t agreed to run the race as Grumpy Weasel wished, saying
that he was ready to start at once.

But Mr. Crow told him he had better wait till the next day. "That will
give me time to tell everybody," he explained, "and then there'll be a
big turnout to see you win--and to jeer at Grumpy Weasel for losing."
And one could tell from Mr. Crow's remark that he liked Jimmy Rabbit and
that he despised Grumpy Weasel.

The next day proved to be a fine one for the race. It wasn't too hot nor
too cold; and early in the morning the field- and forest-people began
gathering at Grumpy Weasel's hunting ground, where the stone wall
touched the clearing.

About the only persons that objected to the time set for the race were
Benjamin Bat and Solomon Owl. Benjamin said that he could never keep
awake to watch it; and Solomon complained that he couldn't see well in
the daytime. But all the rest of the company were in the best of
spirits, giggling slyly whenever they looked at Grumpy Weasel, who
seemed to pay scant heed to his neighbors, though you may be sure his
roving black eyes took in everything that was going on. He seemed more
restless than ever as he waited for Jimmy Rabbit to arrive, walking to
and fro on his front legs in a most peculiar fashion, while he kept his
hind feet firmly planted on the ground in one spot. Of course he could
never have moved about in this manner had his body not been so long and
slender.

Noticing Grumpy's strange actions, old Mr. Crow looked worried and asked
him what was the matter. "I hope your hind feet aren't troubling you,
just as the race is about to begin," he said.

Grumpy Weasel hissed at the old gentleman before he replied: "Don't
worry! You'll soon see that my hind feet can travel as fast as my front
ones--when I want to use them."

"Ah!" Mr. Crow exclaimed knowingly. "He's saving his hind feet for the
race."

When Jimmy Rabbit reached the gathering place, coming up in a long lope,
Mr. Crow hurried to meet him.

"I advise you to save your hind feet," he whispered. "Grumpy Weasel is
saving his."

Jimmy Rabbit told Mr. Crow, with a smile, that he had saved his hind
feet all his life--and his front ones, too.

"I've brought them along to-day," he said, "to help me win this race."

X

HA! AND HA, HA!

A great outcry rang through the woods the moment Jimmy Rabbit set out to
race Grumpy Weasel and beat him. Shouts of "Good luck!" and "Run hard!"
and "Hurrah for James Rabbit!"