Part 1

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DOCTOR RABBIT AND KI-YI COYOTE

_THE GREENWOODS SERIES_

DOCTOR RABBIT

_AND_

KI-YI COYOTE

_By_

THOMAS CLARK HINKLE

RAND McNALLY & COMPANY CHICAGO

_Copyright, 1918_ By RAND MCNALLY & COMPANY

_To_ Todu and Woddy Boy

THE CONTENTS

PAGE

DOCTOR RABBIT GETS A CALL 1

IN FEAR OF KI-YI COYOTE 8

THE HOLES UNDER THE TREES 13

DOCTORING BILLY RABBIT 17

KI-YI COYOTE CHASES DOCTOR RABBIT 21

DOCTOR RABBIT GETS A SCARE 27

DOCTOR RABBIT AND JACK RABBIT ESCAPE 32

KI-YI COYOTE WATCHES FOR DOCTOR RABBIT 38

DOCTOR RABBIT CALLS ON CHATTY SQUIRREL 44

FOOLING KI-YI COYOTE 49

KI-YI COYOTE CHASES DOCTOR RABBIT 53

DOCTOR RABBIT HAS A SCHEME 59

THE LITTLE CREATURES OF THE WOODS ARE EXCITED 64

DOCTOR RABBIT TALKS WITH BIG DOG YAPPY 70

DOCTOR RABBIT TALKS WITH JACK RABBIT 77

OLD UNCLE OWL GIVES GOOD ADVICE 83

YAPPY CHASES KI-YI COYOTE 89

KI-YI COYOTE’S STRANGE HIDING PLACE 95

CATCHING KI-YI COYOTE 100

THE LITTLE CREATURES OF THE WOODS ARE HAPPY AGAIN 103

THE ILLUSTRATIONS

FACING PAGE

“Suppose Mr. Coyote should get after me!” 1

“Good day, Mr. Coyote, I have to be going!” 28

“Sakes alive!” Mr. Squirrel exclaimed. “How did you find out?” 46

Dr. Rabbit ... was certainly tickled about something 60

Mr. Jack Rabbit began to dance a little jig of joy 80

He ran straight for Mr. Farmer’s corn-crib 96

DOCTOR RABBIT

AND

KI-YI COYOTE

DOCTOR RABBIT GETS A CALL

Doctor Rabbit lived in the very biggest tree in the Big Green Woods. He looked after all the other rabbits when they were ill and he doctored quite a number of the other little creatures of the Big Woods too, when they did not feel well. He was so jolly and cheerful, always trying so hard to help others, that he had a great many friends.

Doctor Rabbit said when he came to live in the Big Green Woods he didn’t have the least idea that he would have so many adventures. “But then,” he said one day as he curled his mustache, “it’s a good thing I have so many adventures. They make me take plenty of exercise, and that’s fine for my constitution.” What he meant by this was that exercise kept him in good health.

I said Doctor Rabbit looked after some of the other creatures when they were ill. But there were some he did not dare go near. Well, I should say not! For instance, there was Ki-yi Coyote, who lived out on the Wide Prairie just outside the Big Green Woods. No, Doctor Rabbit never went near Ki-yi Coyote. And if old Ki-yi had been ill and if all his relatives had been so ill they never again would be able to get out of bed, Doctor Rabbit would not have cared at all. No indeed, he would have been glad of it, because Ki-yi Coyote and all his relatives, who lived far away, were ready any time to gobble up Doctor Rabbit.

Now, one fine morning in spring Doctor Rabbit began to have trouble with Ki-yi. On this morning Doctor Rabbit arose from his bed very early and prepared a fine breakfast for himself. He cooked some nice new potatoes and green peas he had found in Farmer Roe’s garden. After he had eaten his breakfast he had to wash the dishes because there wasn’t anybody else to do it. You see, he lived all alone in the big tree. He didn’t like to wash dishes but he did it anyway. Then he put on his second best pair of glasses and went out in his front yard to get some fresh air and see if his neighbor, Blue Jay, was up.

There was a very good reason why he wanted to know whether Blue Jay was up. Just now Doctor Rabbit was greatly troubled. Now, what do you suppose he was troubled about? Why, word had been brought the night before that Billy Rabbit, the small son of Jack and Mrs. Jack Rabbit, who lived far out on the Wide Prairie, was ill. Blue Jay had come flying in to tell the news. He said Mrs. Jack Rabbit told him if Billy was not better by morning Doctor Rabbit would simply have to cross the Wide Prairie even if it _was_ dangerous.

