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Show gi Daddy's !10dEkmig Fairy Tale dynARY GRAHAM BONNER , II CIWUN NtVlfiftt DN.OH WEASEL AND RABBIT "I can't say that I am very fond of Mr. Weasel," said Daddy. "There are some animals who may do some had things and yet who do many kind things too. They are like people and boys and girls, too. with a goodly mixture of Loth bad and good in them. "Hut Mr. Weasel loves to hunt and kill for the sake of killing. He Is very bloodthirsty. He goes for Mr. ted Squirrel. "But worse than that, he goes for my dear little Itubhit friends, and I do j believe I love a rabbit us much as any i other animal." "Oh, I think I do too," said Nancy. I "They do make you m!0hty fond of item." said Nick. 'The Rabbit can run faster than the Weasel but the Weasel can very, very often, if not usually, get the better of the Rabbit. "The Rabbit may run and oh, whnt a runner he is but Mr. Weasel hurries through the snow and gets him. - "Now a grandchild of Bunnie Bonnie had known how his dear mother had ended her life. 1 "He knew only too well. I "He remembered the horrible looking look-ing weasel and how his mother bad pushed him away to safety and how he had later heard a pitiful, miserable, heart-rending little cry and had been almost sure it was his mother's voice. "And yet he had never before beard her voice sound like that. "He had never heard her voice sound so sad and so pleading. "But old Mr. Weasel had had no heart. Mother Rabbit had begged for life and Mr. Weasel had laughed a cruel, cruel, laugh and had said : " 'No, Mrs. Rabbit, I cannot do as you ask.' "Since then little Bunnie Bonnie had gone about alone. He tried to remember re-member the lessons his mother bad taught him. He did all that he was supposed to do. "But oh, how his little heart would ache at times when be thought of his mother's sad cry. "He cheered up by thinking that his mother had said : " -I don't care what happens as long as I save my Bunnie Bonnie baby.' "And she had saved him! Yes, his dear, brave little white-tailed mother had saved his life and had not thought of tie danger to herself then. If only she could save him ! That had been her one thought and desire. "And she had saved him ! How wonderful won-derful his mother bad been. "What a lucky Bunnie Bonnie he was to have had such a mother. He would tell other rabbits about her and her name would become known and respected re-spected and looked up to. "At least he could do that for his dear mother. "And then, one day, as he was thinking think-ing of his mother, and trying to re- mm vl " ' ' 1 i "Bunnie Bonnie Ran." member the lessons she had taught him, In (he distance he saw Mr. Weasel. Wea-sel. "Til get you too,' Mr. Weasel said, and his eyes looked red and mad and angry. "But Bonnie Bonnie ran this way Hr.d that, and he got away to safety and away from old Mr. Weasel. 'Tin 11 wllh his little heart going jiltlt'i-pattor he thought to himself: " 'Mother would have been happy to have felt that Mr. Weasel didn't gel her Bunnie Bonnie though he tried again.' "So Bunnie Bonnie grew up Into a line rabbit and had many interesting adventures, but he n?ver forgot tiie lessons his dear mother had taught him and lie never forgot the sacrifice kIio ha. I made for him. "What a wonderful Rabbit she had been. He must grow up so thai if she were alive, she would never be csl iioiod of him. He always kept that In ivhid. "Si.uiellmes he was too curious, soinoii'iies he was full of pranks but lie ne did anything mean or unkind un-kind or anything she would really have j been aj-h-uncd of. "And many other rabbits heard the story of Bunnie Bonnie's mother und they all said: " 'Wo Rabbits must never do nny-mir.g nny-mir.g mean for it would be a disgrace 10 iho name of Rabbits.' "But between Nancy and Nick and me," said Daddy, "while the Rabbits are always working bard to live up to their line family name, I don't believe a dear llltle rabbit could be mean it ho or st'! tried to be," |