The Tale of Jimmy Rabbit Read online

  "Why, to keep the vegetables from falling out!" Jimmy explained. "Yousee, you don't know how to wheel a wheelbarrow. You'll be tipping it,first one side and then the other. And we'd have to stop every fewsteps and pick up a turnip or a cabbage."

  "But I don't want to wheel _you_!" said Frisky. "You're too heavy!"

  "Oh, very well, then!" Jimmy answered. "If you don't care to wheel thewheelbarrow, it's all the same to me." And he started to jump down fromhis seat on top of the load.

  "No, no!" Frisky cried. "Don't get off! I can manage all right!" Aftergathering all those vegetables, he didn't want to lose the fun ofpushing the wheelbarrow.

  "Walk fast, now!" Jimmy said. "We're late already."

  6 A Narrow Escape]

  6

  A Narrow Escape

  Frisky Squirrel had a hard time pushing the wheelbarrow home with JimmyRabbit on top of the load of vegetables. He puffed and groaned. And hehad to stop every little while to catch his breath.

  "You see, you're not used to wheeling a wheelbarrow," Jimmy told him."For me, it's no trouble at all. But then, I'm stronger than you are."

  Now, Frisky had been almost ready to tell Jimmy that he might trundlethe barrow the rest of the way. But when he heard that he made up hismind that he would get that wheelbarrow up the hill to Jimmy's house ifhe didn't do another thing that day.

  So he started on again. And at last he stopped in front of JimmyRabbit's door.

  Jimmy hopped nimbly to the ground. But poor Frisky was so tired that helay right down and went to sleep. And the next day he never went nearFarmer Green's garden.

  But Jimmy Rabbit didn't mind that at all. There were plenty of otherswho wanted to trundle the wheelbarrow. And this time Jimmy told BillyWoodchuck that _he_ might wheel the barrow home for him.

  Once more Jimmy Rabbit stood by while the vegetables were gathered forhim. Once more he seated himself on top of the load. And once more hehad a free ride up the long hill. Jimmy had changed his mind aboutFarmer Green's garden. He even asked his mother if he might not bringhome two loads of vegetables each day, instead of only one. And he wasdisappointed when she said "No!"

  There was one thing, however, that Jimmy had overlooked. As the dayswent by, one by one his friends stayed away from the garden-patch. Andat last there was nobody left who wanted to push the wheelbarrow exceptFatty Coon. And Fatty Coon was really no friend of his at all. In fact,Jimmy did not like him, because he never could feel sure that Fattywould not get hungry all at once and try to eat him.

  But Fatty teased so hard that at last Jimmy agreed to give him his turnat the fun (Jimmy was always careful to speak of gathering vegetablesand wheeling them home as "fun").

  When the barrow was full, Jimmy Rabbit again climbed on top of the load.But he kept very close watch of Fatty. And he was ready, any moment, toleap off the wheelbarrow in case Fatty should reach for his legs.

  Fatty Coon was strong. He did not tire so easily as the others had. Butfinally he let go the handles and straightened up.

  "What's the matter?" asked Jimmy. "You're not tired, are you?"

  "No!" said Fatty. "But it's harder work than I supposed. I declare, I'mgetting terribly hungry."

  When Jimmy Rabbit heard him say that, his heart went _pitty-pat_. And healmost ran away, then and there.

  But what would become of his nice new wheelbarrow if he did that? He wasafraid that Fatty Coon would run off with it.

  "My goodness! I'm growing hungrier every minute!" said Fatty Coon.

  Then Jimmy Rabbit had a happy thought. He grabbed up a handful of greenpeas and tossed them to Fatty.

  "Here!" he said. "Eat those! Maybe they'll make you feel better."

  Fatty Coon ate the peas greedily.

  "More!" he said. As you see, he was not very polite.

  Jimmy threw him two handfuls then.

  Still Fatty Coon said "More!"

  So Jimmy rolled a turnip off the load. And after that he threw out acabbage, and then a head of lettuce.

  "More! more! more!" Fatty ordered.

  And soon Jimmy Rabbit saw with dismay that the vegetables were nearlyall gone. In a few moments he reached the very last one--a big turnipwhich he could hardly lift.

  But he managed to pick it up and raise it above his head. And then withall his might he threw the turnip straight at Fatty Coon.

