HOME AGAIN
Well, as soon as the two little rabbits had hopped out of the sleigh, the Great Bear stretched out his paw and shook hands with Uncle John Hare and the Little Bear shook paws with Little Jack Rabbit, and while all this was going on, the Reindeer suddenly started off.
“Goodness gracious meebus!” exclaimed the old gentleman rabbit, “there goes my team of Reindeer! How are we ever going to get home?”
Now wasn’t that a dreadful fix to be in? Well, I should say it was. Way up in a Sky Country, in Star Land, making a call on the Great Bear and the Little Bear!And no way to get home unless you slid down a moonbeam, and that’s a very dangerous thing to do unless you’re a fairy and know all about it. But don’t get worried, for I’m going to tell you something.
As soon as the Yellow Dog Tramp, who hadn’t jumped out of the sleigh, you remember, saw what was happening, he grabbed up the reins and turned those Reindeer around as quick as a wink, and pretty soon he drove them back to the five-pointed pieces of ice where the two little rabbits and the Great Bear and the Little Bear were sitting.
“Come on!” said the Yellow Dog Tramp. “Let’s get home before the Dog Star catches us!” And away went the Reindeer down the silver Milky Way and pretty soon they were all safely riding over the snow throughthe Shady Forest toward Uncle John Hare’s house.
“Now we’ll have to go back to the North Pole,” said the Reindeer after they had drawn the sleigh into the barn.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” said the old gentleman rabbit; “I like sleigh riding. But of course, if you must go, you know best,” and then the reindeer said good-by and went away to the cold north country where Santa Claus lives and the Xmas trees grow.
And then the Yellow Dog Tramp said he was going back to New Hampshire to see his dear old mother.
“Take this ten-carrot gold piece to her,” said dear, kind, generous Uncle John Hare, and that Tramp Dog almost cried with joy and away he went back to the old homestead in the Green Mountains.
Well, by this time it was pretty late and Mr. Merry Sun had disappeared over the Western Hills, so the two little rabbits went into the house and Uncle John Hare hung up his great fur overcoat and put on his slippers and sat down before the fire to warm his paws, and while he sat there a little cricket came out of a crack in the floor and began to sing:
“I’m the cricket on the hearth,Listen while I sing,Though it’s cold and bleak outdoors,And Jack Frost will nip your pawsRound the hearth it’s warm and brightIn the fire’s golden light.”
“I’m the cricket on the hearth,Listen while I sing,Though it’s cold and bleak outdoors,And Jack Frost will nip your pawsRound the hearth it’s warm and brightIn the fire’s golden light.”
“I’m the cricket on the hearth,Listen while I sing,Though it’s cold and bleak outdoors,And Jack Frost will nip your pawsRound the hearth it’s warm and brightIn the fire’s golden light.”
“I’m the cricket on the hearth,
Listen while I sing,
Though it’s cold and bleak outdoors,
And Jack Frost will nip your paws
Round the hearth it’s warm and bright
In the fire’s golden light.”
And when that little cricket looked up she saw Uncle John Hare fast asleep and Little Jack Rabbit, too, for they were tired out with their long, long sleigh ride.