Part 6

“I’ll sit here and wait,” said the big Circus Elephant. So the little bunny hopped into the Old Bramble Patch and around to the back door of the little white bungalow.

Dear me, I almost forgot to say that Lady Love, the little bunny’s pretty mother, was baking angel cake that particular day.

Pretty soon the little rabbit hopped back to his big kind friend with a piece of cake almost as big as a soda cracker.

“Dear, dear,” cried the disappointed circus animal, “this may be enough for a rabbit but, goodness me! and dearest you! it isn’t a swallow for me!”

“I’ll go back for another piece,” said the little bunny, and away he hopped up the little path and around to the kitchen door. But, oh, dear me! If only he had not stopped to speak to Timmie Meadowmouse. Just then down swooped Hungry Hawk. Into an old hollow log slipped the little mouse, but before the poor little rabbit could hide this cruel bird robber picked him up in his claws and flew away toward the Shady Forest.

“Help, help!” shouted Little Jack Rabbit.

Hopping out on the kitchen porch, poor Lady Love looked up to the sky. But that’s all she could do. She had no wings to fly after her little son. And, anyway, how could she, a gentle lady bunny, fight a big cruel hawk!

But the Circus Elephant on hearing the little bunny’s cries, answered with a loud trumpet and set off at a run for the Shady Forest. My, you’d be surprised how fast an elephant can run when he wants to!

Wrinkling his forehead, he pondered what to do. All of a sudden he remembered the big long lasso in his pocket. Quickly coiling it cow-boy fashion, he let it go, Zip! And would you believe it if I didn’t tell you? The noose fell right over the old hawk’s head and around his neck just like the muffler my Uncle John used to wear when I was a boy down on the farm.

“Now I’ll bring you down!” cried the Circus Elephant. But, oh, dearest me! Quicker than the bills on the first of the month that crafty old robber hawk gave his head a wiggle-jiggle and off came the noose.

“Ha, ha!” shouted Hungry Hawk, and away he flew with poor little Jack Rabbit.

BUNNY TALE 11

THE LITTLE MOUNTAIN GOAT

“Oh, dear, oh, dear, what shall I do? I’ll never get him with my old lasso!” Cried the Circus Elephant with a sigh, As he looked at Hungry Hawk on high.

Now I hope you haven’t forgotten what just took place. How Hungry Hawk had picked up poor Little Jack Rabbit. Of course you haven’t! Nor how the big kind Circus Elephant had almost caught this bad robber bird with a long lasso.

But, dear me! I wonder what is happening to Little Jack Rabbit all this time. Maybe the cruel hawk has eaten him for dinner or supper or maybe breakfast.

“Well, I’m not going to give up hope,” said the big Elephant to himself, again setting off after Hungry Hawk, who now could hardly be made out up in the sky so far away.

By and by the Elephant came to a mountain. My, but it was a steep old mountain. Right up and down—almost straight, you know. “Dear me!” almost sobbed the anxious circus animal, sitting down to consider the best thing to do—climb up the mountain or walk around it.

“Right on the top of this mountain’s crest Hungry Hawk has his castle nest,”

all of a sudden, just like that, shouted a voice.

“Who spoke?” asked the Elephant, mighty anxious to find out quickly if there were a road up this steep, high mountain.

“Look!” answered the same kind voice, and the next minute a little white mountain goat stood before him.

“Oh, I’m so glad you’re a mountain goat,” laughed the big animal. “I’m so glad I could cry. Maybe you can climb up and rescue my Little Jack Rabbit.”

“I can’t fight old Hungry Hawk,” answered the little Mountain Goat. “He’s too strong for me.”

“Dear, dear, dearest me!” cried the poor distracted Elephant, “then how can we save my little bunny friend?”

“I can help you climb the mountain,” answered the little Mountain Goat.

“Me?” enquired the big animal. “How could you help a great big elephant up this steep, right-up-and-down, mountain, I should like to know.”

“That won’t be so hard,” answered the little Mountain Goat. “Give me your lasso.”

Throwing the loop over his horns, the little Mountain Goat started to climb up the mountain side. First he jumped to a ledge of rock, then scrambled up sideways, then sideways the other way, then another jump, and perhaps two, and then a scramble.

After working his way up almost as far as the length of the long rope, he braced his forefeet against a rock and called down: “Pull yourself up with your trunk!”

Well, sir, that’s just what that big kind anxious Circus Elephant did. He took hold of that rope with his trunk and up he went, hand over hand—I mean trunk over trunk—just like a fireman, and by and by, pretty soon, not so very quick, he stood beside the little Mountain Goat.

