A Narrow Escape

Frisky Squirrel had a hard time pus.h.i.+ng the wheelbarrow home with Jimmy Rabbit on top of the load of vegetables. He puffed and groaned. And he had to stop every little while to catch his breath.

"You see, you're not used to wheeling a wheelbarrow," Jimmy told him.

"For me, it's no trouble at all. But then, I'm stronger than you are."

Now, Frisky had been almost ready to tell Jimmy that he might trundle the barrow the rest of the way. But when he heard that he made up his mind that he would get that wheelbarrow up the hill to Jimmy's house if he didn't do another thing that day.

So he started on again. And at last he stopped in front of Jimmy Rabbit's door.

Jimmy hopped nimbly to the ground. But poor Frisky was so tired that he lay right down and went to sleep. And the next day he never went near Farmer Green's garden.

But Jimmy Rabbit didn't mind that at all. There were plenty of others who wanted to trundle the wheelbarrow. And this time Jimmy told Billy Woodchuck that _he_ might wheel the barrow home for him.

Once more Jimmy Rabbit stood by while the vegetables were gathered for him. Once more he seated himself on top of the load. And once more he had a free ride up the long hill. Jimmy had changed his mind about Farmer Green's garden. He even asked his mother if he might not bring home two loads of vegetables each day, instead of only one. And he was disappointed when she said "No!"

There was one thing, however, that Jimmy had overlooked. As the days went by, one by one his friends stayed away from the garden-patch. And at last there was n.o.body left who wanted to push the wheelbarrow except Fatty c.o.o.n. And Fatty c.o.o.n was really no friend of his at all. In fact, Jimmy did not like him, because he never could feel sure that Fatty would not get hungry all at once and try to eat him.

But Fatty teased so hard that at last Jimmy agreed to give him his turn at the fun (Jimmy was always careful to speak of gathering vegetables and wheeling them home as "fun").

When the barrow was full, Jimmy Rabbit again climbed on top of the load.

But he kept very close watch of Fatty. And he was ready, any moment, to leap off the wheelbarrow in case Fatty should reach for his legs.

Fatty c.o.o.n was strong. He did not tire so easily as the others had. But finally he let go the handles and straightened up.

"What's the matter?" asked Jimmy. "You're not tired, are you?"

"No!" said Fatty. "But it's harder work than I supposed. I declare, I'm getting terribly hungry."

When Jimmy Rabbit heard him say that, his heart went _pitty-pat_. And he almost ran away, then and there.

But what would become of his nice new wheelbarrow if he did that? He was afraid that Fatty c.o.o.n would run off with it.

"My goodness! I'm growing hungrier every minute!" said Fatty c.o.o.n.

Then Jimmy Rabbit had a happy thought. He grabbed up a handful of green peas and tossed them to Fatty.

"Here!" he said. "Eat those! Maybe they'll make you feel better."

Fatty c.o.o.n ate the peas greedily.

"More!" he said. As you see, he was not very polite.

Jimmy threw him two handfuls then.

Still Fatty c.o.o.n said "More!"

So Jimmy rolled a turnip off the load. And after that he threw out a cabbage, and then a head of lettuce.

"More! more! more!" Fatty ordered.

And soon Jimmy Rabbit saw with dismay that the vegetables were nearly all gone. In a few moments he reached the very last one--a big turnip which he could hardly lift.

But he managed to pick it up and raise it above his head. And then with all his might he threw the turnip straight at Fatty c.o.o.n.

Fatty was just opening his mouth to say "More!" But he never said it.

The big turnip struck him right on his fat stomach and knocked his breath out. He gave a faint groan and toppled over on the ground. And he was so fat that he started to roll.

Though he clawed at the gra.s.s to stop himself, he rolled faster and faster down the hill.

He was a very comical sight. And at any other time Jimmy Rabbit would have stopped to laugh. But Jimmy was so glad to be rid of Fatty c.o.o.n that he picked up the handles of his little wheelbarrow and ran home as fast as he could jump.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 7 A Fast Runner]

7

A Fast Runner

On Blue Mountain, and in Pleasant Valley as well, there lived many fast runners. And among the swiftest was Jimmy Rabbit. But he never ran very far. Whenever he was startled he would go bounding off like the wind; but pretty soon he would stop and listen to see if anyone was following him. And if it happened to be dog Spot, he always hurried to a hollow stump, or perhaps a woodchuck's hole--or a skunk's--and hid there until Spot went away.

Of course, there was some risk in going into somebody else's house. For if the owner happened to be at home there was likely to be a quarrel.

Naturally, n.o.body likes to have some outsider burst into his house without even stopping to knock.

Now, everyone said that Jimmy Rabbit could run fast--that is, all but Tommy Fox. He never would admit that Jimmy Rabbit was much of a runner.

I should hate to say that Tommy Fox was jealous. But it certainly did annoy him to hear so much said about Jimmy's wonderful speed.

Perhaps he never would have suggested the race, if Jimmy Rabbit hadn't boasted so much about his running. You see, in time Jimmy's head became turned. And he was often heard to say that there was no one in that part of the country who could beat him.

"Of course, there may be some one, somewhere, who can outrun me," Jimmy Rabbit said. "But I have yet to meet him."

That was a little more than Tommy Fox could bear. And he went off, looking very sour. He trotted over to the creek, did Tommy Fox. And there he might have been seen talking to Mr. Turtle. He talked with him for a long time. And when at last he went away Tommy's face wore a very different look. He was actually smiling.

The very next day Jimmy Rabbit met Tommy Fox in the woods.

"You'd better go home!" Tommy told him. "You have a caller waiting to see you. I just happened to pa.s.s your house, and the caller asked me if I had seen you."

"Who is it?" Jimmy asked him.

But Tommy Fox would not tell him.

"It's really none of my business," he said.

Jimmy Rabbit hurried off. He wondered who wanted to see him, and why.