84

MR. RABBIT BANDAGING BROTHER LION'S PAW 92

THE LADDER OF LIONS 98

MR. RABBIT FIDDLING FOR BROTHER TERRAPIN 104

BROTHER TERRAPIN TUMBLING INTO THE CREEK 108

SWEETEST SUSAN, MEETING HER REFLECTION 110

THEY ALL PLUNGED INTO THE LOOKING-GLASS 118

MR. RABBIT SAYING NOTHING 124

BROTHER BEAR ARGUING THE RAIN QUESTION 128

MRS. BEAR HANGING OUT CLOTHES 134

LITTLE MR. THIMBLEFINGER 140

THE SINGING-MATCH 144

GRANNY GRIM-EYE FINDS A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE GIRL ASLEEP 148

THE LITTLE OLD MAN DISCOVERS THE STRAWBERRY-GIRL 150

THE GOLDEN-HAIRED, BEAUTIFUL LITTLE GIRL 164

THE LITTLE OLD MAN, THREE WITS, AND THE STAG 174

THE STAG AND THE WITCH 180

THE LITTLE GIRL AND THE OLD MAN 192

VALENTINE SLAYING THE SPIDER 210

VALENTINE TALKING TO THE RIVER 220

BUSTER JOHN SHAKING HANDS WITH MR. RABBIT 228

LITTLE MR. THIMBLEFINGER AND HIS QUEER COUNTRY.

I.

THE GRANDMOTHER OF THE DOLLS.

Once upon a time there lived on a plantation, in the very middle of
Middle Georgia, a little girl and a little boy and their negro nurse.
The little girl's name was Sweetest Susan. That was the name her
mother gave her when she was a baby, and she was so good-tempered that
everybody continued to call her Sweetest Susan when she grew older.
She was seven years old. The little boy's name was Buster John. That
was the name his father had given him. Buster John was eight. The
nurse's name was Drusilla, and she was twelve. Drusilla was called a
nurse, but that was just a habit people had. She was more of a child
than either Sweetest Susan or Buster John, but she was very much
larger. She was their playmate--their companion, and a capital one
she made.

Sweetest Susan had black hair and dark eyes like her father, while
Buster John had golden hair and brown eyes like his mother. As for
Drusilla, she was as black as the old black cat, and always in a good
humor, except when she pre