Laura Rountree Smith

“ The Runaway Bunny, as a rule,
Likes to run away,
The Runaway Bunny said, “To school
I go this September day.
“I don’t know the words,
I don’t know the tune.
I’m the Runaway Bunny;
I’ll get to school soon.” “Don’t be so sure of that,” called Pit-A-Pat.
“Don’t be so sure you’ll get there soon,” said Rough Coat.
“You may not get there until afternoon,” growled Old Brother Bear.
“I never before have made a rhyme,
But I think you’ll not get there on time!” whispered Old Foxy-Lox, peering at the Runaway Bunny from his hiding place.
The school bells all sang:
“Come to school. ”

“ Then the Runaway Bunny gave Mother Bun her spectacles and Father Bun his pipe. And they had a merry time with the presents Santa Claus had brought them.
Old Mother Bun gave the Runaway Bunny a new cap and sweater, and Old Father Bun gave him a new sled. Then the pair kissed him on both cheeks and begged him to live with them always. He said he would.
Then the Runaway Bunny put on his new cap and sweater and went coasting downhill on his new sled. ”

“ THE TELL-THE-TIME RABBIT
The Runaway Bunny could talk in rhyme,
But for years and years he couldn’t tell time. One day the Runaway Bunny woke up in his own little house and sang:
“It is such a pleasant autumn day,
I’m really thinking of running away.” He put on his Wrist Watch for company, though he could not tell time to save his little stubby tail!
He was going hippety-hop along when he met Old Brother Bear. The Bear passed the time of day, but seemed to be in a terrible hurry and growled:
“What is the real time? ”

“ Old Foxy-Lox had a long head on him.
So he said:
“Let’s set the table here just to see
How fine your Thanksgiving dinner will be.” The Runaway Bunny switched his ears to and fro. But he let the animals help him set the table with turkey, gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. And every minute he grew more and more hungry himself.
“He grew more and more hungry”
Foxy-Lox said:
“Though we do not intend to be impolite,
Let’s taste to see if the dinner is right.” The Runaway Bunny enjoyed a joke as well as anyone.
So he said:
“I am really amused at what you say ”

“ And get me a pencil as a rabbit should!” He put his dinner pail down by a log and went hurrying home to get a lead pencil. Soon he came back hippety-hop with his pencil in his overalls pocket.
He stopped to look for his dinner pail. It was gone!
He shouted to Pit-A-Pat, who had gone on ahead:
“To get to school I will not fail,
But where, oh where is my dinner pail?” Pit-A-Pat said she knew nothing about the lost dinner pail.
Soon the Runaway Bunny caught up with Rough Coat and said:
“It makes me shake my stubby tail
To think I lost my dinner pail.” ”

“ Hippety-hop, lippety-lop, he went down the path, carrying his little brown traveling bag.
“Where are you going?” asked the Whistling Wind.
“Where are you going?” asked the Smiling Sun.
To them both, the Runaway Bunny replied:
“Oho! I’m happy to have such fun;
It’s such a pleasure to run and run!” He did not tell anyone where he was going. Many years ago he had made up his mind that some day he would run away and visit his grandparents.
Now wasn’t it funny? At this very minute Old Mother Bun was saying:
“My old legs get so stiff ”

“ And in walked Rough Coat, saying politely:
“I’m a lonesome fellow; I live alone.
Could you give me as much as a chicken bone?” As luck would have it, they had a whole plate full of chicken bones in the house. So Rough Coat had a wonderful meal.
Old Father Bun said, “Did you meet our Runaway Bunny?”
Rough Coat said, “Did he run as though he would never stop?”
“Yes, yes,” cried Father Bun excitedly.
“Did he sometimes say, ‘My fur and whiskers’?” asked Rough Coat.
“Yes, yes,” cried Father and Mother Bun together.
Rough Coat gave himself a great shake, remarking:
“I enjoyed my lunch, I do declare ”

“ He has long ears and stubby tail.” Old Mother Bun said:
“I would nail that on a tree,
Where every animal can see.” Old Father Bun did not agree with her. He knew it paid to advertise in newspapers. So he put on his old felt hat, took his walking stick, and started out to a real newspaper office. ”

“ Of running away, dear Runaway Rabbit!”
Chapter VI
THE COUNTY FAIR The Runaway Bunny went hopping along, singing:
“When I am lonesome I’m always singing
Of a jolly old kite that used to fly
At the end of the string I was often swinging,
And I said to old earth, ‘Good-bye, good-bye!’” “Good-bye, good-bye,” called a merry voice; and there in the path before the Runaway Bunny stood the Circus Bunny.
The Circus Bunny said:
“I’ll run along with you, if you don’t care ”

“ And as usual he was running away.” “Call him back! Call him back!” called Old Father Bun, who had waked up in time to hear Foxy-Lox shout.
Mother Bun shook her head as she counted her silver spoons, saying:
“Though it may seem to you absurd,
He sometimes robs good folk, I’ve heard.” Old Father Bun said:
“Alackaday! What shall I say?
Will the Runaway Bunny come back some day?” While all this was going on, the Runaway Bunny continued to eat as much cabbage as he wanted.
The little Wrist Watch said to him:
“To tell the time is a useful habit ”