II
At last they reached Whitie's house and the two little rabbits hopped through the gate.
"Oh, see these cabbage leaves," said Whitie. "Jack left them here for my dinner."
But Bunny did not look at the cabbage leaves, for just at that moment he heard Jip barking.
And then he heard Jack talking to the dog.
Poor Bunny's heart began to beat very fast.
"What shall I do? What shall I do?" he said.
"Jack and Jip will not hurt you," said Whitie. "I think Jack is coming to close the gate."
Bunny hid himself in one corner of the house and held his breath for fear Jack would see him.
"Why, Whitie!" Bunny heard Jack say, "I left your gate open this morning. I must close it now or you will be taking a walk in the garden."
Jack closed the gate, and Bunny was caught.
When Jack had gone away, Whitie called to Bunny to come out in the yard.
"Come and eat some of these good cabbage leaves," he said.
But Bunny could not eat. He could only sit and look at the closed gate.
"I want to go home," he said to Whitie. "I don't like to stay in this yard all the time."
"But you will never be hungry here," said Whitie. "Come and eat something now."
Bunny was not hungry. He could not eat.
All day long he sat in the house.
He wondered what Bobtail and Billy were doing.
He wondered if Mother Rabbit was hunting for him.
Just before dark he heard Jack coming to see Whitie again.
He did not hear Jip barking.
"Perhaps Jack is alone," thou| Bunny. "If he is I think I can get away."
He sat very still and listened.
Then he peeped out and saw Jack coming across the grass.
He was all alone. The dog was not running along beside him.
Bunny turned around and looked at Whitie.
"Good-by," he said. "I am going to hop out when Jack opens the gate.
"You have a very good home here. But I like my home in the woods much better.
"Sometime when you run away come and see me."
Just then Jack opened the gate and out jumped Bunny! Jack was so frightened that he dropped Whitie's supper on the ground.
He looked around to see what had flashed by him so quickly.
But Bunny was out of sight!
He did not stop or look around until he was safe in his own home.
"Where have you been?" asked Mother Rabbit. "I thought you were lost."
"I thought so, too," said Bunny.
"I went to visit the white rabbit who lives in a little house under the apple tree.
"And then Jack came and shut the gate and I could not get away."
"Oh, Bunny, Bunny!" said Mother Rabbit. "I thought you were too wise to get caught in a trap."
"I am now," Bunny answered, and he ran out to have a game of tag with Billy and Bobtail.
TEDDY BEAR
I
Teddy Bear lay on the grass in the meadow.
He lay there all day and he lay there all night.
Baby May had dropped him there and forgotten all about him.
So the little brown bear lay on the soft grass in the meadow.
Blacky Crow flew over the meadow and called to the bear.
"Caw, caw!" he said. "What are you doing here?"
"I thought you liked to stay in the playroom with the rest of the toys."
Of course Teddy did like to stay in the playroom.
But if May dropped him in the meadow how could he get back to the house?
Mrs. Duck and all the little ducks waddled along the path that led to the brook.
"Quack, quack!" said Mrs. Duck. "Look here, look here! Where did you come from? What are you doing in this meadow?"
[Illustration: "Quack, quack! Where did you come from?">[
Teddy stared at the duck with his little black eyes, but he did not say a word.
Perhaps he did not like to tell her that May had forgotten all about her little playmate.
"Quack, quack!" said Mrs. Duck. "I teach my children to speak when they are spoken to."
Teddy just stared and stared, but he did not say a word.
"Very well," said Mrs. Duck, "I will go to the pond and see Mr. Green Frog.
"I will ask him if he knows who you are."
So off to the pond waddled Mrs. Duck, and all her children waddled after her.
"Bow-wow!" barked Jip as he ran through the meadow.
"I am trying to find some one to play with me.
"I wish I could find Bunny Rabbit. I should like to have a game of chase with him."
Just then Jip saw Teddy Bear.
"Bow-wow-wow!" he said. "What are you doing in this meadow?
"I thought you lived in the playroom."
Teddy Bear stared at Jip with his little black eyes, but he did not say a word.
I am sure he wished the dog would run away and not talk to him.
But Jip wanted to play. He thought it was fun to play with Teddy.
It was fun to pick him up and toss him into the air.
It was fun to hide him where May could not find him.
Jip picked Teddy up in his mouth and ran along through the meadow.
He ran through the meadow and into the woods.
"Bow-wow, bow-wow!" he said.
When Jip opened his mouth to bark, Teddy hopped out and fell to the ground.
Jip picked him up again. He tossed him up in the air and then caught him in his mouth.
He shook him, and shook him, but Teddy did not say a word.
Then Jip started along the path in the woods.
"I am going to hide Teddy where May will never find him," he said to himself.
"Then I can have him to play with every day."
But the next minute Jip forgot all about Teddy Bear, because he saw Bobby Gray Squirrel.
Bobby Gray Squirrel wag skipping over the ground hunting for nuts.
Jip liked to play tag with Bobby, so he dropped Teddy Bear and ran after the little gray squirrel.
But Bobby saw the dog coming and skipped up into the oak tree.
He sat down on the lowest branch and began to scold Jip.
"Chatter, chatter, chatter!" he said. "Why did you run after me? I had just found a nut for my breakfast."
"Bow-wow!" said Jip. "Come down out of that tree and play chase with me."
But Bobby would not come down and so at last Jip ran away home.
He forgot about Teddy and left him under the tree.
When Jip had run away, Bobby came down out of the tree.
He saw Teddy and ran over to speak to him.
"Good-morning," Bobby said to the little brown bear. "What are you doing under this tree?"
Teddy stared at the squirrel with his little black eyes, but he did not say a word.
"My mother taught me to speak when I am spoken to," said Bobby.
But Teddy did not speak, and so at last Bobby ran away and left him.