“Now, I’m truly glad to hear you say so,” cried Mr. Rabbit, appearing to be very much pleased. “It’s as good as taking a nap.” He winked gravely at Buster John, and then proceeded to refill his pipe.
“I thought it was a pretty good story,” said Buster John. “It turned out to be a story so quick that it was all over with before I knew it was a story.”
“Well,” replied Mr. Rabbit, “I had to tell it mighty quick. Suppose I had stopped to light my pipe and left my own kin dangling between the Moon and the World! I knew in reason it would never do, and so I rattled away almost as fast as the oldest Rabbit jumped. It was a long story quickly told of a long journey quickly made.”
Mr. Rabbit seemed to be in better humor than ever. He leaned back, and patted the ground softly with one foot.
“Speaking of journeys,” he said, after awhile, “makes me think about how Brother Bear started out in the world. But what am I doing?” he cried. “I don’t want to do all the talking. I don’t have any chance to sleep unless somebody else is telling a story.”
“Now, please tell us the story,” pleaded Sweetest Susan.
“I’ll have to,” replied Mr. Rabbit, “since I’ve got it started. Well, one time when Brother Bear was young, the time came for him to scratch around and scuffle for himself. He had already learned how to grabble for sweet potatoes, how to tote an armful of roasting ears, and how to shut his eyes and rob a bee-tree, and so his daddy thought it was about time for him to go off and earn his own living. Brother Bear said he was more than willing, and when he came to tell his folks good-by, his daddy gave him seven pieces of honey-in-the-comb, saying:—
“‘This is all I have to give you, but it’s enough. Whoever eats this honey with you will have to wrestle with you seven years or give you everything he owns.’
“So Brother Bear put his seven pieces of honey-in-the-comb in a bag, slung the bag over his back, and went shuffling down the big road. He traveled all that day, and camped out in the woods at night. The next morning, just as he was about to eat breakfast, he heard a rustling in the bushes, and presently Brother Tiger came slipping and sliding along, hunting for his breakfast. Brother Bear howdied, and Brother Tiger said he was only tolerable—not as peart as he might be, and yet pearter than he had been. Then Brother Tiger sat and watched Brother Bear take put a piece of his honey-in-the-comb, and the sight made his mouth water. Brother Bear noticed this, and he says, says he:—
“‘I wish you mighty well, Brother Tiger, and I’d like to ask you to have some of my breakfast, for I have more than a plenty for two. But the trouble is, that whoever eats any of this honey-in-the-comb will have to wrestle with me seven years or give me all his belongings.’