ight of Jimmy Rabbit's party arrived at last. The time was an hour
after sunset. The place was Farmer Green's back pasture. And Jimmy
Rabbit was waiting eagerly. He had told Nimble Deer to come early,
before the other guests, because Nimble was going to help him.

Jimmy Rabbit hadn't waited long when he heard a muffled thud, followed
by a swift patter.

"There's Nimble now!" he exclaimed. "He just jumped the stone wall and
he's coming this way."

Jimmy Rabbit was right. In a few seconds more Nimble Deer stood before
him.

"Here I am!" Nimble cried. "I've come early and I'm ready to help you."

"Good!" said Jimmy Rabbit. "Step this way, please!" And he hopped over
to a clump of evergreens. Nimble followed him.

"Now," Jimmy Rabbit went on, "step inside this thicket and let only your
head and neck stick out!"

"What shall I do with my antlers?" Nimble asked him. "They won't come
off, because it's the wrong time of year to shed them."

"Oh! I want your antlers to show too," Jimmy Rabbit assured him.

So Nimble did exactly as Jimmy Rabbit had told him.

Then Jimmy sat up a little way off, cocked his head on one side, and
looked at Nimble. "That's fine!" he declared. "When the moon comes up
everybody will be able to see you--except what's hidden by the
evergreens."

"What am I going to do here?" Nimble inquired.

"You're to stand perfectly still," Jimmy explained.

"And what else?"

"Nothing!" Jimmy Rabbit answered. "The other guests will do the rest....
And now, if you don't mind, I'll leave you here; for I hear somebody
coming."

He scampered away then. But soon he came hurrying back.

"There's something I forgot to say," he told Nimble hurriedly. "You
mustn't talk. You mustn't even open your mouth. You mustn't even chew
your cud."

"I suppose I can wink if I want to," said Nimble Deer.

"No, indeed!" Jimmy Rabbit cried. "That would spoil everything."

"It's going to be hard," Nimble complained, "to keep so still."

"Oh, no!" Jimmy Rabbit assured him. "It will be easy. Just act as if you
were stuffed!"

"Stuffed!" Nimble exclaimed. "I've never been stuffed. I hope I never
shall be. And I don't know how to act as if I were."

Jimmy Rabbit didn't even wait to hear what Nimble said, but whisked away
again.

"Dear me!" Nimble muttered. "I wish I hadn't said I'd come to the party
and help. For it certainly won't be any fun to stand still in this
thicket, with only my head and neck sticking out."