and woods; and I was afraid to taste such green things as I saw, because
they were wild and might make me sick. So I went on getting more tired
and hungry and lost, and was nearly ready to give up when I heard some
one call, just overhead, and I looked up, and saw a friendly-looking
bird who said his name was Mr. Robin, and asked if there was anything
he could do for me. When I told him how tired and hungry I was, he came
down and showed me some things I could eat without danger, and invited
me home with him. He said I was in the Big Deep Woods, and that there
was a vacant room in the tree where he and Mrs. Robin had their nest and
I could stay there as long as I liked.
[Illustration: "SO I WENT HOME WITH MR. ROBIN"]
"So I went home with Mr. Robin, and Mrs. Robin was ever so kind, and
said she thought I must be of the same family as Mr. Jack Rabbit,
because we resembled a good deal, and sent over for him right away. I
was ever so glad to think I was going to see one of my own folks again,
and when Mr. Rabbit came we sat right down, and I told him my story, and
we tried to trace back and see what relation we were, but it was too far
back, and besides, I was too young when I left home to know much about
my ancestors. Mr. Rabbit said if we were related at all it must be
through his mother, as she was very handsome, and he thought I looked
like her a good deal. He said what a fine thing it was that I had quit
being a house rabbit and had decided to be a wild, free rabbit in the
Big Deep Woods, though, of course, it was really old Mr. Dog who decided
it for me, and I was quite sorry to leave my little girl, who was always
so good to me and loved me very much. It makes me sad when I remember
how I saw her at the window, that last time, but I don't think I want to
go back, anyway, now since Jack--Mr. Rabbit, I mean--is teaching me all
about Deep Woods life and says he is not going to let me go back at
all--ever!"
Little Miss Myrtle all at once seemed very much embarrassed again, and
looked down into her lap, and Mr. Jack Rabbit seemed quite embarrassed,
too, when he tried to say something, because he had to cough two or
three times before he could get started.
"H'm! H'm!" he said. "Now that you have all heard Miss Meadows's
wonderful story, and what a narrow escape she had--an escape which those
present can understand, for all of us have had close calls in our
time--I am sure you will be glad to hear that the little stranger has
consented to remain in the Big Deep Woods and share such of the Deep
Woods fortunes as I can provide for her. In fact--I may say--h'm!
that--h'm!--Miss Meadows a week from to-day is to become--h'm!--Mrs.
Jack Rabbit."
Then all the Hollow Tree people jumped right up and ran over to shake
hands with Mr. Rabbit and Miss Myrtle Meadows, and Mr. 'Possum said they
must have a big wedding, because big weddings always meant good things
to eat, and that everybody must come, and that he would show them how a
wedding was to be enjoyed. Mr. Crow promised to cook his best things,
and Mr. 'Coon said he would think up some performances for the guests to
do, and then everybody began to talk about it, until it was quite late
before Jack Rabbit and Miss Meadows walked away toward Mr. Robin's,
calling back, "Good night!" to their good friends of the Hollow
Tree.
FOOTNOTE:
[1] "Mr. Dog at the Circus," in _The Hollow Tree Snowed-In Book_.
MR. RABBIT'S WEDDING
I
THE HOLLOW TREE PEOPLE GATHER TO CELEBRATE A GREAT EVENT
"WELL, you remember that I told you about Mr. Jack Rabbit and Miss
Myrtle Meadows, and the wedding they had planned," says the Story Teller
one pleasant afternoon when he and the Little Lady have been taking a
long walk and are resting in the shade in the very edge of the Big Deep
Woods.
The Little Lady nods. "But you never told me about the wedding," she
says, "and I want to hear about that more than anything. They _had_ a
wedding, didn't they?--the Hollow Tree people were going to get it up,
you know."
"Well, they did; and there was never such a wedding in the Big Deep
Woods. This was the way it was:"
Mr. 'Possum began to plan right away all the things that Mr. Crow was to
cook, and went out every night to help bring in something, though Mr.
'Possum is not a great hand for work, in general, except when somebody
else does it. Mr. 'Coon went right to work on the program of things to
be done at the wedding, and decided to have a regular circus, where
everybody in the Big Deep Woods could show what he could do best, or
what he used to do best when he was young. Every little while Jack
Rabbit and Miss Meadows walked over to talk about it, and by and by they
came over and wrote out all the invitations, which Mr. Robin promised to
deliver, though he had once made a big mistake with an invitation by
having a hole in his pocket.[2]
[Illustration: STOPPED TO TALK A LITTLE WITH EACH ONE]
But Mr. Robin didn't make any mistake this time, and went around from
place to place, and stopped to talk a little with each one, because he
is friends with everybody. Mr. Redfield Bear and Mr. Turtle and Mr.
Squirrel and Mr. Dog and Mr. Fox all said they would come, and would
certainly bring something for the happy couple, for it wasn't every day
that one got a chance to attend such a wedding as Jack Rabbit's would
be; and everybody remembered how the bride had come to the Deep Woods in
that most romantic and strange way, after having been brought up with
Mr. Man's people, and all wanted to know what she looked like, and if
she spoke with much accent, and what she was going to wear, and if Mr.
Robin thought she would be satisfied to stay in the Deep Woods, which
must seem a great change; and if she had a pleasant disposition. They
knew, of course, Mr. Robin would be apt to know about most of those
things, because she had been staying at his house ever since that awful
night when she escaped from old Mr. Dog.
Mr. Robin said he had never known any one with a sweeter nature than
Miss Myrtle's, and that old Mr. Dog's loss had been the Big Deep Woods'
gain. Then he told them as much as he knew about the wedding, and what
each one was expected to do, as a performance, and hurried home to help
Mrs. Robin, who was as busy as she could be, getting the bride's outfit
ready and teaching her something about housekeeping, though Jack Rabbit,
who had been a bachelor such a long time, would know a number of things,
too.
Well, they decided to have the wedding out under some big trees by the
Race Track, because that would give a good, open place for the
performances, which everybody was soon practicing. Mr. Crow was
especially busy, because he was going to show how he used to fly. Every
morning he was out there very early, running and flapping about, and
every afternoon he was cooking, right up to the day of the wedding.
Mr. 'Possum was up himself, _that_ morning, almost before daylight,
going around and looking at all the things Mr. Crow had cooked, tasting
a little of most of them, though he had already tasted of everything at
least seven times while the cooking was going on; and he said that if
there was one thing in the world that would tempt him to get married it
was having a wedding given him such as Mr. Rabbit's was going to be.
Then when Mr. Crow and Mr. 'Coon had snatched a cup of coffee and a bite
they all gathered up the fine cakes and chicken pies and puddings and
things and started for the Race Track, for the wedding was going to
begin pretty early and last all day.
It looked a little cloudy in the morning, but it cleared up before long,
and was as fine a June day as anybody could ask for. As soon as the
Hollow Tree people came they put down their things and began practising
their performances for the last time. Mr. Crow said if he was going to
do his old flying trick it was well that he had one more try at it;
then he got in light flying costume and started from a limb, and did
pretty well for any one that had been out of practice so long; and he
could even rise from the ground by going out on the Race Track and
taking a running start. Then, by and by, Mr. Redfield Bear came along,
bringing a box of fine maple sugar for the young couple, and Mr. Fox
came with a brand-new feather bed, and Mr. Squirrel brought a big nut
cake which Mrs. Squirrel had made, and sent ahead by _him_ because she
might be a little late, on account of the children.
Then Jack Rabbit himself came with the finest clothes on they had ever
seen him wear, and with a beautiful bouquet, and carrying a new
handkerchief and a pair of gloves and a cane. Everybody stood right up
when he walked in, and said they had never seen him look so young and
handsome and well-dressed; and Mr. Rabbit bowed and said, "To be happy
is to be young--to be young is to be handsome--to be handsome is to be
well-dressed." Then everybody said that besides all those things Jack
Rabbit was certainly the smartest person in the Big Deep Woods.
