stumps, and dart in at their back doors and lock them in a hurry.
They had heard some animal tearing through the woods, apparently
straight at them. As they peeked from their windows they naturally
thought it was Ki-yi Coyote. But it wasn’t. Ki-yi Coyote would have
been far too smart to make so much noise. No, it was Farmer Roe’s big
dog, Yappy.
Yappy wasn’t running after anything in particular. He was just running
through the woods to take a little exercise and enjoy himself.
Yappy ran around for a time while the little creatures of the Big Green
Woods hid and looked out at him. After he had scratched on Cheepy
Chipmunk’s door and tried to dig into Stubby Woodchuck’s home, Yappy
started out of the woods as fast as he had come in.
Just as he passed Doctor Rabbit’s house, Doctor Rabbit put his head out
of a hole pretty well up in the tree and said, “Good morning, Yappy!”
Happy Yappy stopped mighty quick and looked all around. He couldn’t see
anybody at first, and he wondered who it was that had spoken. Stubby
and Mrs. Stubby and Cheepy and Mrs. Cheepy came to their windows to
peek out and listen. Robin-the-Red, Jim Crow, and ever so many other
of the little creatures of the Big Green Woods also listened. They
wondered what Doctor Rabbit would say to Yappy.
After gazing around and up a little, Yappy at last saw Doctor Rabbit
looking from the hole up in the tree.
“Why, good morning, Doctor!” Yappy said, in his pleasantest voice.
“Come down on the grass here; you will be more comfortable.”
“No, thank you,” Doctor Rabbit said, “I’d rather talk from up here.
You look pretty hungry, and I just wanted to ask you how you would like
to have Jack Rabbit for your breakfast to-morrow morning?”
This was a question that was a little hard for Yappy to answer, under
the circumstances. Rabbit was his favorite dish, when he could get one.
He saw he could not get Doctor Rabbit, and he thought Doctor Rabbit was
just making fun of him. Of course, Yappy was pretty angry. He was all
the more angry because, although he had chased Jack Rabbit many times,
he never had been able to catch him. Still, he was always willing to
try again.
“That’s all right about my wanting Jack Rabbit,” Yappy snapped; “I
could catch him in no time if I _wanted_ to.”
Doctor Rabbit almost laughed out loud at this, but he didn’t, because
that might have spoiled what he wanted to do.
“Why, of course,” Doctor Rabbit said in his most friendly tones. “And
I have decided I’ll give you a chance at him. In fact, I have been
watching for you to tell you this very thing. Now, all you have to do,”
Doctor Rabbit continued, “is to go where I tell you, and when I tell
you, and you will run right on to him.”
Yappy was certainly puzzled about this matter. Why, he wondered, did
Doctor Rabbit want to get rid of Jack Rabbit? “Oh, well,” Yappy thought
to himself, “perhaps Jack Rabbit has been over in the Big Green Woods
cuffing Doctor Rabbit; or maybe it is just because Doctor Rabbit is
angry at Jack Rabbit for something or other he’s done.”
“Well”--and Yappy tried to say it as if he was not very much
interested--“Well, I don’t care much, but if you want to, you may tell
me when and where I can find him.”
“Good!” said Doctor Rabbit, and then he continued, “He’ll be in a new
burrow right by the first tree you come to out in the Wide Prairie. And
he’ll be there to-morrow morning at exactly nine o’clock.”
“How do you know that?” Yappy asked with deep curiosity.
“Never mind how I know,” Doctor Rabbit retorted. “He’ll be there as
sure as anything.”
Yappy yawned as if it didn’t make much difference to him. Then he said,
“Well, I guess I’ll be moving,” and away he ran through the woods until
he was out of sight.
Doctor Rabbit chuckled to himself. He knew mighty well that Yappy
_was_ interested, even if he did try to act as if he didn’t care.
And he knew the greedy fellow would be at that tree at nine the next
morning, too.
Of course the other little creatures of the Big Green Woods were much
puzzled that Doctor Rabbit should seem to have turned so quickly
against Jack Rabbit. But the next morning they found out all about it.
