Part 13 (1/2)

”That's just what I was going to say,” called out Uncle Wiggily.

”Come with me, and I'll show you where there are plenty of vines,” went on the possum, so they followed him, and pretty soon they came to the place. Sammie and Uncle Wiggily cut a long piece, and then they took hold of each end and began to turn the rope for Susie. At first she could not do very well, even though there was a nice, smooth, gra.s.sy place to learn on. Then out of a pond jumped Bully, the frog, and, as he was one of the best jumpers in the woods, or, for that matter, on Orange Mountain, he showed Susie just how to do it.

So she learned to jump ”salt,” which is slow, and ”pepper,” which is fast, and ”double pepper,” which is very fast indeed. Then she learned to jump with two ropes, one going one way and one the other, and finally she could skip as well as any little rabbit girl in the owl's school.

Uncle Wiggily tried to jump, but he was so stiff and his rheumatism hurt him so that he couldn't do it.

Then they all started for home, and what do you think happened?

Something quite serious, I do a.s.sure you, and I'm not fooling. A big hawk, not the kind, good fish-hawk, but another kind, who was out looking for early spring chickens, swooped down and tried to carry Susie Littletail off to his nest. Now Uncle Wiggily was so old he couldn't do much, but Sammie was not going to see his little sister harmed, so what did he do but jump at that hawk with his sharp little feet, and kick him until the bad bird let go of poor Susie. She was quite frightened, but not much hurt, and maybe she didn't hug and kiss Sammie for saving her.

Then they all hurried home to the burrow, and if there is nothing to prevent it, to-morrow night's story will be about Sammie turning sky-blue-pink.

XXII

SAMMIE COLORED SKY-BLUE-PINK

Susie Littletail was out on a nice, gra.s.sy place in front of the underground house, jumping her grapevine rope, and having a very good time, indeed. She had gotten all over the fright caused by the bad hawk trying to grab her, and felt quite happy. Sammie Littletail had been searching for the hawk, to have him arrested for being so cruel to the little rabbit girl, but he could not find the big bird, so he had come back to watch Susie jump. You see it was Easter week, and they had no school. The old owl teacher was very glad of it, too, for he had more time to sleep and doze in the sun.

Just as Susie finished doing ”three slow, pepper,” Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy came to the door of the burrow, and called:

”Sammie, your mamma wants you.”

”What does she want?” he asked.

”She wants you to go to the drug store and get some stuff to color the Easter eggs with. Hurry, please, because she has lots to do.”

”May we help color them?” asked Susie, hanging up her grapevine rope on a low bush.

”I think so,” answered the muskrat nurse. ”Now, hurry, Sammie; your mamma wants to get all done before your papa comes home from the carrot factory to-night.”

”All right,” answered the little boy rabbit. ”I guess I can help color the eggs, too,” and he hurried off to the drug store, that was near Dr.

Possum's house.

Now pretty soon--in fact, almost immediately--something is going to happen to Sammie Littletail, so I want you all to sit quietly, and not wiggle so that you'll break the couch, or I can't go on. That's better.

Well, then, Sammie went through the woods, and, on his way, he felt so happy that he sang this little song, which he had heard the kindergarten children singing at the owl school a few days before. This is the song, but of course I can't sing it very well. Please don't laugh. I'll do the best I can, although, perhaps, I shan't get the words just right:

”'Soldier boy, soldier boy, where are you going, Waving so proudly your red, white and blue?'

'I'm going to the war to fight for my country, And if you'll be a soldier boy, you may come too.'”

That's the way Sammie sang it, anyhow, and just as he finished he got to the drug store.

”Who was that singing?” asked Dr. Possum, who happened to be in the store just then.

”I was,” said Sammie.

”Oh, indeed; I didn't know you sang,” went on Dr. Possum. ”That is very good indeed. I could not do better myself. Will you kindly sing it again?” So Sammie sang it again, and then he got the colors for his mamma to put on the Easter eggs.