Little Jack Rabbit and Uncle John Hare Read online

  LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND UNCLE JOHN HARE

  by

  DAVID CORY

  Author of Little Jack Rabbit's Adventures, Little Jack Rabbit and DannyFox, Little Jack Rabbit and the Squirrel Brothers, Little Jack Rabbitand Chippy Chipmunk, Little Jack Rabbit and the Big Brown Bear, LittleJack Rabbit and Professor Crow

  _LITTLE JACK RABBIT BOOKS_(Trademark Registered)

  Illustrated by H. S. Barbour

  New YorkGrosset & DunlapPublishers

  Made in the United States of America

  Copyright, 1922, byGrosset & Dunlap

  The Bunnymobile Horn Made Giant Rabbit Stop His Ears andShut His Eyes.]

  CONTENTS

  UNCLE JOHN HARE

  A USEFUL GUMDROP

  THE RAGGED RABBIT GIANT

  JACK SPRITE

  THE WOODLAND ELF

  "FEE, FIE!"

  THE OLD WITCH

  STRAWBERRIES

  MRS. ANT

  MORE ADVENTURES

  THE WISHING EGG

  MAGIC BOOTS

  THE TINY COBBLER

  FIREFLY LANTERNS

  INVITATIONS

  UNCLE JOHN HARE'S PARTY

  THE LITTLE RING

  DOCTOR CAT

  THE BIG BLACK BEAR

  CHICKEN CITY

  MRS. WILDCAT

  PROFESSOR CROW

  THE WITCH'S SPELL

  THE MAGIC FLOWER

  THE RIBBON TREE

  THE FAIRY CAT

  THE BIG BLACK SNAKE

  THE SUGAR BARREL

  THE YELLOW DOG TRAMP

  "ALWAYS TRUST THE FAIRIES"

  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

  THE BUNNYMOBILE HORN MADE GIANT RABBIT STOP HIS EARS AND SHUT HIS EYES.

  THE WISHING EGG BRINGS NEW CLOTHES TO PROFESSOR CROW.

  JACK SPRITE AND FOREST FAY ARRIVE AT UNCLE JOHN HARE'S PARTY.

  THE LITTLE GIRL TIED A RIBBON AROUND UNCLE JOHN HARE'S NECK.

  LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND UNCLE JOHN HARE

  UNCLE JOHN HARE

  "Heigh-ho," said Little Jack Rabbit to himself one bright morning, "howhappy I'd be if I could find Uncle John Hare." And then, all of a suddenhe came to a sign by the road on which was printed in big red letters:

  "THREE MILES TO TURNIP CITY"

  "Perhaps someone there can tell me where he lives," and the littlerabbit set out with a brave heart once more, and pretty soon, not sovery far, he came to a little house painted white, with green shuttersand a red chimney. And, goodness me! Before he could say "Winky pinky"Uncle John Hare himself opened the door.

  "How did you get here all by yourself? It's a long way from the OldBramble Patch," inquired the old gentleman rabbit.

  Well, you can imagine how glad the little tired bunny was to find hisuncle, and for a long time he for got to ask him how he came to leavethe Sunny Meadow, and why he had bought this little house in TurnipCity. But, by and by, his uncle explained it all by saying he wished topass the rest of his days in quiet, far away from the Farmer's Boy andDanny Fox.

  "Now come around to the back of the house and I'll show you my littlegarage," said the old gentleman bunny. "I have a Bunnymobile that goesso fast you can't count the miles before you are home again." Wasn'tthat a wonderful automobile to have? Well, I just guess it was. Andafter the little rabbit had looked it over his uncle took him back inthe house and showed him the little room which was to be his as long ashe lived in Turnip City.

  "Won't we have fine times together!" said the old gentleman rabbit, witha laugh. "I've been waiting for just this happy moment. You and I cantravel all over together in sunshiny, snow-falling, rain-wettingweather." And he slapped the little bunny's back and gave a hop, skipand jump to one side, and then laughed some more, for he was as happy asa clam at high tide, as an old fisherman used to say when I was a boynot so very long ago, but just long enough to make me wish I were twentyyears younger, just the sam_ee_.

  Well, after a while, it was bedtime, and the cuckoo came out of herlittle clock-house and said:

  "Time for bed, you sleepy head, Don't sit up too late. It won't be long before my song Will make the clock strike eight."

