finished with the barbecue and -were sitting in Brother Bear’s front porch smoking -our pipes and talking politics, I happened to -mention to Brother Bear something about Brother -Wolf’s barbecue. I said, says I, that I thought -I’d go by Brother Wolf’s house as I went on -home, though it was a right smart step out of the -way, just to see how the land lay.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says Brother Bear, says he: ‘If you’ll wait -till my company take their leave, I don’t mind -trotting over to Brother Wolf’s with you. The -walk will help to settle my dinner.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So, about two hours by sun, we started out -and went to Brother Wolf’s house. Brother Bear -knew a short cut through the big canebrake, and -it didn’t take us more than half an hour to get -there. Brother Wolf was just telling his company -good-by; and when they had all gone he -would have us go in and taste his mutton stew, -and then he declared he’d think right hard of us -if we didn’t drink a mug or two of his persimmon -beer.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I said, says I, ‘Brother Wolf, have you seen -Brother Fox to-day?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Brother Wolf said, says he, ‘I declare, I -haven’t seen hair nor hide of Brother Fox. I -don’t see why he didn’t come. He’s always -keen to go where there’s fresh meat a-frying.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I said, says I, ‘The reason I asked was because -I left Brother Fox at the forks of the road -trying to make up his mind whether he’d eat at -your house or at Brother Bear’s.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well, I’m mighty sorry,’ says Brother Wolf, -says he; ‘Brother Fox never missed a finer chance -to pick a bone than he’s had to-day. Please tell -him so for me.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I said I would, and then I told Brother Wolf -and Brother Bear good-by and set out for home. -Brother Wolf’s persimmon beer had a little age -on it, and it made me light-headed and nimble-footed. -I went in a gallop, as you may say, and -came to the forks of the road before the sun went -down.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“You may not believe it, but when I got there -Brother Fox was there going through the same -motions that made me laugh in the morning—running -down one road and licking his chops, -and then running down the other and licking his -chops.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says I, ‘I hope you had a good dinner at -Brother Wolf’s to-day, Brother Fox.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says he, ‘I’ve had no dinner.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says I, ‘That’s mighty funny. Brother Bear -had a famous barbecue, and I thought Brother -Wolf was going to have one, too.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says Brother Fox, ‘Is dinner over? Is it -too late to go?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says I, ‘Why, Brother Fox, the sun’s nearly -down. By the time you get to Brother Bear’s -house, he’ll be gone to bed; and by the time you -go across the swamp to Brother Wolf’s house, the -chickens will be crowing for day.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well, well, well!’ says Brother Fox, ‘I’ve -been all day trying to make up my mind which -road I’d take, and now it’s too late.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“And that was the fact,” continued Mr. Rabbit. -“The poor creature had been all day trying -to make up his mind which road he’d take. Now, -then, what is the moral?”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Sweetest Susan looked at Mrs. Meadows, but -Mrs. Meadows merely smiled. Buster John rattled -the marbles in his pocket.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I know,” said Drusilla.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“What?” inquired Mr. Rabbit.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Go down one road an’ git one dinner, den cut -’cross an’ git some mo’ dinner, an’ den go back -home down de yuther road.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Mr. Rabbit shook his head.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Tar-Baby, you are wrong,” he said.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“If you want anything, go and get it,” suggested -Buster John.</p> - -<p class='c013'>Mr. Rabbit shook his head and looked at Sweetest -Susan, whereupon she said:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“If you can’t make up your mind, you’ll have -to go hungry.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Mr. Rabbit shook his head.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Eat a good breakfast,” said Mrs. Meadows, -“and you won’t be worried about your dinner.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“All wrong!” exclaimed Mr. Rabbit, with a -chuckle. “The moral is this: He who wants -too much is more than likely to get nothing.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well,” remarked Mrs. Meadows dubiously, -“if you have to work out a moral as if it was a -sum in arithmetic, I’ll thank you not to trouble -me with any more morals.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The motion is seconded and carried,” exclaimed -Mr. Thimblefinger.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch09' class='c007'>IX.<br /> <br />THE LITTLE BOY OF THE LANTERN.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“Of course,” said Mr. Thimblefinger, “all of -you can tell better stories than I can, because you -are larger. Being taller, you can see farther and -talk louder; but I sometimes think that if I was -to climb a tree, I’d see as far as any of you.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, I hope your feelings are not hurt,” remarked -Mr. Rabbit sympathetically. “It’s not -the fault of your stories that I fall asleep when -you are telling them. It’s my habit to sit and -nod at certain hours of the day, and if you’ll -watch me right close, you’ll see that I sometimes -drop off when I’m telling a story myself. I’ll -try and keep awake the next time you tell one.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I’m afraid I’ll have to prop Mr. Rabbit’s -eyelids open with straws,” said Mrs. Meadows, -laughing.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I’ll just try you with a little one,” Mr. Thimblefinger -declared. “I’ll tell you one I heard -when I was younger. I want to see whether -Mr. Rabbit will keep awake, and I want to see -whether there’s a moral in the tale.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>So he took off his little hat, which was shaped -like a thimble, and run his hand over the feather -ornament to straighten it out. Then he began:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“A long time ago, when there was a great deal -more room in the country next door than there is -now, there lived a man who had a wife, one son, -a horse, a cow, and a calf. He was a hard-working -man, so much so that he had little or no time -to devote to his family. He worked hard in the -field all day, and when night came he was too -tired to trouble much about his son. His wife, -too, having no servant, was always busy about the -house, sewing, washing, cooking, cleaning, patching, -milking, and sweeping. Day in and day out -it was always the same. The man was always -working, and the woman was always working. -They had no rest except on Sunday, and then -they were too tired to pay much attention to their -son.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The consequence was, that while the boy was -a very bright lad, he was full of mischief, up to -all sorts of tricks and pranks that some people call -meanness. By hook or by crook—or maybe by -book—he had learned how to spell and read. -But the only book he had to read was one with -big pictures of men dressed in red clothes, and -armed with yellow cutlasses. The book was called -‘The Pirooters of Peruvia.’”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Maybe the name was ‘The Pirates of Peru,’” -suggested Buster John.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Oh, no,” replied Mr. Thimblefinger. “I -don’t suppose any such country as Peru had been -found on the map when that book was written. -But never mind about that. The boy read only -that book, and he became rather wild in his mind. -He wanted to be a pirooter, whatever that was, -and so he armed himself with old hoe helves and -called them pikes, and he tied a shingle to his -side and called it a cutlass, and he got him a -broom-handle and called it a horse.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“This boy’s name was Johnny, but sometimes -they called him Jack for short. Some people said -he was mean as he could be; but I don’t say that. -He was fonder of scampering over the country -than he was of helping his mother. Maybe he -didn’t know any better because he wasn’t taught -any better. But one morning his mother was so -tired that she couldn’t get out of bed. She had -worn herself out with work. The next morning -she couldn’t get up, nor the next; and then the -neighbors, who had come in to see what the matter -was, said that she would never get up any -more. So one day Johnny found everything very -still in the house, and the neighbors who were -there were kinder to him than they ever had been, -and then he knew that his mother would never -get tired any more.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“He felt so bad that he wandered off into the -woods, crying as he went. His eyes were so full -of tears that he couldn’t see where he was going, -and he didn’t care. He went on and on, until, -finally, when he took heart to look around, he -found himself in a part of the country that was -new to him. This caused him to dry his eyes, for -he was perfectly sure that he had traveled neither -fast nor far enough to be beyond the limits of the -numberless journeys he had made in all directions -from his father’s house; and yet, here he was, -suddenly and without knowing how he got there, -in a country that was altogether new to him.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“It was just like when you came down through -our spring gate,” said Mr. Thimblefinger. “The -grass was different and the trees were different, -and even the sand and the gravel were of a color -that Johnny had never seen before. Suddenly, -while he was wondering how he could have missed -seeing all these strange things when he had journeyed -this way before, a lady, richly dressed, came -out of the woods and stood before him. She -neither smiled nor looked severe, but pity seemed -to shine in her face.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘What now?’ she said, raising her hand to -her head. ‘You have come fast and come far. -You are in trouble. Go back. When you want -me, go to the Whispering Poplar that stands on -the hill and call my name.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Who are you?’ asked Johnny, forgetting to -be polite, if he ever knew how.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘The Keeper of the Cows that roam in the -night,’ replied the lady. ‘When you go to the -Whispering Poplar that stands on the hill, whisper -this:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c014'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>O Keeper of Cows that roam in the night,</div> - <div class='line'>Come over the hill and lend me your light.’</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c015'>“Johnny would have thanked the woman, but -in the twinkling of an eye she was gone without -making a sound, and not a blade of grass shook -to show that she had been there. Johnny turned -in his tracks and started home the way he came. -Before he had gone far he stopped to look back, -but the strange country was nowhere to be seen—only -the old familiar hills and trees that he had -always known.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“When he got home there was a strange woman -cooking and fixing his father’s supper. The table -was set, and everything was almost as neat and as -tidy as it used to be when his mother was alive. -Even his own little plate was in its place, and his -mug, with the picture of a blue castle painted on -it, was by the plate. But Johnny had no appetite. -He went to the door and looked in, and then went -to the stable. Once there, he suddenly remembered -that he had forgotten to drive the cow in -from the pasture. He went running to get her, -but found her coming along of her own accord, -something she was not in the habit of doing.</p> -<div id='i096' class='figcenter id012'> -<img src='images/i096.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>A LADY, RICHLY DRESSED, CAME OUT OF THE WOODS</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“Johnny wondered a little at this, but it soon -passed out of his mind, and he got behind the -cow and made her go faster. He drove the cow -into the lot, and waited awhile for the woman to -come and milk. But she delayed so long that he -went to the house and found his father eating -supper. Instead of going to the table, he went -and sat by the fire.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Have something to eat?’ said the woman.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I am not hungry,’ he replied.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Have a glass of fresh milk, then?’ she said.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Not to-night,’ he answered. ‘I have just -driven the cow in from the pasture.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I brought her from the pasture myself,’ said -the woman, ‘milked her, and turned her out -again.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Johnny said nothing to this, but he knew -the cow had not been milked, and he wondered -where the woman got the milk that his father was -drinking. He thought it over, and forgot all -about his grief. He noticed that as soon as his -father drank the milk he began to smile at the -woman. He smiled at the woman, but was cross -to Johnny.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“After supper the woman went out, and after -a while Johnny went out, too, leaving his father -sitting by the fire smoking his pipe. Johnny -went to the lot, thinking the woman had gone -there. He wanted to see whether she would milk -the cow. He crept along the side of the fence, -and soon he was near enough to peep through a -crack without being seen. He saw the woman -rubbing the cow on the back while the calf was -getting all the milk.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘You see how good I am to you, sister,’ said -she. ‘Now I want you to be good to me. When -that boy Jack goes after you to the pasture, -I want you to lead him a chase. I saw him beating -your calf to-day. But see how good I am to -your calf, sister. I give it all the milk.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The cow shook her horn and switched her -tail, and Johnny, sitting in the fence corner, wondered -what it all meant.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I see,’ said the cow, after a while. ‘You -want to marry the boy’s father, and the boy is in -the way. But suppose they find you out. What -then?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Trust me for that, sister,’ said the woman; -‘trust me for that.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Johnny waited to hear no more, but crept -away and went to bed. He was dressed and out -by sun-up next morning, but the woman was -up before him, and had breakfast nearly ready. -Johnny asked her if she had milked the cow, and -she replied that she had milked and forgotten -about it. Johnny saw the milk-pail setting on the -shelf, and when he looked at it he knew the cow -had not been milked, else the sides of the pail -would have been spattered.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But the cow had been turned out, and the -calf was sleeping contentedly in the fence corner, -instead of nibbling the grass. Johnny drank no -milk at breakfast, but his father did, and smiled -at the woman more than ever. During the day -Johnny forgot all about the cow, but when night -came he knew she must be brought up, so he went -to the pasture after her. She was not to be found. -He hunted over the hills and fields, and then, not -finding her, began to cry.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Suddenly the lady he had seen the day before -stepped out of the wood and spoke to him. She -held in her hand a tiny lantern.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Take this,’ she said, holding out the lantern. -‘You wouldn’t call me, and so I came to you.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I forgot,’ whispered Johnny.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Don’t forget any more,’ said the lady. -‘Take this lantern and run to the Whispering -Poplar that stands on the hill. You’ll find your -cow tied there. Drive her home, and don’t spare -her.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Johnny found the cow tied to the poplar sure -enough, and he made her gallop home as fast as -she could. He blew out his tiny lantern before -he got in sight of the house, but it dropped from -his hand and he could find it no more. He ceased -to hunt for it after a while, and drove the cow to -the lot, where the woman was waiting.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Go get your supper,’ she said to Johnny.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Yes ’m,’ replied Johnny, but he went off -only to creep back to see what the woman would -do.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“She abused the cow terribly. He could see -that she was angry. ‘You are a nice sister,’ she -exclaimed, ‘to let that boy bring you home so -early.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Don’t “sister” me,’ moaned the cow. ‘I’m -nearly famished, and that boy has nearly run me -off my legs. Somebody that I couldn’t see -caught me and tied me to a tree this morning, and -there I’ve been all day. We’d better go away -from here. That boy will find you out yet.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Then Johnny crept away, ate his supper, and -went to bed. He slept late the next morning, but -when he awoke he found that his father, instead -of being at work, as was his habit, was smoking -his pipe and talking to the woman, and both were -smiling at each other very sweetly. That afternoon, -Johnny went to bring the cow home before -sundown, but he couldn’t find her. He hunted -and hunted for her until long after dark, and then -he went to the Whispering Poplar that stands on -the hill, and said:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c014'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“‘O Keeper of Cows that roam in the night,</div> - <div class='line in1'>Come over the hills and lend me your light!’</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c015'>“Instantly Johnny heard a cow lowing in the -valley, and saw a light glimmering faintly in the -distance. In a little while he heard a tremendous -clatter of hoofs up the hill, and the rushing of -some large animal through the bushes. It seemed -to have one eye only and that eye shone as fiercely -as a flame of fire as its head swayed from side to -side. It came rushing to the poplar-tree where -Johnny stood, and stopped there. Johnny peeped -from behind the tree and saw that the frightful -animal was nothing more than his cow, with a tiny -lantern hanging on her horn. She stood there -panting and trembling. Johnny waited to see -if the Keeper of Cows that roam in the night -would make her appearance, but he waited in vain. -Then he drove the cow home, turned her into -the lot, and went in the house to get his supper. -His father and the woman were sitting very close -together.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Have you brought the cow?’ the woman -asked.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘She’s in the lot,’ replied Johnny.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘You are a smart boy,’ said the woman.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Thanky, ma’am,’ exclaimed Johnny.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So it went on day after day. The woman -would make the cow wander farther and farther -away from home, and Johnny would go to the -Whispering Poplar that stands on the hill and call -for the beautiful lady, the Keeper of the Cows -that roam in the night, and soon the cow would -come running and lowing. Then Johnny would -drive her home by the light of his little lantern. -This happened so often that the neighbors, and -indeed the people in all that country, when they -saw a light bobbing around at night, would shake -their heads and say, ‘There goes Jack with his -lantern,’ and then after a while they called him -‘Jack of the Lantern.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“One day he heard two of the neighbors talking -about him, saying it was a pity that so bright -a boy should have such a stepmother as the woman -his father was about to marry. Then Johnny (or -Jack, as he was sometimes called) knew that his -father was preparing to marry the woman who -was keeping house for him, and it made the boy -feel very wretched to think that this woman was -to take the place of his mother.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“That very day he went to the Whispering Poplar -that stands on the hill and called for the Keeper -of the Cows that roam in the night. The lady -made her appearance, and then Johnny told her -his troubles. The lady smiled for the first time. -Then she told Johnny that if he would follow her -directions his troubles would disappear. She gave -him a roll of blue ribbon, and told him what to -say when he presented it to the woman just before -the marriage took place. She told him also what -to do with his little lantern. Johnny went home -feeling very much better, and that night his father -told him he was to have a new mother the next -day. He said nothing in reply, but smiled as if -the news pleased him.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Johnny lay awake that night a long time, and -once he thought the woman came and leaned over -his bed as if to listen, but just then a cow not far -away lowed once, twice, thrice. Then the woman -went away muttering something.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The next day the invited guests began to assemble -early, and after a while the preacher came. -The women neighbors would have the bride to -stand up in the middle of the floor to admire her -just before the ceremony, and when she stood up -Johnny began to march around her, waving his -lantern and his blue ribbon and singing:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c014'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“‘I have for the bride ten yards of blue ribbon—</div> - <div class='line in2'>Ten yards of blue ribbon, ten yards of blue ribbon—</div> - <div class='line in1'>I have for the bride ten yards of blue ribbon,</div> - <div class='line in2'>So rich and so soft and so rare;</div> - <div class='line in1'>Five yards to pin on her snowy white bosom—</div> - <div class='line in2'>Her snowy white bosom, her snowy white bosom—</div> - <div class='line in1'>Five yards to pin on her snowy white bosom,</div> - <div class='line in2'>And five to tie in her hair.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“‘I have a lantern to light her along with—</div> - <div class='line in2'>To light her along with, to light her along with—</div> - <div class='line in1'>I have a lantern to light her along with,</div> - <div class='line in2'>When forth she fares in the night;</div> - <div class='line in1'>Out in the dark, the ribbon will rustle—</div> - <div class='line in3'>The ribbon will rustle, the ribbon will rustle—</div> - <div class='line in1'>Out in the dark the ribbon will rustle,</div> - <div class='line in2'>And the lantern will lend her its light!’</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c015'>“Johnny threw the blue ribbon over the -woman’s shoulder and around her neck, and -waved his lantern, and instantly the woman disappeared, -and in her place stood a cow. Before -the people could recover their surprise, the lady -that Johnny had seen at the Whispering Poplar -came into the room and bowed to the company.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘This is the most malicious cow in all my -herd,’ said she, ‘and this brave boy has caught -her. Here is a purse of gold for his reward. As -for you, sir,’ turning to Johnny’s father, ‘you -may thank your son for saving you from this -witch.’ Then she bowed again, and went away, -leading the cow, and neither of them was ever -seen in that country again.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But to this day, when people see a light bobbing -up and down in the fields at night, they say, -‘Yonder’s Jack of the Lantern!’”</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch10' class='c007'>X.<br /> <br />A LUCKY CONJURER.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“Now, I think that was a pretty good story,” -said Mr. Rabbit. “It had something about cows -in it, and there was nothing about kings and -princes. I wouldn’t give <i>that</i>”—Mr. Rabbit -blew a whiff of smoke from his mouth—“or all -your princes and kings. Of course that’s on account -of my ignorance. I don’t know anything -about them. I reckon they are just as good -neighbors as anybody, when you come to know -them right well.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Buster John laughed at this, but Sweetest -Susan only smiled.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Oh, I am not joking,” remarked Mr. Rabbit -solemnly. “There’s no reason why kings and -queens and princes shouldn’t be just as neighborly -as other people. If a king and queen were -keeping house anywhere near me, and were to -send over after a mess of salad, or to borrow a -cup of sugar or a spoonful of lard, I’d be as ready -to accommodate them as I would any other neighbors, -and I reckon they’d do the same by me.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“They’d be mighty foolish if they didn’t,” -said Mrs. Meadows.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I hear tell dat folks hafter be monstus umble-come-tumble -when dey go foolin’ ’roun’ whar dey -er kingin’ an’ a queenin’ at,” remarked Drusilla. -“Ef dey sont me fer ter borry any sugar er -lard fum de house whar dey does de kingin’ an’ -queenin’, I boun’ you I’d stan’ at the back gate -an’ holler ’fo’ I went in dar whar dey wuz a-havin’ -der gwines on. Dey wouldn’t git me in dar ’fo’ -I know’d how de lan’ lay.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I expect you are right, Tar-Baby,” replied -Mr. Rabbit.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, I’m glad you didn’t go to sleep over -the story of the little boy and the lantern. But -it didn’t have any moral,” said Mr. Thimblefinger.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Why, I reckon that’s the reason I didn’t do -any nodding,” explained Mr. Rabbit. “I knew -there was something the matter.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>There was a pause, during which Mr. Rabbit -betrayed a tendency to fall to nodding again. -Presently Mrs. Meadows remarked:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I mind me of a story that I heard once—I -reckon the talk about kings and queens made me -remember it. Anyway, it popped into my head -all of a sudden, though I hadn’t thought about -it in years.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Fire away!” exclaimed Mr. Rabbit, opening -his eyes and slowly closing them again.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Once upon a time there lived in the land of -Moraria a man who was very poor. He worked -whenever and wherever he could find work, yet -he had so many children that even if he had found -work every day he could have made hardly enough -for all to eat and wear. As it was, times were so -hard and work was so scarce that he frequently -had to go hungry and half clothed. His wife did -the best she could, which was very little. She -worked about the palace where the king had lived, -but as she was only one among a hundred, she -got small wages, and had few opportunities to -carry any scraps of victuals to her children.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Finally the man came to the conclusion that -he must make a desperate effort to better his condition, -so he said to his wife:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘What are my five senses for? I see other -people living by their wits, and dressing fine and -enjoying the best in the land. Why shouldn’t -I do the same? What is to prevent me but my -stupidity?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Stupidity is a high fence to climb over,’ replied -the man’s wife. ‘But if you are willing to -try how far your wits will carry you, you will -have a good opportunity in a few days. The -king’s daughter, the Princess Myla, is to be married -next week, and even now the guests are assembling -at the palace—most of them belonging -to the bridegroom’s retinue.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The man leaned his head on his hand and -thought a while, and then he rose and put on the -best clothes he had, which were poor enough, and -tied a rope girdle around his waist.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I shall go to court as a pilgrim,’ he said to -his wife. ‘When you see me, do you go around -among the other servants and tell them that a -great conjurer has arrived from the East. In -this way it will come quickly to the King’s ears. -Nothing will come of that, but the next morning -something valuable will be missing from the palace. -When you hear of it, do you tell the rest -that you know a man who can find whatever is -missing.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘But how will you do this?’ asked the woman.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Leave that to me,’ he replied.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The man carried out his plan, and his wife followed -his directions. She pointed him out to her -fellow-servants as a great conjurer from the East. -Ragged as he was, the man stalked majestically -about the palace-yard, and after a while sat on the -ground with his face to the wall, and shook his -head from side to side, and made many queer motions -with his hands.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, while the man sat there going through -his queer motions, he heard voices on the other -side of the wall. He judged that two men were -resting in the shade on that side, and he knew by -the way they talked that they had come with the -young Prince who was to marry the Princess -Myla.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘You have left the blanket on the horse, I -hope,’ said one.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Yes, everything is attended to,’ replied the -other.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘That is well,’ remarked the first. ‘The -Prince, our master, desires the Princess Myla to -be the first to look on this beautiful horse, which -has just come out of Arabia. I will go myself -to see that the animal is properly cared for.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Presently two strangers came through the -gate, laughing and talking, and the man who was -playing the conjurer knew they were the keepers -of the horse. He rose when they went by, and -watched them until he saw what part of the palace -stables they entered. Then he slowly made -his way out of the palace grounds.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“That night he went back and removed the -horse, placing it where no one would be likely -to find it. Then he told his wife what he had -done.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘There will be a great outcry,’ said he, ‘when -the horse is missed. In the midst of it make your -voice heard, and remind the young Prince’s attendants -that there is a famous conjurer within -reach who can no doubt find the horse.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“As the man said, so it turned out. There -was a great noise made when it was found that -the beautiful Arabian horse had been stolen. The -young Prince was ready to tear his hair, so great -was his disappointment. He offered a large sum -of money to any one who would recover the horse. -When the excitement was at its highest, the -woman mentioned to some of the attendants that -a famous conjurer had come to the palace. She -then pointed her husband out to the men. At -once the news was carried to the Prince, who was -with the King.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The King was not a believer in conjurers, and -he quickly told the attendants to go send the vagabond -about his business. But the young Prince -was so keen to recover the beautiful horse which -he had intended as a wedding gift for the Princess -Myla that he insisted on consulting the conjurer. -So the man was sent for. He came, followed by -a number of people who were anxious to see what -he would do. He had a very wise look as he -bowed to the King and to the Prince.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Who are you?’ the King asked with a -frown.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘A poor pilgrim, your Majesty. Nothing -more.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘What is your business?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I am a student, your Majesty.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Where are your books?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘In men’s faces, your Majesty.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The man’s replies were so apt that the King’s -ill-humor partly passed away.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘A horse has been stolen from the royal -stables,’ said the King. ‘I am told you are a conjurer. -If you are, find the horse.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The man seated himself on the carpet, drew -a crystal stone from his pocket, and asked the -young Prince to warm it in the palm of his hand. -Then the man took it and looked at it a few moments, -rubbing his hand over it as if something -blurred his sight. Then he said:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘The horse has on a blanket woven on a Russian -loom. I see! A dapple-gray with milk-white -mane and tail.