Little Jack Rabbit and Chippy Chipmunk

<h2><SPAN name="BY_THE_BUBBLING_BROOK" id="BY_THE_BUBBLING_BROOK"></SPAN>BY THE BUBBLING BROOK</h2> <p>Up at the Old Farm Yard there was a great bustle. Yes sireebus. And the reason was that Henny Penny had a brood of fluffy little chickens. Cocky Doodle hardly knew what to make of them. You see, he was so used to big chickens that when he came to look at these fluffy balls of yellow down he didn't know what to do. So he just stood on his tiptoes and crowed, "Cock-a-doodle-do!" and the big farmer thought he was singing because he was a proud father. But that wasn't the reason at all.</p> <p>"Come, my dears," said Henny Penny to her little chicks, "let us take a walk in the Sunny Meadow." So all the little chickens followed after her and by and by they came to the Bubbling Brook where swarms of flies darted over the water. And every time a fly came anywhere near Henny Penny she snapped him up and divided him among the brood.</p> <p>Well, pretty soon along came Little Jack Rabbit with his knapsack on his shoulder and his striped candy cane in his right paw. For it was a lovely day in May and the little rabbit was as happy as two sticks and maybe three or four.</p> <p>Just then Teddy Turtle crawled by, with his little shell house on his back, and although it was the first of May, Teddy Turtle wasn't going to move out of his house. No sireebus. But his house was moving with him. But that's another matter, you see.</p> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">"Wherever I go my house goes, too,<br/></span> <span class="i2">And I never pay any rent.<br/></span> <span class="i0">My little shell house goes ever with me,<br/></span> <span class="i2">No matter how far I am sent."<br/></span></div> </div> <p>"Ha, ha," laughed the little rabbit, "you're a lucky fellow." And then Henny Penny clucked to her little brood and said, "Look at Teddy Turtle with his house on his back. Isn't he lucky?"</p> <p>After a while Mrs. Cow with her tinkling bell came by, singing a song:</p> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">"Oh, the grass is nice and green,<br/></span> <span class="i2">And in the Bubbling Brook<br/></span> <span class="i0">I see a very nice kind face<br/></span> <span class="i2">Most every time I look."<br/></span></div> </div> <p>And then she rang her little bell over and over again, just to make a noise, I guess, and after that the little rabbit hopped down to the Old Duck Pond to talk to Granddaddy Bullfrog.</p> <p>Now Granddaddy Bullfrog was a wise old gentleman frog. He knew lots and lots of things, but like a good many wise people he never said much. He was usually too busy catching flies.</p> <p>But when he saw the little rabbit he took off his yellow rimmed spectacles and said:</p> <p>"How are you this lovely spring day, little rabbit?" and then he swallowed a fly that came too near, and after that he blinked his eyes and then he closed them to fool some other foolish fly who might happen along.</p> <p>But of course he didn't close them tight shut, for then he wouldn't be able to see anything, you know. And after that the little rabbit said, "I'm very well, thank you, Granddaddy Bullfrog.</p> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">"I manage to keep very well<br/></span> <span class="i0">And hop up with the rising bell.<br/></span> <span class="i0">My appetite is very keen<br/></span> <span class="i0">Because I never eat between<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">"My meals; and that's the reason why<br/></span> <span class="i0">I can digest green apple pie,<br/></span> <span class="i0">And ice cream cones and lollypops<br/></span> <span class="i0">And Tootsie Wootsie chocolate drops.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">"Now, if <i>you're</i> hungry, hurry on&mdash;<br/></span> <span class="i0">But don't make a mistake&mdash;<br/></span> <span class="i0">You'll find a bag of peanuts on<br/></span> <span class="i0">Page number 88!"<br/></span></div> </div> <hr style="width: 65%;" /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />