Show me the best pair of
shoes you have," he ordered.

So Jimmy Rabbit began to search his shelves. To tell the truth, he was
puzzled. He had no shoes big enough for Mr. Crow. But he did not dare
tell the old gentleman that, because he knew Mr. Crow would be very
angry.

At last Jimmy Rabbit found the biggest shoes in the place. And he showed
them to Mr. Crow, who seemed much pleased.

"I'll try them on," Mr. Crow said.

Jimmy Rabbit held out the shoes, hoping that Mr. Crow would take them.
But Mr. Crow had no such notion in his head.

"I mean, _you_ may try them on _me_" he added.

"You didn't say that," Jimmy Rabbit reminded him.

"No further remarks are necessary," Mr. Crow screamed in a shrill voice.

And at that Jimmy Rabbit knelt before him once more and began to crowd
one of Mr. Crow's feet into one of the shoes.

Jimmy struggled for a long time without saying a word. But Mr. Crow said
several words under his breath, for Jimmy was hurting him dreadfully.

There were two reasons for that. In the first place, the shoe was much
too small for Mr. Crow. And in the second, Jimmy Rabbit was putting the
left shoe on Mr. Crow's right foot.

But neither of them knew that second reason.

XX

OLD SHOES FOR NEW

Old Mr. Crow was too proud to admit that the shoe Jimmy Rabbit was
pulling upon his right foot was too small for him. But he would have
objected, to be sure, had he known that it was the left shoe. He would
have objected likewise when Jimmy crammed his left foot into the right
shoe a few minutes later. But Mr. Crow only knew that his feet already
ached.

"Now just stand on them!" Jimmy Rabbit said at last.

And Mr. Crow stood up.

"Now walk a bit," the shoe merchant continued.

But Mr. Crow could not walk. He _hobbled_ a short distance. And then he
sank down with a groan.

"They don't hurt you, do they?" Jimmy Rabbit asked him.

And Mr. Crow shook his head. He thought he could do that truthfully. What
he felt was far worse than a mere _hurt_. It was _torture_--that was
certainly what it was.

Of course Jimmy Rabbit knew what the trouble was--or part of it, at
least. He knew that Mr. Crow's toes were doubled up inside the shoes. And
it was on the tip of his tongue to suggest to Mr. Crow that he have his
toes cut off. But a better way soon occurred to Jimmy Rabbit.

"I know you'll find these shoes very comfortable--after they're
finished," he told Mr. Crow.

"Finished!" Mr. Crow ex