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘That is the horse!’ cried the Prince. -‘Where is he?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘He is tied in a thicket a half league from -here, near a road that leads to the river. He -paws the ground and whinnies for his master. -He is hungry.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“At once messengers were sent and the horse -found. The Prince was about to give the man -a purse of gold, but the King stayed his hand, -saying:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I’ll test this fellow. I believe he is an imposter.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The man was very much frightened at this, -but there was no escape for him. The King went -to his private apartment, and shortly came back -with a covered basket in his hand.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘There is a bird in this nest,’ said the King. -‘If you are a conjurer, tell me the name of -it.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Alas, your Majesty,’ cried the man, preparing -to fall on his knees and beg for mercy, ‘a -nest that wouldn’t fit a sparrow might chance to -fit a crow.’</p> -<div id='i114' class='figcenter id013'> -<img src='images/i114.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>AS HE DID SO, A CROW HOPPED OUT</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“‘You certainly have gifts,’ remarked the King -as he lifted the cover from the basket. As he -did so a crow hopped out and went stalking about -the room. The man was more astonished than -the King. In his fright he had hit on an old -saying that he had often heard, and it saved his -life.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The Prince gave the man a purse of gold and -he was about to retire, when suddenly an attendant -came running into the chamber crying that -some one had stolen the beautiful diamond ring -belonging to the Princess Myla.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Tell the Princess to trouble herself no further. -We have here a man who will be able to -find it,’ said the King.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Allow me a little time, your Majesty,’ cried -the man, who was now frightened nearly out of -his wits. ‘Let me go into a vacant room in a -quiet part of the palace, where I may have an -opportunity to look into this matter.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“He was soon placed in a room near the servants’ -quarters, the attendants telling him that -he would be summoned by the King in an hour. -He went into the room, shut the door, and flung -himself on the floor, bewailing his unhappy condition.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now the ring had been stolen by one of the -women in attendance on the Princess. She was -so pale and sad-looking that her companions had -nicknamed her Misery, and sometimes the Princess -herself, in a spirit of fun, called her by that -name. She had heard how the conjurer had discovered -the stolen horse, and she had seen him -name the crow in the covered basket. Consequently -she was very much frightened when she -heard the King command him to find the stolen -ring. She saw the conjurer go into the room, and -after a while she crept to the door to listen, so -great was her fear.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The man in the room was not thinking of the -stolen ring at all. He was merely bewailing his -unhappy lot.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Oh, misery, misery!’ he cried; ‘I have -heard of you, but now I know you!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“He had no sooner said this than there came -a knock on the door and a voice said:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Don’t talk so loud! Open the door!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The man opened the door and saw a woman -standing there trembling and weeping.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Don’t expose me,’ she said, ‘but spare my -life. I have the ring here. I did wrong to steal -it.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“For a moment the man was so overcome with -astonishment that he was unable to speak. He -took the ring in his hand and looked at it while -the woman continued to plead with him. He -handed her the ring again.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Take it,’ he said, ‘and place it beneath the -corner of one of the rugs in the bedroom of the -Princess. Be quick about it, for I am going to -the King.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The woman ran and did as she had been told, -and then the man came from the room and sent -an attendant to inform the King that the ring had -been found. The King sent for him.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Where is the ring?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Under a corner of a rug in the bedroom of -the Princess, your Majesty,’ replied the man, bowing -low and smiling.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Search was at once made, and sure enough -the beautiful ring was found under a corner of a -rug in the Princess’s bedroom. The Princess herself -came to thank the conjurer, and if he had not -been a very sensible man his head would have -been turned by the attention he received. Even -the King no longer doubted the conjurer’s powers.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘There is something in this man,’ said the -King, and he straightway offered him a high position -among his councilors.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The man thanked the King most heartily, but -declared that his business would not allow him to -remain another day at court. So the King gave -him a purse of gold, the young Prince gave him -another, and the beautiful Princess Myla gave -him a string of pearls of great value. Then he -went home, bought him some land, built him a -comfortable house, and went into business for himself.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“It sometimes happened that his wife complained -because he did not accept the King’s offer -and remain at court, so that she might have flourished -as a fine lady, but he always replied by saying -that the man is a fool who will tempt Providence -more than three times in a lifetime. Though -he went into the palace poor and came out of it -rich, he had escaped only by the skin of his teeth. -He was always grateful for his good fortune, -and by his example taught his children to lead -virtuous lives and always to help the poor and -needy.”</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch11' class='c007'>XI.<br /> <br />THE KING OF THE CLINKERS.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c012'>Chickamy Crany Crow and Tickle-My-Toes -had stopped frolicking, and were now listening to -the stories. While Mrs. Meadows was telling -about the lucky conjurer, Tickle-My-Toes became -very uneasy. He moved about restlessly, pulled -off his big straw hat, put it on again, and seemed -to be waiting impatiently for the time to come -when he might say something.</p> - -<p class='c013'>So, when Mrs. Meadows had finished, she looked -at Tickle-My-Toes to see what he wanted. The -rest did the same. But Tickle-My-Toes blushed -very red, and looked at his feet.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“You acted as if you wanted to say something,” -said Mrs. Meadows, “and if you do, now’s -your chance. What’s the matter? Have you -run a splinter in your foot? You look as if you -wanted to cry.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I did want to say something,” replied Tickle-My-Toes.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“What was it?” Mrs. Meadows inquired.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Nothing much,” answered Tickle-My-Toes, -putting his finger in his mouth.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I declare, I’m ashamed of you,” exclaimed -Mrs. Meadows. “Here you are mighty near as -old as I am, and yet trying to play boo-hoo baby.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I don’t think you ought to talk that way,” -said Tickle-My-Toes. “I thread your needles -for you every day, and I do everything you ask -me.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I know what’s the matter with you,” remarked -Mrs. Meadows. “You want me to take -you in my lap and rock you to sleep.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Oh! I don’t!” cried Tickle-My-Toes, blushing -again. “I wanted to tell a story I heard, -but I’ll go off somewhere and tell it to myself.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“There wouldn’t be any fun in that,” suggested -Buster John.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“No,” said Mrs. Meadows. “Tell the story -right here, so we can enjoy it with you.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“You’ll laugh,” protested Tickle-My-Toes.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Not unless there’s something in the story to -laugh at.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“This is no laughing story. It’s just as solemn -as it can be,” explained Tickle-My-Toes.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Good!” exclaimed Mr. Rabbit. “If there’s -anything I like, it is one of those solemn stories -that make you feel like you want to go off behind -the house and shake hands with yourself, and cry -boo-hoo to the ell-and-yard and seven stars.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Mr. Rabbit’s enthusiastic remark was very encouraging -to Tickle-My-Toes, who, after scratching -his head a little, and looking around to see if -he could find a place to hide when the time came, -began his story in this wise:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Once upon a time, and in a big town away -off yonder somewhere, there lived a little boy who -had no father nor mother. He was so small that -nobody seemed to care anything about him. But -one day a woman, the wife of a baker, heard him -crying in the streets, and carried him into the -house, and gave him something to eat, and warmed -him by the fire, and after that he felt better.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The baker himself grumbled a great deal -when he came home and found what his wife had -done. He said he wouldn’t be surprised to come -home some day and find his house full of other -people’s children. But his wife replied that it -would be well enough to complain when he found -the house full. As for this little brat, she said, -he wouldn’t fill a milk jar if he was put in it, -much less a great big house.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The baker growled and grumbled, but his -wife paid no attention to him. She sat in her -chair and rocked and sang, and was just as good-natured -as she could be. After a while the baker -himself got over his grumbling, and began to -laugh. He told his wife that he had sold all his -bread that day, and had orders for as much the -next day.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Of course,’ said she; ‘but if I had left that -child crying in the streets your business would -have been ruined before the year is out.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Maybe so,’ replied the baker.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, the little boy grew very fast, and was -as lively as a cricket. The baker’s wife thought -as much of him as if he had been her own son, -and the baker himself soon came to be very fond -of him. He was very smart, too. He learned to -watch the fire under the big oven, and to make -himself useful in many ways. He played about -the oven so much, and was so fond of watching -the bread bake and the fire burn, that the baker’s -wife called him Sparkle Spry.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“For many years the country where the baker -and his wife and Sparkle Spry lived had been at -peace with all the other countries. But one day -a man from a neighboring country had his nose -pulled by somebody in the baker’s country, and -then war was declared by the kings and queens, -and the people fell to fighting.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, when people fight they must be fed, -and the cheapest thing to feed them on is bread. -A part of the army camped near the town where -the baker lived, and there was a great demand for -bread. The baker’s oven was not a large one, -and by running it day and night he could only -bake three hundred loaves.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“He and his wife baked until they were tired -out. They told Sparkle Spry to watch the oven -so that the bread wouldn’t burn, and to wake -them when it was brown. They were so tired -that Sparkle Spry was sorry for them, and he wondered -why he wasn’t big enough to take their -places, if only for one day and night. While he -was thinking and wishing, he saw something moving. -He rubbed his eyes and looked again, and -then he saw an old man, no bigger than a broomstick, -and no taller than a teacup, peeping from -behind the oven.</p> -<div id='i124' class='figcenter id014'> -<img src='images/i124.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>HE SAW AN OLD MAN, NO BIGGER THAN A BROOMSTICK</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“‘Are they all gone?’ he whispered, coming -forward a little way.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘All who?’ asked Sparkle Spry.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘The old ones—the big man and the fat -woman.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘They have gone to bed,’ said Sparkle Spry. -‘I can call them!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘No, no,’ cried the old man. ‘They are such -fools! They don’t know what is good for them. -I have been waiting for years to get a chance to -show them how to bake bread. Once I showed -myself to the man, and he thought I was a snake; -once to the woman, and she thought I was a rat. -What fools they are!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Who are you?’ inquired Sparkle Spry. He -didn’t like to hear his friends abused.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Who—me? I’m the King of the Clinkers—twice -plunged in the water and twice burned -in the fire.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well, to-night you can bake all the bread -you want to,’ said Sparkle Spry. ‘The baker and -his wife have been trying to supply the army that -is camped here, but their oven is too small. They -have worked until they can work no longer, and -now they have gone to bed to rest.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Good!’ cried the King of the Clinkers. -‘Shut the door, so they can’t hear us! I’ll show -them a thing or two about baking bread.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Then he walked close to the hot oven, tapped -on it with a little poker that he carried in his belt, -and called out: ‘Wake up! Get out! Come -on! Hurry up! We’ve no time to lose! Show -yourselves! Stir about! Be lively!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“With that, hundreds of little men swarmed -out of the ash heap behind the oven, some of -them sneezing and some rubbing their eyes, but -all jumping about with motions as quick as those -of a flea when he jumps.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Oh, please don’t talk about fleas,” pleaded -Mr. Rabbit, shuddering and scratching himself -behind the ear. “It makes the cold chills run -up my back. I never hear ’em named but I think -I can feel ’em crawling on me.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Anyhow, that’s the way the little men jumped -about,” said Tickle-My-Toes, resuming his story. -“They swarmed in and out of the oven, hot as it -was; they swarmed in and out of the flour barrels; -they swarmed in and out of the trough where -the dough was kneaded; and they swarmed in and -out of the woodshed.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The King of the Clinkers stood sometimes on -the edge of the oven, sometimes on the edge of -the flour barrels, sometimes on the edge of the -trough, sometimes on the woodpile, and sometimes -at the door of the furnace. And wherever he -stood he waved his tiny poker and told the others -what to do.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Some of the little men carried wood to the -furnace, some carried flour and water to the trough, -some carried dough to the oven, and some brought -out the hot and smoking bread. Sparkle Spry -watched all this with so much surprise that he -didn’t know what to say or do. He saw the -loaves of bread rise up in rows as high as the -ceiling, and he sat and watched it as dumb as an -oyster. He had seen bread baked, but he had -never seen such baking as this.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Finally the eye of the King of the Clinkers -fell on Sparkle Spry. ‘Don’t sit there doing -nothing,’ he cried. ‘Go fetch wood and pile it -here by the furnace door. You can do that!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Sparkle Spry did as he was bid, but though -he brought the wood as fast as he could, he found -that he couldn’t bring it fast enough. Pretty -soon the King of the Clinkers called out to him:</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘You can rest now. The flour is all gone, -and we have hardly begun.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘There’s plenty in the storehouse,’ said -Sparkle Spry.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘How many barrels?’ asked the King of the -Clinkers.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Two hundred,’ Sparkle Spry answered.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The King of the Clinkers wrung his hands in -despair. ‘Hardly a mouthful—hardly a mouthful! -It will all be gone before the chickens crow -for day. But run fetch the key. Two hundred -barrels will keep us busy while they last.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Sparkle Spry brought the key of the storehouse -door, and the little men swarmed in and -rolled the barrels out in a jiffy. Only one accident -happened. In taking the flour out of one -of the barrels, after they had rolled it near the -dough trough, one of the little men fell in and -would have been drowned but for Sparkle Spry, -who felt around in the loose flour and lifted him -out.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Drowned!” cried Sweetest Susan.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Of course,” answered Tickle-My-Toes. “Why -not? I ought to have said ‘smothered,’ but now -that I’ve said ‘drowned’ I’ll stick to it.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Better stick to the story,” remarked Mr. Rabbit -solemnly,—“Better stick to the story.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, I think he’s doing very well,” said Mrs. -Meadows in an encouraging tone.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well,” said Tickle-My-Toes, “the little men -worked away until they had baked the two hundred -barrels of flour into nice brown loaves of -bread. This made five hundred barrels they had -used, and that was all the baker had on hand. -The fifteen hundred pounds of flour made twenty -hundred and odd fat loaves, and these the King -of the Clinkers had carried into the storehouse.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“When all this was done, and nicely done, the -King of the Clinkers went to the door of the room -where the baker and his wife were sleeping. They -were snoring as peacefully as two good people -ever did. Then he went to the street door and -listened.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Get home—get home!’ he cried to the little -men. ‘I hear wagons rumbling on the pavement; -they will be here presently for bread.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The little men scampered this way and that, -behind the oven and into the ash heap, and, in a -few seconds, all had disappeared.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Now,’ said the King of the Clinkers, ‘I want -to tell you that I’ve had a splendid time, and -I’m very much obliged to you for it. I have -enjoyed myself, and I want to make some returns -for it. Pretty soon the bread wagons will be at -the door clamoring for bread. You will wake the -baker and his wife. When they find all their -flour made into nice bread they will be very much -surprised. They will ask you who did it. You -must tell them the truth. They will not believe -it, but they’ll be very proud of you. They will -be willing to give you anything you want. Tell -them you want a wooden horse. They will have -it built for you. It must have a window on each -side and good strong hinges in the legs. Good-by! -I hear the wagons at the door.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The King of the Clinkers waved his hand -and disappeared behind the oven. The wagons -rattled near the door, the teamsters cracking their -whips and calling for bread for the hungry army. -Sparkle Spry ran to the baker and shook him, and -ran to the baker’s wife and shook her. They -were soon awake, but when the baker learned that -the wagons had come for bread, he threw up both -hands in despair.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I’m ruined!’ he cried. ‘I ought to have -been baking and here I’ve been sleeping! And -the army marches away to-day, leaving me with -all my stock of flour on hand. Oh, why didn’t -the boy wake me?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Come,’ said his wife; ‘we’ll sell what we’ve -got, and not cry over the rest.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“They went into the storehouse, and there they -saw a sight such as they had never seen before. -The room was so full of steaming bread that they -could hardly squeeze in at the door. From floor -to ceiling it was stacked and packed. They sold -and sold until every loaf was gone, and then, instead -of the bread, the baker and his wife had a -sack full of silver money.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The baker went in to count it, but his wife -took it away from him. ‘Not now,’ she said; -‘not until we have thanked this boy.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘You are right!’ cried the baker. ‘It’s the -most wonderful thing I ever heard of. How did -you manage it?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Some little men helped me,’ answered Sparkle -Spry.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The woman seized his hands and kissed his -fingers. ‘These are the little men,’ she exclaimed.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘There’s one thing I’m sorry for,’ said -Sparkle Spry.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘What is that?’ asked the baker.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Why, we had to burn so much wood.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Don’t mention it—don’t mention it,’ protested -the baker.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Now,’ said the baker’s wife, embracing Sparkle -Spry again, ‘you deserve something for making -us rich. What shall it be?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The baker frowned a little at this, but his -brow cleared when Sparkle Spry replied that he -wanted a wooden horse built.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘You shall have it,’ said the baker’s wife.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Yes, indeed,’ assented the baker. ‘As fine -a one as you want.’”</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch12' class='c007'>XII.<br /> <br />THE TERRIBLE HORSE.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c012'>When Tickle-My-Toes had told about how -pleased the baker and his wife were with Sparkle -Spry, he paused and looked at Chickamy Crany -Crow, as if he expected that she would beckon -him away. But, instead of that, she said:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Why, that isn’t all.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, it’s enough, I hope,” replied Tickle-My-Toes.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“No,” said Mrs. Meadows, “it’s not enough, -if there’s any more. Why, so far it’s the best -of all the stories. It’s new to me. I had an idea -that I had heard all the stories, but this one is a -pole over my persimmon, as we used to say in the -country next door.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I don’t like to tell stories,” protested Tickle-My-Toes, -puckering his face in a comical way. -“It’s too confining.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Nonsense!” exclaimed Mr. Rabbit. “It’s -time you were settling down. What will you look -like a year or two from now, if you keep on cutting -up your capers?”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Tickle-My-Toes caught hold of the corner of -Chickamy Crany Crow’s apron, and, thus fortified, -resumed his story:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, the baker and his wife promised Sparkle -Spry they would have him a big wooden horse -made, and they were as good as their word. They -sent right off that very day for a carpenter and -joiner, and when he came, Sparkle Spry showed -the man what he wanted. He said the horse must -be as much like a real horse as could be made out -of wood, and three times as big.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The man asked the baker’s wife what the brat -wanted with such a machine as that, and this made -the good woman mad.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘He’s no brat, I can tell you that!’ she exclaimed, -‘and if he wants a play horse as big as a -whale and the same shape, he shall have it. Now -if you want to make his play horse, get to work -and make it. If not, I’ll get somebody else to -make it.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But the man declared he meant no harm, and -said he was glad to get the work. So he got the -lumber, and in a few days, being a very clever -workman, he had finished the wooden horse. He -made it just as Sparkle Spry wanted him to. He -put big hinges at the joints of the legs, cut a window -in each side of the body, made the ears and -the nostrils hollow, and fixed pieces of glass for -the eyes.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The carpenter seemed to enjoy his work, too, -for every time he went off a little distance to see -how his work looked, he laughed as hard as he -could. When he was nearly done he asked Sparkle -Spry if he wanted the roof shingled.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Why, no,’ replied the boy. ‘There’s no -roof there. Besides, horses don’t have shingles -on them.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“He’ll look pretty rough,” remarked the man.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Yes,’ said Sparkle Spry, ‘but after you get -through with him he is to be polished off.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘That’s so,’ the carpenter assented, ‘but this -horse has a good many things about him that -other horses haven’t got.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So, when the carpenter was through with the -horse, a leather finisher was sent for, and he covered -the horse with hides of cows tanned with the -hair on, and fixed a cow’s tail where the horse’s -tail should have been.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The baker grumbled a little at this extra expense, -and said he was afraid Sparkle Spry had -strained his head the night he baked so much -bread. But the baker’s wife said she would like -to have a whole house full of crazy children, if -Sparkle Spry was crazy.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“When the wooden horse was finished, Sparkle -Spry waited until the baker and his wife had gone -to bed, and then he tapped on the oven and whistled. -Presently the King of the Clinkers peeped -out to see what the matter was. He came from -behind the oven cautiously, until he found that -Sparkle Spry was alone, and then he came forth -boldly.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘The horse is ready,’ said Sparkle Spry.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Ready!’ exclaimed the King of the Clinkers. -‘Well, I think it is high time. My workmen -could have built it in a night; and here I -have been waiting and waiting for I don’t know -how long.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I hope you’ll like it,’ Sparkle Spry suggested.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Like it!’ cried the King of the Clinkers. -‘Why, of course I’ll like it. I haven’t enjoyed -a ride in so long that I’m not likely to quarrel -with the horse that carries me.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘But this is a wooden horse,’ remarked Sparkle -Spry.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I should hope so; yes, indeed!’ grunted -the King of the Clinkers. ‘I have been riding -wooden horses as long as I can remember. They -may be a little clumsy, but they suit me.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘But this horse has no rockers,’ persisted -Sparkle Spry. ‘It is as solid as a house.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Much you know about wooden horses,’ said -the King of the Clinkers. ‘Wait; I’ll call my -torchbearers.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“He tapped on the oven with his tiny poker, -and immediately a company of little men filed out -from behind it. As they passed the furnace door -they lit their torches at a live coal, and marched -out to the wooden horse, followed by the King of -the Clinkers and Sparkle Spry.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The latter had reason to be very much astonished -at what he saw then and afterwards. The -torchbearers led the way to the left foreleg of -the wooden horse, opened a door, and filed up a -spiral stairway, the King of the Clinkers following -after. Sparkle Spry climbed up by means of -a stepladder that the carpenter had used. When -he crawled through the window in the side of the -wooden horse, he saw that a great transformation -had taken place, and the sight of it almost took -his breath away.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“A furnace with a small bake oven had been -fitted up, and there was also a supply of flour, coal, -and wood. The flue from the furnace ran in the -inside of the horse’s neck, finding a vent for the -smoke at the ears. On all sides were to be seen -the tools and furniture of a bakery, and there -were places where the little men might stow themselves -away when they were not on duty, and -there was a special apartment for the King of the -Clinkers.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“In a little while the whole interior of the -horse swarmed with the followers of the King of -the Clinkers, who stood counting them as they -came in.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘All here,’ he said, waving his little poker. -‘Now get to bed and rest yourselves.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“They complied so promptly that they seemed -to disappear as if by magic. The torchbearers -had thrown their torches in the furnace, and as -wood had already been placed there, a fire was -soon kindled.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Now,’ said the King of the Clinkers, closing -the draught, ‘we’ll let it warm up a little and see -if the carpenter has done his work well.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Thereupon he pulled a cord that seemed to -be tied to a bell, and, in a little while, Sparkle -Spry felt that the horse was in motion. He -hardly knew what to make of it. He went to -the window and peeped out, and the lights in the -houses seemed to be all going to the rear. Occasionally -a creaking sound was heard, and sometimes -he could feel a jar or jolt in the horse’s -frame.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Are we flying?’ he asked, turning to the -King of the Clinkers.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Flying! Nothing of the sort. Don’t you -feel a jolt when the horse lifts up a foot and puts -it down again? I’m mighty glad it is a pacing -horse. If it was a trotting horse it would shake -us all to pieces.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Where are we going?’ inquired Sparkle -Spry.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Following the army—following the army,’ -replied the King of the Clinkers. ‘There’s going -to be a big battle not far from here, and we -may take a hand in it. The king of the country -is a fat old rascal, and isn’t very well thought of -by the rest of the kings, who are his cousins; but -I live here, and he has never bothered me. Consequently, -I don’t mind helping him out in a -pinch.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘How far do you have to go?’ asked Sparkle -Spry, who had no great relish for war if it was as -hard as he had heard it was.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Oh, a good many miles,’ replied the King of -the Clinkers, ‘and we are not getting on at all. -There’s not enough mutton suet on the knee -hinges to suit me.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So saying, he struck the bell twice, and instantly -Sparkle Spry could feel that the wooden -horse was going faster.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Does the horse go by the road or through -the fields?’ asked Sparkle Spry.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Oh, we take short cuts when necessary,’ answered -the King of the Clinkers. ‘We have no -time to go round by the road. I hope you are -not scared.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘No, not scared,’ replied Sparkle Spry somewhat -doubtfully; ‘but it makes me feel queer to -be traveling through the country in a wooden -horse.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Nothing more was said for some time, and -Sparkle Spry must have dropped off to sleep, for -suddenly he was aroused by the voice of the King -of the Clinkers, who called out:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Here we are! Get up! Stir about!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Sparkle Spry jumped to his feet and looked -from the window. Day was just dawning, and -on the plain before him he saw hundreds of twinkling -lights, as if a shower of small stars had fallen -to the ground during the night. Being somewhat -dazed by his experiences, he asked what they -were.