TWO RASCALS CAUGHT
THE moment Reddy Woodpecker stepped into the cold water he wanted to say"Ouch!" But Jimmy Rabbit put a finger on his mouth--meaning that Reddymust be still as a mouse.
So the red-capped scamp managed to keep quiet, though it was such hardwork that he began to feel terribly hungry. Jimmy Rabbit watched him fora short time, smiling and nodding his head, as if to say:
"That's right! Just do as I say and all will be well." And then he waveda sort of farewell, before he disappeared.
Though Reddy did not know it, Jimmy Rabbit stopped as soon as he was outof sight and crept behind a bush, from which hiding-place he could watchthe cedar tree, without being seen by the two beechnut lovers who stoodso still beside it--for there was Jasper Jay, standing in a puddle onone side of the big tree, and there was Reddy Woodpecker, standing inanother puddle on the opposite side of the tree!
And neither of them knew that the other was anywhere around!
But there was one thing that they knew quite well: the water was almostcolder than they could bear, at first. If their feet hadn't grown numb,after a time, so that there was no feeling in them at all, they wouldn'thave been able to stand there so still and so long.
They both wondered where Jimmy Rabbit was, and what he was doing, andwhy he didn't come back.
But Jimmy Rabbit was waiting for something. As he had told ReddyWoodpecker, everything depended on the weather. Though the air wasbecoming sharper every minute, it was not yet cold enough to suit JimmyRabbit. What he wanted was freezing weather. And at last he wassatisfied. When the sun hid itself behind a bank of clouds the groundbegan to stiffen with frost, which covered all the puddles and poolswith a coating of ice.
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It was almost dark when Jimmy Rabbit left the shelter of his bush anddanced up and down to get warm. Soon he came with a hop, skip and a jumpto the big cedar tree.
"How are you?" he called.
And two very sulky voices answered:
"I'm cold--that's how I am!"
"Well, why don't you dance around and get warm?" Jimmy asked.
But both Reddy Woodpecker and Jasper Jay were caught fast by their feetin the frozen puddles. And as soon as they tried to move they began tosquall loudly--because they were so frightened. They could no more havedanced than the old cedar tree could have pulled up its roots andcapered about in the forest. So far as they could see, they might aswell have stepped into any of the traps that Johnnie Green set for PeterMink.
It was no wonder that they were alarmed--no wonder that they struggledto free themselves.
"You seem to like to stay by that tree," said Jimmy Rabbit.
Now, since Jasper and Reddy had wanted exactly the same things tohappen, and since they were now in the same fix, Jimmy Rabbit couldtalk to them both at the same time. What he said to one fitted the otherjust as well.
Of course, that made it very easy for Jimmy Rabbit.
But it was rather hard on Reddy Woodpecker and Jasper Jay.
"Jay! jay!" screamed Jasper in a rasping voice, like a saw biting intoa log. "Ker-r-ruck! ker-r-ruck!" sounded Reddy's rolling call. Andthey began to scold Jimmy Rabbit, until he put his paws over his earsand ran away.
If it hadn't been for Reddy Woodpecker's strong bill they might havestayed in the cedar swamp all winter. But he set to work and soonchopped himself free. Then he helped Jasper Jay. And before it was darkthey flew away together and went straight to the beechnut grove, wherethey ate a huge meal of beechnuts, without having a single dispute aboutanything.
On the contrary, they agreed perfectly in every way. Especially theyagreed that Jimmy Rabbit was a busybody and that somebody ought to teachhim better manners.
"I'd be glad to help you do that," said Jasper Jay.
It was actually funny that two such rowdies should talk of another's badmanners. But no doubt such an idea never entered their heads.
THE END.
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