Making Up with Mr. Dog Read online

  AROUND THE WORLD AND BACK AGAIN

  ONCE upon a time, when Mr. Dog was over spending the evening with theHollow Tree people, he told them that Mr. Man had said the world wasround, like a ball. Of course this was after Mr. Dog got to be goodfriends with the 'Possum and the 'Coon and the Old Black Crow, and heoften used to come over to the Hollow Tree, where they lived, for aquiet talk and smoke, and to tell the things that Mr. Man said and did,and what he had on his table for dinner.

  The Hollow Tree people liked to hear about Mr. Man, too; but when theyheard what he said about the world being round they thought there mustbe some mistake in the way Mr. Dog had understood it. Mr. 'Coon saidthat it couldn't be so, for the edge of the world was just beyond thelast trees of the Big Deep Woods, and that he'd often sat there and hunghis feet over and watched the moon come up. Mr. 'Possum said so, too;and Mr. Crow said that the other edge was over along the Wide BlueWater, where Mr. Turtle lived, and that of course the water was flat, aseverybody could see. Anyway, it would spill out if it wasn't.

  But Mr. Dog stuck to it that Mr. Man had said just what Mr. Dog had saidhe said, and that, what was more, Mr. Man had said that the world turnedover every day, and that the sun and moon and stars all went round it.And Mr. Man had said, too, that people sometimes went around the world,and didn't turn over or fall off into the sky when they were underneath,but kept on, and came up on the other side, right back to the veryplace they started from.

  Well, that made them all wonder a good deal more than ever; and Mr. JackRabbit, who came in just then for the evening, said he shouldn't be abit surprised if it were true, for he'd often noticed how the seasonswent round and round, and he thought, now, they must travel around theworld some way, too. He said he'd composed some poetry on Spring as hecame along, and that now he understood some lines of it better than hehad at the start; for, of course, when poetry just comes to anybody, asit does to Mr. Rabbit, it isn't expected that even the poet himself willunderstand it very well at first.

  Then they all wanted to hear Jack Rabbit's poem, and Mr. Rabbit saidthat it really wasn't just as he wanted it yet, but that if theywouldn't expect too much, he'd let them hear how it went, anyway.

  WHICH WAY, SPRING?

  BY J. RABBIT

  O Spring, Ho, Spring! Whither do you go, Spring? If I did but know, Spring, I would go there, too. Pray, Spring, Say, Spring, Whither and away, Spring? I would start to-day, Spring, If I go with you.

  And Spring answers:--

  Why, sir, I, sir, Just go tripping by, sir-- If you did but try, sir, You could go with me. Follow, Follow, Over hill and hollow-- Where the bluebirds call, O, I am sure to be.

  Well, everybody applauded that, of course; and Mr. 'Coon said that forhis part he was tired of cold weather, and that if to-morrow was abright day, and anybody'd go with him, he'd start out at sunrise andfollow Spring clear around the world. Then Mr. 'Possum said he'd go justto see whether Mr. Man was right or not, and Mr. Crow said he'd go, too.Mr. Rabbit wanted to go to prove some things in his poem, but he had tomake a garden if it was a good day, and Mr. Dog had an engagement to digmoles for Mr. Man.

  So the next morning, bright and early, the three Hollow Tree people gotup and started. They packed some lunch in a basket, so they wouldn't gethungry, in case they were gone all day, and set out in high spirits; forit was a beautiful morning in April, and they knew Spring had come atlast.

  They saw a bluebird up in a tree not far away, and they remembered whatMr. Rabbit's poem had said about following him over hill and hollow; sothey went along in that direction, talking and whistling and singing,because they felt so good in the fresh morning sunlight.

  And Mr. Bluebird hopped and whistled and flew along ahead, until, by andby, they came to where Mr. Fox lived.

  "Where are you fellows going so early?" called Mr. Fox.

  "We're following Spring around the world," called back Mr. Crow; andthen they told him all that Mr. Dog had said.

  Then Mr. Fox looked very wise, for he didn't know if Mr. Dog was playinga trick on them, or if it were really true that the world was round andhe hadn't heard of it. Anyway, he wasn't going to let on, so he said:--

  SET OUT IN HIGH SPIRITS]

  "Why, of course! I knew that all the time. You just keep right on untilyou come to that big elm over yonder, and turn to the right. Anybodyover there can show you the way." Then Mr. Fox coughed and went backinto the house, but he made up his mind he wouldn't laugh until he hadseen Mr. Dog and was sure it was all a joke. And the Hollow Tree peoplekept on to the elm tree, and, sure enough, there was Mr. Bluebird,hopping and whistling and flying on ahead, for he'd been listening towhat Mr. Fox had told them.