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Camp-fires,’ replied the King of the Clinkers. -‘The army that we are going to attack is -camped further away, but if you will lift your -eyes a little, you will see their camp-fires.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Do we attack them by ourselves?’ Sparkle -Spry asked.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Of course!’ the King of the Clinkers answered. -‘I never did like too much company; -besides, I want you to get the credit of it.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Now, I’d rather be certain of a whole skin -than to have any credit,’ protested Sparkle Spry.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But the King of the Clinkers paid no attention -to his protests. He gave his orders to his -little men, and strutted about with an air of importance -that Sparkle Spry would have thought -comical if he had not been thinking of the battle.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Daylight came on and drowned out the camp-fires, -leaving only thin columns of blue smoke to -mark them. The wooden horse moved nearer -and nearer to the army directly in front of them, -and finally came close to the headquarters of the -commanding general, who sent out a soldier to inquire -the meaning of the apparition. Finally the -general came himself, accompanied by his staff, -and to him Sparkle Spry repeated what the King -of the Clinkers had told him to say. The general -pulled his mustache and knitted his brows mightily, -and finally he said:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I’m obliged to you for coming. You’ll -have to do the best you can. I never have commanded -a wooden horse, and if I were to tell you -what to do, I might get you into trouble. I’ll -just send word along the line that the wooden -horse is on our side, and you’ll have to do the -best you can.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“As he said, so he did. The army soon knew -that a big wooden horse had come to help it, and -when the queer-looking machine moved to the -front, the soldiers got out of the way as fast as -they could, and some of them forgot to carry their -arms with them. But order was soon restored, -and presently it was seen that the opposing army -was marching forward to begin the battle.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The King of the Clinkers waited until the -line was formed, and then he sounded the little -bell. The horse started off. The bell rang -twice, and the horse went faster. Sparkle Spry, -looking from the window, could see that he was -going at a tremendous rate. The horse went close -to the opposing army, and then turned and went -down the line to the left. Turning, it came up -the line, this time very close. Turning again, it -came back, and the soldiers in the front line were -compelled to scamper out of the way. While this -was going on, the other army came up, but by the -time it arrived on the battle-ground there was -nothing to fight.</p> -<div id='i142' class='figcenter id015'> -<img src='images/i142.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>THE WOODEN HORSE HAD STAMPEDED THE ENEMY’S ARMY</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“The wooden horse had stampeded the enemy’s -army, and the soldiers had all run away, leaving -their arms, their tents, and their bread wagons to -be captured.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The commanding general of the victorious -army thanked Sparkle Spry very heartily. ‘I’ll -mention your name in my report to the king,’ he -said. ‘But I hardly know what to say about the -affair. You wouldn’t call this a battle, would -you?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘No,’ replied Sparkle Spry, ‘I saw no signs -of a battle where I went along.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘It is very curious,’ said the general. ‘I -don’t know what we are coming to. A great -victory, but nobody killed and no prisoners -taken.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Then he went off to write his report, and -some time afterward the king sent for Sparkle -Spry, and gave him lands and houses and money, -and made him change his every-day name for a -high-sounding one. And the baker and his wife -came to live near him, and the King of the Clinkers -used to come at night with all his little men, -and they had a very good time after all, in spite -of the high-sounding name.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>With this, Tickle-My-Toes turned and ran away -as hard as he could, whereupon Mr. Rabbit -opened his eyes and asked in the most solemn -way:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Is there a wooden horse after him? I wish -you’d look.”</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch13' class='c007'>XIII.<br /> <br />HOW BROTHER LION LOST HIS WOOL.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c012'>Mr. Rabbit shaded his eyes with his hand, and -pretended to believe that there might be a wooden -horse trying to catch Tickle-My-Toes after all. -But Mrs. Meadows said that there was no danger -of anything like that. She explained that Tickle-My-Toes -was running away because he didn’t -want to hear what was said about his story.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I think he’s right,” remarked Mr. Rabbit. -“It was the queerest tale I ever heard in all my -life. You might sit and listen to tales from now -until—well—until the first Tuesday before the -last Saturday in the year seven hundred thousand, -seven hundred and seventy-seven, and you’d -never hear another tale like it.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I don’t see why,” suggested Mrs. Meadows.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well,” replied Mr. Rabbit, chewing his tobacco -very slowly, “there are more reasons than -I have hairs in my head, but I’ll only give you -three. In the first place, this Sparkle Spry doesn’t -marry the king’s daughter. In the second place, -he doesn’t live happily forever after; and in the -third place”—Mr. Rabbit paused and scratched -his head—“I declare, I’ve forgotten the third -reason.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“If it’s no better than the other two, it doesn’t -amount to much,” said Mrs. Meadows. “There’s -no reason why he shouldn’t have married the -king’s daughter, if the king had a daughter, and -if he didn’t live happily it was his own fault. -Stories are not expected to tell everything.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, I’m glad of that,” exclaimed Mr. Rabbit, -“truly glad. I’ve had a story on my mind -for many years, and I’ve kept it to myself because -I had an idea that in telling a story you had to -tell everything.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, you were very much mistaken,” said -Mrs. Meadows with emphasis.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So it seems—so it seems,” remarked Mr. -Rabbit.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“What was the story?” asked Buster John.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I called it a story,” replied Mr. Rabbit, “but -that is too big a name for it. I reckon you have -heard of the time when Brother Lion had hair all -over him as long and as thick as the mane he now -has?”</p> - -<p class='c013'>But the children shook their heads. They had -never heard of that, and even Mrs. Meadows said -it was news to her.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, that is very queer,” remarked Mr. Rabbit, -filling his pipe slowly and deliberately. “Very -queer, indeed. Time and again I’ve had it on -the tip of my tongue to mention this matter, but -I always came to the conclusion that everybody -knew all about it. Of course it doesn’t seem reasonable -that Brother Lion went about covered -from head to foot, and to the tip of his tail, with -long, woolly hair; but, on the other hand, when -he was first seen without his long, woolly hair, he -was the laughing-stock of the whole district. I -know mighty well he was the most miserable -looking creature I ever saw.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“It was curious, too, how it happened,” Mr. -Rabbit continued. “We were all living in a -much colder climate than that in the country next -door. Six months in the year there was ice in -the river and snow on the ground, and them that -didn’t lay up something to eat when the weather -was open had a pretty tough time of it the rest of -the year. Brother Lion’s long woolly hair belonged -to the climate. But for that, he would -have frozen to death, for he was a great hunter, -and he had to be out in all sorts of weather.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“One season we had a tremendous spell of cold -weather, the coldest I had ever felt. I happened -to be out one day, browsing around, when I saw -blue smoke rising a little distance off, so I says to -myself, says I, I’ll go within smelling distance of -the fire and thaw myself out. I went towards -the smoke, and I soon saw that Mr. Man, who -lived not far off, had been killing hogs.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, the funny thing about that hog-killing -business,” continued Mr. Rabbit, leaning back in -his chair and smacking his lips together, as old -people will do sometimes, “was that, after the -hogs were killed, Mr. Man had to get their hair -off. I don’t know how people do now, but that -was what Mr. Man did then. He had to get the -hair off—but how? Well, he piled up wood, -and in between the logs he placed rocks and -stones. Then he dug a hole in the ground and -half buried a hogshead, the open end tilted up a -little higher than the other end. This hogshead -he filled with as much water as it would hold in -that position. Then he set fire to the pile of -wood. As it burned, of course the rocks would -become heated. These Mr. Man would take in a -shovel and throw in the hogshead of water. The -hot rocks would heat the water, and in this way -the hogs were scalded so the hair on their hides -could be scraped off.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, the day I’m telling you about, Mr. -Man had been killing hogs and scalding the hair -off. When I got there the pile of wood had -burned away, and Mr. Man had just taken his -hogs home in his wagon. The weather was very -cold, and as I stood there warming myself I heard -Brother Lion roaring a little way off. He had -scented the fresh meat, and I knew he would -head right for the place where the hogs had been -killed.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, Brother Lion had been worrying me a -good deal. He had hired Brother Wolf to capture -me, and Brother Wolf had failed. Then -he hired Brother Bear, and Brother Bear got -into deep trouble. Finally he hired Brother Fox, -and I knew the day wasn’t far off when Mrs. -Fox would have to hang crape on her door and -go in mourning. All this had happened some -time before, and I bore Brother Lion no good -will.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So, when I heard him in the woods singing -out that he smelled fresh blood, I grabbed the -shovel the man had left, and threw a dozen or so -hot rocks in the hogshead, and then threw some -fresh dirt on the fire. Presently Brother Lion -came trotting up, sniffing the air, purring like -a spinning wheel a-running, and dribbling at the -mouth.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I passed the time of day with him as he came -up, but kept further away from him than he could -jump. He seemed very much surprised to see -me, and said it was pretty bad weather for such -little chaps to be out; but I told him I had on -pretty thick underwear, and besides that I had -just taken a hot bath in the hogshead.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I’m both cold and dirty,’ says he, smelling -around the hogshead, ‘and I need a bath. I’ve -been asleep in the woods yonder, and I’m right -stiff with cold. But that water is bubbling around -in there mightily.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I’ve just flung some rocks in,’ says I.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘How do you get in?’ says he.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Back in,’ says I.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Brother Lion walked around the hogshead -once or twice, as if to satisfy himself that there -was no trap, and then he squatted and began to -crawl into the hogshead backwards. By the time -his hind leg touched the water, he pulled it out -with a howl, and tried to jump away, but, somehow, -his foot slipped off the rim of the hogshead, -and he soused into the water—kerchug!—up to -his shoulders.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Mr. Rabbit paused, shut his eyes, and chuckled -to himself.</p> -<div id='i150' class='figcenter id016'> -<img src='images/i150.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>YOU NEVER HEARD SUCH HOWLING SINCE YOU WERE BORN</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“Well, you never heard such howling since -you were born. Brother Lion scrambled out -quicker than a cat can wink her left eye, and -rolled on the ground, and scratched around, and -tore up the earth considerably. I thought at first -he was putting on and pretending; but the water -must have been mighty hot, for while Brother -Lion was scuffling around, all the wool on his -body came off up to his shoulders, and if you -were to see him to-day you’d find him just that -way.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“And more than that—before he soused himself -in that hogshead of hot water, Brother Lion -used to strut around considerably. Being the -king of all the animals, he felt very proud, and -he used to go with his tail curled over his back. -But since that time, he sneaks around as if he was -afraid somebody would see him.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“There’s another thing. His hide hurt him -so bad for a week that every time a fly lit on him -he’d wiggle his tail. Some of the other animals, -seeing him do this, thought it was a new fashion, -and so they began to wiggle their tails. Watch -your old house cat when you go home, and you -will see her wiggle her tail forty times a day without -any reason or provocation. Why? Simply -because the other animals, when they saw Brother -Lion wiggling his tail, thought it was the fashion; -and so they all began it, and now it has become -a habit with the most of them. It is curious how -such things go.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But the queerest thing of all,” continued Mr. -Rabbit, leaning back in his chair, and looking at -Mrs. Meadows and the children through half-closed -eyes, “was this—that the only wool left -on Brother Lion’s body, with the exception of his -mane, was a little tuft right on the end of his -tail.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“How was that?” inquired Mrs. Meadows.</p> - -<p class='c013'>Mr. Rabbit laughed heartily, but made no -reply.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I don’t see anything to laugh at,” said Mrs. -Meadows with some emphasis. “A civil question -deserves a civil answer, I’ve always heard.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, you know what you said a while ago,” -remarked Mr. Rabbit.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I don’t know as I remember,” replied Mrs. -Meadows.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Why, you said pointedly that it was not -necessary to tell everything in a story.” Mr. -Rabbit made this remark with great dignity. -“And I judged by the way you said it that it was -bad taste to tell everything.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Oh, I remember now,” said Mrs. Meadows, -laughing. “It was only one of my jokes.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But this is no joke,” protested Mr. Rabbit, -winking at the children, but keeping the serious -side of his face toward Mrs. Meadows. “I took -you at your solemn word. Now there is a tuft of -wool on Brother Lion’s tail, and you ask me how -it happened to be there. I answer you as you -answered me—’You don’t have to tell everything -in a story.’ Am I right, or am I wrong?”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I’ll not dispute with you,” remarked Mrs. -Meadows, taking up her knitting.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I don’t mind telling you,” remarked Mr. Rabbit, -turning to the children with a confidential -air. “It was as simple as falling off a log. When -Brother Lion fell into the hogshead of hot water, -the end of his tail slipped through the bunghole.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>This explanation was such an unexpected one -that the children laughed, and so did Mrs. Meadows. -But Mr. Thimblefinger, who had put in an -appearance, shook his head and remarked that he -was afraid that Mr. Rabbit got worse as he grew -older, instead of better.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch14' class='c007'>XIV.<br /> <br />BROTHER LION HAS A SPELL OF SICKNESS.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“The fact is,” remarked Mr. Rabbit, “I was -just telling the story—if you can call it a story—to -please company. If you think the end of -Brother Lion’s tale is the end of the story, well -and good; but it didn’t stop there when I told it -in my young days. And it didn’t stop there -when it happened. But maybe I’ve talked too -long and said too much. You know how we gabble -when we get old.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I like to hear you talk,” said Sweetest Susan, -edging a little closer to Mr. Rabbit and smiling -cutely.</p> - -<p class='c013'>Mr. Rabbit took off his glasses and wiped them -on his big red handkerchief.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“There’s some comfort in that,” he declared. -“If you really like to hear me talk, I’ll go right -ahead and tell the rest of the story. It’s a little -rough in spots, but you’ll know how to make -allowances for that. The creatures had claws and -tushes, and where these grow thick and long, -there’s bound to be more or less scratching and -biting.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Of course, when Brother Lion had the wool -scalded off his hide, he was in a pretty bad condition. -He managed to get home, but it was a -long time before he could come out and go roaming -around the country. As he was the king of -the animals, of course all the rest of the creatures -called on him to see how he was getting on. I -didn’t go myself, because I didn’t know how he -felt towards me. I was afraid he had heard me -laugh when he backed into the hogshead of hot -water, though I made believe I was sneezing. -Consequently, I didn’t go and ask him how he -was getting on.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But I went close enough to know that Brother -Fox had told Brother Lion a great rigamarole -about me. That was Brother Fox’s way. In -front of your face, he was sweeter than sauce and -softer than pudding, but behind your back—well, -he didn’t have any claws, but what tushes -he had he showed them.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I never did hear what Brother Fox said about -me in any one place and at any one time, but I -heard a little here and a little there, and when it -was all patched up and put together it made a -great mess. I had done this, and I had done -that; I had laughed at Brother Lion behind his -back, and I had snickered at him before his face; -I had talked about him and made fun of him; -and, besides all that, I had never had the politeness -to call on him.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“All the other animals found Brother Lion so -willing to listen that they learned Brother Fox’s -lies by heart, and went and recited them here and -there about the country; and in that way I got -hold of the worst of them. The trouble with -Brother Fox was that he had an old grudge -against me. He had been trying to outdo me for -many a long year, but somehow or other he always -got caught in his own trap. He had a willing -mind and a thick head, and when these get together -there’s always trouble. The willing mind -pushes and the thick head goes with its eyes shut.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“In old times, people used to say that Brother -Fox was cunning, but I believe they’ve quit that -since the facts have come to light. My experience -with him is that he is blessed with about as much -sense as a half-grown guinea pig. He’s a pretty -swift runner, but he doesn’t even know when the -time comes to run.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Of course, when Brother Fox found out that -for some reason or other I wasn’t visiting Brother -Lion, he seized the chance to talk about me, and -it wasn’t such a great while before he managed -to make Brother Lion believe that I was the worst -enemy he had and the cause of all his trouble.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I knew pretty well that something of the sort -was going on, for every time I’d meet any of the -other animals, they’d ask me why I didn’t call -and see Brother Lion. Brother Fox, especially, -was anxious to know why I hadn’t gone to ask -after Brother Lion’s health.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I put them all off for some time, until finally -one day I heard that Brother Lion had given -Brother Fox orders to catch me and bring me before -him. This didn’t worry me at all, because I -knew that Brother Fox was just as able to catch -me as I was to catch a wild duck in the middle -of a mill-pond. But I concluded I’d go and see -Brother Lion and find out all about his health.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So I went, taking good care to go galloping -by Brother Fox’s house. He was sitting on his -front porch, and I could see he was astonished, -but I neither said howdy nor turned my head. I -knew he would follow along after.</p> - -<p class='c013'><a id='p-158'></a>“When I got to Brother Lion’s house everything was -very quiet, but I knew Brother Lion was awake, for I heard him groan -every time he tried to turn over. So I rapped at the door and then -walked in. Brother Lion watched me from under his tousled mane for some -time before he said anything. Then he says, says he:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘What’s this I hear?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says I, ‘Not having your ears, I can’t say.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘My ears are as good as anybody’s ears,’ -says he.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘But I can’t hear through them,’ says I.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“He grunted and grumbled a little over this, -because he didn’t know what reply to make.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘You haven’t been to see me until now,’ -says he.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘No,’ says I; ‘I knew you were pretty bad off, -and so I had no need to come and ask you how -you were. I knew I was partly to blame in the -matter, and so I went off to see if I couldn’t find -a cure for you.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says he, ‘Don’t talk about cures. Everybody -that has come to see me has a cure. I’ve -tried ’em all, and now I’m worse off than I was -at first.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says I, ‘I could have come as often as Brother -Fox did, and my coming would have done -you just as much good.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I don’t know about that,’ says he. ‘Brother -Fox has been mighty neighborly. He has lost -sleep on my account, and he has told me a great -many things that I didn’t know before.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Likely enough,’ says I. ‘I’ve known him -to tell people a great many things that he didn’t -know himself. But Brother Fox,’ says I, ‘was -the least of all things in my mind when I found -out that you had been scalded by water that was -not more than milk-warm. I didn’t need to be -told that when milk-warm water scalds the hair -off of anybody, something else is the matter beside -the scalding.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“At this Brother Lion seemed to quiet down a -little. He didn’t talk so loud, and he began to -show the whites of his eyes.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Yes,’ says I, ‘Brother Fox is famous for -talking behind the door, but I’ve noticed that -he never says anything nice about anybody. You -know what he’s said about me, but do you know -what he’s said about you? Of course you don’t, -and I’m not going to tell you, because I don’t -want you to be worried.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘But I’d like to know,’ says Brother Lion, -says he.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘It wouldn’t do you any good,’ says I. ‘I -could have come here and jowered and made a -good deal of trouble, but instead of that I knew -of an old friend of mine who knows how to cure -hot burns and cold burns, and so I’ve been off -on a long trip to see the witch doctor, old -Mammy-Bammy Big Money.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘And did you see her?’ says Brother Lion, -says he.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I most certainly did,’ says I, ‘and furthermore -I laid the whole case before her. I had to -travel far and wide to find her, but when I did -find her I asked her to tell me what was good for -a person who had been scalded by milk-warm -water. She asked me three times the name of -the person, and three times I told her. Then she -lit a pine splinter, blew it out, and watched the -smoke scatter. There was something wrong, for -she shook her head three times.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘What did Mammy-Bammy Big Money say?’ -says Brother Lion, says he. His voice sounded -very weak.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘She said nothing,’ says I. ‘She watched -the smoke scatter, and then she put her hands before -her face and rocked from side to side. After -that she walked back and forth, and when she sat -down again she took off her left slipper, shook -out the gravel, and counted it as it fell. Once -more she asked me the name of the person who -had been scalded in milk-warm water, and once -more I told her.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Wait!’ says Brother Lion, says he. ‘Do -you mean to tell me the water I fell in was only -milk-warm?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says I, ‘It seemed so to me. I had just -washed my face and hands in it.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well, well, well!’ says Brother Lion. ‘What -else did she say?’ says he.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I don’t like to tell you,’ says I; and just -about that time Brother Fox walked in.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘But you must tell me,’ says Brother Lion, -says he.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well,’ says I, ‘if I must I will, but I don’t -like to. When Mammy-Bammy Big Money had -counted the white pebbles that fell from her slipper, -and asked me the name of the person who -was scalded in milk-warm water, she told me that -he could be cured by poulticing the burns with -the fresh hide of his best friend. I asked her the -name of this friend, but she shook her head and -said she would call no names. Then she said that -your best friend had short ears, a sharp nose, keen -eyes, slim legs, and a bushy tail.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Brother Lion shut his eyes and pretended to -be thinking. I looked at Brother Fox as solemnly -as I knew how, and shook my head slowly. -Brother Fox got mighty restless. He got up and -walked around.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well, well, well!’ says Brother Lion, says -he. ‘That might mean Brother Wolf, or it -might mean Brother Fox.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I expect it means Brother Wolf,’ says Brother -Fox.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Why, you don’t mean to stand up here and -say right before Brother Lion’s face and eyes that -Brother Wolf is a better friend to him than you -are!’ says I.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Brother Fox’s mouth fell open and his tongue -hung out, and just about that time I made my -best bow, and put out for home.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But did Brother Lion try the remedy?” Buster -John inquired, as Mr. Rabbit paused and -began to light his pipe.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I think Brother Lion caught him and skinned -him. It’s a great pity if he didn’t. But I’ll -not be certain. So many things have happened -since then that I disremember about the hide -business. But you may be sure Brother Lion -was very superstitious. My best opinion is that -he tried the cure.”</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch15' class='c007'>XV.<br /> <br />A MOUNTAIN OF GOLD.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“That is a funny name for a witch,” said Buster -John, as Rabbit paused and began to nod.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Which name was that?” inquired Mr. -Thimblefinger.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Why, Mammy-Bammy Big Money,” replied -Buster John, elevating his voice a little.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, it’s very simple,” remarked Mr. -Thimblefinger. “‘Mammy-Bammy’ was to catch -the ear of the animals, and ‘Big Money’ was to -attract the attention of the people.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Dat’s so,” said Drusilla. “Kaze time you say -‘money’ folks’ll stop der work an’ lissen at you; -an’ ef you say ‘Big Money’ dey’ll ax you ter say -it agin’.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“It’s very curious about money,” continued -Mr. Thimblefinger. “I don’t know whether you -ever thought about it much—and I hope you -haven’t—but it has pestered me a good deal, -this thing you call money.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“It’s mighty bothersome,” assented Mrs. Meadows, -“when you are where people use it, and -when you have none except what you can beg or -borrow. Thank goodness! I’m free from all -bother now.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Yes,” said Mr. Thimblefinger, “I don’t see -that people have much the advantage of the animals -when it comes to using money. I’ve seen -grown people work night and day for a few pieces -of metal.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Why, of course!” cried Buster John. “They -can take the pieces of metal and buy bread and -meat to eat and clothes to wear.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So much the more wonderful!” remarked Mr. -Thimblefinger. “What do the people who have -more bread and meat and clothes than they can -use want with the pieces of metal?”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So they may buy something else that they -haven’t got,” said Buster John.</p> - -<p class='c013'>But Mr. Thimblefinger shook his head. He -was not satisfied.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“It puts me in mind of a tale I heard once -about a poor man who was the richest person in -the world.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But that couldn’t be, you know,” protested -Buster John.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Anyhow, that’s the way it seemed to me in -the story,” replied Mr. Thimblefinger. “But the -story is so old-fashioned it would hardly pass muster -now. Besides, they tell me that, as there’s not -enough metal to go round, people have begun to -make up their minds that pieces of paper with -pictures on them are just as good as the metal, -and perhaps better. It’s mighty funny to me.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“What was the story?” asked Sweetest Susan. -“Please tell us about it.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Why, yes,” remarked Mr. Rabbit, “tell us -about it. If calamus root passes current with -some of my acquaintances and catnip with others, -I see no reason why people shouldn’t play make-believe -among themselves, and say that pieces of -metal and pieces of paper are worth something. -In this business people have a great advantage -over us. They can put figures on their pieces of -metal and paper and make them worth anything, -but with us a joint of calamus root is worth just -so much. It has been worth that since the year -one, and it will be worth that right on to the end -of things. Just so with a twist of catnip. But tell -us the story—tell us the story. I may drop off -to sleep, but if I do, that will be no sign that the -tale isn’t interesting.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well,” said Mr. Thimblefinger, “once upon -a time there was a country in which money became -very scarce. The people had a great deal, -but they hid it in their stockings and in the chinks -of the chimneys and in their teapots. The reason -of this was that other countries close at hand -made their money out of the same kind of metal, -and they’d bring their goods in and sell them -and carry the money off home with them.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Of course this helped to make money scarce, -and the scarcer it was the more the people clung -to it, and this made it still scarcer. Naturally -everybody kept an eye out in the hope of finding -a supply of this metal.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“What sort of metal was it?” asked Buster -John.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Gold,” replied Mr. Thimblefinger.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Oh!” exclaimed Buster John, in a disappointed -tone.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Yes,” continued Mr. Thimblefinger, “nothing -in the world but gold. Those who had money -held on to it as long as they could, because they -didn’t know how much scarcer it would be, and -those who didn’t have any were willing to sell -whatever they had for any price in order to get -some.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“It was lots worse than playing dolls—lots -worse. When children play make-believe with -dolls, they soon forget about it; but when grown -people begin to play make-believe with money, -they never get over it. The wisest men get their -heads turned when they begin to think and talk -about money. They have forgotten that it was -all a make-believe in the beginning.