my Rabbit
has played another trick on you."

But Jimmy Rabbit didn't mind what he said. He could play in the snow now
without being called names. And that was enough for him.

[Illustration: 17 The Rabbits' Ball]

17

The Rabbits' Ball

The Rabbits' Ball (that was a dancing party, you know) was something to
which Jimmy Rabbit had looked forward for a long time.

Now, only rabbits were invited. And everybody that came was expected to
wear fancy clothes, and a mask.

Jimmy Rabbit had decided that he would go to the Ball dressed like one
of his sisters. He thought that he could have a good deal of fun in that
way. And as it happened, he was not disappointed.

The night of the great Ball had come; and Jimmy Rabbit had a delightful
time dancing with friends of his who thought he was a girl. But after a
while almost everybody knew almost everybody else--in spite of the masks
they wore. But there were two dancers whom nobody seemed to know.

One was dressed as a giant-dwarf, and the other as a dwarf-giant. And
they looked a good deal alike, except that one of them (that was the
gentleman) was tall and thin; and the other (that was the lady) was
short and fat. They didn't appear even to know each other. But they both
enjoyed the Ball--at least they told everyone that they did.

Before the Ball was over the tall, thin stranger invited Jimmy Rabbit to
dance with him--supposing, of course, that Jimmy was a girl.

It struck Jimmy that the stranger was very, very tall for a rabbit. Only
rabbits were invited to the party, you remember.

Well, as the stranger walked away, after the dance was done, Jimmy
Rabbit caught a glimpse of a bushy red tail beneath his coat. And he
knew right away who it was. It was Tommy Fox! And, of course, he had no
business to be there, at the Rabbits' Ball!

That set Jimmy to thinking. And he wasn't long in making up his mind
that the short, fat lady was no other than Fatty Coon. When Jimmy looked
sharply he could see where Fatty's tail was hidden beneath the dress he
was wearing. And, of course, he had no business there, either.

Pretty soon Jimmy Rabbit thought of a plan. And he hurried up to the
tall stranger and said:

"We are now going to have a new sort of dance. And knowing you to be a
fine dancer, I would suggest that you ask that shortish, stoutish lady
to be your partner. I should say that next to you, she is the most
graceful dancer at the Ball."

Tommy Fox hurried ove