“Good for you,” exclaimed that plucky little animal, as the Elephant took out his big pocket handkerchief to wipe his forehead. “You came up all right. Now wait here while I climb up higher.” Up and up went the little Mountain Goat, now sideways, now straight; now the other way sideways, then a jump and a scramble, or a scramble and a jump, or two jumps, or two scrambles till, by and by, not so pretty soon, but after a while, he called down; “Come on, pull yourself up!”

Then up went the big Circus Elephant trunk over trunk—now slipping and sprawling, or sprawling and slipping till, by and by, after a while, out of breath, with a dusty smile, he stood by the side of the little Mountain Goat.

“Good for you! Now wait here till I go up. Don’t slip, but stand still.” And away went this nimble little goat up, up, up; now sideways, this way and that; now up straight; then slanting, right and left, criss-cross, with a jump and a leap, or a scramble and a scrumble, making the pebbles fly downward, and sometimes a big rock, till, by and by, after a while, up nearly a mile, he called down:

“Come on, pull yourself up!”

Again bracing his front feet, the little mountain goat held on to the long rope, the loop of which was over his strong little horns, you know, until the Elephant had drawn himself up.

“Whew!” exclaimed the big animal. “Aren’t we ’most there?”

“Almost,” answered the little Mountain Goat, and up he went again. When at last he reached the top the big Elephant could hardly touch the end of the lasso, and then only by standing up on his hind legs and stretching ’way up with his trunk. But he just could, all right. So up he went, trunk over trunk, scrambling and tugging and panting and puffing, till by and by, after a while, and it seemed like a mile, he stood by the side of the little goat on the tip-top of the mountain.

Dearest me, I thought the little Mountain Goat and the big kind Circus Elephant would never reach the mountain top, didn’t you? I’m mighty glad, for now I’ll have more room to tell you what happened as soon as they saw the nest to which old Hungry Hawk had carried Little Jack Rabbit.

“There he is,” whispered the Elephant, who had wonderful far-sighted eyes.

“Where?” asked the little goat in another whisper, only of course it was much softer than the Elephant’s.

“Don’t you see?” replied the big animal.

“Oh, yes, now I do,” answered the little Mountain Goat. “That is, I can just see the tips of his ears.”

“Dear me, how can I get over to him without Hungry Hawk seeing me?” asked the big anxious Elephant.

“Hide behind this rock,” advised the little goat. “I’ll skip about and maybe Hungry Hawk will go for me. If he does, I’ll jump behind the rock and you can grab him with your long trunk.”

“Good idea,” laughed the Elephant softly. “You’ve got quite a head under your horns. Yes, sireebus!”

Then with a gentle shuffle he tip-toed behind the rock and the little Mountain Goat went skip-toeing, hipperty-hop, over toward the big nest.

All of a sudden there was a great whirring of wings and up flew Hungry Hawk, circling just above the little goat, stretching down his long sharp claws, opening his great bill and clapping it together with a snap.

“Bleat, bleat!” went the little Mountain Goat, pretending he was frightened. Then back he turned and skip-toed over to the big rock.

“Ha, ha!” thought Hungry Hawk to himself. “I’ll have a nice tender little goat for dinner. Little Jack Rabbit is only big enough for supper.”

Perhaps the little goat heard old Hungry Hawk, for he gave two more little bleats and hid behind the great big stone.

“Ha, ha!” again laughed Hungry Hawk. “I’ll dash down behind that rock and grab that little goat before he can wink his left eye three times!”

Whish, whish! went the big robber bird’s wings, and swish! swish! went his long tail as he swung around the corner of the big rock.

Then something happened. Oh, my, what a scuffle there was for the next few minutes! Goodness me! The air was full of funny squawky noises and feathers were flying here and there and everywhere! For no sooner had Hungry Hawk flown around the big rock to catch the little Mountain Goat than the Circus Elephant reached out his long trunk, catching by the neck that wicked bird before he could turn away.

Goodness me! again. How Hungry Hawk flapped his wings and wiggled his tail and clawed with his long hooked toes! But that didn’t do a bit of good. Dear me, no! It only made matters worse, for the harder he struggled the more the Elephant swung him around until, goodness knows, he would have lost every feather if he hadn’t begged in a squeaky, stifled voice to be allowed to sit down and talk matters over.

“Talk matters over?” grunted the Elephant, holding on to the tip of the old hawk’s tail, “what’s the use? I’m going to take Little Jack Rabbit home with me. As for you, I’ve a good notion to whack your head against the rock till you see stars and comets.”