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Here Mr. Rabbit yawned and said: “You’ll -have to excuse me if I nod a little here.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Yes,” remarked Mrs. Meadows, “I feel a -little sleepy myself, but I’ll try to keep awake for -the sake of appearances.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Don’t mind me,” said Mr. Thimblefinger, -with mock politeness. “Go to sleep if you want -to, you two. I won’t have to talk so loud.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, in this country I was telling you about, -there was a young man who had saved some -money by working hard, but he didn’t save it -fast enough to suit himself. He thought so much -about it that he would stop in the middle of his -work, and sit and study about it an hour at a -time.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“He thought about it so much that he began -to dream about it, and one night he dreamed that -he got in a boat and went to an island on which -there was a mountain of gold that shone and -glistened in the sun. He was very unhappy -when he woke in the morning and found it was -nothing but a dream.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“He didn’t go to work that day, but wandered -about doing nothing. That night he had the -same dream. He had the same dream the next -night; and the morning after, the first person he -saw was an old man who had stopped to rest on -the doorsteps. This old man would have been -like other old men but for one thing. His beard -was so long that he had to part it in the middle -of his chin, pass it under each arm, cross the -wisps on his back, and bring them around in front -again, where the two ends were tied together with -a bow of red ribbon.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘How are you, my young friend, and how -goes it?’ said the old man, smiling pleasantly. -‘You look as if you had been having wonderful -dreams.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘So I have, gran’sir,’ replied the young -man.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well, a dream isn’t worth a snap of your -finger unless it comes true, and a dream never -comes true until you have dreamed it three -times.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I have dreamed mine three times, gran’sir, -and yet it is impossible that it should come true.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Nonsense! Nothing is impossible. Tell me -your dream.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So the young man told the old man his -dream.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘The Island of the Mountain of Gold!’ exclaimed -the old man. ‘Why, that is right in my -line of travel. I can land you there without any -trouble. It is a little out of my way, but not -much.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘How shall we get there?’ the young man -asked.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘On the other side of the town, I have a -boat,’ replied the old man. ‘You are welcome to -go with me. It is so seldom that dreams come -true that I shall be glad to help this one along as -well as I can. Besides, I have long wanted an -excuse to visit the Island of the Mountain of -Gold. I have passed within sight of it hundreds -of times, but have always been too busy to land -there.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The young man looked at the old man with -astonishment. If he had spoken his thoughts he -would have declared the old man to be crazy, but -he said nothing. He simply followed after him. -The old man led the way across the town to a -wharf, where his boat was tied. It was a light -little skiff that could be sailed by one man. In -this the two embarked.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The old man managed the sail with one hand -and the rudder with the other, and he had hardly -made things ready and taken his seat before a -light breeze sprang up and filled the sail. The -skiff glided along the water so easily that the -shore seemed to be receding while the boat stood -still. But the breeze grew stronger and stronger, -and the sail bore so heavily on the nose of the -boat that the foam and spray flew high in the air.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The sun was bright and the sky was blue, -and the dark green water seemed to boil beneath -them, so swiftly the light boat sped along. The -young man clapped his hands as joyously as a -boy, and the old man smiled. Presently he -leaned over the side of the boat and pointed to -something shining and sparkling in the distance. -The young man saw it, too, and turned an inquiring -eye upon his companion.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘That is your mountain of gold,’ said the old -man.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘It seems to be very small,’ said the other. -He ceased to smile, and a frown clouded his face.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The old man noticed the frown, and shook -his head and frowned a little himself, coughing in -the muffler that was tied around his neck. But -he said:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘The mountain of gold is more than twenty -miles away.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘How far have we come?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Some hundred and odd miles.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The young man seemed to be very much surprised, -but he said nothing. He leaned so far -over the side of the boat to watch the mountain -of gold that he was in danger of falling out. -The old man kept an eye on him, but did not lift -a finger to warn him.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“In due time they came to the island, if it -could be called an island. It seemed to be a barren -rock that had lifted itself out of the sea to -show the mountain of gold. The mountain was -only a hill, but it was a pretty high one, considering -it was of solid gold.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Sure enough gold?” asked Sweetest Susan.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Pure gold,” answered Mr. Thimblefinger. -“The old man landed his skiff at a convenient -place, and the two got out and went to the mountain, -or hill, of gold that rose shining in the -middle of the small island. The actions of the -young man showed that he considered himself -the proprietor of both island and mountain. He -broke off a chunk of gold as big as your fist, -weighed it in his hand, and would have given it -to the old man, but the latter shook his head.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘You refuse it?’ cried the other. ‘If it is -not enough I’ll give you as much more.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘No,’ replied the old man. ‘Keep it for yourself. -You owe me nothing. I could have carried -away tons of the stuff long before I saw you, but -I had no use for it. You are welcome to as much -as you can take away with you.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘As much as I can take away!’ exclaimed -the other. ‘I shall take it all.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘But how?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘It is mine! I am rich. I will buy me a -ship.’ He walked back and forth, rubbing his -hands together.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Then you have no further need of me?’ -said the old man.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Not now—not now,’ replied the other with -a grand air. ‘You won’t accept pay for your -services, and I can do no more than thank you.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The old man bowed politely, got in his skiff, -and sailed away. The other continued to walk -about the island and rub his hands together, and -make his plans. He was now the richest man in -the world. He could buy kings and princes and -empires. He had enough gold to buy all the -ships on the sea and to control all the trade on -the land. He was great. He was powerful.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“All these thoughts passed through his mind -and he was very happy. The sun looked at the -young man a long time, and then went to bed in -the sea. Two little gray lizards looked at him -until the sun went down, and then they crawled -back in their holes. A big black bird sailed -round and round and watched him until nearly -dark, and then sailed away.</p> -<div id='i174' class='figcenter id017'> -<img src='images/i174.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>HE WAS SO WEAK THAT HE COULDN’T GET UP</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“When night came the young man found the -air damp and chilly, but he knew he was rich, and -so he laughed at the cold. He crept close under -his mountain of gold, and, after a long time, went -to sleep. In the morning he awoke and found -that nobody had taken away his precious mountain -of gold during the night. The sun rose to -keep him company, the two gray lizards crept out -of their holes and looked at him, and the big -black bird sailed round and round overhead.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The day passed, and then another and another. -The young man was hungry and thirsty, -but he was rich. The night winds chilled him, -but he was rich. The midday sun scorched him, -but he was the richest man in the world. Every -night, no matter how hungry or weak he was, he -crept upon the side of the mountain, and stretched -himself out, and tried to hug it to his bosom. -He knew that if he was hungry, it wasn’t because -he was poor, and if he died, he knew he -would die rich. So there he was.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“What then?” asked Buster John, as Mr. -Thimblefinger paused to look at his watch.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, I’ll tell you,” continued Mr. Thimblefinger, -holding the watch to his ear. “One fine -morning this rich young man was so weak that -he couldn’t get up. He tried to, but his foot -slipped, and he rolled to the foot of the mountain -of gold and lay there. He lay there so long and -so quietly that the two gray lizards crept close to -him to see what was the matter. He moved one -of his fingers, and they darted back to their -holes.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The rich young man lay so still that the big -black bird, sailing overhead, came nearer and -nearer, and finally alighted at a respectful distance -from the rich young man. The two gray -lizards came out again, and crawled cautiously toward -the rich young man. The big black bird -craned his neck and looked, and then went a -little closer. A sudden gust of wind caused the -rich young man’s coat to flap. The gray lizards -scrambled towards their holes, and the big black -bird jumped up in the air and flew off a little -way.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But presently they all came back, bird and -lizards, and this time they went still closer to the -rich young man. The big black bird went so -close that there is no telling what he would have -done next, but just then the old man came running -towards them. He had untied the two ends -of his beard, and was waving them in the air as if -they were flags. The big black bird flew away -very angry, and the gray lizards ran over each -other trying to get to their holes.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The old man, tied up his beard again, took up -the rich young man on his shoulder, and carried -him to the boat. Once there he gave the rich -young man some wine. This revived him, and in -a little while he was able to eat. But he had no -opportunity to talk. The wind whirled the boat -through the water, and in a few hours it had -arrived at the young man’s town.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“He went home, and soon recovered in more -ways than one. He found his strength again, -and lost his appetite for riches. But he worked -hard, saved all he could, and was soon prosperous; -but he never remembered without a shiver the -time that he was the richest man in the world.”</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch16' class='c007'>XVI.<br /> <br />AN OLD-FASHIONED FUSS.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“I don’t blame ’im fer shiverin’,” said Drusilla; -“but, I let you know, here’s what wouldn’t -shiver none ef she had dat ar big pile er gol’ -what de man had. I’d ’a’ cotch me some fish; -I’d ’a’ gobbled up dem lizards, yit!”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well,” remarked Mr. Rabbit, “I expect -money is a pretty big thing. I’ve heard a heap -of talk about it, and I’ve known some big fusses -to grow out of it. And yet money doesn’t cause -all the fusses—oh, no! not by a long jump. I -once heard of a fuss that happened long before -there was any money, and the curious part about -it was that nobody knew what the fuss grew out -of.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“What fuss was that?” asked Buster John, -who thought that perhaps there might be a story -in it.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Why, it was the quarrel between the Monkeys -and the Dogs. My great-grandfather knew all -about the facts, and I’ve heard him talk it over -many a time when he was sitting in the kitchen -corner chewing his quid. I’ve often heard him -wonder, between naps, what caused the dispute.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“It seems to me I’ve heard something about -it,” remarked Mrs. Meadows in an encouraging -tone.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Oh, yes!” exclaimed Mr. Rabbit. “It was -notorious in our young days. I reckon it has -been settled long before this; anyhow, I hope so.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“What did your great-grandfather say about -it?” inquired Buster John.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“If I were to tell you all he said,” responded -Mr. Rabbit, shaking his head slowly, “you’d -have to sit here with me for a fortnight, and of -course you wouldn’t like to do that. So I’ll -just up and tell you about it in my own way. I -may not get it exactly right, but I’ll be bound -I won’t get it far wrong, for I have nothing else -in the round world to do but to sit here and think -about old times.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“As well as I can remember, the way of it -was about this: Away back yonder, in the times -before everybody had got to be so busy trying to -get the best of each other, a coolness sprang up -between the Monkeys and the Dogs. Nobody -knew the right of it, because nobody paid any -attention to it along at first. But after awhile -it got so that every time a Dog would meet a -Monkey in the road, the Monkey would get up in -a tree and laugh at him, and then the Dog would -stop and scratch up the dirt with all four of his -feet and growl.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Oh, I’ve seen them do that way,” said -Sweetest Susan, laughing.</p> -<div id='i180' class='figcenter id018'> -<img src='images/i180.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>THE MONKEYS WOULD MAKE FACES AND SQUEAL AT THE DOGS</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“Yes,” replied Mr. Rabbit, with a more solemn -air than ever. “They have never got out of the -habit of that kind of caper from that day to this. -Well, the coolness grew into a dispute, and the -dispute into a quarrel, and so there it was. The -Monkeys would make faces and squeal at the -Dogs, and the Dogs would show their teeth and -growl at the Monkeys. It went from bad to -worse, and after awhile, the Dogs would chase -the Monkeys wherever they saw them, and the -Monkeys would swing down from the hanging -limbs and give the tails of the Dogs some terrible -twists.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Before that time the Monkeys had been living -on the ground just like everybody else lived, -but the Dogs had such sharp teeth and such -nimble feet that the Monkeys had to take to the -trees and saplings. At first they couldn’t get -about in the trees as they do now. Sometimes -they’d miss their footing, or lose their grip, and -down they’d come right into the red jaws of the -Dogs.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now this wasn’t pleasant at all. Even when -the Monkeys didn’t fall, the ants and crawling -bugs would get on them, and the dead limbs of -the trees would fall and hurt them, and the wind -would blow them about, and the heavy rains -would fall and wet them.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“About that time the Monkeys were the most -miserable creatures in the world. They were so -miserable that, finally, the Head Monkey made -up his mind to go and see the Wise Man who -used to settle all disputes as far as he could. So -the Head Monkey set out on his journey, and -traveled till he came to the Wise Man’s house.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“He got on the gatepost, and looked all around, -to see if there was a Dog anywhere in sight. -Seeing none, he went to the front door and -knocked. The Wise Man came out. He was -very old. He had a beard as long as Brother -Billy Goat’s, and as gray, but he was very nice -and kind. The Head Monkey told his story all -the way through, and the Wise Man sat and -listened to every word. When he had heard it -all, he shut his eyes and studied the matter over, -and then he said:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Only fools get up fusses that they can’t -settle. I’ll give you a fool’s remedy to settle a -fool’s fuss. Go back to your own country and -fetch me a bunch of the hair of a Brindle Dog. -Then I’ll show you a cheap and an easy way to -get rid of the whole tribe of Dogs. But be sure -that you make no mistake. I must have the hair -of a Brindle Dog—just that and nothing else. -Then I can show you how to get rid of all the -Dogs. But if you make any mistake, you will -ruin the whole tribe of Monkeys.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The Head Monkey scratched himself on the -side, quick like. Says he, ‘Oh, I’ll make no -mistake. Don’t worry about me. The first time -the Dogs have a burying I’ll get on a swinging -limb, and when a Brindle Dog comes along I’ll -reach down and pull a bunch of hair out of his -hide, and by the time he gets through howling -I’ll be on my journey back.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The Wise Man ran his fingers through his -beard, and laughed to himself. Says he, ‘Very -well, my young friend, but you had best be careful. -A Dog of any kind will bear watching, but -especially a Brindle Dog.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The Head Monkey made no answer. He -simply grinned, and started back home. Now, it -happened that after his journey was over, the -Dogs had no burying for a long time. They -seemed to be in better health than ever. Some -traveling doctor had come along and told them -that whenever they felt out of sorts they must go -out in the fields and hunt for a particular kind of -grass. When they found it they were to eat -twenty-seven blades of it, and then go on about -their business. You may not believe this,” said -Mr. Rabbit, pausing in the midst of his story, -“but if you will watch the Dogs right close, you -will find that to this day they’ll go out and eat -grass whenever they are ailing. They don’t -chew it. They just bite off a great long sprig -of it, and wallop it around their tongues and -swallow it whole. I don’t know how they do it, -but I’m telling you the plain facts.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, as I was saying, it was a long time -after the Head Monkey got home before the -Dogs had a burying, and when they did have one -it happened that there was no Brindle Dog in the -procession. The rest of the Monkeys were all -waiting to see what the Head Monkey was going -to do, and so they forgot to bother the Dogs. -When the Dogs saw that the Monkeys were quiet, -they kept quiet themselves, and there was no -trouble between them for a long time. Seeing -that the Dogs were no longer snapping and snarling -at them, some of the older Monkeys began -to travel on the ground again, but the younger -ones stayed in the trees where they were born.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The Head Monkey was mighty restless. -Sometimes he’d stay in the trees, and then again -he’d travel on the ground, but wherever he was -he always kept his eye out for a Brindle Dog. -Finally, one day, when he was traveling on the -ground, he heard a noise up the road, and when -he turned around he saw a big Brindle Dog coming -towards him. He thought to himself that -now was his time or never; so he got behind a -bush and waited for the Brindle Dog to come up.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“He didn’t have long to wait, for the Brindle -Dog was going in a swinging trot. When he -came by the bush, the Head Monkey rushed out -and tried to pull a bunch of hair from the -Brindle Dog’s hide. But he rushed too far. -The Brindle Dog shied, as old Mr. Horse used to -do when he saw a bunch of shucks in the road. -He shied so quick, and he shied so far, that the -Head Monkey fell short with his arm, and was -carried too far by his legs. As the Brindle Dog -shied, he turned and saw what it was, and then -he made a rush for the Head Monkey. There -was no tree near, and no way for the Head Monkey -to escape. The Brindle Dog grabbed him -and made short work of him. There was considerable -of a fight, for the Head Monkey was -strong in his arms and quick on his feet. But -the Brindle Dog had a long jaw and a strong -one. He grabbed the Head Monkey between -shoulder and ham, and shook him up as you have -seen people shake a sifter. He just held on and -shook, and when he turned loose he’d shut his -teeth down in a new place, so that when the rippit -was over, it seemed as if there wasn’t a whole -bone in the Head Monkey’s hide. But quick -done is quick over: and after the Brindle Dog -had done all the shaking that the case called for, -he dropped the Head Monkey and went on about -his business; but he had some bites and scratches -on his hide, and as he trotted off he shook his -ears, for one of them had been split mighty nigh -in two by the Head Monkey.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, after the Brindle Dog had trotted off, -the Head Monkey rose from the ground and began -to feel of himself. He was afraid that he -had been torn in two and scattered all over the -road, but when he found that he had his legs -and his arms and his head and his body, he began -to be more cheerful. He found he could walk. -And then he found he could use his hands, and -then he strutted around, and said to himself that -he had whipped the fight. He was badly bruised -and pretty sore, but he was not too sore to strut, -and so he walked up and down the road and -made his brags that he had compelled the Brindle -Dog to take to his heels.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Then he happened to think what he had -come for, and he hunted all about in the road to -see if he could find a bunch of the Brindle -Dog’s hair. There was a good deal of hair scattered -around, and in a little while the Head -Monkey had gathered up a handful. He picked -it over and sorted it out, and wrapped it up in a -poplar leaf. Then he went home to his family -and rested a day or two, for he was pretty badly -bruised. And he told a big tale of how he had -met the great Brindle Dog in the road, and had -fanned him out in a fair fight. His children -listened with all their ears, and then they jumped -from limb to limb and told all the neighbors’ -children that their pa was the biggest and the -best of all the Monkeys.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“This went on for some time, and finally the -Head Monkey felt well enough to visit the Wise -Man. So he started on the journey, and after -awhile he got there. He climbed the gatepost -again, and looked all around to see if there was a -Brindle Dog in sight. Seeing none, he went to -the door and knocked, and the Wise Man came -out.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Good-morning,’ says the Wise Man. ‘I -hope you are well.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Tolerably well, I thank you,’ says the Head -Monkey. ‘And I’ve come agreeable to promise -to bring you a bunch of the hair of a Brindle -Dog.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“With that he unrolled the poplar leaf, and -showed the Wise Man the hair he had picked up -in the road. The Wise Man took the bunch of -hair and turned it over in his hand, and looked -at it. Then he looked at the Head Monkey.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘What is this?’ says he.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘A bunch of hair from a Brindle Dog,’ says -the Head Monkey.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The Wise Man shook his head. Says he, ‘It -may be, but it doesn’t look like the samples I -have seen. Are you sure about it?’ says he.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘As sure as I am standing here,’ says the Head -Monkey.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says the Wise Man, ‘It’s none of my business. -I just wanted to be certain about it, because -if there’s any Monkey hair in it, everything -will go wrong. The whole tribe of Monkeys will -be ruined. They will have to leave this country -and the Dogs will stay here. Did you have any -trouble in getting this hair?’ says he.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well,’ says the Head Monkey, ‘there was a -dispute, nothing serious.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘How long did the dispute last?’ says the -Wise Man.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘No longer than I could reach out and get -the hair,’ says the Head Monkey.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘That’s funny,’ says the Wise Man. ‘When -the Brindle Dog gets into a dispute, he usually -shows his teeth.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Oh, he showed his teeth, and he had more -than I thought,’ says the Head Monkey.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘But are you sure this hair came out of the -hide of a Brindle Dog?’ says the Wise Man.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says the Head Monkey, ‘As sure as I’m -standing here. I pulled it out with my own -hands.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says the Wise Man, ‘It looks to me as if -there were some other kind of hair in this bunch. -Did you have any trouble in getting it?’ says he.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well,’ says the Head Monkey, ‘we had a -little dispute.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says the Wise Man, ‘Was that all?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well,’ says the Head Monkey, scratching -himself, ‘we passed a few licks.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘How was that?’ says the Wise Man.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well,’ says the Head Monkey, ‘he growled -and I squealed, and then he bit and I scratched.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I see,’ says the Wise Man. ‘What else?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well, to tell you the truth,’ says the Head -Monkey, ‘there was right smart of a scuffle.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Aha!’ says the Wise Man. ‘A scuffle!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Yes,’ says the Head Monkey, ‘and worse -than that. There was a regular knock-down-and-drag-out -fight,’ says he.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I see,’ says the Wise Man. ‘You have -brought me some of your own hair instead of -the Brindle Dog’s hair, and now you and your -whole tribe will have to leave this country and -cross the ocean; and when you get into the new -country, you will have to live in the trees to keep -the four-footed animals from destroying you.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“And so it happened,” continued Mr. Rabbit. -“Since that time, there have been no Monkeys in -this country. They had to cross the big water, -and when they got over there they had to live in -the trees; and I expect they are living that way -yet—at least, they were at last accounts.”</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch17' class='c007'>XVII.<br /> <br />THE RABBIT AND THE MOON.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c012'>“I reckon that’s so about the Monkeys,” remarked -Mrs. Meadows. “They used to be in the -country next door, and now they are no longer -there.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Yes,” said Mr. Rabbit; “it’s just like I tell -you: they were there once, but now they are not -there any more. But in the world next door -everybody has his ups and downs, especially his -downs. I’ve heard my great-grandfather tell -many a time how our family used to live close to -the Moon. So I don’t make any brags about the -way the Monkeys had to take to the bushes. I -remember about my own family, and then I feel -like hanging my head down and saying nothing. -It is a very funny feeling, too. When I think we -used to live close to the Moon, and that we now -live on the ground and have to crawl there like -snails, I sometimes feel like crying; and I tell -you right now if I was to begin to boo-hoo, you’d -be astonished.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Buster John and Sweetest Susan looked very -serious, but Drusilla showed a desire to laugh.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“You say you used to live close to the Moon?” -asked Buster John, with more curiosity than -usual.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Why, certainly,” replied Mr. Rabbit. “I -don’t say that I did, but I’m certain that my -family did. I’ve heard my great-grandfather -tell about it a hundred times. I’ve heard that it -was a better country up there than it is where -you live, even better than it is down here,—a -good deal more fun and fiddling, and not half -so much looking around for something to eat. -That is the great trouble. If we didn’t have -to scuffle around and get something to eat, we’d -be lots better off.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“It’s mighty funny. If you let well enough -alone, you are all right; but the minute you try -to better it, everything goes wrong.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Dat wuz de way wid ol’ man Adam,” remarked -Drusilla.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Why, of course,” said Mr. Rabbit, “and it -was the way with all the Rabbits and everybody -and everything else.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But how did they live up there by the -Moon?” asked Sweetest Susan. “How did they -keep from falling off?”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Mr. Rabbit scratched his head a little before -replying. “Well,” said he, after awhile, “they -got along just as we do down here,—heads up -and feet down. But one time, as I’ve heard my -great-grandfather say, the Moon got into a sort of -fidget, and was mighty restless for quite a while. -At last, one of our family, the oldest of all, made -bold to look over the fence and ask the Moon -what the trouble was. He noticed, too, that the -Moon had shrunk considerably, and seemed to be -in a very bad way. It could hardly hold up its -head.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But the Moon managed to look up when it -heard the fuss at the fence, and, in a very shaky -voice, told the oldest of all the Rabbits howdy.</p> -<div id='i184' class='figcenter id019'> -<img src='images/i184.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>“WHAT IS THE TROUBLE?” SAYS THE OLDEST RABBIT</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“‘What is the trouble?’ says the oldest Rabbit. -Says he, ‘Can I do anything to help you?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I’m afraid not,’ says the Moon. ‘You are -not nimble enough.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Maybe I’m nimbler than you think,’ says -the oldest Rabbit.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well,’ says the Moon, ‘I’ll tell you what -the trouble is. I want to get a message to Mr. -Man, who lives in the world down yonder. I’ve -been shining on him at night, and I’ve caught a -bad cold by being out after dark. My health is -breaking down, and if I don’t put out my lights -for a while and take a rest, I’ll have to go -out altogether. Now, it’s like this: I’ve been -shining for Mr. Man so long that if I don’t send -him some word he’ll think something serious has -happened. I must take a rest, but I want to -send him a message, telling him that I won’t be -gone long.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well,’ says the oldest Rabbit, ‘I don’t mind -going, if you’ll show me the way and tell me -what to say.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So the Moon pointed out the way, and showed -him how to put his fingers in his ears and hold -his breath when he took the long jump. Then it -gave him this message:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c014'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'><i>‘I am growing weak to gather strength:</i></div> - <div class='line in1'><i>I go into the shadows to gather light.’</i></div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c015'>“The oldest Rabbit said this message over to -himself many times, and then he got ready for -the journey. Everything went well until he came -to the long jump. But he braced himself, and -shut his eyes, and put his fingers in his ears, and -held his breath. Now, the jump was a long one, -sure enough. It was so long that the oldest -Rabbit opened one eye, and then he got the notion -that he was falling instead of jumping, and -he opened both eyes so wide that they have been -that way ever since. This scared him terribly, -and by the time he landed on the world he had -forgotten what he came for. He wasn’t hurt a -bit, but he was badly scared.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“He sat on the ground and tried to remember, -and then he got up and walked about. Finally, -he looked up and saw the Moon winking one eye -at him. Then he thought about the message, -and he ran off to Mr. Man’s house, and knocked -at the door. Mr. Man had gone to bed, but he -got up and opened the door, and asked what was -wanted.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well,’ says the oldest Rabbit, ‘I’ve just -come from the Moon with a message for you.