The next thing he knew he was being shaken very hard. “Cough!” ordered the gruff voice. “Shake your head till you get the water out of your ears! Now eat this!” And Nibble swallowed a peppery bite of root that made his eyes pop, and set the tears streaming down his whiskers.
“Who are you?” he gasped.
“Doctor Muskrat, of course,” answered the voice. “You couldn’t be in better paws.” But poor Nibble Rabbit thought he couldn’t very well be in worse ones. Which was very ungrateful.
“I’d rather be eaten than choked to death,” he thought. “But this awful old animal is perfectly satisfied with himself for doing it! Ah! Oh! Uh-huh!” he coughed. And Doctor Muskrat sat back and looked more wise and pleased than ever.
“I knew that would open your eyes,” he explained. “It was a flagroot gnawed in the wax of the moon. You see I know what every plant in the marsh is good for and I dry them for my medicine chest.”
“What would have happened if you hadn’t given it to me?” asked Nibble weakly.
“I didn’t risk it,” said Doctor Muskrat, “so of course I don’t know. I gave you the proper remedy as soon as you could swallow, so of course you’re all right now.
“In the full of the moon
Eyes open soon.
Plucked in the wane