A turtle goes much slower
Than an old sea-going hack.
He never has to hurry home
For his house is on his back,
sang Bobbie Redvest as Little Jack Rabbit hopped down the Old Cow Path
in the Sunny Meadow.
“I wonder what I’ll do to-day?” the little bunny asked himself, when
all of a sudden, along came Teddy Turtle with his little shell bungalow
on his back, for Teddy Turtle always carries it with him, rain or
shine, anywhere and everywhere. Yes, sir, that little turtle is very
lucky; he never is forced to move out on the first of May, nor is
there any unkind landlord to bother him.
“Where are you going?” asked the little rabbit.
“Down to the Old Duck Pond. Come along. We’ll make a call on Granddaddy
Bullfrog.”
“Very well,” answered the little rabbit, “I’ve nothing to do this
morning. I’ll come along.”
Then off they started, Teddy Turtle crawling slowly down the path, and
Little Jack Rabbit hopping along, now and then sitting down to wait for
the little turtle to catch up to him. By and by, Little Jack Rabbit
said:
“Don’t you ever get tired carrying your house about with you? You’re
just like a moving van.”
“Oh, I’m used to it,” answered Teddy Turtle. “When I go out in the
morning I don’t have to worry about getting back to the house by supper
time.”
“Ha, ha!” laughed the little rabbit. “Your head sticks out of the front
door and your tail through the kitchen door!”
But, Oh dear me. He was so taken up with the little turtle that he
didn’t notice a big, black shadow on the path. But Teddy Turtle did.
Oh, my yes!
“Look out!” he shouted, “here comes Hungry Hawk!” And he pulled his
head in through the front door and his tail in through the back door,
and all you could see was a little shell house on the meadow grass.
[Illustration: Little Jack Rabbit Meets Teddie Turtle.
_Little Jack Rabbit and Danny Fox. Page 48_]
And the little rabbit? He hopped into a hollow stump so quickly that
Hungry Hawk had to knock three times before Teddy Turtle dared to
squint out of his little shell house.
Pretty soon Hungry Hawk rapped again on the old hollow stump.
Rat-a-tat-tat! went Hungry Hawk
On the door of the Hollow Stump.
The Bunny Boy’s heart beat pitter pat,
And his knees went bumpity, bump!