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘What is it?’ says Mr. Man.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘The Moon told me to tell you this:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c014'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>‘<i>I’m growing weak and have no strength:</i></div> - <div class='line in1'><i>I’m going off where the shadows are dark.</i>’</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c015'>“Mr. Man scratched his head. He couldn’t -make the message out. Then he said, ‘Take this -message back:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c014'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>‘<i>Seldom seen and soon forgot:</i></div> - <div class='line in1'><i>When a Moon dies her feet get cold.</i>’</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c015'>“The oldest Rabbit bowed politely and started -back home. He came to the Jumping-Off Place, -and then he took the long jump. He was soon -at home, and went at once to the Moon’s house, -and gave the message that Mr. Man had sent. -This made the Moon very mad. It declared that -the oldest Rabbit had carried the wrong message. -Then it grabbed the shovel and struck him in the -face. This made the oldest Rabbit very mad, and -he jumped at the Moon and used his claws. The -fight was a hard one, and you can see the marks -of it to this day. All the Rabbits have their -upper lips split, and the Moon still has the marks -on its face where the oldest Rabbit clawed it.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The way of it was this,” continued Mr. Rabbit, -seeing that the children had hardly caught -the drift of the story: “the Moon had been -shining constantly for many years, and was growing -weak. It wanted to take a rest, and it was -afraid Mr. Man would get scared when he failed -to see it at night. Since that time the Moon has -been taking a rest about every two weeks. At -least it used to be that way. I never bother -about it now.”</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch18' class='c007'>XVIII.<br /> <br />WHY THE BEAR IS A WRESTLER.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“Well,” said Mr. Rabbit, after a pause, -“what about the story? Was there any moral -to it?”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“None at all,” replied Mrs. Meadows. “It -was just an old-time tale.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, I’m truly glad to hear you say so,” -cried Mr. Rabbit, appearing to be very much -pleased. “It’s as good as taking a nap.” He -winked gravely at Buster John, and then proceeded -to refill his pipe.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I thought it was a pretty good story,” said -Buster John. “It turned out to be a story so -quick that it was all over with before I knew it -was a story.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well,” replied Mr. Rabbit, “I had to tell it -mighty quick. Suppose I had stopped to light -my pipe and left my own kin dangling between -the Moon and the World! I knew in reason it -would never do, and so I rattled away almost as -fast as the oldest Rabbit jumped. It was a long -story quickly told of a long journey quickly -made.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Mr. Rabbit seemed to be in better humor than -ever. He leaned back, and patted the ground -softly with one foot.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Speaking of journeys,” he said, after awhile, -“makes me think about how Brother Bear started -out in the world. But what am I doing?” he -cried. “I don’t want to do all the talking. I -don’t have any chance to sleep unless somebody -else is telling a story.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, please tell us the story,” pleaded Sweetest -Susan.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I’ll have to,” replied Mr. Rabbit, “since I’ve -got it started. Well, one time when Brother -Bear was young, the time came for him to scratch -around and scuffle for himself. He had already -learned how to grabble for sweet potatoes, how -to tote an armful of roasting ears, and how to -shut his eyes and rob a bee-tree, and so his daddy -thought it was about time for him to go off and -earn his own living. Brother Bear said he was -more than willing, and when he came to tell his -folks good-by, his daddy gave him seven pieces -of honey-in-the-comb, saying:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘This is all I have to give you, but it’s -enough. Whoever eats this honey with you will -have to wrestle with you seven years or give you -everything he owns.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So Brother Bear put his seven pieces of -honey-in-the-comb in a bag, slung the bag over -his back, and went shuffling down the big road. -He traveled all that day, and camped out in the -woods at night. The next morning, just as he -was about to eat breakfast, he heard a rustling -in the bushes, and presently Brother Tiger came -slipping and sliding along, hunting for his breakfast. -Brother Bear howdied, and Brother Tiger -said he was only tolerable—not as peart as he -might be, and yet pearter than he had been. -Then Brother Tiger sat and watched Brother -Bear take put a piece of his honey-in-the-comb, -and the sight made his mouth water. Brother -Bear noticed this, and he says, says he:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I wish you mighty well, Brother Tiger, and -I’d like to ask you to have some of my breakfast, -for I have more than a plenty for two. But -the trouble is, that whoever eats any of this honey-in-the-comb -will have to wrestle with me seven -years or give me all his belongings.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Don’t let that bother you,’ says Brother -Tiger, says he. ‘I’m a pretty good wrestler myself, -and I don’t mind trying my hand with you -after I’ve tasted your honey-in-the-comb.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But Brother Bear hemmed and hawed, and -acted so that Brother Tiger thought he was either -afraid to wrestle or mighty stingy with his honey-in-the-comb. -He thought so, and he said so, and -this put Brother Bear on his mettle. So he says, -says he:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well, Brother Tiger, come and get a piece -of my honey-in-the-comb. I’m more than glad -to give it to you, and sorry, too, because, as sure -as you eat it, you’ll be put under a spell, and -you’ll be obliged to wrestle with me seven long -years or give me all your belongings.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Brother Tiger grinned from ear to ear. Says -he, ‘If I don’t have to wrestle before I get the -honey-in-the-comb, it will be all right. Just let -me get my fill of that, and I’ll wrestle with you -seven times seven years. I’ll promise to make -you tired of wrestling.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘So be it,’ says Brother Bear. ‘Come and -get the honey-in-the-comb, and take all you want, -for I won’t need any after I’ve wrestled with -you a time or two,’ says he.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Brother Tiger went up and tasted the honey-in-the-comb, -and it was so good that he smacked -his lips and asked for more. Brother Bear gave -him some. After both had eat as much as they -wanted, Brother Tiger took a notion to go home, -but something held him back. The spell was -working. But finally he pulled himself together, -and said he believed he’d go home and see his -old woman.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But Brother Bear chuckled to himself. Says -he, ‘Now that you’ve gobbled up my honey-in-the-comb, -you don’t want to wrestle. You can’t -help yourself. When I say wrestle, you’ll have -to wrestle. You can go home now, but to-morrow, -bright and early, I’ll knock at your -door, and you’ll have to come out and wrestle.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says Brother Tiger, says he, ‘I’ll be more -than glad to accommodate you. Just knock at -the door any hour after daybreak, and you’ll -find me on hand.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says Brother Bear, ‘I’ll do so, I’ll do -so. Just remember your spoken word, Brother -Tiger!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Brother Tiger started home, but before he -had gone very far he began to feel mighty queer. -He had a buzzing noise in his head and a creepy, -crawly feeling on his hide. He began to get -scared. Once he thought the honey had poisoned -him, but he wasn’t sick. He never felt better in -his life. He wanted to jump and run, and I believe -the tale does say that he capered around a -time or two. But every time he’d start home -he’d have that buzzing sound in his head and -that creepy, crawly feeling in his hide.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So, by and by, he thought he would turn -back and see what Brother Bear thought about -it. No sooner said than done. He went back at -a hand gallop, and found Brother Bear curled up -at the foot of a tree fast asleep. The honey had -made him feel so good that he concluded to enjoy -himself by taking another nap. But he got up -brisk enough when he heard Brother Tiger calling -him, and by the time he had rubbed his eyes -once or twice, and gaped and stretched himself, -he was as wide awake as ever.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says he, ‘I knew you’d come back, Brother -Tiger, and so I just waited for you; and while I -was waiting I ups and drops off to sleep. But -anyhow and anyway, here you are, and there’s no -harm done.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says Brother Tiger, says he, ‘I just came -back to ask you about the queer feeling I have.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says Brother Bear, ‘That’s easy enough. -You just wanted to wrestle, and so you had to -come back. I have the feeling most all the time -when I’m not sleeping or eating. It’s a sort of -zooning sound in the ears, and a sort of ticklish -feeling on the hide. Well, there isn’t anything -the matter at all. You just want to wrestle, and -as the feeling is new to you, you didn’t know -what it was.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says Brother Tiger, ‘I believe you are right, -Brother Bear; I believe that’s the whole trouble.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well,’ says Brother Bear, ‘I’ll try you -one round, just to loosen up my hide and put me -in traveling trim. I’ll not wrestle with you very -hard, because you are not used to it, and it’s too -soon to get down to business with you. I told -you about it when you wanted to eat the honey, -but you would eat it, and now you’ll have to -wrestle with me, off and on, first and last, for -seven long years; and if you don’t, you’ll have -to give me your house and all your belongings.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So they took off their coats and made ready -to wrestle. ‘As you are not used to these capers,’ -says Brother Bear, ‘I’ll give you all-under holt, -and promise not to use the in-turn, the ham-twist, -or the knee-lock.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, Brother Tiger didn’t know whether -Brother Bear was talking Latin or Chinese, but -he said nothing: he just stood up and grabbed -Brother Bear around the waist, or where the -waist ought to be.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘When you are ready,’ says Brother Bear, -‘just give the word.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well,’ says Brother Tiger, ‘I reckon I’m as -ready now as I ever will be.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“With that Brother Bear hugged Brother -Tiger pretty tight, whirled around with him a -time or two, fell on him, and then cuffed him, -first on one ear and then on the other. It was -all done so quick that Brother Tiger didn’t have -time to say don’t. He got up and felt of his ribs -to see if they were still whole, and then he -rubbed the side of his head where Brother Bear -had cuffed him. It had already begun to swell. -His breeches were badly ripped, and he was sore -all over.</p> -<div id='i204' class='figcenter id020'> -<img src='images/i204.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>HE RUBBED THE SIDE OF HIS HEAD</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“Says he, ‘And so this is what you call wrestling—this -is what I was itching for, is it?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Oh, no!’ says Brother Bear. ‘It wouldn’t -do to call that wrestling. That was only playing. -I was just showing you the first few capers: you -can’t wrestle until you learn how. I’ll drop by -your house to-morrow morning, bright and early, -and give you another whirl.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Brother Tiger looked mighty solemn, but he -didn’t say anything. He ambled off home as -well as he could in his condition, and got his old -woman to mend his breeches. She wanted to -know who he had been fighting with, but he told -her he had just been playing with Brother Bear. -She laughed, and said that when he had played -that way a few more times there wouldn’t be -enough of him left, neither breeches, body, nor -bones, to sew up in a bag.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, the next morning, bright and early, -Brother Bear rapped at Brother Tiger’s door, and -told him to come out and take some exercise before -breakfast. Brother Tiger didn’t like this -invitation at all. He said he wanted to sleep a -little longer; but Brother Bear sent in word that -the night was made for sleeping, while the day -was made for work and play. Now, it so happened -that the honey which Brother Tiger had -ate had put a spell on him, and when Brother -Bear asked him out to wrestle he had to come. -He pulled on his clothes with no good heart, for -he was still very sore, and came limping out, trying -to put a good face on the affair. Brother -Bear laughed, and told Brother Tiger howdy, but -Brother Tiger didn’t make much of a reply.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So Brother Bear says, says he, ‘I hope you -are not begrudging your bargain, Brother Tiger, -but you made it yourself, and at no invitation of -mine. I had the seven pieces of honey-in-the-comb, -and you had the bad taste in the mouth. -I told you how it would be, but you would have -the honey, and now you’ll have to stand to your -bargain: you can’t help yourself now. I told -you the plain truth about it, but you wouldn’t -believe it. You’ll find out the truth before you -get the taste of that honey out of your mouth.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Then they made a few passes at each other; -but Brother Bear finally grabbed Brother Tiger -around his striped waist, squeezed the breath out -of him, dashed him on the ground, cuffed his -ears, and then stood there on his hind legs, waiting -to see what Brother Tiger was going to do. -But Brother Tiger didn’t want any more wrestling -for that day. He went into the house and washed -his face and hands, and sat down and licked his -bruises the best he could.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But the next morning he had to come out -and wrestle again, and this happened until he was -so weak he could hardly walk. His hide was -split, his ears were swollen, and every stripe on -his long body was crossed by a scar. Wrestling -was fine fun for Brother Bear, who was used to it, -but it was no fun for Brother Tiger, who didn’t -know how. Every time he wrestled he got new -bruises, and his head swelled until he could hardly -get in the door of his house without backing -his ears.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Finally, one day he told Brother Bear candidly -that he would rather give up his house and -lot than to be tossed around and cuffed at that -rate. Brother Bear said that he would rather -wrestle and have a jolly time than to take Brother -Tiger’s house; but Brother Tiger wouldn’t hear -to that. He said he couldn’t stay in that part of -the country and hear the talk of the neighbors. -They would pester him mighty near to death on -the week days, and fairly kill him out on Sunday, -when they had nothing to do but sit around and -gossip.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So Brother Tiger moved out, and Brother Bear -moved in; and it has come to pass that Brother -Tiger won’t stay in the same country with Brother -Bear for fear that he will have to do some -more wrestling.”</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch19' class='c007'>XIX.<br /> <br />THE SHOEMAKER WHO MADE BUT ONE SHOE.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“Now, I’ll tell you honestly,” said Little Mr. -Thimblefinger, popping out from under Mr. Rabbit’s -big armchair, “I don’t like such stories. -They give me the all-overs. I expect maybe it’s -because they are true.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“No doubt that’s the trouble with them,” remarked -Mr. Rabbit in a tone unusually solemn. -“You don’t think that at my time of life my -tongue is nimble enough for me to sit here and -make up stories to suit the hour and the company? -By the bye,” he continued, turning -around so as to catch Little Mr. Thimblefinger’s -eye, “what stories were you talking about?”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, to tell you the truth, I was fast asleep, -for the most part, but I distinctly remember -something about Moons and Monkeys. When I -heard that, I just went off to sleep in spite of -myself.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“There’s no accounting for tastes,” said Mr. -Rabbit. “There are some tales that put me to -sleep, and I have no complaint to make when anybody -begins to doze over them that I tell.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Oh, you tell ’em well enough,” Little Mr. -Thimblefinger declared. “If anything, you make -them better than they ought to be. You lift -your ears at the right place, and pat your foot -when the time comes. I don’t know what more -could be asked in telling a story.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So far so good,” remarked Mrs. Meadows, -who had thus far said nothing. “Suppose you -whirl in and tell us the kind of tale that you -really admire.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“That’s easier said than done,” replied Little -Mr. Thimblefinger, fidgeting about a little. “You -have to take the tales as they come. Sometimes -one will pop into your head in spite of yourself. -You remember it just because you didn’t like it -when you first heard it.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Tell us one, anyway, just to pass away the -time,” said Sweetest Susan.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“If I tell you one,” Little Mr. Thimblefinger -replied, “I’ll not promise it will be one that I -like. That would be promising too much. But -the talk about the Moon, that I heard before I -dozed off just now, reminded me of a tale I heard -when I was a good deal smaller than I am now.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Once upon a time there was a man who had -two sons. They were twins, but they were just -as different from each other as they could possibly -be. One was dark, and the other was light complected. -One was slim, and the other was fat. -One was good, and the other was what people call -bad. He was lazy, and full of fun and mischief. -They grew up that way until they were nineteen -or twenty years old. The good boy would work -hard every day, or pretend to work hard, and then -he’d go back home and tell his mother and -father that his brother hadn’t done a stroke of -work. Of course, this made the old people feel -very queer. The mother felt sorrowful, and the -father felt angry. This went on, until finally, one -day, the father became so angry that he concluded -to take his bad son into some foreign -country, and bind him out to some person who -could make him work and cure him of his mischievousness. -In those days people sometimes -bound out their children to learn trades and good -manners and things of that sort.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I wish dey’d do it now,” exclaimed Drusilla. -“Kaze den I wouldn’t hafter be playin’ nuss, an’ -be gwine in all kind er quare places whar you -dunner when ner whar you kin git out.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Stuff!” cried Buster John. “Why don’t -you be quiet and listen to the story?”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“It go long too slow fer ter suit me,” said -Drusilla in a grumbling tone.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well,” remarked Mr. Thimblefinger, turning -to Buster John, “you’ve come mighty close to -telling a part of the tale I had in my mind.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I don’t see how,” replied Buster John with -some surprise.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“You said ‘stuff!’” responded Mr. Thimblefinger, -“and that’s a part of my story. If you -listen, you’ll soon find out. As I was saying, -people in old times bound out their sons to some -good man, who taught them a good trade or -something of that kind. Well, this man that I -was telling you about took his bad son off to a -foreign country, and tried to find some one to -bind him out to. They traveled many days and -nights. They went over mountains and passed -through valleys. They crossed plains, and they -went through the wild woods.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, the man who was taking his son into a -foreign country was getting old, and the farther -they walked, the more tired he grew. At last, -one day, when they were going through the big -woods, he sat down to rest near a tall poplar-tree, -and, turning to his son, said angrily:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Stuff! you are not worth all this trouble. -But for you I’d be at home now, enjoying myself -and smoking my pipe.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The son, who was used to these outbreaks, -made no reply, but stretched himself out on the -dead leaves that littered the ground. He had -hardly done so when there was a tremendous noise -in the woods, and then both father and son saw -rushing toward them an old man with a long -beard, followed by a small army of fierce-looking -dwarfs armed with clubs and knives and pikes. -They rushed up and surrounded the father and -son.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Which of you called my name and abused -me?’ cried the old man with the long beard.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Not I,’ said the bad son.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Not I,’ said the father. ‘I am sure I never -saw you or heard of you before.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“This made the old man more furious than -ever. He fairly trembled with rage. ‘Didn’t I -hear one of you say, “Stuff! but for you I’d -be at home now enjoying myself, and smoking -my pipe?”’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I did say something like that,’ replied the -father in great astonishment.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘How dare you?’ cried the old man, beside -himself with rage. ‘How did I ever harm you? -Seize him!’ he said to his army of dwarfs. -‘Seize him, and bind him hard and fast! I’ll -show him whether he can come into my kingdom -and abuse me!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The father was speechless with astonishment, -and made no attempt to prevent the dwarfs from -seizing and binding him. They had him tied -hard and fast before he could say a word, even if -he had had a word to say. But by this time the -son had risen to his feet.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Wait!’ he cried, ‘let’s see what the -trouble is! Who are you?’ he inquired, turning -to the old man with the long beard.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘My name is Stuff,’ he replied, ‘and I am -king of this country which you are passing -through. I’m not going to allow any one to -abuse me in my own kingdom. You may go -free, but mind you go straight back the way you -came.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The son thought the matter over a little -while, and then turned on his heel and went back -the way he had come, and, as he walked, he -whistled all the lively tunes he could think of. -For a time he was glad that his father was no -longer with him to quarrel and complain; but -finally he grew lonely, and then he began to -think how his father had raised him up from a -little child. The more he thought about this, the -sorrier he was that he had given his father any -trouble. He sat down on a log by the side of the -road and thought it all over, and presently he -began to cry.</p> -<div id='i216' class='figcenter id002'> -<img src='images/i216.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>A QUEER-LOOKING LITTLE MAN CAME JOGGING ALONG THE ROAD</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“While he was sitting there with his head -between his hands, crying over the fate of his -father, a queer-looking little man came jogging -along the road. He had bushy hair and a beard -that grew all over his face, except right around -his eyes and lips and the tip-end of his nose. -His beard was not long, but it was very thick, -and it stood out around his face like the spokes -in a buggy-wheel. He seemed to be in a big -hurry, but when he saw the young man sitting -on the log crying, he stopped, and stared at him.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Tut, tut!’ he cried. ‘What’s all this? -Who has hurt your feelings?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“If the young man had not been so sorrowful, -he would have been surprised to see the queer-looking -little man standing by him. But, as it -was, he didn’t seem to be surprised at all. He -just looked at the stranger with red eyes.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘My name is Mum,’ said the stranger, ‘and -I’m the Man in the Moon. Tell me your -troubles. Maybe I can help you. I’m in a -great hurry, because the Moon must change day -after to-morrow, and I must be there to lend a -hand; but I’ll not allow my hurry to prevent me -from hearing your troubles and helping you if I -can.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So then and there the young man told his -story, and the Man in the Moon sighed heavily -when he heard it.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I see how it is,’ he said. ‘You are young -and thoughtless, and your father is old and -crabbed. You never thought of what you owed -him, and he never made any allowances for your -youth. He’s in no danger. I know old Stuff -well. I’ve watched him many a night when he -thought nobody had an eye on him, and he’s a -pretty tough and cunning customer. You must -have help if you get your father out of trouble.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘What am I to do?’ asked the young man.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well,’ replied the Man in the Moon, ‘in the -first place you will have to go home. Say nothing -about the trouble your father is in. Just -tell your mother that he has lost the sole of his -shoe, and has sent you for the awl that is in the -big red cupboard, a piece of leather, a handful of -pegs, and a piece of wax.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘What then?’ the young man inquired.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Bring them here,’ said the Man in the -Moon. ‘By the time you get back, I will have -another holiday. We’ll put our heads together -and see what can be done.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The young man made no delay. He was so -anxious about his father that he started for home -at once. It was a long journey, but he lost no -time on the way. He was in rags and tatters -when he reached home, but that made no difference -to him. He took no time to eat, or to -sleep, or to rest, but went to his mother at once, -and told her that his father had lost the sole of -his shoe, and had sent for the awl that lay in the -big red cupboard, a strong piece of leather, a -handful of shoe-pegs, and a cake of shoemaker’s -wax.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“His mother asked him a great many questions, -as women will, but all the answer the son -would make was that his father had lost the -sole of his shoe, and had sent for the awl that -lay in the big red cupboard, a strong piece of -leather, a handful of shoe-pegs, and a cake of -shoemaker’s wax. Of course, the mother was -very much worried. She finally came to the conclusion -that some great calamity had befallen her -husband, and she went about crying and wringing -her hands, and declaring that they were all -ruined; that her husband was dead; and that -more than likely he had been murdered by this -bad, bad son of hers, who had no other story to -tell except to ask for the awl that lay in the big -red cupboard, a strong piece of leather, a handful -of shoe-pegs, and a cake of shoemaker’s wax.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, the good son heard all this, but he said -nothing. He just folded his hands and fetched -a sigh or two, and seemed to be sorry for everything -in general. But while the mother was -going about wringing her hands and weeping, -and the good son was heaving and fetching his -sighs, the other son went to the big red cupboard. -There on a shelf he saw the awl sticking in a -cake of shoemaker’s wax. Near it was a strong -piece of leather, and close by was a handful of -shoe-pegs. He took these, changed his ragged -coat, and started back on his journey.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, although the good son did nothing but -sigh and look sorry, he had deep ideas of his -own. The reason he was called the good son was -because he was so cunning. He thought to himself -that now would be a good time to do a fine -stroke of business. He knew that his brother -had something more on his mind than the awl, -the leather, the pegs, and the shoemaker’s wax, -and he wanted to find out about it. So he ran -after his brother to ask him what the real trouble -was. He caught up with him a little way beyond -the limits of the village, but no satisfaction could -he get. Then he began to abuse his brother and -to accuse him of all sorts of things.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But the son, who was trying to get his father -out of trouble, paid no attention to this. He -went forward on his journey, turning his head -neither to the right nor to the left. The good -brother (as he was called) followed along after the -best he could, being determined to see the end of -the business. But somehow it happened that, on -the second day, the brother who was going to -meet the Man in the Moon was so tired and worn -out that he was compelled to crawl under a haystack -and go to sleep. In this way the good -brother passed him on the road and went forward -on his journey, never doubting that the other -was just ahead of him. Finally, one day, the -good brother grew tired and sat down on a log to -rest. He sat there so long that the brother he -thought he was following came up. He was very -much surprised to see his nice and good brother -sitting on a log and nodding in that country. So -he woke him up and asked him what the trouble -was.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Stuff!’ cried the other, ‘you know you have -made way with our father!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“At once there was a roaring noise in the -woods and a rustling sound in the underbrush, -and out came an old man with a long beard, followed -by an army of dwarfs.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘How dare you abuse me in my own kingdom?’ -he cried to the good brother. ‘How did -I ever harm you?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The brother, who had seen this game played -before, tried to explain, but King Stuff would -listen to no explanation. He commanded his -armed dwarfs to seize and bind the good brother, -and they soon carried him out of sight in spite -of his cries.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, the young man who had gone home for -the awl and the axe and the shoemaker’s wax -was very much puzzled. He had more business -on his hands than he knew what to do with. He -saw that he must now rescue his brother as well -as his father, and he didn’t know how to go -about it. He had the awl and the axe and the -shoemaker’s wax. He also had the shoe-pegs and -leather that he found together. But what was he -to do with them? He sat on the log and -thought about it a long time.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“While he was sitting there, and just as he -was about to go forward on his journey, he heard -some one coming briskly down the road singing. -He heard enough of the song to be very much -interested in it. It ran thus:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c014'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“‘With the awl and the axe</div> - <div class='line in2'>And the shoemaker’s wax,</div> - <div class='line in2'>And the pegs and the leather</div> - <div class='line in1'>That were found close together</div> - <div class='line in2'>Where the old man had fling’d ’em,</div> - <div class='line in1'>We’ll bore through and roar through;</div> - <div class='line in1'>We’ll cut down, we’ll put down,</div> - <div class='line in2'>This king and his kingdom.’</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c015'>“Of course, it was the Man in the Moon who -was coming along the road singing the song, and -he seemed to be in high good humor. He caught -sight of the solemn face of the young man and -began to laugh.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘There you are!’ cried Mum, the Man in the -Moon, ‘and I’m glad to see you; but I’d feel a -great deal better if you didn’t look so lonesome. -I don’t know what to do about it. Your face is -as long as a hind quarter of beef.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I can’t help it,’ replied the young man. ‘I -am in deeper trouble than ever. My brother has -been carried off by the same people that captured -my father.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘What of it?’ exclaimed the Man in the -Moon. ‘If you knew as much about that brother -of yours as I do, you’d go on about your -business, and let him stay where he is.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘No,’ said the young man. ‘I couldn’t do -that. I know he is my brother, and that is -enough. And then there’s my father.