Now Doctor Rabbit was a cottontail rabbit, so of course he couldn’t run faster than any other cottontail. He could not run anything like so fast nor so far as could Jack Rabbit. So Doctor Rabbit was greatly troubled this morning. He could not sit still, but kept walking slowly round and round in his front yard. As he walked round and round he said to himself, “I’ve never been so far out on the open Wide Prairie as Jack Rabbit’s. Suppose I should go away out there to see little sick Billy and Ki-yi Coyote should get after me! Goodness gracious! He would be almost sure to catch me.” Doctor Rabbit trembled a little and looked all around even though he was right in his own dooryard. He very much hoped he would not be called to go so far out on the Wide Prairie.

But what he feared happened. Very soon Jack Rabbit came running fast, and flying right along with him came Blue Jay. Busy Blue Jay generally knows everything that is happening.

Jack Rabbit walked straight up to Doctor Rabbit and, bowing politely, said:

“I’m so glad I found you at home, Doctor. My son Billy is no better. In fact, he is much worse, and we are troubled about him. Can’t you run over and see him right now?”

For a moment Doctor Rabbit did not know what to say. He feared Ki-yi Coyote, but at the same time he hated to think of Billy Rabbit’s being so ill with no one there to make him well. He thought and thought. Finally he said:

“Of course, Friend Jack Rabbit, I shall try to get over to see your son. But as you know, it’s very dangerous for me because I can’t run more than half as fast as _you_ can. Now what could we do if old Ki-yi Coyote should happen to get after us?”

Friend Jack Rabbit scratched his head and said he hadn’t thought about that. It was a very serious matter, too. For suppose Ki-yi Coyote should gobble up good Doctor Rabbit! Then what would the woods creatures do? They must certainly plan some means of going in safety.

“Say!” said Doctor Rabbit suddenly, “I’ve thought of a plan. I’ll just ride on your back and we’ll get there in no time!”

But Friend Jack Rabbit scratched his head again. He wasn’t sure he could carry Doctor Rabbit, because the Doctor was very portly--that is, he was pretty fat and heavy. But anyway he agreed to try the plan. So Doctor Rabbit hurried into his house and put on his best pair of gold glasses and his best clothes. He always liked, he said, to look his best before his patients. Then with his medicine case in hand he sprang upon Jack Rabbit’s back.

“See how fast you can run to the edge of the Big Green Woods. That will be a good test!” shouted Doctor Rabbit, and Jack Rabbit answered, “Very well. If you’re ready I’ll try!”

IN FEAR OF KI-YI COYOTE

Just as Jack Rabbit started for the edge of the Big Green Woods with Doctor Rabbit on his back, Blue Jay flew along ahead of them. Then came Robin-the-Red, whistling Red Bird and others. They had never seen Doctor Rabbit ride before and they all laughed and shouted at the funny appearance he made.

Away went Jack Rabbit as fast as he could for the edge of the Woods.

“This is fine!” cried Doctor Rabbit. “Keep it up, Jack Rabbit, and we’ll be at your house in a jiffy!”

“Ha! ha! ha!” laughed Blue Jay and the others as they flew along near the ground watching them. “Look at Doctor Rabbit in his new automobile! Look at him!” they shouted. Then they all laughed again. As they raced along Stubby Woodchuck came out of his house to see the funny sight, and so did Cheepy Chipmunk and Chatty Red Squirrel and Frisky Gray Squirrel and many others.

They all wondered if Jack Rabbit could hold out carrying Doctor Rabbit so far. They thought he must be mighty strong if he could. But when he reached the edge of the woods he stopped and said he would have to give it up. He lay down and panted for a while. By and by he said he hadn’t the least idea that Doctor Rabbit was so heavy. Indeed, he said it seemed as if he was carrying a house on his back by the time he reached the edge of the woods.

Then they talked the matter over and decided they would both walk--or run if they had to. Doctor Rabbit was a good deal worried. He looked out across the Wide Prairie and saw how far it was to Jack Rabbit’s little house. How he did hate to start! Then he had an idea. He saw several small trees out on the Prairie some distance apart. “Say! Jack Rabbit,” said he, “I wonder if there are any holes among the roots of those trees so I could ‘hole up’ [he meant run into a hole] if I had to. I mean if Ki-yi Coyote should get after us.”

“Sure enough!” cried Jack Rabbit. “The rain has washed bare the top roots of every one of those trees and there are two or three holes under every tree!”

Doctor Rabbit looked very straight at Jack Rabbit and said, “Now are you right sure about that?”

