overed that Swift River was rushing and
tumbling across the big, flat object which was propped upright in front
of the stranger.

Jimmy couldn't understand it. Was the man fishing? he wondered. And how
had he managed to get Swift River out of its banks like that?

Jimmy Rabbit began to think that the strange man had used magic. Why, he
wasn't even wet!

And Jimmy turned and ran back home. If he hadn't happened to meet Mr.
Crow, probably he would never have known to this day what that man was
doing.

But Mr. Crow knew right away.

"That wasn't really Swift River that you saw in front of him. It was
just something that looked like it.... Haven't you ever seen a picture?"
Mr. Crow asked.

Jimmy Rabbit had to admit that he had never had that pleasure.

"Well!" said Mr. Crow. "I can tell you where you can see better pictures
than that man can make. He only paints rivers and mountains, and lakes.
But down at Farmer Green's, all over the front of the barn, you'll find
the most beautiful pictures anyone could ask for. You'll see ladies
riding on horses--standing up, mind you! And you'll see men perched one
on top of another until they reach the clouds. And animals! There are
the oddest looking animals--different from anything you ever saw in
these woods."

"I'm going right down there," Jimmy Rabbit said. "I'm very glad to have
met you, Mr. Crow. And thank you, very much!" It was not often that
Jimmy was so polite.

He was almost afraid that Mr. Crow was playing some trick on him. But it
was all just as Mr. Crow had said--only ten times more wonderful. And
Jimmy Rabbit made up his mind, before he came away from Farmer Green's
barn, that he wanted to make pictures himself.

Mr. Crow had said that the strange man, who made the picture of Swift
River, was an artist. Well, Jimmy intended to begin to be an artist the
very next day. And he was so grateful to Mr. Crow for explaining
everything to him that he decided he would do something specially nice
for the old gentleman.

And all at once a happy thought came into Jimmy's head. He would make a
picture of Mr. Crow!

[Illustration]

[Illustration: 13 Mr. Crow's Picture]

13

Mr. Crow's Picture

In the woods near the foot of Blue Mountain news travels fast. Soon
everybody knew that Jimmy Rabbit had become an artist. And many of the
woods-people put on their best clothes and hurried to Jimmy's house, to
have their pictures painted.

They were disappointe