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The Man in the Moon looked at the young -man a long time, and finally said:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Since we are to have a sort of holiday together, -maybe you won’t mind telling me your -name.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Why, of course not,’ replied the young man. -‘My name is Smat.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The Man in the Moon scratched his head and -then laughed. ‘It is a queer name,’ he said; -‘but I see no objection to it. I suppose it just -happened so.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Now, I can’t tell you anything about that,’ -replied Smat. ‘I was too young when the name -was given to take any part in the performance. -They seized me, and named me at a time when I -had to take any name that they chose to give me. -They named me Smat, and that was the end of it -so far as I was concerned. They never asked me -how I liked it, but just slapped the name in my -face, as you may say, and left it there.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well,’ said the Man in the Moon, ‘they’ll -put another letter in the name when you get back -home. Instead of calling you Smat, they’ll say -you are Smart, and there’s some consolation in -that.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Not much as I can see,’ remarked Smat. -‘It’s all in your mouth, and what is in your -mouth is pretty much all wind and water, if you -try to spit it out. What I want now is to get -my father and my brother out of the trouble that -my mischief has plunged them in. Please help -me. They ought to be at home right now. -There’s the corn to grind, and the cows are waiting -to be milked, and the grain is to be gathered. -Times are pretty hard at our house when everybody -is away.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Very well,’ said the Man in the Moon. He -had hanging by his side the horn of the new -Moon, and on this he blew a loud blast. Immediately -there was a roaring noise in the woods, -and very soon there swarmed about them a company -of little men, all bearing the tiniest and the -prettiest lanterns that were ever seen. It was not -night, but their lanterns were blazing, and as they -marched around the Man in the Moon in regular -order, it seemed as though the light of their -lanterns had quenched that of the sun, so that -Smat saw the woods in a different light altogether. -He had not moved, but he seemed to -be in another country entirely. The trees had -changed, and the ground itself. He was no -longer sitting on a log by the side of the big -road, but was now standing on his feet in a -strange country, as it seemed to him.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“He had risen from his seat on the log when -the little men with their lanterns began marching -around, but otherwise he had not moved. And -yet here he was in a country that was new to -him. He rubbed his eyes in a dazed way, and -when he opened them again, another change had -taken place. Neither he nor the Man in the -Moon had made any movement away from the big -road and the log that was lying by the side of -it, but now they were down in a wide valley, that -stretched as far as the eye could see, between two -high mountain ranges.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Now, then,’ said the Man in the Moon, ‘you -must be set up in business. On the side of the -mountain yonder is the palace of King Stuff, -and somewhere not far away you will find your -father and your brother, and perhaps some one -else.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“He then called to the leaders of the little -men with the lanterns, and gave each one a task -to do. Their names were Drift and Sift, Glimmer -and Gleam, and Shimmer and Sheen. These six -leaders waved their lanterns about, called their -followers about them, and at once began to build -a house.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“And they so little, too,” remarked Mrs. -Meadows sympathetically.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Why, it was no trouble in the world to them,” -said Little Mr. Thimblefinger. “It didn’t seem -as if they were building a house. Did you ever -see a flower open? You look at it one minute, -turn your head away and forget about it, and the -next time you look, there it is open wide. That -was the way with this house the little men built. -It just seemed to grow out of the ground. As -it grew, the little men climbed on it, waved their -lanterns about, and the house continued to grow -higher and higher, and larger and larger, until it -was finished. Not a nail had been driven, not -a board had been rived, not a plank had been -planed, not a sill had been hewn, not a brick had -been burned. And yet there was the house all -new and fine, with a big chimney-stack in the -middle.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Now,’ said the Man in the Moon, when -everything was done, ‘here is your house, and -you may move in with bag and baggage.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘That is quickly done,’ replied Smat. ‘What -then?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Why, you must set up as a shoemaker,’ said -the Man in the Moon.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘But I never made a shoe in my life,’ the -young man declared.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘So much the more reason why you should -make ’em before you die,’ the Man in the Moon -remarked. ‘The sooner you begin to make shoes, -the sooner you’ll learn how.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘That’s so true,’ said Smat, ‘that I have -no reply to make. ‘I’ll do as you say, if I can.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘That’s better,’ cried the Man in the Moon. -‘If you do that, you’ll have small trouble. If -you don’t, I wouldn’t like to tell you what will -happen. Now listen! There is in this kingdom -a person (I’ll not say who) that goes about -with only one shoe. When you see that person, -no matter when or where,—no matter whether -it’s man, woman, or child,—you must let it be -known that you are ready to make a shoe.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Then the Man in the Moon called to the -leaders of his army of lantern bearers, and waved -his hands. They, in turn, waved their tiny lanterns, -and in a moment all were out of sight, and -Smat was left alone. For some time afterwards -he felt both lonely and uneasy, but this feeling -passed away as soon as he went into his house. -He was so astonished by what he saw in there -that he forgot to feel uneasy. He saw that, -although the house was newly built,—if it had -been built,—it was in fact old enough inside to -seem like home. Every room was finely furnished -and carpeted, and in one part of the house, in a -sort of shed-room, he found that a shoemaker’s -shop had been fixed up. There he saw the awl -and the axe, and the shoemaker’s wax, with the -pegs and the leather that were found close together.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“He thought to himself that all that was very -nice, but he knew, too, that he was not much of -a shoemaker, and this bothered him not a little. -Anyhow, he made himself comfortable and waited -to see what was going to happen.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“One day a head officer of the kingdom -chanced to pass that way. He saw the house and -rubbed his eyes. He was so astonished that he -went and told another officer, and this officer told -another, and finally all the officers in the kingdom -knew about it. Now, if you’ve ever noticed, -those who hold government offices have less -to do and more time to do it in than any other -day laborers. So they went about and caucussed -among themselves, and examined into the books, -and found that no taxes had ever been gathered -from the owner of such a house. There was -great commotion among them. One of them, -more meddlesome than the rest, took a big book -under his arm and went to Smat’s house to make -inquiries. The first question he asked was the -last.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says he, ‘How long have you been living in -this precinct?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says Smat, ‘Ever since the house was built -and a little while before.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The officer looked at the house and saw that -it was a very old one, and then he tucked his big -book under his arm and went off home. At last -the king—the same King Stuff whose name -you’ve heard me mention—heard about the -new house that was old, and of the shoemaker -who didn’t know how to make shoes. So he concluded -to look into the matter. He summoned -his high and mighty men, and when they had -gathered together they went into a back room -of the palace and shut the door, and had a long -talk together. All this took time; and while the -king and his high and mighty men were confabbing -together, other things were happening, as -you shall presently see.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“It seems that in that kingdom there was a -beautiful girl who went wandering about the -country. If she had any kinsfolk, nobody knew -anything about it, and, indeed, nobody cared. -She had lost one of her shoes, and she went about -from place to place hunting for it. Some pitied -her, and some laughed at her, which is the way -of the world, as you’ll find out; but nobody -tried to help her. Some said that one shoe was -better than no shoe, and others said that a new -shoe would do just as well as an old shoe.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“That’s where they made a big mistake,” said -Mrs. Meadows. “I’ve tried it, and I ought to -know. A new shoe is bound to hurt you a little -at first, I don’t care how well it fits.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, I’m only telling you what they said,” -replied little Mr. Thimblefinger. “From all I -can hear, new shoes hurt the ladies a great deal -worse than they do the men. But that’s natural, -for their toes and their heels are a good deal -tenderer than those of the men folks. Anyhow, -this beautiful girl had lost one of her shoes, and, -rather than buy another one or a new pair, she -went hunting it everywhere. One day she came -by Smat’s house. He, sitting by one of the windows, -and wishing that he could see his father -and brother, paid no attention to the passers-by. -But this beautiful girl saw him at the window -and spoke to him.</p> -<div id='i232' class='figcenter id021'> -<img src='images/i232.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>“HAVE YOU SEEN ANYTHING OF A STRAY SHOE?”</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“‘Kind sir,’ she said, ‘have you seen anything -of a stray shoe? I have lost one of mine, and -I’m in great trouble about it.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Smat looked at the girl, and she was so beautiful -that he couldn’t help but blush. Seeing -this, the girl began to blush. And so there they -were, two young things a-blushing at one another, -and wondering what was the matter.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I have seen no stray shoe,’ said Smat; ‘but -if you’ll come in and show me the one you have -on, I think I’ll know its fellow when I see it.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The girl went into the house and sat on a -chair, and showed Smat the shoe that she hadn’t -lost. She had the smallest and the neatest foot -he had ever seen.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I hope you are no kin to Cinderella,’ said -Smat, ‘for then you couldn’t get a shoe to fit -your other foot until some kind fairy made it.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I never heard of Cinderella,’ the girl replied. -‘I only know that I have lost my shoe, -and I’m afraid I’ll never get another just like it.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Smat scratched his head, and then he thought -about the awl and the axe and the shoemaker’s -wax, and the pegs and the leather that were -found close together. So he said to the beautiful -girl:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Just sit here a little while, and I’ll see if I -can’t get you a shoe to fit your foot. But I must -have the other shoe as a pattern to work by.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“At first the girl didn’t want to trust him -with the shoe, but she saw that he was in earnest, -and so she pulled off the only shoe she had and -placed it in Smat’s hands. He saw at once that -the leather he had was a match for that in the -shoe, and he set to work with a light heart,—with -a light heart, but his hand was heavy. -And yet, somehow or other, he found that he -knew all about making shoes, although he had -never learned how. The leather fitted itself to -the last, and everything went smoothly. But the -beautiful girl, instead of feeling happy that she -would soon have a mate to her shoe, began to -grow sad. She sat in a corner with her head -between her hands and her hair hanging down to -her feet, and sighed every time Smat bored a hole -in the leather with his awl or drove in a peg. -Finally, when he handed her the shoe entirely -finished, she looked at it, sighed, and let it fall -from her hands.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Of course,’ said Smat, ‘I don’t feel bad -over a little thing like that. But you don’t have -to pay anything for the shoe, and you don’t have -to wear it unless you want to.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Oh, it is not that,’ cried the beautiful girl. -‘The shoe will do very well, but the moment I -put it on, your troubles will begin.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well,’ replied Smat, ‘we must have troubles -of some sort anyhow, and the sooner they begin, -the sooner they’ll be ended. So put on your -shoe.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, it happened that just as the girl put -on the shoe, which fitted her foot exactly, King -Stuff and his councilors came driving up to the -door. King Stuff was not a large man, but he -was very fierce-looking. He called out from his -carriage of state and asked what sort of a person -lived in that house that he couldn’t come out -and salute when the king and his councilors went -riding by. Smat went to the door and bowed as -politely as he could, and said that he would have -been glad to bow and salute, if he had known his -royal highness and their excellent excellencies intended -to honor his poor house even so much as -to pass by it. The king and his councilors looked -at one another and shook their heads.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘This man is none of us,’ said the oldest and -wisest of the councilors. ‘We must be careful.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘How long have you lived here?’ asked the -king.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Longer than I wanted to,’ replied Smat. -‘My house is so far from the palace that I have -not been able to call and pay my respects to your -majesty.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I see you are a maker of shoes,’ remarked -the king, seeing the awl in Smat’s hand.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘No, your majesty, not a maker of shoes, but -simply a shoemaker. Thus far I have succeeded -in making only one shoe.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“At this the king and his councilors began to -shake and tremble. ‘What was the prophecy?’ -cried the king to the oldest and wisest. ‘Repeat -it!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The oldest and the wisest closed his eyes, -allowed his head to drop to one side, and said in -solemn tones:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c014'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>‘Wherever you go, and whatever you do,</div> - <div class='line in1'>Beware of the man that makes but one shoe;</div> - <div class='line in1'>Beware of the man with the awl and the axe,</div> - <div class='line in1'>With the pegs and the leather and the shoemaker’s wax.</div> - <div class='line in1'>If you’re out of your palace when you meet this man,</div> - <div class='line in1'>You’d better get back as fast as you can.’</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c015'>“Smat felt very much like laughing at the -solemn way in which the oldest and wisest councilor -repeated this prophecy, or whatever it might -be called. ‘Your majesty needn’t be worried -about that prophecy,’ said he. ‘It’s the easiest -thing in the world to break the force of it.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘How?’ asked the king.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Why, having made one shoe, I’ll go to work -and make another,’ replied Smat.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The oldest and wisest of the councilors said -that was a pretty good plan,—anyhow, it was -worth trying. Smat promised to make another -shoe, and have it ready in two days. But this -was easier said than done. In the first place, he -had used nearly all his leather in making a shoe -for the beautiful girl. In the second place, the -awl point wouldn’t stay in the handle. In the -third place, the pegs split and broke every time -he tried to drive them, and the shoemaker’s wax -wouldn’t stick. Everything went wrong at first -and grew worse at last, so that when the king -sent his officers for the shoe it was no nearer done -than it had been before Smat began.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The beautiful girl had not gone very far -away, and she came every day to see how Smat -prospered in making the second shoe. She was -watching him when the king’s officers came for -the shoe, and when she saw them she began to -weep. But Smat looked as cheerful as ever, and -even began to whistle when the officers knocked -at the door.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘We are in a fix,’ said he, ‘but we’ll get -out of it. Lend me the shoe I made for you. -I’ll send that to the king and then get it back -again.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The girl tried to take the shoe from her foot, -but nothing would move it. ‘That is a sign,’ -said Smat, ‘that it ought not to come off. I’ll -just go to the king myself and tell him the facts -in the case. That is the best way.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So he gathered the awl and the axe and the -shoemaker’s wax, and the scraps of leather, and -bundled them together. Then he told the officers -that he would go with them and carry the shoe -himself, so as to be sure that it came safely into -the king’s hands. They went toward the palace, -and Smat noticed, as they went along, that it -grew darker and darker as they came nearer to -the palace. The officers seemed to notice it too. -By the time they reached the palace, it was so -dark that Smat had great trouble in keeping up -with the officers.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“There was great commotion in the palace. -Nobody had ever seen it so dark before except -just at the stroke of midnight, when the shadows -grow thick and heavy and run together and over -everything.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, old King Stuff was a sort of magician -himself (as, indeed, he had to be in those times, -in order to manage a kingdom properly), and as -soon as he saw the great darkness coming on at -the wrong time of day, he thought at once of the -prophecy in regard to the man who made but one -shoe. So he hustled and bustled around the -palace, calling for the officers he had sent after -the shoe. But nobody had seen them return before -the dark began to fall, and after that it was -impossible to see them.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“In the midst of it all, the officers, followed -by Smat, stumbled into the palace and went -groping about from room to room hunting for -old King Stuff and his ministers. At last, they -heard him grumbling and growling, and felt their -way toward him.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘The shoe! the shoe!’ cried King Stuff, -when the officers had made themselves known.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I have something that will answer just as -well,’ said Smat.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘The shoe! give me the shoe!’ cried the -king.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Take this, your majesty,’ said Smat, handing -him the bundle.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“No sooner had the king’s hands touched the -bundle than there was a rumbling noise in the -air, the building began to shake and totter and -crumble away. In the midst of it all some one -cried out in a loud voice:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c014'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>‘Wherever you go, and whatever you do,</div> - <div class='line in1'>Beware of the man that makes but one shoe!’</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c015'>“In the twinkling of an eye, King Stuff and -his army and his palace had disappeared from -sight. At the same time the darkness had cleared -away, and Smat saw his father and his brother -standing near, dazed and frightened, and not far -away was the beautiful girl. The father and the -brother were very much astonished when they -found that Smat had been the means of their -rescue. They talked about it until night fell, -and then the Man in the Moon, with his tiny lantern-bearers, -came and escorted them to their own -country.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now it happened that the beautiful girl was -a princess, the daughter of the king. It fell to -the lot of Smat to take the princess home. Not -long after that the king gave a great festival, to -celebrate the return of his daughter. Smat’s -father and brother got close enough to the palace -to see him standing in a large room, where there -was a large crowd of people and music and -flowers. They saw, too, that he was holding the -princess by the hand.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“And so,” said little Mr. Thimblefinger, wiping -the perspiration from his forehead, “the story -ended.”</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch20' class='c007'>XX.<br /> <br />THE WOOG AND THE WEEZE.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“Phew!” exclaimed Mr. Rabbit, when he was -sure that little Mr. Thimblefinger had finished. -“That beats anything I ever heard.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I’m glad you like it,” said Mr. Thimblefinger.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Oh, hold on there!” protested Mr. Rabbit, -“you are going too fast. I never said I liked it. -I said it beat any story I ever heard, and so it -does,—for length. I didn’t know that such a -little chap could be so long-winded. It was such -a long story that I’ve forgotten what the moral -ought to be.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Why, I thought you said you didn’t believe -much in stories that had morals tacked to them,” -remarked Mrs. Meadows.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“No doubt I did,” replied Mr. Rabbit,—“No -doubt I did. But this story was long enough -to have a dozen morals cropping out in different -places, like dog fennel in a cow pasture.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well,” said Mr. Thimblefinger, “there was a -moral or two in the story, but I didn’t call attention -to them in the telling, and I’ll not dwell on -them now.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I thought it was a tolerably fair story,” said -Buster John, yet with a tone of doubt.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Oh, I thought it was splendid all the way -through,” said Sweetest Susan.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“There are some stories that are hard to tell,” -suggested Mrs. Meadows. “They go in such a -rambledy-wambledy way that it’s not easy to -keep the track of them. I remember I once heard -Chickamy Crany Crow trying to repeat a story -that she heard the Looking-glass Children tell. -I never found head nor tail to it, but I sat and -listened almost without shutting my eyes.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“What was the story?” asked Sweetest Susan.</p> - -<p class='c013'>In reply, Mrs. Meadows said she would call -Chickamy Crany Crow, and ask her to tell it. -As usual, Chickamy Crany Crow was off at play -with Tickle-My-Toes. They both came when -Mrs. Meadows called them, and Chickamy Crany -Crow, after some persuasion, began to tell the -story.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“One day,” she said, brushing her hair behind -her ears with her fingers, “I wanted to see the -Looking-glass Children. Tickle-My-Toes was off -playing by himself, and I was lonesome; so I -went to the Looking-glass, whirled it around in -its frame, and waited for the children to come -out. But they didn’t come. I called them, but -they made no answer. I went close to the Glass, -and looked in. At first, I couldn’t see anything; -but after a while I saw, away off in the Glass, -one of the children,—the one they all say looks -like me. I called her; but she was so far off in -the Glass that she couldn’t hear me, and, as she -had her face turned the other way, she couldn’t -see me.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“After so long a time, she came up to the -frame of the Glass, and then stepped out and sat -down on the ground. I saw she had been crying.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says I, ‘Honey, what in the world is the -matter?’ I always call her Honey when we are -by ourselves.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says she, ‘There’s enough the matter. I’m -e’en about scared to death, and I expect that all -the other children in this Looking-glass are either -captured, or killed, or scared to death.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says I, ‘Why didn’t you holler for help?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says she, ‘What good would that have done? -You all could help us very well on dry land, out -here, but how could you have helped us in the -Looking-glass, when you can’t even get in at -the door? I’ve seen you try to follow us, but -you’ve always failed. You stop at the Glass, -and you can’t get any farther.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says I, ‘You are right about that; but if -we outside folks can’t get in the Glass to play -with you and keep you company, how can anybody -or anything get in there to scare you and -hurt you?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says she, ‘The thing that scared us has been -in there all the time. It was born in there, I -reckon, but I’ve never seen it before; and I tell -you right now I never want to see it again.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says I, ‘What sort of a thing is it?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says she in a whisper, ‘<i>It’s the Woog!</i>‘</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘The what?’ says I.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘<i>The Woog!</i>‘ says she.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says I, ‘It’s new to me. I never heard of it -before.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says she, ‘To hear of it is as close as you -want to get to it.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Why, I heard of the Woog in my younger -days,” remarked Mr. Thimblefinger. “I thought -the thing had gone out of fashion.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Don’t you believe a word of it,” said Chickamy -Crany Crow. “It’s just as much in fashion -now as ever it was, especially at certain seasons of -the year. The little girl in the Looking-glass—I -say little girl, though she’s about my size and -shape—told me all about it; and as she lives in -the same country with the Woog, she ought to -know.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“What did she say about it?” asked Buster -John, who had a vague idea that he might some -day be able to organize an expedition to go in -search of the Woog.</p> -<div id='i244' class='figcenter id022'> -<img src='images/i244.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>A HORRIBLE MONSTER GLARED AT THEM</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“Well,” replied Chickamy Crany Crow, “she -said this,—she said that she and the other children -were sitting under the shade of a bazzle-bush -in the Looking-glass, telling fairy stories. -It had come her turn to tell a story, and she was -trying to remember the one about the little girl -who had a silk dress made out of a muscadine -skin, when all of a sudden there was a roaring -noise in the bushes near by. While they were -shaking with fright, a most horrible monster came -rushing out, and glared at them, growling all the -while. It wore great green goggles. Its hair -stood out from its head on all sides, except in the -bald place on top, and its ears stuck out as big as -the wings of a buzzard.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Do you know who I am?’ it growled. -‘No, you don’t; but I’ll show you. I am the -Woog. Do you hear that? The Woog! Don’t -forget that. What did I hear you talking about -just now? You were talking about fairies. -Don’t say you weren’t, for I heard you.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well,’ says one of the Looking-glass Children, -‘what harm is there in that?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Harm!’ screamed the Woog. ‘Do you -want to defy me? I have caught and killed and -crushed and smoked out all the fairies that ever -lived on the earth, except a few that have hid -themselves in this Looking-glass country. What -harm, indeed!—a pretty question to ask me, -when I’ve spent years and years trying to run -down and smother out the whole fairy tribe.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The Looking-glass Children,” Chickamy -Crany Crow continued, “told the Woog that they -didn’t know there was any harm in the fairies -themselves, or in talking about them. The Woog -paid no attention to their apologies. He just -stood and glared at them through his green goggles, -gnashing his teeth and clenching his hands.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says the monster after awhile, ‘How dare -any of you wish that you could see a fairy, or -that you had a fairy godmother? What shall I -do with you? I crushed a whole population of -fairies between the lids of this book’ (he held -up a big book, opened it, and clapped it together -again so hard that it sounded like some one had -fired off a gun), ‘and I’ve a great mind to -smash every one of you good-for-nothing children -the same way.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“You may be sure that by this time the poor -little Looking-glass Children were very much -frightened, especially when they saw that the -Woog was fixing to make an attack on them. -He dropped his big book, and when the children -saw him do this they broke and run: some went -one way and some another. The last they saw of -him, he was rushing through the bushes like a -blind horse, threshing his arms about, and doing -more damage to himself than to anybody else. -But the children had a terrible scare, and if he -hasn’t made way with some of them it’s not -because he is too good to do it.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The poor dears!” exclaimed Mrs. Meadows -sympathetically.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Dat ar creetur can’t come out’n dat Lookin’-glass -like de yuthers, kin he?” inquired Drusilla, -moving about uneasily: “kaze ef he kin, I’m -gwine ’way fum here. I dun seed so many quare -doin’s an’ gwine’s on dat I’ll jump an’ holler ef -anybody pints der finger at me.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, Tar-Baby,” replied Mr. Rabbit with -some dignity, “he hasn’t never come out yet. -That’s all that can be said in that line. He may -come out, but if he does you’ll be in no danger -at all. The Woog would never mistake you for -a fairy, no matter whether he had his green -goggles on or whether he had them off.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“No matter ’bout dat,” remarked Drusilla. -“I mayn’t look like no fairy, but I don’t want -no Woog fer ter be cuttin’ up no capers ’roun’ -me. I tell you dat, an’ I don’t charge nothin’ -fer tellin’ it. Black folks don’t stan’ much chance -wid dem what knows ’em, let ’lone dem ar Woog -an’ things what don’t know ’em. Ef you all hear -’im comin’, des give de word, and I boun’ you’ll -say ter yo’se’f dat Drusilla got wings. Now you -min’ dat.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“What does the Woog want to kill the fairies -for?” asked Sweetest Susan. “He must be very -mean and cruel.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“He’s all of that, and more,” replied Mrs. -Meadows. “The fairies please the children, and -give them something beautiful to think about in -the day and to dream about at night, and the -Woog doesn’t like that. He hates the fairies -because it pleases the children to hear about -them, and he hates the children because they like -to hear about the fairies.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, I never want to see him until I am big -enough to tote a gun,” said Buster John. “After -that, I don’t care how soon I meet him.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now,” remarked Mr. Rabbit, turning to Mrs. -Meadows with a solemn air, “didn’t you say -that all this about the Woog was a tale, or something -of that sort.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I believe I did,” replied Mrs. Meadows. -“What about it?”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Just this,” said Mr. Rabbit,—“a tale’s a -tale, and it never stops until all is told.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“If that’s the case, I’ve heard some here -that overshot the mark,” remarked Mrs. Meadows.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“No doubt, no doubt,” responded Mr. Rabbit. -“But what became of the Woog?”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I know! I know!” cried Tickle-My-Toes, -who had been listening to all that was said about -the Woog.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Very well; let’s hear about it,” suggested -Mr. Rabbit.