the Bluebird.

"Did Mr. Rabbit come this way?" he called up without stopping.

"Yes, sir, and hurried right on to have his house ready for you," said
the Bluebird.

That surprised Mr. Dog more and more, and he began to think that after
all maybe the Rabbit didn't know what he wanted of him and--

"What did he want of him?"

Well, I s'pect it was about the same as the wolf wanted of Red Riding
Hood, and Jack Rabbit was so far away from home and getting so tired
that there's no telling what might have happened if it hadn't been for
Mr. Turtle. Mr. Turtle was a good friend to Jack Rabbit, 'cause once he
beat him in a foot race by playing a trick, and he'd always felt a
little sorry for it. So when Mr. Dog came along he got right in the way
and said:--

[Illustration: "HI, THERE! HOLD ON, MR. DOG!"]

"Hi, there! Hold on, Mr. Dog, or you'll get there before Mr. Rabbit is
ready for you. He just passed, and said he had to clean up before you
came. I s'pose he wants to get up a fine dinner, too."

Well, that settled it. Mr. Dog stopped and said he wasn't in any hurry
at all, but was just running a little because it was a nice morning and
he felt well. Of course, he said, he didn't want to get there before Mr.
Rabbit was ready for him, and then he trotted along comfortably,
thinking how he would eat the Rabbit's fine dinner first, and then there
would be time enough for Mr. Rabbit himself afterward.

So, when he got to Jack Rabbit's house he straightened his vest and his
necktie a little, and then he knocked and turned around and whistled
while he was waiting for Mr. Rabbit to come to the door. But Jack Rabbit
didn't come to the door. He opened an upstairs window and said:--

"Why, it's Mr. Dog! Sit right down on the porch, Mr. Dog, till I get my
house ready and the dinner cooked."

[Illustration: MR. RABBIT LAUGHED AND LAUGHED.]

So Mr. Dog sat down and lit his pipe and smoked and looked at the
scenery, while Mr. Rabbit inside he laughed and laughed, and lay down on
the bed and finally went to sleep.

Mr. Dog sat there and smoked and smoked, and wished the Rabbit would
hurry and let him in, 'cause he wanted to get home to his folks, and it
was a long way to travel. By and by he called up and asked him if dinner
wasn't ready yet. That waked Jack Rabbit up, and he looked out the
window and said that he'd had bad luck with his biscuit and dinner would
be late. Then Mr. Dog said he'd come in while he was waiting, but