down, for he knew just how angry she would be when
she saw his house, his garden and his shabby suit.

"'Oh, dear! Oh, dear! What shall I do?' wailed Mr. Rabbit, wringing
his hands.

"'Get busy and clean up,' advised Mr. Woodchuck, hurrying about his
own work.

"Now Mr. Woodchuck was a worker and very, very neat. He meant to have
his home looking just as fine as he could make it. He brought up some
clean yellow sand from deep down in the ground and sprinkled it
smoothly over his doorstep.

"'I'll help you, if I get through my own work in time,' shouted Mr.
Woodchuck over his shoulder.

"That gave Mr. Rabbit an idea. He would ask all his neighbors to help
him, and perhaps then he could get his house and garden in order by
the time Old Mother Nature arrived. So Mr. Rabbit called on Mr. Skunk
and Mr. Coon and Mr. Mink and Mr. Squirrel and Mr. Chipmunk, and all
the rest of his neighbors, telling them of his trouble and asking them
to help. Now, in spite of the trouble Mr. Rabbit was forever making
for other people by his dreadful curiosity and meddling with other
people's affairs, all his neighbors had a warm place in their hearts
for Mr. Rabbit, and they all promised that they would help him as soon
as they had their own work finished.

"Instead of hurrying home and getting to work himself, Mr. Rabbit
stopped a while after each call and sat with his arms folded, watching
the one he was calling on work. Mr. Rabbit was very fond of sitting
with folded arms. It was very comfortable. But this was no time to be
doing it, and Mr. Skunk told him so.

"'If you want the rest of us to help you, you'd better get things
started yourself,' said old Mr. Skunk, carefully combing out his big,
plumy tail.

"'That's right, Mr. Skunk! That's right!' said Mr. Rabbit, starting
along briskly, just as if he was going to hurry right home and begin
work that very instant.

"But half an hour later, when Mr. Skunk happened to pass the home of
Mr. Chipmunk, there sat Mr. Rabbit with his arms folded, watching Mr.
Chipmunk hurrying about as only Mr. Chipmunk can.

"Finally Mr. Rabbit had made the round of all his friends and
neighbors, and he once more reached his tumble-down house. 'Oh, dear,'
sighed Mr. Rabbit, as he looked at the tangle of brambles which almost
hid the little old house, 'I never, never can clear away all this! It
will be a lot easier to work when all my friends are here to help,'
So he sighed once more and folded his