the room and caught in his teeth the end of the
pink ribbon that was around the neck of the Candy Easter toy.

"Stop it! Stop! Please let me go!" cried the Candy Rabbit.

"I'll fix you!" was all the cat answered. Then, carrying the Candy
Rabbit in his mouth by means of the ribbon, the bad cat sprang out of
the window again and was soon trotting through the tall grass of the
lots near the house where Madeline lived.

The grass swished and swashed against the legs and ears of the Candy
Rabbit as the cat carried him along. The Rabbit was not hurt any,
because the ribbon was not tied very tightly about his neck. And of
course the cat's teeth did not touch him. But, for all that, the Candy
Rabbit was very angry and somewhat alarmed.

"What are you going to do with me?" he asked the cat.

"You'll see!" was the answer. "I'm going to fix you for spoiling my
chance of getting a goldfish dinner! I'm going to lose you, and then
I'll go back and get a fish."

Carrying the Candy Rabbit a little way farther into the tall grass, the
cat suddenly let go of the ribbon. The Rabbit fell down, but as the
grass was soft, like a cushion, he was not hurt. He gave a little grunt
as he fell down.

"Now you stay here a while and see how you like it," said the bad cat,
and away he trotted, hoping to get a meal of goldfish this time. And
there came to the poor Candy Rabbit from the distance the sound of the
Cat's voice as he laughed, "Ha-ha," and snarled, "I've fixed _you_ all
right! Ha-ha!"

"Dear me!" thought the poor Candy Rabbit, "I wonder what will happen to
me. I must try to get out of here. I can hop, as long as no human eyes
see me. Maybe I can get back in time to warn the goldfish of their
danger."

The Rabbit tried to hop, but, being made of candy as he was, with rather
stiff legs that were not very long, he could not go very fast. And when
he had made a few hops he was very tired.

"Dear me! I shall have to stay here forever, perhaps," he sighed. "And,
if it rains and I get wet, I'll melt and there will be nothing left of
me! Oh, what trouble I am in!"

The Candy Rabbit crouched down in the grass, and pretty soon he heard
some voices talking. He knew they were the voices of boys, and, in a
little while, he heard one say:

"Now, Herbert, you hold the kite and I'll run with it."

"All right, Dick," said some one else. "I hope it flies away up high in
the air."

"I'll keep the tail clear of the weeds," said another boy.