The Tale of Jimmy Rabbit

by Arthur Scott Bailey

  10 The Tooth Puller]

  10

  The Tooth Puller

  Jimmy Rabbit was always changing his mind about what he was going to bewhen he grew up. First he thought he would be a gardener, so he wouldalways have plenty of vegetables to eat. Next he decided he would be apreacher, because, so far as he could see, they never did anythingexcept talk--and he was sure _that_ couldn't be very hard work. And oneday he told his mother that he expected to become a tramp, so hewouldn't have to wash his face. But she soon put that idea out of hishead. So Jimmy had to think of something else.

  Jimmy Rabbit hurts Frisky Squirrel]

  Now, he had heard that there were places where one could go to have atooth pulled. And it seemed to him that it must be very pleasant to pullteeth. And he saw no reason why he need wait till he grew up, either. Hesaw no reason why he should not begin at once.

  Jimmy knew of a hollow stump not far away which would make as fine anoffice as anyone could want. So he hopped into the woods. And outsidethe hollow stump he nailed a sign that said:

  JAMES RABBIT TOOTH PULLER

  He didn't have to wait any time at all before some one came along.

  It was Frisky Squirrel. And the moment he read the sign he decided thatone of his teeth was in need of pulling.

  "Come right in!" Jimmy Rabbit said. He had on a white apron, which hehad borrowed from his mother when she was not looking. And in his handhe held a big pair of pincers, which he had borrowed from his fatherwhile Mr. Rabbit was away from home.

  "Do you really know how to pull a tooth?" Frisky asked.

  "I've never yet had a complaint from anyone who let me pull a tooth forhim," Jimmy Rabbit said. And that was perfectly true--for he had neverpulled a tooth in his whole life.

  It would have been a shame if Frisky Squirrel had lost one of his sharp,white teeth. But Frisky didn't know that. He thought it would be fun.And he sat down and told Jimmy Rabbit he was ready.

  So Jimmy Rabbit stepped up to him. But he hadn't any more than closedhis pincers when Frisky Squirrel began to scream.

  Jimmy Rabbit was so surprised that he let the pincers drop and jumpedback.

  "My goodness!" he said. "How you startled me! I didn't hurt you, did I?"

  "Yes, you did!" Frisky answered. And Jimmy could see that he was angry."You hurt my lip terribly."

  "Well, you must have moved," said Jimmy. "Having a tooth pulled is agood deal like having your picture taken. You have to sit very still."

  Now, sitting still was something that Frisky Squirrel never was able todo.

  "I'm sorry," he said, "but I shall have to get along with my teeth justas they are."

  "Better try once more!" Jimmy urged him. "Most everybody has at least_one_ tooth out. It's quite the fashion."

  But Frisky would not let him try again.

  "I haven't heard that it was the fashion to have your lip pulled off,"he said. "But I'll stay here a while," he added. He wanted to _see_ atooth pulled, even if it wasn't his own.

  "Do!" said Jimmy Rabbit. "And after you've seen how easily the thing'sdone, I've no doubt you will want me to 'tend to your case." He was verycheerful.

  But Frisky Squirrel did not appear very happy. His lip pained himterribly.

  11 A Slight Dispute]

  11

  A Slight Dispute

  You may have heard somewhere of Uncle Jerry Chuck. He was an oldwoodchuck who lived in Farmer Green's pasture. And he was known far andwide as the stingiest person in Pleasant Valley. He never paid foranything if he could possibly help it.

  Well, Uncle Jerry had the toothache. That was nothing new for him,either. He often had the toothache. And it was always the same tooth,too--because he had only one in his head. But he never would go and havehis tooth pulled, because he simply _hated_ the thought of payinganyone to take it out. He had an idea that _he_ was the one who shouldbe paid. But he never could find a dentist who looked at the matter inthat light.

  Uncle Jerry was strolling through the woods. He had a big redhandkerchief tied about his face, because it was a cold day. And he wasgetting very tired of the toothache. He was just wishing that he couldget rid of it--for nothing. He even thought he would be willing to partwith that tooth without asking any pay for it, when what should he seeright in front of him but a big sign, which said:

  JAMES RABBIT TOOTH PULLER

  "Hello!" said Uncle Jerry. "Here's something new! I've never noticedthat sign before." And he stepped inside the hollow stump to which thesign was nailed.

