This was a question that was a little hard for Yappy to answer, under the circumstances. Rabbit was his favorite dish, when he could get one. He saw he could not get Doctor Rabbit, and he thought Doctor Rabbit was just making fun of him. Of course, Yappy was pretty angry. He was all the more angry because, although he had chased Jack Rabbit many times, he never had been able to catch him. Still, he was always willing to try again.
“That’s all right about my wanting Jack Rabbit,” Yappy snapped; “I could catch him in no time if I wanted to.”
Doctor Rabbit almost laughed out loud at this, but he didn’t, because that might have spoiled what he wanted to do.
“Why, of course,” Doctor Rabbit said in his most friendly tones. “And I have decided I’ll give you a chance at him. In fact, I have been watching for you to tell you this very thing. Now, all you have to do,” Doctor Rabbit continued, “is to go where I tell you, and when I tell you, and you will run right on to him.”
Yappy was certainly puzzled about this matter. Why, he wondered, did Doctor Rabbit want to get rid of Jack Rabbit? “Oh, well,” Yappy thought to himself, “perhaps Jack Rabbit has been over in the Big Green Woods cuffing Doctor Rabbit; or maybe it is just because Doctor Rabbit is angry at Jack Rabbit for something or other he’s done.”
“Well”—and Yappy tried to say it as if he was not very much interested—“Well, I don’t care much, but if you want to, you may tell me when and where I can find him.”
“Good!” said Doctor Rabbit, and then he continued, “He’ll be in a new burrow right by the first tree you come to out in the Wide Prairie. And he’ll be there to-morrow morning at exactly nine o’clock.”
“How do you know that?” Yappy asked with deep curiosity.
“Never mind how I know,” Doctor Rabbit retorted. “He’ll be there as sure as anything.”
Yappy yawned as if it didn’t make much difference to him. Then he said, “Well, I guess I’ll be moving,” and away he ran through the woods until he was out of sight.