on no airs. Did you ever hear of Mrs.
Meadows? And Mr. Rabbit? And Mrs. Rabbit?"

"Dem what wuz in de tale?" asked Drusilla.

"Yes," said Mr. Thimblefinger, "the very same persons."

"Sho' 'nuff!" exclaimed Drusilla. "Why, we been hear talk er dem sence
'fo' we wuz knee-high."

Sweetest Susan and Buster John said they had often heard of Mr. Rabbit
and Mrs. Meadows. This seemed to please Mr. Thimblefinger very much.
He smiled and nodded approval.

"Did they ever have you in a story?" asked Buster John.

"No, no!" replied Mr. Thimblefinger. "I was so little they forgot me."
He laughed at his own joke, but it was very plain that he didn't
relish the idea of not having his name in a book.

Presently the children came to the house, but they hesitated at the
gate and stood there in fear and trembling. What they saw was enough
to frighten them. An old woman was sitting in a chair knitting. She
was not different from many old women the children had seen, but near
her sat a Rabbit as big as a man. He was a tremendous creature,
grizzly and gray, and watery-eyed from age. He sat in a rocking-chair
smoking a pipe.

[Illustration: MR. RABBIT AND MRS. MEADOWS]

"Le' 's go back," whispered Drusilla. "Dat ar creetur bigger dan a
hoss. Ef he git a glimp' us we er gone--gone!"

Sweetest Susan shivered and looked at Buster John, and Buster John
looked at Mr. Thimblefinger. But Mr. Thimblefinger ran forward, crying
out:--

"Howdy, folks, howdy! I've brought some friends home to dinner." He
beckoned to the children. "Come on and see Mrs. Meadows and Mr.
Rabbit."

Mrs. Meadows immediately dropped her knitting in her lap, and threw
her hands up to her head, as if to arrange her hair.

"Come in," said Mr. Thimblefinger to the children.

"Yes, come on," exclaimed Mr. Rabbit in a voice that sounded as if he
had a bad cold.

"I'm in no fix to be seen," said Mrs. Meadows, "but I'm glad to see
you, anyhow. Come right in. Take off your things and make yourself at
home. How did you get here? I reckon that little trick there has been
telling tales out of school." She pointed at Mr. Thimblefinger and
laughed.

"He brought us," said Sweetest Susan. "I'm sorry we came."

"Now, don't say that," remarked Mrs. Meadows kindly. "What are you
afraid of?"

"Of him," replied Sweetest Susan, nodding her head toward Mr. Rabbit.

"Is that all?" exclaimed Mrs. Meadows. "Why, he's as harmless as a
kitten."

"Yes, yes!" said Mr. Rabbit com