Chapter VIIITHE TELL-THE-TIME RABBIT
The Runaway Bunny could talk in rhyme,But for years and years he couldn’t tell time.
The Runaway Bunny could talk in rhyme,But for years and years he couldn’t tell time.
The Runaway Bunny could talk in rhyme,But for years and years he couldn’t tell time.
The Runaway Bunny could talk in rhyme,
But for years and years he couldn’t tell time.
One day the Runaway Bunny woke up in his own little house and sang:
“It is such a pleasant autumn day,I’m really thinking of running away.”
“It is such a pleasant autumn day,I’m really thinking of running away.”
“It is such a pleasant autumn day,I’m really thinking of running away.”
“It is such a pleasant autumn day,
I’m really thinking of running away.”
He put on his Wrist Watch for company, though he could not tell time to save his little stubby tail!
He was going hippety-hop along when he met Old Brother Bear. TheBear passed the time of day, but seemed to be in a terrible hurry and growled:
“What is the real time? I fear I’m late,But I must get there, at any rate!”
“What is the real time? I fear I’m late,But I must get there, at any rate!”
“What is the real time? I fear I’m late,But I must get there, at any rate!”
“What is the real time? I fear I’m late,
But I must get there, at any rate!”
“Where are you going?” inquired the Runaway Bunny.
But Old Brother Bear only hurried on.
Next Foxy-Lox came along and chattered:
“What is the real time? I cannot wait,But I must get there, at any rate!”
“What is the real time? I cannot wait,But I must get there, at any rate!”
“What is the real time? I cannot wait,But I must get there, at any rate!”
“What is the real time? I cannot wait,
But I must get there, at any rate!”
“Where are you going?” asked the Runaway Bunny.
But Foxy-Lox had no time to answerhim, and went hurrying down the path without even a backward glance.
The Runaway Bunny said to himself:
“To tell the time’s a convenient habit,For even a funny Runaway Rabbit.”
“To tell the time’s a convenient habit,For even a funny Runaway Rabbit.”
“To tell the time’s a convenient habit,For even a funny Runaway Rabbit.”
“To tell the time’s a convenient habit,
For even a funny Runaway Rabbit.”
“Tick, tick, tick,” went the little Wrist Watch and it sang:
“To talk a little is my turn,I’ll teach the time, if you want to learn.”
“To talk a little is my turn,I’ll teach the time, if you want to learn.”
“To talk a little is my turn,I’ll teach the time, if you want to learn.”
“To talk a little is my turn,
I’ll teach the time, if you want to learn.”
“The Runaway Bunny was surprised”“The Runaway Bunny was surprised”
“The Runaway Bunny was surprised”
“The Runaway Bunny was surprised”
The Runaway Bunny was surprised, you may be sure, and put his ear down close to the little watch to listen.
The little Wrist Watch continued:
“To learn some things is in your power,The short hand tells us all the hour.”
“To learn some things is in your power,The short hand tells us all the hour.”
“To learn some things is in your power,The short hand tells us all the hour.”
“To learn some things is in your power,
The short hand tells us all the hour.”
The Runaway Bunny skipped this way and that way, and sang:
“’Tis more fun making a simple rhyme,With a little Wrist Watch to tell the time.”
“’Tis more fun making a simple rhyme,With a little Wrist Watch to tell the time.”
“’Tis more fun making a simple rhyme,With a little Wrist Watch to tell the time.”
“’Tis more fun making a simple rhyme,
With a little Wrist Watch to tell the time.”
The little Wrist Watch continued:
“Let’s run a race. Come, who will win it?My long hand tells you of each minute.”
“Let’s run a race. Come, who will win it?My long hand tells you of each minute.”
“Let’s run a race. Come, who will win it?My long hand tells you of each minute.”
“Let’s run a race. Come, who will win it?
My long hand tells you of each minute.”
Then the Runaway Bunny ran on faster than ever and the tiny hands of the Wrist Watch ran round its face. Before he could believe it, the Runaway Bunny was learning to tell time.
He shouted:
“A quarter of eight! I won’t be late;I’ve learned a little, at any rate.”
“A quarter of eight! I won’t be late;I’ve learned a little, at any rate.”
“A quarter of eight! I won’t be late;I’ve learned a little, at any rate.”
“A quarter of eight! I won’t be late;
I’ve learned a little, at any rate.”
He learned half past and a quarter past and a quarter of the hours.
He sang merrily:
“Over this garden fence I’ll climb;I know it is my breakfast time.”
“Over this garden fence I’ll climb;I know it is my breakfast time.”
“Over this garden fence I’ll climb;I know it is my breakfast time.”
“Over this garden fence I’ll climb;
I know it is my breakfast time.”
He sat down and began to eat cabbage leaves. My! how fresh and crisp they were!
He began to wonder about the animals he had met. He wondered where they could be going. Don’t you wonder, too?
All this time Old Brother Bear was on his way to the home of Father and Mother Bun. When he came in, those two old Bunnies were sitting by the fire.
“Sitting by the fire”“Sitting by the fire”
“Sitting by the fire”
“Sitting by the fire”
He took off his cap politely and said:
“May I come in and warm my paws?Its freezing cold until it thaws.”
“May I come in and warm my paws?Its freezing cold until it thaws.”
“May I come in and warm my paws?Its freezing cold until it thaws.”
“May I come in and warm my paws?
Its freezing cold until it thaws.”