  And there he found Jimmy Rabbit, in a white apron, and with a pair ofpincers in his hand. Frisky Squirrel was there, too, sitting in a cornerand holding onto his head.

  "What are your prices?" Uncle Jerry asked.

  "An ear of corn for a tooth!" said Jimmy Rabbit promptly.

  "That's reasonable enough," Uncle Jerry Chuck replied. And he sat downat once. "Go ahead!" he said.

  Jimmy Rabbit was delighted.

  "Which one is it?" he asked.

  "All of them!" said Uncle Jerry.

  That was even better than Jimmy had expected. But when he looked insideUncle Jerry's mouth he was disappointed.

  "Why, you've only one tooth in your head!" he exclaimed in hissurprise.

  "Hurry up!" Uncle Jerry snapped. "I came here to have a toothpulled--not _to be talked to_." He was always ill tempered. And histoothache only made him crosser than ever.

  So Jimmy Rabbit went to work. He tugged away with all his might andmain. Now and then Uncle Jerry groaned. And whenever he groaned, Jimmyturned pale. For he was somewhat afraid of the old gentleman.

  At last Jimmy tumbled backward, head over heels. That was when the toothcame out.

  "Well, you were long enough about it, I must say!" Uncle Jerry Chucksaid. "Give me my ear of corn now, for I must hurry home."

  "Give _you your_ ear of corn?" Jimmy Rabbit cried. He could scarcelybelieve his own ears--and goodness knows they were big enough to hearanything anybody said.

  "Why, certainly!" Uncle Jerry replied. "I asked you your prices, youknow. And you said: 'An ear of corn for a tooth!'"

  Jimmy Rabbit didn't know what to do.

  "Why"--he gasped, "I thought _you_ were going to pay _me_!"

  "Well, you see you were mistaken," Uncle Jerry told him. "And you hadbetter give me that ear of corn at once, or it will be the worse foryou."

  For all the old fellow was toothless, Jimmy saw that his claws were longand sharp. He knew that he had got himself into a fix. And he couldn'tthink of any way out of it.

  "You've got my tooth! I want an ear of corn! You've got my tooth! I wantan ear of corn!" Uncle Jerry Chuck kept saying. And each time he saidit, his voice grew louder, until he was shouting at the top of hislungs.

  Then Jimmy Rabbit had an idea. He picked up Uncle Jerry's tooth off thefloor and placed it in Uncle Jerry's hand.

  "There's your tooth!" he cried. "I don't want it!"

  "But you promised to give me an ear of corn for my tooth!" said UncleJerry.

  "Well, haven't you got your tooth?" asked Jimmy Rabbit.

  And Uncle Jerry Chuck was so puzzled that he went home without sayinganother word.

  12 The Strange Man]

  12

  The Strange Man

  A strange man had come to stay at Farmer Green's house. It was JasperJay who brought the news into the woods.

  "He doesn't seem to work with Farmer Green, or the hired man, either,"said Jasper. "When I first saw him he was sitting on the bank of theriver, under a great, brown umbrella. But what he was doing I couldn'tmake out."

  When Jimmy Rabbit heard that, he knew at once that he wouldn't be ableto sleep a wink that night unless he found out exactly what the strangeman was about. So he went off toward Swift River with a skip and a hop.He was always like that. Whenever there was a new sight to be seen,Jimmy Rabbit was sure to be among the first to see it.

  He had no trouble in finding what he was looking for. There on the riverbank was a huge umbrella.
Jimmy was sure it was the biggest one in theworld. And under the umbrella sat the strange man. In one hand hegrasped a queerly shaped board, and a number of sticks; and in the otherhe held one of the sticks, with which he kept dabbing at a big, flatthing that stood in front of him.

  Jimmy Rabbit was puzzled. He stole nearer. And at last he had crept soclose that when he stood on his hind legs he could see what the man wasworking at.

  To his great surprise, he discovered that Swift River was rushing andtumbling across the big, flat object which was propped upright in frontof the stranger.

  Jimmy couldn't understand it. Was the man fishing? he wondered. And howhad he managed to get Swift River out of its banks like that?

