Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-09-30
wife Mrs. Bobby. So they shall be
named that way throughout the rest

Of this story.
Everything waiting, my dearie!
he said. And then Mrs. Bobby JUS
hustled about and got the breakfas
| on the table, for they must eat thei
| morning meal before departing OF
their long journey of ten miles. Gu
ten miles to the Rabbits did no
amount to any more than two mile
would amount to a little boy or lit
! tie girl)
I At the breakfast table, Mr.. Rober
said to his wife: Mamma, have 70,
locked securely the pantry and tn
clothes closet? We must leave every
thing tightly locked, you know, TO
they say band Of wolves have beef
seen prowling about of nights in tina
long field over beyond the hill Ant
wolves are wicked thieves, sneakin,
into others houses and helping them
selves to whatever they can fine
worth while"
Eyes, dear, have locked every
thing securely except the pantry.
could not fasten it up till after break
fast. But now that we are through
with the meal, we'll set the food away
and lock the pantry"
Then the four Rabbits went out o.
the house and Mr.. Robert locked the
door. Where are the other keys
wife," he asked, removing the key
from the door, after seeing that II
was securely fastened
Here is the key to the pantry and
here is the key to the clothes closet,
said Mrs Bobby, handing two keys to
her husband. These Mr.. Robert put
upon the key ring, slipped the ring
into his hip pocket and was ready to
take the lead.
And now as the rabbits go on their
way to the great Rabbit Picnic shall
describe their cosy home to you. 1t
was tiny bit of cottage consisting
of four rooms, two on the first floor
and two upstairs. The windows were
all nicely latticed, and not even an
insect could get through the lattice
for it was formed of fine, dry rushes.
The roof of the house was matched,
and the walls were Of fine red stones,
one laid evenly upon the other. The
floors were Of smooth hard bark.
And their house nestled among tall
weeds with towering branches, and
still taller trees lowered overhead,
giving shelter from the heavy rains
and heavier winds and keeping out
the severe rays Of the summer sun.
Near by ran brook, which was fed
by spring. The spring also furnish
ed plenty of pure water to the Bobby
Rabbits. And the trees supplied the
larder with all kinds of fine nuts,
and the berries and the luscious green
as rabbits eat-were in
plenty in the woods. Indeed, visiting
rabbits always declared that Mrs.
Bobby prepared the most delicious
meals they ever sat down to. And
such a housekeeper! She kept things
immaculate.
Well, soon after Mr.. Robert and his
family had departed from their
home. there appeared Sinking dark
form-much taller, and bigger in
every way. than Mr.. Robert-from the
shadow CT the bushes behind the
house. He crept round to the side
window, "nosed" it and listened in
tently mo one within" he grinned
to himself Its the dandiest place
in all this part of the country. I've
heard of the soft beds. the full pam
try, and the elegant clothes Of this
household. I'll just help myself to
them"
Then this creature, that turned out
to be wolf, went round to the front
door and shook it very hard. But he
could not shake it open. Then he
scratched the strong lattics over the
two front windows, but they would
not give way to his heavy paws and
IL All III ~1I h hi yycf
have something valuable inside this
house, to lock it 80 securely. III try
the roof"
So by means of a front porch the
mean old house-breaker climbed to
the second-story, and then by means
Of his very long legs he could reach
to the edges of the overhangine
matching. Thus he gained the roof
And there he found place of en-
trance. It was the chimney leading
up from the kitchen fireplace. And
it was an unusually broad chimney
and by squeezing himself into as small
a bulk as possible he managed to get
down into the kitchen. He carried
SCOT and bits of other dirt from the
chimney walls with him and made an
awful mess on Mrs. Bobby's clean
floor.
After gaining entrance to the
house. old Wolf went to the pantry
door to find it locked as securely as
the outside door But it was Of frail
structure, and after working for over
an hour, pounding and beating at it
with all his might, it gave way and
he went into the food store-room
All. what glorious sight to his eyes
There was nut cake. made by Mrs
Bobby's own hands. 1t was sweetened
with honey Old Wolf ate every bit OF
it before stopping. And it was
huge cake, too, twice as large as the
old animals head. So you see, II
made a pretty big lump in his lanl
stomach. Then, seeing deep bow
of cooked herbs and berries-a dish
Mrs. Bobby was fond of making-al
seasoned with clover-juice. he ate II
right down, and smacked his lips fol
more. And then he found some little
mushrooms, fried in nut oil. These
were so good to his palate that he ate
quite "a big bowel Of them. Then he
wound up by drinking quart of fruit
juice.
Now, can you imagine one wolf eat.
ing all that stuff and not feeling bad