hat only his
head is in sight."

"Besides," said James, "it will make him look more beautiful if his ears
and tail are both blue."

Jonas did not object to this, and after a short time, they reached the
edge of the woods. They found a little opening, where the ground was
smooth and the grass green, which seemed exactly the place for them. So
they put down the cage and the bowl of dye, and Jonas began to put on
his glove.

"Now, boys," said he, "you must be still as moonlight while I do it. If
you speak to me, you will put me out; and besides, you will frighten
little Bunny."

The boys promised not to speak a single word; and Jonas, after
unfastening the fender from the front of the box, moved it along until
there was an opening large enough for him to get his hand in. Rollo and
James stood by silently, and somewhat anxiously, waiting the result.

When the squirrel saw Jonas's hand intruding itself into the box, he
retreated to the farther corner, and curled himself up there, with his
tail close down upon his back. Jonas followed him with his hand, saying,
in a soothing tone, "Bunny, Bunny, poor little Bunny."

He reached him, at length, and put his hand very gently over him, and
slowly and cautiously drew him out.

Rollo and James gave a sort of hysteric laugh, and instantly clapped
their hands to their mouths, to suppress it; but they looked at one
another and at Jonas with great delight.

Jonas gradually brought the squirrel over the bowl, and prepared to dip
his ears into the dye. It was a strange situation for a squirrel to be
in, and he did not like it at all; and just at the instant when his ears
were going into the dye, he twisted his head round, and planted his
little fore teeth directly upon Jonas's thumb. As might have been
supposed, teeth which were sharp and powerful enough to go through a
walnut shell, would not he likely to be stopped by a leathern glove; and
Jonas, startled by the sudden cut, gave a twitch with his hand, and, at
the same instant, let go of the squirrel. Bunny grasped the edge of the
howl with his paws, and leaped out, bringing the bowl itself at the same
instant over upon him, spattering him all over from head to tail with
the blue dye.

The boys looked aghast for a minute, but when they saw him racing off
as fast as possible, and running up a neighboring tree, Jonas burst into
a laugh, which the other boys joined, and they continued it loud and
long, till the woods rang again