As soon as he had made up his mind on that point Buster Bumblebeeblustered back to old dog Spot once more.
"You're certainly wrong!" he exclaimed. "There's no bumblebee--nor anyother sort of bee--anywhere near the pumpkin."
"There was one there only a moment ago," old Spot remarked with a slysmile.
"I didn't see him," said Buster Bumblebee, looking much puzzled.
"Well, _I_ did," old Spot replied. "And that proves that I'm right."
Buster Bumblebee could think of no good retort to make at that moment.And since the odd buzzing had stopped, and all three fiddlers were tuningup for more dance music, in his excitement Buster forgot all about theraising bee again, the bumblebee in the pumpkin, and even his disputewith old dog Spot.
So the dance went on. And at last, late in the afternoon, the peoplesuddenly remembered that they had to go home to milk the cows. Then thefiddlers put away their fiddles; for the dance had come to an end. AndBuster Bumblebee was extremely sorry that it was so.
Now, Jimmy Rabbit had agreed to meet Buster at the hollyhock hedgebetween the flower and the vegetable garden, on the morning following thegreat gathering of Farmer Green's friends. At least, that was what BusterBumblebee thought.
Unfortunately, however, the matter had slipped entirely from JimmyRabbit's mind. And although Buster went to the meeting-place eachmorning, he failed to find his long-eared friend there.
Luckily it was a pleasant spot in which to wait. So each day Busterbreakfasted upon the flowers. And if it hadn't been for just one thing hewouldn't have cared much whether Jimmy Rabbit ever came back to meet himor not. But Buster did want to tell Jimmy Rabbit that he had beenmistaken about the raising bee. Jimmy Rabbit knew so much--he was alwaysexplaining things to people with such a knowing air--that BusterBumblebee thought it would do Jimmy a world of good to understand thatfor once he was wrong.
If Buster had only visited the garden earlier in the morning he wouldhave found Jimmy Rabbit easily enough. But Buster did not like to goabroad much until the sun had had a chance to dry the dew, for it washard for him to fly when his wings were wet.
On the other hand, Jimmy Rabbit usually went to the garden at dawn,because he had an idea that lettuce was crisper and tasted better whilethe cool dew still clung to it. But at last there came a morning whenJimmy was so late and Buster was so early in reaching the garden thattheir breakfast hours came at the same time.
XXIII
MAKING GAME OF OLD DOG SPOT
"Where have you been keeping yourself?" Buster Bumblebee cried, themoment he caught sight of Jimmy Rabbit's ears sticking up from behind ahead of Farmer Green's lettuce. "It's quite plain that you forgot to meetme, so I might tell you about the raising bee."
At that Jimmy Rabbit promptly replied that he had come there eachmorning.
"Anyhow," he said, "you promised to meet me. And since you haven't met meuntil now it must be your fault, for you certainly haven't done as youagreed."
Buster Bumblebee looked puzzled. He was sure that the fault had not beenhis. But his wits were not so nimble as Jimmy Rabbit's. And he couldthink of no answer at all.
"Well, what do you know about the raising bee?" Jimmy asked him with anencouraging smile.
"You were mistaken about that," Buster told him eagerly. "There wasn'tany raising bee. Farmer Green's neighbors for miles around came to helphim put up the frame of his new barn. And afterwards they enjoyed a feastunder the trees--and a dance."
Jimmy Rabbit began to shake in a very strange manner.
"Ho! ho!" he cried in a jolly voice. "You are the one that'smistaken--and not I! You saw a raising bee and didn't know it! FarmerGreen's friends _raised_ the timbers for the barn. And that's why it'scalled a _raising_ bee. Any helpful, neighborly gathering like that isknown as a _bee_--though you may not be aware of that fact."
Buster Bumblebee stared open-mouthed. He had never suspected such athing. But Jimmy Rabbit said it was so. And there was nothing to do butbelieve him.
"So they had something to eat--and a dance too, eh?" said Jimmy Rabbitpleasantly.
"Yes," said Buster, "and there was a bumblebee in a pumpkin, though Icouldn't see him. But old dog Spot said he did. And I suppose I wasmistaken, for I thought he was inside a fiddle."
And now Jimmy Rabbit was laughing again, holding his sides and shaking sohard that it seemed as if his ears would fall off if he didn't stop soon.
"No, you were not mistaken at all!" he cried, as soon as he could speakagain. "That's an old, old tune. My grandfather has hummed it to me manya time. He used to say that there never was another tune just like it."
"What tune?" Buster Bumblebee asked him. "I must say I don't know whatyou're talking about."
