Part 9 (1/2)

”My father is going to hop over three stumps,” said Bully, the frog, quite proudly. ”Come on, or we may be late.”

So Uncle Wiggily took Sammie and Susie to the animal circus, and Bully, the frog, went also. He had a free ticket, because his father was one of the performers. They had reserved seats on big toadstools, though Bully said they ought to be called frogstools, as frogs used them more than toads did.

Then the performance began, after the birds had sung an opening chorus.

The bunny children had a jolly time. They saw some pigeons give airs.h.i.+p exhibitions that were better than any flying machines you ever heard of.

They watched the snakes make hoops of themselves, through which jumped squirrels and rabbits. It was so exciting that Uncle Wiggily Longears clapped his paws as hard as he could. Then Dr. Possum, who was not very busy taking care of sick people that day, hung downward from a limb by his tail ever so long, but when Bully's papa jumped over three big stumps at once, without so much as touching one--well, you should have heard the clapping and shouting then! Best of all, Sammie and Susie liked the baby deer, who stood up on his hind legs and danced, while a crow whistled. It was so exciting that Sammie and Susie almost forgot to eat the candy-covered carrots and the mola.s.ses-cabbage which their uncle bought for them. It was the best time they had ever remembered, and they talked of nothing else on their way home. Even Uncle Wiggily's rheumatism seemed better. Now, if nothing happens, I am going to tell you to-morrow night of an adventure Sammie Littletail had with a snake.

XVI

SAMMIE AND THE SNAKE

”Sammie,” said Mamma Littletail to her little bunny boy one fine day, ”I wish you would take this basket of cabbage leaves and preserved clover over to Mr. Groundhog. He was so good to let us go in his burrow that night the flood came in here that I want to do him a kindness.”

”Can't Susie come, too, mamma?” asked Sammie, who did not like to go through the woods alone, especially since there were so many boys wandering about on top of the Orange Mountain, now that spring was getting near.

”Yes, Susie may go if she wants to,” answered the rabbit childrens'

mother. ”Do you want to, dear?”

”Oh, yes. I'll go with Sammie. But I think he ought to carry the basket.”

”Of course I will,” said Sammie, and the two set off to the burrow where Mr. Groundhog had his home. It was not far from the underground house where the rabbit family lived, and the children soon reached it. They knocked on the door, and a voice called out:

”Who's there?”

”Sammie and Susie Littletail,” answered Sammie. ”We have some cabbage leaves and preserved clover that mamma sent you.”

”That is very nice,” remarked the groundhog. ”Come right in. I am afraid to come to the door, you know.”

Sammie and Susie walked in and gave Mr. Groundhog the things in the basket. Then Susie, who was very curious, asked him a question.

”Why didn't you want to come to the door?” she inquired.

”Because,” whispered the groundhog, looking around as if he was afraid some one would see him, ”I might see my shadow again, you know, and that would make winter longer than ever. You know I went out Candlemas Day and I saw it, and it frightened me so I rushed back in here, and I'm not going out again until March 16, which will be just six weeks. If I hadn't seen my shadow, winter would not last so long--at least, that's what people say. I don't know whether to believe them or not. But I am not going out again until warm weather is here, so I am very glad your mamma sent me something to eat.”

The groundhog gave the bunny children some bits of dried sweet potato he had put away, and they started for home.

”I don't believe much in that shadow business,” said Sammie, as he and his sister walked along. ”How could a groundhog, seeing his shadow, make winter any longer?”

”I don't know,” answered Susie, ”but it must be so, because every one says so; even Uncle Wiggily Longears.”

”I'm going to ask Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy when I get home,” declared Sammie. ”Come on, let's go 'round by Farmer Tooker's cabbage patch.

Maybe we can find a stump or two to gnaw. I'm getting hungry. Mr.

Groundhog didn't give me enough sweet potato.”

”Perhaps that was all he had,” suggested Susie.