eautiful like her mother. She had blue
eyes, and her dark hair hung in curls about her neck. She was a gentle and
docile girl, and was often much distressed to see how disobedient and
rebellious Rodolphus was toward his father and mother.

She went out to see the rabbit house which Rodolphus had made, and she
liked it very much See wished that her mother would allow them to have a
rabbit to put into it, and she said so, as she stood looking at it, with
her hands behind her.

"I am sorry, that mother is not willing that you should have a rabbit,"
said she.

"Oh, never mind that," said Rodolphus, "I'll have one for all that, you
may depend."

-------------------------------------

That evening when Mr. Linn came home from his work, he took a seat near
the door, where he could look out upon the little garden. His mother was
busy setting the table for tea.

"Father," said Rodolphus, "I wish you would give me a quarter of a
dollar."

"What for," said Mr. Linn.

"To buy a rabbit," said Rodolphus.

"No," said his mother, "I wish you would not give him any money. I have
told him that I don't wish him to have any rabbits."

"Yes," said Rodolphus, speaking to his father. "Do, it only costs a
quarter of a dollar to get one, and I have got the house all ready for
him."

"Oh, no, Rolfy," said his father. "I would not have any rabbits. They are
good for nothing but to gnaw off all the bark and buds in the garden."

Here there followed a long argument between Rodolphus on the one side, and
his father and mother on the other, they endeavoring in every possible way
to persuade him that a rabbit would be a trouble and not a pleasure. Of
course, Rodolphus was not to be convinced. His father however, refused to
give him any money, and Rodolphus ceased to ask for it. His mother thought
that he submitted to his disappointment with very extraordinary
good-humor. But the fact was, he was not submitting to disappointment at
all. He had formed another plan.

He began playing with Annie about the yard and garden, saying no more, and
apparently thinking no more about his rabbit, for some time. At last he
came up to his father's side and said,

"Father, will you lend me your keys?"

"What do you want my keys for?" asked his father.

"I want to whistle with them," said Rodolphus. "Annie is my dog, and I
want to whistle to her."

"No," said his father, "you will lose them. You must whistle with your
mouth."