THE THINKING CAP
Oh, dear me. I just hate to start this story, for I must tell you something very unpleasant. You remember in the last one Little Jack Rabbit and Uncle John Hare were skating away as fast as they could from Mr. Wicked Wolf. But, oh, dear me. All of a sudden, just like that, Uncle John Hare’s skate came off. And of course that wasn’t lucky, let me tell you. Oh, my, no. It was simply dreadful. And when Mr. Wicked Wolf saw the predicament, which means a dreadful fix, you know, which the dear old gentleman rabbit was in, he kicked up his heels and pretty soon he was so close that even if Uncle John Hare could have fastenedon his skate again he never would have been able to get away.
“Ha ha, ho ho, now I’ve got you two,And I’ll skate you both till you’re black and blue,And then I’ll take you home for a stew.For Mrs. Wolf knows how to makeA rabbit stew and a big pancake.”
“Ha ha, ho ho, now I’ve got you two,And I’ll skate you both till you’re black and blue,And then I’ll take you home for a stew.For Mrs. Wolf knows how to makeA rabbit stew and a big pancake.”
“Ha ha, ho ho, now I’ve got you two,And I’ll skate you both till you’re black and blue,And then I’ll take you home for a stew.For Mrs. Wolf knows how to makeA rabbit stew and a big pancake.”
“Ha ha, ho ho, now I’ve got you two,
And I’ll skate you both till you’re black and blue,
And then I’ll take you home for a stew.
For Mrs. Wolf knows how to make
A rabbit stew and a big pancake.”
And, oh, dear me again, and maybe once more, for I don’t know what’s going to happen, and maybe it will happen before I can write it, and then what will we all do, I should like to know? Maybe there won’t be any more stories.
“Wait just a minute, Mr. Wicked Wolf,” said the old gentleman rabbit, and he took out his gold watch and chain. “It’s just 13 o’clock, and that’s a very unlucky number.” Mr. Wicked Wolf scratched his head, for he didn’t know what to do, andneither would I and neither would you if we had been there.
“I’ll wait till five minutes past 13,” said the wicked old wolf with a grin, which showed all his white teeth, and the gold one which Dr. Dentist Duck had put in after the railroad accident, which I’ll tell you about some day if I don’t forget it.
“Now put on your thinking cap,” said Uncle John Hare. So Little Jack Rabbit opened his knapsack and took out a little pink worsted thinking cap and put it on his head and pretty soon, not so very long, before the five minutes were up, of course, he said:
“Mr. Wolf, if I were youI wouldn’t eat a rabbit stew;I’d rather have a chicken pieIf I were you and you were I.”
“Mr. Wolf, if I were youI wouldn’t eat a rabbit stew;I’d rather have a chicken pieIf I were you and you were I.”
“Mr. Wolf, if I were youI wouldn’t eat a rabbit stew;I’d rather have a chicken pieIf I were you and you were I.”
“Mr. Wolf, if I were you
I wouldn’t eat a rabbit stew;
I’d rather have a chicken pie
If I were you and you were I.”
“I never thought of chicken pie,” answered Mr. Wicked Wolf, and the more he thought about it the more he wanted it. So pretty soon he said:
“I’ll let you off this time if you’ll motor me to the Farmyard.” But, oh, dear me! Those two little rabbits didn’t want to do that. No, sireemam.
“Hurry up and decide,” growled Mr. Wicked Wolf with a dreadful grin.
“Wait a minute if you please,I’m so worried I shall sneeze,”
“Wait a minute if you please,I’m so worried I shall sneeze,”
“Wait a minute if you please,I’m so worried I shall sneeze,”
“Wait a minute if you please,
I’m so worried I shall sneeze,”
said Uncle John Hare. I guess he would have said ’most anything to gain time.
Just then, all of a sudden, who should come along but the Yellow Dog Tramp. Wasn’t that lucky? So the little rabbits started off in their Bunnymobile without Mr. Wicked Wolf.