his poem to them through the first course. The
Rabbit was willing to do that, for he would rather read his own poetry
than eat any time, and, besides, the first course was something he
didn't like very well. So then they all sat down around the table cloth
which they had spread on the grass, and Mr. Rabbit got up and put his
right hand in the breast of his coat. He commenced by saying that his
friends seemed to think he was a good deal of a poet, but that he had
always been too busy to really write his best, and that all his poems,
like the one he was just about to read, had been little inspirations
tossed off on the spur of the moment. Of course, everybody there knew
that Jack Rabbit had sat up two whole days and nights to write his poem,
but they all cheered and clapped their hands, and Mr. Rabbit bowed and
coughed a little and began to read:--

WHEN MR. DOG'S AWAY.

By J. Rabbit.

Oh, 'tis happy in the woodland
When Mr. Dog's away;
'Tis happy in the woodland
Upon the first of May.
He's gone across the grassland
We hope he's gone to stay;
Then don't forget the feast is set
And Mr. Dog's away.

The Robin was just about to speak up at this moment and say that Mr. Dog
was surely coming, but the others cheered so that nobody heard him, and
Mr. Rabbit went on with his poem.

Then 'tis hey! for Mr. Woodchuck!
And tis hi! for Mrs. Quail!
And 'tis ho! for Mr. 'Possum
With a bowknot on his tail!
Then 'tis hip! for Mr. Robin
And for all the rest, hurray!
The friends are met, the feast is set,
And Mr. Dog's away.

"Hurray! hurray!" shouted all the others. "The friends are met, the
feast is set, and Mr. Dog's away!"

Then hand around the glasses
And fill them to the brim,
And drink a health to Mr. Dog,
For we are fond of him.
And, though he be not present
Upon this happy day,
We'll fill the cup and drink it up
To Mr. Dog away!

[Illustration: SAW THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG.]

At the last line everybody was just about to lift their glasses and give
a great big cheer for the poem, when all at once they saw by Jack
Rabbit's face that something was wrong. Then they all looked where he
was looking, and there, right before them, bowing and smiling, stood
Mr. Dog himself! He had just come in time to hear the last stanza of the
poem and was ready to dance with joy, he was so happy to think they were
drinking his health when he wasn't there.

H