Jimmy Rabbit

“ Rabbit remarked.
"It's too bad you have to work so hard," said Jimmy. "Recreation" was a big word. Jimmy supposed that it was some kind of specially hard work. He did not know that it meant play. "I'll go down to Farmer Green's garden right away andp. 30 get a load of his best vegetables!" Jimmy exclaimed.
Down in Farmer Green's garden Jimmy worked busily, loading his new wheelbarrow to the very top. And then he trundled it home again. No prouder youngster was ever seen in Pleasant Valley than Jimmy Rabbit, pushing that little wheelbarrow up the hill.
"Let me push it!" Frisky Squirrel begged. ”

“ He thought it would be fun. And he sat down and told Jimmy Rabbit he was ready.
So Jimmy Rabbit stepped up to him. But he hadn't any more than closed hisp. 61 pincers when Frisky Squirrel began to scream.
Jimmy Rabbit was so surprised that he let the pincers drop and jumped back.
"My goodness!" he said. "How you startled me! I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"Yes, you did!" Frisky answered. And Jimmy could see that he was angry. "You hurt my lip terribly."
"Well, you must have moved," said Jimmy. "Having a tooth pulled is a good deal like having your picture taken. You have to sit very still." ”

“ And he filled the barrow with cabbages and turnips, lettuce and peas, while Jimmy Rabbit looked on and ordered him about.
"There!" said Jimmy, when the wheelbarrow was full. "Now we'll go home." And then, to Frisky Squirrel's surprise, Jimmy climbed on top of the load and sat himself down.
"What's that for?" asked Frisky.
"Why, to keep the vegetables from falling out!" Jimmy explained. "You see, 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 stopp. 33 every few steps and pick up a turnip or a cabbage." ”

“ And all the time Tommy Fox was wishing the music would begin. Of course, he didn't know that Jimmy Rabbit had sent the fiddlers away.
Now, the longer they danced, the oftener the fat lady stepped on Tommy's feet. And he grew so angry that he finally said:
"Do be careful where you step!"
That remark did not please Fatty Coon.
"Don't tell me how to dance!" he said. "You're a great, clumsy creature!"
"I'm not!" Tommy retorted. "I'm the best dancer at the Ball. But you can't dance any better than a coon!" ”

“ Crow. "Unless that tail is bought and paid for, there's trouble ahead of you, young man."
To his friends Frisky Squirrel and Billy Woodchuck, Jimmy said something about Mr. Crow in a low voice. And they laughed loudly. Whereupon Mr. Crow flew away, croaking to himself about the shocking way children are brought up nowadays. You know, Mr. Crow was a great gossip. And everywhere he went that day he spread the news about Jimmy Rabbit's finding a red tail in the woods. ”

“ Tommy Fox boasted. "I can do anything anybody else can do."
"I believe you can," Jimmy Rabbit said, to everybody's surprise. For they allp. 56 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 Fatty Coon. And he pointed out the exact place where he wanted Fatty to stand. A little way behind Fatty, he stationed Frisky Squirrel. ”

“ Uncle Jerry snapped. "I came here to have a tooth pulled—not to be talked to." He was always ill tempered. And his toothache only made him crosser than ever.
So Jimmy Rabbit went to work. He tugged away with all his might and main. Now and then Uncle Jerry groaned. And whenever he groaned, Jimmy turned pale. For he was somewhat afraid of the old gentleman.
At last Jimmy tumbled backward, head over heels. That was when the tooth came out.
"Well, you were long enough about it, I must say!" Uncle Jerry Chuck said. "Give me my ear of corn now, for I must hurry home." ”

“ Jimmy answered. "If you don't care to wheel the wheelbarrow, it's all the same to me." And he started to jump down from his seat on top of the load.
"No, no!" Frisky cried. "Don't get off! I can manage all right!" After gathering all those vegetables, he didn't want to lose the fun of pushing the wheelbarrow.
"Walk fast, now!" Jimmy said. "We're late already."
p. 34
Frisky Squirrel had a hard time pushing the wheelbarrow home with Jimmy Rabbit on top of the load of vegetables. ”