And something happened of which they had never even dreamed.
DOCTOR RABBIT TALKS WITH JACK RABBIT
You remember how Doctor Rabbit looked out of a hole and told Farmer
Roe’s dog Yappy about catching Jack Rabbit. Well, after Yappy had run
away and was out of sight in the woods, Doctor Rabbit concluded he’d
better see Jack Rabbit right away. So he slipped quietly out of his
house and ran through the woods toward the Wide Prairie.
Doctor Rabbit was lucky, because Jack Rabbit happened to be right on
the edge of the woods. And Jack Rabbit said his son Billy was very much
better. “I am very grateful,” continued Jack Rabbit, “and I wish I
could do something now to make you as happy as I am.”
“You certainly can,” Doctor Rabbit said. “Do you remember the day Ki-yi
Coyote chased us out on the Wide Prairie, and I threw the medicine in
his mouth?”
“I certainly do,” said Jack Rabbit. “And when we got safely over to
your house, you said you were thinking about a plan to drive Ki-yi
Coyote clear away from the Big Green Woods and the Wide Prairie
forever. Is that what you want me to do?”
“Yes,” said Doctor Rabbit, “that’s exactly what I was going to speak
about. I want you to help me. Will you do it?”
“Why,” declared Jack Rabbit, “I should say I will, if I can. But how
can I help? All you need to do is to tell me what to do and I will do
it.”
“Don’t be too sure you will,” Doctor Rabbit warned in a friendly way.
“What I want you to do has some danger in it. Are you much afraid of
Farmer Roe’s Yappy?”
“Why, why, of course,” Jack Rabbit hesitated; “that is, I--I--wouldn’t
want to fight him!”
“Ha, ha, ha!” Doctor Rabbit couldn’t keep from laughing at the idea of
Jack Rabbit’s fighting Yappy.
“I don’t want you to fight him,” Doctor Rabbit said, “but would you be
willing to let him chase you?”
“Surely,” exclaimed Jack Rabbit quickly. “I’ve given him the slip many
a time.”
“Suppose,” said Doctor Rabbit, “that Yappy and one of his dog friends
both should get after you, could you get away?”
“Yes, sir,” Jack Rabbit said; “I’ve given both of those hounds the
slip. They are just fox hounds, and I’m not the least bit afraid when
they get after me. But what has that to do with driving Ki-yi Coyote
away?”
“Just this,” said Doctor Rabbit, moving a little closer. “At nine
o’clock to-morrow morning Ki-yi Coyote is going to be right under that
big elm where he was this morning, to catch me. Chatty Squirrel heard
him say he was. He said, ‘Yes, I’ll come every morning and hide there
until I do catch that big fat rabbit’--meaning me, of course.”
“Oh, I see! I see!” laughed Jack Rabbit, and he began to dance a little
jig of joy. “I know what you want me to do,” Jack Rabbit laughed.
“You want me to let big old Yappy and his friend get after me, and then
you want me to run straight for that big elm, and so lead Yappy and the
other hound right onto old Ki-yi. And then they will chase him instead
of me!”
[Illustration: Mr. Jack Rabbit began to dance a little jig of joy]
“That’s it! that’s it!” said Doctor Rabbit. He was mighty glad that
Jack Rabbit did not seem at all afraid. “And,” Doctor Rabbit continued,
“when Yappy and his companion once see Ki-yi Coyote, they will forget
all about you, and you can get away as easily as anything.”
“Oh, ho, ho, ho! ha, ha, ha!” laughed Jack Rabbit. It seemed too
good to be true that they could fool crafty Ki-yi, and fool him so
completely. Old Ki-yi, who was always getting the best of things, would
now get some of the other side. So thought happy Jack-Rabbit.
“That certainly will be mighty fine!” cried Jack Rabbit. “Ki-yi Coyote
will be there, smacking his lips, all ready to gobble you up; and the
first thing he knows, I’ll pop square over him, and the next second,
Yappy will pop square onto him, if he doesn’t move mighty quick. Ho,
ho, ho!” Jack Rabbit danced and laughed some more. “Yes, indeed, Doctor
Rabbit,” he said, “I’ll surely be at the tree in the Wide Prairie
to-morrow morning at nine o’clock. Then be sure to tell all the little
creatures of the Big Green Woods to watch and see what happens.”
