In this fourth book of the Twilight Animal series, we find 16 stories of Bumper the white rabbit and the adventures he has with his friends in the forest.
By : George Ethelbert Walsh (1865 - 1941)
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Bumper, after working hard to trick his enemies so they would be more afraid of the rabbits in the woods, had decided the ways of peace were better than those of war. Not that he was going to permit Sneaky the Wolf or Loup the Lynx to pounce upon his people and eat them up without fighting, but instead of going around with a chip on his shoulder, expecting and looking for trouble, he intended to make friends of all the animals and birds, and be helpful to them.
It is wonderful how much good to others we can overlook if we go about with our eyes shut. There is plenty to do if we look for it. So Bumper found in a short time that he had missed a good deal in always looking for the worst in others instead of for the best.
Only a few days after his change of plans, which was told of in a former book, Bumper stumbled upon Sleepy the Opossum in a tree, with his eyes closed in slumber. At first he was going to pass him without a word of greeting, for Sleepy had more than once angered him by his sharp tongue. Then he thought better of it.
“Hello, Sleepy!” he called good-naturedly.
“Hello yourself!” was the sullen retort. “What do you want to wake me up for! Go on about your business, and let me sleep!”
Bumper was a little nettled at this sharp retort, and was going to answer back in a huff; but he didn’t. He remembered his new resolution.
“If I were you, Sleepy,” he said instead, “I wouldn’t sleep outdoors in plain sight like that. You know Loup the Lynx is hunting in these woods now.”
Sleepy opened both eyes an instant, and then closed them again. “You can’t scare me,” he drawled. “I’ve heard how you’ve been stirring up trouble in the woods. Now don’t come around here with any of your tales.”
Bumper was more nettled than ever at this reply, but still he controlled himself. “You’d better listen to me, Sleepy,” he said. “It’s true that Loup the Lynx is hunting in these woods, and if he passed here he could see you easily. Why not find a good hiding place if you must sleep outdoors?”
“Because I prefer this warm place in the sun. Now go on and leave me alone.”
And Bumper hopped along, feeling that his offer of kindness was not wanted. He hopped for some distance until suddenly he heard a noise in the tree overhead. He stopped and glanced up.
There was Loup the Lynx crouched in the tree, looking for some small animal he could pounce upon. Bumper was concealed from view by the bushes, and unless Loup saw him he was safe. It would be an easy matter to hide there until Loup passed on.
But as he crouched he thought of Sleepy a short distance away. If Loup hunted in his direction he would surely see him, and that would be the last of Sleepy. Now the desire to hide, and save his own skin, made him crouch still lower in the bushes.
“It’s none of my affair,” he said to himself. “I warned Sleepy, and he wouldn’t listen to me. I don’t need to do anything more.”
Of course, Bumper was right in a way, and he couldn’t be blamed for thinking of his own skin first; but all the time his conscience kept troubling him. What if Loup should spring upon Sleepy and kill him! How would he feel! He would never feel that he had done all of his duty.
“No,” he said finally, “I can’t hide here and let Sleepy be caught. I must warn him once more.”
Having made this decision, he crept out of his hiding place, and keeping the trees and bushes between him and the Loup, he made his way slowly back to where Sleepy was sunning himself.
“Sleepy,” he called softly when he got under the tree. “Sleepy, wake up!”
Sleepy the Opossum opened his eyes again, and seeing who it was calling him they snapped with anger.
“I wish you’d mind your business, Bumper!” he said in a loud, disagreeable voice. “If you wake me up again I’ll come down and bite you. Now get out!”
“But, Sleepy, you must hide. Loup the Lynx is coming. I saw him only a short distance away, and he’s coming in this direction.”
“Then why don’t you run and hide? Loup is as fond of rabbits as of opossums. If he was coming you’d be the first one to run and hide. No, you can’t make me believe any such story.”
“But on my word of honor, Sleepy, he’s coming,” protested Bumper.
“Let him come then! Now I’m—”
Sleepy didn’t finish his sentence. There was a snap of a twig nearby, and Bumper whispered:
“Run! Run! He’s here! If you wait another minute you’re lost!”
Sleepy was suddenly wide awake. He was suspicious of that snapping twig. He started down the tree for his hole where he would be safe. Half way there he caught sight of a pair of yellow eyes watching him. Then with a scream Loup the Lynx sprang for him, covering the distance between the two trees in one mighty jump. He landed plump on the limb where Sleepy had been sleeping.
But Bumper’s timely warning had been of use. Sleepy was on the next limb, and before Loup could spring again the Opossum slipped into his hole with a squeak of fear. Loup sprang at him with a snarl of rage and anger, for he had missed him by merely an inch.
During all this time, Bumper had looked around for his own safety. Loup had not spied him, and he kept well under the green leaves of the bushes. Then just as Loup made the final spring for Sleepy, the white rabbit slipped under a big log where he could not be seen.
He lay there panting and palpitating with fear. Would Loup come sniffing around and discover him? Or would he finally leave the place to hunt elsewhere? It was a terrible moment of uncertainty.
But luck was with him. Loup, never suspecting the presence of a rabbit below, finally leaped to a higher branch of the tree, and looked around. This was his favorite method of spying out any helpless animal below. Then he jumped to the next tree, and so made his way to another part of the woods.
Bumper waited a long time before he crept from his hiding place to renew his trip. When he finally did so all was quiet in the woods. But just as he hopped away a voice from the hole in the tree called to him.
“You saved my life, Bumper,” Sleepy said, peeking his head out. “I’m sorry I spoke so crossly to you. Won’t you forgive me?”
“Certainly, Sleepy,” replied Bumper. “And I’m mighty glad Loup wasn’t a minute sooner. Good-bye!”
Hopping away this time, he felt much better than before. He had done a good service to Sleepy, and won his friendship for all time. Next he had a chance to help Browny the Muskrat in a very peculiar way, which will be the subject of the following story.
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