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Bumper the White Rabbit and His Friends-George Ethelbert Walsh · Barks and Purrs

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  Speaker 1: Story one of Bumper the White Rabbit and his Friends.
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  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. Recording my phone Bumper the White
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: Rabbit and his Friends by George Ethelbert Walsh Bumper and
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: Sleepy the Opossum. Bumper, after working hard to trick his
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  Speaker 1: enemies so it would be more afraid of the rabbits
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  Speaker 1: in the woods, had decided the ways of peace were
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: better than those of war. Not that he was going
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  Speaker 1: to permit Sneaky the Wolf or Loop the lynx to
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  Speaker 1: pounce upon his people and eat him up without fighting,
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  Speaker 1: but instead of going around with a chip on his shoulder,
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  Speaker 1: expecting and looking for trouble, he intended to make friends
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  Speaker 1: of all the animals and birds and be helpful to them.
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  Speaker 1: It is wonderful how much good to others we can
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  Speaker 1: overlook if we go about with our eyes shut. There
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  Speaker 1: is plenty to do if we look for it. So
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  Speaker 1: Bumper found in a short time that he had missed
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: a good deal in always looking for the worst than
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  Speaker 1: others instead of for the best. Only a few days
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  Speaker 1: after his change of plans, which was told off in
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  Speaker 1: a former book. Bumper stumbled upon Sleepy the opossum in
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  Speaker 1: a tree with his eyes closed in a slumber. At
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  Speaker 1: first he was going to pass him without a word
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  Speaker 1: of greeting, for Sleepy had more than once angered him
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  Speaker 1: by a sharp tongue. Then he thought better of it. Hello, Sleepy,
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  Speaker 1: he called, good naturedly. Hello yourself was the sullen retort,
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  Speaker 1: What do you want to wake me up for? Go
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  Speaker 1: on about your business and let me sleep. Bumper was
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  Speaker 1: a little nettled at this sharp retort and was going
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  Speaker 1: to answer back in a huff, but he didn't. He
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  Speaker 1: remembered his new resolution. If I were you, Sleepy, he said, instead,
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  Speaker 1: I wouldn't sleep outdoors in plain sight like that. You know, Look,
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  Speaker 1: the lynx is hunting in the woods.
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  Speaker 2: Now.
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  Speaker 1: Sleepy opened both eyes an instant and then closed him again.
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  Speaker 1: You can't scare me, he drawled. I've heard how you've
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: been stirring up trouble in the woods. Now don't come
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  Speaker 1: around here with any of your tails. Bumper was more
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  Speaker 1: nettled than ever at this reply, but still he controlled himself.
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  Speaker 1: You'd better listen to me, Sleepy, he said, it's true
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  Speaker 1: that lukda Lynx is hunting in these woods, and if
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  Speaker 1: he passed here, he could see you easily. Why not
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  Speaker 1: find a good hiding place if you must sleep outdoors,
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  Speaker 1: because I prefer this swarm place in the sun. Now
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  Speaker 1: go on and leave me alone, and Bumper hopped along,
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: feeling that this offer of kindness was not wanted. He
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  Speaker 1: hopped for some distance until suddenly he heard a noise
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: in the tree overhead. He stopped and glanced up. There
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: was lupd Lynx crouched in the tree, looking for some
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  Speaker 1: small animal he could pounce upon. Bumper was concealed from
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  Speaker 1: view by the bushes, and unless Lup saw him, he
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  Speaker 1: was safe. It would be an easy matter to hide
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  Speaker 1: there until Loup passed on. But as he crouched, he
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: thought of Sleepy a short distance away. If Lup hunted
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: in his direction, he would surely see him, and that
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  Speaker 1: would be the last of Sleepy. Now, the desire to
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  Speaker 1: hide and save his own skin made him crouch still
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  Speaker 1: lower in the bushes. It's none of my affair, he
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  Speaker 1: said to himself. I warn't Sleepy, and he wouldn't listen
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  Speaker 1: to me. I don't need to do anything more. Of course,
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  Speaker 1: Bumper was right in a way, and he couldn't be
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  Speaker 1: blamed for thinking of his own skin first. But all
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  Speaker 1: the time, his conscience kept troubling him. What if Lup
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  Speaker 1: should spring upon Sleepy and kill him, how would he feel?
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  Speaker 1: He would never feel that he had done all of
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  Speaker 1: his duty. No, he said, finally, I can't hide here
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  Speaker 1: and let Sleepy be caught. I must warn him once more.
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  Speaker 1: Having made this decision, he crept out of his hiding place,
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  Speaker 1: and keeping the trees and bushes between him and the Loop,
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  Speaker 1: he made his way slowly back to where Sleepy was
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  Speaker 1: sunning himself. Sleepy, he called softly when he got under
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  Speaker 1: the tree, Sleepy, wake up, Sleepy. The opossum opened his
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  Speaker 1: eyes again, and, seeing who it was calling him, they
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  Speaker 1: snapped with anger. I wish you'd mind your business, Bumper,
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: he said, in a loud, disagreeable voice. If you wake
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  Speaker 1: me up again, I'll come down and bite you. Now
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  Speaker 1: get out, But Sleepy, you must hide. Loop. The lynx
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  Speaker 1: is coming. I saw him only a short distance away,
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  Speaker 1: and he's coming in this direction. Then why don't you
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  Speaker 1: run and hide? Loup is as fond of rabbits, as
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  Speaker 1: of opossums. If he was coming, you'd be the first
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  Speaker 1: one to run and hide. Now, you can't make me
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  Speaker 1: believe any such story, but on my word of honor, Sleepy,
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  Speaker 1: he's coming, protested Bumper. Let him come then, now I'm
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  Speaker 1: Sleepy didn't finish his sentence. There was a snap of
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  Speaker 1: a twig nearby, and Bumper whispered, run, run, he's here.
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  Speaker 1: If you wait another minute, you're lost. Sleepy was suddenly
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: wide awake. He was suspicious with that snapping twig. He
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  Speaker 1: started down the tree for his hole, where he would
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  Speaker 1: be safe. Half way there, he caught sight of a
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  Speaker 1: pair of yellow eyes watching him. Then, with a scream,
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  Speaker 1: looped the links sprang for him, covering the distance between
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  Speaker 1: the two trees in one mighty jump, he landed plump
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  Speaker 1: on the limb where Sleepy had been sleeping. But Bumper's
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  Speaker 1: timely warning had been of use. Sleepy was on the
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  Speaker 1: next limb, and before Luke could spring again, the opossum
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  Speaker 1: slipped into his hole with a squeak of fear. Luke
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  Speaker 1: sprang at him with a snarl of rage and anger,
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  Speaker 1: for he had missed him by merely an inch. During
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  Speaker 1: all this time, Bumper had looked around for his own safety.
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  Speaker 1: Luke had not spied him, and he kept well under
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  Speaker 1: the green leaves of the bushes. Then, just as Luke
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  Speaker 1: made the final spring for Sleepy, the white rabbit slipped
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  Speaker 1: under a big log where he could not be seen.
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  Speaker 1: He lay there, panting and palpitating with fear. Would Luke
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  Speaker 1: come sniffing around and discover him, or would he finally
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  Speaker 1: leave the place to hunts elsewhere. It was a terrible
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  Speaker 1: moment of uncertainty, but luck was with him. Luke, never
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: suspecting the presence of a rabbit below, finally leaped to
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  Speaker 1: a higher branch of the tree and looked around. This
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  Speaker 1: was his favorite method of spying out any helpless animal below.
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  Speaker 1: Then he jumped to the next tree and so made
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  Speaker 1: his way to another part of the woods. Bumper waited
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  Speaker 1: a long time before he crept from his hiding place
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  Speaker 1: to renew his trip. When he finally did so, all
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  Speaker 1: was quiet in the woods. But just as he hopped away,
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  Speaker 1: a voice from the hole in the tree called to him.
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  Speaker 1: You saved my life, Bumper Sleepy said, peeking his head out.
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  Speaker 1: I'm sorry I spoke so grossly to you. Won't you
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  Speaker 1: forgive me? Certainly, Sleepy replied Bumper, and I'm mighty glad
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  Speaker 1: Luke wasn't a minute sooner. Good Bye, hopping away. This
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  Speaker 1: time he felt much better than before. He had done
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  Speaker 1: a good service to Sleepy and won his friendship for
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  Speaker 1: old time. Next he had a chance to help Rownding
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  Speaker 1: the muskrat in a very peculiar way, which will be
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  Speaker 1: the subject of the following story. End of story one.
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  Speaker 3: Story number two of Bumper, the White Rabbit and his Friends.
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  Speaker 3: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 8:08
  Speaker 3: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 8:13
  Speaker 3: visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Patty T. Bumper the
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  Speaker 3: White Rabbit and his Friends by George Ethelbert Walsh. Story two,
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  Speaker 3: Brownie the Muskrat. One day, Brownie the Muskrat had burrowed
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  Speaker 3: so deep into the ground back of the river that
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  Speaker 3: his tunnel had caved into the rabbit burrow of roly Poly,
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  Speaker 3: And if it had not been for the quick work
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  Speaker 3: of roly Poly, some of his children would have been drowned.
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  Speaker 3: The water from the river poured in right after Brownie,
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  Speaker 3: and the burrow was quickly flooded. Now roly Poly had
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  Speaker 3: never forgiven Brownie for that accident, the more so because
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  Speaker 3: Brownie had laughed at the plight of the rabbits instead
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  Speaker 3: of apologizing. Of course, it was an accident, but Brownie
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  Speaker 3: couldn't understand why rabbits objected to a little water, So
• 9:01
  Speaker 3: far as he was concerned, he preferred to swim around
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  Speaker 3: in underground tunnels filled with water, then crawling through dry ones.
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  Speaker 3: So there had always been ill feelings between the rabbits
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  Speaker 3: and Brownie the muskrat. It was one of those little
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  Speaker 3: quarrels between friends that lasts a long time and often
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  Speaker 3: ends in trouble. It was such a senseless quarrel too.
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  Speaker 3: Brownie hadn't intended it, and he should have said so.
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  Speaker 3: Roly Polly may have suspected it was an accident, but
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  Speaker 3: as Brownie didn't apologize, he was angry and wouldn't speak
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  Speaker 3: to any of the muskrats again. Bumper knew of this
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  Speaker 3: ancient quarrel, but as he had been busy with other things,
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  Speaker 3: he hadn't paid much attention to it. He had never
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  Speaker 3: spoken to Brownie or any of his people. It wasn't
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  Speaker 3: the proper thing to do, you know. One day Bumper
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  Speaker 3: was eating grass near the marshy end of the river
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  Speaker 3: where the big cat tails and rushes grow tall and slender,
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  Speaker 3: when he saw Brownie sitting on a bog watching him.
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  Speaker 3: He had just emerged from the water and was all
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  Speaker 3: wet and dripping. Bumper continued eating grass without paying any
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  Speaker 3: attention to him. What are you doing here, Bumper, Brownie
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  Speaker 3: called to him after a while. This isn't your feeding ground.
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  Speaker 3: This marsh belongs to my family. Bumper stopped nibbling and
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  Speaker 3: looked at Brownie in astonishment. I didn't know that the
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  Speaker 3: marsh belonged to any one in particular, he replied. Well
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  Speaker 3: it does, and now you know it, answered Brownie in
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  Speaker 3: an unfriendly voice. Now get out of here. The tone
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  Speaker 3: of the voice, as much as the command, irritated Bumper,
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  Speaker 3: and a sharp reply sprang to his lips. But he
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  Speaker 3: checked it. He wasn't going to offend by angry words.
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  Speaker 3: All right, Brownie, if you say so, I'll go, he answered. Then,
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  Speaker 3: as an afterthought, he added, very politely, and I'm sorry
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  Speaker 3: if I've trespassed upon your place, I won't do it again.
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  Speaker 3: Brownie was so surprised by this apology that he sat
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  Speaker 3: there a moment in silence and stared at the white rabbit.
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  Speaker 3: Never before had a rabbit apologized to him. Indeed, whenever
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  Speaker 3: words passed between them, they were harsh and unfriendly. Then,
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  Speaker 3: instead of accepting the apology in a friendly spirit, he
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  Speaker 3: laughed and said, oh ho, you're getting very polite all
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  Speaker 3: of a sudden. Bumper, Well, you can't make friends with
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  Speaker 3: me that way. I don't take any stock in soft words.
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  Speaker 3: Actions count with me more than polite words. No, I
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  Speaker 3: don't think you will do it again. If you do,
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  Speaker 3: you know what will happen to you. Bumper withdrew before
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  Speaker 3: the angry retort that rose to his lips could escape.
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  Speaker 3: He was very indignant. Brownie was an ungrateful fellow. Well,
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  Speaker 3: he'd have nothing more to do with him or any
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  Speaker 3: of his tribe. Some day he might find a chance
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  Speaker 3: to get even with him. No, that would never do.
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  Speaker 3: He had decided to make friends and not enemies. He
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  Speaker 3: would forget it. But suddenly he hopped about a foot
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  Speaker 3: in the air so quickly that his sentence was never finished.
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  Speaker 3: What was it in the marshy ground at his feet
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  Speaker 3: he had touched something hard and cold that jangled when
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  Speaker 3: he tripped against it. For a moment he stood ready
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  Speaker 3: to fly, but on second thought he decided he would
• 12:05
  Speaker 3: investigate for the thing, whatever it was, hadn't moved. It
• 12:09
  Speaker 3: still lay coiled up in the grass. Bumper approached it
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  Speaker 3: carefully and smelt of it, and then laughed at his fright.
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  Speaker 3: It was a long chain, which for a moment had
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  Speaker 3: seemed to him like killer the snake coiled up in
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  Speaker 3: the grass. One end was fastened to a stake, and
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  Speaker 3: the other, horror of horrors, it was attached to a trap,
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  Speaker 3: a steel spring trap concealed right in the mouth of
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  Speaker 3: Brownie's hole. Somewhat had set the trap there to catch
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  Speaker 3: Brownie or one of his family forgetting all his anger,
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  Speaker 3: Bumper ran back and shouted Brownie, Brownie. He cried, I've
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  Speaker 3: found something. Well leave it where it is, replied Brownie,
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  Speaker 3: stroking his whiskers. Findings aren't keepings around here. But it's
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  Speaker 3: a trap, Brownie added Bumper, I thought you'd want to know. Oh,
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  Speaker 3: traps don't bother me. The hunters have been setting them
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  Speaker 3: for me as long as I can remember, but I'm
• 13:00
  Speaker 3: too shrewd for them. They can't catch me. But this
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  Speaker 3: one is. Oh go on, Brownie, interrupted, I ordered you
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  Speaker 3: off my place once, Must I do it again? Bumper
• 13:10
  Speaker 3: made no reply. He had done all that he could
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  Speaker 3: in warning Brownie of the danger. Now the risk was his.
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  Speaker 3: He wouldn't put himself out again to help a muskrat.
• 13:19
  Speaker 3: But once again that little conscience of his bothered him.
• 13:22
  Speaker 3: After he had hopped away in the woods, he stopped
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  Speaker 3: to nibble it some young buds. What if Brownie was
• 13:28
  Speaker 3: caught in the steel trap, he asked himself. It would
• 13:31
  Speaker 3: be terrible. He would either starve to death or be killed.
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  Speaker 3: Oh I wish he'd listened to me, But he kept
• 13:38
  Speaker 3: right on eating. It wasn't any of his concern. But
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  Speaker 3: curiously enough he ate toward the marsh and not away
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  Speaker 3: from it, until once more he stood on the very edge.
• 13:48
  Speaker 3: He seemed surprised at this, but after all, he knew
• 13:51
  Speaker 3: all the time he was eating toward it. He looked around.
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  Speaker 3: Brownie was no longer in sight. Perhaps he had gone
• 13:58
  Speaker 3: into the water again. Bumper said, there and listened with
• 14:01
  Speaker 3: his neck stretched up to look over the tall grasses.
• 14:04
  Speaker 3: Then suddenly a muffled squeaking reached his ears. Where did
• 14:08
  Speaker 3: it come from? And who was making it? He looked
• 14:11
  Speaker 3: all around him in vain, and then he thought of
• 14:13
  Speaker 3: the trap. He hopped through the reeds and rushes until
• 14:16
  Speaker 3: he came to it. Yes, there was the long chain
• 14:19
  Speaker 3: and the stake, but there was something at the other end.
• 14:23
  Speaker 3: For the chain kept twitching and pulling, and out of
• 14:25
  Speaker 3: Brownie's hole came a faint muffled cry, Help, help, Oh,
• 14:30
  Speaker 3: won't somebody help me? What's the matter? Brownie? Bumper asked,
• 14:35
  Speaker 3: My tail's caught in the trap and I can't get
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  Speaker 3: out or in. I'm held fast in the hole. Oh
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  Speaker 3: I'll die in here if somebody doesn't help me before
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  Speaker 3: the hunters come. Wait a minute, shouted Bumper, I think
• 14:47
  Speaker 3: I can get you out. Seizing the chain with his teeth,
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  Speaker 3: he threw himself back on his haunches and began pulling
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  Speaker 3: with all his might. It was a mighty tug of war,
• 14:56
  Speaker 3: for besides pulling the chain and the steel trap out
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  Speaker 3: of the hole, he had to pull Brownie too. He
• 15:02
  Speaker 3: pulled and pulled, slipping in the mud and getting all
• 15:04
  Speaker 3: covered with it, until he was no longer white. But
• 15:07
  Speaker 3: the chain was coming, and so was the trap. Suddenly
• 15:11
  Speaker 3: it popped out, and right after it came Brownie the
• 15:14
  Speaker 3: teeth of the trap had caught the tip of his tail.
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  Speaker 3: With the last jerk, this slipped out of the trap
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  Speaker 3: and Brownie was free. He switched his long tail and
• 15:23
  Speaker 3: looked at it, but as he hadn't lost any of it,
• 15:25
  Speaker 3: he was greatly relieved. Then he turned to the rabbit Bumper.
• 15:29
  Speaker 3: He said, that was a fine thing you did after
• 15:32
  Speaker 3: the way I insulted you. If you can forgive me,
• 15:35
  Speaker 3: I'm always going to be your friend. You really saved
• 15:38
  Speaker 3: my life for the hunters will be here soon. That's
• 15:41
  Speaker 3: all right, Brownie, was the reply, I want to be
• 15:44
  Speaker 3: your friend. In the next story you will hear of
• 15:47
  Speaker 3: how Bumper made friends with Billy the Mink. End of
• 15:50
  Speaker 3: story two. Story three of Bumper the White Rabbit and
• 16:00
  Speaker 3: his Friends. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings
• 16:04
  Speaker 3: are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer,
• 16:08
  Speaker 3: please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Patty Tea. Bumper
• 16:14
  Speaker 3: the White Rabbit and his Friends by George Ethelbert Walsh.
• 16:17
  Speaker 3: Story three Billy the Mink. Billy the Mink was a
• 16:21
  Speaker 3: cousin to Grayback the weasel, but being much larger and
• 16:25
  Speaker 3: more ferocious. When attacked, he was more to be feared.
• 16:28
  Speaker 3: In addition to this, he could swim like a duck
• 16:31
  Speaker 3: and dive like a stone. In fact, he preferred the
• 16:35
  Speaker 3: water to the dry land, and was very proud of
• 16:37
  Speaker 3: his fur coat. Sometimes he would sit on the bank
• 16:40
  Speaker 3: of the river in the sun just to admire the beautiful,
• 16:43
  Speaker 3: glossy fur that nature had given him. With the sun
• 16:47
  Speaker 3: sparkling on it when wet or dry, it certainly was
• 16:50
  Speaker 3: something to admire and envy. Billy the Mink, unlike his namesake,
• 16:55
  Speaker 3: Billy the Porcupine, had the bad habit of sometimes raiding
• 16:58
  Speaker 3: rabbit burrows for food, and if there were young bunnies
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  Speaker 3: in the nest, he made away with some of them
• 17:04
  Speaker 3: in spite of the protests of their fond parents. This
• 17:07
  Speaker 3: habit had caused him to be feared and hated by
• 17:10
  Speaker 3: the rabbits, which was a very natural thing. Roaming through
• 17:14
  Speaker 3: the woods, one day, shortly after his adventure with Brownie
• 17:17
  Speaker 3: the muskrat, Bumper discovered Billy the Mink sunning himself near
• 17:21
  Speaker 3: his home. He really didn't want anything to do with
• 17:23
  Speaker 3: Billy on account of his bad habits, and he was
• 17:26
  Speaker 3: going to pass him without a word, but Billy caught
• 17:29
  Speaker 3: sight of Bumper and was suddenly envious of the beautiful
• 17:32
  Speaker 3: fur of the white rabbit. I never saw a white
• 17:35
  Speaker 3: rabbit before, he hailed, Come nearer and let me see
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  Speaker 3: your beautiful fur. Bumper wished to be polite and hopped closer.