“I will indeed,” said Doctor Rabbit, as he started off; “and thank
you,” he said, “for your bravery.”
OLD UNCLE OWL GIVES GOOD ADVICE
You remember how Doctor Rabbit asked Jack Rabbit to do a rather risky
thing to drive Ki-yi Coyote out of the Big Green Woods. Well, the next
morning after this, Friend Jack Rabbit was up a good while before
daylight. To tell the truth, he had not slept very much during the
night. No, sir; he just couldn’t get to sleep because he kept thinking
about that joke he and Doctor Rabbit were to play on wicked old Ki-yi
Coyote.
Of course, it was not all fun, either. I should say not! You see,
greedy Yappy would certainly gobble up Jack Rabbit if he could get him.
But Jack Rabbit was not very much afraid, because he had run away from
Yappy a good many times before.
No, brave Jack Rabbit didn’t stay awake because he was scared. I
suppose he couldn’t sleep for about the same reason that boys sometimes
stay awake when the circus comes to town. And the boys used to get up
before daylight to go and see the animals, and perhaps some of them do
it yet.
Yes, Jack Rabbit was very, very curious. He wondered if Ki-yi Coyote
would really hide in the Big Green Woods under the elm tree, as Doctor
Rabbit had said he would.
So, about four in the morning, Jack Rabbit slipped away and went over
to watch along the edge of the woods. He had not been there long when,
yes, sir; Sure enough! There came Ki-yi Coyote sneaking along and
looking all around to make sure, as he thought, that nobody saw him.
As slinky Ki-yi Coyote slipped along he came pretty close to Jack
Rabbit, and then Jack Rabbit lay mighty still. Indeed he did! He hardly
dared to breathe until Ki-yi Coyote had passed from sight beneath the
big elm farther on in the woods. Then Jack Rabbit just kicked up his
heels and danced for joy. He wanted to laugh too, ever so much, but he
didn’t dare, because sharp-eared Ki-yi might hear him. No, Jack Rabbit
ran clear back to his tree before he laughed, and then he laughed as
loudly as he wanted to. “I can scarcely wait until nine o’clock comes,”
he said, after he had laughed again and danced another jig of joy.
Stubby Woodchuck had heard Doctor Rabbit talking with Yappy, and so
as often as Stubby saw one of the little creatures of the Big Green
Woods, he told him about it. It was not long before every one of them
knew, and they wondered why kind Doctor Rabbit had told Yappy where to
find Jack Rabbit. In fact, they really couldn’t understand it at all,
because Doctor Rabbit was so good and kind to everybody.
But when Uncle Owl heard about it, he looked very wise and said to a
number of the little creatures of the Big Green Woods, “I’m sure you
need not be troubled, my friends; for I think we shall find that this
has something to do with getting Ki-yi Coyote away from the Big Green
Woods and the Wide Prairie. Bear in mind, I say I only _suspect_ it
does,” and with another very wise look Uncle Owl walked back to his
hole in the tree, and there stood looking toward the big elm where
Ki-yi Coyote lay hiding and watching for Doctor Rabbit.
Then about a half hour before nine o’clock, busy Blue Jay flew all over
the Big Green Woods and told all the little creatures of the woods to
go as close as they dared to the big elm where Ki-yi Coyote lay, and
then watch.
When some of them tried to have Blue Jay stop and talk, he said he
didn’t have time. He said he was in the biggest hurry he had ever
known. “You watch! You watch!” he would cry back at them as he flew
away to tell others.
Before long they were all either flying or creeping toward the big elm.
They didn’t know what Doctor Rabbit’s plan was, of course, but they
believed something mighty interesting was going to happen. When they
were all hidden, some of them kept up such a whispering it seemed as
if Ki-yi must surely hear. Each one said it wasn’t he who whispered,
until presently Uncle Owl called out loudly from his tree, “_Who?_”
Then they did keep still. Because there was Uncle Owl looking right at
them.
