u would care to hear the story.

XI

SAMMIE'S AND SUSIE'S TERRIBLE TIME

You may be sure the two Littletail children were very much frightened
when they were floating down the stream behind Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy,
with the boys on the bank throwing stones at them, and the dog barking
as hard as he could bark.

"Sic the dog in the water after them," called one boy.

"Naw! This dog doesn't like water," said the boy who owned it. "We'll
hit 'em with stones, and then poke 'em out with sticks."

Oh, how Sammie and Susie shuddered when they heard those words! They did
not know Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy was going to save them. The muskrat looked
around to see how the children were swimming.

"Don't be afraid," she called, but of course the boys could not
understand what she said. The dog could, being an animal and
understanding animal talk, but the dog couldn't tell the boys.

"Don't be afraid," said the nurse. "Sammie, keep your head under more.
Susie, strike out harder with your forepaws."

The two bunny children did as they were told. Just then a stone came
very close to Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy, and she went completely beneath the
water.

"The muskrat's gone!" cried a boy.

"No," said another, "it can swim under water. But don't bother with the
rabbits. They're little, and their fur isn't much good. Kill the
muskrat, for we can get fifty cents for the skin."

"Oh, how mean boys are!" thought Susie Littletail. "To talk about
selling poor Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy's skin! Aren't they terrible!"

The boys now gave all their attention to throwing stones at the muskrat,
but she was very wise, and kept under water as much as possible, so they
could not hit her. They did not throw at Sammie or Susie. Presently Jane
Fuzzy-Wuzzy swam backward under water and came up near Sammie. She put
her sharp nose close to his ear and whispered:

"Down stream a little way is a burrow where I used to live. The front
door is under water, but if you hold your breath you can dive down, get
in and come up in the dry part. Then you can dig a way out in a field,
and we can go home, and escape the boys."

Jane told the same thing to Susie, and, pretty soon, when they came to
the place, the two bunny children took a long breath, and dived down
under water. Sammie and Susie took hold of the long tail of Jane
Fuzzy-Wuzzy to guide them in the dark, and, though it seemed a terrible
thing not to breathe under water, the three suddenly found themselves in
a