• 17:43
  Speaker 3: It really is white, Billy added, admiring the fur. I
• 17:46
  Speaker 3: suppose you're mighty proud of it. I'm very fond of
• 17:49
  Speaker 3: it and glad I have it, replied Bumper, modestly. Yes, honestly,
• 17:54
  Speaker 3: I'm proud of it. I don't think there's any harm
• 17:57
  Speaker 3: in saying that we have a right to be proud
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  Speaker 3: of the dress. Nature gave us a little proud, I mean,
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  Speaker 3: but not too much as some people are. Billy sneered
• 18:06
  Speaker 3: for he took this as a hint at his own
• 18:08
  Speaker 3: well known pride. I suppose you mean by that that
• 18:11
  Speaker 3: I'm too proud, he said, I wasn't thinking of any
• 18:15
  Speaker 3: one in particular, replied Bumper, I wouldn't be so impolite
• 18:18
  Speaker 3: as that, Oh you wouldn't. You're very modest and good
• 18:22
  Speaker 3: to day. Well, I know you referred to me. Bumper
• 18:26
  Speaker 3: wished to end the conversation and started to hop away,
• 18:29
  Speaker 3: but Billy suddenly jumped to his feet. You're so proud
• 18:32
  Speaker 3: of your white coat that I'm going to soil it
• 18:35
  Speaker 3: for you, he exclaimed. Before Bumper realized what he intended
• 18:39
  Speaker 3: to do, Billy began pelting him with mud, which he
• 18:42
  Speaker 3: dug up with his hind legs. It spattered all over Bumper,
• 18:46
  Speaker 3: and some of it went in his eyes, so that
• 18:48
  Speaker 3: he couldn't see which way to run. This was great
• 18:51
  Speaker 3: fun to Billy, and he set up a shout of laughter.
• 18:55
  Speaker 3: Now you're as spotted as mister turtle, and nearly as
• 18:57
  Speaker 3: black ho ho. What a sight. Even this humiliation of
• 19:01
  Speaker 3: Bumper didn't satisfy him. He wanted to roll him in
• 19:05
  Speaker 3: the mud, and quick as a wink, he leaped for
• 19:07
  Speaker 3: him and caught him by the back. Then, before Bumper
• 19:10
  Speaker 3: could run away, he had him down in the soft mud,
• 19:13
  Speaker 3: which clung to him and turned his beautiful white fur
• 19:16
  Speaker 3: a nasty brown. Now look at yourself, laughed Billie. You're
• 19:20
  Speaker 3: about as homely looking as any rabbit in the woods.
• 19:23
  Speaker 3: Billy had returned to the place where he had been
• 19:26
  Speaker 3: sending himself and flung himself down to rest and laugh.
• 19:30
  Speaker 3: Bumper stood twenty feet away, spattered from head to foot
• 19:33
  Speaker 3: with the mud. He was so upset by this unwarranted
• 19:36
  Speaker 3: attack and humiliation that for a moment he could not speak.
• 19:40
  Speaker 3: His one desire was to get even with Billy and
• 19:43
  Speaker 3: punish him. Then, as if in answer to his wish,
• 19:46
  Speaker 3: there came the opportunity. Gliding out of the bushes with
• 19:49
  Speaker 3: stealthy tread, approaching Billy from behind, was Sneaky the wolf
• 19:54
  Speaker 3: in their struggle. Neither one had noticed his approach. He
• 19:58
  Speaker 3: had crept almost upon them before Bumper happened to see him.
• 20:02
  Speaker 3: Sneaky was after Billy the mink, for he was much
• 20:05
  Speaker 3: the nearest and was larger and fatter than Bumper. He
• 20:08
  Speaker 3: offered such a tempting dinner that Sneaky was all a
• 20:11
  Speaker 3: tremble crouching for the spring. Bumper was perfectly safe for
• 20:15
  Speaker 3: two reasons. One was that Sneaky was thinking only a
• 20:19
  Speaker 3: Billy and ignoring Bumper, and another was the distance was
• 20:23
  Speaker 3: too great for Sneaky to reach the white rabbit in
• 20:25
  Speaker 3: a single bound. It seemed like a just punishment for
• 20:29
  Speaker 3: his rough joke in spattering Bumper with the mud. In
• 20:32
  Speaker 3: another minute, Sneaky would have him in his jaws, and
• 20:35
  Speaker 3: Billy would never play another joke or raid a rabbit's burrow.
• 20:39
  Speaker 3: He who laughs last laughs the longest, Bumper said to himself, smiling.
• 20:44
  Speaker 3: Then there came a sudden change over him. He seemed
• 20:48
  Speaker 3: to see Billy all torn and bloody, and heard his
• 20:50
  Speaker 3: pitiful squeals as Sneaky killed him. Oh that was too
• 20:55
  Speaker 3: severe a punishment for playing a rough joke. No, he
• 20:58
  Speaker 3: couldn't stand by in silence and see Billy killed, even
• 21:02
  Speaker 3: to satisfy a desire for revenge Billy, he called suddenly, Billy,
• 21:06
  Speaker 3: dive in the water. Don't look around. Sneaky's behind you.
• 21:10
  Speaker 3: Dive dive. Billy had a horror of Sneaky the wolf,
• 21:14
  Speaker 3: and the very mention of his name sent the shivers
• 21:17
  Speaker 3: through him. He didn't wait to ask questions, not even
• 21:21
  Speaker 3: to turn and look. He took a flying dive for
• 21:23
  Speaker 3: the water just as Sneaky leaped for him. Billy plunged
• 21:27
  Speaker 3: into the water, not a second too soon. It had
• 21:30
  Speaker 3: hardly closed over him before Sneaky was there, snapping and snarling. Then,
• 21:35
  Speaker 3: finding that his victim had escaped him, for Sneaky was
• 21:38
  Speaker 3: no diver or swimmer, he turned angrily upon Bumper to
• 21:42
  Speaker 3: punish him. For giving the warning, but Bumper had taken
• 21:45
  Speaker 3: advantage of the interval to escape. When Sneaky sprang to
• 21:48
  Speaker 3: where he had been standing, there was no rabbit insight.
• 21:52
  Speaker 3: Doubly angry at finding both of his victims gone, Sneaky
• 21:56
  Speaker 3: snarled and snapped his teeth, trotting up and down the
• 21:59
  Speaker 3: edge of the river, watching for the return of Billy
• 22:01
  Speaker 3: or Bumper, but they were wise enough to remain out
• 22:04
  Speaker 3: of sight. Sneaky waited a long time, and then hid
• 22:07
  Speaker 3: in the bushes and waited longer but nothing happened. Then,
• 22:11
  Speaker 3: disgusted and still very angry, he finally trotted away in
• 22:16
  Speaker 3: the woods. He hadn't been gone long before a head
• 22:19
  Speaker 3: popped out of a hole, and Bumper, with the mud
• 22:21
  Speaker 3: all dried and caked on his fur, crawled out. He
• 22:25
  Speaker 3: watched and listened to make sure he was alone, and
• 22:28
  Speaker 3: then hopped to the bank of the stream. Oh dear,
• 22:31
  Speaker 3: he said, how will I ever get this mud off
• 22:33
  Speaker 3: of me? It's all dried on? As if in response
• 22:37
  Speaker 3: to his words, a nose appeared out of the water,
• 22:40
  Speaker 3: and Billy the mink swam ashore. Bumper eyed him suspiciously
• 22:44
  Speaker 3: at first, and stood ready to run but Billy spoke
• 22:47
  Speaker 3: to relieve his mind. Don't go, Bumper, he called, Wait
• 22:50
  Speaker 3: a minute. Swimming quickly ashore, Billy climbed up on the embankment.
• 22:55
  Speaker 3: That was a narrow squeak for me, he added, panting
• 22:58
  Speaker 3: a little from his exertions. If it hadn't been for you,
• 23:01
  Speaker 3: Sneaky would surely have had me. Why did you warn
• 23:04
  Speaker 3: me after I'd treated you so? Because, stammered Bumper. I
• 23:08
  Speaker 3: didn't want to see you kill Billy, even if you
• 23:10
  Speaker 3: had spattered me with mud. But how am I ever
• 23:13
  Speaker 3: going to get clean again? This mud is all caked
• 23:16
  Speaker 3: on me. I'll clean you, Bumper. It's the least I
• 23:19
  Speaker 3: can do to repay you. Now stand by the river
• 23:22
  Speaker 3: while I splash water over you that will soon wash
• 23:25
  Speaker 3: the mud off. It was a strange sight, Billy the
• 23:28
  Speaker 3: mink cleaning Bumper the white rabbit by the edge of
• 23:30
  Speaker 3: the river, each laughing and enjoying the work as if
• 23:33
  Speaker 3: it was a new game. And if anyone had seen
• 23:36
  Speaker 3: them it would have caused no end of surprise. They
• 23:39
  Speaker 3: were now as close friends as before they were enemies.
• 23:42
  Speaker 3: And if Bumper gets clean in time and Billy doesn't
• 23:45
  Speaker 3: spatter more mud on him. You will hear in the
• 23:47
  Speaker 3: next story of how Bumper met mister Beaver. End of
• 23:51
  Speaker 3: story three. Story four of Bumper the White Rabbit and
• 24:00
  Speaker 3: his Friends. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings
• 24:05
  Speaker 3: are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer,
• 24:09
  Speaker 3: please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Patty Tea. Bumper
• 24:14
  Speaker 3: the White Rabbit and his Friends by George Ethelbert Walsh.
• 24:18
  Speaker 3: Story four Mister Beaver has a surprise. Mister Beaver was
• 24:23
  Speaker 3: the most exclusive animal of the north Woods. He not
• 24:26
  Speaker 3: only lived apart from the other animals, but he constructed
• 24:29
  Speaker 3: a house which no others could get into. Often it
• 24:32
  Speaker 3: was merely an island in the middle of the stream
• 24:35
  Speaker 3: which he built up himself, and no animals except perhaps
• 24:39
  Speaker 3: Billy the mink or Brownie the muskrat, could even reach.
• 24:42
  Speaker 3: But Billy and Brownie had no desire to reach it
• 24:45
  Speaker 3: or to investigate it. Mister Beaver was as cross as
• 24:48
  Speaker 3: he was fierce and dangerous. He had long teeth, which
• 24:52
  Speaker 3: he kept as sharp as a razor by cutting down
• 24:54
  Speaker 3: trees with them. Teeth that could cut down a big
• 24:57
  Speaker 3: oak or chestnut were certainly to be feared living alone
• 25:01
  Speaker 3: had made mister Beaver a good deal of an old
• 25:04
  Speaker 3: cross patch. Most people who live that way generally do
• 25:07
  Speaker 3: get cross and irritable in time. Sometimes, if another animal
• 25:12
  Speaker 3: ran across mister Beaver's housetop, he would jump out and
• 25:15
  Speaker 3: make a great time about it. Mister Beaver had constructed
• 25:19
  Speaker 3: a dam across a branch of the river, so the
• 25:21
  Speaker 3: water above it had backed up and formed a big pond.
• 25:25
  Speaker 3: Thus he could have his own private fishing pond for
• 25:28
  Speaker 3: the fish up stream couldn't go down any further, and
• 25:31
  Speaker 3: once caught in the pond, mister Beaver killed a few
• 25:34
  Speaker 3: whenever he was hungry. Naturally, he was very careful about
• 25:38
  Speaker 3: this dam and didn't want any one crossing it or
• 25:41
  Speaker 3: interfering with it. If it was broken in one place,
• 25:44
  Speaker 3: the water would rush through it and let out many
• 25:46
  Speaker 3: of his fish. One day, after a long round about
• 25:50
  Speaker 3: trip through the woods, Bumper was returning home. When he
• 25:53
  Speaker 3: reached the river, the bridge made of fallen trees that
• 25:56
  Speaker 3: crossed to the other side was nearly a mile below him.
• 26:00
  Speaker 3: Oh dear, he groaned, I'm dead tired, and now I
• 26:04
  Speaker 3: must walk a mile down the river to get home.
• 26:07
  Speaker 3: He stood on the brink of the stream, looking longingly
• 26:09
  Speaker 3: at the other side, then glancing up, his eyes opened
• 26:13
  Speaker 3: with surprise and pleasure. There was mister Beaver's dam a
• 26:16
  Speaker 3: few yards above him, stretching from bank to bank. I
• 26:20
  Speaker 3: suppose mister Beaver will object, he said to himself. But
• 26:24
  Speaker 3: if I walk very softly, he won't hear me, certainly,
• 26:27
  Speaker 3: not if he's asleep. Anyway, I'm going across that dam.
• 26:31
  Speaker 3: You couldn't blame him for wanting to save that long
• 26:34
  Speaker 3: tramp down the river and back, and nobody but mister
• 26:37
  Speaker 3: Beaver would have objected to his crossing the dam. Bumper
• 26:40
  Speaker 3: hoped that by hopping along gently he wouldn't attract mister
• 26:44
  Speaker 3: Beaver's attention. But it is very difficult to walk across
• 26:47
  Speaker 3: the roof of a house and not attract the attention
• 26:50
  Speaker 3: of those living in it. No sooner had Bumper got
• 26:53
  Speaker 3: fairly well on the top of the dam, and there
• 26:55
  Speaker 3: was an angry growl inside. Then almost before he could think,
• 27:00
  Speaker 3: up came mister Beaver, snorting and spouting water from his nose.
• 27:04
  Speaker 3: What are you doing on my dam, he demanded. Don't
• 27:08
  Speaker 3: you know that nobody is allowed to cross it? I'm sorry,
• 27:12
  Speaker 3: mister Beaver replied, Bumper. I've been a long distance to day,
• 27:16
  Speaker 3: and when I reached the river, I felt too tired
• 27:18
  Speaker 3: to go down by the bridge. I thought if I
• 27:20
  Speaker 3: stepped very softly, it wouldn't disturb you. Well it did.
• 27:24
  Speaker 3: Now go back and take the bridge, and don't you
• 27:27
  Speaker 3: ever dare cross this dam again. But the bridge is
• 27:30
  Speaker 3: a mile down stream, replied Bumper, and I'm half way
• 27:34
  Speaker 3: across the dam. Surely you'll let me go on now, No,
• 27:38
  Speaker 3: you can't go another step. Mister Beaver stood directly in
• 27:42
  Speaker 3: his way, so that he could not cross without passing
• 27:44
  Speaker 3: close to him. Mister Beaver's refusal angered Bumper for a moment,
• 27:49
  Speaker 3: and instead of turning around to obey, he decided he'd
• 27:52
  Speaker 3: trick mister Beaver. He could easily leap over his head
• 27:55
  Speaker 3: and run away from him. You're not very friendly to
• 27:58
  Speaker 3: make me do that, Bumper replied, still watching for his chance.
• 28:02
  Speaker 3: I don't intend to be friendly, was the prompt retort.
• 28:06
  Speaker 3: I only want to be let alone. Now go back,
• 28:09
  Speaker 3: do you know, mister beaver, Bumper replied, I could get
• 28:12
  Speaker 3: by you very easily and cross the dam. I could
• 28:15
  Speaker 3: jump over your head in one hop and almost reach
• 28:18
  Speaker 3: the other shore. But I won't do it if you're
• 28:21
  Speaker 3: so mean as to send me back. I don't want
• 28:24
  Speaker 3: anything more to do with you. The sooner I get away,
• 28:27
  Speaker 3: the better I'll like it. But some day, mister Beaver,
• 28:30
  Speaker 3: your selfishness will bring you trouble. You will wish for
• 28:33
  Speaker 3: a friend then and none will come. No, not one.
• 28:38
  Speaker 3: You can't frighten me, exclaimed mister Beaver. Nothing's going to
• 28:42
  Speaker 3: happen to me. But even as he said it, he
• 28:44
  Speaker 3: felt a little nervous. Bumper's words had touched the quick.
• 28:48
  Speaker 3: He wished now he hadn't been so selfish, but he
• 28:52
  Speaker 3: was too old and crusty to acknowledge it. So he
• 28:55
  Speaker 3: stood on guard and watched the white rabbit hop back
• 28:57
  Speaker 3: to the shore, and then he swung around to take
• 29:00
  Speaker 3: a long dive into the water. Perhaps mister Beaver had
• 29:03
  Speaker 3: been on that log a hundred times and nothing had
• 29:06
  Speaker 3: ever happened. But one end had been balanced on another
• 29:09
  Speaker 3: log for so long that it was rotted away. Suddenly
• 29:13
  Speaker 3: it slipped down and carried mister Beaver with it, but
• 29:16
  Speaker 3: not on top. He was wedged in between two logs
• 29:20
  Speaker 3: so that he couldn't move down or up squeeze his
• 29:23
  Speaker 3: body as flat as he could, there was no way out.
• 29:27
  Speaker 3: For a moment, he struggled frantically, and then, finding he
• 29:30
  Speaker 3: could make no headway, he became frightened. What if he
• 29:34
  Speaker 3: were caught there and couldn't escape. He would starve to
• 29:37
  Speaker 3: death in a few days, and no one would know
• 29:39
  Speaker 3: anything about it until too late. What a horrible prospect.
• 29:45
  Speaker 3: With a little squeal of fear at the thought of it,
• 29:47
  Speaker 3: he looked up at the sky and across the pond
• 29:50
  Speaker 3: he had made. There was no one to help him now,
• 29:53
  Speaker 3: he recalled Bumper's words. When he needed a friend, there
• 29:57
  Speaker 3: would be none to come to help him. Oh how
• 30:00
  Speaker 3: much he would give for a friend just now. He
• 30:03
  Speaker 3: struggled and struggled, but the two logs were embedded in
• 30:06
  Speaker 3: the mud, so he couldn't budge them. He was caught,
• 30:09
  Speaker 3: so he couldn't get at them with his sharp teeth
• 30:12
  Speaker 3: to gnaw his way out. He was certainly a prisoner
• 30:15
  Speaker 3: for life. Suddenly there was a tap tap over his head,
• 30:19
  Speaker 3: and he looked up to see the white rabbit gazing
• 30:21
  Speaker 3: down at him. I heard you squeal, mister beaver, Bumper said,
• 30:25
  Speaker 3: and I thought something had happened to you. Oh, I
• 30:28
  Speaker 3: see you're caught between the two logs. Yes, Bumper, and
• 30:32
  Speaker 3: I can't get out. I'm afraid I'll starve here unless
• 30:36
  Speaker 3: you can find Buster the bear and get him to
• 30:38
  Speaker 3: move the logs, and even then he may eat me up.
• 30:42
  Speaker 3: I can do better than that, said Bumper. If you
• 30:44
  Speaker 3: keep still, I can gnaw away enough from this log
• 30:47
  Speaker 3: so you can squeeze your way out. Oh if you could, Bumper,
• 30:51
  Speaker 3: exclaimed mister Beaver. There were tears in mister Beaver's eyes,
• 30:55
  Speaker 3: for he was terribly frightened, and when Bumper began gnawing
• 30:58
  Speaker 3: at the log, he watched him anxiously. It was a long,
• 31:02
  Speaker 3: hard job, but Bumper finally gnawed away enough of the
• 31:05
  Speaker 3: wood for mister Beaver to get out. When he finally
• 31:08
  Speaker 3: stood on the top of the log, he was so
• 31:10
  Speaker 3: shaken by the experience that his teeth chattered. Bumper, you
• 31:15
  Speaker 3: were right, he said. Everybody needs friends, and the time
• 31:18
  Speaker 3: to make them is before you're in danger. I won't
• 31:21
  Speaker 3: be so selfish again. Tell your people that they can
• 31:25
  Speaker 3: cross my dam and when they come, ask them to
• 31:28
  Speaker 3: speak a friendly word to me. I want to be
• 31:30
  Speaker 3: their friend. All of which delighted Bumper, and when he
• 31:34
  Speaker 3: finally left mister Beaver, his heart was singing for gladness.
