Bunny Rabbits Diary | Page 8

across the road.
She went into the barn-yard and hunted around for something to eat.
She talked to the other ducks and hens. But she did not tell them her secret.
When she had eaten all she wanted she went out of the yard and across the road.
Then she walked back again along the path across the field.
When she came to the maple tree she saw Bunny and Bobtail and Billy.
And Bunny and Bobtail and Billy saw Mrs. Duck.
"Where are you going, now?" asked Bunny.
"I am going down to the brook," she said. "That is where my secret is."
"May we go with you?" asked Billy.
"Yes," said Mrs. Duck. "I will show you my secret if you will all promise not to tell."
So the three little rabbits hopped along behind Mrs. Duck until they came to the brook.
The water in the brook was running over the stones and singing a sweet little song.
Mr. Green Frog was sitting on a stone taking a nap in the warm sun.
"Now, follow me," said Mrs. Duck. "I will show you my secret."
She led the three rabbits to some bushes that grew close beside the water.
"Quack, quack!" she said. "Look in here. What can you see?"
Bunny peeped in under the bushes.
"Oh, oh!" he said, "how pretty they are."
Billy peeped in under the bushes.
"Oh, oh!" he said, "how many there are."
Bobtail peeped in under the bushes.
"Oh, oh!" he said. "That is a very good secret."
Now what do you think the three rabbits saw hidden away under the bushes?
Perhaps you have guessed Mrs. Duck's secret by this time.
Yes! there was a nest full of eggs,--just the prettiest eggs you ever saw.
Mrs. Duck was very proud of them.
She let the rabbits look at the eggs for a few minutes.
"Now I must cover my eggs up," she said. "I must keep them warm."
So Mrs. Duck sat down on the nest and cuddled the eggs under her soft warm wings.
Not one egg could be seen. And Mrs. Duck sat so still that Bunny thought she had gone to sleep.

III
Every day after that the rabbits went to visit Mrs. Duck.
But they did not tell the secret to any of their friends.
Then, one day, when the rabbits went to visit Mrs. Duck, she would not get off the nest.
"Quack, quack!" she said. "I can not let you see the eggs to-day. I you will come to-morrow I will show you what I have in my nest."
So the rabbits hopped away, leaving Mrs. Duck alone on her nest under the bushes.
The next morning, bright and early, the rabbits hopped along the little path.
They found Mrs. Duck still sitting in the nest.
They saw some little yellow heads peeping out from under her wings.
"Quack, quack!" she said. "See my ducks. They are the prettiest ducks you ever saw.
"And they have the brightest eyes in the world."
One little duck wriggled out from under her mother's wing and tried to stand on her little yellow feet.
But they were not strong yet.
"Come back, come back!" said Mrs. Duck. "You must stay in the nest until you are strong."
And the little duck wriggled back again under her mother's wing.
"We will come again to see your ducks," said Bunny.
After two or three days the three rabbits went back to see the little ducks.
There was nothing in the nest under the bushes but a few broken shells.
"Where can the ducks be?" said Bunny.
"Tweet, tweet!" sang the sparrow. "I saw Mrs. Duck and all the little ducks going to the barn."
"There they are now," sang another sparrow.
Bunny and Bobtail and Billy looked across the field.
They saw Mrs. Duck leading her family to the barnyard.
Mr. Rooster saw them coming.
He flapped his big wings and flew up on the fence.
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!" he said. "See Mrs. Duck and all the little ducks."
The three rabbits watched the ducks until they were in the barnyard.
Then they hopped off to the woods to tell Mrs. Duck's secret to all their friends.

THE SWIMMING LESSON
I
"Quack, quack, quack!" said Mrs. Duck, as she walked along the little path through the meadow.
"Quack, quack, quack! Follow me, little ducks."
One, two, three, four, five, six little yellow ducks waddled after their mother along the little path through the meadow.
Bunny Rabbit was sitting under a tree, fast asleep, and he did not hear them coming.
He was dreaming of flying away with the little birds.
He could fly high up over the trees and over the houses.
Oh, it was great fun! All the other rabbits were sitting on the ground watching him.
"Good-by," he called to Billy.
Then he waked up, and he was not under the oak tree.
"Quack, quack, quack!" said Mrs. Duck. "What are you talking about, Bunny? I cannot see Billy anywhere."
"I was dreaming of flying," said Bunny. "I said good-by to Billy because I was going far away."
"Quack, quack!" said Mrs. Duck. "I should like to see you fly. You