“Dearest me!” gasped poor Uncle Lucky, “I’m most in!”
Just then, and it was mighty lucky, too, as you’ll soon see, the blue silk polkadot handkerchief slipped off his old wedding stovepipe, and before the old gentleman bunny could save it that precious hat had fallen to the ground.
“Don’t stop!” shouted the Big Brown Bear. And Uncle Lucky didn’t. Neither did the long-legged Kangaroo. He tried hard not to step into the stovepipe hat, but in slipped his right foot and over he went, tripperty trip, flat on the meadow grass, and the next minute the old gentleman bunny had touched the Luckymobile and won the race.
“Hip, hurrah!” barked the Yellow Dog Tramp.
“Three cheers!” shouted the Big Brown Bear, but Uncle Lucky didn’t say anything. He didn’t care nearly so much about winning as he did to find out whether his dear old wedding stovepipe hat were injured. Hopping quickly back to the Kangaroo, who was just struggling to his feet, the old gentleman rabbit exclaimed:
“Oh, please be careful of my hat
And gently pull it off.
Just hold your breath and close your eyes
And don’t you dare to cough.”
“Don’t worry,” answered the Kangaroo, hopping about on one foot while he tugged at the old stovepipe hat. “I’ll not cough, but I may do something else,” and he began to look dreadfully cross. “This hat is so tight it makes my pinky ache.”