"Well, young man, you ought to be pretty grateful for this," Mr. Rabbit said.
"Yes, Father!" Jimmy answered. He picked up the handles of the wheelbarrow, and began pushing it proudly about the[p. 29] dooryard. "I'm going to play with my wheelbarrow all the time after this," Jimmy said.
"I reckon you can do a little work with it, too," Mr. Rabbit told him. "I shall expect you to bring home the vegetables for the whole family, every morning."
"Yes, Father!" Jimmy answered. He thought that would be great sport. He didn't stop to think that it would take a good many vegetables to feed his father and his mother, his four sisters, his two brothers, and himself.
"I hope, now, to have a little time for recreation," Mr. Rabbit remarked.
"It's too bad you have to work so hard," said Jimmy. "Recreation" was a big word. Jimmy supposed that it was some kind of specially hard work. He did not know that it meant play. "I'll go down to Farmer Green's garden right away and[p. 30] get a load of his best vegetables!" Jimmy exclaimed.
Down in Farmer Green's garden Jimmy worked busily, loading his new wheelbarrow to the very top. And then he trundled it home again. No prouder youngster was ever seen in Pleasant Valley than Jimmy Rabbit, pushing that little wheelbarrow up the hill.
"Let me push it!" Frisky Squirrel begged.
But Jimmy Rabbit said that he mustn't let anybody else play with that wheelbarrow.
"Let me take hold of one handle!" Billy Woodchuck pleaded.