• 31:38
  Speaker 3: In the next story, there will be an account of
• 31:40
  Speaker 3: how the birds brought terrible news to the rabbits, and
• 31:44
  Speaker 3: of story four.
• 31:51
  Speaker 2: Story five of Bumper the White Rabbit and his Friends.
• 31:54
  Speaker 2: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 31:58
  Speaker 2: the public domain. More information or to volunteer, please visit
• 32:02
  Speaker 2: LibriVox dot org. Recording by Nan Dodge. Bumper the White
• 32:08
  Speaker 2: Rabbit and his Friends by George Ethelbert Walsh, Chapter five,
• 32:13
  Speaker 2: the Terrible News the Bird's brought. After leaving mister Beaver,
• 32:18
  Speaker 2: Bumper hurried home, and when he hopped into the burrow,
• 32:21
  Speaker 2: he was greeted by Fuzzy Wuz, who had been anxiously
• 32:24
  Speaker 2: waiting for him. Bumper had been away from home so
• 32:27
  Speaker 2: much lately that he was as glad to get back
• 32:30
  Speaker 2: as Fuzzy was was to see him. We've all missed
• 32:33
  Speaker 2: you so much, she said tenderly. Old blind Rabbit's been
• 32:37
  Speaker 2: asking about you every hour of the day. Well, I
• 32:40
  Speaker 2: have good news to tell you, was the reply. Then
• 32:43
  Speaker 2: he related his experience with mister Beaver and with Billy
• 32:47
  Speaker 2: the Mink, concluding with the remark. They're both are friends.
• 32:50
  Speaker 2: Now in time of need, they'd stand by us and
• 32:53
  Speaker 2: help us. That's something worth bragging about. Indeed it is,
• 32:58
  Speaker 2: Bumper replied Old blind Rabbit. But it is better to
• 33:01
  Speaker 2: make a dozen friends than one enemy. Bumper was very
• 33:05
  Speaker 2: much pleased with his work, and highly gratified at Old
• 33:08
  Speaker 2: Blind Rabbit's commendation of it. Now that he had set
• 33:12
  Speaker 2: forth to make friends of all the birds and animals
• 33:15
  Speaker 2: of the woods who would listen to him, he felt
• 33:17
  Speaker 2: that he must leave no stone unturned to accomplish his end. So,
• 33:22
  Speaker 2: after resting a while in the burrow, he got up
• 33:24
  Speaker 2: to go forth once more to see a further adventures
• 33:27
  Speaker 2: that he could turn to good account awaited him. It's astonishing,
• 33:32
  Speaker 2: he remarked to Fuzzy, was how much good you can
• 33:34
  Speaker 2: do in the world if you're on the lookout for it.
• 33:37
  Speaker 2: I'm just learning to keep my eyes open. Fuzzy was
• 33:41
  Speaker 2: nodded and smiled at him. They were standing at the
• 33:44
  Speaker 2: entrance to the burrow when suddenly Hermit the Thrush, who
• 33:48
  Speaker 2: had been singing a sweet melody in the bushes, stopped.
• 33:51
  Speaker 2: Go on Hermit and finished the song. Bumper called, I
• 33:55
  Speaker 2: like to hear such a jolly blithe fellow sing. But
• 33:58
  Speaker 2: Hermit flitted his wings and cocked his head sideways. For
• 34:02
  Speaker 2: some reason, I don't feel like singing, Bumper, he said.
• 34:06
  Speaker 2: I can't explain it, but have simply lost my voice.
• 34:10
  Speaker 2: Bumper laughed good naturedly. That's funny, he replied. A moment ago,
• 34:14
  Speaker 2: you were singing so sweetly that I could hardly think
• 34:17
  Speaker 2: for listening to you. Yes, I know, but I can't
• 34:21
  Speaker 2: any more. Do you ever have a feeling that something's
• 34:24
  Speaker 2: going to happen. You can't tell just what it is
• 34:27
  Speaker 2: or when it's coming, but you know it's in the air. Well,
• 34:30
  Speaker 2: that's the way I felt all of a sudden, and
• 34:32
  Speaker 2: my voice left me. You shouldn't give away to such feelings,
• 34:36
  Speaker 2: Hermit laughed, Bumper, you know there's nothing in such. Before
• 34:40
  Speaker 2: he could finish, Black capped the chickadee, flitted down from
• 34:43
  Speaker 2: a high branch and exclaimed, breathlessly, what's the matter. Something's
• 34:48
  Speaker 2: going to happen. I feel it, Yes, replied Hermit gravely.
• 34:52
  Speaker 2: I was just telling Bumper I felt it. But he
• 34:55
  Speaker 2: laughed at me. Well, now if two of you have
• 34:58
  Speaker 2: the same feeling, added bump more gravely, maybe there is
• 35:01
  Speaker 2: something in the air that disturbs you. Perhaps we're going
• 35:05
  Speaker 2: to have a storm. No, it isn't a storm, said
• 35:08
  Speaker 2: black Cap, shaking his head. I know that feeling, and
• 35:11
  Speaker 2: this is different. Once more, there was a flutter of
• 35:14
  Speaker 2: wings among the branches, and Yellow Breast the Chat dropped
• 35:18
  Speaker 2: down to the side of Hermit and black Cap. I'm
• 35:21
  Speaker 2: all in a flutter, he said. I can't make it out.
• 35:24
  Speaker 2: Something's wrong. I just know it. I feel it in
• 35:27
  Speaker 2: my bones. I just had to come down here for
• 35:29
  Speaker 2: company until the strange feeling goes away. Well now, exclaimed Bumper,
• 35:35
  Speaker 2: sitting back on his haunches. This is getting interesting and
• 35:38
  Speaker 2: also quite serious. When all three of you have that
• 35:42
  Speaker 2: strange feeling, I must confess there must be something in it. Now,
• 35:46
  Speaker 2: how do you feel, Yellow Breast? Can't you describe the feeling?
• 35:51
  Speaker 4: Why?
• 35:51
  Speaker 2: It's nothing I can put in words, the Chat answered hesitatingly.
• 35:55
  Speaker 2: It's just a restless feeling that makes me nervous. I
• 35:58
  Speaker 2: feel all the time as if there was danger brooding
• 36:01
  Speaker 2: in the air. Don't you think it's all your imagination,
• 36:05
  Speaker 2: asked Bumper. I wouldn't let it bother me any more.
• 36:09
  Speaker 2: The fact was the three birds sitting on the limb,
• 36:12
  Speaker 2: were a little ashamed of their nameless fear, and Bumper's
• 36:15
  Speaker 2: remarks added to their confusion. Still, they could not deny
• 36:19
  Speaker 2: it was quite a coincidence that all three should have
• 36:22
  Speaker 2: experienced the same strange feeling. Fuzzy was was more in
• 36:26
  Speaker 2: sympathy with them than Bumper, for she sometimes had attacks
• 36:30
  Speaker 2: of the nerves, which made her afraid of everything, even
• 36:33
  Speaker 2: of her own shadow. I think, Bumper, she interrupted, that
• 36:37
  Speaker 2: there's something in the air that upsets them. Don't you
• 36:40
  Speaker 2: smell something queer? For a moment, Bumper sniffed the air,
• 36:45
  Speaker 2: holding his nose far up and trying hard to distinguish
• 36:48
  Speaker 2: any unusual odor or fragrance in it. No, I can't
• 36:52
  Speaker 2: say that, I do, he replied slowly after a while. Yes,
• 36:56
  Speaker 2: maybe there is a little peculiar odor, but not enough
• 36:59
  Speaker 2: to account for all this disturbance from out of the leaves,
• 37:03
  Speaker 2: almost at their feet. Missus Ovenbird, who had been sitting
• 37:07
  Speaker 2: on her nest, crept forth and overhearing the remark, sniffed
• 37:11
  Speaker 2: the air and then exclaimed, I don't like the looks
• 37:14
  Speaker 2: of the sun. See how red it is?
• 37:16
  Speaker 5: Now?
• 37:16
  Speaker 2: What does that mean? The sun is always red? But
• 37:20
  Speaker 2: sometimes more so than at others, replied Bumper. Yes, it
• 37:24
  Speaker 2: is very red, but I've seen it that way at sunset.
• 37:28
  Speaker 2: But this isn't sunset, replied yellow Breast. The chat impatiently.
• 37:32
  Speaker 2: It's early in the morning. There was a startled whirring
• 37:36
  Speaker 2: of wings in the bushes, and everyone ducked his head
• 37:38
  Speaker 2: ready for flight, fearing that it might be Dasher the hawk,
• 37:42
  Speaker 2: or even Baldy the eagle, But it was only Whip
• 37:45
  Speaker 2: poor Will the night hawk. He was so unused to
• 37:48
  Speaker 2: flying around in the daytime that he was half blinded
• 37:51
  Speaker 2: and nearly collided with the chat ah Me. He cried,
• 37:55
  Speaker 2: what's going to happen? I can't set on my nest.
• 37:59
  Speaker 2: Tell me the worse. I can't see to fly around.
• 38:01
  Speaker 2: The sun hurts my eyes. But I must know what
• 38:04
  Speaker 2: it is. I know it's something terrible. We don't know
• 38:08
  Speaker 2: of anything, Whip poor Will, said Bumper. We were just
• 38:12
  Speaker 2: discussing it when you interrupted. The sun is very red,
• 38:15
  Speaker 2: but not redder than I've seen it before. And Fuzzy
• 38:18
  Speaker 2: was says she smells something unusual in the air, but
• 38:22
  Speaker 2: beyond that, we know no more than you do. Then
• 38:25
  Speaker 2: go and find out, said poor Will. Impatiently. I can't
• 38:29
  Speaker 2: go back to my nest and piece until I know.
• 38:32
  Speaker 2: But who can tell us? Listen, exclaimed Chat, Suddenly, what's
• 38:36
  Speaker 2: that noise? And from sheer nervousness, yellow breast, the chat
• 38:40
  Speaker 2: crouched lower on the branch and shivered. Why, laughed Bumper,
• 38:44
  Speaker 2: that's nothing but Rusty the blackbird calling. He's always noisy
• 38:48
  Speaker 2: and chattering. Listen to him. But Rusty was much noisier
• 38:52
  Speaker 2: than usual. He was so excited that his voice was
• 38:56
  Speaker 2: raised to a high pitch. He was calling to the
• 38:58
  Speaker 2: other birds and making a commotion. When he finally dropped
• 39:02
  Speaker 2: down in front of the burrough, he was all out
• 39:04
  Speaker 2: of breath. It took him some time to tell his tale.
• 39:08
  Speaker 2: The woods are on fire, he said, and it's coming
• 39:11
  Speaker 2: this way. I was up on Bald Mountain when it
• 39:14
  Speaker 2: broke out, and I flew as fast as I could
• 39:16
  Speaker 2: to warn everybody Bald Mountain, exclaimed Bumper. Why, Rusty, that's
• 39:21
  Speaker 2: miles and miles away from here. That isn't anything to
• 39:25
  Speaker 2: get excited about. I'm surprised that you should get frightened now.
• 39:29
  Speaker 2: Rusty liked to carry important news, especially exciting news, and
• 39:34
  Speaker 2: he had felt very big in being the first to
• 39:36
  Speaker 2: tell of the fire, but Bumper's words made him think
• 39:39
  Speaker 2: that he had exaggerated it, and he felt quite crestfallen. However,
• 39:45
  Speaker 2: in the next story you will read of how the
• 39:47
  Speaker 2: fire spread and race down Bald Mountain. End of story five.
• 39:54
  Speaker 2: Recording by Nan Dodge. Story six of Bumper, the White
• 40:04
  Speaker 2: Rabbit and his Friends. This is a LibriVox recording. All
• 40:08
  Speaker 2: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information
• 40:12
  Speaker 2: or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by
• 40:18
  Speaker 2: Nan Dodge. Bumper, the White Rabbit and his Friends by
• 40:21
  Speaker 2: George Ethelbird Walsh, Story six, The Fire in the Woods.
• 40:29
  Speaker 2: Bumper felt that he had performed a real act of
• 40:31
  Speaker 2: kindness in quieting the fright of the birds, especially of
• 40:35
  Speaker 2: Rusty the blackbird, whose excitement was likely to stir up
• 40:39
  Speaker 2: general fear throughout the woods. Of course, a fire in
• 40:42
  Speaker 2: the woods would be a dreadful thing. They couldn't think
• 40:45
  Speaker 2: of anything worse, But it was unwise to give a
• 40:48
  Speaker 2: false alarm and scare all the young ones. At the
• 40:52
  Speaker 2: same time, Bumper felt a little uneasy. Bald Mountain was
• 40:56
  Speaker 2: a long way off, but the wind was blowing straight
• 40:58
  Speaker 2: from it, and he began and to think that perhaps
• 41:01
  Speaker 2: this accounted for the uneasiness of Hermit black Cap, Missus Ovenbird,
• 41:06
  Speaker 2: and Whip poor Will. Fuzzy Was might have sniffed the
• 41:10
  Speaker 2: odor of smoke in the air, and the frightened birds
• 41:13
  Speaker 2: had sensed the danger in the same way. Also it
• 41:16
  Speaker 2: would account for the blood red sun. But Bumper continued
• 41:20
  Speaker 2: to make light of the danger, laughing good naturedly and
• 41:24
  Speaker 2: saying that Rusty must have had his wings singed in
• 41:27
  Speaker 2: flying so fast through the air. I shouldn't worry about it,
• 41:30
  Speaker 2: he said finally, as he hopped away. Now go back
• 41:34
  Speaker 2: to your nest, Whip poor Will, and you too, Missus Ovenbird.
• 41:38
  Speaker 2: If anything happens, we'll give the alarm. The birds, now
• 41:42
  Speaker 2: that they knew what had caused their restlessness, and being
• 41:46
  Speaker 2: assured by Bumper the timely warning would be given if
• 41:49
  Speaker 2: the fire spread, breathed easier and soon forgot all about it.
• 41:53
  Speaker 2: But not Bumper. He was anxious to find out for
• 41:57
  Speaker 2: himself if the fire was coming toward them. As soon
• 42:00
  Speaker 2: as he could get away from Fuzzy Was, he ran
• 42:03
  Speaker 2: as fast as he could in the direction of Bald Mountain.
• 42:07
  Speaker 2: It was a long run but Bumper was feeling fine,
• 42:10
  Speaker 2: and he covered the ground with great speed. Half way there,
• 42:14
  Speaker 2: he stumbled upon Crawler, the tortoise, who was trudging along
• 42:18
  Speaker 2: in the opposite direction. Where to now, Crawler? He hailed
• 42:23
  Speaker 2: for the river, replied Crawler, without stopping. I smell smoke,
• 42:27
  Speaker 2: and I'm going to get in the river mud before
• 42:30
  Speaker 2: it's too late. The fire's a long distance away, isn't it,
• 42:34
  Speaker 2: replied Bumper, Yes, but it takes me a long time
• 42:38
  Speaker 2: to crawl a short distance, so I'm going to start early.
• 42:42
  Speaker 2: Bumper thought this was a good idea, and he made
• 42:45
  Speaker 2: no attempt to detain Crawler. If he couldn't travel any
• 42:49
  Speaker 2: faster than the tortoise, he would do the same, start early.
• 42:54
  Speaker 2: Half a mile further he found Hoppy the toad, burrowing
• 42:58
  Speaker 2: into the ground. What are you digging for, Hoppy? He asked?
• 43:02
  Speaker 2: For a safe place when the fire comes, was the reply.
• 43:05
  Speaker 2: If I don't burrow down a foot or more, I'll
• 43:08
  Speaker 2: be roasted alive. Do you think the fire's coming this way?
• 43:11
  Speaker 2: Asked Bumper, more alarmed than ever. Of course it is.
• 43:16
  Speaker 2: Ask Baldy the eagle up there. He's so excited he
• 43:20
  Speaker 2: can't do anything but circle around and utter loud cries.
• 43:24
  Speaker 2: He can see what we can't. Bumper looked up and
• 43:28
  Speaker 2: saw Baldy the eagle and his mate circling around in
• 43:31
  Speaker 2: great spirals. They were so far from the earth that
• 43:34
  Speaker 2: they looked like tiny specks. But after a while they
• 43:38
  Speaker 2: swooped down and lighted on the decayed stump of a tree. Ordinarily,
• 43:43
  Speaker 2: Bumper wouldn't have dared to speak to Baldy, but fear
• 43:47
  Speaker 2: now had made the eagles tame and friendly. If fire
• 43:50
  Speaker 2: in the woods changes friends and foes alike, Oh, Baldy,
• 43:55
  Speaker 2: Bumper called, I can't see down here, but you can
• 43:58
  Speaker 2: up there. Tell me if the fire is coming this way,
• 44:02
  Speaker 2: and is there any danger? Yes, Bumper replied Baldy, glancing
• 44:07
  Speaker 2: down at the white rabbit. It has swept clear across
• 44:10
  Speaker 2: bald Mountain and is now racing down the slope on
• 44:14
  Speaker 2: this side. Our new home is destroyed, and we're fleeing
• 44:17
  Speaker 2: for our lives. If you want to escape, you should
• 44:21
  Speaker 2: run for the river. Is it as bad as all that?
• 44:24
  Speaker 2: Exclaimed Bumper? Come up here and look for yourself. Bumper
• 44:29
  Speaker 2: smiled at this remark, for he had no more chance
• 44:32
  Speaker 2: of getting up there in the top of the tree
• 44:35
  Speaker 2: than he had of swimming like Billy the mink under water.
• 44:39
  Speaker 2: You should warn all of your people to flee, Baldy added,
• 44:42
  Speaker 2: and there's no time to be lost. Baldy and his
• 44:46
  Speaker 2: mate rose then and flew away, leaving the white rabbit alone.
• 44:51
  Speaker 2: It must be worse than I thought, he said to himself.
• 44:54
  Speaker 2: Baldy doesn't get frightened very easily. I must hurry back home.
• 44:59
  Speaker 2: Just then a great commotion back of him made him turn.
• 45:02
  Speaker 2: Out of a big hole in a tree, came Great
• 45:05
  Speaker 2: Horn the owl. What is it? He cried, Then, seeing
• 45:09
  Speaker 2: the white rabbit, he added, is it true, Bumper? The
• 45:12
  Speaker 2: woods are on fire. I'm afraid they are, Great Horn,
• 45:16
  Speaker 2: Baldy the owl said. The fire's coming this way rapidly.
• 45:20
  Speaker 2: Then I must pack up and leave at once. But
• 45:23
  Speaker 2: I'm so blind I can't see which way to fly.
• 45:27
  Speaker 2: Follow the wind, Great Horn, and you won't need your eyes.
• 45:30
  Speaker 2: It's blowing away from the fire. That's so I'll do it.
• 45:35
  Speaker 2: Thank you for the kind of vice, Bumper. Now I
• 45:38
  Speaker 2: must hurry, and I too, said Bumper. But once more
• 45:43
  Speaker 2: there was a crash, and through the bushes sprang whitetail
• 45:46
  Speaker 2: the deer. Bumper expected to see Sneaky the Wolf or
• 45:50
  Speaker 2: Buster the bear after him, but when neither appeared, he
• 45:54
  Speaker 2: hailed the deer. Is it the fire you're running from? Whitetail,
• 45:58
  Speaker 2: he called, Yes, all the woods will be burnt up.
• 46:02
  Speaker 2: You'd better run for the river, Bumper, it's your only chance.
• 46:05
  Speaker 2: I think I will. But he didn't get far before
• 46:10
  Speaker 2: a swarm of birds swept down upon him. There were Piney,
• 46:14
  Speaker 2: the purple finch toehe that she wink, Missus phoebe Bird, Shrike,
• 46:20
  Speaker 2: the butcher bird, mister Woodpecker, mister and Missus pine Grosbeak,
• 46:26
  Speaker 2: mister crested flycatcher, and all their families and friends. They
• 46:31
  Speaker 2: came in dense clouds, shrieking, crying, and making a great noise.
• 46:36
  Speaker 2: Run Run, they cried as they flew over his head.
• 46:39
  Speaker 2: The fire will soon be here, Bumper, Run for your life,
• 46:44
  Speaker 2: I'm going to said Bumper. But once more he was
• 46:48
  Speaker 2: so startled by a sudden interruption that he couldn't move.
