"It's a pretty fair leap," Jimmy Rabbit admitted. "But I've seen better. When I'm in practice I can do better myself. A really good leap-frog player ought to be able to jump over three people at a time."
Fatty Coon shook his head. He was not much of a jumper—he was so fat, and his legs were so short. And he didn't believe he could ever leap over three people at a time.
"I could do it, if you'd let me start from a tree," Frisky Squirrel said.
But Jimmy told him that that was never allowed.
"It's against the rules of the game," he explained.
"Well, I can do it, and start on the ground, too," Tommy Fox boasted. "I can do anything anybody else can do."
"I believe you can," Jimmy Rabbit said, to everybody's surprise. For they all[p. 56] knew that he didn't like Tommy Fox. "We'll give you a good, fair chance to try it," Jimmy went on. "You squat here," he told Fatty Coon. And he pointed out the exact place where he wanted Fatty to stand. A little way behind Fatty, he stationed Frisky Squirrel. And back of Frisky he took his own place.
"Now!" Jimmy Rabbit said, "are you all ready?"
"Yes," they cried.