  Jimmy Rabbit began to think that the strange man had used magic. Why, hewasn't even wet!

  And Jimmy turned and ran back home. If he hadn't happened to meet Mr.Crow, probably he would never have known to this day what that man wasdoing.

  But Mr. Crow knew right away.

  "That wasn't really Swift River that you saw in front of him. It wasjust something that looked like it.... Haven't you ever seen a picture?"Mr. Crow asked.

  Jimmy Rabbit had to admit that he had never had that pleasure.

  "Well!" said Mr. Crow. "I can tell you where you can see better picturesthan that man can make. He only paints rivers and mountains, and lakes.But down at Farmer Green's, all over the front of the barn, you'll findthe most beautiful pictures anyone could ask for. You'll see ladiesriding on horses--standing up, mind you! And you'll see men perched oneon top of another until they reach the clouds. And animals! There arethe oddest looking animals--different from anything you ever saw inthese woods."

  "I'm going right down there," Jimmy Rabbit said. "I'm very glad to havemet you, Mr. Crow. And thank you, very much!" It was not often thatJimmy was so polite.

  He was almost afraid that Mr. Crow was playing some trick on him. But itwas all just as Mr. Crow had said--only ten times more wonderful. AndJimmy Rabbit made up his mind, before he came away from Farmer Green'sbarn, that he wanted to make pictures himself.

  Mr. Crow had said that the strange man, who made the picture of SwiftRiver, was an artist. Well, Jimmy intended to begin to be an artist thevery next day. And he was so grateful to Mr. Crow for explainingeverything to him that he decided he would do something specially nicefor the old gentleman.

  And all at once a happy thought came into Jimmy's head. He would make apicture of Mr. Crow!

  13 Mr. Crow's Picture]

  13

  Mr. Crow's Picture

  In the woods near the foot of Blue Mountain news travels fast. Sooneverybody knew that Jimmy Rabbit had become an artist. And many of thewoods-people put on their best clothes and hurried to Jimmy's house, tohave their pictures painted.

  They were disappointed when Jimmy told them all that they would have towait.

  "But after I've made a picture of Mr. Crow you shall each have yourturn," he promised.

  Some of them grumbled. And Mr. Fox, especially, was very disagreeable.

  "I was the first one here," he said. "I don't see why I should have towait for old Mr. Crow."

  But Jimmy Rabbit would not listen to him. He felt quite important.

  "I shall have to ask you all to go away now," he said. "Paintingpictures is very difficult work. It would make me nervous to have somany people watching me."

  So his callers left him--all but Mr. Fox.

  "I'm going to stay right here," Mr. Fox said. "And as soon as you finishwith Mr. Crow, you can begin my picture." And he looked so surly thatJimmy Rabbit didn't dare object.

  At last Mr. Crow arrived.

  "I'd have been here before," he said, "but I stopped to get a new hat."

  "That's too bad!" Jimmy told him. "You know, gentlemen never wear hatswhen they're having their portraits painted. But I'll tell you what youcan do," he added, for he saw that Mr. Crow was disappointed. "You canhold your hat in your hand."

  That seemed to make Mr. Crow feel better. But Mr. Fox almost spoiledeverything by saying, "Then he'll have to stand on one leg."

  Jimmy Rabbit hadn't thought of that. And Mr. Crow only made it harderfor him. For he said in a loud voice, "No hat, no picture!"

  Jimmy Rabbit thought very hard. And pretty soon he smiled all over hisface.

  "It's all right!" he said. "I know how to fix it, Mr. Crow. You can holdyour hat, just as I said."

  So everybody was happy again--except Mr. Fox, who had hoped that old Mr.Crow would go away.

  Jimmy Rabbit showed Mr. Crow where to stand. And then he began topaint. And while he worked, Mr. Fox looked over his shoulder.

  It was not long before something seemed to please Mr. Fox, for he smiledbroadly.

  Mr. Crow noticed that grin.

  "What's he laughing at?" he asked. "_I_ don't see anything to laugh at."

  Jimmy Rabbit looked around. But Mr. Fox was as solemn as an owl.

  "He isn't laughing," said Jimmy.

