The Lion was dreadfully nervous at first and crept about on tiptoe, and listened quaking to the sound of the Rabbit as he scuffled around snorting fiercely and making savage grabs at the air. Once they bumped their heads together, but, with an ear-splitting yell of terror, the Lion bounded away before the Rabbit could grip him.
By-and-bye the Rabbit, having run up against Baby Jane, whispered to her, 'I reckon he's gone up a tree; I'll go after him.'
Then he felt about till he came to the stem of a palm, and up he went, hand-over-hand.
In a little while the Lion, who was still tiptoeing about on the ground, also ran up against Baby Jane, and said in a quavering whisper, 'I reckon it's not safe down here; I'm going up a tree.' And he felt about till he came to the very tree up which the Rabbit, or, I should say, the 'cat,' had just climbed, and up he went.
The Rabbit had reached the top, and was meditating on the ease with which we deceive ourselves, when he heard a scratching sound below him, and pricked up his ears. Nearer and nearer came the sound.
'Sure enough,' said he, 'it's that "mouse" coming up after me,' and with a triumphant squeak—'Caught!'—he let go with his four little paws, and down he dropped plump on the Lion's head.
The Lion shrieked aloud with terror and dismay, and fell heavily to the ground; and there he lay with the Rabbit sitting smiling on top of him.
Down he dropped plump on the Lion's head.
Then the others tried their hands at being 'cat' and 'mouse,' until the whole party was weak with laughing.