Part 3

So the kind Squirrel Innkeeper got out two fishing poles and Billy Bunny and Uncle Lucky started off.

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

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

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

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

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

STORY XVIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE TAILOR BIRD

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STORY XIX--BILLY BUNNY AND ROBBIE REDBREAST

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STORY XX--BILLY BUNNY AND THE BABBLING BROOK

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STORY XXI--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. WILDCAT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STORY XXII--BILLY BUNNY AT WINDY CAVE

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

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

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

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

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

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

And just then a voice began to sing:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STORY XXIII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE WILD CANARY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STORY XXIV--BILLY BUNNY AND THE LITTLE SPARROWS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STORY XXV--BILLY BUNNY AND ROBIN REDBREAST

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STORY XXVI--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. QUAIL

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