that was a fault, he certainly had more than his share of
it."

"I ought not to talk about people behind their backs," Mr. Rabbit
continued, trying to shake a fly out of his ear, "but I must say that
Brother Terrapin was very dull about some things. Well, I played and
played, and the girls danced and seemed to enjoy it. I believe you
danced a round or two yourself?" Mr. Rabbit turned to Mrs. Meadows
inquiringly.

"I expect I shook my foot a little," said Mrs. Meadows with a sigh. "I
was none too good."

"They danced and danced until they were tired of dancing," Mr. Rabbit
resumed; "but there sat Brother Terrapin as quiet as if he were
asleep. Well, I was vexed--I don't mind saying so now--I was
certainly vexed. But I didn't let on. And between tunes I did my best
to worry Brother Terrapin.

[Illustration: MR. RABBIT FIDDLING FOR BROTHER TERRAPIN]

"'Ladies,' says I, 'don't make so much fuss. Let Brother Terrapin get
his nap out. You'll turn a chair over directly, and Brother Terrapin
will give a jump and fall off the shelf and break some of the
furniture in his house.' This made the girls laugh very much, for they
remembered the old saying that Brother Terrapin carries his house on
his back. 'Don't laugh so loud,' says I, 'Brother Terrapin has earned
his rest. He's been courting on the other side of the creek, and he
has no carriage to ride in when he goes back and forth. Sh-h!' says I,
'don't disturb him. When a person sits down when he stands up, and
lies down when he walks, some allowance must be made.'

"Brother Terrapin's eyes grew redder and redder, and the skin on the
back of his head began to work backward and forward. What might have
happened I don't know, but just as the girls were in the middle of a
dance one of my fiddle-strings broke, and it was the treble, too. I
wouldn't have minded it if it had been any of the other strings, but
when the treble broke I had to stop playing.

"Well, the girls were very much disappointed and so was I, for I had
come for a frolic. I searched in my pockets, but I had no other
string. I tried to play with three strings, but the tune wouldn't
come. The girls were so sorry they didn't know what to do.

"Just then an idea struck me. 'Ladies,' says I, 'it's a thousand
pities I didn't bring an extra treble, and I'm perfectly willing to go
home and fetch one, but if Brother Terrapin was a little more
accommodating the music could go right on. You could be dancing again
in