While accepting smilingly the plaudits of the others for what seemed to be great bravery on his part in tearing down the hornet’s nest in the vegetable patch, Bumper was greatly disturbed by his display of ignorance. Had it dawned upon him that the big round ball was the home of Mr. and Mrs. Yellow Jacket, he would have scampered away with the rest.
It was a narrow escape from disgrace. Spotted Tail had been suspicious, but Bumper’s ready wit in turning aside the awkward question had won him further glory. But right down in his heart he wasn’t sure that Spotted Tail had been convinced. He eyed Bumper curiously. Bumper was certain that he was watching him with suspicious eyes.
“I must be more careful,” he reasoned. “Spotted Tail has no love for me.”
But if Spotted Tail was disloyal, Fuzzy Wuzz was the soul of honor and loyalty. She looked at Bumper through her meek, brown eyes in a way that made him happy. Fuzzy Wuzz was a particularly handsome rabbit, and there was royal blood in her veins. She could trace her ancestry way back to the first leader of her race, the white rabbit who had predicted the coming of Bumper. That was so many years ago that none but the Old Blind Rabbit had any memory of it. But the blood of this royal leader still showed itself in many of his descendants.
For instance, Fuzzy Wuzz had more white than brown or gray on her back and head. Her breast was pure white, and most of her head, while there were patches of it on her sides. But the mixture of blood had given her some very dark coloring, which made her anything but a white rabbit.
Fuzzy Wuzz was bright and cheerful, always smiling or laughing, and her wit sometimes equalled that of Bumper. It was not unnatural, therefore, that Bumper should select her for special marks of friendship. A close intimacy sprang up between them, and they often hopped off in the woods together to feed by themselves.
Bumper found that Fuzzy Wuzz knew a lot more about wood lore than he, and pursuing his plan to gain all the information he could from every one he made good use of her friendship. Pretending to test her knowledge, he would ask her all sorts of questions, which she answered readily like a school boy being quizzed by his teacher.
“Why do you ask me such silly questions?” she asked one day. “You’d think I didn’t know anything.”
“No, that isn’t it,” replied Bumper, assuming a friendly attitude. “I don’t want you to get in trouble in the woods and when Old Blind Rabbit trusts you with me I must be sure you know how to look after yourself if I should leave you for an instant. What would you do, for instance, if Mr. Fox should appear and chase you?”
“Why, I’d run if I could. Maybe I’d be so frightened I’d fall down in a faint.”