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Tale of Billy Woodchuck

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<h2>XII</h2> <h2>WHAT JIMMY RABBIT SAW</h2> It was Jimmy Rabbit who came along and caught sight of Billy Woodchuck, sound asleep on top of the big rock. Jimmy was surprised. It seemed to him that it was a very careless thing to do. And while he was wondering whether he would just waken Billy, or play some trick on him, he saw Uncle Jerry Chuck come puffing up the hill and go to Billy and give him a good, hard shake. Billy Woodchuck at once jumped up, rubbing his eyes to get the sleep out of them. And Uncle Jerry started to waddle down the hill. But before he had gone far he turned around; and Jimmy Rabbit[63] heard him call: “Remember! To-morrow at the same hour!” Jimmy wondered what he meant. He waited till Uncle Jerry was out of sight and then he stepped out from behind the blackberry bush where he was hiding and hopped over to the big rock. “Hello, Billy!” he said. “What’s going on to-morrow?” “I listen, while Uncle Jerry sleeps,” Billy explained. “And then, after he’s had his nap, I sleep while he listens.” “Oh, ho!” said Jimmy Rabbit. “And where does he listen—if I may be so bold as to ask?” So long as he put his questions like that, Jimmy Rabbit always seemed to think that he could ask anyone anything he wanted to. “Why, he listens here,” said Billy. “What makes you think so? Did he say[64] he would?” “Yes—er—n-no! He said he would wake me up at this time,” said Billy. “But, of course, he was right here all the while.” “Of course he was not!” said Jimmy. “When I first came along, you were all alone. And pretty soon I saw Uncle Jerry come up the hill and shake you. I tell you, it’s lucky for you nothing happened, while you were taking your nap.” Billy Woodchuck saw that he had been tricked. And he was very angry. He was so angry that he wanted to run straight down to Uncle Jerry’s house and tell him just what he thought about him. But Jimmy Rabbit said “No!” He knew something better to do than that. “Let’s see——” he said. “Didn’t I hear Uncle Jerry mention something about ‘to-morrow at the same hour’?” he asked.[65] “Y-y-e-s-s!” Billy Woodchuck was so angry that his teeth were chattering and clattering; and he found it very hard to talk. “Well, then—you just lie low until to-morrow. Meet him here. Let him fall asleep. And then we’ll teach him a good lesson.” Billy liked that idea. He liked it so well that he could hardly wait for to-morrow to come. <hr /> [66] <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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