The two Rabbit boys stepped across the line and waited.
"Your brother is just as good as beaten," Tommy Fox told them. You see, he had never been near Jimmy Rabbit to wake him, as he had agreed. Of course, he had never intended to wake him.
Then Mr. Turtle crossed the line.
"You've won!" Tommy exclaimed. And he was so pleased that he gave Mr. Turtle a good, hard slap on the back. "Ouch!" Tommy said. There was a look of pain on his face. He had forgotten that Mr. Turtle had such a hard back.
"Who's won?" one of the Rabbit brothers asked.
"Why, Mr. Turtle!" said Tommy Fox.
"That," said the Rabbit boy, "that is[p. 51] just where you are mistaken, sir. Jimmy Rabbit has won the race—for I am Jimmy Rabbit."
For a moment there was silence. And then a great shout went up. For they all saw that it was Jimmy Rabbit himself, dressed like one of his brothers.
But Tommy Fox did not shout at all. He was very angry. "There's been some trick played on us," he said.
"Where's my sled, Mr. Turtle?" Jimmy Rabbit asked. He turned around. But Mr. Turtle had vanished. He had jumped into the brook and swum away.