• 46:52
  Speaker 2: Out of the bushes appeared mister Fox, running as if
• 46:56
  Speaker 2: his life depended upon it. Bumper crouched a high but
• 47:00
  Speaker 2: mister Fox only gave him a side glance and shouted,
• 47:05
  Speaker 2: run Bumper run to the river the fire's coming. Bumper
• 47:09
  Speaker 2: was so surprised that mister Fox should stop long enough
• 47:12
  Speaker 2: to warn him that he simply stared and waited. Even
• 47:16
  Speaker 2: his worst enemy wasn't entirely bad, not if he would
• 47:20
  Speaker 2: take the trouble to warn him when a great danger
• 47:23
  Speaker 2: threatened every living thing in the woods. I'll remember that
• 47:28
  Speaker 2: and not think so badly of mister Fox, he said.
• 47:31
  Speaker 2: Then he thought of his own safety and was ready
• 47:34
  Speaker 2: once more to run home to warn his people of
• 47:36
  Speaker 2: the danger. But out of the bushes at his feet
• 47:39
  Speaker 2: came a pitiful, wailing cry. Bumper stopped and looked down.
• 47:45
  Speaker 2: It was little Spotty, the chameleon, whose bright colors now
• 47:48
  Speaker 2: were all dark and splotched. Oh, Bumper, he wailed, I
• 47:53
  Speaker 2: can't get away from the fire. I hurt my leg
• 47:55
  Speaker 2: and can't run at all. I'll be roasted alive. Bumper
• 48:00
  Speaker 2: was horrified and stopped to console him. But the air
• 48:04
  Speaker 2: was getting thick with smoke, and he knew that he
• 48:07
  Speaker 2: would have to run if he expected to save his
• 48:09
  Speaker 2: own life. But he couldn't leave Spotty behind to be
• 48:13
  Speaker 2: burnt up. Hop on my back, Spotty and cling to it,
• 48:17
  Speaker 2: he said, Spotty, glad of the chance, climbed up and
• 48:22
  Speaker 2: Bumper started on a mad race through the bushes. In
• 48:25
  Speaker 2: the next story you will read of Bumper's further adventures
• 48:29
  Speaker 2: in the fire. End of story six. Recording by Nan Dodge.
• 48:42
  Speaker 2: Story seven of Bumper, the White Rabbit and his Friends.
• 48:45
  Speaker 2: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 48:49
  Speaker 2: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 48:54
  Speaker 2: visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Nan Dodge. Bumper the
• 48:59
  Speaker 2: White Rabbit and his Friends by George Ethelbert Walsh, Story seven,
• 49:05
  Speaker 2: Bumper's mad race with the fire. With Spotty the chameleon
• 49:10
  Speaker 2: clinging to his back, Bumper hopped along as fast as
• 49:13
  Speaker 2: he could to get away from the fire. He was
• 49:16
  Speaker 2: very sure now that it was spreading throughout the woods,
• 49:19
  Speaker 2: for the sun had almost disappeared from view, and the
• 49:23
  Speaker 2: air was thick with choking smoke and fine cinders. If
• 49:27
  Speaker 2: he needed any further evidence, he had but to look
• 49:30
  Speaker 2: around him and above. The woods were full of big
• 49:34
  Speaker 2: and little animals rushing toward the river for safety, and
• 49:37
  Speaker 2: the air overhead was clouded with flocks of birds winging
• 49:41
  Speaker 2: their ways swiftly. In the same direction. Cries of fear
• 49:46
  Speaker 2: came from every side, calls and shouts and whistles. Pandemonium
• 49:51
  Speaker 2: had broken loose. Everyone was confused and frightened. All fears
• 49:56
  Speaker 2: of their bitter enemies had been forgotten. Curly the skunk
• 50:00
  Speaker 2: was racing side by side with Sneaky the Wolf, and
• 50:04
  Speaker 2: Washer the raccoon with Buster the bear. Even Loop the
• 50:08
  Speaker 2: lynx was so terrified that he forgot to snarl when
• 50:12
  Speaker 2: Sleepy the opossum bumped against him, and Killer the snake
• 50:15
  Speaker 2: wriggled past Hoppy the toad, who was still busily digging
• 50:19
  Speaker 2: his hole to crawl in out of danger. No one
• 50:23
  Speaker 2: seemed to notice Bumper hopping along with Spotty the Chameleon
• 50:27
  Speaker 2: on his back. Ordinarily such a thing would have caused
• 50:30
  Speaker 2: a laugh and perhaps jeers, but now everyone was so
• 50:34
  Speaker 2: terrified that he paid no attention to any one else.
• 50:39
  Speaker 2: And leaping over a clump of bushes, Bumper suddenly heard
• 50:42
  Speaker 2: a voice call to him, Oh, Bumper, what am I
• 50:45
  Speaker 2: going to do? I can't run fast enough to beat
• 50:48
  Speaker 2: the fire. Oh oh, I shall be roasted alive. Bumper
• 50:53
  Speaker 2: stopped and looked down at Lazy the snail, who was
• 50:56
  Speaker 2: making all the haste he could to get away, but
• 50:59
  Speaker 2: it was a look udicrously slow pace. It seemed as
• 51:03
  Speaker 2: if he almost stood still when he was crawling the fastest. Why, Lazy,
• 51:08
  Speaker 2: can't you run faster, Bumper asked, No, you can see
• 51:12
  Speaker 2: I'm doing my best. I never was much of a runner.
• 51:16
  Speaker 2: I should think not, laughed Bumper. I might give you
• 51:19
  Speaker 2: a lift of a few yards, but that wouldn't do
• 51:22
  Speaker 2: much good. The fire would soon catch up to you. No,
• 51:26
  Speaker 2: that wouldn't save me, wailed Lazy. Nothing will save me.
• 51:30
  Speaker 2: I'm going to be roasted alive. Bumper looked distressed. The
• 51:35
  Speaker 2: thought of leaving Lazy behind to be burnt up was
• 51:38
  Speaker 2: more than he could stand. Spotty, the chameleon clinging to
• 51:42
  Speaker 2: his back had already become a burden to him, and
• 51:45
  Speaker 2: he felt that another on his back would handicap him dreadfully. However,
• 51:50
  Speaker 2: he couldn't leave Lazy the snail. Crawl up on my back, Lazy,
• 51:55
  Speaker 2: and I'll carry you, he said, finally, But you must hurry.
• 51:58
  Speaker 2: The fire's coming very fast. Lazy was so slow in
• 52:03
  Speaker 2: crawling up that Bumper several times grew impatient and urged
• 52:08
  Speaker 2: him to hurry. When he was finally on one shoulder,
• 52:11
  Speaker 2: clinging to it with his moist feet. Bumper started off
• 52:15
  Speaker 2: once more. He had to make up for lost time,
• 52:19
  Speaker 2: and he hopped along at the top of his speed.
• 52:22
  Speaker 2: All the while he was thinking of Fuzzy Whizz, an
• 52:25
  Speaker 2: old blind rabbit. Would they run for the river or
• 52:29
  Speaker 2: would they wait for him to return. It distressed him
• 52:32
  Speaker 2: to think that he had not been able to warn Whip,
• 52:35
  Speaker 2: Poor Will and Hermit the thrush as he had promised.
• 52:38
  Speaker 2: Would they wait for him? He put forth all his
• 52:41
  Speaker 2: strength to gain on the other animals, and soon found
• 52:45
  Speaker 2: himself in the lead again. He passed Buster the bear,
• 52:49
  Speaker 2: and Billy the mink, and Sleepy the opossum. I wish
• 52:53
  Speaker 2: I could run as fast as you, Bumper, Sleepy wailed.
• 52:56
  Speaker 2: I'm afraid I'll be too late. No, there's time enough,
• 53:00
  Speaker 2: Billy replied Bumper. I want to run ahead to warn
• 53:03
  Speaker 2: Fuzzy wuzz an old blind rabbit. Oh, they'll know the
• 53:07
  Speaker 2: fire's coming long before you reach home. Won't you wait
• 53:10
  Speaker 2: for me? I'm terribly frightened, and if you leave me behind,
• 53:15
  Speaker 2: I know I'll die. Bumper slowed down to comfort Billy.
• 53:20
  Speaker 2: He ran alongside of him for a time to keep
• 53:22
  Speaker 2: him company. This put new heart in Billy, and of
• 53:26
  Speaker 2: course hope gave him strength, and he really ran faster
• 53:30
  Speaker 2: than before. They nearly stumbled over Whitefoot the deer mouse,
• 53:35
  Speaker 2: who had been running as fast as his little legs
• 53:38
  Speaker 2: would permit him. But he curled up now and stopped,
• 53:41
  Speaker 2: panting for breath. What's the matter, Whitefoot, asked Bumper. I'm
• 53:47
  Speaker 2: all in, panted, Whitefoot, I can't run another step. I've
• 53:52
  Speaker 2: run all the way from Bald Mountain to day and
• 53:54
  Speaker 2: I'm too tired to take another step. But the fire
• 53:58
  Speaker 2: will catch you here, protested said Bumper. You must try again. No,
• 54:03
  Speaker 2: I can't. I tell you I'm exhausted and my feet
• 54:06
  Speaker 2: are bleeding. He held up a foot that was covered
• 54:09
  Speaker 2: with blood. Bumper's pity for him was more than he
• 54:13
  Speaker 2: could express in words. Crawl upon my back, Whitefoot, I
• 54:17
  Speaker 2: guess I can carry another. Thank you, Bumper. You will
• 54:21
  Speaker 2: save my life if you carry me and Whitefoot the
• 54:24
  Speaker 2: deer mouse hopped up by the side of Lazy the
• 54:27
  Speaker 2: snail and Spotty the chameleon. With this added burden, Bumper
• 54:32
  Speaker 2: found that he couldn't run much faster than Sleepy the opossum.
• 54:37
  Speaker 2: I'll have to keep company with you now, Billy, he said,
• 54:40
  Speaker 2: I can't run faster with so many on my back.
• 54:44
  Speaker 2: Why do you carry them, Bumper, asked Sleepy. Why don't
• 54:47
  Speaker 2: you let them look out for themselves? For shame on you, Sleepy.
• 54:51
  Speaker 2: Would you leave them behind to be burnt up? No, no,
• 54:55
  Speaker 2: we can't do that. We must help each other. I
• 54:59
  Speaker 2: don't see that any bo. But he's helping me, growled Sleepy.
• 55:02
  Speaker 2: I thought I was helping you by keeping you company,
• 55:05
  Speaker 2: replied Bumper. If it isn't doing you any good, I
• 55:08
  Speaker 2: may as well run ahead. No, no, don't leave me,
• 55:12
  Speaker 2: cried Sleepy. You are helping me. I didn't mean what
• 55:15
  Speaker 2: I was saying before. All right, then don't grumble because
• 55:20
  Speaker 2: somebody else is having an easier time than you. They
• 55:24
  Speaker 2: were approaching the river, where it was broad and deep,
• 55:27
  Speaker 2: and some of the animals ahead were squealing and grunting
• 55:30
  Speaker 2: with pleasure. Once across the river, they would be safe
• 55:33
  Speaker 2: from the flames. Now we'll soon be there, exclaimed Bumper.
• 55:38
  Speaker 2: Hopefully I can smell the water, Billy, I'm glad of it,
• 55:42
  Speaker 2: for I'm nearly dead. A little squeaking voice suddenly startled them,
• 55:47
  Speaker 2: and out of a hole in the nearest tree popped
• 55:49
  Speaker 2: the head of Stripe the chipmunk. Bumper, Bumper, he squealed
• 55:54
  Speaker 2: in his high piping voice. Is it true the woods
• 55:57
  Speaker 2: are on fire? Yes, Stripe and your bed hurry to
• 56:00
  Speaker 2: the river. But I can't. I broke my leg last
• 56:04
  Speaker 2: week and I can't use it. Do you think I'll
• 56:06
  Speaker 2: be safe in this hole? No, of course not. All
• 56:09
  Speaker 2: the trees will fall down and be burnt up. Then
• 56:13
  Speaker 2: I'll burn with him. Oh, oh, what can I do?
• 56:17
  Speaker 2: Bumper stopped and looked at him. Stripe was a fat,
• 56:20
  Speaker 2: healthy fellow and weighed so much that Bumper wondered if
• 56:24
  Speaker 2: he could carry him on his back. I'll try to
• 56:27
  Speaker 2: carry you, Stripe, he said. Finally, the river is near by,
• 56:31
  Speaker 2: and maybe I can do it. Run up on my
• 56:34
  Speaker 2: back and hold tight. Sleepy the opossum gained on Bumper.
• 56:39
  Speaker 2: After that, the white rabbit couldn't possibly keep up with him,
• 56:43
  Speaker 2: but he reached the river finally, with Stripe the chipmunk,
• 56:47
  Speaker 2: Lazy the snail, Spotty the chameleon, and Whitefoot the deer
• 56:51
  Speaker 2: mouse clinging to his back. In the next story you
• 56:55
  Speaker 2: will hear of how they crossed the river. End of
• 56:59
  Speaker 2: story seven recording by Nan.
• 57:02
  Speaker 3: Dodge Story eight of Bumper the White Rabbit and his Friends.
• 57:11
  Speaker 3: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 57:15
  Speaker 3: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 57:19
  Speaker 3: visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Patty T. Bumper the
• 57:24
  Speaker 3: White Rabbit and his Friends by George Ethelbert Walsh, Story eight.
• 57:28
  Speaker 3: How they crossed the river. It was a strange sight
• 57:32
  Speaker 3: that met them when they reached the edge of the river.
• 57:34
  Speaker 3: All the animals of the woods, big and little, four
• 57:37
  Speaker 3: legged and two legged, and those without any legs, such
• 57:40
  Speaker 3: as Killer the snake, were congregated there on the bank.
• 57:43
  Speaker 3: Some of them, who naturally loved the water, such as
• 57:46
  Speaker 3: Billy the mink and Brownie the muskrat, were already in
• 57:49
  Speaker 3: the river swimming for the other side, but most of
• 57:52
  Speaker 3: them were waiting, dipping their feet in the water and
• 57:54
  Speaker 3: then withdrawing them. They didn't like to take the long
• 57:57
  Speaker 3: swim unless it was necessary, looking over their shoulders to
• 58:01
  Speaker 3: see if the fire was near, and then glancing longingly
• 58:04
  Speaker 3: at the other shore. Bumper sighed with relief when he
• 58:07
  Speaker 3: saw Fuzzy was spotted tail and old blind rabbit waiting
• 58:10
  Speaker 3: for him. Oh Bumper. We were so worried about you,
• 58:13
  Speaker 3: exclaimed Fuzzy was. I'm glad you're here. There wasn't any
• 58:17
  Speaker 3: need to worry about me, replied Bumper. I can look
• 58:20
  Speaker 3: after myself. But where's Roly Polly and his family. They're here,
• 58:24
  Speaker 3: all safe in pink Nose and Brindley the lame all here.
• 58:28
  Speaker 3: Then everything's all right, sighed Bumper. I was afraid some
• 58:32
  Speaker 3: of them might get caught. Then, recalling the distress of
• 58:35
  Speaker 3: the birds, he asked about Hermit, the thrush and missus
• 58:38
  Speaker 3: evenbird and black capped the chickadee. Fuzzy was laughed and
• 58:42
  Speaker 3: pointed to the other side. There on the other side
• 58:44
  Speaker 3: of the river. She said, they flew across before we
• 58:47
  Speaker 3: got here. That's good. I almost wish I had wings.
• 58:51
  Speaker 3: Is the water cold, yes, terribly, replied Fuzzy was shuddering.
• 58:55
  Speaker 3: That's why we hate to take the plunge. Ugh, it
• 58:58
  Speaker 3: makes me shiver. Umper laughed at her expression. When the
• 59:02
  Speaker 3: fire gets here, it will be warm enough, he said.
• 59:05
  Speaker 3: Buzzy was suddenly grew grave and serious. It's too bad
• 59:08
  Speaker 3: about Bobby Gray squirrels, she said. What's the matter with Bobby,
• 59:12
  Speaker 3: asked Bumper haven't you heard. He's been sick, and when
• 59:16
  Speaker 3: we passed his hole, he was too weak to follow us.
• 59:19
  Speaker 3: We called to him, but he couldn't come with us.
• 59:21
  Speaker 3: He tried it, but he fell out of the tree,
• 59:23
  Speaker 3: and I'm afraid he hurt himself. What, exclaimed Bumper, Bobby
• 59:28
  Speaker 3: Gray squirrels back there in the woods, Yes, nodded Fuzzy was.
• 59:32
  Speaker 3: Bumper turned around. I must go and help him, he said.
• 59:35
  Speaker 3: I can't leave him to die such a horrible death. Oh,
• 59:39
  Speaker 3: you can't do anything, Bumper pleaded. Buzzy was. You mustn't
• 59:42
  Speaker 3: go back. You'll be killed by the fire too. I
• 59:46
  Speaker 3: can't leave, Bobby replied Bumper. No, no, I must try
• 59:49
  Speaker 3: to help him. I'll go back before it's too late.
• 59:52
  Speaker 3: But what will become of me? Piped up a little
• 59:54
  Speaker 3: voice near his ear, and Spotty the chameleon changed from
• 59:58
  Speaker 3: a bright green to a sickly yellow. I think, Bumper replied.
• 1:00:02
  Speaker 3: You must get across some other way. I'll try to swim,
• 1:00:05
  Speaker 3: piped up Whitefoot the deer mouse. I feel quite rusted now.
• 1:00:09
  Speaker 3: I don't have to swim across, said Lazy the snail.
• 1:00:12
  Speaker 3: I'll crawl down into the wet mud and be safe.
• 1:00:15
  Speaker 3: I can't very well swim with a broken leg, said
• 1:00:17
  Speaker 3: Stripe the Chipmunk, But if you'll put me on a chip,
• 1:00:20
  Speaker 3: I can float down the river. Bumper had forgotten his
• 1:00:23
  Speaker 3: little charges, and for a moment he was distressed. Then
• 1:00:27
  Speaker 3: he said to Fuzzy, was find a chip for Stripe
• 1:00:30
  Speaker 3: so he can float on it, and then swim along
• 1:00:32
  Speaker 3: by Whitefoot to see that he doesn't get exhausted. I'll
• 1:00:35
  Speaker 3: get pink Nose to carry Spotty across on his back.
• 1:00:37
  Speaker 3: He'll do it. He hopped away and soon brought pink
• 1:00:40
  Speaker 3: Nose back with him, who promised to look out for
• 1:00:42
  Speaker 3: the chameleon. Lazy said good bye and began burrowing into
• 1:00:46
  Speaker 3: the soft mud. Buzzy was put Stripe the Chipmunk on
• 1:00:49
  Speaker 3: a big chip, and then started to swim across with
• 1:00:52
  Speaker 3: Whitefoot the deer mouse. Now all of you get across,
• 1:00:55
  Speaker 3: Bumper commanded, and I'll go back to see if I
• 1:00:57
  Speaker 3: can do anything for Bobby Gray Squirrel. Oh, Bumper, do
• 1:01:00
  Speaker 3: be careful and returned soon, pleaded Buzzy. Wuz. Bumper promised,
• 1:01:04
  Speaker 3: and then dashed back into the woods. In a very
• 1:01:07
  Speaker 3: short time, he found the smoke growing so dense that
• 1:01:10
  Speaker 3: It made him gasp, but he raced on directly toward
• 1:01:13
  Speaker 3: the approaching fire. Pretty soon, hot scorching cinder spell about him,
• 1:01:18
  Speaker 3: and he could hear the roar of the flames. The
• 1:01:20
  Speaker 3: bright light ahead told him he was nearly upon the fire,
• 1:01:23
  Speaker 3: but he loped along, making straight for Bobby's tree. When
• 1:01:27
  Speaker 3: he reached it, he began calling frantically, Bobby, Bobby. A
• 1:01:31
  Speaker 3: weak little voice responded, and Bumper jumped to where it
• 1:01:34
  Speaker 3: came from. There, curled up in the leaves at the
• 1:01:37
  Speaker 3: bottom of the big tree was Bobby Gray Squirrel, too
• 1:01:40
  Speaker 3: sick to care whether the fire was near or not.
• 1:01:43
  Speaker 3: Would you come back for Bumper? He asked? To save you?
• 1:01:46
  Speaker 3: Was the quick reply, You can't do it. I'm too
• 1:01:49
  Speaker 3: sick and weak to walk. Then get on my back
• 1:01:52
  Speaker 3: and hold tight. I'll carry you. No, Bumper, you couldn't
• 1:01:56
  Speaker 3: do it. I'm too heavy for you. Run along and
• 1:01:59
  Speaker 3: save yourself. Get on my back, Bobby, and stop talking
• 1:02:02
  Speaker 3: quick now, or we'll both be scorched. The fire's nearly here.