“Gave him a plate of cakes”“Gave him a plate of cakes”
“Gave him a plate of cakes”
“Gave him a plate of cakes”
Seeing that Old Brother Bear was friendly, Old Father Bun allowed him to sit in a rocking chair by the fire. Old Mother Bun gave him a plate of cakes, smoking hot, with honey on them. Old Mother Bun said:
“I hope, kind sir, that you like honey;It makes me think of our Runaway Bunny.”
“I hope, kind sir, that you like honey;It makes me think of our Runaway Bunny.”
“I hope, kind sir, that you like honey;It makes me think of our Runaway Bunny.”
“I hope, kind sir, that you like honey;
It makes me think of our Runaway Bunny.”
“Did he have long ears and a tiny tail?” asked Old Brother Bear.
“Yes, yes,” shouted Old Mother Bun.
“Did he carry a little Wrist Watch?” asked Old Brother Bear.
“Yes, yes,” shouted Old Father Bun.
Then Old Brother Bear, who was something of a joker, smacked his lips and said:
“Such fine cakes are worth much money,I also thank you for the honey.”
“Such fine cakes are worth much money,I also thank you for the honey.”
“Such fine cakes are worth much money,I also thank you for the honey.”
“Such fine cakes are worth much money,
I also thank you for the honey.”
So saying, he bowed politely and walked out of the door.
Old Mother Bun remarked:
“I really think it very funny,He would not talk of the Runaway Bunny.”
“I really think it very funny,He would not talk of the Runaway Bunny.”
“I really think it very funny,He would not talk of the Runaway Bunny.”
“I really think it very funny,
He would not talk of the Runaway Bunny.”
Old Father Bun’s head went nid-nid-nodding.
“Up walked Old Foxy-Lox”“Up walked Old Foxy-Lox”
“Up walked Old Foxy-Lox”
“Up walked Old Foxy-Lox”
Up walked Old Foxy-Lox, tapping on the window pane.
Foxy-Lox asked for cookies and honey, but Old Mother Bun would not let him in.
He went off, shouting:
“I saw the Runaway Rabbit to-day,And as usual he was running away.”
“I saw the Runaway Rabbit to-day,And as usual he was running away.”
“I saw the Runaway Rabbit to-day,And as usual he was running away.”
“I saw the Runaway Rabbit to-day,
And as usual he was running away.”
“Call him back! Call him back!” called Old Father Bun, who had waked up in time to hear Foxy-Lox shout.
Mother Bun shook her head as she counted her silver spoons, saying:
“Though it may seem to you absurd,He sometimes robs good folk, I’ve heard.”
“Though it may seem to you absurd,He sometimes robs good folk, I’ve heard.”
“Though it may seem to you absurd,He sometimes robs good folk, I’ve heard.”
“Though it may seem to you absurd,
He sometimes robs good folk, I’ve heard.”
Old Father Bun said:
“Alackaday! What shall I say?Will the Runaway Bunny come back some day?”
“Alackaday! What shall I say?Will the Runaway Bunny come back some day?”
“Alackaday! What shall I say?Will the Runaway Bunny come back some day?”
“Alackaday! What shall I say?
Will the Runaway Bunny come back some day?”
While all this was going on, theRunaway Bunny continued to eat as much cabbage as he wanted.
The little Wrist Watch said to him:
“To tell the time is a useful habit;Let’s see you do it, you cunning Rabbit!”
“To tell the time is a useful habit;Let’s see you do it, you cunning Rabbit!”
“To tell the time is a useful habit;Let’s see you do it, you cunning Rabbit!”
“To tell the time is a useful habit;
Let’s see you do it, you cunning Rabbit!”
The Runaway Bunny had really learned to tell the time. But he wanted to tease, so he said:
“It is bedtime, bedtime,O’er all the world in every clime.”
“It is bedtime, bedtime,O’er all the world in every clime.”
“It is bedtime, bedtime,O’er all the world in every clime.”
“It is bedtime, bedtime,
O’er all the world in every clime.”
Then he curled up in a hole in a hollow tree and went to sleep.
All the time, his little Wrist Watch ticked busily on.
For all who wanted to hear, it sang:
“For hours and hours I tick away,A-telling time by night and day.“My long hand always points the minute;And how much good can you do in it?“My short hand always points the hour;To learn it is within your power.“For telling time’s an easy trickIf you have learned arithmetic.”
“For hours and hours I tick away,A-telling time by night and day.“My long hand always points the minute;And how much good can you do in it?“My short hand always points the hour;To learn it is within your power.“For telling time’s an easy trickIf you have learned arithmetic.”
“For hours and hours I tick away,A-telling time by night and day.
“For hours and hours I tick away,
A-telling time by night and day.
“My long hand always points the minute;And how much good can you do in it?
“My long hand always points the minute;
And how much good can you do in it?
“My short hand always points the hour;To learn it is within your power.
“My short hand always points the hour;
To learn it is within your power.
“For telling time’s an easy trickIf you have learned arithmetic.”
“For telling time’s an easy trick
If you have learned arithmetic.”
That night the Runaway Rabbit cried out in his sleep:
“It is warm in a hollow tree, I declare;It is dream time, dream time everywhere!”
“It is warm in a hollow tree, I declare;It is dream time, dream time everywhere!”
“It is warm in a hollow tree, I declare;It is dream time, dream time everywhere!”
“It is warm in a hollow tree, I declare;
It is dream time, dream time everywhere!”