Once more Flop Ear stood up on his hind legs. Again the carrot was put on his nose, but he dropped it off and—no, he did not eat it this time, for the boy grabbed it away as soon as it fell to the ground.
“You must not eat it until I tell you to, Flop Ear,” said Jimmie.
It took quite a while for the rabbit to learn this trick, but finally he came to understand what Jimmie wanted. And then, after a bit, Flop Ear would stand up when the boy told him to, and when the carrot was put on the rabbit’s nose he would not let it drop off and eat it until Jimmie clapped his hands.
“Now you are quite tame, and you know two tricks,” said the boy. “You are getting to be quite a circus rabbit. I must teach you another trick.”
CHAPTER VII
FLOP EAR GETS AWAY
For two or three days Jimmie made Flop Ear do, over and over again, the first two tricks—those of jumping through the barrel hoop, and standing up with a piece of carrot on his nose. The rabbit did not mind doing them, for he was getting to like the boy, because he was very kind and good.
“But two tricks are not enough for a rabbit,” the boy said. “I want you to know some more, and then I can get up a little animal show, or circus, with you.” Then the boy said to himself: “I ought to have more animals. I wonder if I could get a dog and teach him some tricks, or a cat.”
“Gracious!” thought Flop Ear. “I hope he doesn’t get a dog that will bite. If he does I’ll have to run away if I get the chance.”