• 1:02:07
  Speaker 3: Still protesting, Bobby finally obeyed. He was almost as big
• 1:02:10
  Speaker 3: as Bumper, but not so fat and heavy, and to
• 1:02:13
  Speaker 3: hold himself on he had to cling to the white
• 1:02:15
  Speaker 3: rabbit's neck. This choked Bumper and made it more difficult
• 1:02:18
  Speaker 3: for him to run, but he couldn't stop.
• 1:02:20
  Speaker 5: For that.
• 1:02:21
  Speaker 3: He had to hurry or both of them would be
• 1:02:23
  Speaker 3: killed by the fire. He hopped along slowly with his burden,
• 1:02:26
  Speaker 3: and the fire seemed to gain on them in vain.
• 1:02:29
  Speaker 3: He tried to run faster, but he was doing all
• 1:02:32
  Speaker 3: he could. His strength was giving out rapidly. I can
• 1:02:36
  Speaker 3: never swim the river with him, he kept thinking, I'll drown, surely,
• 1:02:39
  Speaker 3: but that's better than being burnt alive. When he finally
• 1:02:42
  Speaker 3: reached the water, he was too exhausted to jump in.
• 1:02:45
  Speaker 3: Bobby realized that it was impossible to go further. You
• 1:02:49
  Speaker 3: go alone, Bumper, and leave me. Bobby said, I can't swim,
• 1:02:52
  Speaker 3: but you can. No, I can't swim either, panted Bumper.
• 1:02:57
  Speaker 3: I haven't any strength left. Hallo, gruff voice called back
• 1:03:01
  Speaker 3: of them. Who can't swim? And why not? Buster the
• 1:03:04
  Speaker 3: bear stood back of them, ready to plunge in the river.
• 1:03:07
  Speaker 3: Bumper explained in a few words what he had done
• 1:03:09
  Speaker 3: and what he hoped to do. Buster looked at him
• 1:03:12
  Speaker 3: with a curious expression in his eyes. Well, well, he said,
• 1:03:16
  Speaker 3: it's too bad to spoil a good thing. I guess
• 1:03:19
  Speaker 3: I'll have to take a hand in it. Now, both
• 1:03:21
  Speaker 3: of you jump on my back and I'll get you across.
• 1:03:24
  Speaker 3: I don't mind a little swim like that. Buster was
• 1:03:27
  Speaker 3: in earnest and when he invited them both to get
• 1:03:29
  Speaker 3: on his back the second time, Bobby crawled up and
• 1:03:31
  Speaker 3: clung to his thick wool, but Bumper had to perch
• 1:03:34
  Speaker 3: on his head so he wouldn't lose his balance. Then,
• 1:03:38
  Speaker 3: grinning at the queer burden he was carrying, Buster waited
• 1:03:41
  Speaker 3: out until the water was over his head and then
• 1:03:43
  Speaker 3: began swimming. In this way, Bumper and Bobby Gray Squirrel
• 1:03:47
  Speaker 3: crossed the river to a place of safety. They were
• 1:03:50
  Speaker 3: the last of the animals of the north Woods to
• 1:03:52
  Speaker 3: get away from the fire. If Buster doesn't decide to
• 1:03:56
  Speaker 3: eat them, or the river doesn't dry up, you'll hear
• 1:03:58
  Speaker 3: in the next story what hop to them on the
• 1:04:00
  Speaker 3: other side. End of story eight, Story nine of Bumper,
• 1:04:09
  Speaker 3: the White Rabbit and his friends. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 1:04:13
  Speaker 3: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 1:04:16
  Speaker 3: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
• 1:04:21
  Speaker 3: by Patty t Bumper, the White Rabbit and his Friends
• 1:04:25
  Speaker 3: by George Ethelbert Walsh, Story nine. The Truce That was
• 1:04:31
  Speaker 3: a great ride across the river on Buster's back, Bobby
• 1:04:34
  Speaker 3: Grief Squirrel had no difficulty in clinging to the bear's
• 1:04:37
  Speaker 3: thick wool, for his claws were made to dig into
• 1:04:40
  Speaker 3: things and hold on. But Bumper felt like a shipwrecked
• 1:04:43
  Speaker 3: mariner riding the waves on a cockle shell. Every time
• 1:04:47
  Speaker 3: Buster pitched forward, or turned his head sideways, or looked
• 1:04:51
  Speaker 3: up at the sky, Bumper clutched with all four paws
• 1:04:54
  Speaker 3: at the shaggy head and felt that he would be
• 1:04:56
  Speaker 3: dumped into the water to finish the trip alone. It
• 1:04:59
  Speaker 3: was a balance act with him that made every moment
• 1:05:02
  Speaker 3: perilous and uncertain. Now all the other animals and birds
• 1:05:06
  Speaker 3: who had escaped from the fire were lined upon the shore,
• 1:05:09
  Speaker 3: and when they saw Buster the bear swimming toward them,
• 1:05:11
  Speaker 3: with Bumper the White rabbit perched on his head and
• 1:05:14
  Speaker 3: Bobby Gray Squirrel clinging to his back, they stared in amazement,
• 1:05:18
  Speaker 3: rubbing their eyes and wondering if they were seeing things
• 1:05:21
  Speaker 3: that were really not so. Then, as the truth of
• 1:05:24
  Speaker 3: the bunny sight dawned on them, they sat up a
• 1:05:27
  Speaker 3: shout of welcome. The birds whistled, the animals barked or squealed.
• 1:05:32
  Speaker 3: Killer the snake squirmed and hissed, and roly Poly and
• 1:05:35
  Speaker 3: Pink Nose lay back and laughed until the tears streamed
• 1:05:39
  Speaker 3: down their cheeks. Suddenly, a loud, harsh, haw haw haw
• 1:05:44
  Speaker 3: rose above the din. It was mister Crow, laughing at
• 1:05:47
  Speaker 3: the funny picture. The others immediately changed their tune, and
• 1:05:51
  Speaker 3: the woods rang with laughter. Even Sneaky the Wolf showed
• 1:05:54
  Speaker 3: his teeth in a grin and made a noise that
• 1:05:57
  Speaker 3: sounded like a chuckle, and mister Fox rolled over and
• 1:06:00
  Speaker 3: over in convulsions of merriment. Shrike the butcher bird screamed
• 1:06:04
  Speaker 3: with delight and forgot his grudge against the other birds.
• 1:06:08
  Speaker 3: And Singer the mocking bird began imitating the cries and
• 1:06:11
  Speaker 3: chuckles of the others, until the forest fairly bubbled with
• 1:06:14
  Speaker 3: mirthful sounds. Buster didn't quite understand the meaning of it all,
• 1:06:19
  Speaker 3: but after a while, puffing and panting, he reached the
• 1:06:22
  Speaker 3: shallow water and began wading ashore. Are they laughing at us?
• 1:06:26
  Speaker 3: He asked? Suddenly, it's no laughing matter, he added, with
• 1:06:29
  Speaker 3: a growl, He objected to being made the butt of
• 1:06:32
  Speaker 3: a joke, although he liked to play jokes on others.
• 1:06:36
  Speaker 3: They don't mean anything, unkind, Buster, Bumper said, they are
• 1:06:39
  Speaker 3: happy to think you've saved us. Huh, that's a funny
• 1:06:42
  Speaker 3: way to show it, snorted Buster, And when he crawled
• 1:06:46
  Speaker 3: up on dry land and saw Sneaky the Wolf grinning,
• 1:06:48
  Speaker 3: he cupped him on the ear and added, what do
• 1:06:51
  Speaker 3: you see that's so funny, Sneaky? I didn't see you
• 1:06:54
  Speaker 3: saving anybody but your own skin. Sneaky snarled and drew away.
• 1:06:59
  Speaker 3: I wasn't as thoughtful as you, Buster, he sneered. If
• 1:07:02
  Speaker 3: I had been, i'd carried over two or three rabbits
• 1:07:04
  Speaker 3: to eat when I got ashore. But Bobby and Bumper
• 1:07:07
  Speaker 3: will only make a mouthful for you. You think I
• 1:07:10
  Speaker 3: saved them to eat them, snapped Buster angrily. Why, certainly,
• 1:07:14
  Speaker 3: politely replied Sneaky, drawing away from the big pause. What
• 1:07:18
  Speaker 3: else would you save them for? Bobby and Bumper didn't
• 1:07:22
  Speaker 3: like the expression on Sneaky's face, and they felt like
• 1:07:24
  Speaker 3: running and hiding, but they decided Buster was a good
• 1:07:28
  Speaker 3: enough protector for them, and they remained close by his side. No,
• 1:07:32
  Speaker 3: Buster saved them for us, remarked mister fox. Slyly, we
• 1:07:36
  Speaker 3: ought to thank him for it. Come here, mister fox,
• 1:07:39
  Speaker 3: and thank me, snarled Buster, turning suddenly. No, thank you,
• 1:07:43
  Speaker 3: replied mister fox, trotting to a safe distance. I can
• 1:07:47
  Speaker 3: thank you here just as well. Now that they were
• 1:07:50
  Speaker 3: all safe on the other side of the river, the
• 1:07:52
  Speaker 3: old hunting instincts of the bigger animals were returning, and
• 1:07:56
  Speaker 3: the natural timidity of the smaller ones began to show
• 1:07:59
  Speaker 3: itself while caught in the fire. A truce had been declared,
• 1:08:02
  Speaker 3: but they were all saved now. Brindley, the lame, crooked ears,
• 1:08:07
  Speaker 3: pink Nose, and roly Poly began calling their families together
• 1:08:10
  Speaker 3: to hide in the bushes, and Sleepy the apossum was
• 1:08:13
  Speaker 3: taking to the nearest tree, and Brownie the muskrat was
• 1:08:17
  Speaker 3: hunting for a convenient hole. The birds were also separating
• 1:08:20
  Speaker 3: according to their clans, the song birds and thrushes on
• 1:08:24
  Speaker 3: one side, Dasher the hawk, Great horn the Owl, and
• 1:08:27
  Speaker 3: Baldy the eagle on the other. Loop the lynx, who
• 1:08:31
  Speaker 3: had been resting in the crotch of a tree after
• 1:08:33
  Speaker 3: his long swim, was crouching and viewing the smaller animals
• 1:08:36
  Speaker 3: with fierce, hungry eyes. Bumber saw in a glance that
• 1:08:40
  Speaker 3: war was about to be declared, and all his people,
• 1:08:43
  Speaker 3: without homes or any secret hiding place, would become easy
• 1:08:46
  Speaker 3: prey to their enemies. His soul troubled him. The slaughter
• 1:08:50
  Speaker 3: might be almost as great as if they had all
• 1:08:52
  Speaker 3: been caught in the fire. He felt called upon to
• 1:08:56
  Speaker 3: do something to avert the tragedy. Buster let me speak
• 1:08:59
  Speaker 3: to them, he said, suddenly hopping back on the top
• 1:09:02
  Speaker 3: of the bear's head where he could look around and
• 1:09:04
  Speaker 3: see everyone. The sight of the white rabbit on Buster's
• 1:09:07
  Speaker 3: head once more excited amusement. Mister Crow started off with
• 1:09:11
  Speaker 3: his loud haw haw and singer the mocking bird repeated it.
• 1:09:16
  Speaker 3: The others couldn't resist it, and they all began laughing again.
• 1:09:19
  Speaker 3: Bumper felt pleased at this, for when an animal is laughing,
• 1:09:23
  Speaker 3: he can't be very dangerous. Smiling and bowing, Bumper finally
• 1:09:27
  Speaker 3: raised a paw and said, now that we're safe from
• 1:09:29
  Speaker 3: the fire, we must begin life again on this side
• 1:09:32
  Speaker 3: of the river. It's all new to us, and not
• 1:09:35
  Speaker 3: one of us has a home. Sneaky and Loop and
• 1:09:38
  Speaker 3: mister Fox were very kind to us when we were
• 1:09:41
  Speaker 3: caught in the fire, not one of them tried to
• 1:09:43
  Speaker 3: kill us. We're going to thank them for that. Sleepy
• 1:09:46
  Speaker 3: the apossum, Washer the raccoon, Mister Beaver, Curly the skunk,
• 1:09:50
  Speaker 3: and all the others nodded their heads and expressed their
• 1:09:53
  Speaker 3: thanks in their different ways. Bumper raised his head and added, also,
• 1:09:58
  Speaker 3: we must thank Baldy the eagle for not attacking the birds,
• 1:10:01
  Speaker 3: and Dasher the hawk, and great Horn the owl. Instead
• 1:10:04
  Speaker 3: of attacking us, Baldy actually gave us warning of the fire,
• 1:10:08
  Speaker 3: and in that way helped us. Baldy looked a little
• 1:10:10
  Speaker 3: pleased at this and nodded his head. Great Horn ruffled
• 1:10:14
  Speaker 3: his feathers and pride, and blinked hard at the sun.
• 1:10:17
  Speaker 3: Bumper saw that his flattery had a good effect, and
• 1:10:20
  Speaker 3: while they were still in a pleasant mood, he made
• 1:10:22
  Speaker 3: haste to propose his plan. Now, I'm sure they're going
• 1:10:25
  Speaker 3: to give us another chance, he went on. None of
• 1:10:28
  Speaker 3: us has a home, and it will take several days
• 1:10:30
  Speaker 3: for all of us to make new ones. Baldy wants
• 1:10:33
  Speaker 3: to find a new one for his mate, and Loup
• 1:10:35
  Speaker 3: is anxious to please missus. Lup, who was waiting for him, Now,
• 1:10:39
  Speaker 3: why not declare a truce for two days until we
• 1:10:42
  Speaker 3: can all get settled again on this side of the river.
• 1:10:45
  Speaker 3: Isn't that fair? Sneaky and mister Fox looked a little uncertain,
• 1:10:49
  Speaker 3: But missus Loup the Lynx settled it for her lord
• 1:10:52
  Speaker 3: and husband. Yes, she said, that's fair. Come on, Loup
• 1:10:55
  Speaker 3: and help me find a new home. Baldy's mate, who
• 1:10:58
  Speaker 3: was a little cross at being driven away from her
• 1:11:01
  Speaker 3: nest on bald Mountain, was equally anxious to begin housekeeping
• 1:11:05
  Speaker 3: in their new place. She whispered a word or two,
• 1:11:08
  Speaker 3: and Baldy flapped his wings and the two flew away together.
• 1:11:11
  Speaker 3: How about you, Sneaky and mister Fox, growled Buster, turning
• 1:11:15
  Speaker 3: to these two, Are you going to live up to
• 1:11:17
  Speaker 3: the truce? Why, er stammered mister Fox. If you don't,
• 1:11:22
  Speaker 3: interrupted Buster, I'll make you to tell you the truth.
• 1:11:26
  Speaker 3: I'd like a few boxing lessons with you and Sneaky. Yes, yes,
• 1:11:30
  Speaker 3: of course, we agree, replied mister Fox, and Sneaky hurriedly.
• 1:11:34
  Speaker 3: Then the meeting is over, declared Buster. Now every one
• 1:11:37
  Speaker 3: trot away and began house hunting. Is that right, bumper? Yes, Buster,
• 1:11:41
  Speaker 3: replied The white rabbit climbing down. And if you ever
• 1:11:44
  Speaker 3: need a friend, don't forget that. Bobby and I owe
• 1:11:47
  Speaker 3: our lives to you. We can never thank you enough.
• 1:11:50
  Speaker 3: Oh that's all right, grinned Buster as he lumbered away.
• 1:11:54
  Speaker 3: So the meeting was ended, and the animals and birds
• 1:11:57
  Speaker 3: began to separate. How they found new homes in the
• 1:12:00
  Speaker 3: woods and the adventures that befell them will be told
• 1:12:03
  Speaker 3: in the next story. End of story nine.
• 1:12:13
  Speaker 5: Story ten of Bumpered White Rabbit and his Friends. This
• 1:12:17
  Speaker 5: is a libervox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
• 1:12:20
  Speaker 5: public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit
• 1:12:25
  Speaker 5: LibriVox dot org. Recording by Yenianzen. Bumpered White Rabbit and
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  Speaker 5: his Friends by George Ethelbert Walsh. Chapter ten, House Hunting
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  Speaker 5: in the Woods. The great fire that had swept away
• 1:12:40
  Speaker 5: the woods in which they had always lived made every
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  Speaker 5: one of the birds and animals homeless. Of course, they
• 1:12:47
  Speaker 5: were thankful they had escaped the flames, but they had
• 1:12:52
  Speaker 5: lost all their possessions. Nobody had carried anything away with him.
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  Speaker 5: The next two days was spent in house hunting. They
• 1:13:01
  Speaker 5: were busy days. You can imagine. It is no easy
• 1:13:05
  Speaker 5: thing for even the birds and animals to pick up
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  Speaker 5: a home and start housekeeping again. There are so many
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  Speaker 5: things to consider. For instance, the first hole Washer the
• 1:13:16
  Speaker 5: raccoon entered was the entrance to an ideal home for him,
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  Speaker 5: but Billy the porcupine entered from another side at the
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  Speaker 5: same time. A dispute immediately followed. This is my home,
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  Speaker 5: said Billy, bristling up his spines. No it isn't, retorted Washer.
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  Speaker 5: I got here first, No such thing. I discovered it
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  Speaker 5: first because you can run faster. Doesn't matter. It's the
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  Speaker 5: question of which discovers it first. Possession is half the law,
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  Speaker 5: retorted Washer, showing his teeth. And I have possession. How
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  Speaker 5: can you prove that when I'm in possession, snapped Billy.
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  Speaker 5: I'm here and you can't put me out. I can
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  Speaker 5: and will, said Washer, and he made a quick dart
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  Speaker 5: at Billy, who curled up so suddenly that his sharp
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  Speaker 5: spines bristled on every side. Washer danced around him, but
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  Speaker 5: he was unable to get at Billy, who laughed and shouted,
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  Speaker 5: Now who's got possession. Washer wasn't to be bullied, however,
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  Speaker 5: and retorted.
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  Speaker 6: I'll starve you out.
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  Speaker 5: You don't dare, Uncle if you do, I'll get you.
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  Speaker 5: Now we'll see who owns the place. But Billy had
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  Speaker 5: a ready answer. If I starve, you'll starve too. The
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  Speaker 5: minute you go out for food, I'll go too.
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  Speaker 6: Now, what are you going to do?
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  Speaker 5: Washer recognized the truth of this and was silent. He
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  Speaker 5: watched Billy with angry eyes, but he was still afraid
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  Speaker 5: of the bristling ball of sharp quills. They were in
• 1:15:05
  Speaker 5: this attitude of waiting when Bumper appeared at the mouth
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  Speaker 5: of the hole. Hullo, he exclaimed, addressing Fussy, was this
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  Speaker 5: looks like a promising place. Let's investigate it. He ran
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  Speaker 5: in the hole and came up against Washer the raccoon.
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  Speaker 5: You in here, Washer, he asked, I didn't know you
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  Speaker 5: were here. Then I must look for some other place
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  Speaker 5: for a home. Yes, I'm here, replied Washer crossly. And
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  Speaker 5: so is Billy the porcupine. There he is sulking in
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  Speaker 5: the corner. He refused to leave when.
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  Speaker 6: I ordered him out.
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  Speaker 5: He had no right to order me away, Bumper, Billy
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  Speaker 5: said uncurly. I discovered the hole first and came here
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  Speaker 5: to claim it for a hole. But I beat him down. Here,
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  Speaker 5: interrupted Washer. And the one that gets first in a
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  Speaker 5: hoe has a right to it. Isn't that the law
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  Speaker 5: of the woods. Bumpa, Well, well, said Bumpa, scratching his
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  Speaker 5: nose thoughtfully. You are both right, I suppose, but one
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  Speaker 5: must be wrong. I discovered it first, interrupted Billy, and
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  Speaker 5: that made it mine, and I was first down here,
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  Speaker 5: said Washer angrily. It seems to me, remarked Bumpa, that
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  Speaker 5: this is a knotty question to settle. Suppose you both
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  Speaker 5: give it up, and then neither will have the advantage. Huh,
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  Speaker 5: growled Washer.
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  Speaker 6: You want it for yourself.
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  Speaker 5: I don't see why I should give it up, added Billy.