And just then Mr. and Mrs. Robin arrived with the bride, and when the
Deep Woods people saw her they just clasped their hands and couldn't say
a word, for she took their breath quite away.
Miss Meadows was almost overcome, too, with embarrassment, and was
looking down at the ground, so she didn't see who was there at first;
but when she happened to look up and saw Mr. Bear she threw up her arms
and would have fallen fainting if Jack Rabbit hadn't caught her, for she
had never seen such a large, fierce-looking Deep Woods person before.
But Jack Rabbit told her right away that this was not any of the Savage
Bear family, but Cousin Redfield, one of the Brownwood Bears, who had
been friendly a long time with all Deep Woods people, and he showed her
the nice present Mr. Bear had brought. So then she thanked Cousin
Redfield Bear very prettily, though she looked as if she might fly
into Jack Rabbit's arms at any moment.
She did more than that presently, though not on Mr. Bear's account.
Everybody was busy getting things ready when in walked Mr. Dog, all
dressed up and with a neat package in his hand.
[Illustration: JACK RABBIT WOULD HAVE STAYED A BACHELOR IF SHE HADN'T
TRIPPED IN HER WEDDING-GOWN]
Well, nobody had thought to tell Miss Meadows about this _good_ Mr. Dog
who lived with Mr. Man in the edge of the Deep Woods and had been
friendly with the Hollow Tree people so long, and when everybody said,
"Why, here's Mr. Dog! How do you do, Mr. Dog?" she whirled around and
then gave a wild cry and made the longest leap the Hollow Tree people
had ever seen--they said so, afterward--and never stopped to faint, but
dashed away, and Jack Rabbit would have stayed a bachelor if she hadn't
tripped in her wedding-gown; though Jack was in time to catch her before
she fell, which saved her dress from damage. Then Mr. Rabbit explained
to her all about this Mr. Dog, and coaxed her back, and Mr. Dog made his
best bow and offered his present--a nice new cook-book which somebody
had sent to Mrs. Man, who said she didn't want it, because she had her
old one with a great many of her own recipes written in. He said he
thought it was just the thing for the bride to start new with, and she
would, of course, add her own recipes, too, in time. Mr. Crow said he
would give her some of his best ones, right away, especially the ones
for the things he had brought to-day, which ought to be eaten now,
pretty soon, while they were fresh. So that reminded them all of the
wedding, and Miss Meadows thanked Mr. Dog for his handsome and useful
present, and just then Mr. Turtle came in, bringing some beautiful
bridal wreaths he had promised to make, and right behind him was Mr.
Owl, who is thought to be wise, and is Doctor and Preacher and Lawyer in
the Big Deep Woods, and performs all the ceremonies.
So then everybody had come, and there was nothing to wait for, and Mr.
Jack Rabbit led Miss Meadows out in the center of the nice shade, and
Mr. Owl stood before them, and all the other Deep Woods people arranged
themselves in a circle except Mr. and Mrs. Robin, who stood by the bride
and groom.
Then Mr. Owl said, "Are all present?"
And everybody said, "All present who have been invited."
Then Mr. Owl said, "Who gives this bride away?"
"I do," said Mr. Robin, "though she isn't really mine, because I only
happened to find her one morning when--"
[Illustration: "MAY YOU BE HAPPY AS LONG AS POSSIBLE, AND LONGER"]
Mr. Robin was going on to explain all about it, but Mr. Owl said, "'Sh!"
and went right on:
"Mr. Jack Rabbit, Mr. Robin gives you Miss Myrtle Meadows to love and
cherish and obey, and Mr. Dog has brought a cook-book, and Mr. Bear some
maple sugar, and all the others have brought good things. The
wedding-feast is therefore waiting. What is left will be yours. Let us
hope there will still be the cook-book, but Miss Myrtle Meadows will
not be with us, for I now pronounce her to be Mrs. Jack Rabbit, and may
you be happy as long as possible, and longer."