YAPPY CHASES KI-YI COYOTE
All the little creatures of the Big Green Woods were looking toward the
big elm where Ki-yi Coyote was hiding and were wondering what would
happen.
Then all of a sudden they heard big-mouthed Yappy baying away out on
the Wide Prairie. Pretty soon they heard another hound baying.
It was quite true that Jack Rabbit had been started up at last. He had
waited at the tree, and it had seemed as though nine o’clock never
would come. At last when he saw Yappy and his friend coming, he was
really glad.
When they were pretty close, Jack Rabbit sprang up, put his long ears
straight in the air, and away he went. You see, when he doesn’t have to
run very fast, he keeps his ears straight up in the air; but when he
has to run as fast as he can--the way he did when Speedy Grey Hound got
after him--then he lays his long ears down flat to his head. And how he
does run! He looks like a streak, he goes so fast.
Jack Rabbit was not much afraid of Yappy, because you see, Yappy was
only a fox hound. Now a fox hound is dangerous enough at night, when he
is on the trail of Ray Coon or O. Possum, but he can’t do any harm in
the daytime to swift Jack Rabbit on the Wide Prairie.
Big Yappy and his friend, the other fox hound, had been trained to
trail, at night, nothing but Ray Coon and O. Possum and Tom Wildcat.
But in the daytime they certainly did like to start up Jack Rabbit.
Most of all, though, they liked to start up Ki-yi Coyote.
“There he goes!” shouted happy Yappy to his friend, as Jack Rabbit
jumped up; and away they all went. And Jack Rabbit, of course, led them
straight away for the Big Green Woods.
As they ran, Jack Rabbit kept thinking to himself, “I surely do hate to
run so close to Ki-yi Coyote. Indeed, I do! Just suppose he _should_ go
after me as hard as ever he could.” Then he would comfort himself by
thinking, “But then, he’ll never do it with the two hounds chasing him.
I’ll be all right. Yes, I’ll just keep going. My, but I wish I could
kick old Ki-yi right on the nose as I go past him!”
But wise Jack Rabbit said to himself that as soon as he had started up
Ki-yi Coyote, he would run right back to the Wide Prairie, where there
was plenty of room, because he might need it.
While all the little creatures of the Big Green Woods were looking and
wondering, Doctor Rabbit bounded into the woods from somewhere. In a
jiffy he was in his tree, looking out from an upper window.
The two hounds were coming after Jack Rabbit as fast as they could,
yelling terribly at each other, and saying that this time they
certainly would catch him.
But Jack Rabbit was very wise. He ran a little slower until the two
hounds were fearfully close, and all the little creatures of the Big
Green Woods looking on were dreadfully scared for poor Jack Rabbit. In
fact, Mother Chipmunk and Sophy Woodchuck began to weep, and wipe their
eyes with the corners of their aprons, because they said something had
surely gone wrong with Jack Rabbit and this was the last of him. It
would be terrible, they said; and how would Mrs. Jack Rabbit ever make
a living for all that family of little rabbits out on the Wide Prairie?
The next minute Jack Rabbit ran straight for the big elm. He saw Ki-yi
Coyote lying with his body close to the ground. Old Ki-yi Coyote had
seen them coming, but he thought, of course, he would just watch and
see Jack Rabbit and the hounds go by. Then suddenly, before he could
realize it, Jack Rabbit leaped clear over startled Ki-yi. “Ki-yi!
Ki-yi!” he shouted, “I’ve brought you some company. Here they are. Good
day! I must be going!” And away went Jack Rabbit out of sight.
Well, Ki-yi Coyote was both surprised and angry. He was about the
angriest he had ever been in his life. But what could he do? Well, he
couldn’t do a thing except tear out of the woods as hard as he could
go. And then how all the little creatures of the Big Green Woods did
laugh, even Mother Chipmunk and Sophy Woodchuck!
