MR. JACK RABBIT ENTERTAINS THE HOLLOW TREE PEOPLE. AN UNWELCOME GUEST
ARRIVES CAUSING SOME EXCITEMENT
Once upon a time there came to the big Hollow Tree, where the 'Coon and
the 'Possum and the Old Black Crow lived, an invitation from Mr. Jack
Rabbit for the three to dine with him next day. Nobody was going to be
there, he said, but the Turtle, and for them to come early so's to have
a nice long afternoon.
He didn't need to say that, for the 'Possum would have started right off
if it had been polite, and the Crow and the 'Coon were both so excited
that the 'Coon commenced with pie first at supper and the Crow took his
hat to get water in. Then they talked all the evening about their
clothes and what they were going to wear, and the 'Possum said he was
afraid to look at his best suit for fear it was moth eaten, and the
'Coon and the Crow rummaged through their bureaus and got out all their
clean shirts so's to have one ready for the next day.
In the morning they all got up long before daylight, and the 'Possum
looked out first and then called over to the others that there had
been a light snow in the night, but that it was clear now and just cold
enough to give a fellow a good appetite. He was going to eat a slim
breakfast, he said, so's to be ready for a big dinner.
They were all dressed and ready long before time, but they managed to
stand it until about ten o'clock, and then the 'Possum said he was just
naturally getting gray headed waiting for that dinner, and off they
started.
[Illustration: THE RABBIT GETTING READY.]
[Illustration: LOOKED AT THE ALBUM.]
[Illustration: TROUBLE IN GETTING HIS BISCUITS TO RISE.]
Mr. Jack Rabbit had got up early, too, that morning, and had the table
'most set when they came. He had his sleeves rolled up and an apron on,
and the way he was flying around and getting ready was a caution. The
'Coon and the Crow sat down in the parlor, and looked at the album and
some travel books they found on the table, but Mr. 'Possum was so hungry
after his light breakfast that he could not keep out of the kitchen,
where it smelled good, and stood around and talked to Jack Rabbit, and
asked him where he got his chickens, and if he thought Mr. Fox would
spare him some, too, and if Mr. Rabbit had any trouble getting his
biscuits to rise in cold weather.
Then the Rabbit gave the 'Possum some new receipts, and Mr. 'Possum
tasted of everything, a great big taste, making believe he wanted to see
just how it was made, but really because he was almost starved, and
couldn't wait.
Well, pretty soon Mr. Turtle straddled in, and everything was on the
table and they all sat down. The 'Possum had tasted so much in the
kitchen that he wasn't so starved as the 'Coon and the Crow, and behaved
very politely, and stepped on the 'Coon's toe under the table because he
ate so greedily, and whispered to the Crow not to shovel the food about
on his plate, as if he were cleaning snow off a roof.
[Illustration: MR. JACK RABBIT FELL OVER BACKWARD.]
They were all too busy to say much at first, but pretty soon they got to
talking and telling stories, and Jack Rabbit told about the time that
Mr. Dog chased him home, and how he kept Mr. Dog sitting out on the
porch all the afternoon waiting for dinner to be ready. Then Mr. Turtle
up and told about his stopping Mr. Dog that day, telling him that the
Rabbit had gone home to get dinner for him, and they all laughed, and
the 'Coon and the 'Possum said that Mr. Dog thought they were afraid of
him, too, but the first time they got a chance they were going to show
him a few things that would open his eyes. That made the Crow laugh till
he coughed and strangled, and when the Rabbit said he wasn't afraid,
either, the Turtle laughed, too. Then the 'Coon and the 'Possum and Mr.
Jack Rabbit all pounded on the table, and said, "Just show us Mr. Dog,
and you'll see whether we're afraid or not," and right then, as they
said these words, there came a loud knock, and a great big bow! wow!
wow! right at the door, and Mr. Jack Rabbit fell over backward, and Mr.
'Coon upset his coffee, and Mr. 'Possum, being stuffed so he could
hardly move, rolled under the table and fainted dead away.
"Wasn't the Crow and Mr. Turtle scared some, too?" interrupted the
Little Lady.
Not a bit. Mr. Dog is good friends with the Crow and the Turtle. Of
course they were afraid some for the Rabbit and the 'Coon and the
'Possum, but they didn't think Mr. Dog could get in, because the door
was locked, so they laughed and pounded on the table as the others had
done and said:--
"Oh, yes, just show us Mr. Dog! Just show us Mr. Dog!"
That made the Rabbit feel ashamed, 'cause he was in his own house, so he
hopped up quick and marched over to the door and said:--
"Why, Mr. Dog, is that you out there?"
Mr. Dog said it was, and that he had seen all the tracks in the snow,
and just thought he'd like to take a hand in that big dinner himself.
That made the hair on Mr. 'Coon's head stand right straight up, and Mr.
'Possum, who had rolled under the table, gave a groan and crawled over
behind a long curtain, where he could faint and be covered up at the
same time. Mr. Rabbit thought a little minute and then said, very
politely:--
"It's just too bad, Mr. Dog, I'll declare it is. But every time you come
it seems like something happens to keep me from having your company.
We've just got up from the table and there isn't a thing left, and
besides, Mr. 'Possum had a sick turn a minute ago, and we're all upside
down and every which way."
