The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-04-10
JACK RARRIT's OWN LESSON.

Il wonder where Jack Rabbit is,
said the fox few days after the two
had watched old Doctor Duck and the
rabbit had learned the lesson of not
pretending to be other than what he
was. Mister Fox had waited a long
time for the coming of Jack Rabbit
and at length. thinking that perhaps
he might be i'll, he said to himself: Il
will go to the burrow and see if there
is anything the matter"
The sun was pretty warm as Mister
Fox ran along and his tongue hung
out Of his mouth as he felt the heat
more and more. 81 don't know as
blame Jack Rabbit for not wanting to
get out in the hot sum-" he said, and
I guess l would have been wiser if
myself had stayed in the cool depths
of my cave" But he was so anxious
about Jack Rabbits welfare that he
kept on.
Just as he came in sight of the
rabbits home he was surprised to see
Jack Rabbit lying at full length in
the sun without attempting to pro
tect himself in the least from the
heat
That's queer" said the fox Il
wonder why he does not rest under
one Of the great trees, where 1t is
cool and comfortable?"
Just as he said this he was sur
prised to see Jack Rabbit get up and
run down to the edge Of a nearby
brook, where he went through the
most curious proceedings that Mister
Fox had ever witnessed. The rabbit,
when he reached the water, turned
his back TO it and then walked slowly
backward until his hind legs and the
hind part of his body was in the wa
ter, and then having thoroughly wet
this portion of himself, he went back
and lay down in the sun again.
Mister Fox watched Jack Rabbit
while he repeated this performance
| three or four times, and he could not
make out whether the rabbit was
crazy or what he was trying to &C
complish by this alternate wetting
and drying himself
At last he could stand it no longer,
and, going up to the rabbit, who had
| just lain down again in the sun, he
said: Good morning, Jack Rabbit;
and why are you not at my house as
you are supposed to be, and not ly-
| ing in this hot sun when the tree Of
| fers such cool shade? Do you expect
| to get wisdom by getting a sun
! stroke?''
Jack Rabbit was somewhat taken
aback by the appearance of Mr.. Fox,
| particularly when he remembered
how much Mr. Fox was annoyed at
being kept waiting when he was late
on previous visit
At length he recovered himself
enough to say Good morning" and
| then added: 81 should have been at
your house early this morning had 1
not made a most wonderful discovery
which 1 am applying to myself and
which is going to make me the most
wonderful animal in all the world"
Il am much interested" said the
/ fox pray tell me what it is that
you have discovered and what you
expect to accomplish with yourself
that is so wonderful"
WELL said Jack Rabbit" last
night while I was sitting outside the
house of Farmer Window 1 heard him
say to his good wife this wisdom:
Good wife, if you would make any
thing grow you must give it plenty of
| HoNCA anu SuhOAAACI anu AE1ulOuldIG1y
1 know that I had made a great dis
covery."
And how was that?' asked the
fox.
You see," said the rabbit, that It
has been the sorrow Of my life that I
had nothing but a little insignificant
stub for tail, and until heard Farm
| er Window 1 never knew the way to
make it grow. Now I know that all
it needs is plenty of water and sun
shine, and after I have given it these
| two things, why, shall have a long
tail and be the most wonderful animal
| in all the world"
SO, that is what you were doing
while was watching you from behind
the rock" said the fox
Yes" said the rabbit, land 1 am
sure it has grown quite a little this
morning. 1 wet it in the brook and
| then dry it in the sun and then wet it
in the brook again, and so on. / have
wet it already twenty times and-ker-
choo-kerchool"
Yes, indeed" said the fox, "ker-
choo is the way it will end, for a bad
cold is all you will get with the al
| ternate wetting and drying of a part
Of your body. If you were vegetable
this application Of water and sun
might increase you, but a rabbit with
a long tail would be sad sight You
had better get into your burrow and
take good dose of peppermint tea if
you wish to avoid having something
worse that a cold, and your silly &C
tons ought to teach you the wisdom
which l have wasted a whole fore
| noon to bring to you, that neither IA B.
bits nor people should seek for them
selves things which are unattainable
and which, even if attained, would be
/ ~ M r,co