  Fatty was just opening his mouth to say "More!" But he never said it.The big turnip struck him right on his fat stomach and knocked hisbreath out. He gave a faint groan and toppled over on the ground. And hewas so fat that he started to roll.

  Though he clawed at the grass to stop himself, he rolled faster andfaster down the hill.

  He was a very comical sight. And at any other time Jimmy Rabbit wouldhave stopped to laugh. But Jimmy was so glad to be rid of Fatty Coonthat he picked up the handles of his little wheelbarrow and ran home asfast as he could jump.

  7 A Fast Runner]

  7

  A Fast Runner

  On Blue Mountain, and in Pleasant Valley as well, there lived many fastrunners. And among the swiftest was Jimmy Rabbit. But he never ran veryfar. Whenever he was startled he would go bounding off like the wind;but pretty soon he would stop and listen to see if anyone was followinghim. And if it happened to be dog Spot, he always hurried to a hollowstump, or perhaps a woodchuck's hole--or a skunk's--and hid there untilSpot went away.

  Of course, there was some risk in going into somebody else's house. Forif the owner happened to be at home there was likely to be a quarrel.Naturally, nobody likes to have some outsider burst into his housewithout even stopping to knock.

  Now, everyone said that Jimmy Rabbit could run fast--that is, all butTommy Fox. He never would admit that Jimmy Rabbit was much of a runner.I should hate to say that Tommy Fox was jealous. But it certainly didannoy him to hear so much said about Jimmy's wonderful speed.

  Perhaps he never would have suggested the race, if Jimmy Rabbit hadn'tboasted so much about his running. You see, in time Jimmy's head becameturned. And he was often heard to say that there was no one in that partof the country who could beat him.

  "Of course, there may be some one, somewhere, who can outrun me," JimmyRabbit said. "But I have yet to meet him."

  That was a little more than Tommy Fox could bear. And he went off,looking very sour. He trotted over to the creek, did Tommy Fox. Andthere he might have been seen talking to Mr. Turtle. He talked with himfor a long time. And when at last he went away Tommy's face wore a verydifferent look. He was actually smiling.

  The very next day Jimmy Rabbit met Tommy Fox in the woods.

  "You'd better go home!" Tommy told him. "You have a caller waiting tosee you. I just happened to pass your house, and the caller asked me ifI had seen you."

  "Who is it?" Jimmy asked him.

  But Tommy Fox would not tell him.

  "It's really none of my business," he said.

  Jimmy Rabbit hurried off. He wondered who wanted to see him, and why.

  He was surprised--and disappointed, too--to find that it was nobody butMr. Turtle. And he was still more surprised when he learned his errand.

  "I have come to challenge you to a race," Mr. Turtle told him.

  Jimmy Rabbit laughed right in his face.

  "A race!" he exclaimed. "Why--you can't run. I guess you've come to thewrong house. I guess you've made a mistake."

  But Mr. Turtle said that he knew what he was about.

  "I want to race you all the way from the creek to Broad Brook, where itruns into Swift River," he said.

  Jimmy Rabbit had hard work to keep a straight face.

  "My dear sir!" he said. "I could run that distance a hundred timeswhile you were waddling it once. I don't care to race with you. It wouldbe no fun at all for me."

  When Mr. Turtle heard that, his beady little eyes snapped.

  "Don't be so sure!" he said. "I believe I can beat you. And I will betyou----"

  Jimmy Rabbit did not wait for him to finish.

  "Bet!" he cri
ed. "I never bet! I'm not allowed to. My mother doesn'tapprove of betting. And if she heard you mention such a thing to me shewould be very angry."

  "I didn't mean to say that," Mr. Turtle told him hastily. "It was just aslip of the tongue. What I meant to say was this: If you win the race,I'll _give_ you a fine new sled; and if I win, you can _give_ me yourwheelbarrow."

  Jimmy Rabbit began to be interested. He had always wanted a sled. And byanother month or two there ought to be good coasting. It certainlywasn't _betting_, he thought. And as for losing the race--and hiswheelbarrow--he knew that such a thing could never happen.

  "I'll race you!" he cried. "When shall it be?"

  "How would to-morrow do?" said Mr. Turtle. "It's a long way from thecreek to Broad Brook--a good day's journey, I call it. It's too late tostart to-day."