But Mr. Dog said he wasn't afraid but that there'd be plenty for him to
eat, and that he was a pretty good hand with sick folks himself. Then he
gave another great loud bark and said:--
"You fooled me once, but you'll fool me no more,
So lift up the latch and open the door!"
Mr. Dog talks poetry that way sometimes when he gets excited. But Jack
Rabbit said he really couldn't think of inviting him in, the way things
were, and that it would likely be after sundown before he'd be ready for
him. Of course, he said, Mr. Dog couldn't wait that long, he knew, and
that he s'posed, after all, they'd have to do without his comp'ny this
time. Then Mr. Dog said that his folks were away from home now, and that
he could stay there all night if he wanted to, but that he didn't want
to and didn't propose to, and then he gave another great big bow wow
wow! and said:--
"You fooled me once, but you can't ag'in;
Open the door or I'll break it in!"
[Illustration: THE 'POSSUM ALMOST DIED.]
[Illustration: SAW MR. DOG'S YELLOW LEGS AND TAIL.]
Jack Rabbit and Mr. 'Coon both jumped when they heard that, and Mr.
'Possum almost died. It worried the Crow and the Turtle some, too, for
they knew if he did break in the door there'd be a big row and no
telling how it would end. And just then Mr. Dog gave a big run and a
jump against the door, and it squeaked and opened a little, so that the
Rabbit could see a streak of light through it and Mr. Dog's yellow legs
and tail. When he saw that Jack Rabbit just gave one spring and landed
on the top shelf of his china closet. Mr. 'Possum jumped up and ran
around the room and fainted in two or three different places, trying to
find one that was safer than the other, and Mr. 'Coon scampered up the
Rabbit's new lace curtains and hung on to the pole for dear life. The
Crow and the Turtle just kept still and got ready to argue some with Mr.
Dog when he got in.
Pretty soon he came, bang! against the door again, and this time a good
deal harder than before, and it squeaked louder and the crack was wider,
for Mr. Dog had jumped against it as hard as ever he could, backward.
And right there Mr. Dog made a mistake, for in just that little second
while the crack was open the end of his tail got in it, and the door
smacked right down on it, and there he was.
"Ho!" said the Little Lady. "Was he caught tight?"
[Illustration: HE HOWLED LIKE A GOOD FELLOW.]
He was that. The harder he pulled the tighter it pinched, and he howled
like a good fellow. You wouldn't have thought that such a little bit of
his tail would make him howl so loud, but it did, and he couldn't get
far enough away from the door to jump against it again. Well, Mr. Rabbit
didn't let on that anything had happened, but just came down out of the
china closet as cool as you please, with the dessert dishes on his arm,
and the 'Possum said his sick turn had passed off, and the 'Coon came
down from the curtain and mentioned that he always liked to take a
little exercise during a heavy meal that way. Then they had dessert, and
all the time Mr. Dog was making a big fuss outside, and by and by he
began to beg and promise anything if they'd just let him loose.
Mr. Rabbit called out to him that, being as his folks were away now, he
needn't be in any hurry, and that he might just as well stay there all
night if he wanted to. Then Mr. Dog called out to the Turtle and the
Crow to "prize" open the door and let him get his tail out, but they
both said that they couldn't think of being impolite with Jack Rabbit in
his own house by sending off any of his friends that way.
Well, pretty soon the 'Coon and the 'Possum said they must be going,
they guessed, so Mr. Rabbit let them out the back door, and they went
around and said goodby to Mr. Dog and hoped he was having a nice time.
And Mr. Dog told them, with tears in his eyes, that he was sorry to see
them go and that he hoped to meet them again. Then the 'Coon and the
'Possum both laughed and took a good look at Mr. Dog, for they had never
been so close to him before in their lives. They kept on laughing and
looking around as far as they could see, and said it was the best joke
they had ever heard of.
The Crow and the Turtle didn't go right away. They stayed and had a talk
with Jack Rabbit first so as to give the 'Coon and the 'Possum time to
get home. By and by they bade goodby to Mr. Rabbit and said they'd had a
nice time, and went out the back door, too, and when it was shut and
locked tight Jack Rabbit told Mr. Dog if he'd promise to go right home
and behave himself, and not go gallivanting around the country, he'd
let him loose. Mr. Dog promised, and said his tail was numb clear up to
his ears, and for Mr. Rabbit to please hurry. Then Jack Rabbit got a
stick of stovewood and pried the door open a little wider, and Mr. Dog's
tail came out just as the Turtle and the Crow stepped around the corner.
"Was Mr. Dog mad at them?" asked the Little Lady, anxiously.
[Illustration: THEY WALKED ALONG WITH HIM.]
Not very. He was too much ashamed, and, besides, they walked along with
him and said they were sorry and thought it was too bad the way he had
been treated, and Mr. Crow said he'd have Mr. Dog over to his house for
supper before long, which would be a good joke on the 'Coon and 'Possum,
too, because they'd have to stay locked in their rooms. That made Mr.
Dog perk up a little, but he didn't have much to say, and he didn't even
look around when Mr. Jack Rabbit sat up in his window and called after
them:--
"I fooled you once and I fooled you twice,
If you come again I'll fool you thrice!"
For Jack Rabbit could make up poetry, too, sometimes when he felt well.