“Yes, I am sure,” Jack Rabbit said; “as sure as anything. It happens that I was at every one of those trees just yesterday and I sniffed and snuffed round every one of those holes. I didn’t go into any of them for I don’t like to go into holes. But those holes are certainly there. And if Ki-yi Coyote should get after us when we get pretty well out on the Prairie, you could make for a tree and I’d let him chase me. I’m not much afraid of him because I’ve run away from him many a time.”

“All right,” agreed Doctor Rabbit. “We’ll go straight for the first tree. When we get there we’ll look all around for the least sign of slinky Ki-yi, and if we don’t see anything we’ll move on to the next tree.”

“Sure thing,” Jack Rabbit said; “that will make you as safe as anything.” So they started out. As they hurried along Jack Rabbit said:

“When we leave the last tree we’ll have only a little way to go to my home. It’s just a little farther on beside an oak fence post.”

So they kept going, hoppity, hoppity, hop. And as they went Doctor Rabbit’s courage rose little by little. After all, thought he, perhaps Ki-yi Coyote would not see them.

Even so, he kept a sharp eye out for anything that might be moving in the grass. And he told Jack Rabbit to do the same.

“Indeed I will, sir,” Jack Rabbit answered. “I always do look out. I should say I do! And if Ki-yi Coyote starts up I’ll see him quick as a flash!”

Then they hurried a bit faster because Doctor Rabbit said he wanted to get to the first tree and examine the holes for himself.

THE HOLES UNDER THE TREES

Doctor Rabbit and Mr. Jack Rabbit moved across the Wide Prairie and looked about them in every direction. There was a great deal of bunch grass on the Wide Prairie, and this made them very nervous. They knew how easy it would be for Ki-yi Coyote to hide behind one of those bunches of grass until an innocent rabbit came very near.

Doctor Rabbit stopped and said, “I really believe we should keep just as far as possible from every bunch of grass.” Then he jumped backward, because he saw something moving in the grass. But it proved to be nothing but a sunflower; so they walked on.

By and by they came to the first tree, and how glad they were! Doctor Rabbit went into the hole there to look about. After a little time he came out and said a gray squirrel had been there, but it had been a good while before. He said it looked to him like an old house that people had lived in once, but not for a long time. You know how the grass grows up tall in the front yard, and the windows get broken, and the doors creak when you open them, and there is a damp, musty smell in a house. Well, Doctor Rabbit said it was that way in the hole under the tree. Some animal, a gray squirrel, maybe, had lived there, and perhaps some other small animal before the gray squirrel; but they were gone now.

Doctor Rabbit said there was one thing that bothered him a little.

“What’s that?” Friend Jack Rabbit wanted to know. “Why,” replied wise Doctor Rabbit, “I was just thinking that possibly Ki-yi Coyote knows who lived here, and why they are gone. Maybe he made a breakfast of them!”

They didn’t say any more about that part of it, and pretty soon they came to the next tree. Doctor Rabbit went into the hole here, also. He was gone so long that Jack Rabbit began to be quite troubled; but finally Doctor Rabbit came out and said a cottontail rabbit had been in there, but it had been a good while ago. He thought it likely that old Ki-yi Coyote had gobbled up the cottontail who had lived there.

“However,” Doctor Rabbit said, “possibly he got away.” Then he exclaimed, “I surely _hope_ he got away.”

Doctor Rabbit looked into the holes under the other two trees, and said some small animals had once lived in them.

All this naturally made Doctor Rabbit more and more nervous. It looked as if no animal was safe out so far on the Wide Prairie but fleet Jack Rabbit, and even he had to watch out mighty close.

When they left the last tree, Doctor Rabbit said, “Now let’s run good and fast the rest of the way!”

And they did--hoppity, hoppity, hoppity, so fast that they looked like two long gray streaks going toward Jack Rabbit’s home.

DOCTORING BILLY RABBIT

When Doctor Rabbit at last reached Jack Rabbit’s home, he found Billy Rabbit was suffering with nothing more than a case of acute indigestion--that is, colic. Doctor Rabbit said this was caused by Billy’s having eaten too many green peas from Farmer Roe’s garden.

Mrs. Jack Rabbit explained that kind friends and neighbors had brought in all sorts of patent medicines. These medicines, they said, had cured many of their family, even some who had lived before they were born.

“But,” said Mrs. Jack Rabbit, looking seriously at Doctor Rabbit, “although I gave Billy all the medicine they brought, he is no better. In fact, he is worse.”