  "Certainly not!" said Mr. Fox. "Your eyes must be bad, Mr. Crow."

  "Well, I didn't bring my spectacles," Mr. Crow answered. "I thought I'dlook better without them."

  After that Mr. Fox managed to keep a sober face. But _inside_ he waslaughing as hard as could be.

  "What makes him shake so?" Mr. Crow asked, a few minutes later.

  "I must have caught cold," Mr. Fox replied. "I've been chilly all themorning."

  "You'd better go home," Jimmy Rabbit advised him. But Mr. Fox wouldn'thave left for anything.

  "Now he's choking!" Mr. Crow said. "I declare, I can't have my picturepainted with such goings-on." And he started to fly away.

  But Jimmy Rabbit begged him to stand still just a little longer.

  "The picture is almost done," he said. "There!" he added, a bit later."It's finished. And I know you'll be pleased."

  It was clear that Mr. Fox was pleased, for he was actually beaming.Jimmy thought he had never seen him look so pleasant. Mr. Crow had toask him to stand aside, so _he_ could have a look.

  "I should think I might gaze on my own picture," he grumbled.

  At first Mr. Crow was delighted. Then he seemed somewhat puzzled.

  "The face is good," he said. "And no one could ask for a better pictureof a hat. But there's something that doesn't look quite right." And allat once Mr. Crow saw what was the matter. And he flew at the picture andran his bill through it in a dozen places. "The idea!" he said. "I'venever been so insulted in all my life!" And without another word he flewout of sight.

  It was no wonder that he was angry. For in the picture Jimmy Rabbit hadpainted him with four legs!

  "Well," said Jimmy, "he needn't be so cross about it. It was his ownfault. He wanted to hold his hat. And I just _had_ to give him more thanone leg to stand on."

  14 Boy Lost!]

  14

  Boy Lost!

  Poor Mrs. Rabbit didn't know what to do. Her son Jimmy had not been homesince early morning; and she was sure he was lost. She hurried throughthe woods, looking for him everywhere. But not a trace of him could shefind. No one had seen him.

  At last Mrs. Rabbit happened to meet Jasper Jay.

  "Have you seen Jimmy?" she asked.

  "Yes!" he said. "Right after breakfast I saw him hurrying along the roadby the river. The gypsies have a camp there. And I wouldn't be a bitsurprised if they had stolen him," he added very cheerfully.

  When Mrs. Rabbit heard that she was terribly upset.

  "Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" she cried. "Whatever shall I do?"

  "The usual thing," Jasper Jay told her, "is to offer a reward."

  "Is that so?" said Mrs. Rabbit. "I've never done anything like that.Will you help me?"

  "Why, certainly!" said Jasper. And he set to work and painted a bigsign, which looked like this:

  LOST, STRAYED, OR STOLEN!

  A boy in a checkered suit, with a short tail and long ears. He answers to the name of Jimmy Rabbit. A reward will be paid for his return, and no questions asked.
MRS. RABBIT, Near the Big Pine Tree.

  "There!" said Jasper Jay, proudly. "That ought to fetch him, if anythingwill." And he and Mrs. Rabbit took the sign down to the road and hung iton a fence-post.

  "Why do you say 'No questions asked'?" she inquired.

  "That's the way it's always done," said Jasper.

  Now, it was almost as Jasper Jay had thought. Jimmy Rabbit was at thegypsies' camp. But he hadn't been stolen. He was skulking about, as nearthe gypsies as he dared to go. And he was so interested in what he sawthat he had entirely forgotten to go home to dinner. But late in theafternoon he began to have such a queer feeling in his stomach that heremembered then that he had had nothing to eat since breakfast. And hestarted off up the road, towards home.

  You can imagine how surprised he was when he stopped and read JasperJay's sign. As soon as he had read it a second time he decided that hehad better hurry home a little faster. For he could see that his motherwas worried.

  So Jimmy jumped through the fence and went hopping across the meadow.Soon he was home again; and Mrs. Rabbit was hugging him and asking himwhere he had been and what he had been doing.

  Jimmy was just going to tell her. But he happened to think that when hismother learned that he had been at the gypsies' camp all day she mightnot be pleased. And then he remembered that sign.