Part 4

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STORY XXVII--BILLY BUNNY AND THE THEATER PLAY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STORY XXVIII--BILLY BUNNY AND MRS. WEASEL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STORY XXIX--BILLY BUNNY AND THE POLICEMAN DOG

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

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

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

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

And then the old gentleman rabbit began to sing:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STORY XXX--BILLY BUNNY AND THE CIRCUS ELEPHANT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STORY XXXI--BILLY BUNNY AND THE CHEERFUL LITTLE BIRD

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STORY XXXIII--BILLY BUNNY AND OLD MOTHER MAGPIE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STORY XXXIV--BILLY BUNNY AND DICKEY MEADOW MOUSE

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

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

It was half past fourteen o'clock and Mr. Happy Sun was laughing through the little window. So up jumped Billy Bunny and combed his fur and parted it in the middle down his back, and after that he was almost ready for breakfast, except to brush his teeth with a new toothbrush which he had bought at the Three-in-one-cent store.

After breakfast he started right out to play on the Pleasant Meadow, and the first person he saw was little Dickey Meadow Mouse. He had just come out of his little grass ball house and was looking around to see what he would do.

"Good morning," said Billy Bunny, "how are you this lovely day?"