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  Speaker 5: Not even to you, Bumpa, you misunderstand me. Billy, I
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  Speaker 5: didn't want it for myself. But you and Washer can't
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  Speaker 5: stand here forever disputing about the ownership. You would never
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  Speaker 5: get settled. We want peace in the new Woods. The
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  Speaker 5: dispute might have lasted indefinitely, for Bumpa was puzzled how
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  Speaker 5: to settle it. But just as he was thinking he
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  Speaker 5: would have to give it up, grounded the Woodchuck rushed
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  Speaker 5: down the hole, and, seeing so many there.
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  Speaker 6: He stopped in surprise.
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  Speaker 5: HULLO, I didn't know I had company my new home
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  Speaker 5: he exclaimed. Well, I'm glad to see all of you.
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  Speaker 5: It's a nice, comfortable home, isn't it almost as good
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  Speaker 5: as the one I had in the Northwoods?
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  Speaker 6: Welcome all of you.
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  Speaker 5: Well, if that isn't the limit, exclaimed Washer, the idea,
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  Speaker 5: said Billy, unclothing a little more. I guess you don't
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  Speaker 5: own the whole woods, Groundee. No, I don't claim any
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  Speaker 5: such thing, Billy replied Groundee, But I do claim this place.
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  Speaker 5: Why shouldn't I? I discovered it first and started to
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  Speaker 5: make my nest here? You did, eh, snapped Washer. I
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  Speaker 5: was the first one down here, and it's mine. I
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  Speaker 5: discovered it first, and it's mine, echoed Billy. Bumpa saw
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  Speaker 5: that the dispute was likely to cause hard feelings between
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  Speaker 5: the three friends, and he wished to settle it in
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  Speaker 5: a friendly way. When did you find it, Groundee, he asked,
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  Speaker 5: and wore you down here before? Yes, hours ago.
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  Speaker 6: Well I've been here for ever and ever.
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  Speaker 5: So long, said Billy. Washer knows that for he's been
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  Speaker 5: here too. Y. Yes, we came in here a long
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  Speaker 5: time ago, and Groundee wasn't in sight then. I don't
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  Speaker 5: believe he was ever here before. He's just saying that
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  Speaker 5: to claim the whole Groundee showed some impatience, and then
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  Speaker 5: spying something way down in the bottom of the burrow,
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  Speaker 5: he smiled. Washer and Billy, who had joined together to
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  Speaker 5: dispute his right, looked in the same direction, but they
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  Speaker 5: could see nothing. If I prove that I discovered the
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  Speaker 5: borrow first and was down here before either Billy or Washer,
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  Speaker 5: is it my home, Groundie asked, turning to Bumper. Yes,
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  Speaker 5: that's only fair. It's the law of the woods, and
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  Speaker 5: Billy and Washer should agree to it. You will, won't you?
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  Speaker 5: He turned and addressed the two sulking animals. Yes, I
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  Speaker 5: I will, Billy assented.
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  Speaker 6: After a pause, I too.
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  Speaker 5: Said Washer, but he's got to prove it and not
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  Speaker 5: make up a story. I'll prove it, smiled Groundee. I
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  Speaker 5: don't have to make up any story.
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  Speaker 6: Billy.
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  Speaker 5: Look in the corner there and tell me what's under
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  Speaker 5: those leaves. Billy, wondering what he meant by this, remark, obeyed.
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  Speaker 6: There was a big.
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  Speaker 5: Ball of leaves at the bottom that he hadn't noticed
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  Speaker 5: there before, and when he poured around in them, there
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  Speaker 5: was a little squeak, and up popped the heads of
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  Speaker 5: three little Woodchucks. They were the children of Groundee, which
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  Speaker 5: he and missus Groundie had brought from their old home
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  Speaker 5: safely across the river. They were stowed away snugly in
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  Speaker 5: the hole and had been fast asleep. Well how did
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  Speaker 5: they get down here, gasped Billy. I brought em here
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  Speaker 5: hours ago, replied Groundie. That's my evidence that I was
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  Speaker 5: here before either you or washer. Washer laughed good naturedly.
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  Speaker 5: I guess you've proved your point, Groundee, and I for
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  Speaker 5: one will leave. I couldn't drive up those dear little woodchucks,
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  Speaker 5: nor me either, said Billy, smiling down at the sleepy youngsters.
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  Speaker 5: Then I guess we had all better leave, remarked Bumper,
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  Speaker 5: and let Groundee have the burrow. So the dispute of
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  Speaker 5: ownership was settled, and all halped away, leaving Groundee in possession.
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  Speaker 5: The next story will be about how Bumper settled a
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  Speaker 5: dispute between Pink Nose and roly Poly, and of story
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  Speaker 5: ten Story eleven of Bumpered White Rabbit and his friends.
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  Speaker 5: This is a LibriVox recording. All libervox recordings are in
• 1:22:15
  Speaker 5: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 1:22:20
  Speaker 5: visit libervox dot org recording by Yenian Zen Bumper, The
• 1:22:25
  Speaker 5: White Rabbit and his Friends by George Ethelbert Walsh, Chapter eleven,
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  Speaker 5: Pink Nose and roly Poly Bumper, finding that Groundie was
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  Speaker 5: entitled to the burrow he and Fuzzy was had entered,
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  Speaker 5: harped away in search of another place. Of course, there
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  Speaker 5: had been a grand scramble in the woods.
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  Speaker 6: For the choice sites.
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  Speaker 5: Just like people, when new land is thrown open for settlement,
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  Speaker 5: every one of the animals made a rush for the
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  Speaker 5: best hose. This caused all sorts of conflicts and disputes
• 1:23:03
  Speaker 5: rose on every side. The choicest places were close to
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  Speaker 5: the river, where they would have water right at their door.
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  Speaker 5: But Billy the mink and Brownie the muskrat had the
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  Speaker 5: first right to these water sides, for they couldn't live inland.
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  Speaker 5: Their homes had to be near or under the water.
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  Speaker 5: Mister Beaver likewise, had to have a swimming pool adjoining
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  Speaker 5: his home, and he came in next.
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  Speaker 6: For river views.
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  Speaker 5: Fortunately, Sneaky the woof and mister Fox, as well as
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  Speaker 5: Loop the lynx, preferred dence in the very heart of
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  Speaker 5: the woods, and they prowled around in the thickest places,
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  Speaker 5: leaving the smaller animals to dispute about sides on the waterfront.
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  Speaker 5: Even the rabbits wanted to be within a short distance
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  Speaker 5: of the river. If we have a fire on this
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  Speaker 5: side some day, remarked Pink Nose. I want to be
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  Speaker 5: so close to the river I can cross it in
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  Speaker 5: the middle of the night. Goodness me, exclaimed roly Poly.
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  Speaker 5: Don't speak about another fire. I don't think I could
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  Speaker 5: go through another one. It frightened me, so said Crooked
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  Speaker 5: Ears that I'm sure some of my hairs turned gray.
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  Speaker 5: Certainly I feel years older. Yes, said Branly and Lame.
• 1:24:34
  Speaker 5: It was a terrible experience, but finding new homes for
• 1:24:38
  Speaker 5: all our families is nearly as heart rending, I declare,
• 1:24:44
  Speaker 5: I've hunted nearly everywhere and haven't found a place yet
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  Speaker 5: to suit me. When I do find one that seems
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  Speaker 5: just right, somebody is ahead of me and takes possession.
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  Speaker 5: That reminds me, laughed Bumper of the experience of Billy Porcupine.
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  Speaker 6: And Washer the raccoon.
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  Speaker 5: They thought they both discovered a home at the same
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  Speaker 5: time and neither would give in. Then he related the
• 1:25:15
  Speaker 5: story of how Grounded the woodshark had proven to them
• 1:25:19
  Speaker 5: that neither one had any right to the burrow, for
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  Speaker 5: he had been ahead of them. Ha ha, laughed Rolypoly.
• 1:25:28
  Speaker 5: That was a good one, and served Billy and Washer
• 1:25:31
  Speaker 5: right for being so selfish. But they both thought they
• 1:25:36
  Speaker 5: were right, said Bumper, Yet one of them must have
• 1:25:40
  Speaker 5: been wrong. Which would you say was in the right? Rolypoly,
• 1:25:45
  Speaker 5: neither was the prompt retort. They were both wrong and
• 1:25:50
  Speaker 5: very selfish. If each had given in to the other,
• 1:25:54
  Speaker 5: there would have been no dispute. Would you have given in? Certainly,
• 1:26:01
  Speaker 5: who wouldn't I'm sure I would, said pink Nose. I
• 1:26:06
  Speaker 5: quite agree with roly Poly. Well, I'm glad to hear it,
• 1:26:12
  Speaker 5: said Bumpa, smiling. There wouldn't be any disputes if all
• 1:26:17
  Speaker 5: were as unselfish as you and roly Poly. Perhaps pink
• 1:26:23
  Speaker 5: Nose and roly Poly thought they would be unselfish and
• 1:26:27
  Speaker 5: they could condemn Billy and Washer without having to be
• 1:26:31
  Speaker 5: put to a real test. But sometimes when we boast
• 1:26:36
  Speaker 5: of our virtue, we soon get in a fix where
• 1:26:39
  Speaker 5: we have to prove our words. Now, this was just
• 1:26:44
  Speaker 5: what happened to roly Poly and pink Nose. They started
• 1:26:48
  Speaker 5: out shortly in different directions, to renew the search for
• 1:26:52
  Speaker 5: a home.
• 1:26:53
  Speaker 6: Sight roly Poly.
• 1:26:55
  Speaker 5: After much wandering around, came to a clump of trees
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  Speaker 5: which seemed to offer an ideal home for his family.
• 1:27:05
  Speaker 5: I'll borrow down under that big tree, he said, and
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  Speaker 5: make a spacious hume for my little ones. The dirty,
• 1:27:12
  Speaker 5: soft and smooth here, and the roots of the tree
• 1:27:15
  Speaker 5: will make a good foundation for the tunnels. Satisfied that
• 1:27:21
  Speaker 5: he had at last found just what he had been
• 1:27:24
  Speaker 5: looking for, he began digging. First, he dug straight down
• 1:27:29
  Speaker 5: a foot under the biggest root, and then ran his
• 1:27:34
  Speaker 5: tunnel along under the tree. When he reached the middle,
• 1:27:38
  Speaker 5: he intended to run tunnels on either side and build
• 1:27:42
  Speaker 5: his burrow. He worked hard for several hours until the
• 1:27:47
  Speaker 5: hole was big enough to suit him. I must be
• 1:27:52
  Speaker 5: nearly under the middle of the tree, he mused, and
• 1:27:56
  Speaker 5: stopped to rest a minute. Suddenly there was a noise
• 1:28:01
  Speaker 5: us of scratching and scraping. At first he thought it
• 1:28:06
  Speaker 5: was outside, and he lay very quiet in the hole.
• 1:28:11
  Speaker 5: But a moment later he was sure that the digging
• 1:28:14
  Speaker 5: came from underneath. A little frightened, he waited and listened.
• 1:28:21
  Speaker 5: Some animal was digging down on the opposite side. Of
• 1:28:25
  Speaker 5: the big tree. Rolypoly was ready to run if the
• 1:28:30
  Speaker 5: animal proved to be an enemy, but before he could leave,
• 1:28:35
  Speaker 5: the dirt crumbled before him, and the head of pink
• 1:28:39
  Speaker 5: Nose was thrust through the opening. What a scare you
• 1:28:44
  Speaker 5: gave me, exclaimed Rolypoly. I thought the hound or mister
• 1:28:50
  Speaker 5: Fox was after me.
• 1:28:53
  Speaker 6: You gave me a shock, too.
• 1:28:55
  Speaker 5: Replied pink Nose. I didn't know you were here until
• 1:28:58
  Speaker 5: I saw you. Yes, I've found a home for my
• 1:29:02
  Speaker 5: family at last. I chose this big tree, and I've
• 1:29:07
  Speaker 5: dug a tunnel clear under it. But what are you doing,
• 1:29:11
  Speaker 5: pink Nose, digging a burrow for my family?
• 1:29:15
  Speaker 6: Can't you see for yourself.
• 1:29:18
  Speaker 5: I start it on the other side of the tree,
• 1:29:21
  Speaker 5: and I've dug clear down to here. Yes, but you
• 1:29:26
  Speaker 5: can't have this place protested, Rolypoly. I've selected it for
• 1:29:33
  Speaker 5: my burrow, and I've selected it for mine. See what
• 1:29:38
  Speaker 5: a long tunnel I've dug, not longer than mine? Oh, yes,
• 1:29:44
  Speaker 5: it is just to show you. I'll measure it, and
• 1:29:48
  Speaker 5: then we'll measure yours. All right, It's agreed that the
• 1:29:53
  Speaker 5: one who's dug the longest tunnel has the place.
• 1:29:56
  Speaker 6: For his burrow. Is that right?
• 1:30:00
  Speaker 5: Yes, I'll agree to that. They measured first one and
• 1:30:05
  Speaker 5: then the other. Then they measured them again and frowned.
• 1:30:10
  Speaker 5: They were exactly the same length. Now what are you
• 1:30:15
  Speaker 5: going to do? Asked pink Nose. Stay here? Of course,
• 1:30:20
  Speaker 5: I have as much right as you. Then i'll stay too.
• 1:30:26
  Speaker 5: You can't frighten me away, and I don't intend to
• 1:30:29
  Speaker 5: have all my work for nothing. Bumper found them in
• 1:30:34
  Speaker 5: this unyielding state of mind, with neither one willing to
• 1:30:38
  Speaker 5: give way to the other. Recalling the remarks about Billy,
• 1:30:42
  Speaker 5: Porcupine and Washer the raccoon, Bumper smiled to himself. After all,
• 1:30:49
  Speaker 5: they were not much less selfish than Billy and Washer
• 1:30:53
  Speaker 5: when put to the real test. It is always easier
• 1:30:57
  Speaker 5: to preach than.
• 1:30:58
  Speaker 6: Practice, it seems to me.
• 1:31:02
  Speaker 5: Bumper remarked after a while that we had better make
• 1:31:05
  Speaker 5: a two family houses out of this burrow. That's the
• 1:31:09
  Speaker 5: simplest solution of the problem. How can we do that,
• 1:31:14
  Speaker 5: asked Rolypoly. I never heard of such a thing. My
• 1:31:19
  Speaker 5: family could never live with pink noses family. No, but
• 1:31:24
  Speaker 5: you could dig to the right and pink Nose to
• 1:31:27
  Speaker 5: the left. Starting from this meeting point, bumpa explained, your
• 1:31:34
  Speaker 5: burrow would be on the right and pink noses on
• 1:31:37
  Speaker 5: the left, and you could each use your own entrance
• 1:31:41
  Speaker 5: to it. Then you wouldn't have to do the work
• 1:31:44
  Speaker 5: you have done all over again. This pleased both of them,
• 1:31:50
  Speaker 5: and they began burrowing to the right and left until
• 1:31:54
  Speaker 5: they had the first two family houses ever built.
• 1:31:57
  Speaker 6: In the woods.
• 1:31:59
  Speaker 5: Each had its separate entrance, which met in a common
• 1:32:03
  Speaker 5: hall at their doors. The next story will tell of
• 1:32:08
  Speaker 5: Downy the Woodpecker and Belt the Sapsucker. End of story eleven.
• 1:32:23
  Speaker 5: Story twelve of Bumper the White Rabbit and his Friends.
• 1:32:27
  Speaker 5: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 1:32:31
  Speaker 5: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 1:32:35
  Speaker 5: visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by yan yan Zen Bumper
• 1:32:40
  Speaker 5: the White Rabbit and his Friends by George Etherbert Wash
• 1:32:45
  Speaker 5: Chapter twelve, Downy the Woodpecker and Belt the Sapsucker. Not
• 1:32:51
  Speaker 5: all the trouble in establishing themselves in the New Woods
• 1:32:55
  Speaker 5: was confined to the animals. The coming of so many
• 1:32:59
  Speaker 5: birds across the river, all at once, each without a
• 1:33:03
  Speaker 5: home or nesting place, caused a great amount of confusion.
• 1:33:08
  Speaker 5: There were trees of plenty, but not every tree is
• 1:33:11
  Speaker 5: suitable for a bird's nest. Piney the purple finch, for instance,
• 1:33:16
  Speaker 5: wanted the same high branch to build his nest on
• 1:33:19
  Speaker 5: that mister pine Grossbeak had chosen, and they quarreled over
• 1:33:24
  Speaker 5: it until Shrike the butcher bird came along and dried
• 1:33:27
  Speaker 5: them both away with his shrill cries and threatening manner.
• 1:33:33
  Speaker 5: Yellow Breast the chat found a tangled thicket under a
• 1:33:38
  Speaker 5: big pine for his home, but taw He the cher
• 1:33:41
  Speaker 5: wink objected, for he had made his new home in
• 1:33:45
  Speaker 5: that thicket. Hermit the thrush had been fortunate in finding
• 1:33:50
  Speaker 5: an ideal home for her brood, and was perfectly satisfied
• 1:33:55
  Speaker 5: until she found great Horn the hour had taken possession
• 1:33:59
  Speaker 5: of a hole in a rotten tree branch directly over
• 1:34:03
  Speaker 5: her head. And so it was with all the others.
• 1:34:08
  Speaker 5: There were confusion and disputes and mistakes, and all sorts
• 1:34:13
  Speaker 5: of heart aches and disappointment. But the saddest was the
• 1:34:17
  Speaker 5: trouble between Downey the woodpecker and Belt the sapsucker. Now
• 1:34:23
  Speaker 5: Downey and Belt were close relations, first cousins, in fact,
• 1:34:29
  Speaker 5: and they should have known better, but then relatives, even
• 1:34:33
  Speaker 5: brothers and sisters sometimes have their quarrels, and we can't
• 1:34:39
  Speaker 5: entirely blame Belt and Downey.
• 1:34:42
  Speaker 6: It was this way.
• 1:34:44
  Speaker 5: Downey found a hole in the rotten trunk of a
• 1:34:47
  Speaker 5: tall tree and immediately began hollowing it out a little
• 1:34:52
  Speaker 5: more so he could build his nest at the bottom.
• 1:34:56
  Speaker 5: Than Belt, who had had poor luck find a place
• 1:35:00
  Speaker 5: for his home, saw the tree and immediately became jealous
• 1:35:05
  Speaker 5: of his cousin, and envy generally breathes unpleasant thoughts and deeds.
• 1:35:13
  Speaker 5: Belt determined to drive down away by methods that later
• 1:35:17
  Speaker 5: he was ashamed of. You are surely not going to
• 1:35:21
  Speaker 5: build your nest in that hole, downey, Belt exclaimed, Why, yes,
• 1:35:26
  Speaker 5: I am, Why shouldn't I Well, if you wan't hoot
• 1:35:32
  Speaker 5: the owl in your family, it's none of my affair.
• 1:35:35
  Speaker 5: Was the reply. Hoot the owl? Is he around here?
• 1:35:41
  Speaker 5: Exclaimed Downey, in a genuine surprise and alarm around here,
• 1:35:48
  Speaker 5: laughed Belt. Didn't you see him digging out that hole
• 1:35:52
  Speaker 5: to build his nest. Surely you must see marks of
• 1:35:56
  Speaker 5: his claws in the wood. Brownie was so frightened that
• 1:36:02
  Speaker 5: he thought he saw the marks of Hoot's claws all
• 1:36:05
  Speaker 5: around him. Yes, he was certain that the hole had
• 1:36:10
  Speaker 5: been dug out by Hoot, and he could smell the
• 1:36:13
  Speaker 5: odors of the hour at the bottom. Now that his
• 1:36:17
  Speaker 5: attention was caught to it. Thank you for telling me, Belt,
• 1:36:22
  Speaker 5: he said, of course, I don't want to build anywhere
• 1:36:26
  Speaker 5: near Hoot. No, no, not within a mile of him.
• 1:36:30
  Speaker 5: I'll go as far away as I can, and he
• 1:36:34
  Speaker 5: flew away, leaving Belt in possession. It was a wicked trick,
• 1:36:40
  Speaker 5: but Belt felt that the circumstances warranted a little deception.
• 1:36:47
  Speaker 5: He wanted the hole in the worst way, and now
• 1:36:50
  Speaker 5: that Downey had abandoned it, why of course he had
• 1:36:55
  Speaker 5: the right to take it. He began almost immediately to.