Then everybody became suddenly excited and pushed up to congratulate Mr.
and Mrs. Rabbit, and when the bride heard herself called "Mrs. Jack
Rabbit" she was more embarrassed than ever, and couldn't get used to it
for at least two minutes. Then they all sat down and ate and ate, and
Mr. 'Possum said he never felt so romantic in his life, which was all he
did say, except, "Please pass the chicken pie," or, "A little more
gravy, please."
Well, when they had all had about enough, except Mr. 'Possum, who was
still taking a taste of this and a bite of that, where things were in
reach, Mr. Rabbit got up and said he had written a little something for
the occasion, and if they cared to hear it he would read it now.
So then they all said, "Read it! Read it!" and Jack Rabbit stood up very
nice and straight, and read:
"BEGINNING ANEW
"I've lived alone a long, long time,
And frequently the days seemed blue,
But now they all are bright, for I'm
Beginning anew.
"My friends live in the Big Deep Woods
And they, I know, are happy, too,
To see me with my household goods,
Beginning anew.
"Oh, fair Miss Meadows, now no more,
Though surely not with heart less true,
As lovely Mrs. Rabbit, you're
Beginning anew."
II
THE GREAT PERFORMANCE THAT FOLLOWED THE WEDDING-DINNER
WHEN Mr. Rabbit finished everybody applauded and he made a nice bow,
though he said that in the last stanza there was an imperfect rhyme
which he hoped they would excuse for the sake of the great feeling in
it; and everybody said, "Yes, yes," and then when they were quiet Mr.
'Coon rose and said that now the program of performances would begin,
and that it would open and close with flying exhibitions--the first by
Mr. and Mrs. Robin, and the last by Mr. Crow, who, though a good deal
out of practice, had promised to give them a sample of old-fashioned
flying.
Everybody cheered, of course, and then Mr. and Mrs. Robin suddenly
sprang up into the air and began circling around and around and darting
over and under, in the very prettiest way, and so fast that it almost
made one dizzy to watch them. Sometimes they would seem to be standing
straight up, facing each other for a few seconds, then they would whirl
over and over in regular somersaults, suddenly darting high up in the
air, sailing down, at last, in a regular spiral, and landing on the
grass right in front of the bride and groom.
Then all clapped their hands and said it was the most wonderful thing
ever seen, and Mr. Crow said if he should try to fly like that he would
never know afterward whether his head was on right or not.
Then Mr. 'Coon rose to remark that Mr. Fox was next on the program and
would give a little exhibition in light and fancy running.
Mr. Fox, who hadn't eaten as much dinner as he might, because he wanted
to be in good trim for his performance, got right up and with a leap
landed out on the Race Track, and then for the next five minutes they
could hardly tell whether he was running or flying, he leaped so lightly
and skipped so swiftly, his fine, bushy tail waving like a beautiful,
graceful plume that seemed to guide him this way and that and to be just
the thing for Mr. Fox's purpose.
Mr. Fox was applauded, too, when he sat down, and so was Mr. Squirrel,
who came next, and showed that _his_ bushy tail was also useful, for he
gave a leaping exhibition from one limb to another, and leaped farther
and farther each time, until they thought he would surely injure
himself; but he never did and he got as much applause as Mr. Fox when he
finally landed right in front of the bride and groom and made a neat
bow.
Then Mr. Turtle gave a heavy-weight carrying exhibition, and let all get
on his back that could stick on, and walked right down the same Race
Track where so long before he had run the celebrated race with Mr. Hare,
and said when he came back he felt just as young and able to-day as he
had then, and was much stronger in the shell.