“ Jimmy Rabbit didn't intend to invite Grumpy Weasel because he was a rascal. And Timothy Turtle wasn't to be one of the guests because he would be sure to grumble at everybody and everything.
And then there was Nimble Deer. Jimmy Rabbit said that Nimble was too big to come to his party. And every one [Pg 105] told Jimmy Rabbit that it was a pity. All the neighbors said so much that Jimmy Rabbit didn't know what to do.
"If I don't ask Nimble you won't be pleased," Jimmy complained to Billy Woodchuck. "And if I do ask him and he should happen to step on you during a dance you wouldn't like that." ”

“ Naturally, nobody likes to have some outsider burst into his house without even stopping to knock.
Now, everyone said that Jimmy Rabbit could run fast—that is, all but Tommy Fox. He never would admit that Jimmy Rabbit was much of a runner. I should hate to say that Tommy Fox was jealous. ”

“ That much he told Jimmy Rabbit when he met him in the woods a little while afterward. And Jimmy Rabbit agreed to get the news, somehow, to Fatty Coon and Cuffy Bear.
He was as good as his promise—even better. For Jimmy told everybody he met [Pg 31] that day. He explained about the excursion to the garden patch and said that every one must be ready to start just as the moon peeped over the rim of the world, for Nimble Deer's mother wouldn't wait for anybody that wasn't on hand. ”

“ And Jimmy Rabbit made up his mind, before he camep. 73 away from Farmer Green's barn, that he wanted to make pictures himself.
Mr. Crow had said that the strange man, who made the picture of Swift River, was an artist. Well, Jimmy intended to begin to be an artist the very next day. And he was so grateful to Mr. Crow for explaining everything to him that he decided he would do something specially nice for the old gentleman.
And all at once a happy thought came into Jimmy's head. He would make a picture of Mr. Crow!
p. 74
In the woods near the foot of Blue Mountain news travels fast. ”

“ It is very hard to keep anything from one's mother
p. 85
At the gypsies' camp Jimmy Rabbit had seen something that was very interesting. He had watched the gypsies telling fortunes. And he saw no reason why he should not become a fortune-teller himself. It looked easy enough. All you had to do was to hold the hand of the person whose fortune you were telling and say anything that came into your head. ”

“ Crow arrived.
"I'd have been here before," he said, "but I stopped to get a new hat."
"That's too bad!" Jimmy told him. "You know, gentlemen never wear hats when they're having their portraitsp. 76 painted. But I'll tell you what you can do," he added, for he saw that Mr. Crow was disappointed. "You can hold your hat in your hand."
That seemed to make Mr. Crow feel better. But Mr. Fox almost spoiled everything by saying, "Then he'll have to stand on one leg."
Jimmy Rabbit hadn't thought of that. And Mr. Crow only made it harder for him. ”

“ Everybody laughed at that—except Tommy Fox. He frowned. And when it was his turn to leap over the others he sprang so high and so far that he jumped over Frisky Squirrel and Fatty Coon together, without once touching the ground. It was really a wonderful jump.
"What do you think of that?" Tommy asked with a grin. "Can any of you beat that?"
p. 55
"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-frog player ought to be able to jump over three people at a time."
Fatty Coon shook his head. ”

“ You must learn to leap higher and further. You're not halfp. 54 as good a jumper as I supposed you were."
Tommy Fox did not like that very well. And if he and Jimmy Rabbit had been alone I am afraid he would have done something very unpleasant to Jimmy. ”

“ Nimble followed him.
"Now," Jimmy Rabbit went on, "step inside this thicket and let only your head and neck stick out!"
"What shall I do with my antlers?" Nimble asked him. "They won't come off, because it's the wrong time of year to shed them."
"Oh! I want your antlers to show too," Jimmy Rabbit assured him.
So Nimble did exactly as Jimmy Rabbit had told him.
Then Jimmy sat up a little way off, cocked his head on one side, and looked at [Pg 115] Nimble. "That's fine!" he declared. "When the moon comes up everybody will be able to see you—except what's hidden by the evergreens." ”

“ The famous race between Grumpy Weasel and Jimmy Rabbit went on and on. Jimmy turned and twisted this way and that, up and down and back and forth through Pleasant Valley. He could still run faster than Grumpy Weasel, it is true. ”

