“Spotted Tail.”
“Ah! Spotted Tail! I never did like him, but I never knew him to spread false news. If Bumper comes to interfere with my family, he will—Well,” leering, “I will tell him what I think of him. Good-day, Shrike, and much obliged for your trouble.”
Next, Shrike the Butcher Bird interviewed Brindley the Lame, so named because of a limp he had from infancy. Brindley was a good-natured rabbit, and ruled over his burrow with kindness, and was loved wherever he went.
“Ah, Brindley!” cried Shrike, when he met him in front of his burrow sunning himself. “You look well to-day, and as fat as butter. Too bad to spoil your rest with bad news.”
“Bad news never spoil my rest,” was the grinning reply. “I always sleep over it, and then when I wake up I find it isn’t so bad as it seemed.”
“Well, you’ll think differently when I tell you this. All the rabbits in the woods are rising in revolt against Bumper the White Rabbit that has come here to rule over them as king.”
“Indeed! Who are all the rabbits you speak of?”
“Spotted Tail, White Tail, and many others.”
“Ah! Um!” sighed Brindley. “Then Bumper’d better look out. I wouldn’t want to be wearing his crown.”
“But aren’t you going to join the revolt?” asked the Shrike. “Or are you so good-natured you’d submit to any tyrant who came along?”