“Hurrah! Somebody’s sent me a valentine,” shouted Little Jack Rabbit, looking all around to see who had left it. But no one was in sight, except Charlie Chickadee picking dried berries off a bush.
“Did you leave this valentine?” asked the little bunny.
“No,” chuckled Charlie Chickadee, “but I know who did,” cocking his head on one side and winking his eye nearest the rain barrel.
“Who did it, then?” asked Little Jack Rabbit.
“If I should tell you I much fear
That Mr. Lefthindfoot would hear
And hop around the big rain barrel
To end my pretty little carol,”
answered Charlie Chickadee. And away flew that naughty little bird, and none too soon, to dodge a snow ball that Uncle Lucky threw at him from behind the rain barrel. But it didn’t hit him, oh, my no! But it hit Old Danny Fox who was peeping through the brambles. Yes, siree, that’s what it did!
“Ha, ha! I’m glad Charlie Chickadee made me angry,” chuckled dear Uncle Lucky, and the next moment he laughed so hard that one of the pearl buttons on his pink waistcoat flew off and hit the end of the old fox’s tail as he hurried away. Wasn’t that wonderful? Well, I just guess it was. But perhaps you don’t know that Uncle Lucky was a good shot and had once pitched on the Rabbitville baseball team.