CHAPTER XII

LITTLE RABBIT BOO-HOO

Next morning Grandpa Grumbles heard a tap on his door.

"Too early to get up," he grumbled. "Don't wake me up, don't wake me up!"

Little Bear heard a tap on his door, and he cried:

"See the sunshine!"

He dressed and hurried down­stairs.

Little Bear never liked to be late to breakfast.

Breakfast was on the table, and Red Riding Hood said:

"We will sit down and have break­fast, Little Bear."

Pretty soon a great grumbling was heard and Grandpa Grumbles came down-stairs, one step at a time.

He was talking to himself.

"Oh, dear! oh, dear!" he said. "have to get breakfast for my visitors!"

When he came into the dining-room he was so surprised to see breakfast on the table that he forgot to grumble.

He sat down and drank his coffee without saying a word. Suddenly a crash was heard, then another, and another.

"I am being robbed!" cried Grandpa Grumbles.

"Wow! wow! I am afraid!" cried Lit­tle Bear.

Red Riding Hood started for the cellar. "Get a candle," she called.

Grandpa Grumbles said: "I haven't any candle."

Little Bear said: "I am afraid to carry a lamp!"

While they stood there talking, Bushy Tail came bounding up the cel­lar stairs. He had a bottle of cider under each arm.

"I broke some," he said. "It is too dark in your cellar!"

Grandpa Grumbles got a switch and ran after Bushy Tail, but Bushy Tail jumped on a sofa and shouted: "Great news! great news!"

Of course they all stopped to listen.

Little Bear said: "Tell us the news! tell us the news!"

Bushy Tail said: "Susan Cotton-Tail has lost her glasses."

Then Grandpa began to grumble, and Little Bear rolled over on the floor, and laughed until he cried.

"Have you any cookies for me to­day?" asked Bushy Tail.

Red Riding Hood said: "why do you want cookies?"

She had hardly gotten the words out of her mouth before Bushy Tail had started into the pantry and helped himself.

Then, whisk! he was out through the window, and away as fast as his long legs could carry him.

Just at that minute Little Bear heard a sound, and he said: "Hush! listen! what is it?"

They heard a wee voice say: "I am here. I am lost, boo-hoo!"

Grandpa Grumbles went to the door, and there sat the funniest little rabbit you have ever seen.

"Too many visitors. Don't come in," said Grandpa Grumbles.

The little rabbit said: "Boo-hoo, please let me in."

Grandpa Grumbles looked over his spectacles and said: "What is your name?"

The cry-baby rabbit said: "Boo­-hoo."

"That seems rather a bad question to ask around, here," said Grandpa Grumbles. "Red Riding Hood, are you sure you have a name?"

Red Riding Hood said:

"I know this little rabbit. She is a good little rabbit, but she cries so much they call her Boo-hoo."

"Too many visitors, too many vis­itors," said Grandpa Grumbles again.

Little Bear went up to the rabbit and said: "Don't cry any more. I haven't any name, either."

Then the little rabbit dried her eyes on a pocket handkerchief and Grandpa Grum­bles shouted:

"Give them all some cookies can't you hear me? give them all some cookies!"

"Hush!" cried Red Riding Hood. "Bushy Tail stole them all!"

Then they all shouted: "Oh, ho! Bushy Tail stole all the cookies! Oh! ho! Bushy Tail is a sly old fellow!"

"Off to bed, every one of you!" shouted Grandpa Grumbles, "and look under your pillows, be sure to look under your pillows."

Then they all scampered off to bed quickly, you may be sure, and each looked under his pillow.

Now what do you suppose was under each pillow?

Red Riding Hood found a cookie frosted with red sugar.

Little Bear found a cookie frosted with blue sugar.

The rabbit found a cookie frosted with white sugar, and they all cried: "Hurrah for Grandpa Grumbles! three cheers for Grandpa Grumbles!"

"Too many visitors," he answered with a chuckle. "Too many visitors. Go to bed, every one of you."

Then they all went to bed and had pleasant dreams.

Red Riding Hood dreamed that her basket was full of frosted cookies. Little Bear dreamed that he had a very fine blue cookie as big as a fan. The little rabbit dreamed that she saw cookies growing in the farmer's field.

Grandpa Grumbles lay awake a long time.

"I will surprise them all, to-mor­row," he said. "I have many surprises in my house."