By J. Rabbit.
Oh, 'tis happy in the woodland
When Mr. Dog's away;
'Tis happy in the woodland
Upon the first of May.
He's gone across the grassland
We hope he's gone to stay;
Then don't forget the feast is set
And Mr. Dog's away.
The Robin was just about to speak up at this moment and say that Mr. Dog
was surely coming, but the others cheered so that nobody heard him, and
Mr. Rabbit went on with his poem.
Then 'tis hey! for Mr. Woodchuck!
And tis hi! for Mrs. Quail!
And 'tis ho! for Mr. 'Possum
With a bowknot on his tail!
Then 'tis hip! for Mr. Robin
And for all the rest, hurray!
The friends are met, the feast is set,
And Mr. Dog's away.
"Hurray! hurray!" shouted all the others. "The friends are met, the
feast is set, and Mr. Dog's away!"
Then hand around the glasses
And fill them to the brim,
And drink a health to Mr. Dog,
For we are fond of him.
And, though he be not present
Upon this happy day,
We'll fill the cup and drink it up
To Mr. Dog away!
[Illustration: SAW THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG.]
At the last line everybody was just about to lift their glasses and give
a great big cheer for the poem, when all at once they saw by Jack
Rabbit's face that something was wrong. Then they all looked where he
was looking, and there, right before them, bowing and smiling, stood
Mr. Dog himself! He had just come in time to hear the last stanza of the
poem and was ready to dance with joy, he was so happy to think they were
drinking his health when he wasn't there.
He felt so good that he didn't notice how surprised they looked, and
slipped into a seat at the table, saying he was sorry to be late, and
that he had just heard the last lines of Mr. Rabbit's poem, but that
they had made him very proud and happy, and he hoped Mr. Jack Rabbit
would read it again for his benefit.
Of course, nearly everybody there was scared almost into fits, but they
didn't dare to let on, for they saw that there had been an awful mistake
somewhere, and if Mr. Dog found it out and knew he hadn't been invited
no telling what might happen. Jack Rabbit smiled, kind of sickly like,
and said that he had been overcome by the excitement, and didn't feel
quite able to read the poem again. He said he hoped Mr. Dog would judge
the first verses, though, by the last, and feel just as glad to be there
as they were to have him. And all the rest said, "Oh, yes, so glad to
have Mr. Dog with us," and kept piling things oh his plate, so he
wouldn't want anything to eat besides his dinner. Mr. Dog felt so well
and was in such a good humor that he commenced pretty soon to tell
stories and jokes on himself, and by and by told about the time he went
over to take dancing lessons of Jack Rabbit.
[Illustration: HE SET OUT FOR HOME.]
Everybody thought at first that they'd better laugh at Mr. Dog's jokes,
and they did laugh like everything, but when he started that story about
what Mr. Rabbit had done to him they didn't know whether to laugh or
not. Some laughed a little and some didn't, and Mr. Rabbit said he
thought it was getting a little too warm for him there in the sun, and
he believed he'd go and sit in the shade a minute and cool off, so he
went over behind some waxberry bushes, where it was shady, and the
minute he got where Mr. Dog couldn't see him he set out for home just
about as fast as he could travel, without stopping to say goodby or to
look behind him.
Pretty soon Mr. 'Coon said he thought mebbe Mr. Rabbit was sicker than
he let on, and he guessed he'd better go and see about it. So he went
over behind the waxberry bushes, too, and was half way home before you
could say "Jack Robinson." Then Mr. 'Possum told Mr. Crow that he hoped
he and the others would entertain Mr. Dog a while, for he knew Mr. 'Coon
would need help, and away he went, and before long Mr. Fox and Mr.
Woodchuck, and Mr. Squirrel and all their folks had gone over behind the
waxberry bushes to look after Mr. Rabbit too, and none of them wasted a
minute's time making tracks for home as soon as they got out of sight.
But the Crow and the Turtle and the Robin didn't go because they were
all on good terms with Mr. Dog. Mrs. Quail didn't go either, though
before long most everybody else had gone. Then Mr. Crow said he guessed
poor Mr. Rabbit's friends had taken him home, and Mr. Dog said he was
sorry, and that it was too bad anything should happen that way when
folks were having such a good time. He said he'd call at Jack Rabbit's
house next day to see how he was and hear the rest of that poem. Then
Mr. Crow and Mr. Turtle laughed and laughed, and Mr. Dog didn't know
what they were laughing at, but he felt so well that he laughed too, and
Mr. Robin, who had found out by this time what a bad mistake he had
made, couldn't help laughing some himself.
[Illustration: MR. DOG MADE A SPEECH.]
Then they had dessert, and Mr. Dog made a speech and thanked them for
the fine party and surprise in his honor, and declared he had never
spent such a happy day in all his life. He said there had been a little
misunderstanding now and then between himself and some of the forest
folks, but he knew now that all was forgiven, and that he would never
forget this happy May party.
And Mr. Dog never did forget it, concluded the Story Teller--at least
not for a long time--and he doesn't know to this day that the party
wasn't given specially for him, or that Mr. Jack Rabbit's poem wasn't
written in his honor.
"You can sing the Hollow Tree Song, now," said the Little Lady,
drowsily.
[Illustration: THE THREE FRIENDS.]
So then the Story Teller sang the song that the forest people sing when,
on dark nights in the far depths of the Deep Woods, they are feasting at
the table of the 'Coon, the 'Possum and the Old Black Crow.
Long before he had finished, the Little Lady was in the land of dreams.
And the Story Teller had been dreaming, too, while he sang.