[Illustration: IF YOU COULD HAVE SEEN COUSIN REDFIELD DANCE]
Cousin Redfield Bear danced. Nobody thought he was going to do that.
They thought he would likely give a climbing exhibition, or something of
the kind. But he didn't--he danced. And if you could have seen Cousin
Redfield dance, with his arms akimbo, and his head thrown back, and
watch him cut the pigeon-wing, you would have understood why he wanted
to do it. He knew it would amuse them and make them want to dance, too;
which it did, and pretty soon they were in a circle around him, bride
and groom and all, dancing around and around and singing the Hollow Tree
song, which all the Deep Woods people know.
They danced until they were tired, and then it was Mr. Dog's turn to do
something. Mr. Dog said he couldn't fly, though certainly he would like
to; and he couldn't run like Mr. Fox, or jump like Mr. Squirrel, or make
poetry like Mr. Rabbit, or dance like Mr. Bear--though once, a long time
ago, as some of them might remember, he had taken a dancing-lesson from
Jack Rabbit.[3] He couldn't do any of those things as well as the
others, he said, so he would just make a little speech called:
MR. MAN
"Mr. Man is my friend, and we live together. He is always my friend,
though you might not suspect it, sometimes, the things he says to me.
But he is, and I am Mr. Man's friend, through thick and thin.
"I am also the friend, now, of the Deep Woods people, and expect to
remain so, because I have learned to know them and they have learned to
know me. That is the trouble about the Deep Woods people and Mr. Man.
They don't know each other. The Deep Woods people think that Mr. Man is
after them, and there is some truth in it, because Mr. Man thinks the
Deep Woods people are after him, or his property, when, of course, all
Deep Woods people know that it was never intended that Mr. Man should
own all the chickens, and they are obliged to borrow one, now and then,
in order to have chicken pie, such as has been served on this happy
occasion.
"I am looking forward to the day when Mr. Man will understand this, as
well as the Hollow Tree people do, and will become friendly and open his
heart and hen-house to all who would enter in."
[Illustration: CALLED FOR THE FEATHER BED]
Mr. Dog's speech made quite a sensation. Mr. 'Possum, especially, said
it was probably the greatest speech of modern times, and was going on to
say more when Mr. 'Coon whispered to him that it was their turn on the
program. So then Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum got up, side by side, and Mr.
'Possum walked rather soggily, because he had eaten so much, though he
managed to get up a little hickory-tree and out on a smooth, straight
limb while Mr. 'Coon climbed up another, a few feet away. Then all at
once Mr. 'Possum dropped and held by his tail, which was hooked around
the limb, and Mr. 'Coon dropped and held by his hands, and then began to
swing; and pretty soon, when Mr. 'Coon was swung out nearly straight in
Mr. 'Possum's direction, he let go and turned over in the air and caught
Mr. 'Possum's hands, and they both swung, and everybody cheered and said
that was the finest thing yet. Then they went right on swinging--Mr.
'Possum holding by his tail, until they got a good start, and pretty
soon Mr. 'Possum gave Mr. 'Coon a big swing, expecting him to turn clear
over and catch his own limb again. But Mr. 'Possum and Mr. 'Coon had
both eaten a good deal, and Mr. 'Coon didn't get a very good start. He
just missed the limb he was aimed at, and hit Mr. Fox's feather bed,
which was lying right in front of Mr. and Mrs. Rabbit, along with other
presents, all of which was a good thing for Mr. 'Coon. For Mr. 'Coon is
pretty smart and quick to think. He jumped right up when everybody was
laughing, and made a bow to Mr. and Mrs. Rabbit as if he had meant to
land just that way, and everybody laughed still harder and enjoyed it
more than anything. Then Mr. 'Possum swung up and caught his limb with
his hands, but couldn't get back on it again, and called for the feather
bed, which Mr. 'Coon and Mr. Fox brought, and Mr. 'Possum dropped on it
like a sack of salt, and everybody enjoyed it more and more.