  Jimmy Rabbit grinned. He knew that he could run that far fifty times aday.

  "I'll be at the creek early in the morning," he promised.

  8 The Great Race]

  8

  The Great Race

  On the morning of his great race with Mr. Turtle, Jimmy Rabbit was atthe creek bright and early. He brought his two brothers with him, to seethe fun. And he found that there were others, too, who had heard of thesport and had come to enjoy it. Frisky Squirrel was there, and BillyWoodchuck, and Fatty Coon. Then there was old Mr. Crow, who was alwayson hand whenever a crowd gathered. And perhaps the pleasantest and mostinterested of all was Tommy Fox.

  "I hope you'll let me have a ride on your new sled when the first snowcomes," he said to Jimmy Rabbit. "For, of course, you'll win the race.And Mr. Turtle will have to give you the sled, as he promised."

  "I'll see," said Jimmy. And that was all the answer he would give.

  But Tommy Fox seemed satisfied.

  "I'm going to run along beside you," he told Jimmy, "to keep youcompany. And I'll wait at Broad Brook with you, to see the fun when Mr.Turtle gets there. For everyone knows that you're going to win therace."

  "I fully expect to," said Jimmy.

  Then Tommy drew a line in the sand.

  "Here's where you start!" he said.

  And Mr. Turtle and Jimmy Rabbit toed the mark.

  "One, two, three--go!" cried Tommy Fox. And with that they were off. Inno time at all Jimmy Rabbit had run so far that Mr. Turtle lost sight ofhim.

  "Just as I expected!" Tommy Fox said to Jimmy Rabbit. They were in thewoods now, and not far from Broad Brook. "There's no need of hurrying,"Tommy remarked. "You can reach the brook quickly enough. It will be latein the afternoon before Mr. Turtle gets this far. I see you're a littleout of breath. Why don't you lie down and rest? I'd take a nap, if Iwere you. And I'll wake you in time for you to win the race."

  "That's a good idea," Jimmy Rabbit said. "I'll do it!" And he lay downon the ground and went to sleep.

  Late in the afternoon there were as many people at Broad Brook to seethe finish of the race as there had been at the creek in the morning towatch the start.

  "I don't see where Jimmy can be," said Frisky Squirrel. "His brothersare both here--and they can't run as fast as he can." But no one seemedto know what had become of Jimmy Rabbit.

  "I'm afraid he's going to lose his wheelbarrow," Tommy Fox finally said."If he loses the race, he'll have to give his wheelbarrow to Mr. Turtle,just as he promised." And Tommy didn't seem at all sorry at such athought.

  "I hear some one coming!" Billy Woodchuck cried a little later. He hadvery sharp ears.

  "And I can _see_ somebody!" Fatty Coon exclaimed. _He_ had very sharpeyes.

  And sure enough! Pretty soon they all saw Mr. Turtle waddle out of thewoods and hurry toward them.

  Tommy Fox began to dance and sing.

  "He's going to win! He's going to win!" he said, over and over again.

  And it certainly did look as if that was just what was going to happen.

  Tommy drew a mark in the sand near the brook. "As soon as he crossesthis line, he'll win the race!" he shouted.

  The two Rabbit boys stepped across the line and waited.

  "Your brother is just as good as beaten," Tommy Fox told them. You see,he had never been near Jimmy Rabbit to wake him, as he had agreed. Ofcourse, he had never intended to wake him.

  Then Mr. Turtle crossed the line.

  "You've won!" Tommy exclaimed. And he was so pleased that he gave Mr.Turtle a good, hard slap on the back. "Ouch!" Tommy said. There was alook of pain on his face. He had forgotten that Mr. Turtle had such ahard back.

  "Who's won?" one of the Rabbit brothers asked.

  "Why, Mr. Turtle!" said Tommy Fox.

  "That," said the Rabbit boy, "that is just where you are mistaken, sir.Jimmy Rabbit has won the race--for _I_ am Jimmy Rabbit."

  For a moment there was silence. And then a great shout went up. For theyall saw that it was Jimmy Rabbit himself, dressed like one of hisbrothers.

  But Tommy Fox did not shout at all. He was very angry. "There's beensome trick played on us," he said.

  "Where's my sled, Mr. Turtle?" Jimmy Rabbit asked. He turned around. ButMr. Turtle had vanished. He had jumped into the brook and swum away.

