RESOLUTIONS
Now, let me see. We left Little Jack Rabbit in Uncle John Hare’s house in the last story, didn’t we? And Uncle John had just brought out a nice apple pie, and the three little grasshoppers and the tiny black cricket had helped the dear old gentleman rabbit eat it up. Well, after a while, Little Jack Rabbit said he must be going, for he wanted to get back to the Old Bramble Patch before New Year’s Eve. So he said good-by and hopped away, and by and by, not so very far, he saw Professor Jim Crow with his little Wisdom Book.
“Wait a minute, little rabbit. Have you thought about the New Year?”
“Oh, yes,” answered Little Jack Rabbit. “I’ve thought a lot about it.”
“Let me read you something,” said the wise old professor and then he opened his little Wisdom Book, but first, of course, he put on his spectacles.
“You must make a res-o-lu-tion—Which means a promise to yourself—That you will be a rabbitWho will drop a naughty habit,And do to other people what you would do for self.”
“You must make a res-o-lu-tion—Which means a promise to yourself—That you will be a rabbitWho will drop a naughty habit,And do to other people what you would do for self.”
“You must make a res-o-lu-tion—Which means a promise to yourself—That you will be a rabbitWho will drop a naughty habit,And do to other people what you would do for self.”
“You must make a res-o-lu-tion—
Which means a promise to yourself—
That you will be a rabbit
Who will drop a naughty habit,
And do to other people what you would do for self.”
And then Professor Jim Crow closed his book with a bang and flew away to read a lesson on good manners to a naughty little cat who wore her mother’s hat.
Well, after that, the little rabbit hopped along and by and by he came in sight of the Old Rail Fence, and through the rails hecould see the Old Bramble Patch and his mother hanging out the wash, for it was Monday, and Lady Love washed on Monday, and ironed on Tuesday, and sometimes on Wednesday if Little Jack Rabbit wore more than one shirtwaist a day.
And just then he thought of what the old crow had just read to him: “Let me hand you the clothespins, mother dear, so you won’t have to stoop down and wrinkle your ear.” And this made the kind lady rabbit laugh, for she didn’t know that her little bunny son could make up poetry, just like that, all of a sudden, you know.
Well, pretty soon there was only one clothespin left and two stockings, so he ran into the woodshed and got another clothespin for his mother, and after that they bothwent into the kitchen, for it was almost lunch time.
“It’s half-past one, and the cake is done,And the prunes are stirred to a turn;So don’t let us wait, but fill up each plate,Or I’m afraid the sliced carrot will burn.”
“It’s half-past one, and the cake is done,And the prunes are stirred to a turn;So don’t let us wait, but fill up each plate,Or I’m afraid the sliced carrot will burn.”
“It’s half-past one, and the cake is done,And the prunes are stirred to a turn;So don’t let us wait, but fill up each plate,Or I’m afraid the sliced carrot will burn.”
“It’s half-past one, and the cake is done,
And the prunes are stirred to a turn;
So don’t let us wait, but fill up each plate,
Or I’m afraid the sliced carrot will burn.”
And, goodness gracious me! When Lady Love heard that she looked all around to see who was telling her what to do. But she didn’t see anybody, and neither did the little rabbit until he looked up at the new clock which Uncle John Hare had given his mother for Xmas and then the little bunny knew who was talking, for just inside the Cuckoo Clock House door stood the little bird who told the time of day.
Pretty soon it began to storm, and Mr. North Wind blew great clouds of snow around the little house in the Old BramblePatch. And sometimes he whistled down the chimney till the little cricket in the woodbox shivered and wished it were Summer Time again.
Oh, Mr. North Wind blows so shrill,Across the meadow from the hillThat little rabbits cuddle tightAround the hearthstone, warm and bright,Where now and then the cricket trillsOf lovely spring and daffodils.
Oh, Mr. North Wind blows so shrill,Across the meadow from the hillThat little rabbits cuddle tightAround the hearthstone, warm and bright,Where now and then the cricket trillsOf lovely spring and daffodils.
Oh, Mr. North Wind blows so shrill,Across the meadow from the hillThat little rabbits cuddle tightAround the hearthstone, warm and bright,Where now and then the cricket trillsOf lovely spring and daffodils.
Oh, Mr. North Wind blows so shrill,
Across the meadow from the hill
That little rabbits cuddle tight
Around the hearthstone, warm and bright,
Where now and then the cricket trills
Of lovely spring and daffodils.