  And in the next story you shall hear what happened after that.

  A USEFUL GUMDROP

  The next morning when Little Jack Rabbit woke up for a moment he forgothe was in Uncle John Hare's house, Turnip City, U.S.A. But in less thanfive hundred short seconds he knew where he was, when the cuckoo cameout of her little clock-house and sang:

  "Wake up, wake up! It's early morn, The sun is sparkling the dew on the corn, The little field mouse is looking about And the little red rooster's beginning to shout,"

  and his kind rabbit uncle looked in at the door and said:

  "The buckwheat cakes are sizzling hot, The maple sugar's sweet, So hurry up and dress yourself So we'll have time to eat."

  Well, you can just bet your last Liberty bond coupon the little bunnydidn't linger in bed, but dressed himself as fast as a fireman and wasdown at the breakfast table before his uncle had eaten more thanthirteen buckwheat cakes.

  As soon as the old gentleman rabbit's housekeeper, Mrs. Daisy Duck, hadcleared away the table and made out a list for the grocer, these twohappy rabbits hopped into the Bunnymobile and started off for TurnipCity to buy sugar and flour and maybe a bag of animal crackers.

  Well, they had gone only just so far when they met little Red RidingHood on her way to her grandmother's.

  "Jump in and we'll save you maybe a mile," said the old gentlemanrabbit. "But we must keep a sharp lookout for Mr. Wicked Wolf!" So injumped little Red Riding Hood and then off they went. But, oh dear me!In a little while they saw the big bad wolf creeping along among thetrees.

  "Never mind," said the old gentleman rabbit. "He won't dare touch uswhile we're in the Bunnymobile!" But just the same he felt a little bitworried, let me tell you, and so would you and so would I if we met awolf out automobiling.

  "We'll play a little trick on him," said the old gentleman rabbit, andhe opened his tool box and took out a gumdrop as large as a baseball."Now if he comes too near I'll throw it to him and he'll snap it up, andbefore he knows it his long teeth will be stuck in so tight he won't beable to open his mouth for a week and a month!" And the next minute thisis just what happened.

  "Here's a little gumdrop for you," said the old gentleman rabbit. Andthe ugly wolf snapped it up in his teeth. But when he tried to open hismouth he couldn't. All he could do was to try to get it out with hispaws, and in the next story you will hear what happened after that.

  THE RAGGED RABBIT GIANT

  Oh, the Bunnymobile's a wonderful car; It goes just as fast as a swift shooting star, And every one says, with a toss of his cap That Uncle John Hare's a lucky old chap.

  And now you remember how the last story ended; although in case youdon't I'll tell you. Little Jack Rabbit was riding with his dear uncle,Mr. John Hare, of Turnip City, U. S. A.

  Well, pretty soon they stopped in front of a grocery store and LittleRed Riding Hood, who was with them, you remember, jumped out and went tocall on her grandmother, who lived in a little house in the wood.

  "Now, let me see," said the old gentleman rabbit, taking out of hispocket the piece of paper on which his housekeeper, Mrs. Daisy Duck, hadwritten the things she wanted him to buy at the grocery store:

  "I want a pound of chocolate prunes, Four dozen ice cream cones, A pound or two of sugar glue Some raisins without stones."

  "Here they are, Mr. John Hare," said the saleslady, who was a slim youngtabby cat, and she handed him the package nicely done up with pinkribbons. So off went
the two little rabbits in their Bunnymobile. But,oh, dear me! On their way home whom should they meet but the RaggedRabbit Giant of the Skyhigh Mountain. He had just climbed down to take alook over Turnip City, which is on the other side of the Sippi River,you know.

  "Hey, hey!" he shouted. "Where are you going?"

  "I guess I'd better stop," said the old gentleman rabbit. "I don't wantto be impolite, but neither do I want to be foolhardy, and it certainlyis risky talking to a giant." But, oh, dear me; while he was thinkingthis over the Ragged Rabbit Giant took one long step and stood besidethem.

  "Well, well, well," he said with a low bow, "if this isn't the littlebunny who once made me a visit."

