a minute! I want to talk to you, my friend! Wait,
can't you?"
"Who is it?" asked the Grasshopper, stretching out one long hind leg.
"Who do you see?"
"My friend, the Candy Rabbit," was the answer. "He just ran through the
grass."
"That isn't a Candy Rabbit," said the Grasshopper.
"Who is it, then?" asked the Monkey, in surprise.
"That's Jack Hare, a real, live rabbit who lives in the meadow here,"
was the reply. "He wouldn't like it if you called him a Candy Rabbit."
The grass waved to and fro, and a moment later a big, white rabbit came
jumping through, and sat down on his hind legs near the big leaf on
which the Grasshopper was perched. The Monkey could see that this rabbit
was different from the one made of candy. This bunny was larger, and his
nose was not so pink. His ears, too, were bigger.
"Hello, who's your friend, Mr. Grasshopper?" asked Jack Hare.
"He is a stranger in our meadow," was the answer. "I just met him. He
was cutting up some--er--polishes, I think he said."
"Shines! Shines! Monkeyshines, not polishes, though they are somewhat
alike," explained the Monkey. "I cut some Monkeyshines after I fell off
a dog's back."
"A dog! Good gracious! Don't tell me there's a _dog_ around here!"
exclaimed Jack Hare, looking quickly over his shoulder. "A dog will
chase me as soon as he will a cat. I guess I'd better be going."
"Oh, don't be afraid," said the Monkey. "The dog I mean is Carlo. He is
chasing a cat now, and so he won't come here."
The Grasshopper and the Live Rabbit sat looking at the Monkey. Soon,
from under another leaf, came hopping a black bug not quite as large as
the green one. The black bug wiggled her legs and chirped cheerfully:
"Well, well! Whom have we here?"
"Oh, this is Mr. Monkey Shine," said the Grasshopper. "Allow me to
introduce you to Mr. Monkey Shine, Miss Cricket!" and the green creature
nodded from one to the other.
"Excuse me, I am Monkey on a Stick, not Monkey Shine, though I do cut up
shines once in a while," said the jolly chap who had fallen off Carlo's
back. "That is my right name--Monkey on a Stick."
"I'm pleased to meet you," chirped the Cricket. "Welcome to our meadow,
Monkey on a Stick."
"Thank you," replied the Monkey.
Then the Grasshopper, the Live Rabbit and the Cricket sat and looked at
the Monkey, and, after a while, he cut some more Monkeyshines for them,
even standing on his head and waving his tail in the air.
"I wonder if I
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