“Just this,” said Doctor Rabbit, moving a little closer. “At nine o’clock to-morrow morning Ki-yi Coyote is going to be right under that big elm where he was this morning, to catch me. Chatty Squirrel heard him say he was. He said, ‘Yes, I’ll come every morning and hide there until I do catch that big fat rabbit’—meaning me, of course.”
“Oh, I see! I see!” laughed Jack Rabbit, and he began to dance a little jig of joy. “I know what you want me to do,” Jack Rabbit laughed. “You want me to let big old Yappy and his friend get after me, and then you want me to run straight for that big elm, and so lead Yappy and the other hound right onto old Ki-yi. And then they will chase him instead of me!”
“That’s it! that’s it!” said Doctor Rabbit. He was mighty glad that Jack Rabbit did not seem at all afraid. “And,” Doctor Rabbit continued, “when Yappy and his companion once see Ki-yi Coyote, they will forget all about you, and you can get away as easily as anything.”
“Oh, ho, ho, ho! ha, ha, ha!” laughed Jack Rabbit. It seemed too good to be true that they could fool crafty Ki-yi, and fool him so completely. Old Ki-yi, who was always getting the best of things, would now get some of the other side. So thought happy Jack-Rabbit.
“That certainly will be mighty fine!” cried Jack Rabbit. “Ki-yi Coyote will be there, smacking his lips, all ready to gobble you up; and the first thing he knows, I’ll pop square over him, and the next second, Yappy will pop square onto him, if he doesn’t move mighty quick. Ho, ho, ho!” Jack Rabbit danced and laughed some more. “Yes, indeed, Doctor Rabbit,” he said, “I’ll surely be at the tree in the Wide Prairie to-morrow morning at nine o’clock. Then be sure to tell all the little creatures of the Big Green Woods to watch and see what happens.”
“I will indeed,” said Doctor Rabbit, as he started off; “and thank you,” he said, “for your bravery.”
OLD UNCLE OWL GIVES GOOD ADVICE
You remember how Doctor Rabbit asked Jack Rabbit to do a rather risky thing to drive Ki-yi Coyote out of the Big Green Woods. Well, the next morning after this, Friend Jack Rabbit was up a good while before daylight. To tell the truth, he had not slept very much during the night. No, sir; he just couldn’t get to sleep because he kept thinking about that joke he and Doctor Rabbit were to play on wicked old Ki-yi Coyote.