George Ethelbert Walsh

“ When Buster Was a Cub In the North Woods where Buster was born, a wide river tinkles merrily over stones that are so white you’d mistake them for snowballs, if you were not careful, and begin pelting each other with them. The birches hanging over the water look like white sticks of peppermint candy, except in the spring of the year when they blossom out in green leaves, and then they make you think of fairyland where everything is painted the colors of the rainbow. ”

“ He was so black with the dust and mud of the drain-pipe that it was misleading to call himself a white rabbit. He was far from it. He was as dark as any wild rabbit of the woods—darker, in fact, for there was no white fur under his stomach or around his stubby tail.
He was so confused by this discovery that he could not find his tongue to make reply. The Bats, accepting his silence as proof that his deception had been found out, suddenly beat their wings and set up a terrible uproar.
"It's the Sewer Rat in disguise!" shouted the big leader of the Bats. "Now we'll punish him! ”

“ There was a menace and challenge in the beautiful eyes.
“We want a new leader!” bellowed Black Buck angrily. “You can’t lead us again, Father Buck! You have failed in the chase. Twice you failed within a day. A new leader is what we demand!”
There was a chorus of approvals, and Black Buck gained courage by the backing his words received, but Father Buck cut him off short.
“Be silent!” he said. “I am still leader, and my word is law! If I choose to challenge again, the right is mine. It is the law of the herd. ”

“ Bumper’s stubborn nature immediately came to the surface. Rather than give up Fuzzy Wuzz and take a queen that Old Blind Rabbit had chosen for him, he would abdicate his throne, and leave the woods. He said as much to Old Blind Rabbit, who was greatly distressed.
“Think well of your words, O Bumper!” he said. “If you disobey the rules of your people, they will banish you, and drive you into exile. A king cannot be above his people.” ”

“ Bumper had accidentally found his way into the burrow through the hollow tree trunk!
"Stop where you are!" the rabbit guarding the hole shouted. "What do you want in here?"
"I want to greet my cousins. If you don't let me come in Mr. Fox will catch me after dark. I have no other home."
"You're not a rabbit!" replied the other. "We have no white cousins. There're no white rabbits in the world."
"But I'm one," returned Bumper, amused by the same cry that had been made by the crow and birds. ”

“ Washer was the youngest of a family of three Raccoons, born in the woods close to the shores of Beaver Pond, and not half a mile from Rocky Falls where the water, as you know, turns into silvery spray that sparkles in the sun-shine like diamonds and rubies. And, indeed, the animals and birds of the North Woods much prefer this glittering spray and foam that rise in a steady cloud from the bottom of the falls to all the jewels and gems ever dug out of the earth! ”

“ Bumper squatted down, and pulled both long ears toward his mother so he wouldn't miss a word.
"It isn't good for little rabbits to hear what I'm going to tell you," she whispered. "It often makes them proud and vain; but I suppose you will know it some day."
Mother rabbit sighed, as if the secret was hard to tell, and not very pleasant to hear. Mothers are very queer sometimes, even rabbit mothers.
"It's because you're so beautiful, dear!" she whispered finally. "You're whiter than any of my children, and you have the softest fur, and the pinkest eyes. ”

“ The sudden happy turn of affairs was much to his liking. “O Bumper, our white king!” he exclaimed. “The winter’s snow is not whiter than your coat, and your soul is whiter than either. May neither ever fade or grow tarnished in the use.”
Crooked Ears, who had come to the assembly with a grouch, which he intended to vent upon Bumper, stood hesitating a moment before he bowed and took the king’s paw. Then he looked up and smiled. “Ears, O Bumper, are given to hear, and whether they are crooked or straight they should gather in the truth and not the lies. ”

“ For, though each drop sparkles but a moment, and then vanishes from sight, there are a million others to follow it, and when you bathe in them they wash and scour away the dirt, and make you clean and fresh in body and soul.
Washer had his first great adventure at Rocky Falls, and it is a wonder that he ever lived to tell the tale, for the water which flows over the falls is almost as cruel and terrible as it is sparkling and inviting. ”