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“’Taint much,” said Tickle-My-Toes modestly. -“The chap in the Looking-glass that looks like -me, he was the one that fell into the hands or the -claws of the Woog. He could have got away -with the rest, but a piece of straw was caught -between his toes, and it tickled him so that he -laughed until he couldn’t run. He just fell on -the ground and rolled over and over, laughing all -the time. In this way the Woog caught up with -him and grabbed him, and carried him away off -in the woods in the Looking-glass country. They -were away off in that part of the country where -there was no green grass on the ground. There -were no green leaves on the trees, no flowers -blooming, and no birds singing.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The Woog carried the little chap that looks -like me to that dark place, and nearly scared him -to death.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘You pretend to be something or somebody, -do you?—you, a shadow in a glass,’ growled the -Woog.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I’m what I am,’ said the little chap.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘You are not,’ cried the Woog. ‘You are -nothing. Why do you pretend to be somebody -or something?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The little chap didn’t say anything in reply, -because there was nothing to say. There’s no use -in disputing when you can’t help yourself. So -the Woog took him and tied him to a dead tree, -leaving his big book lying near. There is no -telling what would have happened to the little -chap; but just as soon as the Woog got out of -sight, a strong, tall man, with gray hair combed -straight back over his head, suddenly made his -appearance, and untied the cords, and set the -little chap free.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Don’t be frightened,’ said the tall man; ‘I -am the Weeze. I have been hunting the Woog -for many a long day, and now I think I’ll put -an end to him.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Presently the Woog came back growling and -grumbling. When he looked up and saw the -Weeze, it was too late for him to escape. But he -turned and tried to run. Just then the Weeze -seized the big book and threw it at the Woog. -As it hit him, there was a big explosion, and the -Woog and his big book both disappeared.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The little chap that looks like me,” said -Tickle-My-Toes, “was telling me about it to-day; -and he said that it wasn’t long after the explosion -before the flowers began to bloom in that -place, and the birds to sing, and the leaves began -to grow on the trees. And after awhile the -fairies began to peep out from their hiding-places; -and when the little chap came away he -could see them playing Ring-Around-Rosy on the -green grass.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“It was mighty funny, wasn’t it?” asked -Tickle-My-Toes, in conclusion.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch21' class='c007'>XXI.<br /> <br />UNCLE RAIN AND BROTHER DROUTH.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“Now I’m not so mighty certain that that is a -real tale after all,” said Mr. Rabbit, “although it -took two to tell it. There’s something the matter -with it somewhere. The running-gear is out -of order. I’m not complaining, because what -might suit me might not suit other people. It’s -all a matter of taste, as Mrs. Meadows’s grandmother -said when she wiped her mouth with her -apron and kissed the cow.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well,” remarked Mr. Thimblefinger, “there’s -no telling what happens in a Looking-glass when -nobody is watching. I’ve often wanted to know. -The little that I’ve heard about the Woog and -the Weeze will do me until I can hear more.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I remember a story that I thought was a -very good one when I first heard it,” said Mrs. -Meadows. “But sometimes a great deal more -depends on the time, place, and company than -on the stories that are told. I’m such a poor -hand at telling tales that I’m almost afraid to tell -any that I know. I’ve heard a great many in -my day and time, but the trouble is to pick out -them that don’t depend on a wink of the eye and -a wave of the hand.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Give us a taste of it, anyhow,” suggested -Mr. Rabbit. “I’ll do the winking, the Tar-Baby -can do the blinking, and Mr. Thimblefinger can -wave his hands.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well,” said Mrs. Meadows, “once upon a -time there lived in a country not very far from -here a man who had a wife and two children,—a -boy and a girl. This was not a large family, -but the man was very poor, and he found it a hard -matter to get along. He was a farmer, and farming, -no matter what they say, depends almost -entirely on the weather. Now, this farmer never -could get the weather he wanted. One year the -Rain would come and drown out his crops, and -the next year the Drouth would come and burn -them up.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Matters went from bad to worse, and the -farmer and his wife talked of nothing else but -the Rain and the Drouth. One year they said -they would have made a living but for the -Drouth, and the next they said they would have -been very well off but for the Rain. So it went -on from year to year until the two children,—the -boy and the girl,—grew up large enough -to understand what their father and mother were -talking about. One year they’d hear they could -have no Sunday clothes and shoes because of the -Drouth. The next year they’d hear they could -have no shoes and Sunday clothes because of the -Rain.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“All this set them to thinking. The boy was -about ten years old and the girl was about nine. -One day at their play they began to talk as they -had heard their father and mother talk. It was -early in the spring, and their father was even -then ploughing and preparing his fields for planting -another crop.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘We will have warm shoes and good clothes -next winter if the Rain doesn’t come and stay -too long,’ said the boy.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Yes,’ replied the girl, ‘and we’ll have good -clothes and warm shoes if the Drouth doesn’t -come and stay too long.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I wonder why they’ve got such a spite -against us,’ remarked the boy.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I’m sure I don’t know,’ replied the girl. -‘If we go and see them, and tell them who we -are, and beg them not to make us so cold and -hungry when the ice grows in the ponds and on -the trees, maybe they’ll take pity on us.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“This plan pleased the boy, and the two children -continued to talk it over, until finally they -agreed to go in search of the Rain and the -Drouth. ‘Do you,’ said the boy, ‘go in search -of Brother Drouth, and I will go in search of -Uncle Rain. When we have found them, we -must ask them to visit our father’s house and -farm, and see the trouble and ruin they have -caused.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“To this the girl agreed; and early the next -morning, after eating a piece of corn bread, which -was all they had for breakfast, they started on -their journey, the boy going to the east and the -girl to the south. The boy traveled a long way, -and for many days. Sometimes he thought he -would never come to the end of his journey; but -finally he came to Cousin Mist’s house, and there -he inquired his way.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘What do you want with Uncle Rain?’ asked -Cousin Mist. ‘He is holding court now, and he -is very busy. Besides, you are not dressed -properly. When people go to court, they have -to wear a certain kind of dress. In your case, -you ought to have a big umbrella and an oilcloth -overcoat.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Well,’ replied the boy, ‘I haven’t got ’em, -and that’s the end of that part of it. If you’ll -show me the way to Uncle Rain’s house, I’ll go -on and be much obliged to boot.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Cousin Mist looked at the boy and laughed. -‘You are a bold lad,’ he said, ‘and since you are -so bold, I’ll lend you an umbrella and an oilcloth -overcoat, and go a part of the way with -you.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So the boy put on the overcoat and hoisted -the umbrella, and trudged along the muddy road -toward the house of Uncle Rain. When they -came in sight of it, Cousin Mist pointed it out, -told the boy good-by, and then went drizzling -back home. The boy went forward boldly, and -knocked at the door of Uncle Rain’s house.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Who is there?’ inquired Uncle Rain in a -hoarse and wheezy voice. He seemed to have the -asthma, the choking quinsy, and the croup, all -at the same time.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘It’s only me,’ said the boy. ‘Please, Uncle -Rain, open the door.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“With that, Uncle Rain opened the door and -invited the little fellow in. He did more than -that: he went to the closet and got out a dry -spot, and told the boy to make himself as comfortable -as he could.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Got out a—what?” asked Buster John, -trying hard to keep from laughing.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“A dry spot,” replied Mrs. Meadows solemnly. -“Uncle Rain went to the closet and got out a -dry spot. Of course,” she continued, “Uncle -Rain had to keep a supply of dry spots on hand, -so as to make his visitors comfortable. It’s a -great thing to be polite. Well, the boy sat on -the dry spot, and, after some remarks about the -weather, Uncle Rain asked him why he had come -so far over the rough roads. Then the boy told -Uncle Rain the whole story about how poor his -father was, and how he had been made poorer -year after year, first by Brother Drouth and then -by Uncle Rain. And then he told how he and -his little sister had to go without shoes and wear -thin clothes in cold weather, all because the crops -were ruined year after year, either by Brother -Drouth or Uncle Rain.</p> -<div id='i258' class='figcenter id023'> -<img src='images/i258.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>THE BOY TOLD UNCLE RAIN THE WHOLE STORY</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“He told his story so simply and with so much -feeling that Uncle Rain was compelled to wipe -his eyes on a corner of the fog that hung on the -towel rack behind the door. He asked the boy a -great many questions about his father and his -mother.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I reckon,’ said Uncle Rain finally, ‘that I -have done all of you a great deal of damage -without knowing it, but I think I can pay it -back. Bring the dry spot with you, and come -with me.’ He went into the barnyard, and the -boy followed. They went into the barn, and -there the boy saw, tied by a silver cord, a little -black sheep. It was very small, but seemed to -be full grown, because it had long horns that -curled round and round on the sides of its head. -And, although the horns were long and hard, the -little sheep was very friendly. It rubbed its head -softly against the boy’s hand, and seemed to be -fond of him at first sight.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Uncle Rain untied the silver cord, and placed -the loose end in the boy’s hand. ‘Here is a -sheep,’ he said, ‘that is worth more than all the -flocks in the world. When you want gold, all -you have to do is to press the golden spring -under the left horn. The horn will then come -off, and you will find it full of gold. When you -want silver, press the silver spring under the -right horn. The horn will come off, and you will -find it full of silver. When the horns have been -emptied, place them back where they belong. -This may be done once, twice, or fifty times a -day.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The boy didn’t know how to thank Uncle -Rain enough for this wonderful gift. He was so -anxious to get home that he would have started -off at once.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Wait a minute,’ said Uncle Rain. ‘You -may tell your father about this, but he must tell -no one else. The moment the secret of the sheep -is told outside your family, it will no longer be -valuable to you.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The boy thanked Uncle Rain again, and -started home, leading his wonderful sheep, which -trotted along after him, as if it were glad to go -along. The boy went home much faster than he -had gone away, and it was not long before he -reached there.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But what became of the little girl?” asked -Sweetest Susan, as Mrs. Meadows paused a moment.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“I am coming to her now,” said Mrs. Meadows. -“The girl, according to the bargain that had -been made between her and her brother, was to -visit Brother Drouth, and lay her complaints before -him. So she started on her way. As she -went along, the roads began to get drier and -drier, and the grass on the ground and the leaves -on the trees began to look as if they had been -sprinkled with yellow powder. By these signs, -the girl knew that she was not far from the house -of Cousin Dust, and presently she saw it in the -distance. She went to the door, which was -open, and inquired the way to Brother Drouth’s. -Cousin Dust was much surprised to see a little -girl at his door; but, after a long fit of coughing, -he recovered himself, and told her that she -was now in Brother Drouth’s country.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘If you’ll show me the way,’ said the girl, -‘I’ll be more than obliged to you.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I’ll go a part of the way with you,’ said -Cousin Dust, ‘and lend you a fan besides.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So they went along until they came in sight -of Brother Drouth’s house, and then Cousin Dust -went eddying back home in the shape of a small -whirlwind. The girl went to Brother Drouth’s -door and knocked. Brother Drouth came at -once and opened the door, and invited her in.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I’ll not deny that I’m surprised,’ said he, -‘for I never expected to find a little girl knocking -at my door at this time of day. But you -are welcome. I’m glad to see you. You must -have come a long journey, for you look hot.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“With that he went to the cupboard and got -her a cool place to sit on, and this she found very -comfortable. But still Brother Drouth wasn’t -satisfied. As his visitor was a little girl, he -wanted to be extra polite, and so he went to his -private closet and brought her a fresh breeze with -a handle to it; and, as the cool place had a -cushioned back and the fresh breeze a handle that -the girl could manage, she felt better in Brother -Drouth’s house than she had at any time during -her long journey. She sat there on the cool -place and fanned with the fresh breeze, and -Brother Drouth sat in his big armchair and -smiled at her. The little girl noticed this after -awhile, and so she said:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Oh, you can laugh, but it’s no laughing matter. -If you could see the trouble you’ve caused -at our house, you’d laugh on the other side of -your mouth.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“When he heard this, Brother Drouth at -once became very serious, and apologized. He -said he wasn’t laughing, but just smiling because -he thought she was enjoying herself.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I may be enjoying myself now,’ said the -little girl, ‘and I’m much obliged to you; but if -I was at home, I shouldn’t be enjoying myself.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Then she went on to tell Brother Drouth -how her father’s crops had been ruined year after -year, either by Uncle Rain or by Brother Drouth, -and how the family got poorer and poorer all the -time on that account, so that the little children -couldn’t have warm shoes and thick clothes in -cold weather, but had to go barefooted and wear -rags. Brother Drouth listened with all his ears; -and when the little girl had told her story, he -shook his head, and said that he was to blame -as well as Uncle Rain. He explained that, for -many years, there had been a trial of strength -going on between him and Uncle Rain, and they -had become so much interested in overcoming -each other that they had paid no attention to -poor people’s crops. He said he was very sorry -that he had taken part in any such affair. Then -he told the little girl that he thought he could -pay her back for a part of the damage he had -done, and that he would be more than glad to -do so.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says he, ‘Bring your cool place and your -fresh breeze with you, and come with me.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“She followed Brother Drouth out into the -barnyard, and into the barn; and there, tied by -a golden cord, she saw a snow-white goat.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘This goat,’ said Brother Drouth, ‘is worth -more than all the goats in the world, tame or -wild.’ With that he untied the golden cord, and -placed the loose end in the girl’s hand. The -goat was small, but seemed to be old; for its -horns, which were of the color of ivory, curved -upward and over its back. They were so long -that, by turning its head a bit, the snow-white -goat could scratch itself on its ham. And -though it seemed to be old, it was very gentle; -for it rubbed its nose and face against the little -girl’s frock, and appeared to be very glad to see -her.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Now then,’ said Brother Drouth, ‘this goat -is yours. Take it, and take care of it. On the -under side of each horn, you will find a small -spring. Touch it, and the horn will come off; -and each horn, no matter how many times you -touch the spring, you will always find full of gold -and silver. But this is not all. At each change -of the moon, you will find the right horn full of -diamonds, and the left horn full of pearls. Now -listen to me. You may tell your father about -this treasure; but as soon as the secret is told -out of the family, your goat will be worth no -more to you than any other goat.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The little girl thanked Brother Drouth until -he would allow her to thank him no more. She -would have left the cool place and the fresh -breeze, but Brother Drouth said she was welcome -to both of them. ‘When the weather is cold,’ -said he, ‘you can put them away; but when it is -warm, you will find that the cool place and the -fresh breeze will come in right handy.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Thanking Brother Drouth again and again, -the girl started on her journey home, leading her -wonderful goat, and carrying with her the cool -place and the fresh breeze. In this way, she -made the long journey with ease and comfort, -and came to her father’s house without any -trouble. She reached the gate, too, just as her -brother did. They were very glad to see each -other, and the sheep and the goat appeared to be -old friends; for they rubbed their noses together -in friendly fashion.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I’ll make our father and mother rich,’ said -the boy proudly.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘And I’ll make them richer,’ said the girl -still more proudly.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So they took their wonderful goat and sheep -into the stable, gave them some hay to eat, and -then went into the house.”</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch22' class='c007'>XXII.<br /> <br />THE SNOW-WHITE GOAT AND THE COAL-BLACK SHEEP.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“Please don’t say that is the end of the -story,” said Sweetest Susan, as Mrs. Meadows -made a longer pause than usual.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, it ought to be the end,” replied Mrs. -Meadows. “The two children had come home -with treasure and riches enough to suit anybody. -That ought to be the end of the story. -You ought to be able to say that they all lived -happily together forever after. That’s the way -they put it down in the books; but this is not a -book story, and so we’ll have to stick to the -facts.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, then, when the boy and the girl returned -home, one with the wonderful sheep and -the other with the wonderful goat, they found -their father and mother in a great state of mind. -The whole country round about had been searched -for the children. The mother was sure they had -been stolen and carried off. The father, who had -his own miseries always in mind, was sure that -they had grown tired of the poverty that surrounded -them, and had run away to see if they -couldn’t do better among strangers.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So, when the children had returned home, -as happy as larks, their mother fell to weeping, -and cried out: ‘I am so glad you have escaped, -my pretty dears.’ The father grinned and said: -‘Why do you come back? Is it because the -fare elsewhere is no better than it is here?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, of course, the children didn’t know -what to make of all this. They stood with their -fingers in their mouths, and wondered what the -trouble was. Then they were compelled to answer -a shower of questions; and by the time the -inquiries had come to an end, they were not feeling -very comfortable at all. Finally the boy -said:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘My sister and myself were tired of wearing -ragged clothes and having little to eat, and so we -concluded to seek our fortunes. We knew that -Uncle Rain and Brother Drouth had caused all -the trouble, and so we thought the best way to do -would be to hunt them up and tell them the -trouble they were causing to one poor family. I -went to see Uncle Rain, and my sister went to see -Brother Drouth. We found them at home, and -both were in good humor. Uncle Rain gave me -a coal-black sheep, and Brother Drouth gave my -sister a snow-white goat, and told us that with -these we could make our fortunes.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘A likely story—a very likely story indeed!’ -exclaimed the father. ‘If you have brought the -sheep and the goat home, you would do well to -take them back where you got them, else we shall -all be put in jail for stealing and for harboring -stolen property.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Now don’t talk that way to your own children,’ -said the tender-hearted mother. ‘For my -part, I believe every word they say;’ then she -kissed them, and hugged them, and cried over -them a little, while the father sat by, looking sour -and glum. The children, when they placed the -goat and the sheep in the stable, had each taken -a handful of gold and silver coins from the horns -of the wonderful animals. So now the boy went -forward and placed upon the table near his father -a handful of gold and silver. The girl did the -same.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The father heard the rattle and jingle of coin, -and, looking around, saw there at his elbow more -money than he had ever seen before in all his -life. He was both astonished and alarmed.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Worse and worse!’ he cried, throwing up -his hands. ‘Worse and worse! We are ruined! -Tell me where you got that treasure, that I may -take it back to its owner. Make haste! If there’s -any delay about it, we shall all be thrown into -prison.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Come with us,’ said the boy, ‘and we will -show you where we found the treasure.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So they went out of the house and into the -stable, and there the children showed their father -where the treasure came from.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Wonderful! most wonderful!’ exclaimed -the father. ‘Wonderful! most wonderful!’ cried -the mother. Then they hugged and kissed their -children again and again, and all were very happy. -It made no difference now whether crops were -good or bad.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The man was mighty honest,” remarked Mr. -Rabbit.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Yes,” said Mrs. Meadows. “But a man can -be honest and thick-headed at the same time, and -that was the way with this man. He was too -honest to keep other people’s money, and too -thick-headed to know how to keep his own.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Excuse me!” exclaimed Mr. Rabbit, with a -bow that made his ears flop; “excuse me! I -thought the story had come to an end. You said -they were all very happy; so I says to myself, -‘Now is the time to make a slight remark.’”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“No; the end of the story is yet to come,” -replied Mrs. Meadows. “But if these children are -getting tired, I’m ready to quit. Goodness -knows, I don’t want to worry them, and I don’t -want to make them think that I want to do all the -talking.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Please go on,” said Sweetest Susan.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, when the father found where the -money and treasure came from, he was willing to -believe that his children had visited Uncle Rain -and Brother Drouth; for he knew perfectly well -that the wonderful black sheep and the wonderful -snow-white goat were not bred on any farm in -that country. So his mind was easy; and, as I -said, the father, the mother, and the two children -were all happy together.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The mother and the children were so happy -that they stayed at home and enjoyed one another’s -company, and the father was so happy -that it made him restless in the mind. He got -in the habit of going to the tavern every day, -and sometimes more than once a day; and he -got to drinking more ale and wine than was good -for him. And on these occasions his legs would -wobble under him, as if one leg wanted to go -home, and the other wanted to go back to the -tavern.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Sometimes, at the tavern, he would get to -gaming; and when he lost his money, as he always -did, he’d ask his companions to wait until -he could go home and get more. He would -soon come back with his pockets full. This happened -so often that people began to talk about it, -and to wonder how a man who had been so very -poor could suddenly become so wealthy that he -had money to throw away at the gaming-table. -His neighbors were very curious about it, but -they asked him no questions, and he went on -drinking and gambling for many long days.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But finally there came to that village a company -of five men, who let it be understood that -they were peddlers. They came into the village -on foot, carrying packs on their backs, and put -up at the tavern. They were not peddlers, but -robbers, who had been attracted to the village by -rumors about the poor man who was rich enough -to throw away money night after night at the -gaming-table.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Shortly after nightfall, three of the five men -arranged themselves around a table; and when -the man came in, they invited him to join them. -Two of the five sat by the fire, and appeared to -be watching the game. The man didn’t wait -for two invitations, but seated himself at the -table, and called for wine. Then the gaming -began. Aided by their two companions, the -three robbers at the table had no difficulty in -swindling the man. Though he came with all -his pockets filled with gold and silver, they were -soon emptied. The robbers plied him with wine, -and he played wildly.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“When his money was all gone, he excused -himself and said he would go and get more, and -then continue the game. He went out; and, at -a sign from the leader, the two robbers who had -been sitting by the fire, rose and followed him. -They had no trouble in doing this, for the man’s -legs were already getting wobbly. One leg -wanted to go home and go to bed, and the other -wanted to go back and be stretched out under -the table.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But, though the man’s legs were wobbly, -his head was pretty clear. He knew his way -home, and he knew his way into the stable, where -the coal-black sheep and the snow-white goat -were housed. The two robbers followed him as -closely as they dared, but it was too dark for -them to see what he was doing. They knew -that he went into the stable, and presently they -heard the jingle and clinking of gold and silver, -and then he came out with his pockets full.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“They waited until he had gone on toward -the tavern and was out of sight. Then they -slipped into the yard, and crept into the stable. -It was very dark in the stable, but not too dark -to see dimly. The two men felt their way along, -and soon saw that there were but two stalls in -the stable. Each went into a stall, and began to -feel around. They expected to find bags of gold -and silver stacked around, but they were mistaken. -Finally they stooped to feel along the -ground; and, as they did so, there was a loud -thump in each stall and a yell of pain from both -robbers. When they stooped to feel along the -ground, the coal-black sheep and the snow-white -goat rushed at them, and gave each one a thump -that nearly jarred the senses out of him. The -robbers rolled over with a howl, and the goat -and the sheep thumped them again, and kept on -thumping them.</p> -<div id='i274' class='figcenter id024'> -<img src='images/i274.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>AT LAST THE ROBBERS MANAGED TO ESCAPE</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“But at last the robbers managed to escape, -though they made a pretty looking sight. Their -hats were lost, their clothes were torn and -muddy, their heads were bleeding, their eyes -were knocked black and blue, and they felt as if -there was not a whole bone in their body. They -were too frightened to talk, but finally their -voices came to them.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘What was it hit you?’ says one.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I’m blessed if I know,’ says the other. -‘What hit you?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Something hard,’ says one.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘What did it look like?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Satan dressed in white, and he had his maul -and wedge with him. What did yours look -like?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Satan dressed in black, and he had all his -horns and hoofs with him; and I think he must -have struck me one or two licks with his forked -tail.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“They went off to the nearest branch, and -bathed themselves the best they could, but even -then they made a sorry spectacle. Their heads -and faces were still swollen, their eyes were -nearly closed, and their clothes were split and -ripped from heel to collar. They didn’t know -where to go. They knew that it wouldn’t do to -go back to the tavern and present themselves -among the guests, for that would cast suspicion -on their companions. Finally, they went outside -the village, and hid themselves under a haystack, -where they soon fell asleep, and would have slept -soundly if their dreams had not been disturbed -by visions of a black Satan and a white Satan, -both armed with long, hard horns and sharp -hoofs.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“All this time, the father of the children, -wobbly as he was, sat at the gaming-table with -the three robbers. The robbers were waiting for -the return of their companions, and at last they -became so uneasy that they played loosely, and the -man began to win his gold and silver back again. -At last the robbers concluded to go in search of -their companions; and the man went home, carrying -with him more gold and silver than he had -ever before brought away from the tavern. The -robbers failed to find their companions until the -next day, and the story they told was so alarming -that the band concluded to leave that part -of the country, at least for awhile.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But reports and rumors of the great wealth -of the poor farmer continued to travel about, and -finally they came to the ears of a company of -merchants, who were more cunning in their line -of business than the robbers were in theirs. So -these merchants journeyed to the village, and put -up at the tavern. There they soon made the acquaintance -of the fortunate farmer who owned -the wonderful coal-black sheep and the wonderful -snow-white goat.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“They talked business with him from the word -go. They wanted him to put his money in all -sorts of schemes that were warranted to double it -in a few months. But the man said he didn’t -want his money doubled. He already had as -much as he wanted. He told them that if he -were to sit on the street and throw away a million -dollars a minute for ten years he’d be just as rich -at the end of that time as he was before he threw -away the first million.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Of course, the merchants didn’t understand -this. Some said the man was crazy, but the -shrewder ones concluded that there must be some -secret behind it all. So they set to work to find -it out. They flattered him in every way. They -made him rich presents for himself, his wife, and -children. For the first time he began to wear -fine clothes and put on airs. The shrewd merchants -asked his advice about their own business, -and went about telling everybody what a wise -man he was. They pretended to tell him all their -own business secrets.