  And then he laughed so loud that the trees trembled. "What have you gotin that paper bag tied up so nicely?" And he stretched out his big handto take it, when the old gentleman rabbit made the Bunnymobile horn gooff just like a gun which so frightened the Giant Rabbit that he put hisfingers to his ears and shut his eyes. And before you could say JackRobinson the old gentleman bunny started up the Bunnymobile and wasalmost home when the giant opened them again. And in the next story youshall hear what happened after that.

  JACK SPRITE

  "Oh, dear me," said Mrs. Daisy Duck, Uncle John Hare's old ladyhousekeeper, you know, "why don't they get home?" and she looked up anddown the road, but she couldn't see the Bunnymobile anywhere.

  "Oh, dear, oh, dear, I feel so queer, I wonder what can be the matter; It's quarter past eight and supper is late; I'm so worried I'll never grow fatter."

  And then that kind-hearted, anxious duck went into the kitchen to see ifthe lollypop cookies were burning. And just then, all of a sudden, sheheard the honk! honk! of the Bunnymobile horn and she gave a quack ofrelief and made the turnip tea.

  "Ha, ha," said Uncle John Hare, stepping into the kitchen. "Sorry we arelate, but we met the Ragged Rabbit Giant on our way home and weredetained." Well, pretty soon he and Little Jack Rabbit sat down tosupper, and when that was over they both went into the sitting room andmade the pianograph play a new tune.

  But just then, all of a sudden, they heard a little voice at thekeyhole, such a tiny little low voice that at first the little rabbithardly heard it.

  Again the tiny voice came through the keyhole:

  "Open the door and let me in I'm hardly as tall as a little tin pin."

  "Who are you?" asked Uncle John Hare, getting up from his chair andgoing over to the door. And then the little voice spoke again. "I'mlittle Jack Sprite."

  So the old gentleman bunny opened the door, and there stood theprettiest little fairy you ever saw. He was dressed in blue, with a tinygreen cap on his head, and long pointed turned up shoes.

  "I suppose you wonder what brings me here," he said, bowing verypolitely. "Well, I'll tell you. Somebody has broken thejack-in-the-pulpit flower I live in, and while I was looking for a newhome I spied the little light in your window. So I said to myself,'Perhaps it's a firefly's lantern, then, maybe, it isn't, but I'll goand find out.'"

  Then little Jack Sprite hopped up on a chair and crossed his legs. Butgoodness me. He didn't half fill the chair, although it was the smallestone in the house.

  And maybe he would have fallen asleep by and by if the two littlerabbits hadn't sent him upstairs to bed, and in the next story you shallhear what happened in the middle of the night.

  THE WOODLAND ELF

  The little gray mouse came out of her house Just at the hour of twelve. And what she saw on the moonlit floor Was a tiny woodland elf.

  "S-s-sh!" he said, as the little mouse blinked her eyes, frightened, Isuppose, at seeing such a strange sight. "Don't wake up the littlerabbit."

  "What do you want?" asked the little mouse. "Mr. John Hare is very kindto me, and I don't want anything to happen to him."

  "Ha, ha!" laughed the little elf, only very low, of course, so as not tobe heard. "How could I hurt a big rabbit?"

  "I'm not so sure about that," replied the little mouse. "Sometimeslittle things are more dangerous than big ones," and she tried to lookvery wise instead of a little bit frightened.

  "Don't be worried," said the elf, "I'll tell you why I'm here. JackSprite, who lives in a jack-in-the-pulpit flower in the wood, is asleepupstairs. I must see him before the big red rooster crows at threeo'clock."

  "Mercy me," said the little mousie. "I didn't know there was a fairyupstairs. What's this house coming to? A fairy upstairs and a fairydownstairs. The first thing you know there'll be a giant in the garage."

  "Never mind," whispered the elf, walking over to the door. "I must goupstairs and wake Jack Sprite. Otherwise something dreadful is going tohappen." And so up he climbed on his tiptoes to the spare room where thelittle fairy lay asleep in a big feather bed.

  "Gracious me!" said the elf to himself. "I shall have to climb up thebedpost," and up he went like a telephone man, only of course he didn'thave any spikes in the heels of his shoes. And it was just as well hedidn't, for he certainly would have scratched off all the nice varnish.

  "Twinkle, twinkle, firefly, like a lantern in the sky," he sang, verysoft and low. And pretty soon Jack Sprite opened his eyes and when hesaw the little elf, wasn't he surprised.

