Mother West Wind's Animal Friends
Page 15
XV
PETER RABBIT'S BIG COUSIN
Jumper the Hare had come down out of the Great Woods to the GreenMeadows. He is first cousin to Peter Rabbit, you know, and he looks justlike Peter, only he is twice as big. His legs are twice as long and hecan jump twice as far.
All the little meadow people were very polite to Jumper the Hare, allbut Reddy Fox, who is never polite to any one unless he has a favor toask. Peter Rabbit was very proud of his big cousin, very proud indeed.He showed Jumper the Hare all the secret paths in the Green Forest andacross the Green Meadows. He took him to the Smiling Pool and theLaughing Brook, and everywhere Jumper the Hare was met with the greatestpoliteness.
But Jumper the Hare was timid, oh, very timid indeed. Every few jumps hesat up very straight to look this way and look that way, and to listenwith his long ears. He jumped nervously at the least little noise. Yes,Sir, Jumper the Hare certainly was very timid.
"He's a coward!" sneered Reddy Fox.
And Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter and Jimmy Skunk, even Johnny Chuck,seeing Jumper the Hare duck and dodge at the shadow of Blacky the Crow,agreed with Reddy Fox. Still, they were polite to him for the sake ofPeter Rabbit and because Jumper really was such a big, handsome fellow.But behind his back they laughed at him. Even little Danny Meadow Mouselaughed.
Now it happens that Jumper the Hare had lived all his life in the GreatWoods, where Mr. Panther and Tufty the Lynx and fierce Mr. Fisher werealways hunting him, but where the shadows were deep and where there wereplenty of places to hide. Indeed, his whole life had been a game of hideand seek, and always he had been the one sought. So on the GreenMeadows, where hiding places were few and far between, Jumper the Harewas nervous.
But the little meadow people, not knowing this, thought him a coward,and while they were polite to him they had little to do with him, for noone really likes a coward. Peter Rabbit, however, could see no fault inhis big cousin. He showed him where Farmer Brown's tender young carrotsgrow, and the shortest way to the cabbage patch. He made him acquaintedwith all his own secret hiding places in the old brier patch.
Then one bright sunny morning something happened. Johnny Chuck saw it.Jimmy Skunk saw it. Happy Jack Squirrel saw it. Sammy Jay saw it. Andthey told all the others.
Very early that morning Reddy Fox had started out to hunt for hisbreakfast. He was tiptoeing softly along the edge of the Green Forestlooking for wood mice when whom should he see but Peter Rabbit. Peterwas getting his breakfast in the sweet-clover bed, just beyond the oldbrier patch.
Reddy Fox squatted down behind a bush to watch. Peter Rabbit lookedplump and fat. Reddy Fox licked his chops. "Peter Rabbit would make abetter breakfast than wood mice, a very much better breakfast," saidReddy Fox to himself. Beside, he owed Peter Rabbit a grudge. He had notforgotten how Peter had tried to save his little brother from Reddy bybringing up Bowser the Hound.
Reddy Fox licked his chops again. He looked this way and he looked thatway, but he could see no one watching. Old Mother West Wind had goneabout her business. The Merry Little Breezes were over at the SmilingPool to pay their respects to Grandfather Frog. Even jolly, round, redMr. Sun was behind a cloud. From his hiding place Reddy could not seeJohnny Chuck or Jimmy Skunk or Happy Jack Squirrel or Sammy Jay. "No onewill know what becomes of Peter Rabbit," thought Reddy Fox.
Very cautiously Reddy Fox crept out from behind the bush into the tallmeadow grass. Flat on his stomach he crawled inch by inch. Every fewminutes he stopped to listen and to peep over at the sweet-clover bed.There sat Peter Rabbit, eating, eating, eating the tender young cloveras if he hadn't a care in the world but to fill his little roundstomach.
Nearer and nearer crawled Reddy Fox. Now he was almost near enough tospring. "Thump, thump, thump!" The sound came from the brier patch.
"Thump, thump!"
This was Peter Rabbit hitting the ground with one of his hind feet. Hehad stopped eating and was sitting up very straight.
"Thump, thump, thump!" came the signal from the brier patch.
"Thump, thump!" responded Peter Rabbit, and started to run.
