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Show MOONEYI THE RABBIT GOES DUCK HUNTING 267 some bark from a sapling and made himself a noose. " Now," he said, " Just watch me;" and he dived in and swam a little way under the water until he was nearly choking and had to come up to the top to breathe. He went under again and came up again a little nearer to the ducks. He took another breath and dived under, and this time he came up among the ducks and threw the noose over the head of one and caught it. The duck struggled hard and finally spread its wings and flew up from the water with the Rabbit hanging on to the noose. It flew on and on until at last the Rabbit could not hold on any longer, but had to let go and drop. As it happened, he fell into a tall, hollow sycamore stump without any hole at the bottom to get out from, and there he stayed until he was so hungry that he had to eat his own fur, as the rabbit does ever since when he is starving. After several days, when he was very weak with hunger, he heard children playing outside around the trees. He began to sing: Cut a door and look at me; I'm the prettiest thing you ever did see. The children ran home and told their father, who came and began to cut a hole in the tree. As he chopped away the Rabbit inside kept singing, " Cut it larger, so you can see me better; I'm so pretty." They made the hole larger, and then the Rabbit told them to stand back so that they could take a good look as he came out. They stood away back, and the Rabbit watched his chance and jumped out and got away. 17. H O W THE RABBIT STOLE THE OTTER'S COAT The animals were of different sizes and wore coats of various colors and patterns. Some wore long fur and others wore short. Some had rings on their tails, and some had no tails at all. Some bad coats of brown, others of black or yellow. They were always disputing about their good looks, so at last they agreed to hold a council to decide who had the finest coat. They had heard a great deal about the Otter, who lived so far up the creek that he seldom came down to visit the other animals. It was said that he had the finest coat of all, but no one knew just what it was like, because it was a long time since anyone had seen him. They did not even know exactly where he lived- only the general direction; but they knew he would come to the council when the word got out. • Now the Rabbit wanted the verdict for himself, so when it began to look as if it might go to the Otter he studied up apian to cheat him out of it. He asked a few sly questions until he learned what trail the Otterwould take to get to the council place. Then, without saying anything, he went on ahead and after four days' travel he met the Otter and knew him at once by his beautiful coat of soft dark- brown fur. The Otter was glad to see him and asked him where he was going. |