jumped down and pulled Jimmy Rabbit out of the
mud.

"Now," said Peter Mink, as soon as they had climbed up the bank again,
"the next thing to do is to cut off your left hind-foot." And he was
much surprised when Jimmy Rabbit began to laugh. "I don't see anything
funny about it," Peter Mink growled.

"Of course you don't," said Jimmy. "I didn't expect you to. And I don't
expect you're going to cut my foot off, because _you agreed not to_."

"I never did anything of the kind!" Peter Mink shouted.

"Well, we'll go and ask Mr. Crow what he thinks about it," Jimmy Rabbit
said. "We'll leave it to him."

SETTLING A DISPUTE

While Jimmy Rabbit was looking for wise old Mr. Crow, Peter Mink stuck
close behind him.

"You needn't think you can run away with _my_ rabbit's lucky left
hind-foot," Peter kept saying. "That's _my_ foot! You promised to give
it to me for helping you out of the mud. And I intend to have it. I'm
going to follow you wherever you go. I wish you'd try to be a little
more careful where you step with my foot."

But Jimmy Rabbit didn't seem the least bit worried.

"You stand by your bargain, and I'll stand by mine," he told Peter. And
that was all he would say.

At last Jimmy found Mr. Crow. And as soon as Peter Mink spied him he
hurried up and began to complain to Mr. Crow that Jimmy Rabbit wouldn't
stand by his bargain.

"What was it?" Mr. Crow asked.

"He promised to give me his left hind-foot, if I'd pull him out of the
creek," said Peter Mink.

"Did he pull you out?" Mr. Crow asked Jimmy Rabbit.

And Jimmy admitted that Peter had helped him out.

"He helped me in, too," added Jimmy. "But I didn't have to pay him for
doing that."

"You're out of order!" Mr. Crow told Jimmy sharply.

And looking down at his mud-stained clothes, Jimmy Rabbit said that he
supposed he was.

"Can you repeat the exact words of the bargain?" Mr. Crow asked Peter
Mink.

"Yes," Peter began. "He said----"

"That will do!" Mr. Crow cautioned him. "I said, '_Can_ you repeat
them?' I didn't _tell_ you to repeat them, did I?"

"No," Peter Mink admitted.

"I advise you to be very careful," Mr. Crow warned him. Then Mr. Crow
turned to Jimmy Rabbit.

"Can _you_ repeat the exact words of the bargain?" he asked.

"Yes, sir!" said Jimmy Rabbit promptly.

"Good!" Mr. Crow exclaimed. "I'll settle this dispute in no time. Now, I
want you, Jimmy Rabbit, to whisper the exact words in my _right_ ear,
while