long and be careful."
"Yes, Mother."
Fuzzy turned and darted from the burrow, and in the bright sunshine
outside sat Chatter Chuk on his hind legs, cracking an acorn.
"What'd she say, Fuz?" asked the red squirrel.
"All right, I can go, Chat. But I've got to be careful."
As the white rabbit hopped away through the bushes and he glided along
beside her, Chatter Chuk laughed.
"Your people are always careful, Fuz," said he. "That's why you see so
little of the world, and lose all the fun in life."
"I know," replied Fuzzy, a little ashamed. "Father is always singing
this song to me:
"Little Bunny,
Don't get funny;
Run along and mind your eye;
It's the habit
Of a rabbit
To be diffident and shy."
"We squirrels are different," said Chatter Chuk, proudly. "We are always
taught this song:
"Squirrel red,
Go ahead!
See the world, so bright and gay.
For a rover
May discover
All that happens day by day."
"Oh, if I could run up a tree, _I_ shouldn't be afraid, either,"
remarked Fuzzy Wuz. "Even Juggerjook couldn't frighten me then."
"Kernels and shucks! Juggerjook!" cried Chatter Chuk, scornfully. "Who
cares for him?"
"Don't you fear him?" asked Fuzzy Wuz, curiously.
"Of course not," said the squirrel. "My people often go to his den and
leave nuts there."
"Why, if you make presents to Juggerjook, of course he won't hurt you,"
returned the rabbit. "All the beasts carry presents to his den, so he
will protect them from their enemies. The bears kill wolves and carry
them to Juggerjook to eat; and the wolves kill foxes and carry them to
Juggerjook, and the foxes kill rabbits for him. But we rabbits do not
kill animals, so we cannot take Juggerjook anything to eat except roots
and clover; and he doesn't care much for those. So we are careful to
keep away from his den."
"Have you ever seen him or the place where he lives?" asked the
squirrel.
"No," replied Fuzzy Wuz.
"Suppose we go there now?"
"Oh, no! Mother said--"
"There's nothing to be afraid of. I've looked at the den often from the
trees near by," said Chatter Chuk. "I can lead you to the edge of the
bushes close to his den, and he'll never know we are near."
"Mother says Juggerjook knows everything that goes on in the forest,"
declared the rabbit, gravely.
"Your mother's a 'fraid-cat and trembles when a twig cracks," said
Chatter, with a
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