ic things--that is she liked
fairies, and princes, and kings, and knights with golden swords, and all
oddities like that. Well, Buddy Pigg went in the little grove of trees,
and now you just wait and listen--an adventure is going to happen in
less than five minutes by the clock.
All of a sudden, just as the little guinea pig got close to one of the
trees, he smelled something good, and he looked up, and, bless him! if
he didn't see the nicest turnip that ever grew.
"Oh, that certainly is fine!" he cried, and his eyes twinkled and his
nose wiggled, both at the same time. "I must take that home for
breakfast," he went on. But my goodness me and the mustard spoon! if,
when he went to get it, he didn't discover that the turnip was hung up
by a string on the branch of the tree!
"Hello!" exclaimed Buddy Pigg. "I never saw turnips growing that way
before. This must be a special kind, but it will be all the better. It
is a little high up, but I think I can reach it by standing on my hind
legs, and stretching up my front paws."
So he moved a little nearer the curious hanging turnip, and was about to
reach up for it when who should come bounding out of the bushes but
Sammie Littletail, the rabbit boy.
"Hello, Buddy Pigg!" he called. "What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to get this turnip down," answered Buddy. "It is a fine one;
but it is hanging quite high. I'll give you some when I pull it down,"
for Buddy Pigg was very kind, you know.
Well, he stood up again, and was just about to step a little closer, so
he could grab the turnip, when Sammie cried out:
"Here, Buddy! Come right away from that! Jump back as fast as you can!
Quick! Quick! I say!"
"Why?" asked Buddy, "is it your turnip?"
"No, but don't you see? That turnip is nothing but a trap. It is hung up
there on purpose. Come away. I can see the trap as plain as anything.
Uncle Wiggily Longears taught me how to keep away from them, for I was
caught in one, once upon a time."
"A trap?" asked Buddy. "Is this a trap?"
"To be sure," answered Sammie. "See, the turnip hangs right over a loop
of wire, and inside the wire loop there is a piece of wood. Now to reach
up and get the turnip you must step on the piece of wood, and as soon as
you do so that tree branch, to which the wire is fast, will spring up,
the wire will slip around your neck, you will be yanked up into the air,
and that will be the last of you."
"The last of me?" asked Buddy, who, bei
|