Doctor Rabbit looked at Billy Rabbit and then looked over his gold glasses at the neighbors and friends standing all around. Then he said, “He grew worse, did he? Ahem! ahem! he grew worse! I see! I see! Well, to tell you the truth, Mrs. Jack Rabbit, after all that dope I should think he _would_ grow worse!”

Well, that was pretty plain. Some of the neighbors wanted to let it be known that they were angry, but they didn’t dare. No, you see their own work on Billy Rabbit was a failure. They had sent for the doctor, and they had to do just what he said.

So they all kept still, and Doctor Rabbit, after he had cleared his throat in a very dignified way, said, “Mrs. Jack Rabbit, I would thank you for a tablespoon.”

When he got the tablespoon, Doctor Rabbit gave Billy Rabbit about the nastiest tasting medicine in the world. Now, guess what it was! _Castor Oil?_ That’s right, you guessed it the first time! Yes, that’s exactly what Doctor Rabbit gave him--a whole tablespoonful.

Billy Rabbit swallowed the whole spoonful before he knew what it was. Then, although he had before been lying quite still, he jumped around in the bed, kicked off the covers, and said he never would take another dose of medicine in his life.

But Doctor Rabbit just laughed and said that was the way little sick rabbits usually talked. Then Doctor Rabbit ordered some grass tea for his patient, and no more green peas for a whole week. “I shall have to be going now,” he said, “and how I do wish I were back in the Big Green Woods!”

Now all the jack rabbit neighbors were feeling pretty friendly by this time, because they saw that Doctor Rabbit really was a very smart doctor. They all wanted to go along with him for his protection.

But Doctor Rabbit said, “No, that will do no good. Ki-yi Coyote would see _all_ of us sooner than two of us. Friend Jack Rabbit and I will go back alone.”

So the two of them started back toward the woods.

KI-YI COYOTE CHASES DOCTOR RABBIT

Doctor Rabbit and Jack Rabbit hurried along across the Wide Prairie until they came to the first tree. Here Doctor Rabbit said they had better stop and look around a bit. So cautious Jack Rabbit went up on a little hill and looked all around, but he said he couldn’t see a thing.

“Did you look mighty close in the direction of the Big Green Woods?” Doctor Rabbit wanted to know. (You see this was the direction in which they were going.)

“Indeed, I did look!” replied Jack Rabbit. “I looked more closely in that direction than in any other, and there wasn’t a thing in sight.”

“All right,” said Doctor Rabbit, “we’ll go for the next tree.”

They came safely to the next tree, and pretty soon they came to the last tree. Doctor Rabbit was feeling fine now. They stopped by the tree and talked for a little while.

Doctor Rabbit said, “I don’t think I should care much if Ki-yi Coyote did come after us. I could run away from him and be in the Big Green Woods in no time!”

But Jack Rabbit had run away from Ki-yi Coyote a good many times, and he _knew_. So he said pretty seriously, “I don’t know about that, Doctor Rabbit. Ki-yi can run something awful.”

“I know,” said Doctor Rabbit, “but the Big Green Woods look so close that I feel sure I could beat him that far.”

Then what do you suppose he said? Well, he didn’t realize what he was saying, of course, but this is what he said: “Ha, ha, ha! Why, Friend Jack Rabbit, I feel so sure about it that I wish old Ki-yi _would_ come tearing out this way right now! Yes, sir! I wish he would. Just let him come whenever he wants to. If he came, I’d run away and be in the Big Green Woods so quick he could hardly see me.”

And then something happened, something that Doctor Rabbit was not ready for at all, because he really was not expecting it. Just then Ki-yi Coyote _did_ come tearing over the great Wide Prairie after them. And he came from the direction of the _Big Green Woods_! Doctor Rabbit had forgotten all about that. He certainly was very much surprised, and very badly scared. He could have darted into the hole under the tree, of course, and that is just what he should have done. But sometimes when rabbits, like little boys and girls, get scared, they forget all about what is the best thing to do. What Doctor Rabbit ought to have done the very first thing when he saw Ki-yi coming was to say to himself, “Now, I mustn’t be so scared that I don’t know what I’m doing. I must be careful and get out of this, because I have no one to help me.”

But he didn’t stop to think. No, he was so frightened he just hiked out across the Wide Prairie!