With a snarl Reddy Fox sprang after him. Then the thing happened. ReddyFox caught a glimpse of something going over him and at the same timehe received a blow that rolled him over and over in the grass.
In an instant he was on his feet and had whirled about, his eyes yellowwith anger. There right in front of him sat Jumper the Hare. Reddy Foxcould hardly believe his own eyes! Could it be that Jumper the Hare, thecoward, had dared to strike him such a blow? Reddy forgot all aboutPeter Rabbit. With a snarl he rushed at Jumper the Hare.
Then it happened again. As light as a feather Jumper leaped over him,and as he passed, those big hind legs, at which Reddy Fox had laughed,came back with a kick that knocked all the breath out of Reddy Fox.
Reddy Fox was furious. Twice more he sprang, and twice more he was sentsprawling, with the breath knocked out of his body. That was enough.Tucking his tail between his legs, Reddy Fox sneaked away towards theGreen Forest. As he ran he heard Peter Rabbit thumping in the old brierpatch.
"I'm safe," signaled Peter Rabbit.
"Thump, thump, thump, thump! The coast is clear," replied Jumper theHare.
Reddy Fox looked back from the edge of the Green Forest and gnashed histeeth. Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare were rubbing noses andcontentedly eating tender young clover leaves.
"Now who's the coward?" jeered Sammy Jay from the top of the Lone Pine.
Reddy Fox said nothing, but slunk out of sight. Late that afternoon hesat on the hill at the top of the Crooked Little Path, and looked downon the Green Meadows. Over near the Smiling Pool were gathered all thelittle meadow people having the jolliest time in the world. While hewatched they joined hands in a big circle and began to dance, JohnnyChuck, Jimmy Skunk, Bobby Coon, Little Joe Otter, Billy Mink, Happy JackSquirrel, Striped Chipmunk, Danny Meadow Mouse, Peter Rabbit, Spotty theTurtle, even Grandfather Frog and old Mr. Toad. And in the middle,sitting very straight, was Jumper the Hare.
And since that day Peter Rabbit has been prouder than ever of his bigcousin, Jumper the Hare, for now no one calls him a coward.
THE END
* * * * *
BOOKS BY THORNTON W. BURGESS
BEDTIME STORY-BOOKS
1. THE ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX
2. THE ADVENTURES OF JOHNNY CHUCK
3. THE ADVENTURES OF PETER COTTONTAIL
4. THE ADVENTURES OF UNC' BILLY POSSUM
5. THE ADVENTURES OF MR. MOCKER
6. THE ADVENTURES OF JERRY MUSKRAT
7. THE ADVENTURES OF DANNY MEADOW MOUSE
8. THE ADVENTURES OF GRANDFATHER FROG
9. THE ADVENTURES OF CHATTERER, THE RED SQUIRREL
10. THE ADVENTURES OF SAMMY JAY
11. THE ADVENTURES OF BUSTER BEAR
12. THE ADVENTURES OF OLD MR. TOAD
13. THE ADVENTURES OF PRICKLY PORKY
14. THE ADVENTURES OF OLD MAN COYOTE
15. THE ADVENTURES OF PADDY THE BEAVER
16. THE ADVENTURES OF POOR MRS. QUACK
17. THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY COON
18. THE ADVENTURES OF JIMMY SKUNK
19. THE ADVENTURES OF BOB WHITE
20. THE ADVENTURES OF OL' MISTAH BUZZARD
MOTHER WEST WIND SERIES
1. OLD MOTHER WEST WIND
2. MOTHER WEST WIND'S CHILDREN
3. MOTHER WEST WIND'S ANIMAL FRIENDS
4. MOTHER WEST WIND'S NEIGHBORS
5. MOTHER WEST WIND "WHY" STORIES
6. MOTHER WEST WIND "HOW" STORIES
7. MOTHER WEST WIND "WHEN" STORIES
8. MOTHER WEST WIND "WHERE" STORIES
GREEN MEADOW SERIES
1. HAPPY JACK
2. MRS. PETER RABBIT
3. BOWSER THE HOUND
4. OLD GRANNY FOX
THE B
URGESS BIRD BOOK FOR CHILDREN
THE BURGESS ANIMAL BOOK FOR CHILDREN