“ Father Buck and Mother Deer withdrew silently, leaving White Tail in command, with the whole herd crowding around him to flatter and congratulate. There was a new spring in the ex-leader’s steps as he trotted away, and Mother Deer, walking along by his side, noticed it.
“You do not act like a fallen leader,” she said, smiling. “I haven’t seen you walk so lightly and happily for a long time.”
“A fallen leader is not always to be pitied, my dear,” Father Buck replied. “The greatest thing he can do is to lead his people successfully, and the next greatest thing is to rear a son to take his place. ”

“ But really there was nothing he could do, for Spotted Tail had brought the trouble all on himself because of his envy and spite.
“Being a king isn’t all lettuce and carrots,” sighed Bumper. “I’m not sure but I’d rather be just Fuzzy Wuzz, who smiles and laughs all day, or even Goggle Eyes, who eats altogether too much for himself, but seems to enjoy it.”
“Then there’s so much a king has to know,” he added a moment later. “I’m learning all the time new things, but what I don’t know yet frightens me. I wish sometimes I could take a vacation, and just go off and forget everything. ”

“ There was a vegetable garden hidden back of the rose bushes, filled with crisp lettuce, golden carrots, emerald-green cabbages, blood-red beets, blanching celery, peas, beans, corn, potatoes, and green grass everywhere. It was a whiff from Rabbit Arcady, and Bumper forgot all the dangers he had been through.
"No, no, you mustn't jump out of my arms!" warned Edith when he struggled to get down and roll around in the green grass. "Toby might be looking." ”

“ I am getting old, White Tail, and have lost my spring. I have reached the age where I am no longer qualified to lead the herd. If any of the other bucks knew this they would instantly demand a new leader. It’s the law of the herd. ”

“ Bumper was perfectly safe for two reasons. One was that Sneaky was thinking only of Billy and ignoring Bumper, and another was the distance was too great for Sneaky to reach the white rabbit in a single bound. It seemed like a just punishment for his rough joke in spattering Bumper with the mud. In another minute Sneaky would have him in his jaws, and Billy would never play another joke or raid a rabbit’s burrow.
“He who laughs last laughs the longest,” Bumper said to himself, smiling. ”

“ Sewer Rat, who perhaps had annoyed them many times before, and had even threatened to devour some of them.
"I'm not the Sewer Rat!" cried Bumper. "Please don't snap out my eyes! I didn't mean to disturb you! Wait! Wait, until I can explain!"
"Who are you? And what are you, then?" cried the biggest and fiercest of the bats, coming so close that his eyes looked like pin-points of light.
"I'm Bumper, the white rabbit!"
There was a pause, and the flittering wings seemed to stop beating the air.
"Bumper, the white rabbit! Who ever heard of a white rabbit! All rabbits are brown or gray." ”

“ BUMPER WINS SPOTTED TAIL’S FRIENDSHIP So Bumper became king of all the rabbits in the woods, and all his people vowed they would stand loyally by him, and the big leaders—White Tail, Pink Nose, Crooked Ears, Brindley the Lame and Rolly Polly—promised to obey him, and teach their children and their children’s children to love and follow him.
“A king who is merciful to those who hurt him is a good and wise king,” said White Tail, as he came forward to pay homage.
“Wisdom is greater than courage,” said Brindley, “but greater than either is mercy.” ”

“ Carlo couldn't catch me until he nabbed you."
"Carlo! Who's Carlo!" demanded the Sewer Rat, pretending ignorance.
"Oh! Ho!" laughed Bumper. "Don't pretend that Carlo, the dog, wasn't after you. Didn't I see him chase you in the hole? And how frightened you looked! Why, it nearly made me die with laughter."
Mr. Sewer Rat puffed up his cheeks and gnashed his long, white teeth angrily. Bumper's fling had hit the mark.
"If Carlo ever touches me," he said, "I'll bite his nose so he'll remember it. Who's afraid of an old dog like Carlo?"
"You are, I should say," smiled the white rabbit. ”

