Poor Mr. Dog! He did not dream that the Robin had made a big mistake
when he invited him. He was all ready for a grand time and thought he
was to be the guest of honor. But the 'Coon and the 'Possum and all the
rest thought he was in another part of the country that day, and when
they got to the place where the party was to be they shook hands and
laughed about how Mr. Crow had played it on Mr. Dog and then rolled on
the grass and cut up in a great way.
Mr. Fox was there with all his folks, and Mr. Squirrel and his folks,
and Mr. Weasel and Mr. Woodchuck and Mrs. Quail, and ever so many
others. Mr. Rabbit had picked out the spot, which was a pretty, green,
open place in the woods, and right in the centre of it a little weeping
willow tree, with long, trailing branches like ribbons. This was to be
their May pole, and they were so happy that they commenced dancing
almost as soon as they got there. Mr. Dog, of course, hadn't arrived
yet. It had taken him so long to dress, and then he had a long way to
come, so he was late.
Pretty soon Mr. 'Possum puffed and blowed because he was so fat, and
said he thought they ought to sit right down and begin to eat, and let
Mr. Jack Rabbit read his poem to them through the first course. The
Rabbit was willing to do that, for he would rather read his own poetry
than eat any time, and, besides, the first course was something he
didn't like very well. So then they all sat down around the table cloth
which they had spread on the grass, and Mr. Rabbit got up and put his
right hand in the breast of his coat. He commenced by saying that his
friends seemed to think he was a good deal of a poet, but that he had
always been too busy to really write his best, and that all his poems,
like the one he was just about to read, had been little inspirations
tossed off on the spur of the moment. Of course, everybody there knew
that Jack Rabbit had sat up two whole days and nights to write his poem,
but they all cheered and clapped their hands, and Mr. Rabbit bowed and
coughed a little and began to read:--