• 1:36:59
  Speaker 6: Fix it up.
• 1:37:00
  Speaker 5: He dug a little deeper into the heart of the
• 1:37:03
  Speaker 5: tree with his strong bill until he had a hole
• 1:37:08
  Speaker 5: that just satisfied him. Then he flew away together leaves
• 1:37:13
  Speaker 5: and grass for the nest. He made many trips until
• 1:37:18
  Speaker 5: the nest was nearly all built. He wanted it finished
• 1:37:22
  Speaker 5: before missus Belt arrived, but night came with it only
• 1:37:27
  Speaker 5: three quarters finished. I think I'll sleep in it to night,
• 1:37:32
  Speaker 5: he said, and then finished it early in the morning.
• 1:37:37
  Speaker 5: He went to bed early, as all self respecting birds
• 1:37:42
  Speaker 5: do and was fast asleep. Shortly after dusk. He was
• 1:37:47
  Speaker 5: dreaming of pleasant things when he was suddenly awakened by
• 1:37:52
  Speaker 5: a noise outside. He sat up and listened. It was
• 1:37:58
  Speaker 5: mister Hood the Hour and his mate, sitting on the
• 1:38:02
  Speaker 5: doorstep of his home talking. I think this hole will
• 1:38:07
  Speaker 5: do very well for us, Hoot was saying, it's the
• 1:38:11
  Speaker 5: best I can find. I don't know, replied missus Hoot.
• 1:38:17
  Speaker 5: We might find a better place if we looked further.
• 1:38:22
  Speaker 5: Haven't we looked all over the woods, asked Hoot impatiently.
• 1:38:27
  Speaker 5: I am dreadfully tired, and this house hunting tires me
• 1:38:32
  Speaker 5: more than anything else in the world. The last place
• 1:38:36
  Speaker 5: I selected you didn't like because it was too near
• 1:38:40
  Speaker 5: the river, and now this one is way back. It's
• 1:38:46
  Speaker 5: too far away from all my friends, too, objected missus Hoot.
• 1:38:51
  Speaker 5: I don't like to be lived to live off alone.
• 1:38:55
  Speaker 5: I want to be near other people. Yes, that's it, always, objecting,
• 1:39:02
  Speaker 5: exclaimed Hoot irritably. Well, then if you can find a
• 1:39:07
  Speaker 5: better place, go and look for it.
• 1:39:09
  Speaker 6: This suits me.
• 1:39:12
  Speaker 5: Now. Please don't get angry, replied missus Hoot. I didn't
• 1:39:17
  Speaker 5: say this place didn't please me. I can't tell until
• 1:39:21
  Speaker 5: we look it over. Suppose we go inside and see
• 1:39:25
  Speaker 5: how it is in there. Of course there will have
• 1:39:28
  Speaker 5: to be many improvements made. I never saw a house
• 1:39:32
  Speaker 5: ready made for me that was satisfactory in all respects. No, indeed,
• 1:39:39
  Speaker 5: replied Hoot. But i'll look inside. You can imagine Belle's
• 1:39:46
  Speaker 5: feelings there. He was shut up in a in the
• 1:39:50
  Speaker 5: hole with Hoot the owl coming down to look around.
• 1:39:55
  Speaker 5: Oh what could he do? Why had he deceived the
• 1:40:01
  Speaker 5: Now he was going to be punished for his lie.
• 1:40:05
  Speaker 5: If I ever get out of here alive, he breathed,
• 1:40:09
  Speaker 5: I'll never tell another lie. I'll never deceive any one again.
• 1:40:16
  Speaker 5: But of course this didn't get him out. Nothing could.
• 1:40:21
  Speaker 5: The entrance was blocked by Hood and his mate. Then
• 1:40:25
  Speaker 5: he heard Hood scrambling through the opening. In another minute
• 1:40:30
  Speaker 5: he would discover Belt crouched at the bottom of the hole.
• 1:40:36
  Speaker 5: Oh dear, the hole is altogether too small for us.
• 1:40:41
  Speaker 5: He heard Hood say, No, this will never suit you.
• 1:40:46
  Speaker 5: It will take more repairing than it's worth. I'll have
• 1:40:50
  Speaker 5: to make the entrance twice as large. Then, if we
• 1:40:56
  Speaker 5: are going to look further, come on right away, said
• 1:41:00
  Speaker 5: missus Hoot. We've got to find a suitable place before morning.
• 1:41:05
  Speaker 5: After a few more words, they flew away. Belt heard
• 1:41:10
  Speaker 5: them go, and a great relief came to him. It
• 1:41:15
  Speaker 5: seemed too good to be true. He wasn't going to
• 1:41:19
  Speaker 5: be eaten up after all. He was so thankful that
• 1:41:23
  Speaker 5: he said to himself before he dropped off to sleep again.
• 1:41:28
  Speaker 5: In the morning, I'll tell Downey he can have the hole.
• 1:41:33
  Speaker 5: I'll confess all to him. But when the sun appeared
• 1:41:39
  Speaker 5: and Belt peeped out of the hole to see the
• 1:41:42
  Speaker 5: light of a new day, he was so pleased with
• 1:41:46
  Speaker 5: the beauty of the woods that he regretted he had
• 1:41:49
  Speaker 5: decided to give up his home to Downey. For a moment,
• 1:41:55
  Speaker 5: his decision wavered. Then he said, no, I'll keep my word.
• 1:42:01
  Speaker 5: I'll tell Downey. At once. He flew away into the
• 1:42:05
  Speaker 5: woods until he found his cousin. Downey listened to his
• 1:42:10
  Speaker 5: story and then shook his head. You deserved the scale
• 1:42:16
  Speaker 5: you got, Belt, but I forgive you for telling me
• 1:42:19
  Speaker 5: that story. However, I don't want the hole. I've found
• 1:42:25
  Speaker 5: one that suits me better. You can have the old one.
• 1:42:30
  Speaker 5: So it really worked out for the best, and Belt
• 1:42:34
  Speaker 5: took permanent possession of the old hoe, which he took
• 1:42:38
  Speaker 5: good care not to enlarge, so Wode could get in,
• 1:42:43
  Speaker 5: and Downey remained in happy possession of the new one
• 1:42:47
  Speaker 5: he had found. In the next story, you will hear
• 1:42:52
  Speaker 5: how Killer a snake broke the truth in the woods
• 1:42:56
  Speaker 5: and got himself in trouble and of story.
• 1:43:00
  Speaker 4: Traal Story thirteen of Bumper the White Rabbit and his Friends.
• 1:43:13
  Speaker 4: This is a librivoch recording. All libravoch recordings are in
• 1:43:18
  Speaker 4: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 1:43:24
  Speaker 4: visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Shasta, Oakland, California. Bumper
• 1:43:32
  Speaker 4: the White Rabbit and his Friends by George Ethelbert Walsh,
• 1:43:38
  Speaker 4: Story thirteen, How Killer the Snake broke the truce of
• 1:43:45
  Speaker 4: all the creatures of woods, Killer the snake had the
• 1:43:49
  Speaker 4: reputation for sly deception that made him the most distrusted.
• 1:43:55
  Speaker 4: Perhaps his reputation was not founded upon justice, but at
• 1:44:01
  Speaker 4: any rate, Bumper was not easy in mind when Killer
• 1:44:05
  Speaker 4: crawled away in the bushes after the agreement without a
• 1:44:10
  Speaker 4: word as to his intentions. Killer's favorite pastime was robbing
• 1:44:17
  Speaker 4: nests of their eggs and young birds, or hunting hoppy
• 1:44:22
  Speaker 4: the toad, which he swallowed whole when such food was
• 1:44:27
  Speaker 4: not to be found. He would sometimes read the burrows
• 1:44:31
  Speaker 4: of the larger animals. He had been known to run
• 1:44:35
  Speaker 4: off with the young of gray Back, the weasel, and Stripe,
• 1:44:40
  Speaker 4: a chipmunk. Bumper's fears that Chiller might cause trouble seemed unfounded, however,
• 1:44:48
  Speaker 4: and nothing was heard of Killer for the first day
• 1:44:52
  Speaker 4: and night. Everybody seemed so busy finding a home that
• 1:44:57
  Speaker 4: no one gave any attention to his cummings and going.
• 1:45:02
  Speaker 4: Rusty the blackbird reported that Tiller was in the thick woods,
• 1:45:07
  Speaker 4: but what he was doing there he could not say.
• 1:45:11
  Speaker 4: He had kept an eye on him for a time
• 1:45:14
  Speaker 4: and then had to fly away to attend his own business.
• 1:45:19
  Speaker 4: The rest of the birds had not seen him at all,
• 1:45:23
  Speaker 4: and his presence was something of a mystery. On the
• 1:45:27
  Speaker 4: second day, however, Bumper was returning to a burrow that
• 1:45:31
  Speaker 4: he and Fuzzy was had discovered for their future home
• 1:45:37
  Speaker 4: when he was startled by the plaintive cries of Hermit
• 1:45:41
  Speaker 4: the thrush among the bushes. At first, Bumper thought Hermitt
• 1:45:46
  Speaker 4: was talking to her mate, but when the cries increased,
• 1:45:51
  Speaker 4: he hopped in her direction. What's all the noise about Hermit?
• 1:45:56
  Speaker 4: He called, can't you find a place for your new home. Oh, Bumper,
• 1:46:01
  Speaker 4: exclaimed hermit, fluttering toward him. Killer is trying to rub
• 1:46:06
  Speaker 4: my nest. I have one egg in it, and he's
• 1:46:09
  Speaker 4: going to steal it. Bumper gave a big jump through
• 1:46:14
  Speaker 4: the bushes and landed close to the place where Killer
• 1:46:18
  Speaker 4: had coiled. Near him was hermit's nest and a small
• 1:46:23
  Speaker 4: bush just off the ground. A tiny greenish egg was
• 1:46:28
  Speaker 4: in it. Killer. If you break the law of the woods,
• 1:46:32
  Speaker 4: you'll be punished, Bumper exclaimed in anger. The truce between
• 1:46:38
  Speaker 4: the animals and birds hasn't ended yet. Killer turned defiantly
• 1:46:46
  Speaker 4: upon the way rabbit and hissed, don't bother your head, Bumper.
• 1:46:51
  Speaker 4: This egg doesn't belong to you. Now run along and
• 1:46:56
  Speaker 4: forget it. You remember what I did to you the
• 1:47:00
  Speaker 4: other day, Killer, Bumper replied, Well, this time you won't
• 1:47:06
  Speaker 4: get off so easily. If you don't go away immediately,
• 1:47:11
  Speaker 4: I'll call all the birds and animals of the woods
• 1:47:15
  Speaker 4: to punish you. They will outlaw you and be your
• 1:47:20
  Speaker 4: enemy forever. That wouldn't be anything new, Bumper fist Killer,
• 1:47:28
  Speaker 4: there my enemies. Now I'm going to have the zeg
• 1:47:32
  Speaker 4: for my breakfast. I'm mighty hungry. No you're not, answered Bumper,
• 1:47:39
  Speaker 4: springing toward him. Killer dodged back and then shot his
• 1:47:44
  Speaker 4: head forward as if to strike, but Bumper dodged and
• 1:47:49
  Speaker 4: landed on the other side. His idea was to play
• 1:47:53
  Speaker 4: the same game on Killer that had been so successful before.
• 1:47:58
  Speaker 4: That they were in a ten angled thicket now and
• 1:48:01
  Speaker 4: not out in an open space. He soon found it
• 1:48:06
  Speaker 4: impossible to run around Killer in a circle until he
• 1:48:10
  Speaker 4: got him busy watching. Indeed, Killer had the advantage of him.
• 1:48:15
  Speaker 4: He could turn and crawl through the thicket much faster
• 1:48:19
  Speaker 4: than the rabbit. Once, in his effort to escape the
• 1:48:24
  Speaker 4: darting head of the snake, Bumper stumbled and got caught
• 1:48:28
  Speaker 4: in the bushes. Killer laughed heartily. In another minute, I'd
• 1:48:34
  Speaker 4: had you, he said. You can't play that old trick
• 1:48:38
  Speaker 4: on me in here. If you don't look out, I'll
• 1:48:42
  Speaker 4: get you yet and choke you to death. If I
• 1:48:46
  Speaker 4: once coil my body around you, it will be the
• 1:48:50
  Speaker 4: last time you'll interfere with me. Bumper began to realize
• 1:48:56
  Speaker 4: that he was in real danger, for there was little
• 1:49:00
  Speaker 4: room in the bushes for him to hop around, and
• 1:49:04
  Speaker 4: if he got caught once in the thicket, Killer could
• 1:49:08
  Speaker 4: crawl upon him and strangle him to death, so he
• 1:49:13
  Speaker 4: had to be more cautious. He kept at a greater distance,
• 1:49:18
  Speaker 4: but made darts at the serpent as if he intended
• 1:49:21
  Speaker 4: to jump at him. Killer approached nearer, driving him further
• 1:49:27
  Speaker 4: and further away from the nest. Now come on and
• 1:49:31
  Speaker 4: fight me, Killer jeered, what's the matter? Are you afraid
• 1:49:35
  Speaker 4: of me? Hermit? Hermit, Bumper called over his shoulder. When
• 1:49:41
  Speaker 4: there was no response, Killer laughed at him. Hermit's left you,
• 1:49:46
  Speaker 4: he said. She's afraid to stay here. She didn't think
• 1:49:50
  Speaker 4: enough of her egg to fight for it, but she
• 1:49:54
  Speaker 4: let you risk your life to protect it. Now you
• 1:49:58
  Speaker 4: see how much friendship amounts to Bumper kept on calling,
• 1:50:03
  Speaker 4: but Killer was apparently right. Hermit had left and was
• 1:50:08
  Speaker 4: not within hearing distance. Still, for the sake of making
• 1:50:12
  Speaker 4: Killer observe the truce, Bumper stood his ground and took
• 1:50:17
  Speaker 4: every advantage he could to run in and snap his teeth.
• 1:50:23
  Speaker 4: In spite of this, the snake dove him away and
• 1:50:26
  Speaker 4: then crawled back to the nest. He reached the bush
• 1:50:31
  Speaker 4: and started to climb it. Bumper made a furious rush
• 1:50:35
  Speaker 4: to frighten him away. Then he stopped. He couldn't go
• 1:50:39
  Speaker 4: forward nor backward. He was caught in the thick bushes,
• 1:50:44
  Speaker 4: with his plump body jammed in between two stout saplings
• 1:50:49
  Speaker 4: and his neck entangled among briars and bushes. Aha, exclaimed
• 1:50:56
  Speaker 4: Killer juvenilantly. You are caught now, and I'll make short
• 1:51:01
  Speaker 4: work of you. After I've strangled you to death, I'll
• 1:51:06
  Speaker 4: eat the egg at my leisure. Bumper struggled frantically. They
• 1:51:12
  Speaker 4: get loose, and Killer approached him with his forked tongue
• 1:51:18
  Speaker 4: darting out threateningly. Bumper suddenly felt weak and faint. The
• 1:51:24
  Speaker 4: sight of Killer drawing nearer frightened him. He could neither
• 1:51:29
  Speaker 4: run away nor protect himself. It did seem like the
• 1:51:34
  Speaker 4: last of Bumper. Killer was certain that he had him,
• 1:51:40
  Speaker 4: and Bumper thought so too. With his neck caught in
• 1:51:43
  Speaker 4: the vines, the rabbit couldn't even turn to face his enemy.
• 1:51:48
  Speaker 4: But neither one had reckoned with Hermit the thrush. It
• 1:51:53
  Speaker 4: is true she had flown away, but not for the
• 1:51:56
  Speaker 4: purpose of deserting Bumper. She thought Bumper would keep Killer
• 1:52:01
  Speaker 4: busy until she could summon help. And what a lot
• 1:52:06
  Speaker 4: of helper she found. When Killer was within a foot
• 1:52:10
  Speaker 4: of Bumper, there was a sudden sound of whirring wings,
• 1:52:15
  Speaker 4: and the forest was darkened by the flight of birds
• 1:52:19
  Speaker 4: that swooped down upon them. There was Rusty the blackbird,
• 1:52:24
  Speaker 4: and his mate Singer, the mocking bird, Piney the purple finch,
• 1:52:29
  Speaker 4: Belt the sapsucker, yellow breasts, the chat, and goodness knows
• 1:52:35
  Speaker 4: how many others. It seemed as if all the birds
• 1:52:38
  Speaker 4: of the north Woods were there, whistling, calling, crying, and shrieking.
• 1:52:44
  Speaker 4: Killer looked up and caught sight of this great host,
• 1:52:48
  Speaker 4: and then ducked his head. He tried to crawl away
• 1:52:53
  Speaker 4: and hide in the bushes, but the birds found him
• 1:52:56
  Speaker 4: and darted down at him. Their sharp bill caught him
• 1:53:01
  Speaker 4: in the head, the body, the tail, and wherever he
• 1:53:04
  Speaker 4: was the most sensitive. Killer tried to fight back at first,
• 1:53:09
  Speaker 4: but there were too many for him. They attacked him
• 1:53:13
  Speaker 4: on all sides and punished him so that he ached
• 1:53:17
  Speaker 4: and pained all over. Then he ran, and the birds
• 1:53:22
  Speaker 4: followed him again and again they pecked him. It was
• 1:53:26
  Speaker 4: like sticking dozens of needles in his body. Finally he
• 1:53:31
  Speaker 4: discovered a hole in the ground and disappeared in it,
• 1:53:35
  Speaker 4: but not until after he had been wounded so many
• 1:53:40
  Speaker 4: times that he could not count them. It was a
• 1:53:44
  Speaker 4: proper punishment for breaking the truce, and the birds were
• 1:53:48
  Speaker 4: glad they had been in time to save Hermit's egg.
• 1:53:53
  Speaker 4: They helped the rabbit to get out of the thicket,
• 1:53:56
  Speaker 4: and then all talked together and laughed and sang until
• 1:54:01
  Speaker 4: the woods echoed with the noise. Next story will tell
• 1:54:06
  Speaker 4: of an adventure with Sneaky and mister Fox. End of
• 1:54:13
  Speaker 4: story thirteen. Story fifteen of Bumper, the White Rabbit and
• 1:54:25
  Speaker 4: his Friends. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings
• 1:54:31
  Speaker 4: are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer,
• 1:54:36
  Speaker 4: please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Shasta Oakland, California.
• 1:54:45
  Speaker 4: Bumper the White Rabbit and his Friends by George Ethelbert Walsh,
• 1:54:51
  Speaker 4: Story fifteen. What happened at the bottom of the pit? Meanwhile,
• 1:54:59
  Speaker 4: Bumper had than crouching in his corner, partly hidden from
• 1:55:03
  Speaker 4: view by a few leaves blown into the pit by
• 1:55:07
  Speaker 4: the wind. Neither Sneaky nor Loop had seen him, and
• 1:55:12
  Speaker 4: mister Fox was so troubled by the presence of his
• 1:55:16
  Speaker 4: two enemies in the pit that he gave scant attention
• 1:55:21
  Speaker 4: to the white rabbit. He had no stomach now for
• 1:55:25
  Speaker 4: breakfast or dinner. His one desire was to get away
• 1:55:29
  Speaker 4: safely before morning. Unfortunately for Bumper, Loop had taken up
• 1:55:36
  Speaker 4: his watchful position directly in front of the small hole.
• 1:55:42
  Speaker 4: If he would only move a little to one side,
• 1:55:45
  Speaker 4: the white rabbit could escape. While the hole was too
• 1:55:50
  Speaker 4: small for mister Fox or Sneaky to squeeze through, Bumper
• 1:55:55
  Speaker 4: could easily get in it. All night long, Bumper kept
• 1:56:01
  Speaker 4: a watchful eye on Loop and the mouth of the hole.
• 1:56:06
  Speaker 4: Once the Lynx got up and yawned, stretching his great
• 1:56:11
  Speaker 4: powerful legs, but he didn't change his place. The moon
• 1:56:16
  Speaker 4: came out, partly flooding the pit with its bright light.
• 1:56:21
  Speaker 4: Bumper crouched in the shadows and waited. Mister Fox and
• 1:56:26
  Speaker 4: Sneaky were so quiet that Lup grew suspicious. He raised
• 1:56:32
  Speaker 4: his head and glared around him. One side of the
• 1:56:36
  Speaker 4: pit was in a dark shadow, and he crept toward
• 1:56:40
  Speaker 4: it to see if all was well with his victim.