  So Jimmy Rabbit did not get the sled after all. But he was so pleasedover the way he had outwitted Tommy Fox that he didn't care very much.And all his friends said that he was not only a fast runner, but a veryclever fellow as well.

  9 Playing Leap-Frog]

  9

  Playing Leap-Frog

  There was great joy in the woods. Jimmy Rabbit had promised to teach hisfriends a new game. Frisky Squirrel and Billy Woodchuck, Fatty Coon andTommy Fox, were all on hand to have their share of the fun.

  "What's the game called?" Frisky Squirrel asked.

  "It's leap-frog," Jimmy told him.

  "Shucks!" said Fatty Coon. "The frog's not here yet. And we can't doanything till _he_ comes."

  Jimmy Rabbit laughed.

  "You don't need a frog to play leap-frog," he said. "Just squat down infront of me and I'll show you how it's done."

  Frisky Squirrel did just as Jimmy told him to do. And Jimmy ran upbehind him, put his front paws on Frisky's back, and leaped over him.Then he ran on a little way. And when he stopped, he crouched down andcalled to Fatty Coon to jump over them both.

  Soon they were all playing leap-frog, though Tommy Fox said that hedidn't think it was much of a game.

  "There's more to it than you think," Jimmy said. "I haven't taught youthe whole game yet."

  "Well, I want to learn it all," Tommy Fox grumbled.

  "Wait until you do this part better," Jimmy Rabbit said. "Then I'll showyou something different. You must learn to leap higher and further.You're not half as good a jumper as I supposed you were."

  Tommy Fox did not like that very well. And if he and Jimmy Rabbit hadbeen alone I am afraid he would have done something very unpleasant toJimmy. But now he only snarled a little, and showed his teeth, and saidthat he could leap higher and further than any of the others.

  "Well, you're a good boaster, anyhow," said Jimmy.

  Everybody laughed at that--except Tommy Fox. _He_ frowned. And when itwas his turn to leap over the others he sprang so high and so far thathe jumped over Frisky Squirrel and Fatty Coon together, without oncetouching the ground. It was really a wonderful jump.

  "What do you think of that?" Tommy asked with a grin. "Can any of youbeat that?"

  "It's a pretty fair leap," Jimmy Rabbit admitted. "But I've seen better.When I'm in practice I can do better myself. A really good leap-frogplayer ought to be able to jump over three people at a time."

  Fatty Coon shook his head. He was not much of a jumper--he was so fat,and his legs were so short. And he didn't believe he could ever leapover three people at a time.

  "I could do it, if you'd let me start from a tree," Frisky Squirrelsaid.

  But Jimmy told him that that was never allowed.

  "It's against the rules of the game," he explained.

  "Well, I can do it, and start on the ground, too," Tommy Fox boast
ed. "Ican do anything anybody else can do."

  "I believe you can," Jimmy Rabbit said, to everybody's surprise. Forthey all knew that he didn't like Tommy Fox. "We'll give you a good,fair chance to try it," Jimmy went on. "You squat here," he told FattyCoon. And he pointed out the exact place where he wanted Fatty to stand.A little way behind Fatty, he stationed Frisky Squirrel. And back ofFrisky he took his own place.

  "Now!" Jimmy Rabbit said, "are you all ready?"

  "Yes," they cried.

  "I'm coming!" called Tommy Fox. And he came running up behind them. Herested his front paws on Jimmy Rabbit's back. And just as he leaped,Jimmy Rabbit leaped too.

  You might say that Tommy Fox made a double jump. His own jump would havebeen a high one. But when Jimmy jumped, it sent Tommy Fox all the higherinto the air. He went sailing far above Frisky Squirrel and Fatty Coon;and still he kept on, turning and tumbling, head over heels, until atlast he landed with a great splash in the same deep pool where thehornets chased Cuffy Bear one time.

  When Tommy Fox crawled out upon the bank, dripping wet, the leap-frogplayers were nowhere to be seen.

  Though Tommy did not know it, at that very moment they were hidden inthe woods, rolling over and over upon the ground, and laughing as ifthey would never stop.

  Finally Jimmy Rabbit sat up and wiped the tears off his face. He hadlaughed so hard that he had cried.

  "I told him I'd teach him something different about leap-frog," hesaid.