“Oh, please don’t,” begged Hungry Hawk, “I’ve had enough banging for a year. I’ll give you Little Jack Rabbit and a cigar coupon if you’ll let me go.”

“Come along with me till I see if the little bunny is safe and well,” answered the big circus animal, and he and the little Mountain Goat walked over to the old hawk’s nest. There stood poor little Jack Rabbit tied fast to a ring in the big rock. He was so glad to see his dear friend the Elephant that he almost cried—maybe he did shed a tear or three and perhaps four.

Well, sir. Troubles weren’t over, just the same. For now they all had to climb down the high, steep and straight mountain side.

“Get on my back, little bunny,” said the kind Circus Elephant. “I’ll go down backwards the same as I came up frontwards, only different.”

Then the little Mountain Goat braced his forefeet against the rock and the big elephant took hold of the lasso, the loop end of which was over the little goat’s horns, you know, and down the side of the steep mountain slid the big animal, first one foot, then two, then three and finally four, and when he reached the end of the rope he waited for the little Mountain Goat to come down, and then they started all over again. The little Mountain Goat braced his feet against the rock and the big elephant took hold of the rope and slid and slid and scrambled and scrambled, or jiggled and rumbled, down and down, until he came to the end of the long lasso.

“My goodness meebus, that was a high mountain,” gasped the Circus Elephant, when at last his hind feet touched the level meadow. “Really, I thought I’d never get down.”

“Oh, that’s nothing,” laughed the little Mountain Goat, shaking his head till the lasso fell off his horns. “I run up and down sometimes three times a day.”

“All right, but don’t ask me to,” replied the Elephant. “Although I’d do it all over again for Little Jack Rabbit’s sake.”

“Oh, won’t I be glad to get home to mother,” sighed the little bunny. “I was so frightened up there on the mountain top with Hungry Hawk. Dear, dear me! Have I been dreaming?”

“No, not this time,” answered the big circus animal. “But, cheer up! I’ll take you home in a jiffy,” and saying good-by to the little Mountain Goat he trotted off at a rapid rate.

By and by it grew dark. Oh, yes, very dark. You couldn’t see your hand behind your face. So the Circus Elephant stopped to think what was best to do. He was afraid, you see, that he might bump into something or other or be arrested by the Policeman Dog. One can never tell on a dark night what may happen.

Pretty soon a tiny light appeared in the distance. Then it came nearer and nearer, but never growing much larger. Wasn’t that strange and queer?

“My tiny lantern in the dark Throws just a little twinkle spark. But maybe it will help you see Danny Fox behind a tree,”

cried a little voice.

And that’s just what it did, for the little firefly swung her tiny lantern to and fro until the big elephant said all of a sudden:

“I see him!” Which so frightened the old robber that he turned and fled.

“Go ahead, little firefly. I’ll follow if you don’t go out,” went on the big brave circus animal.

“Never fear,” answered the little firefly. “I have a tiny electric bulb in my lantern. You don’t think I use a flickery candle, do you?”

“Bend your head or maybe you’ll be brushed off my back,” warned the Circus Elephant, following the tiny light. So Little Jack Rabbit lay flat down on the big animal’s back and away they went through the darkness, in and out among the forest trees, while Billy Breeze sang a sleepy song about rocking chairs and tick-tocky clocks and tired feet and little pink socks.

BUNNY TALE 12

THE RESCUE

The Firefly with her little light Went twinkling through the quiet night. In and out among the trees She fluttered ’neath the whispering leaves, Until at last with wondrous sense She lighted on the Old Rail Fence.

“Here we are,” exclaimed the Circus Elephant, taking down the bars and stepping into the Sunny Meadow, “here we are, safe home at last.”

But Little Jack Rabbit never answered a word.

“He must be asleep,” thought the kind Circus Elephant. “I won’t wake him up,” and off he trotted to the Old Bramble Patch. There stood Lady Love and Mr. Rabbit at the gate, anxiously waiting for the return of their little bunny son.

“Here he is,” laughed the big animal.

“Where?” asked Lady Love.

“Why, on my back, of course,” answered the Circus Elephant.

“I don’t see him,” said Mr. Rabbit.

“Nor I,” cried Lady Love, tearfully.

“Not on my back?” shouted the big kind circus beast, stretching around his big trunk to feel behind his great ears. But the little rabbit wasn’t there.

“Oh, dear, oh, dear!” cried Lady Love, “he’s lost.”

