JENNY WREN’S PENNY
You remember in the last story as the little Green Snake coiled herself in a ring and swayed back and forth, she began to sing:
“Under a stone on the Forest Trail
Close to the home of a little black snail,
Is a bright new penny, so stop to-day
And pick it up on your homeward way.”
“I will,” said Little Jack Rabbit, and then he and Yellow Dog Tramp set out, and by and by they saw a little stone just ahead of them. And close beside it was a black snail in her little house which she always carries around with her, rain or shine.
“Hurrah,” cried the little rabbit, “now I will find my fortune,” and he pushed aside the stone and was just going to pick up the bright penny when a voice said:
“Don’t you touch that penny,
For it belongs to Jenny,
To pretty little Jenny Wren
Who lives down in the shady glen.”
“Oh, dear me,” sighed Little Jack Rabbit, “I thought I could take it.”
“Who are you?” asked the Yellow Dog Tramp, looking all around to see who had spoken, but there was no one in sight. And just then, all of a sudden, out jumped Chippy Chipmunk in his little striped jacket. “That penny belongs to Jenny Wren. She lost it this morning.”
“Then why don’t you take it to her?” said the Yellow Dog Tramp.
“I’m keeping watch till she comes back,” answered Chippy Chipmunk. “I don’t know where she went.” And then the little chipmunk laughed and picked up a nut and stuffed it into the little pocket in his left cheek.
“Well, there’s no use waiting here,” said Little Jack Rabbit. “I must get back to the Old Bramble Patch before sundown or mother will worry.” And off he started, lipperty lip, clipperty clip, but just then who should come by but little Jenny Wren herself. She wasn’t flying. Oh, my, no. She was walking slowly over the ground and looked here and there and everywhere.
“Did you see a bright penny?” she asked.
“It’s by that stone,” said Little Jack Rabbit. “Close by the snail in her little shell house.”
So Jenny Wren hopped over to the stone and picked up her lost penny, and if she doesn’t spend it for a lemon lollypop I’ll tell you what happened after that.
A lollypop’s a lovely thing,
Just like a flower in the spring.
It grows upon the Lolly Tree
Beside the winding river Dee.