Then kind Jack Rabbit was certainly scared, not for himself, but for Doctor Rabbit. So he started out after Doctor Rabbit, and when he caught up he shouted in his ear as loud as he could, “What’s the matter with you, Doctor Rabbit? You must be crazy! Now, I’ll take care of Ki-yi Coyote and you dodge back for that hole under the tree.” Then Doctor Rabbit remembered. Crafty Ki-yi was right close and tried hard to seize him, but he didn’t, and Doctor Rabbit darted safely into the hole.

It was a mighty close call. Ki-yi Coyote’s sharp teeth had snapped twice at Doctor Rabbit, once so close that some of his tiny round tail was bitten off.

All this time clever Jack Rabbit was close beside Doctor Rabbit, shouting (just to fool Ki-yi Coyote, of course), “Oh, my! I’ve got a broken leg! I’ve got a broken leg! What shall I do if Ki-yi Coyote comes after me! Oh, good Ki-yi, please don’t come after me, ’cause I’ve got a broken leg!”

Well, if it hadn’t been for this, I think that Ki-yi would certainly have caught Doctor Rabbit, but after he had missed him once, and was just going for him again, he heard Jack Rabbit’s moan. So he said, “I’ll go after Jack Rabbit. He has a broken leg, and I can catch him without half trying.” And off he started after Jack Rabbit.

DOCTOR RABBIT GETS A SCARE

When Jack Rabbit saw that Ki-yi Coyote was after him, he started away on three legs for all the world as if one of his legs was broken. It was very easy for him to play this little joke, because he had practiced it a good deal when a small dog got after him.

“Oh dear! Oh dear! Oh dear! what shall I do?” clever Jack Rabbit shouted back toward Ki-yi Coyote; and old Ki-yi thought now he would surely have rabbit for dinner. So he ran as hard as ever he could.

“Ha! ha!” he yelled. “I always knew you’d break your leg some time, and I’d get you. Ha! ha! Now I’m going to have a nice, big, fat rabbit for dinner!” And Ki-yi Coyote took a long, swift jump to seize Jack Rabbit--but he wasn’t there! He was farther away than ever. And much to Ki-yi’s surprise and anger, Jack Rabbit put all four legs down on the ground and said as he ran, “So you’re going to have rabbit for dinner, are you? Well, it won’t be me, and it won’t be Doctor Rabbit, for he’s safe. Good day, Ki-yi; I must be going!”

And away Jack Rabbit went running. But he wasn’t to get away so easily this time, after all. Ki-yi was most terribly angry, and he made up his mind to chase Jack Rabbit just as long as he could see him.

In the meantime, Doctor Rabbit lay down on the cool earth in the hole, and panted and panted. He was dreadfully tired and frightened from his run for life. He kept thinking that Ki-yi would thrust his long nose into the hole and begin digging to get in. But Ki-yi didn’t, of course.

After Doctor Rabbit had rested a few minutes he began to be anxious to know what had become of Friend Jack Rabbit. Had Ki-yi by any chance caught him? Doctor Rabbit was scared even to think about it. He decided he would try to find out what had happened. So he crept very cautiously toward the opening of the hole and peeped out. First he put only his nose out. Then he put his whole head out, and looked all around.

He had about decided that swift Jack Rabbit had given old Ki-yi the slip. “Guess I’d better hike for the Big Green Woods,” said Doctor Rabbit to himself, and he was just going to start when he saw something that made him change his mind mighty quick. And this time he didn’t run for the Big Green Woods, either. I should say he didn’t! No, he just backed part way into the hole under the tree, and then stretched up his head and watched what was coming.

What Doctor Rabbit saw was poor Jack Rabbit running as hard as he could, and Ki-yi Coyote still after him!

As he came on toward the tree, Jack Rabbit shouted out ever so loud, “Doctor Rabbit! Doctor Rabbit! Come out and help me a little. I’m about to be caught! It’s my rheumatism. He’s almost got me now!” And just then Jack Rabbit had to dodge very quickly to keep from being caught.

It certainly looked very bad for poor Jack Rabbit, and right then Ki-yi Coyote came very near seizing him again! Doctor Rabbit was almost too scared to breathe. He didn’t know what on earth to do except to spring out and let Ki-yi chase him instead. And he was about to do this when he thought of something else. So he just lay low and waited while Jack Rabbit came running nearer and nearer the tree.

DOCTOR RABBIT AND JACK RABBIT ESCAPE

While Jack Rabbit, with Ki-yi Coyote close after him, was running toward the tree, Doctor Rabbit shouted out, “Come right past this tree, Jack Rabbit! Come right past this tree! I’ve got a plan! Come right along, I’ll help you. Come on! Come on!”