Billy Bunny and Uncle Bull Frog.

by David Magie Cory.

STORY I.

BILLY BUNNY AND MR. BLACKSNAKE.

Rain, rain, go away, Billy Bunny wants to play.

This is what w.i.l.l.y Wind sang one morning. Oh, so early, as the raindrops pitter-pattered on the roof of the little rabbit's house in the Old Brier Patch.

And then of course he woke up and wiggled his little pink nose a million times less or more, and pretty soon he was wide awake, so he got up and looked into the mirror to see if his eyes were open, as he wasn't quite sure he was wide awake after all, for the raindrops made a drowsy noise on the old shingles and the alarm clock wouldn't go off, although it was 14 o'clock.

Well, after a little while, not so very long, his mother called to him, "Billy Bunny, the stewed lollypops are getting cold and the robin's eggs will be hard boiled if you don't hurry up, or hurry down, or something."

"I'll be ready in a jiffy," answered the little rabbit, and then he brushed his whiskers and parted his hair in the middle with a little chip, and after that he was ready for breakfast and dinner and supper, for rabbits are always hungry, you know, and can eat all the time, so I've been told, and I guess it must be true, for why should an old rabbit have told me that if it isn't the truth, I should like to know, and so would you, I'm sure.

"Don't forget your rubber boots," said Mrs. Bunny after the morning meal was over, as Billy Bunny started to hop outdoors. So, like a good little bunny boy, he came back and put them on, and then before he went he polished the bra.s.s door k.n.o.b on the front door and swept the leaves off the little stone walk.

And after that he was ready to do whatever he liked, so out he went on the Pleasant Meadow to eat some clover tops so as not to feel hungry for the next ten minutes.

And just then Mrs. Cow came along with her tinkle, tinkle bell that hung at her throat from a leather collar.

"Where are you going?" she asked, but the little rabbit didn't know.

He was only looking around. He hadn't had time to make up his mind what to do, and just then, all of a sudden, just like that, Mr.

Blacksnake rose out of the gra.s.s.

"Look out!" cried Mrs. Cow. "Maybe he's going to eat you," but whether he was I'm sure I don't know, for Billy Bunny didn't wait to see. He didn't care whether Mr. Blacksnake wanted his breakfast, but hopped away as fast as he could and pretty soon, not so very far, he came to the Babbling Brook, and there sat the little fresh water crab on the sand, and when he saw Billy Bunny he said:

"It's raining, Billy Bunny, But you and I don't care, For raindrops make the flowers Grow and blossom fair."

And this is what every little boy and girl should say on rainy days.

STORY II.

BILLY BUNNY AND THE FRESHWATER CRAB.

Let me see. It was raining in the last story when we left off, wasn't it? Billy Bunny and the little freshwater crab were talking together, weren't they?

That's it, and now I know where to begin, for it's stopped raining since then and Mr. Happy Sun is shining in the sky and the little clouds are chasing each other over the blue meadows like little lambs.

"I like that little piece of poetry you just said," cried the little rabbit. "Please say another." So the freshwater crab wrinkled his forehead, and then he began:

"And when the sun is shining, And all is bright and gay, Just keep a little sunshine To help a rainy day."

"I will," said the little bunny, for he was a cheerful little fellow, and then he hopped away and by and by he came to the Old Mill Pond.

But Uncle Bullfrog was nowhere to be seen.

There stood the old log, but there was n.o.body on it but a black snail.

It seemed strange not to see the old gentleman frog sitting there, his eyes winking and blinking and his white waist-coat shining in the sun, and it made the little rabbit feel lonely.

"Where is Uncle Bullfrog?" he asked a big bluebottle fly, who was buzzing away at a great rate. But he didn't know, and neither did a big darning needle that was skimming over the quiet water.

"I wonder if that dreadful Miller's Boy has taken Uncle Bullfrog away," thought Billy Bunny, and just then Mrs. Oriole flew down from her nest that swung in the weeping willow tree and said:

"Are you looking for Uncle Bullfrog, little rabbit?"

"Yes, ma'am. Do you know where he is?"

"He's down by the mill dam," answered the pretty little bird, and then she flew back to her nest that looked like an old white cotton stocking at Christmas time because it was all bulgy and full, only, of course, hers had little birds inside and a Christmas stocking has all sorts of toys, with an orange in the toe and a Jack-in-the-Box sticking out of the top.

So off hopped the little rabbit, and pretty soon he saw the old gentleman bullfrog catching flies, and undoing his waistcoat one b.u.t.ton every time a fly disappeared down his throat.

"I thought at first that dreadful Miller's Boy had taken you away,"

said Billy Bunny, "and I was very sad, for I like you, Uncle Bullfrog, and I've never forgotten how you found the letter I lost a long time ago."

"Tut, tut," said the old gentleman frog. "How's your mother?" and then he swallowed another fly and unb.u.t.toned the last b.u.t.ton, and if he takes off his waistcoat I'll tell you so in the next story.

STORY III.

BILLY BUNNY AND THE SORROWFUL JAY BIRD.

Well, Uncle Bullfrog didn't take off his waistcoat, as I thought he might in the last story, so I'm not going to tell you anything more about him.

We'll just leave him in the old Mill Pond and go along with Billy Bunny, who is hopping away toward the Friendly Forest.

By and by, after he had gone into the shady depths for maybe a million and two or three hops, he came across his old friend the jay bird, who had sold him the airship, you remember, and then bought it back again.

"I wish you'd kept your old flying machine," said the jay bird sorrowfully.

"But you wanted to buy it back," said the little rabbit, "so it's not my fault."

"Perhaps not," replied the sorrowful jay bird, "but that doesn't make matters any better."

"Why, what's the trouble?" asked the little rabbit, sitting down and taking a lollypop out of his knapsack.

"I had an accident," answered the jay bird.

"I ran into a thunder cloud and spilled out all the lightning, and, oh dear, oh dear. I just hate to talk about it, but I will. The lightning jumped all around and then struck the old tower clock and broke the main spring, so that it wouldn't go any more, and now n.o.body in Rabbitville can tell the day of the month, or when it will be Thanksgiving or Fourth of July."