“ At that Nimble gave a groan.
"S-s-h!" Jimmy Rabbit laid a paw [Pg 122] upon his lips. "Keep still! Stuffed animals never talk. If you don't look out somebody will hear you."
And then he hurried away to join his guests. He did not want to leave them alone too long. He feared they might be saying things to each other about his new hat-rack.
Contents
[Pg 123]
XXIV UNCLE JERRY CHUCK
Soon Jimmy Rabbit's friends arrived at his party in throngs. And soon Nimble Deer's antlers bristled with hats and coats of many kinds and colors.
"I must look like a Christmas tree," Nimble thought. ”

“ You see Faithful was lying down with his mouth open trying to look like a rabbit hole, and he did it so well that the rabbit came straight at him. Jimmy says Faithful swerved about ten yards to one side in order to hurl himself bodily at the rabbit, and he would have done it if the other dog hadn't poked his nose in.
Jimmy says the other dog killed the rabbit, but Faithful went up and smelt at it like anything. Faithful is a splendid smeller, Jimmy says. He can retrieve rabbits almost as well as he can catch them. ”

“ Crow knew right away.
"That wasn't really Swift River that you saw in front of him. It was just something that looked like it.... Haven't you ever seen a picture?" Mr. Crow asked.
Jimmy Rabbit had to admit that he had never had that pleasure.
"Well!" said Mr. Crow. "I can tell you where you can see better pictures thanp. 72 that man can make. He only paints rivers and mountains, and lakes. But down at Farmer Green's, all over the front of the barn, you'll find the most beautiful pictures anyone could ask for. You'll see ladies riding on horses—standing up, mind you! ”

“ There was another dog there, Jimmy says, in case the rabbits came out too quickly for Faithful to catch them all. The first rabbit that came out didn't have any chance, Jimmy says. It bolted out as hard as it could, and there was a splendid race between the rabbit and Faithful. You see the rabbit was making for a burrow in the hedge, but old Faithful got there first and tried to get his head down it, to cut off the rabbit's retreat. Jimmy says the rabbit was nonplussed, and the other dog caught it easily. It is beautiful to see two dogs work together like that, Jimmy says. ”

“ Merry Sun and work all day!"
Just then Jimmy Jay flew by in his beautiful blue coat and white waistcoat. Now Jimmy Jay is a dreadful tease. He's the biggest tease in all the Shady Forest. And when he saw the little bunny, he stopped to ask a question.
"Why don't you build a house for yourself on the Sunny Meadow?"
"I don't need one," answered the little rabbit. "Old Bramble Patch, U. S. A., is where I live."
"But everybody is building a home," went on Jimmy Jay. "Why don't you get to work?" and the mischievous little bird picked off a hard round bud and threw it at the little rabbit. ”

“ But he happened to think that when his mother learned that he had been at the gypsies' camp all day she might not be pleased. And then he remembered that sign.
"Why don't you answer me?" Mrs. Rabbit asked. "You'd better speak up at once. Where have you been?" ”

“ And by another month or two there ought to be good coasting. It certainly wasn't betting, he thought. And as for losing the race—and his wheelbarrow—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 the creek to Broad Brook—a good day's journey, I call it. It's too late to start to-day."
Jimmy Rabbit grinned. He knew that he could run that far fifty times a day.
"I'll be at the creek early in the morning," he promised.
p. 46
On the morning of his great race with Mr. ”

“ POOR JIMMY MINK As soon as Little Rabbit had told the old gentleman frog to watch out for the Miller’s Boy, he hopped along by the Bubbling Brook, as it wound in and out among the trees of the Shady Forest or went splashing over rocks and fallen logs. All of a sudden he met Jimmy Mink. But, oh dear me! What was the matter with Jimmy Mink? He was hobbling on three legs. What could be the matter?
“Helloa, there, Jimmy Mink,” shouted the little rabbit.
“What makes you walk on three legs,
[54] When you can walk on four? ”

“ Every one thought it was the very best joke ever. Jimmy Skunk had gone off to take a bath and get two more eggs for Peter Rabbit's party. Reddy Fox and Shadow the Weasel, peeping out from the hollow log where they were hiding, could see Jimmy on his way back with a big goose egg under each arm. Shadow smacked his lips. He meant to have those eggs himself.
Pretty soon all the little forest and meadow people whom Peter Rabbit had invited were gathered around the foot of Unc' Billy Possum's hollow tree, and each had brought something good to eat. ”