“Don’t cry,” begged Mr. Rabbit. “We’ll find him, never fear,” and hopping back into the little bungalow, he came out in a minute or two with a lantern. At once they all set out for the Shady Forest. All of a sudden Old Barney Owl tooted his horn.

“I don’t like that,” cried Mr. Rabbit; “owls are fond of little rabbits.”

“Come on, let’s run,” whispered the big Elephant. “Maybe we can scare the old bird,” and off he trotted at a rapid rate, the little bunnies hopping along, clipperty clip, lipperty lip, and the big circus animal bumperty bump, bumperty bump on his four large feet.

Pretty soon again from a big tall tree sounded the old owl’s toot! toot! toot! Quick as a wink the Circus Elephant pushed his trunk up into the branches and the next minute down came Old Barney Owl. The Elephant, you see, had grabbed him before he could fly away.

“What have you done with Little Jack Rabbit?” he asked, shaking the old bird until his teeth—I beg pardon, I mean his feathers—almost fell out.

“Oh, please don’t shake me till I’m blue And lose my feather whiskers, too,” Cried Barney Owl, all out of breath, And frightened nearly half to death.

“I haven’t done anything with him.”

“Yes, you have,” shouted the two little rabbits.

“Of course you have,” said the elephant, “now confess.”

But Old Barney Owl answered: “No, no, no! I haven’t even seen Little Jack Rabbit!”

“Well, you come along and help us find him,” said the Circus Elephant, and off they started again, the two little bunnies ahead, then the big Elephant and Old Barney Owl.

By and by whom should they meet but Old Man Weasel. He tried not to show himself, but before the old four-footed, tip-toey thief could hide he was made to answer a lot of questions.

“What have you done with Little Jack Rabbit?” asked the big Circus Elephant.

“What have you done with our little son?” demanded Mr. Rabbit and Lady Love.

“I haven’t seen him,” answered Old Man Weasel.

“Are you telling the truth?” asked the Elephant.

“I certainly am,” answered the old weasel. “I wouldn’t be hanging around here if I had caught a nice fat little bunny.”

“Well, you come along with us. That will keep you out of mischief. When we’ve found Little Jack Rabbit you can go home to your wife,” answered the big Elephant.

So off again started the party, Old Barney Owl ahead, next the two little rabbits, then the big Elephant and Old Man Weasel.

All of a sudden, just like that, there sounded a mournful howl. Oh, dear me! but it was a hair-raising, teeth-chattering, goosey-flesh kind of a cry.

“What’s that?” asked Lady Love, with a shiver.

“Mr. Wicked Wolf,” replied the big Elephant, with a loud trumpet. At once Mr. Wicked Wolf answered with a dismal howl. Then the Elephant trumpeted again.

“Mr. Wicked Wolf has a dismal howl And a big red mouth and an angry scowl, His teeth are long and sharp and thin, Oh, your knees knock together when you see him grin,”

whispered Old Barney Owl, as a dark shadow crept in and out among the trees.

“What have you done with Little Jack Rabbit?” demanded the big Circus Elephant.

“I haven’t seen him,” answered Mr. Wicked Wolf.

“Yes, you have,” cried Lady Love.

“What do you know about it?” snarled the old wolf. “If the big Elephant weren’t around I’d make you keep quiet.”

“That’s enough,” said the Elephant, reaching out his trunk to tweak Mr. Wicked Wolf’s ear. “Don’t get gay around here. You come along and help find the little rabbit. You’ll be out of mischief while with us and if we don’t find him pretty soon, I’ll put you and Old Man Weasel and Old Barney Owl in a big bag and shake you up and down and all around till your bones rattle!”

Then off again started the party, Old Barney Owl in the lead, Mr. Wicked Wolf and Old Man Weasel next, then Mr. Rabbit and Lady Love, and last of all, the big Circus Elephant. Every once in a while he’d swing his long lasso, cow-boy fashion, around Mr. Wicked Wolf, or pull up Old Man Weasel with a sharp jerk. And now and then, so’s not to let Old Barney Owl feel lonesome, he’d drop the noose around that old night bird’s head and yank him over backwards. This kept these three bad people mighty well behaved, let me tell you, while looking for Little Jack Rabbit—or pretending to look for him.

All of a sudden Danny Fox was seen sneaking behind a pile of brush.

“Come here, you old chicken thief,” shouted the Elephant, and without waiting for the old fox to decide whether he would or not, the big Elephant threw the lasso over his head, pulling him in as nicely as you please.

“Tell me what you’ve done with Little Jack Rabbit?” demanded the big circus animal, giving the rope a jerk to make the old fox answer quickly.

