"We have Jack lanterns, and miners' lamps, and Japanese lanterns, and——"
"That'll do," said the little bunny, "let's see them." And after looking at this and looking at that the old gentleman rabbit picked out two Jack Lanterns.
"These will look scrumptious," he said. "I don't believe another car in town will have one." And then they started off again down the road to see little Ben Meadow.
Now little Ben Meadow lived in a round house.
His first name was Ben and his last name was Mouse.
So now you know who little Ben is, but just the same I suppose you wonder why he would be delighted to have two rabbits call on him. Well, I'll tell you. It was because, in the first place, he knew that these two nice bunnies wouldn't hurt him, and in the second place, he wore a collar and belt of leather studded with sharp pointed tacks, which would hurt anyone who tried to catch him.
"Helloa, Ben," said the old gentleman rabbit when the little mouse opened the door. "Have you any green cheese?"
"Maybe, but I'm not sure. It is over two weeks since the Man in the Moon was here," answered Benjamin Meadow Mouse, for that was his whole name, you know, only everybody called him "Ben" for short, and the little mice called him "Bennie."
Pretty soon he came out with a piece of cheese wrapped up in a napkin and handed it to the old gentleman rabbit, who thanked him and said: "I'm going to give a party tonight. You are invited. Come at eight and stay till late," and then he turned the Bunnymobile around and away they went. Pretty soon they passed through the wood, where Bobbie Redvest had his nest.
"Come to my party tonight at eight, bring Mrs. Robin and stay till late," said Uncle John Hare, and in the next story you shall hear what happened after that.