Almost everybody had an invitation. There were only a few that weren"t asked. Jimmy Rabbit didn"t intend to invite Grumpy Weasel because he was a rascal. And Timothy Turtle wasn"t to be one of the guests because he would be sure to grumble at everybody and everything.
And then there was Nimble Deer. Jimmy Rabbit said that Nimble was _too big_ to come to his party. And every one told Jimmy Rabbit that it was a pity. All the neighbors said so much that Jimmy Rabbit didn"t know what to do.
"If I don"t ask Nimble you won"t be pleased," Jimmy complained to Billy Woodchuck. "And if I do ask him and he should happen to step on you during a dance you wouldn"t like that."
"Invite him; but keep him away from the crowd!" Billy Woodchuck suggested.
"How can I do that?" Jimmy Rabbit demanded.
"I don"t know," Billy replied. "But I am sure you can find a way, if anybody can."
Well, after that remark there was nothing Jimmy Rabbit could do except to put on his thinking cap. But try as he would, he couldn"t hit upon a single plan.
Now, Nimble Deer had no idea of all the trouble he was causing Jimmy Rabbit. To be sure, he knew that he was not invited to Jimmy Rabbit"s party. But he was no person to sulk or feel hurt over such a matter.
However, there was one thing that he thought was odd. Wherever he went he was sure to come upon Jimmy Rabbit. Sometimes Nimble would hear a faint rustle. And when he looked around he would catch a glimpse of Jimmy Rabbit ducking out of sight behind a tree. Sometimes Nimble would be taking a nap under the shelter of a clump of evergreens. And he would wake up suddenly with a strange feeling that somebody was watching him.
And almost always he would discover Jimmy Rabbit crouching near-by and staring at him.
At first, at such times, Nimble only spoke pleasantly to Jimmy Rabbit.
Still he couldn"t help noticing that Jimmy Rabbit always acted queerly.
He seemed to be absent minded. If Nimble bade him a cheerful good morning Jimmy Rabbit was likely to reply with a good evening. If Nimble said, "It"s a fine day," Jimmy would say, "Yes! It does look like rain."
At last, one day, Jimmy Rabbit made the oddest answer of all. When Nimble spied him peering from behind a stump he called, "Hullo! I"m glad to see you." To which remark Jimmy Rabbit said, "I hope to see you later."
"Now, I wonder--" Nimble mused--"I wonder what he means." And then Nimble asked Jimmy Rabbit a question: "Are you feeling well?"
"As well as could be expected!" Jimmy Rabbit told him.
"You don"t seem like yourself," said Nimble. "I haven"t seen you smile for over a week."
Then, strangely enough, Jimmy Rabbit jumped into the air and kicked and smiled.
"At last," he cried, "I feel better. I have solved the problem. Will you come to my party and help me a week from to-night?"
Nimble Deer thanked him and said that he would.
XXI
AN UNTOLD SECRET
All the field and forest people soon knew that at last Jimmy Rabbit had invited Nimble Deer to his party. And everybody was pleased--that is, everybody except Grumpy Weasel and old Timothy Turtle, who were left out in the cold, so to speak. Grumpy Weasel, when he heard the news, said, "Humph!" And Timothy Turtle, when he heard it, said, "Ho!" And they both declared that they were _glad_ they were not going to the party.
Old Mr. Crow carried the news far and wide. It was he that told Billy Woodchuck, in Farmer Green"s clover patch. And Billy Woodchuck almost choked over a clover top, he was so excited.
"Where"s Jimmy Rabbit?" he asked Mr. Crow. "I want to ask him something."
"I couldn"t say where he is," said Mr. Crow. "I don"t think he"d want me to tell. But I"ll find him for you and I"ll ask him your question--if you"ll tell me what it is." That was Mr. Crow"s way. He was so curious.
"Thank you!" said Billy Woodchuck. "I don"t want to trouble you, Mr.
Crow."
And though Mr. Crow tried to learn what the question was, Billy Woodchuck wouldn"t tell him.
Later Billy was almost sorry he hadn"t accepted Mr. Crow"s help. For he couldn"t find Jimmy Rabbit anywhere. And then Billy happened to meet Nimble Deer.
"I hear you"re going to the party," Billy said to him. "How are you going to keep out of the crowd?" That was the question he had wanted to ask Jimmy Rabbit.
"Keep out of the crowd!" Nimble exclaimed. "I don"t expect to keep out of it. The crowd at a party is more than half the fun. Since I"m to help Jimmy Rabbit I"ll have to be where the people are."
"Oh!" said Billy Woodchuck. He had been a bit worried, for he didn"t want Nimble Deer to step on him at the party. Even though it might be an accident, being stepped on by so big a chap as Nimble would be no joke.
Everybody knew that Nimble"s hoofs were sharp.
But now Billy had learned something that set his fears at rest. Nimble Deer was going to _help_ Jimmy at the party.
"Ah!" Billy Woodchuck murmured to himself. "That means that Jimmy Rabbit has a plan. And it must be a good one; for his plans are always fine."
"What are you going to do to help?" he asked Nimble.
"Jimmy Rabbit didn"t tell me," Nimble replied. "Maybe I"m to entertain the company by having a mock battle with somebody. How would you like to have a mock battle with me?"
"I shouldn"t care for it at all!"
"Well, I dare say _somebody_ would enjoy a sham fight," said Nimble. "I must ask Jimmy Rabbit who it will be."
So the next time Nimble found Jimmy Rabbit he asked him that very question.
But Jimmy Rabbit said there were to be no battles of any kind at his party.
"Then how am I going to help you?"
"You"re going to use your horns--but not to fight," Jimmy Rabbit explained.
And he wouldn"t say another word.
XXII
THE NEW HAT-RACK
The night of Jimmy Rabbit"s party arrived at last. The time was an hour after sunset. The place was Farmer Green"s back pasture. And Jimmy Rabbit was waiting eagerly. He had told Nimble Deer to come early, before the other guests, because Nimble was going to help him.
Jimmy Rabbit hadn"t waited long when he heard a m.u.f.fled thud, followed by a swift patter.