CHAPTER ONE

ROBIN RAT

In the land of All-the-Beasts there was a GREAT HUNGER. Some of the animals who were so HUNGRY were

Tabby Tiger Bruno Bear Katy Crocodile Robin Rat Pinky Pig Giddy Goat Tommy Tortoise

and many more--more than you could ever count in a year.

They ran around the wood, here and there and everywhere, eating roots and twigs and any old scraps they could find. But still they were HUNGRY.

One day they came to a Big Tree full of fruit. But they could not eat it, for they did not know what it was.

They sat down in a circle round the tree, and said, “What can we do?”

When they had thought a while, they said, “Let us send Robin Rat up the river to Leo, our King, and ask him what the fruit is and whether we may eat it.”

Robin Rat was young and spry. He scuttled up the tree and brought down one of its fruits to show King Leo.

It was a DELICIOUS looking fruit!

It looked like an

APPLEORANGEPLUMPEARBANANA

but it smelled like a

BANANAPEARPLUMORANGEAPPLE.

Then Robin Rat scuttled down to the river bank and climbed into his little canoe.

All the day and all the day he paddled

and paddled and PADDLED

up the river.

And the Great Red Sun dropped behind the trees.

Then he found King Leo on the bank, all ready to receive visitors. He was wearing his crown tipped on the back of his head because he felt happy. He smiled at Robin Rat as pleasant as you please, and asked him to stay to supper.

After supper they curled up and went to sleep. There was nothing else to do, you see. For this is the way it looked in the

GREAT WOOD.

In the morning King Leo said politely, “What can I do for you, my small friend?”

Then Robin Rat answered, “Please tell us, King Leo, what is the name of this tree and whether we may eat the fruit of it. We are all SO HUNGRY!”

King Leo looked at the fruit that was like an

APPLEORANGEPEARPLUMBANANA

and he sniffed at the fruit that was like a

BANANAPLUMPEARORANGEAPPLE.

Then he said, “It is a good fruit. You may eat it. The name of the tree is

BOJABI.”

Then Robin Rat hung his cap over his right ear and climbed into his little canoe.

All the day and all the day he paddled down the great river.

And all the way he was thinking how much he could eat of that

DELICIOUS fruit.

And at night he came home.

All the Beasts were waiting for him on the shore. He came up, whisking his paddle _this_ way and _that_ way through the water, just to show how well he could do it.

“What is it, Robin Rat?” said All the Beasts. “Tell us the name!” they roared and howled and grunted and whined and shrieked and squealed, each in his own PARTICULAR voice.

“Oh!” said Robin Rat. “I knew it a while ago, but now I have clean forgotten.”

Then All the Beasts stepped into the water and upset Robin Rat’s little canoe.

They SPLASHED and they SPLUTTERED and they SP-L-ANKED

Robin Rat.

Squeaksqueaksqueaksqueaksqueak!

Nobody heard a word more from _him_ that day.