p with you. I'm on my
second carrot. To-morrow morning I'll tell you the rest of the dream."

Jimsy and Wheedles were greatly surprised and angered at the trick Bumper
had played upon them, and they immediately began eating their carrots
again as fast as they could.

They were in the midst of their breakfast when the old woman came in the
backyard with her basket. All the rabbits set up a commotion then, for
they knew she would choose some of them to take away and sell. There were
two reasons why they all wanted to be chosen.

One was they liked the change from their narrow quarters to the street
corner and the sights of the city. Another was they all hoped some day to
be sold and taken away to a big house where they would be petted and fed
until their little stomachs would nearly burst open. They were a little
crowded in their home, and new baby rabbits were coming all the time so
that if some of them weren't sold they'd soon be walking all over each
other.

"Now, which ones shall I take to-day?" the old woman mumbled, smiling upon
all of them.

They all bobbed their heads and blinked their pink eyes, and Jimsy jumped
over Bumper's back and hopped right into the woman's hands.

"Well, Jimsy," she said, "you seem very anxious to go, so I'll take you
for one."

Wheedles tried the same trick, but it didn't work the second time. "No,
Wheedles, you've got a cold," she said, pushing him back. "People don't
want to buy rabbits that have colds."

Bumper had no cold, and he decided to try his luck, but Topsy, a big
rabbit, got in his way, and nearly bowled him over. Bumper squealed, and
the old woman pushed Topsy away.

"No, you can't go for being so rough," she scolded. "Poor little Bumper,
did Topsy hurt you?"

Bumper was sure then that she intended to take him along with Jimsy; but
no! she put him down gently, and selected three others. Bumper's
disappointment was so great that a tear came into one of his pink eyes.

It was mother who consoled him when the old woman had filled her basket
and left the yard. "Never mind, dear, your time will come. You're younger
than Jimsy."

"But why should I always be left at home?" complained Bumper.

"It's the place for little rabbits," was the reply. "There's no place so
safe and comfortable."

"But you always told us some day we'd find a better home, with plenty to
eat, and nothing to do," whimpered Bumper, who felt quite cross. "Why did
you tell us that?"

Mother rab