“I didn’t mean any harm. I just flew down from the blue sky to say
‘Howdy!’” said Hungry Hawk in a low voice.
Little Jack Rabbit was too out of breath to speak. And, anyway, he was
too busy thinking how he was ever to get out, for there stood that old
robber bird close by, ready to pounce on him at any moment.
“I don’t believe you,” at last answered the little rabbit. “And I’m not
coming out while you’re around.”
Hungry Hawk made no reply, but sat down and preened his feathers. By
and by who should come along but Danny Fox.
“Hello, Hungry Hawk, what are you doing?”
“Howdy, Danny Fox, what are _you_ doing?” replied the old bird.
“Oh, just taking a walk,” answered Danny Fox, squinting into the
opening in the old hollow tree. “I don’t see anything, but I smell
rabbit.”
“Well, that’s as far as you’ll get,” answered Hungry Hawk. “I’m going
to pull that little rabbit out of that tree and eat him, and I’m not
inviting anybody to dine with me, either.”
Now this made Danny Fox very angry, but he only grinned and said:
“You’ll never get him out unless I help you.”
“How’s that?” inquired Hungry Hawk.
“Because,” answered Danny Fox, with a bigger grin than ever, “I’ll eat
Hawk first and Rabbit after,” and he made a jump for the old bird,
catching him by the tail.
My goodness, how the fur and feathers flew! Yes, siree! It certainly
was some fight.
At first Danny Fox was on top. Pretty soon Hungry Hawk squirmed away
and dug his sharp claws into Danny Fox’s fur overcoat. But Danny Fox
never let go of the old hawk’s tail.
After a while Hungry Hawk said: “Suppose we stop and talk it over.” So
they let go of each other and sat down. Hungry Hawk was pretty well
mussed up and Danny Fox’s hair looked as if it had been combed the
wrong way.
“I’ll help you get the little rabbit if you’ll let me help you eat
him,” said Danny Fox.
“All right,” agreed the old hawk, “but how shall we get him out of the
tree?”
“I’m going to smoke him out,” answered Danny Fox. “You wait here while
I run home and get my pipe. I’ll puff tobacco smoke into that hollow
tree until that little rabbit either hops out or chokes to death.”