“I haven’t seen him,” replied Danny Fox, with a whine. “I haven’t seen him for a long time.”

“Yes, you have,” shouted the two little rabbits.

“What have you done with Little Jack Rabbit?” once more demanded the Elephant, although he’d already twice asked Danny Fox that very same question.

“I haven’t seen the little bunny,” again whined the old fox, “indeed, I am telling the truth.”

“You never told the truth in your life,” cried the big Elephant. “You’re an old chicken thief!”

“Please, please, don’t jerk that rope,” begged Danny Fox. “It hurts my neck.”

“Well, come along with us,” said the big circus animal, “you may help us find Little Jack Rabbit. At any rate, we’ll know where you are,” and he made the old fox join the party.

By and by, after a while, as they marched through the Shady Forest, looking here and peeking there, up and down and all around, they heard a little voice say;

“I know where Little Jack Rabbit is.”

“Where?” cried Lady Love.

“Where?” shouted Mr. Rabbit.

“Tell us quick,” cried the big Circus Elephant, holding up his ears to catch the faint whisper.

Then the little voice came again, only a little louder than before.

“Over there by the Bubbling Brook, Where it turns and twists in the shady nook, Caught in between two little trees, Little Jack Rabbit is held by the knees.”

“Thank you, little voice,” cried Lady Love, and away she hopped to the shady nook, followed by Mr. Rabbit and the rest—only the rest didn’t hop, they all ran, except Old Barney Owl, who flew.

Pretty soon, not so very far, they reached the Bubbling Brook and, following it along, they hurried on until, all of a sudden, they heard Little Jack Rabbit calling for help.

“Cheer up, my baby rabbit,” shouted Lady Love.

Goodness me! how fast Lady Love hopped along until, quicker than a wink, she came to the two little trees.

“Oh, my little bunny,” she sobbed. “Are you hurt?”

“Maybe,” answered Little Jack Rabbit. “I’m not quite sure.”

Just then up came the big Circus Elephant. Bending apart the two trees with his great strong trunk, he shouted:

“Pull him out! pull him out!”

But Little Jack Rabbit didn’t need any help. No, sireemam. No sooner were the trees pushed apart than out he hopped all by himself right into Lady Love’s arms. And I guess that’s the nicest place to be when you’re hurt—right in mother’s arms.

“Now all you old robbers can go home,” said the big circus animal.

“Good-by,” said Old Man Weasel.

“Good-by,” cried Mr. Wicked Wolf.

“So long,” whined Danny Fox.

“Tooty fruiti!” cried Old Barney Owl, and the next minute there was no one left but the three little rabbits and the big Circus Elephant.

“Come here,” said the big kind animal and carefully picking up Little Jack Rabbit with his strong trunk, lifted him up on his back.

“Now we’ll go home to the Old Bramble Patch,” and off he trotted, followed by Mr. Rabbit and Lady Love.

By and by, after a while, and many a mile, they came to the Rail Fence. Crossing the Sunny Meadow, although of course it wasn’t sunny at this hour—night time, you know,—they soon reached the Old Bramble Patch.

“Oh, I’m so happy,” laughed Lady Love, as the big elephant placed her little rabbit on the ground, “I’m so happy I don’t know how to thank you.”

“Don’t,” replied the big kind animal. “Just let me know the next time you bake an Angel Cake—that’s all,” and off he trotted to the Shady Forest.

“Good-by, old friend,” called Mr. Rabbit.

“I’ll see you all again,” replied the Elephant. “But I must hurry, for to-morrow the circus closes in Turnip City, and I must be there to help take down the big tent.”

It wasn’t long before all three little bunnies were sound asleep. Mr. Rabbit and Lady Love were tired out from their long search and Little Jack Rabbit,—well, he was tired and sleepy, anyway, as all small bunnies should be.

BUNNY TALE 13

DANNY FOX

“Wake up, wake up, it’s breakfast time! The Old Red Rooster is crowing a rime, The doves on the roof are cooing away And Bobbie Redvest is singing his lay,”

sang the musical alarm clock.

Out of bed hopped Little Jack Rabbit and parting his hair down the middle of his back with a little chip, picked up his knapsack and hurried down to the breakfast table.

Lady Love’s carrot coffee and lollypop porridge soon made the little bunny lose his appetite. Wasn’t that too bad? Well, I don’t know. I’d gladly lose my appetite for lollypop stew.

“Where’s father?” he asked, wiping his lips on a nice clean lettuce leaf napkin.