• 1:56:45
  Speaker 4: This was Bumper's opportunity. Quick as a flash, he darted
• 1:56:51
  Speaker 4: across the pit. In the moonlight, his white coat was
• 1:56:55
  Speaker 4: hardly visible. It was not until Lup heard the crunch
• 1:57:00
  Speaker 4: of his feet on the sand that the lynx was
• 1:57:03
  Speaker 4: aware of his presence. Then he made a dive for him,
• 1:57:09
  Speaker 4: but Bumper scooted into the hole and escaped. If I'd
• 1:57:15
  Speaker 4: known that rabbit was down here, growled Lup, I'd kept
• 1:57:19
  Speaker 4: watch of that hole. Then, grinning wickedly, he added, but
• 1:57:25
  Speaker 4: a rabbit or two doesn't make much difference, so long
• 1:57:30
  Speaker 4: as I have you, sneaky. Sneaky, the wolf made no reply,
• 1:57:36
  Speaker 4: but sulked in his corner. He was debating in his
• 1:57:41
  Speaker 4: mind whither it wouldn't be better to attack mister Fox
• 1:57:45
  Speaker 4: and offer him as a peace offering. Perhaps Luke would
• 1:57:50
  Speaker 4: be satisfied with that, and then let him go. Loup,
• 1:57:56
  Speaker 4: he said, mister Fox is down here too. Now, if
• 1:58:01
  Speaker 4: you'll promise to let me go, I'll catch him and
• 1:58:05
  Speaker 4: give him to you for breakfast. He's much tenderer and
• 1:58:10
  Speaker 4: fatter than I, and I'm sure you'd like him. Uhha,
• 1:58:16
  Speaker 4: So mister Fox is down here is, he said Loop,
• 1:58:21
  Speaker 4: licking his jaws. Then my breakfast and dinners all prepared
• 1:58:27
  Speaker 4: for me. But if you don't let me go, find Sneaky,
• 1:58:32
  Speaker 4: I'll help mister Fox to get away. This threat, amused Loop,
• 1:58:39
  Speaker 4: and he rolled over and over with laughter. How would
• 1:58:43
  Speaker 4: you help him, Sneaky, he asked, finally, the two of
• 1:58:47
  Speaker 4: you together couldn't get out of this pit. No, no,
• 1:58:52
  Speaker 4: you're prisoners, and I'm doing you both a favor by
• 1:58:56
  Speaker 4: eating you. If I didn't, you'd die down hair from
• 1:59:00
  Speaker 4: slow starvation. Now you see how good I am to you.
• 1:59:06
  Speaker 4: Perhaps you can't jump out either, replied Sneaky. No, I
• 1:59:12
  Speaker 4: don't believe you can. What a joke, laughed Lup. Just
• 1:59:17
  Speaker 4: to show you, I'll jump out and then back again.
• 1:59:22
  Speaker 4: He crouched for the spring, the great muscles of his
• 1:59:26
  Speaker 4: hind legs nodding in big lumps. Then his body shot
• 1:59:32
  Speaker 4: upward like a stone released from a spring trap. But
• 1:59:36
  Speaker 4: he didn't reach the top. Oh no, not by a
• 1:59:40
  Speaker 4: couple of yards. He clawed and scratched at the sides
• 1:59:45
  Speaker 4: of the pit, but the loose sand rolled down the
• 1:59:49
  Speaker 4: side and carried him with it. Dumbfounded and angered by
• 1:59:55
  Speaker 4: this mishap, he made another spring, but again he fell short.
• 2:00:01
  Speaker 4: Six times. Luke tried it and failed. Then he trotted
• 2:00:07
  Speaker 4: around and tried it on the opposite side of the pit,
• 2:00:12
  Speaker 4: but he failed, just as the others had. He couldn't
• 2:00:16
  Speaker 4: leap out of the pit. Try as he would. What
• 2:00:20
  Speaker 4: did I tell you, Lup, exclaimed Sneaky triumphantly. We're all
• 2:00:27
  Speaker 4: prisoners down here, and instead of fighting each other, we
• 2:00:31
  Speaker 4: should try to think of some way of escape. Three
• 2:00:35
  Speaker 4: minds are better than one. What can you suggest, Sneaky
• 2:00:41
  Speaker 4: asked Lup, whose defiant spirit was considerably tamed. Now why,
• 2:00:48
  Speaker 4: I don't know. Perhaps if I could stand on your
• 2:00:53
  Speaker 4: back and mister Fox on mine, one of us could
• 2:00:57
  Speaker 4: get out. Mister Fox surely they could, and then he
• 2:01:01
  Speaker 4: could throw down something to help us out. I wouldn't
• 2:01:06
  Speaker 4: trust you, growled Loup. Neither would I trust mister Fox.
• 2:01:11
  Speaker 4: He'd run away and leave us here. Oh no, I wouldn't, Loop,
• 2:01:17
  Speaker 4: replied mister Fox. Loop considered, no, he wouldn't trust either
• 2:01:23
  Speaker 4: of them. Neither would Sneaky or mister Fox trust him,
• 2:01:28
  Speaker 4: just because each had a bad reputation for deceit, neither
• 2:01:33
  Speaker 4: dared help the other to get out. So it is
• 2:01:37
  Speaker 4: generally so with those who lie and deceive. There is
• 2:01:41
  Speaker 4: little honor among thieves. Meanwhile, Bumper had scurried through the
• 2:01:47
  Speaker 4: hole and found his way out under the river's embankment.
• 2:01:53
  Speaker 4: The water from the pit drained through to the river,
• 2:01:57
  Speaker 4: and this accounted for the long tunnel. My how thankful
• 2:02:03
  Speaker 4: I am to get out with a whole skin, he exclaimed.
• 2:02:07
  Speaker 4: It was a narrow escape. He cleaned the dirt from
• 2:02:12
  Speaker 4: his white fur and glanced up happily at the moon.
• 2:02:17
  Speaker 4: It will go hard with mister Fox and Sneaky, he added.
• 2:02:22
  Speaker 4: I suppose Luke will kill both of them. He shuddered
• 2:02:27
  Speaker 4: at the very thought, and hopped along in silence. In
• 2:02:32
  Speaker 4: a short time, he stopped again. He couldn't get out
• 2:02:36
  Speaker 4: of his mind the thought of mister Fox's fate and
• 2:02:40
  Speaker 4: of Sneakyes, after all, they would suffer just as much
• 2:02:46
  Speaker 4: in being killed as he would. Of course, in a way,
• 2:02:50
  Speaker 4: they deserved it, for they intended to kill him. Still,
• 2:02:56
  Speaker 4: I can't bear to think of them suffering, so he reflected,
• 2:03:01
  Speaker 4: not even if they did intend to eat me. Bumper
• 2:03:06
  Speaker 4: was very tender hearted, and the more he thought of
• 2:03:10
  Speaker 4: the terrible fate of his two enemies, the less he
• 2:03:14
  Speaker 4: liked it. Finally, he sat upright and said, I must
• 2:03:19
  Speaker 4: see Buster the Bear. Maybe he can do something to
• 2:03:24
  Speaker 4: help mister Fox and Sneaky. Anyway, I must tell him.
• 2:03:31
  Speaker 4: After that, he hopped along more rapidly, and long before
• 2:03:35
  Speaker 4: morning he found Buster's den and knocked down the door.
• 2:03:41
  Speaker 4: Buster wasn't very pleased at being roused out of his
• 2:03:45
  Speaker 4: sleep in the middle of the night, and he grumbled angrily,
• 2:03:50
  Speaker 4: What do you want, Bumper, If it isn't anything important,
• 2:03:54
  Speaker 4: go away and let me finish my nap. It is important, Buster,
• 2:04:00
  Speaker 4: or I shouldn't disturb you, was the reply. Bumper told
• 2:04:05
  Speaker 4: him the story of his adventures, which pleased Buster, who
• 2:04:11
  Speaker 4: soon lost all desire for sleep. Before Bumper was through,
• 2:04:16
  Speaker 4: he was chuckling. And you say, Loop and Sneaky and
• 2:04:21
  Speaker 4: mister Fox are in the pit now and can't get out,
• 2:04:26
  Speaker 4: he queried, Yes, Buster, and I wish you could help
• 2:04:30
  Speaker 4: mister Fox and Sneaky. They'll be eaten up by Loup
• 2:04:35
  Speaker 4: in the morning. Ha ha, laughed Buster. I must get
• 2:04:40
  Speaker 4: around early to see the circus that will surely be
• 2:04:44
  Speaker 4: worth seeing. But aren't you going to help mister Fox
• 2:04:49
  Speaker 4: or Sneaky, asked Bumber. That's why I called to see
• 2:04:53
  Speaker 4: you help them, grunted Buster. What for they'll eat you
• 2:04:59
  Speaker 4: up someday if they get out, perhaps they will, sighed Bumper.
• 2:05:04
  Speaker 4: But I can't bear to think of Luke killing them
• 2:05:08
  Speaker 4: when they're prisoners, they ought to have a fair show. Yes,
• 2:05:13
  Speaker 4: I suppose they should well, yawning and stretching. We'll see
• 2:05:20
  Speaker 4: what can be done. I'll go with you to the pit.
• 2:05:24
  Speaker 4: I'll be ready in a minute. What they saw and
• 2:05:29
  Speaker 4: did in the pit early in the morning will be
• 2:05:33
  Speaker 4: told in the next story. End of story fifteen.
• 2:05:45
  Speaker 1: Story sixteen of Bumper, d White Rabbit and his Friends.
• 2:05:49
  Speaker 1: This is a librifox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 2:05:52
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 2:05:56
  Speaker 1: visit librifox dot org. Recording by Phone Bumper, The White
• 2:06:01
  Speaker 1: Rabbit and his Friends by George Ethelbert Walsh. What Buster
• 2:06:05
  Speaker 1: did to Loop Sneaky and Mister Fox. Bumper and Buster
• 2:06:10
  Speaker 1: reached the pit where Loop, Sneaky and mister Fox were
• 2:06:13
  Speaker 1: prisoners shortly before sunrise. They had started early, but it
• 2:06:18
  Speaker 1: was some distance through the woods. Buster crashed clumsily through
• 2:06:22
  Speaker 1: the bushes and then crossed the clearing to the brink
• 2:06:24
  Speaker 1: of the pit. He looked down and saw all three
• 2:06:27
  Speaker 1: prisoners at the bottom, looking very sad and dejected. Hullo Loop,
• 2:06:32
  Speaker 1: He called, nice place to spend the night. At your breakfast,
• 2:06:37
  Speaker 1: Yet Loup glared back sullenly, for he knew that Buster
• 2:06:41
  Speaker 1: understood his plight. Got good company down there too, loop
• 2:06:46
  Speaker 1: Buster added, I see Sneaky and mister Fox in the corner.
• 2:06:50
  Speaker 1: But why so gloomy? Oh, I see you can't get out.
• 2:06:54
  Speaker 1: Got caught in a trap. Well, well that's too bad now,
• 2:06:58
  Speaker 1: isn't it. He sat down as try the fallen tree.
• 2:07:02
  Speaker 1: He enjoyed the difficulties of the three cowed and frightened animals.
• 2:07:07
  Speaker 1: Bumper here told me how mister Fox frightened him and
• 2:07:10
  Speaker 1: made him jump in the pit, he continued after a while,
• 2:07:14
  Speaker 1: and then how he jumped in after him. Then along
• 2:07:17
  Speaker 1: came Sneaky and jumped in to eat mister Fox up.
• 2:07:20
  Speaker 1: And I suppose you tried to get Sneaky loup. Well,
• 2:07:23
  Speaker 1: well that's a big joke. You wouldn't think so if
• 2:07:28
  Speaker 1: you were down here, said mister Fox. Oh, Buster, if
• 2:07:32
  Speaker 1: you'll help me to get out, I'll always be your
• 2:07:35
  Speaker 1: friend and do anything you ask of me. Huh, I
• 2:07:39
  Speaker 1: couldn't trust you, mister Fox. Oh yes you could. Buster,
• 2:07:44
  Speaker 1: I'll promise on my heart that I'll do what you
• 2:07:46
  Speaker 1: ask of me. Buster's little eyes twinkled. All right, mister Fox,
• 2:07:52
  Speaker 1: I'll try you. If I get you out, will you
• 2:07:55
  Speaker 1: promise never to hunt the rabbits and small animals again? Yeah, yes, Buster,
• 2:08:00
  Speaker 1: I'll do as you ask replied the fox. Buster remained
• 2:08:05
  Speaker 1: quiet for a moment and then got up and lumbered away.
• 2:08:08
  Speaker 1: When he returned, he was dragging the end of a
• 2:08:10
  Speaker 1: long tree. This is because Bumper pleaded for your life,
• 2:08:14
  Speaker 1: mister Fox, he said, pushing one end of the tree
• 2:08:18
  Speaker 1: in the pit. Now come up and make that promise again.
• 2:08:22
  Speaker 1: Mister Fox ran up the tree rapidly, and when he
• 2:08:25
  Speaker 1: reached the brink, Buster stopped him. On your heart, you
• 2:08:29
  Speaker 1: promised not to hunt the rabbits and small animals anymore,
• 2:08:32
  Speaker 1: the bear asked, before he would let him pass Once more,
• 2:08:36
  Speaker 1: mister Fox crossed his heart and promised. Then go, and
• 2:08:40
  Speaker 1: if you break your word, I'll punish you. Mister Fox
• 2:08:44
  Speaker 1: trotted away and made a break for the thick woods. Now,
• 2:08:48
  Speaker 1: Sneaky Buster added, it's your turn. Do you want to
• 2:08:52
  Speaker 1: make the same promise. Sneaky was so anxious to get
• 2:08:56
  Speaker 1: out that he was ready to promise anything, and when
• 2:08:59
  Speaker 1: he reached the top, Buster made him repeat it. Remember
• 2:09:03
  Speaker 1: you're on parole, Sneaky Buster cautioned, and the first time
• 2:09:07
  Speaker 1: you break your word, I'll put you in a worse
• 2:09:10
  Speaker 1: place than this pit. When Sneaky had disappeared, Buster addressed
• 2:09:14
  Speaker 1: the lynx. I don't know about trusting you, Loup, he said,
• 2:09:19
  Speaker 1: I never knew a link yet that could keep his word. However,
• 2:09:23
  Speaker 1: i'll let you go. Give me your promise, and you
• 2:09:26
  Speaker 1: can come up. Lup promised again and again that he
• 2:09:30
  Speaker 1: would let the rabbits and small animals alone. Buster accepted
• 2:09:34
  Speaker 1: his word as he had that of the others, and
• 2:09:36
  Speaker 1: Loup sprang away into the woods and disappeared from sight.
• 2:09:40
  Speaker 1: I don't know whether they'll keep their word, Bumber, Buster said,
• 2:09:44
  Speaker 1: when they were alone. But at any rate, they've had
• 2:09:47
  Speaker 1: a big scare, and fear will keep them away for
• 2:09:50
  Speaker 1: a time. I think your people will enjoy peace for
• 2:09:53
  Speaker 1: a time. Yes, and I'll do to you. Buster replied Bumper.
• 2:09:58
  Speaker 1: I've tried to make friends with all the birds and animals,
• 2:10:01
  Speaker 1: but Loop, Sneaky, and mister Fox wouldn't meet me halfway.
• 2:10:06
  Speaker 1: Some people are that way, Bumper. They're good only as
• 2:10:09
  Speaker 1: long as the policeman's around Hereafter I'll be the policeman
• 2:10:13
  Speaker 1: in this woods. Bumper nodded for he believed that this
• 2:10:17
  Speaker 1: was true. Then you've made friends with all the other animals,
• 2:10:21
  Speaker 1: Buster asked, after a while, Yes, mister beaver, and Billy
• 2:10:25
  Speaker 1: the mink, and what should the raccoon are my friends?
• 2:10:28
  Speaker 1: And so our gray back to weasel and Billy porcupine
• 2:10:31
  Speaker 1: and Sleepy the opossum. How about me, Bumper grinned Buster
• 2:10:36
  Speaker 1: when he stopped. Why you've always been my friend. Buster,
• 2:10:40
  Speaker 1: didn't you know it? Well, growled Buster. Maybe I didn't,
• 2:10:46
  Speaker 1: and maybe I didn't. Then, smiling at the white rabbit,
• 2:10:50
  Speaker 1: he added, you go home now and tell your people
• 2:10:53
  Speaker 1: there's going to be peace in the woods hereafter. If
• 2:10:56
  Speaker 1: you can agree among yourselves, I'll see that loup is
• 2:11:00
  Speaker 1: and mister fox don't bother you any more. If they do,
• 2:11:03
  Speaker 1: you just tell me. And Buster frowned so severely and
• 2:11:08
  Speaker 1: whacked a tree with one of his huge paws so
• 2:11:10
  Speaker 1: soundly that Bumper jumped to one side and then laughed
• 2:11:14
  Speaker 1: at his own fear. Indeed, Buster was wont to be
• 2:11:17
  Speaker 1: feared when angry, and he could protect the small animals
• 2:11:20
  Speaker 1: from their natural enemies. One blow from those huge paws
• 2:11:24
  Speaker 1: wouldknock Loop senseless and crush in the skull of Sneaky
• 2:11:27
  Speaker 1: or mister Fox. I think now, Bumper sent, I'll go
• 2:11:32
  Speaker 1: home and tell my people and all the animals and
• 2:11:35
  Speaker 1: birds that peace has come into the woods. There will
• 2:11:38
  Speaker 1: be no more danger for them. So his efforts to
• 2:11:42
  Speaker 1: seek peace in the woods had been rewarded. Bumper the
• 2:11:45
  Speaker 1: White Rabbit had brought to his people something that was
• 2:11:47
  Speaker 1: more to be desired than the ability to fight and
• 2:11:50
  Speaker 1: protect themselves. Billy Brownie, mister Beaver, gray Back, and all
• 2:11:55
  Speaker 1: the other small animals were their friends, and all hues
• 2:11:58
  Speaker 1: and corals had been wiped out. There was to be
• 2:12:00
  Speaker 1: no more fighting. Each was to live his life without
• 2:12:04
  Speaker 1: constant fear of danger. Can you wonder that Bumper was
• 2:12:07
  Speaker 1: light hearted and full of gladness. When he met Rusty
• 2:12:11
  Speaker 1: the blackbird, he had to stop and tell him the
• 2:12:13
  Speaker 1: good news, and Rusty immediately flew away to spread it
• 2:12:17
  Speaker 1: among all the birds. By the time Bumper reached home,
• 2:12:21
  Speaker 1: the birds were gathered there to welcome him and to
• 2:12:23
  Speaker 1: listen to his story. Then came trooping through the woods
• 2:12:27
  Speaker 1: shortly after Pink Nose, Crooked Ears, brintly De, Lame and
• 2:12:30
  Speaker 1: roly Poly with all their families. It was a great
• 2:12:34
  Speaker 1: gathering of rabbits and birds, and they made such a
• 2:12:37
  Speaker 1: noise that Billy porcupine hurried out of his hole to
• 2:12:40
  Speaker 1: find out what it was all about. And Gray Back
• 2:12:42
  Speaker 1: the weasel, and Browny the muskrat came, and Sleepy the opossum,
• 2:12:46
  Speaker 1: and Washer the raccoon, and mister beaver, and Grounded the
• 2:12:50
  Speaker 1: wood chuck. Everybody of importance seemed to be there. They
• 2:12:54
  Speaker 1: talked and listened, and feasted and danced until night time,
• 2:12:58
  Speaker 1: when when they finally crept to wait to their burrows
• 2:13:01
  Speaker 1: and nests, they vowed they would never quarrel or fight
• 2:13:04
  Speaker 1: among themselves again. Bumper had taught them to live in
• 2:13:07
  Speaker 1: peace and happiness, and they would follow his example. But
• 2:13:12
  Speaker 1: of course they had many adventures after that, all of them,
• 2:13:16
  Speaker 1: and particularly Bobby Gray squirrel, whom Bumper had saved from
• 2:13:20
  Speaker 1: the fire. And if you want to hear what great
• 2:13:22
  Speaker 1: things happened to him, you should read the book called
• 2:13:26
  Speaker 1: Bobby Gray Squirrel. End of story sixteen recording by phone.
• 2:13:32
  Speaker 1: End of Bumper, the White Rabbit and his Friends by
• 2:13:35
  Speaker 1: George Ethelbert Walsh