Bunny Rabbits Diary | Page 7

play the trick."
Bunny put the acorn on the ground, and then they all hid behind the tree.
They did not wait very long before they saw Bobby coming.
And in another minute Bobby saw the acorn.
"Ho, ho!" he said. "Sammy Red Squirrel must have dropped that big acorn. I will pick it up."
He ran along the ground toward the oak tree.
Bunny held on to the string.
He was going to wait until Bobby took hold of the acorn and then pull it away.
It was so still that the rabbits could hear Bobby's feet as they pattered on the ground.
Then all at once it was not still in the woods.
Jip, the dog, came bounding along the little path.
"Bow-wow, bow-wow!" he barked. "Look out for me. I am coming."
What a scampering there was!
Bobby forgot all about the acorn and skipped up the oak tree.
Sammy skipped up the tree after him.
The three little rabbits put their ears down on their heads, and hopped away out of sight.
"Bow-wow, bow-wow!" said Jip. "Where has every one gone?
"I thought I saw some one under this tree as I came along the path."
The acorn lay on the ground where Bunny had left it.
Four little bright eyes watched Jip from the oak tree.
Sammy wished he could call out "April fool," to Jip.
But he was afraid of dogs, so he kept very still.
Bobby kept still, too, and the three little rabbits hopped along towards home.
After a while Jip went home.
Then there was a quick scampering down the tree.
One of the squirrels had that big acorn for his dinner.
Was it Sammy or Bobby?

MRS. DUCK'S SECRET
I
Mrs. Duck had a secret.
Bunny knew she had a secret, but she would not tell him what it was.
Bobtail knew she had a secret, and so did Billy.
Bunny saw Bobby Gray Squirrel and asked him if he knew Mrs. Duck's secret.
But Bobby did not know it, and Sammy Red Squirrel did not know it.
Every day Bunny saw Mrs. Duck walking along the little path that led through the field.
Sometimes she was going to the barn.
Sometimes she was coming from the barn.
She was always alone. And she was always in a hurry.
[Illustration: Mrs. Duck was always in a hurry.]
She did not stop to talk to Bunny.
She did not stop to catch any of the little bugs that she saw in the path.
"I wonder what is the matter with Mrs. Duck," Bunny said to himself.
"I wonder why she walks along this little path every day."
Bunny thought and thought about the secret.
"I will ask Mrs. Duck to tell me her secret," he said.
So Bunny sat down under the maple tree to wait for Mrs. Duck.
He waited and waited.
It was very warm in the field.
After a while Bunny shut his eyes and he fell fast asleep.
He slept such a long time that when he opened his eyes the sun was just going to bed.
"Well, well!" he said. "Mrs. Duck must have gone long ago."
Just then he saw Sammy Red Squirrel.
"Have you seen Mrs. Duck to-day?" he asked.
"Oh, yes!" answered Sammy. "She walked along the path early this afternoon."
The next day Bunny sat down under the maple tree to watch again.
But this time he was not alone.
He had asked Billy to come with him.
"If you are with me, I shall not to sleep," he said.
So the two little rabbits sat down to wait for Mrs. Duck.
They waited and waited.
It was very warm in the field. After a while Bunny shut his eyes. Then Billy shut his eyes, and they both fell fast asleep.
They slept such a long time that when they opened their eyes the sun was just going to bed.
Bobby Squirrel was sitting in the maple tree over their heads.
"Have you seen Mrs. Duck?" asked Bunny.
"Oh, yes!" answered Bobby. "She walked along the path early this afternoon."
"Well, well!" said Bunny. "I will try again to-morrow. I will ask Bobtail to come with me. Perhaps he can keep awake."

II
The next day the three little rabbits sat under the maple tree to watch for Mrs. Duck.
They waited and waited.
It was very warm in the field.
After a while the three little rabbits became sleepy.
Then Bobtail jumped up on his feet and began to hop around.
"Let's play tag," he said. "If we sit here in the sun we shall go to sleep.
"Then we shall not see Mrs. Duck when she walks along the path."
So the three rabbits played tag.
They ran round and round the maple tree. They ran back and forth along the little path.
All at once Bunny heard Mrs. Duck coming across the field.
She was going to the barn.
"Good-morning, Mrs. Duck," said Bunny.
"Where are you going this fine morning?"
"Quack, quack!" said Mrs. Duck, "I am going to the barn."
"Where have you been?" asked Billy.
"Quack, quack!" said Mrs. Duck. "That is a secret. I can not tell you."
Then Mrs. Duck walked quickly along the little path and