Jimmy Rabbit arrived home somewhat out of breath. But he was still
happy, for he thought that he had shaken off that troublesome Mr. Mink.
And he had no idea that Mr. Mink knew where he lived.
Now, it happened that old Mr. Crow's story about Jimmy's new tail had
reached Mr. Mink's ears. And as soon as he heard it he had inquired
where Jimmy Rabbit lived.
Mr. Crow had told him. And he took another look at Mr. Mink.
"I notice you've lost your tail," he said.
"Yes!" Mr. Mink answered. "Farmer Green threw an axe at me once. And it
cut off my tail, as you see. I left that neighborhood then; and never
cared to return to it. But if this young Rabbit boy has found my tail, I
shall certainly claim it at once." So off he went. And Mr. Crow nodded
his head wisely. It was just as he had said! There was trouble ahead for
Jimmy Rabbit--or, you might say, there was trouble _behind_ for him; for
it was that handsome red tail, you remember, that was the cause of it
all.
Well, Jimmy Rabbit was trying to decide what he would do that evening,
when all at once somebody else decided it for him. For all at once a
slim, red gentleman rushed at Jimmy, crying, "Give me my tail! I want my
tail!"
It was Mr. Mink! And Jimmy Rabbit ran off as fast as he could go.
"This is my tail!" he called over his shoulder. "I found it. And I'm
not going to give it up to anybody."
But Mr. Mink hurried after Jimmy. To be sure, Jimmy left him far behind.
But Mr. Mink kept following. It was very annoying, for Jimmy knew that
sooner or later that troublesome gentleman would be on his heels again.
There was no use of Jimmy's crawling into any hole, for he was four
times as big as Mr. Mink; and, of course, anywhere he went, Mr. Mink
could easily follow.
Jimmy Rabbit didn't know what to do. Mr. Mink had terribly sharp teeth.
And he was very angry. But Jimmy was not angry at all. _He_ didn't want
to fight.
While he was trying to think of some way out of his trouble, something
suddenly pulled him backward. Looking around, he saw Mr. Mink with his
cruel teeth fastened in that beautiful red tail.
"Let go of me!" Jimmy Rabbit cried.
But Mr. Mink didn't say a word. In order to speak, he would have had to
drop that precious tail. And he had no idea of doing that. Besides,
there was nothing he wanted to say. There was no use of his calling,
"Stop, thief!" when he had already stopped him, you know.
Jimmy Rabbit pulled with all his might. And Mr. Mink dug his four feet
into the ground and pulled with all of _his_.
And then, the first thing Jimmy knew, he fell forward, head over heels.
He was up in a jiffy, and off like a flash, running like the wind.
But this time Mr. Mink did not follow.
When at last Jimmy sat down to rest he discovered why it was that Mr.
Mink had stopped chasing him. His beautiful, new, red tail was gone! The
bit of string had broken under all that pulling. And now Jimmy Rabbit
had no tail except his own.
"Where's your fine, bushy tail?" Mr. Crow asked Jimmy the next morning.
"Oh! I discovered who the owner of it was," Jimmy said. "He came for his
property; and I let him have it."
But Mr. Crow was a wise old chap.
"Did you give him the string, too?" he inquired.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: 3 May Baskets]
3