"There"s only one person who can help me," cried Twinkle Tail, and off he ran to the Old Bramble Patch. In answer to his impatient knock, Little Jack Rabbit opened the door. Then they both sat down on the stone step while the little squirrel told his troubles one by one.
"Parson Owl says there can"t be a wedding without a ring," sighed Twinkle Tail, finishing his story. "But where to get the ring, I don"t know."
"I do," answered the little rabbit, jumping up quickly. "Come with me,"
and up the Old Cow Patch, over the Sunny Meadow, he hopped with Twinkle Tail close to his heels.
By and by they came to the Old Farm Yard. There stood Ducky Waddles by the old creaking gate. He had just come in from a swim in the Old Duck Pond and was combing his feathers with his big yellow bill.
"Good afternoon," said the little bunny. "I"ve come to ask a favor."
"What is it?" asked Ducky Waddles.
"You explain matters first, Twinkle Tail, and then I"ll talk to Ducky Waddles," said Little Jack Rabbit.
It didn"t take Twinkle Tail long to tell his troubles--how little Miss Squirrel had agreed to marry him that afternoon; how all the little people of the Shady Forest were coming to the wedding at five; how Parson Owl had agreed to marry them; how everything was ready except the little gold wedding ring.
"Who told you I had a little gold ring?" asked Ducky Waddles.
"n.o.body," answered the little squirrel, "but I suppose it"s all right."
"Yes, it"s all right," laughed Ducky Waddles with a funny quack, "and now, Mr. Jack Rabbit, what"s the favor you wish me to do?"
"Won"t you give Twinkle Tail the little gold ring you found in the Bubbling Brook last Sunday?"
Ducky Waddles took a little gold ring out of his feather waistcoat pocket and handed it to Twinkle Tail.
(Pretty soon we"ll hear the wedding bells tinkling in the forest dells.)
WEDDING BELLS
Twinkle Tail was delighted to get the little gold ring.
"You must come to the wedding," he said to Ducky Waddles. "It"s to be at five o"clock at my house. Please tell Henny Penny and c.o.c.ky Doodle that they"re invited, and ask Goosey Lucy and Turkey Tim to come, too. I"m in such a hurry I can"t wait to see them."
"I"ll come," answered Ducky Waddles, "and I won"t forget to tell the Barnyard Folk that they"re invited."
"Don"t lose the ring," cautioned Little Jack Rabbit, as he and the little squirrel hurried down the Old Cow Path to the Shady Forest. Just then they met Mrs. Cow. She was wagging her head back and forth to brush off the flies and the little bell on her leather collar made a pretty tinkling sound.
"Let"s ask her to come and ring the wedding bells."
"The very thing," laughed Twinkle Tail. "Won"t you come to my wedding, Mrs. Cow? Please do."
"When is it to be?" she asked.
"To-night at five," answered Twinkle Tail, with a blush.
"Pretty near milking-time," explained Mrs. Cow.
"Oh, it won"t take long," replied the little rabbit. "Do come, Mrs.
Cow. We want you to ring your bell at the wedding. Did you ever ring a wedding bell?"
"No," answered Mrs. Cow, "but I guess I know how. I"ll come, but I may not be able to stay all the time for I must get back in time for milking."
Then the three started off together, and when they reached the Shady Forest, Twinkle Tail looked back and saw Henny Penny and c.o.c.ky Doodle coming up the Old Cow Path dressed in their Sunday clothes. Just behind them were Ducky Waddles and Goosey Lucy and in the distance Turkey Tim hurrying along the Old Rail Fence to catch up to them.
"Goodness me!" exclaimed the little squirrel, "I won"t have much time to dress," and he set off at a great pace, leaving Mrs. Cow and Little Jack Rabbit behind.
When he reached his house he found Miss Squirrel anxiously looking out of the window, but when she saw him, she laughed and said, "I thought you were lost, dear Twinkle Tail!"
Pretty soon Parson Owl arrived, and when all the guests were seated, he told Twinkle Tail and Miss Squirrel to stand up before him. And after Twinkle Tail had placed the little gold ring on Miss Squirrel"s little finger toe, Mrs. Cow rang the wedding bells and Bobbie Redvest sang a song.
"NUTS AND RAISINS"
There was a grand feast after the wedding of Twinkle Tail and little Miss Squirrel. There were nuts and raisins for everybody, and I don"t know of anything much nicer than nuts and raisins.
Of course, all the Barnyard Folk ate raisins, for they couldn"t crack the nuts. It almost gave Ducky Waddles a toothache watching Twinkle Tail crack the sh.e.l.ls.
c.o.c.ky Doodle made a pretty speech, wishing the Twinkle Tails a long life and a happy one, in which all the little people of the forest joined him.
After that everybody looked at the wedding presents, which if not beautiful, were very useful.
Henny Penny gave a nice new laid egg and Turkey Tim a bag of corn.
Little Jack Rabbit brought a big carrot and Chippy Chipmunk a basket of nuts. Of course Ducky Waddles didn"t give them anything more--the little gold ring was his present, which Twinkle Tail had slipped on the little toe-finger of Miss Squirrel at a nod from Parson Owl.
You see, Twinkle Tail had never been married before, so Parson Owl had helped him a little--which I presume all good kind ministers do when they marry young people. At any rate, Parson Owl did, and so everything went off very smoothly.
On the way home if it hadn"t been for some friendly Fireflies, Little Jack Rabbit might have lost his way. And then again, maybe not, for he was a pretty bright little bunny and like all the Forest Folk, knew how to take care of himself. At the same time, it"s nice to have a lantern on a dark night. One might, you know, stumble into a deep hole.
When they reached the Old Bramble Patch, the little rabbit said: "I"d ask you in, only I"m afraid mother"s asleep."
"Thank you just the same," answered the kind Fireflies. "We are glad to have helped you with our little lanterns," and they flew away to the Sunny Meadow to wink and blink like little stars among the tall gra.s.ses.
The little rabbit opened the door and hopped softly up to his room and was soon fast asleep in his comfortable bed.
BAD NEWS
It"s really too bad that the Miller"s Boy Should be snooping around with his gun.
Why doesn"t he stay in the Old Mill all day And leave little folks to their fun?