"Why, _The Bumblebee in the Pumpkin_!" Jimmy Rabbit informed him. "That'sthe name of a tune. Every good fiddler knows it. And since the buzzingsound comes out of the fiddle, the bumblebee must be inside it, ofcourse."
For a moment Buster looked almost peevish. He had intended to take JimmyRabbit down a peg by telling him he had been mistaken. And here was JimmyRabbit, explaining every strange thing, just as he always did! It wasmost annoying--so Buster thought. But all at once a comforting ideapopped into his head.
"Old dog Spot was wrong, wasn't he?" Buster cried.
"He certainly was," Jimmy Rabbit replied.
"Ha! ha!" laughed Buster Bumblebee. "Isn't it odd how stupid some peopleare?"
"It certainly is!" said Jimmy Rabbit. And for some unknown reason helaughed harder than ever before.
But Buster Bumblebee did not mind that in the least. He thought thatJimmy Rabbit was making game of old dog Spot.
THE END
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SLEEPY-TIME TALES(Trademark Registered.)By ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEYAUTHOR OF THETUCK-ME-IN TALES and SLUMBER-TIME TALESColored Wrapper and Text Illustrations Drawn by HARRY L. SMITH
This series of animal stories for children from three to eight years,tells of the adventures of the four-footed creatures of our Americanwoods and fields in an amusing way, which delights small two-footed humanbeings.
THE TALE OF CUFFY BEARTHE TALE OF FRISKY SQUIRRELTHE TALE OF TOMMY FOXTHE TALE OF FATTY COONTHE TALE OF BILLY WOODCHUCKTHE TALE OF JIMMY RABBITTHE TALE OF PETER MINKTHE TALE OF SANDY CHIPMUNKTHE TALE OF BROWNIE BEAVERTHE TALE OF PADDY MUSKRATTHE TALE OF FERDINAND FROGTHE TALE OF DICKIE DEER MOUSETHE TALE OF TIMOTHY TURTLETHE TALE OF BENNY BADGERTHE TALE OF MAJOR MONKEYTHE TALE OF GRUMPY WEASELTHE TALE OF GRANDFATHER MOLETHE TALE OF MASTER MEADOW MOUSE
Grosset & Dunlap, Publishers, New York.
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TUCK-ME-IN TALES(Trademark Registered.)By ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEYAUTHOR OF THESLEEPY-TIME TALES and SLUMBER-TIME TALESColored Wrapper and Text Illustrations Drawn by HARRY L. SMITH
A delightful and unusual series of bird and insect stories for boys andgirls from three to eight years old, or thereabouts.
THE TALE OF JOLLY ROBIN
Jolly Robin spreads happiness everywhere with his merry song.
THE TALE OF OLD MR. CROW
A wise bird was Mr. Crow. He'd laugh when any one tried to catch him.
THE TALE OF SOLOMON OWL
Solomon Owl looked so solemn that many people thought he knew everything.
THE TALE OF JASPER JAY
Jasper Jay was very mischievous. But many of his neighbors liked him.
THE TALE OF RUSTY WREN
Rusty Wren fought bravely to keep all strangers out of his house.
THE TALE OF DADDY LONG-LEGS
Daddy Long-Legs could point in all directions at once--with his differentlegs.
THE TALE OF KIDDIE KATYDID
He was a musical person and chanted all night during the autumn.
THE TALE OF BETSY BUTTERFLY
Betsy spent most of her time among the flowers.
THE TALE OF BUSTER BUMBLEBEE
&n
bsp; Buster was clumsy and blundering, but was known far and wide.
THE TALE OF FREDDIE FIREFLY
Freddie had great sport dancing in the meadow and flashing his light.
THE TALE OF BOBBY BOBOLINK
Bobby had a wonderful voice and loved to sing.
THE TALE OF CHIRPY CRICKET
Chirpy loved to stroll about after dark and "chirp."
THE TALE OF MRS. LADYBUG
Mrs. Ladybug loved to find out what her neighbors were doing and to givethem advice.
Grosset & Dunlap, Publishers, New York.
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Transcriber's Notes
1. Punctuation has been normalized to contemporary standards.2. Frontispiece illustration relocated to after title page.3. Lines printed out of order in published text have been corrected: page 68, lines 4 and 5 as in original: friends to a house-warming and I don't hard on me. For I've invited all my page 112, lines 19 and 20 as in original: You saw a raising bee and didn't know it! are the one that's mistaken--and not I!
The Tale of Buster Bumblebee Page 5
