"Dear me hum suz dud!" cried Uncle Wiggily. "It couldn't be better. But I wonder if these pumpkins would mind if we took one?"
"Not in the least! Not in the least!" suddenly cried a voice near the fence, and looking over, Uncle Wiggily and the boys saw Grandfather Goosey Gander, the old gentleman duck, standing there on one leg. "This is my field of pumpkins," said Grandfather Goosey, "and you may take as many as you like." Then he put down his other leg, which he had been holding up under his feathers.
"Thank you very much," spoke Uncle Wiggily politely.
"And may we each have a pumpkin to make a Jack-o'-lantern?" asked Billie.
"To be sure," answered Grandfather Goosey, so Uncle Wiggily took a very large pumpkin for a pie, and the boy squirrels took smaller ones for their lanterns. Then Uncle Wiggily took a few more to be sure he would have plenty, but none was as large as the first one.
"I will send you some pumpkin pies when Mrs. Bushytail bakes them," promised the old gentleman rabbit as he got ready to travel on with the boys in the auto.
"I wish you would," said Grandfather Goosey, "as I am very fond of pumpkin pie with watercress salad on top."
On and on went the auto, and Billie and Johnnie were talking about how they would make their Jack-o'-lanterns and have fun, when all of a sudden, out from the bushes at the side of the road, jumped the big, bad savage wolf.
"Hold on there!" he cried to Uncle Wiggily. "Stop, I want to see you!"
"You want to bite me, I guess," said the old gentleman rabbit. "No, sir! I'm not going to stop."