Adventures in the Land of Canaan | Page 3

and fro
upon the counter.
Talking over the matter, they arrived at the conclusion that if they went
up and down the counter together as a traveling-show they might turn a
very pretty penny. The Rabbit was to display his musical talent, whilst
the Mouse was to exhibit his powers of graceful movement.
The profits were to be equally divided. Such, at least, was the
arrangement as understood; but it was not a written agreement, which
was a great mistake.
The reason, however, that the two partners omitted to be more

business-like was this: the Rabbit trusted the Mouse, and the Mouse
hoped to cheat the Rabbit. Not that anything of the sort was openly
expressed, but each was quite well aware of his own view of the matter.
The two started off upon the most amiable terms, stopping at such
places as they thought most likely to prove profitable: in front of the
dolls' houses; before the race-courses; by the shops. Then the Rabbit
would announce loudly:
"I am a rare-bit from Wales, and the Mouse is a tit-bit from Ireland. We
charge no fees for performing, but trust to your kind generosity."
After this the Rabbit played the drum with great energy, whilst the
Mouse ran up and down in the most nimble manner.
It was probably owing to a report which got abroad, to the effect that
the performers were noble strangers, working in the cause of charity,
that the success of the pair was so great. It was, indeed, wonderful, and
in a short time the two had gained quite a little fortune.
It was the Mouse who collected the money. For purposes of his own, he
persuaded the Rabbit to let him always take upon himself this duty.
And his companion, who was rather stiff in the joints after sitting
perfectly still upon his hind-legs for the length of time he was obliged
to, was quite willing to let the Mouse do as he wished.
Not that he would have been willing to had he known the real facts of
the case. For as you will understand by what I have said, the Mouse
was acting towards him in the most dishonest fashion, in spite of his
many fair words and speeches.
It was in this way that he plotted against his friend: As soon as a certain
sum of money had been collected, the Mouse always suggested that he
should go and invest it. To this the Rabbit never made any objection,
having great faith in the Mouse as an animal with a good business head.
When the little rascal returned after a long absence, he had always a
fine story to tell of the cleverness with which he had laid out the money,

and of the fortune which would shortly be coming in. This was
perfectly untrue. The Mouse was not investing a penny. On the contrary,
he was hoarding it all up, and for his own benefit.
There was a certain Horse who lived some little way off in a luxurious
stable. Here the Mouse was minded to pass his last years, so soon as he
had made a sufficiently large fortune, or unless chance removed him
from the toy-shop. But in order to carry out his plan, he would have to
pay the Horse a large sum for the right of sharehold--since it was his
stall he wished to share,--and also to get the warm, cosy corner he
especially desired.
The Horse himself was not the noble creature nature had intended him
to be. He was to the full as greedy as the Mouse, and was indeed his
helper in the plot. It was to the Horse the little swindler always ran
when he pretended that he was going to invest the money, and it was in
his stall that it was hidden. By the end of the half-year the Horse and
the Mouse calculated that they would have sufficient money to carry
out their design; when they intended to add further to their wickedness
by causing the Rabbit to be killed, in order to prevent his asking any
tiresome questions.
Now, as the time drew near when the money, had it been invested,
should have brought in some returns, the Rabbit began to talk of what
he intended doing with his share.
"I think," said he, "after I have supplied my own wants, I shall found a
drum-scholarship for Musical Rabbits;" for he was a creature of a kind
and generous nature, and truly devoted to the cause of art.
"A most excellent notion," said the Mouse. "I shall follow your good
example, and found a scholarship for the encouragement of harmonious
squeaking amongst Mice. One cannot do too much to encourage the
love of music amongst all classes."
"When will our