BOBBIE REDVEST
Now, let me see where we left off in the last story. Oh, yes; now I remember. Professor Jim Crow had just corrected Granddaddy Bullfrog, who was dreadful angry to think that he had made a mistake in saying the sun got up every morning at the same time. And, just as he was going to say something more, a little tadpole swam up to the log and called out:
“Granddaddy Bullfrog, please take care,The Miller’s Boy is just over there.He’ll throw a stone at you, I know,If you don’t quickly dive below.”
“Granddaddy Bullfrog, please take care,The Miller’s Boy is just over there.He’ll throw a stone at you, I know,If you don’t quickly dive below.”
“Granddaddy Bullfrog, please take care,The Miller’s Boy is just over there.He’ll throw a stone at you, I know,If you don’t quickly dive below.”
“Granddaddy Bullfrog, please take care,
The Miller’s Boy is just over there.
He’ll throw a stone at you, I know,
If you don’t quickly dive below.”
Well, sir, Granddaddy Bullfrog gave one look and then, kerplunk! he dived into thewater. And Professor Jim Crow flew away, and so did Little Jack Rabbit—I mean hopped, for rabbits don’t fly—and pretty soon he got into a dreadful scrape. Oh, dear me! I just hate to tell you about it, but I must, for everything the little bunny does I write down, even if I don’t see him do it. And do you know how I learn so much about him? I’ll tell you. It’s because every morning Bobbie Redvest comes to my window and says:
“Wake up, wake up, you lazy man!And listen to my song.I saw your little rabbit friendPlay tag the whole day long.”
“Wake up, wake up, you lazy man!And listen to my song.I saw your little rabbit friendPlay tag the whole day long.”
“Wake up, wake up, you lazy man!And listen to my song.I saw your little rabbit friendPlay tag the whole day long.”
“Wake up, wake up, you lazy man!
And listen to my song.
I saw your little rabbit friend
Play tag the whole day long.”
And then I go to the window and ask him in, and give him some cracker crumbs. And as soon as he has had his breakfast he tells me what to write about. And if hedidn’t there would be many days I wouldn’t know what Little Jack Rabbit is doing, for I can’t run after him in the Shady Forest all the time.
And, now I’m going to tell you about the scrape this dear little rabbit got into. Oh, dear me again! I hope he’ll get out of it all right! I told Bobbie Redvest to be around to-morrow bright and early to let me know.
Well, just as Little Jack Rabbit hopped away from the Old Duck Pond he saw the tip of Old Man Weasel’s nose from behind a tree, and the tip of Danny Fox’s bushy tail behind a rock, and the left ear of Mr. Wicked Wolf from behind a bush. Wasn’t that too dreadful for anything? Here were these three enemies of the little rabbit just waiting to catch him.
“Oh, dear, oh, dear!” said the poor little bunny, “I’m a goner now. I know, I know it!” But he didn’t give up hope. Oh, my, no! He just said that to himself, you see. Not to anybody else. And just then he heard Bobbie Redvest sing very softly:
“Under the bush, by your left hind toe,Is a little trap door that leads below.Jump back three feet as quick as you can.And you will be safe, little bunny man!”
“Under the bush, by your left hind toe,Is a little trap door that leads below.Jump back three feet as quick as you can.And you will be safe, little bunny man!”
“Under the bush, by your left hind toe,Is a little trap door that leads below.Jump back three feet as quick as you can.And you will be safe, little bunny man!”
“Under the bush, by your left hind toe,
Is a little trap door that leads below.
Jump back three feet as quick as you can.
And you will be safe, little bunny man!”