Now when Yappy and his friend saw Ki-yi Coyote jump up, they shouted
for joy. “Woo! woo! woo!” shouted Yappy gaily to his friend. “Sly old
Ki-yi! Woo, woo, woo! Here he is right under our noses! _Now_ we’ll see
about him! Woo, woo, woo!” And away they went after Ki-yi Coyote. Ki-yi
was so mad he could have bitten a nail if there had been one handy,
but, mad or no mad, he had to run as hard as he could.
Now the little creatures of the Big Green Woods all hurried to the edge
of the woods and looked on as Yappy and his friend started out across
the Wide Prairie after Ki-yi Coyote.
KI-YI COYOTE’S STRANGE HIDING PLACE
How Ki-yi Coyote did run when he got out on the Wide Prairie! He
thought he would run as fast as possible, and so get out of sight and
hide from the two hounds. Sure enough, sly Ki-yi did this very thing.
He ran so fast that pretty soon he passed from sight over a little
hill, and it certainly looked as if he had escaped. Old Ki-yi thought
he had, and as he hid in some tall grass, he chuckled to himself to
think how easy it was to get away from his enemies. “I’ll just wait and
rest here,” he said. “Ha, ha, ha! I’ll get my rabbit for breakfast yet!”
But Ki-yi Coyote had no more than said that than here came Yappy and
the other hound right on his trail. And they kept coming right on and
sniffing and smelling Ki-yi’s tracks until they were so close that
Ki-yi had to spring up and run again. Once more he ran fast and hid,
but again he was trailed, and again he had to jump up and run.
They kept this up all morning, until Ki-yi Coyote was getting pretty
tired. Then, a little later, he was so dreadfully tired that what do
you suppose he did? No, he didn’t stop to fight, although cowardly
Ki-yi sometimes does do that. He thought about it, but after he had
looked back he said to himself, “No, I won’t stop to fight. I’m not
quite able to tackle Yappy and that other big hound, too. I’m going to
do something else. I’m going where I can rest.”
[Illustration: He ran straight for Mr. Farmer’s corn-crib]
And he did. He ran straight for Farmer Roe’s corn crib and squeezed
under it! The dirt was soft and cool under there, and tired Ki-yi
stretched out and made himself very comfortable. Then Yappy and his
friend ran up to the hole where Ki-yi Coyote had gone under the corn
crib, and began barking for all they were worth; and presently Farmer
Roe and his boy came out and looked under the corn crib. They were
certainly surprised to see Ki-yi hidden under there, and they decided
at once that they would try to catch him alive.
The two hounds kept on barking, and Farmer Roe and his boy went right
to work fixing something outside; but Ki-yi did not know what they were
doing, and he felt pretty safe.
All this time the little creatures of the Big Green Woods had looked on
from the edge of the Wide Prairie. Blue Jay was in the very top of the
big elm, and he called down every now and then to tell just what was
happening.
When Ki-yi Coyote ran under the corn crib, Doctor Rabbit slipped up
pretty close to Farmer Roe’s house. He got a good hiding place in some
weeds, where he could see all that happened.
After a while Farmer Roe and his boy got some kind of a box fixed,
and this they placed over the hole into which Ki-yi Coyote had run.
Then they took the two hounds away and locked them in the barn. Doctor
Rabbit slipped back to the woods.
“They’ve got it all fixed to catch Ki-yi alive!” he told the other
little creatures of the Big Green Woods.
“How do you know?” they asked in a chorus.
“I heard them say so; and now you just wait and see!” Doctor Rabbit
said. Then he slipped back again to hide in the weeds and watch.
Of course he had to be very careful, because Yappy might come tearing
out into the weeds at any moment. But Doctor Rabbit’s eyes are very
sharp. He was sure he could see any danger if it came near, so he was
not much afraid.
CATCHING KI-YI COYOTE
All afternoon Doctor Rabbit watched the strange box that Farmer Roe had
placed at the hole where Ki-yi Coyote had gone under the corn crib, but
nothing happened. Toward evening Doctor Rabbit came back to the little
creatures waiting in the woods. He looked very wisely at them and said:
“My friends, nothing more has happened as yet, but I feel quite certain
that Ki-yi Coyote will be caught. I’m pretty tired now and must have
my supper. Just as soon as it is daylight, Jack Rabbit and I will slip
over again and watch, and see what Farmer Roe and his boy do about that
box.”