  So they hurried right along after him till they came to Mr. Wolf'splace. Mr. Wolf was looking out of his door as they came by.

  "Hello, you early birds!" he called. "Whose hen roost you been after?"

  Then they told him they weren't thinking of such things as that on abeautiful morning like this, but that they were following Spring aroundthe world. And they told him all that Mr. Man had said to Mr. Dog, andwhat Mr. Fox had said, and about Jack Rabbit's poem. Mr. Wolf thoughthe'd better be wise, too, until he found out just how things were, so hesaid:--

  "Sure enough! That's a good plan. I'd go along if I had time. I know theway well. You just keep on till you come to that creek yonder, thencross and turn to the right, and after that any one can show you theway."

  So away went the Hollow Tree people, and when they got to the creek, andcrossed, and turned to the right, there was the bluebird again, hoppingand whistling and dancing on ahead, just in the direction that Mr. Wolfhad said to go. Then, pretty soon, Mr. 'Possum said he was hungry, sothey sat down on some moss and ate their lunch, and Mr. Bluebird came upclose and sang to them till Mr. 'Possum went to sleep in the sun andtook a little nap, while the 'Coon and the Crow put what was left backinto the basket and got ready to go. Then Mr. 'Possum woke up and saidhe was sure they must be nearly around the world, for he'd just had adream about catching a chicken with four legs and two heads, and he knewthat must mean something good. So then they went on and the bluebirdwent ahead, until they came to a fine, big cave, where Mr. Bear lived.

  Now, Mr. Bear is very big and wise--at least he thinks he is--and heknew right away that Mr. Dog was just playing a joke on them, or atleast he thought he did, so he said:--

  "Well, well! I supposed you fellows knew all that long ago. You don'tmean to say, do you, that this is really your first time round? Why, Igo round the world every spring and fall, and buy most of my things onthe other side. You just follow this path till you come to a big blackrock, and then turn to the right and keep straight ahead. You can't missthe way."

  "FOLLOW THIS PATH TILL YOU COME TO A BIG BLACK ROCK,"SAID MR. BEAR]

  Then Mr. Bear went back in his cave, and laid down and rolled over andlaughed to think what a big joke everybody was playing on the HollowTree people. But the Hollow Tree people kept right on, for they saw Mr.Bluebird still whistling and dancing on ahead; and by and by they cameto the big black rock that Mr. Bear had mentioned, and turned to theright again as he had told them to do. Then they walked and walked,and Mr. Bluebird hopped and skipped and whistled, until at last, just asthey were all getting very tired and it was 'most night, they came to abig hollow tree in a deep woods; and Mr. 'Possum looked up and says:--

  "Why," he says, "this tree looks a good deal like our tree!"

  And Mr. 'Coon, he says:--

  "Why, it's just like our tree!"

  And Mr. Crow, he says:--

  "Why, it _is_ our tree!" for of course they'd turned to the right threetimes, which brought them right back where they started from, thoughthey did not know it.

  So then all at once they commenced to laugh and shout:--

  "We've done it! We've done it!
>
  "We've followed Spring around the world, According to the plan! Hurrah for Mr. Rabbit! And hurrah for Mr. Man!"

  AND MR. CROW, HE SAYS, "WHY, IT _IS_ OUR TREE!"]

  And the bluebird up in the branches whistled and danced and shouted,too; and Jack Rabbit and Mr. Dog came over pretty soon to see ifthey'd got home yet. And of course Mr. Rabbit was proud about the wayhis poem had turned out; and Mr. Dog he was proud, too, on Mr. Man'saccount. Then they all had a big supper, to celebrate, and by and by Mr.Rabbit and Mr. Dog went away arm in arm, singing Mr. Rabbit's poem tothe moon; while the 'Coon and 'Possum and the Old Black Crow went to bedhappy because they had followed Spring clear around the world, andhadn't got lost or tumbled off into the sky, but were home again safeand sound in the Hollow Tree.

  * * * * *

  Transcriber's Note:

  Repeated chapter titles were deleted.