[Illustration: WENT OUT ON THE OPEN TRACK AND TOOK A LITTLE RUN]
Well, it was Mr. Crow's turn then, and he said he would probably have to
have the feather bed, too. But he went out on the open track and took a
little run, and about the second time around spread out his big, black
wings and lifted himself from the ground, not very high at first, and he
had to flap pretty hard, but he kept getting a little higher all the
time, and presently he swung about in a big circle, and went sailing and
flapping around and around, up and up, until he was as high as the
little trees, then as high as the big trees, then as high as a church
steeple, and still kept going up until he looked small and black against
the sky; and Mr. Robin whispered to Mrs. Robin that Mr. Crow might be
old and out of practice, but _they_ had never dared to fly as high as
that, and said he didn't believe any of Mr. Crow's family had ever gone
higher.
Mr. Crow was just a black speck, pretty soon, and everybody was getting
rather scared, for they wondered what would happen to him if something
about him should give way; and just when they were all watching and
keeping quite still, they heard the most curious sound, that seemed to
be coming nearer, getting louder and louder. At first nobody spoke, but
just listened. Then Mr. 'Possum said something must have happened to Mr.
Crow's machinery and he was coming down for repairs. And sure enough,
they did see Mr. Crow coming down, about as fast as he could drive,
making quick circles, and the noise was getting louder and louder,
though it didn't seem to be Mr. Crow who was making it, for he never
could make a sound like that, no matter what had happened to his
works.
Mr. Crow came down a good deal faster than he went up, and in about five
seconds more landed right among them, and they saw he was scared.
"Oh," he gasped, "we are all lost! The biggest bird in the world is
coming to devour us! I saw it--it is making that terrible noise! It is
as big as Mr. Man's house! It is as big as his yard! It is as big as the
Big Deep Woods!"
And just then a great black shadow, like the shadow of a cloud, came
right over them, and that noise got so loud it drowned everything, and
when they looked--for they were too scared to run--sure enough, right
above them was the biggest bird in the world--a thousand times bigger
than Mr. Crow, of stranger shape than anything they had ever seen, and
very terrible indeed. But all at once Mr. Dog gave a quick bark, which
made them all jump--especially the bride--and shouted:
"It's all right--it's all right! I know what it is. I see a Mr. Man up
there. It's a flying-machine; it's only passing over, and won't hurt us
at all!"
And sure enough all the rest could see a Mr. Man up there, too, then;
and Mr. Dog went on to tell them how he had seen some pictures of just
such a machine in one of Mr. Man's picture papers, and that it was the
great new invention by which Mr. Man could go around in the air like a
bird, though probably not so well as Mr. and Mrs. Robin and Mr. Crow,
and certainly with a good deal more noise.
Then the Deep Woods people were not afraid any more, and watched the
flying-machine as long as they could see it, and when it was quite out
of sight Mr. Rabbit made a little speech in which he said that if
anything had been needed to make his grand wedding complete it was to
have a performance given for it by Mr. Man, even though Mr. Man might
not realize that he was entertaining a wedding. And everybody said,
"Yes, yes, that's so," and that this was the greatest day in the Big
Deep Woods, which I believe it really was.
Then they all formed a procession and marched to Jack Rabbit's house, to
take home the bride and groom. As they marched they sang the Hollow Tree
song, ending with the chorus:
"Then here's to the friends of the Big Deep Woods,
And to theirs, wherever they be,
And here's to the Hollow, Hollow, Hollow, Hollow, Hollow,
And here's to the Hollow Tree."
THE END
FOOTNOTES:
[2] "How Mr. Dog Got Even." _The Hollow Tree and Deep Woods Book._
[3] "Mr. Dog Takes Lessons in Dancing," in _The Hollow Tree and Deep
Woods Book_.
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes:
Duplicate chapter titles were removed.
Illustrations were transferred from their original locations to where
the caption is mentioned in the text.