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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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