STORY V
The Terrible News the Birds Brought
After leaving Mr. Beaver, Bumper hurried home, and when he hopped into the burrow he was greeted by Fuzzy Wuzz who had been anxiously waiting for him. Bumper had been away from home so much lately that he was as glad to get back as Fuzzy Wuzz was to see him.
“We’ve all missed you so much,” she said tenderly. “Old Blind Rabbit’s been asking about you every hour of the day.”
“Well, I have good news to tell you,” was the reply. Then he related his experience with Mr. Beaver and with Billy the Mink, concluding with the remark: “They’re both our friends now. In time of need they’d stand by us and help us. That’s something worth bragging about.”
“Indeed, it is, Bumper,” replied Old Blind Rabbit. “It is better to make a dozen friends than one enemy.”
Bumper was very much pleased with his work, and highly gratified at Old Blind Rabbit’s commendation of it. Now that he had set forth to make friends of all the birds and animals of the woods who would listen to him, he felt that he must leave no stone unturned to accomplish his end.
So after resting a while in the burrow, he got up to go forth once more to see if further adventures that he could turn to good account awaited him. “It’s astonishing,” he remarked to Fuzzy Wuzz, “how much good you can do in the world if you’re on the lookout for it. I’m just learning to keep my eyes open.”
Fuzzy Wuzz nodded and smiled at him. They were standing at the entrance to the burrow when suddenly Hermit the Thrush, who had been singing a sweet melody in the bushes, stopped.
“Go, on, Hermit, and finish the song,” Bumper called. “I like to hear such a jolly, blithe fellow sing.”