“That will be no trouble for me,” said Flop Ear. “I can eat the bark off the trees and sweet roots, and perhaps there may grow, not far from here, some cabbages or carrots.”
“I could eat carrots or cabbages,” said Mappo, “but I would not care for bark from trees. Still I may find some fruit, though in this country there are no banana or cocoanut trees, such as I love, and which grew in my own country. Did you ever climb a cocoanut tree, and pick the nuts?” he asked Flop Ear.
“I never did,” replied the white bunny. “A rabbit would look funny, I think, climbing a tree.”
“Perhaps so,” agreed Mappo. “But, if you will excuse my saying so, you are quite a funny rabbit as it is.”
“So I have been told,” laughed Flop Ear. “I don’t mind a bit being called that. But suppose we go to look for something to eat. It will soon be dark, and though I can see in the night pretty well, I don’t suppose you can.”
“Not very well,” said Mappo.
So, after they had finished making their little house, the monkey and the rabbit set off together. Flop Ear found a field where turnips grew, and Mappo found an orchard where some pears and peaches were growing on trees.
“This fruit will be just fine for me,” Mappo said. “Maybe you would like some of these, Flop Ear,” and he pointed to the trees which grew in an orchard, not far from the carrot field.
“Yes, I think I should like them,” the rabbit answered. “But I can not climb a tree to get them.”