FOR THE CHILDREN’

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2711, 15 January 1910, Page 4 (Supplement)

FOR THE CHILDREN’

MORE ADVENTURES OF BRER RABBIT.

BRER RABBIT HELPS BRER TORTOISE.

One day Brer Rabbit saw Brer Fox running off home in a mighty gi Wy. JBror Fox had a big bag slung across . his, shoulder, and there «| something in tiiat bag a-kick a a ’ S ‘‘Sm^ly 3 I know the sound of that shrieking,” says Brer Babbit ii that isn’t my old Iriond. } Jr^ r „ A toise, then I an not Brer Rabbit Brer Rabbit took a short cu through the woods and got to Brei Fox’s house first, and he went into th garden and tore up a lot of the plants, and then hid in the bushes by the door. By-and-by, in came Brer I'ox with the big bag. , , Brer Rabbit then popped his head in the door, and shouted : “Get your big stick, Brer I'ox. There’s -a rascal in your garden a-teai-ing up all your plants. Brer Fox got his big stick and rushed out into the garden, and began looking for the man who wa s doing all the damage. While he was gone. Brer Rabbit undid the bag, and let out Ms old friend, Brer Tortoise. Tnen he took one of Brer Fox’s beehives, which was full of bees, and put it in tne bag, and shook it and banged it till the bees were all as raging angry as a mad do.g. ■Soon afterwards Brer Fox returned, looking very fierce and savage. He slammed the door to. and Brer Rabbit and Brer Tortoise, they sat and listent ed in the bushes. I By-and-by they heard a terrible noise, and then out came Brer Fox, with the bees "•biting and stinging him as he ran, squalling and yelping, into the woods. “That’ll teach him,” says Brer Rabbit-, “not to go interfering with quiet, respectable tortoises.” BRER TORTOISE HELPS BRER RABBIT. As Brer Rabbit was whisking about the wood as proud as a peacock, he heard someone shouting: “Help! Help! or I’ll be flattened out worse than a pancake!” Brer Rabbit looked around, and at last lie saw Brer Wolf stretched on the ground with a great big rock on top of him. Brer Rabbit got a good strong stick and put it under the rock, and somehow lie managed to life the rock up. so that Brer Wolf could crawl from underneath.

“Thank goodness, none of my bones are broken!” says’Brer Wolf, giving himself a shake. “Now, as you ve been so kind, you must come home t-o dinner with me.” And with that Brer Wolf grabbed Brer Rabbit by the small of the back, and began to carry him off. “If you hurt me,” says Brer Rabbit, “I’ll never do you another good turn while I live.” “Of course you won’t,” says Brer Wolf. “You won’t he any more use to me till you’re dead.” “Now look here, Brer Wolf,” says Brer Rabbit, “it’s against the law for folks to kill persons who have done them a good turn. Y~ou ask Brer Tortoise.” Brer Wolf at last agreed to put the matter before Brer Tortoise. “And if he gives an opinion against me,” says Brer Wolf to himself, “I’ll take him as well as Brer Rabbit.” So Brer Wolf and Brer Rabbit went to Brer Tortoise, and Brer Wolf he took and told his side of the case, and Brer Rabbit he took and told his side. “Before I can make out which of you is in the right,” says Brer Tortoise. “I must see the .place where Brer Wolf was when Brer Rabbit found him. So the three of them went to the spot where Brer Wolf had been caught under the big rock. “Now let me see, Brer Wolf,” says Brer Tortoise, “iust how you were fixed when Brer Rabbit found you.”

Brer Rabbit put the stick under the rock and lifted it up, and Brer Wolf got underneath it, and dropped it. “Now, you were clearly in the wrong, Brer Rabbit,” says Brer Tortoise. “You'd no right whatever to go interfering with Brer Wolf. You found him lying under that rock, and you just leave him there now, and go and mind your own business.” And off Brer Rabbit and Brer Tortoise went, laughing like two saucy gaol-birds. And they left old Brer Wolf lying under the great heavy rock. MISS GOOSE'S WASHING. Brer Rabbit was a mighty cunning little creature, and lie was always doing a lot of mischief to Brer Fox and Brer Wolf and Brer Bear, because they were his enemies. But he used to treat Miss Goose and Brer Tortoise very well. One evening ho was sitting in the bushes watching Miss Goose doing her week’s washing, when he saw the sly old face of Brer Fox over the fence. “You've got to roost high to-night, Miss Goose,” says Brer Rabbit. “You've got to roost mighty high tonight, for old Brer Fox is after you, sure as I'm alivo,” says he. “Lawk-a-massy, Brer Rabbit!” says Miss Goose, .getting in a fluster. “Whatever shall I do?” “You tie up all your washing and iput it in your bed,” says Brer Rabbit. “and roost on the rafter,” says he. Miss Goose put the clothes in bellied, as Brer Rabbit had told her. Then •she sent word to Mr. Dog, and Mr. Dog said he'd come and sit up with her. Just before the daybreak old Brer Fox crept up very softly, and pushed the door open and looked in. Seeing something white lying on the bed, he reckoned it was Miss Goose, and he snapped it up and .made off. But Mr. Dog had been waiting, and ho pelted after Brer Fox, and if Brer Fox hadn’t dropped the clothes he’d have been caught, as sure -as anything.

In the morning the word went round that Brer Fox had been trying to steal old Miss Goose’s washing, and so he got the name of being a mighty lug thief. ...■