“ Mother Deer nodded and smiled. Father Buck turned to her and affectionately licked her neck. “And the greatest thing you could do,” he added, “is to train your son so that he is worthy to lead. I’m proud of White Tail, and still prouder of you, Mother Deer. He is your son!”
A little later White Tail found them together in the woods, talking and smiling, and so happy in the possession of each other’s love that neither seemed to regret the loss of authority. 135And White Tail, watching them, said to himself:
“The honor of being leader of the herd is not all mine. ”

“ He knew that he had angered Crooked Ears and poisoned his mind against Bumper.
All the day he flew from burrow to burrow, spreading the evil news, until by night every rabbit in the woods knew of Bumper’s coming, and believed that he was going to declare himself king and make every one of his people a 70slave. There was a pow-wow that night in every burrow, and the talk of what to do ran high. Some were angry and indignant; others more amused than angry, and a few so belligerent that they wanted to set out on the war path at once. ”

“ Bumper replied. “Well, this time you won’t get off so easily. If you don’t go away immediately, I’ll call all the birds and animals of the woods to punish you. They will outlaw you, and be your enemy forever.”
“That wouldn’t be anything new, Bumper,” hissed Killer. “They’re my enemies now. I’m going to have this egg for my breakfast. I’m mighty hungry.”
“No, you’re not,” answered Bumper, springing toward him. Killer dodged back and then shot his head forward as if to strike, but Bumper dodged and landed on the other side. ”

“ Bumper woke up the next morning so hungry that he couldn't think of any of the million questions to ask until he'd finished eating his breakfast. Besides a cabbage, there were some carrots and beet tops the old woman had fished out of a grocer's backyard, and Bumper had to jump lively to get his share. Jimsy and Wheedles were already on their second carrot when he opened his eyes.
"You'll never catch up with me!" said Jimsy, greedily. "I'm one carrot ahead of you."
"And I'm one and a half," mumbled Wheedles, with his mouth full.
"I don't care. Sleep is better for you than so much eating. ”

“ An uneasy thrill swept the multitude. Each turned to look the other in the eye. Who would accept Father Buck’s challenge? Black Buck hesitated, measuring the sturdy limbs of the leader with his own, and comparing the thick-set neck and head of antlers with those of his immediate neighbors. ”

“ May Spotted Tail learn wisdom from you. The past is forgotten. We live now only for the future.”
And when they had retired to a corner from the rest, Spotted Tail found his voice. It was low and husky.
“O Bumper, you have heaped coals of fire on my head!” he exclaimed. “You have made me ashamed of myself. I wronged you because I was envious and jealous of your power. I told Shrike to spread the news that you were a king come to make all the rabbits in the North Woods your slaves. Now they’re all your friends. But you have one slave. I, Bumper, am your slave. ”

“ And Buster frowned so severely, and whacked a tree with one of his huge paws so soundly, that Bumper jumped to one side, and then laughed at his own fear. Indeed, Buster was one to be feared when angry, and he could protect the small animals from their natural enemies. One blow from those huge paws would knock Loup senseless and crush in the skull of Sneaky or Mr. Fox. ”

“ Mother rabbit shook her head slowly just as if she intended to scold, and then said in the softest, gentlest of voices:
"I'm afraid that little girl has been putting vain ideas into your head, dear. You must be careful, and not let compliments about your eyes and ears spoil you. If you do people won't like you."
Bumper promised not to be spoilt by listening to what little girls said, and then eagerly repeated his question. ”

“ He must prove himself the victor by strength, cunning, intelligence, trickery or any other way. The leader must be supreme so that none again dare challenge his authority.
It is always a battle royal in the woods. It never ends in a draw, except in those few sad but rare cases when horns and antlers get interlocked, and neither can pull away until both starve. Then a new challenge must be issued, and another leader chosen. Of this, both White Tail and Young Black Buck knew, and above all they sought to keep their horns and antlers from becoming interlocked. ”