"I think I've eaten enough so I can manage to stay away from the beechnuts a short time," he said with a sigh. "But I hope you won't keep me long."
"Everything depends on the weather," Jimmy Rabbit answered.
But Reddy Woodpecker did not even hear him. His mind was too busy thinking of beechnuts to pay much attention to anything else.
They travelled through the woods for some time, until they reached a low, swampy place. And as soon as they came to it Jimmy Rabbit whispered to Reddy Woodpecker that he must be very still.
"Do exactly as I tell you," he ordered. "And don't even whisper to me, please![p. 107] I'm going to show you where you must stand. Though the place may not be as dry as you might prefer, you'll have to follow my directions and say nothing—if you want to get rid of Jasper Jay."
"I promise—" said Reddy Woodpecker—"but I wish I had brought along a few beechnuts in my pocket. Just wait a moment!" he added. "Let me see if I haven't some nuts somewhere that I've forgotten."
So Jimmy Rabbit waited while Reddy hunted in all his pockets. He turned every one of them inside out. And since he had fifteen pockets, and he had to turn them all back again, and replace their contents, the proceeding consumed a good deal of time.
Jimmy Rabbit grew very impatient. He kept urging Reddy Woodpecker to make haste. But Reddy told him that if he hur[p. 108]ried too much he might overlook a beechnut. So he took his own time.
But the search was all in vain. Not a single nut did he find.
Then Jimmy Rabbit led him silently to a great cedar tree and bade him stand behind it and keep perfectly still.