At this all the little creatures of the Big Green Woods began talking
at once. Then they bade Doctor Rabbit good-night, and went back to
their homes to await the news.
The next morning they were all startled by hearing noisy Blue Jay
shouting, “Come here! Come here, all of you! Doctor Rabbit told me to
call you. Old Ki-yi is caught, and I can see him. I can see him!”
Well, you should have seen all those little creatures of the Big Green
Woods tumbling out of their homes! Stubby Woodchuck came tearing out
of his front door, and before he knew it, bumped into Cheepy Chipmunk,
and knocked him over. They were both mad about it for a minute. Stubby
got bumped on the ear and Cheepy got a bump on the nose, but in the
excitement they forgot their anger and hurried to the edge of the Wide
Prairie, where all the other little creatures of the Big Green Woods
seemed to be gathering.
Chatty Red Squirrel came out of his house so fast he ran square into
Frisky Grey Squirrel, and then Neighbor Grey was provoked. He said he
never did know a Red Squirrel that had any manners; but Chatty Red
Squirrel kept right on running, and so Frisky Grey Squirrel forgot his
crossness and ran too, as fast as he could, with the other excited
little creatures of the Big Green Woods.
In almost no time they all had reached the edge of the woods. Then they
all looked toward Farmer Roe’s house and the strange box.
THE LITTLE CREATURES OF THE WOODS ARE HAPPY AGAIN
When the little creatures of the Big Green Woods looked toward Farmer
Roe’s house, they saw Doctor Rabbit behind a fence post, watching.
Yes, it was true: Ki-yi Coyote was in that box! They knew it because
several times they heard Farmer Roe’s boy say, “We got him! I was sure
he would come out in the night!”
Then the little creatures of the Big Green Woods wondered what Farmer
Roe was doing. He went into the barn several times and brought out some
boards, a hammer, and a saw. First he sawed the boards, and then he
hammered and nailed ever so long.
After a while all the little creatures of the Big Green Woods could
see what Farmer Roe was doing. He was making a kind of wood and wire
cage for Ki-yi Coyote. When it was all ready, Farmer Roe and his son
put the cage against the box that Ki-yi Coyote was in. Then Farmer
Roe’s boy poked Ki-yi with a long stick and drove him into the cage.
Then as the farmer and his boy stood looking at dusty Ki-yi in the
cage, they talked for quite a long time; but the little creatures of
the Big Green Woods could not hear what was said. At last Farmer Roe
and his boy went into the house. Then wise Doctor Rabbit came running
back to the woods and said it was mighty fine the way things were
turning out.
“They are going to load Ki-yi Coyote into a wagon, take him to the
city, and sell him to the men who have charge of a big park there,”
said Doctor Rabbit excitedly.
“That’s fine! Splendid!” shouted all the little creatures of the Big
Green Woods. “Hurrah for Doctor Rabbit and his scheme for getting rid
of Ki-yi Coyote!”
“And now,” shouted Cheepy Chipmunk, mounting a stump and speaking so
that all could hear, “I want you all to come right down to my house for
dinner. Mother Chipmunk wants all of you!”
“Fine!” shouted Jimmy Chipmunk. “I’ll get something good to eat,
because company’s coming!” His mother frowned at him, but no one
thought anything about what Jimmy had said, they were so delighted to
get the invitation; because Mother Chipmunk was about the best cook in
the whole woods.
Then away they all went toward Cheepy Chipmunk’s house, talking and
laughing and shouting. And Billy Rabbit and Jimmy Chipmunk and Johnny
Woodchuck kicked up their heels and ran after each other all the way,
they were so happy.
It was a fine thing, they all said, to be going to such a good dinner,
and to know that Ki-yi Coyote would not trouble them any more. They
declared that they had never been so happy in all their lives before.
WHAT UNCLE OWL WHISPERED