  "Come, Jack, you must be quick. The Ragged Rabbit Giant is gathering allthe Jack-in-the-pulpit flowers and pretty soon there won't be one left."

  "But how can I stop him?"

  "Come with me," said the little elf. "I'll help you." So they bothopened the window and slid down a moonbeam. Well, pretty soon, thelittle gray mouse grew impatient. So she ran upstairs to see what theywere about, and in the next story you shall hear what happened afterthat.

  "FEE, FIE!"

  "The moonlight shone on the bedroom floor As the little gray mouse peeked in through the door,

  But the little fairy I told you about Had opened the windows and just gone out. So the little gray mouse had nothing to do But close it again to keep out the flu."

  Then she softly stole downstairs so as not to waken Little Jack Rabbit,and after eating a cheese sandwich went to bed. And now I suppose youare wondering what became of the little elf and the tiny fairy Imentioned in the story before this. Well, I'll tell you right away.As soon as they slid off the moonbeam, they scampered away to theforest where the big Ragged Rabbit Giant was stealing all theJack-in-the-pulpit flowers he could lay hands on.

  "Now hide behind this tree and I'll creep under this bush," said thelittle elf, "and when the Ragged Rabbit Giant comes by you blow yourpoliceman's whistle and I'll blow mine, and I guess that will sofrighten him that he'll never come here again."

  Pretty soon, not so very long, they heard a sharp crashing of branchesand a big thumping on the ground, and then, all of a sudden, the RaggedRabbit Giant appeared.

  "Fee, fie, china and delf, I smell the blood of a little elf, Fie, fee, left, right, I smell the blood of a little sprite."

  And, goodness me. Little Jack Sprite and the tiny elf were so frightenedthat they almost forgot to blow their policeman whistles. And I guessthey would have if a little round-eyed owl hadn't tooted:

  "Blow your whistles quick I say, And frighten this Rabbit Giant away!"

  Goodness me, again! Then how they did blow their whistles, and the Giantalmost jumped through his collar, and before you could say JackRobinson, ran back to his castle and climbed into his big folding bed.

  "Now I guess our Shady Forest will be as quiet as Philadelphia," saidthe tiny elf. And little Jack Sprite said, "Maybe he has left oneJack-in-the-pulpit flower in which I can make my home." Then they bothcame out from their hiding places and before very long, just a littlewhile, Jack found a Jack-in-the-pulpit flower. So he was all right andas happy as could be, and as the little elf had a home in a big oaktree, he said good-by and ran away just as the little Red Rooster beganto crow.

  THE OLD WITCH

  "Come, let's go for a ride in the Bunnymobile," said Uncle John Hare.

&nbs
p; "The wind is blowing from the west, And I've got on my new pink vest, We'll go through Fairy Land, I guess, Maybe a thousand miles or less."

  And the old gentleman bunny curled his whiskers and winked at Mrs. DaisyDuck, his old lady housekeeper.

  "Well, be sure and get back in time for supper," she said as he andLittle Jack Rabbit hopped into the Bunnymobile and rode away.

  By and by, after a while, and a laugh and a smile, they came to a queerlittle house in the wood, so the two little rabbits hopped out andknocked on the door, which was opened by a little girl dressed in blue.

  "Good morning," she said, with a courtesy. "Come in and seegrandmother." Now her grandmother was a witch, but one of those nicekind witches you seldom hear about. She didn't have a crooked nose, nora turned-up chin, and her back wasn't humped at all. She really was verynice-looking, indeed, for her blue eyes were kind and her voice sweetand low.

  "What can I do for you two gentlemen bunnies?" she asked, taking up herknitting and making the needles fly so fast that they wondered how shecould keep from making a slip now and then, and sometimes oftener.

  "We're looking for strawberries," answered Little Jack Rabbit.

  "Oh, ho!" said the nice old witch, "so that's what you're after. Don'tyou know that this isn't the time of year for strawberries?"

  "I thought they grew all the year 'round in Fairy Land," said UncleHare.

  "Well, I know where you may find some, but you'll have to sweep away thesnow," said the nice old witch. "Go down to the meadow by the RiverSippi, and then up a little hill, on the top of which stands a tinyhouse. Knock on the door and ask Tim Woodman to show you his strawberrypatch."