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“This, of course, pleased the man very much; -and, at last, one day, when he had more wine in -his head than wit, he told his merchant friends -that he made all his gold and silver by shearing a -black sheep and milking a white goat.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Where do you keep these wonderful creatures?’ -one of the merchants asked.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘In my stable,’ replied the man,—’in my -stable night and day.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The greedy merchants were not long in finding -out that the man kept a coal-black sheep and -a snow-white-goat in his stable sure enough; and, -after a good deal of persuading and flattering, -they got him to consent to bring his coal-black -sheep and his snow-white goat to the tavern, so -that they might see for themselves how rare and -valuable the animals were.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, one night after his wife and children -had gone to bed, the man carried the sheep and -the goat to the tavern, and showed them to the -merchants. They offered him immense sums of -money for the animals, but he refused them all. -Then they invited him to remain to a banquet -which they had prepared. He wanted to carry -his sheep and his goat back home, and then return -to the banquet; but the merchants said the -table was already spread, and he could tie his -wonderful animals in the rear hall, where nobody -would bother them.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Meantime, the merchants had sent out into -the country and bought a black sheep and a white -goat; and while some of them were pouring wine -down the man’s goozle, others were untying the -wonderful black sheep and white goat, and putting -in their place the animals that had been -bought. When the time came for the man to go -home, he was so wobbly in the legs and so befuddled -in the head that he couldn’t tell the -difference between a sheep and a goat. In fact, -he had forgotten all about them, until one of the -merchants asked him if he wasn’t going to take -his rare and valuable animals back home.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The strange sheep and goat were not used -to being led about at night by a man with wobbly -legs and a befuddled head, and they cut up such -queer capers that it was much as the man could -do to keep on his feet at all. But, after so long -a time, he managed to get them home, and tied -them in the stable.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So far, so good: but the next morning, when -the boy and the girl got up betimes and went -out to feed their pets, as they were in the habit of -doing, they saw at once that something had happened. -Their precious pets had been made way -with, and these rough, dirty, and mean-looking -animals put in their place. One glance was -enough to satisfy the children of this, and they -set up such a wail that the whole neighborhood -was aroused. Even their father stuck his head -out of the window and asked what was the matter. -His head was still befuddled by the night’s -banquet, but his alarm sobered him instantly -when he heard what his children said. He -wouldn’t believe it at first; but when he went -out into the stable and saw for himself, he was -nearly beside himself with grief. He declared -that it was all his fault, and told what he had -done the night before.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“He was now as poor as he ever was; and his -wife said she wasn’t sorry a bit, because he would -now have a chance to go to work and an excuse -for not hanging around the tavern. But the children -begged him to go after their coal-black -sheep and their snow-white goat.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“This he promised to do, and he made haste to -go to the tavern. The merchants were still there, -but they only laughed at him when he asked them -for his sheep and his goat. They called on the -tavern-keeper to witness that the man had started -home with a black sheep and a white goat.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘That is true,’ said the man, ‘and I have -them there now. But they are not mine. Some -of you ruffians stole mine and put these in their -place.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The merchants pretended to be very angry at -this, and made as if they would fall on the man -with their fists. But he was a stout fellow, and -was armed with a stout hickory, and so they -merely threatened. But the man failed to get his -coal-black sheep and his snow-white goat, and -went home full of grief and remorse.”</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch23' class='c007'>XXIII.<br /> <br />THE BUTTING COW AND THE HITTING STICK.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“I hope that isn’t the end of the story,” -remarked Buster John.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well,” replied Mr. Rabbit, “we can either -cut it off here, or we can carry it on for weeks -and weeks.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Speak for yourself,” said Mrs. Meadows; “or, -if you want to, you can tell the rest of the story -yourself. No doubt you can tell it a great deal -better than I can.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now you’ll have to excuse me,” remarked -Mr. Rabbit. “I thought maybe you were getting -tired, and wanted to rest. Go on with the -tale. I’m getting old and trembly in the limbs, -but I can stand it if the rest can.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well,” said Mrs. Meadows, turning to Buster -John and Sweetest Susan, “the children were -very much worried over the loss of the coal-black -sheep and the snow-white goat, and they made up -their minds to try and get them back. The boy -said he would go and ask Uncle Rain’s advice, -and the girl said she would visit Brother Drouth -once more. So they started on their journey, one -going east and the other going south.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“They met with no adventure by the way, and, -having traveled the road once, they were not long -in coming to the end of their journey. The boy -found Uncle Rain at home, and told him all about -the loss of his beautiful black sheep. Uncle Rain -grunted at the news, and looked very solemn.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘That’s about the way I thought it would -be,’ said he. ‘It takes a mighty strong-minded -person to stand prosperity. But you needn’t be -afraid. Your sheep is not lost. The men who -have stolen him can stand great prosperity no -better than your father can. They will wrangle -among themselves, and they will never take the -sheep away from the tavern. But they shall be -punished. Come with me.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Uncle Rain went out into his barnyard, and -the boy followed him. He went to a stall where -a black cow was tied. ‘This,’ said he, ‘is the -butting cow. You are to take her with you. -She will allow no one to come near her but you, -and when you give her the word she will run over -and knock down whoever and whatever is in -sight. She knows the black sheep, too, for they -have long been in the barn together. When she -begins to low, the black sheep will bleat, and in -that way you may know when you have found it. -More than that, the cow will give you the most -beautiful golden butter that ever was seen.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Uncle Rain untied the cow, placed the end of -the rope in the boy’s hand, and bade him good-by. -The boy went back the way he came, the cow following -closely and seeming to be eager to go with -him.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The girl, who had taken the road to Brother -Drouth’s house, arrived there safely and told her -trouble. Brother Drouth said he was very sorry -about it, but as it was not a thing to weep over, -he didn’t propose to shed any tears.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘What’s done,’ he said, ‘can’t be undone; -but I’ll see that it’s not done over again.’ He -went to a corner of the room, picked up a walking-stick, -and gave it to the little girl. ‘We have -here,’ he said, ‘a walking-stick. It is called the -hitting stick. Whenever you are in danger, or -whenever you want to punish your enemies, you -have only to say: “Hit, stick! Stick, hit!” and -neither one man nor a hundred can stand up -against it. It is not too heavy for you to carry, -but if your hands grow tired of carrying it, just -say, “Jump, stick!” and the stick will jump along -before you or by your side, just as you please.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Then Brother Drouth bade the girl good-by; -and she went on her way, sometimes carrying the -hitting stick, and sometimes making it jump along -the road before her.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, then, while all this was going on, the -greedy merchants found themselves in a fix. -When they first got hold of the coal-black sheep -and the snow-white goat, they thought that they -had had a good deal of trouble for nothing. But -merchants, especially the merchants of those days, -when there was not as much trade as there is now, -had very sharp eyes, and it was not long before -they found the springs under the horns of the -sheep and the goat. Having found the treasure, -they remembered that the man had spent more -money in two days than the horns of the animals -would hold, and this led them to discover that the -horns were always full of treasure.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“For a little while they were very happy, and -congratulated one another many times over. But -in the midst of their enjoyment the thought came -to them that there must be a division of this treasure. -The moment the subject was broached, the -wrangle began. There were more than a dozen -of the merchants, and the question was how to -divide the treasure so that each might have an -equal share. Though they took millions from the -horns of the black sheep and the white goat, yet -whoever had the animals would still have the most.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“It was a mighty serious question. They argued, -they reasoned, they disputed, and they wrangled, -and once or twice they came near having a -pitched battle. But finally, after many days, it -was decided that one party of merchants should -have the black sheep and that another party -should have the white goat. This didn’t satisfy -all of them, but it was the best that could be done; -and so they departed, the party with the white -goat going south, and the party with the black -sheep going east.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, a very curious thing happened. If -either party had kept on traveling, it would have -met the boy or the girl; one with the butting cow, -and the other with the hitting stick. But both -parties were dissatisfied; and they had gone but a -little way before they stopped, and after some talk -determined to go back. The merchants with the -white goat determined to follow on after the merchants -that had the black sheep, and secure the -animal by fair means or foul. The merchants with -the black sheep determined to follow the merchants -with the white goat, and buy the animal or -seize him. So each party turned back.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The merchants with the white goat reached -the tavern first. They had hardly refreshed themselves, -when the tavern-keeper came running in, to -tell them that the other merchants were coming.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Then take our white goat and hide it in your -stable,’ they said.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The landlord did as he was bid; and then -meeting the merchants with the black sheep, he -told them that their companions of the morning -had also returned.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Then take our black sheep and hide it in -your stable,’ they said. This the landlord quickly -did, and returned to the tavern in time to hear -the merchants greet each other.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘What are you doing here?’ asked the black -sheep merchants.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘We have lost our white goat,’ they replied, -‘and have come here to hunt it. Why have you -returned?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘We have come on the same errand,’ said the -others. ‘We have lost our black sheep, and have -returned to find it.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, the tavern-keeper was not a very smart -man, but he had no lack of shrewdness and cunning. -He had heard the merchants wrangling -and quarreling over the black sheep and the -white goat, and now he saw them coming back -pretending to be hunting for both the animals, -though neither one was lost. He had sense enough -to see that there must be something very valuable -about the black sheep and the white goat; and so, -while the merchants were taking their refreshments, -each party eyeing the other with suspicion, -the tavern-keeper slipped out into his stable, and -carried the black sheep and the white goat to an -outhouse out of sight and hearing of the guests.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“As for the merchants, they were in a pickle. -Neither party wanted to go away and leave the -other at the tavern; so they waited and waited,—the -black sheep party waiting for the white goat -party to go, and the white goat party waiting for -the black sheep party to go.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘When do you leave?’ says one.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘As soon as we find our sheep. When do -you leave?’ says the other.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Quite as soon.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“There was not much satisfaction in this for -either side. Finally, one of the merchants called -the tavern-keeper aside, and asked him where he -had put the black sheep.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘In my stable, your honor,’ replied the man.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Then another merchant called the tavern-keeper -aside, and asked him where he had put -the white goat.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘In my stable, your honor,’ he replied.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now as each of these merchants went out to -see that his precious animal was safe, it was perfectly -natural that they should see each other -slipping about in the yard, and that they should -meet face to face in the stable. Both made the -excuse that they thought they might find their -lost animals at that point, and both were terribly -worked up when they saw that the stable was -empty. Each went back and told his companions, -and pretty soon there was the biggest uproar -in that house that the tavern-keeper had ever -heard.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Both parties went running to the stable, falling -over each other on the way; but the black -sheep and the white goat were gone. Then the -merchants went running back into the tavern, and -all began yelling at the tavern-keeper. Instead -of making any answer, that cunning chap put his -fingers in his ears, and politely asked the merchants -if they wanted to jar the roof off of the -house. They danced around him, yelling and -shaking their fists at him, but he kept his fingers -in his ears.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Finally, they caught hold of the man, and -began to pull and haul him around at a great -rate. In this way they compelled him to take his -fingers out of his ears; but he could hear little -better, for the whole crowd was dancing around -and squalling like a lot of crazy people at a picnic. -All the tavern-keeper could hear was:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Where’s our’—‘You’ve got our’—‘Sheep!’ -‘Goat!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“There was more noise than sense to this rippit. -There was so much noise that it roused the -whole neighborhood, and the people of the village -came running in to see what the trouble was. -Among them was the mayor; and he succeeded in -quieting the rumpus, not because he was mayor, -but because he had a louder voice than any of -them.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“When everything was quiet, the mayor asked -the merchants why they were acting like crazy -people.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Because this man has robbed us,’ they cried, -pointing to the tavern-keeper.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Of what has he robbed you?’ asked the -mayor.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Of a black sheep and a white goat,’ they -replied.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Your honor,’ said the tavern-keeper, when -the mayor had turned to him, ‘you have known -me all my life, and have never heard that I was a -thief. I want to ask these men a few questions.’ -By this time the two parties of merchants had -ranged themselves on different sides of the room. -The tavern-keeper turned to the black sheep -party. ‘Didn’t the men over there come into -this house and tell you that they had lost their -white goat?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘They certainly did,’ was the reply.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Then he turned to the white goat party. -‘Didn’t the men over there tell you that they -had lost their black sheep and had come back to -hunt it?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘They certainly did,’ came the answer.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Both parties tried to explain that they had -placed their animals in charge of the tavern-keeper, -but while they were hemming and hawing -a queer thing happened. The boy had come up -with his butting cow; and seeing the merchants -still in the tavern, he led her to the door, and told -her to do her whole duty, and nothing but her -duty.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“While the merchants were trying to explain, -the cow rushed into the room with a bellow, her -tail curled over her back, and went at the men -with head down and horn points up. Tables and -chairs were nothing to the butting cow. She -ran over them and through them; and in a little -while the room was cleared of the merchants, and -some of them were hurt so badly that they could -scarcely crawl away.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The mayor had jumped through a window, and -the village people had scattered in all directions. -By this time the tavern-keeper, who had remained -unhurt, was laughing to himself at the fix the -merchants found themselves in, for the butting -cow was still pursuing them. But he laughed too -soon. The little girl came to the door with her -hitting stick.</p> -<div id='i292' class='figcenter id025'> -<img src='images/i292.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>“HIT STICK! STICK HIT!” SHE CRIED</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“‘Hit, stick! Stick, hit!’ she cried; and in -an instant the stick was mauling the tavern-keeper -over the head and shoulders and all about -the body.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Help! help!’ shouted the tavern-keeper. -‘Somebody run here! Help! I’ll tell you where -they are! I’ll show you where they are!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Stop, stick!’ said the girl. ‘Now show me -where my snow-white goat is.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Yes!’ exclaimed the boy. ‘Show me where -my coal-black sheep is!’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Come,’ said the tavern-keeper; and he went -as fast as he could to the outhouse where he had -hid the animals. They were in there, safe and -sound, and the children made haste to carry them -home.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So the farmer was once more rich and prosperous. -He shunned the tavern and kept at work, -and in this way prosperity brought happiness and -content to all the family. And by giving freely -to the poor they made others happy too.”</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch24' class='c007'>XXIV.<br /> <br />THE FATE OF THE DIDDYPAWN.</h2> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“It has always been mighty curious to me,” -said Mr. Rabbit, “why everything and everybody -is not contented with what they’ve got. There’d -be lots less trouble in the country next door if -everybody was satisfied.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well,” remarked Mr. Thimblefinger, “some -people have nothing at all. I hope you don’t -want a man who has nothing to be satisfied. -An empty pocket makes an empty stomach, and -an empty stomach has a way of talking so it can -be heard.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“That is true,” replied Mr. Rabbit; “but there -is a living in the world for every creature, if he -will only get out of bed and walk about and look -for it. But a good many folks and a heap of the -animals think that if there is a living in the world -for everybody, it ought to be handed round in a -silver dish. Then there are some folks and a -great many creatures that are not satisfied with -what they are, but want to be somebody or something -else. That sort of talk puts me in mind of -the Diddypawn.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“What is the Diddypawn?” asked Buster -John.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, it would be hard to tell you at this -time of day,” replied Mr. Rabbit, rubbing his chin -thoughtfully. “There are no Diddypawns now, -and I don’t know that I ever saw but one. He -is the chap I’m going to tell you about. He was -a great big strong creature, with a long head and -short ears, and eyes that could see in the dark. -He had legs that could carry him many a mile in -a day, and teeth strong enough to crunch an -elephant’s hind leg. The Diddypawn would have -weeded a wide row if he had been a mind to; but, -instead of doing that, he just lay in the mud on -the river bank, and let the sun shine and the rain -fall. He had but to reach down in the water to -pick up a fish, or up in the bushes to catch a -bird.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But all this didn’t make his mind easy. He -wasn’t contented. The thought came to him -that a fine large creature such as he was ought -to be able to swim as fast as a fish, and fly as -high as a bird. So he worried and worried -and worried about it, until there was no peace -in that neighborhood. All the creatures that -crawled, or walked, or swam, or flew, heard of -the Diddypawn’s troubles. At first they paid -no attention to him, but he groaned so long -and he groaned so loud that they couldn’t -help but pay attention. They couldn’t sleep at -night, and they couldn’t have any peace in the -daytime.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“For I don’t know how long the Diddypawn -rolled and tumbled in the mud, and moaned and -groaned because he didn’t have as many fins as -the fishes and as many feathers as the birds. He -moaned and mumbled in the daytime, and -groaned and grumbled at night. The other creatures -paid no attention to him at first; but matters -went from bad to worse, and they soon found -that they had to do something or leave the -country.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“So, after awhile the fishes held a convention, -and the porpoise and the catfish made speeches, -saying that the Diddypawn was in a peck of -trouble, and asking what could be done for him. -Finally, after a good deal of talk about one thing -and another, the convention of fishes concluded -to call on the Diddypawn in a body, and ask him -what in the name of goodness he wanted.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“This they did; and the reply that the Diddypawn -made was that he wanted to know how to -swim as well as any fish. There wasn’t anything -unreasonable in this; and so the convention, after -a good deal more talk, said that the best way to -do would be for every fish to lend the Diddypawn -a fin.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The convention told the Diddypawn about -this, and it made him grin from one ear to the -other to think that he would be able to swim as -fast as the fishes. He rolled from the bank into -the shallow water, and the fishes, as good as their -word, loaned him each a fin. With these the -Diddypawn found he was able to get about in the -water right nimbly. He swam around and around, -far and near, and finally reached an island where -there were some trees.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Don’t go too near the land,’ says the catfish. -‘Don’t go too near the land,’ says the perch.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Don’t bother about me,’ says the Diddypawn. -“I can walk on the land as well as I can -swim in the water.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘But our fins!’ says the catfish and the -perch. ‘If you go on land and let them dry in -the sun, they’ll be no good to either us or you.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘No matter,’ says the Diddypawn, ‘on the -land I’ll go, and I’ll be bound the fins will be -just as limber after they get dry as they were -when they were wet.’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But the fishes set up such a cry and made -such a fuss that the Diddypawn concluded to give -them back their fins, while he went on dry land -and rested himself. He went on the island, and -stretched himself out in the tall grass at the foot -of the big trees, and soon fell asleep. When he -awoke, the sun was nearly down. He crawled -to the waterside, and soon saw that the fishes had -all gone away. He had no way of calling them -up or of sending them a message, and so there he -was.</p> -<div id='i298' class='figcenter id026'> -<img src='images/i298.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>IT MADE HIM GRIN FROM EAR TO EAR</p> -</div> -</div> -<p class='c012'>“While the Diddypawn was lying there wondering -how he was going to get back home, he -heard a roaring and rustling noise in the air. -Looking up, he saw that the sky was nearly black -with birds. They came in swarms, in droves, and -in flocks. There were big birds and little birds, -and all sorts and sizes of birds. The trees on the -island were their roosting-place, but they were -coming home earlier than usual, because they -wanted to get rid of the moanings and groanings -of the Diddypawn.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“The birds came and settled in the trees, and -were about to say good-night to one another, when -the Diddypawn rolled over, and began to moan -and groan and growl and grumble. At once the -birds ceased their chattering, and began to listen. -Then they knew they would have no sound sleep -that night if something wasn’t done; and so the -King-Bird flew down, lit close to the Diddypawn’s -ear, and asked him what in the name of goodness -gracious he was doing there, how he got there, -and what the trouble was anyway.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“All the answer the Diddypawn made was to -roll over on his other side, and moan and mumble. -Once more the King-Bird fluttered in the -air, and lit near the Diddypawn’s ear, and asked -him what in the name of goodness gracious he -was doing there, how he got there, and what the -trouble was anyway. For answer, the Diddypawn -turned on the other side, and groaned and grumbled.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“How long this was kept up I’ll never tell you, -but after a while, the Diddypawn said the trouble -with him was that he wanted to fly. He said he -would fly well enough if he only had feathers; -but, as it was, he didn’t have a feather to his -name, or to his hide either.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Well, the birds held a convention over this -situation, and after a good deal of loud talk, it -was decided that each bird should lend the Diddypawn -a feather. This was done in the midst of a -good deal of fluttering and chattering. When -the Diddypawn was decked out in his feathers, he -strutted around and shook his wings at a great -rate.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘Where shall I fly to?’ he asked.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Now, there was another island not far away, -on which everything was dead,—the trees, the -bushes, the grass, and even the honeysuckle vines. -But some of the trees were still standing. With -their lack of leaf and twig they looked like a -group of tall, black lighthouses. When the Diddypawn -asked where he should fly, Brother Turkey -Buzzard made this remark:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c014'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“‘If you want to fly fast and not fly far,</div> - <div class='line in1'>Fly to the place where the dead trees are!’</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c015'>“To this the Diddypawn made reply,—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c014'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“‘I want to fly fast and not too far,</div> - <div class='line in1'>So I’ll fly to the place where the dead trees are!’</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c015'>“Then the Diddypawn fluttered his feathers -and hopped about, and, after a while, took a running -start and began to fly. He didn’t fly very -well at first, being a new hand at the business. -He wobbled from side to side, and sometimes it -seemed that he was going to fall in the water, but -he always caught himself just in time. After a -while he reached the island where everything was -dead, and landed with a tremendous splash and -splutter in the wet marsh grass.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“As dark had not set in, the most of the birds -flew along with the Diddypawn, to see how he -was going to come out. The Diddypawn had -hardly lit, before Brother Turkey Buzzard ups -and says:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“‘I don’t want my feather to get wet, and so -I’ll just take it back again.’ This was the sign -for all the birds. None wanted his feather to get -wet, so they just swooped down on the Diddypawn -and took their feathers one by one. When the -fluttering was over, the Diddypawn had no more -feathers than fins. But he made no complaint. -He had it in his mind that he’d rest easy during -the night and begin his complaints the next morning.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Says he, ‘I’ve got the birds and the fishes so -trained that when I want to fly, all I’ve got to do -is to turn over on my left side and grunt, and -when I want to swim, all I’ve got to do is to turn -over on my right side and groan.’ Then the -Diddypawn smiled, until there were wrinkles in -his countenance as deep and as wide as a horse-trough.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“But the birds went back to their roosting-place -that night, and there was nothing to disturb -them; and the fishes swam around the next day, -and there was nothing to bother them.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Matters went on in this way for several days, -and at last some of the birds began to ask about -the Diddypawn. ‘Had anybody seen him?’ -or ‘Did anybody know how he was getting -on?’</p> - -<p class='c013'>“This was passed around among the birds, -until at last it came to the ears of Brother Turkey -Buzzard. He stretched out his wings and -gaped, and said that he had been thinking about -taking his family and calling on the Diddypawn. -So that very day, Brother Turkey Buzzard, his -wife and his children and some of his blood kin, -went down to the dead island, to call on the -Diddypawn. They went and stayed several days. -The rest of the birds, when they came home to -roost, could see the Turkey Buzzard family sitting -in the dead trees; and after so long a time -they came back, and went to roost with the rest -of the birds. Some of them asked how the Diddypawn -was getting on, and Brother Turkey -Buzzard made this reply:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c014'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“‘The Diddypawn needs neither feather nor fin,</div> - <div class='line in1'>He’s been falling off, till he’s grown quite thin,</div> - <div class='line in1'>He has lost all his meat and all of his skin,</div> - <div class='line in1'>And he needs now a bag to put his bones in.’</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c015'>“This made Brother Owl hoot a little, but it -wasn’t long before all the birds were fast asleep.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>Mr. Rabbit never knew how the children liked -the story of the Diddypawn. Buster John was -about to say something, but he saw little Mr. -Thimblefinger pull out his watch and look up at -the bottom of the spring.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“What time is it?” asked Mrs. Meadows, seeing -that Mr. Thimblefinger still held his watch in -his hand.</p> - -<p class='c013'>“A quarter to twelve.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Oh,” cried Sweetest Susan, “we promised -mamma to be back by dinner time.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>“There’s plenty of time for that,” said Mrs. -Meadows. “I do hope you’ll come again. It -rests me to see you.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>The children shook hands all around when Mr. -Thimblefinger said he was ready to go, and Mr. -Rabbit remarked to Buster John:—</p> - -<p class='c013'>“Don’t forget what I told you about Aaron.”</p> - -<p class='c013'>There was no danger of that, Buster John said; -and then the children followed Mr. Thimblefinger, -who led them safely through the spring, and they -were soon at home again.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c005' /> -</div> -<p class='c013'> </p> - -<div class='tnbox'> - - <ul class='ul_1'> - <li>Transcriber’s Notes: - <ul class='ul_2'> - <li>Missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected. - </li> - <li>Typographical errors were silently corrected. - </li> - <li>Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only when a predominant - form was found in this book. - </li> - </ul> - </li> - </ul> - -</div> -<p class='c013'> </p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Mr. Rabbit at Home, by Joel Chandler Harris - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MR. 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