As soon as they came near the struggling object, with all his might and main, Mr. Bunnikins-Bunny threw the life-preserver.
It landed close to the Furry One, who at once pulled himself on top of it, and was safe, but alas for poor Mr. Bunnikins-Bunny! He had thrown the life-preserver so hard, that he lost his footing on Neddy’s back, which was wet and slippery, and splish! splash! splosh! into the water he fell.
Neddy grabbed him quickly by his long ears, and swam toward shore with him, towing the life-preserver, with the furry object on it, by a rope.
Such a wet, unhappy Bunnikins as he was when Neddy put him gently down on dry land! He hated water anyhow, and never even wet the ends of his pink toes if he could help it. He kept his beautiful soft fur as white as snow, but paddling in the water he despised. His dignity, besides, had been very much hurt by his having been carried out of the pond by his ears.
Meanwhile the brown furry object had crawled off the life-preserver, and waded ashore. Bobtail and Ruddy Squirrel, very much excited, rushed up to him, and asked who he was, and how he happened to be in the water so far from the land.
The Furry One tried to tell them how he had fallen off from a high rock into deep water, and how he had tried to swim to shore, but could not. He was, however, so frightened and confused that Ruddy and Bobtail could not understand much that he said.