STORY XI

BUMPER MEETS A FOX


When the White Rabbit hopped ashore from his raft, he was so happy that he
gave the board a kick with his two hind legs, and sent it spinning far out
into the stream. He supposed that he was all alone, and no one had seen
him land, but he was surprised when a voice near him cried out:

"Look out! What are you trying to do?"

There was a flop in the water, and when Bumper turned he saw a queer
looking fish swimming toward the shore, using his hind legs instead of
fins to propel him along. He had big, staring eyes, and a green head, with
white under his throat.

"That's what I call a mean trick!" the swimmer added, hopping upon a
lily-pad, for it was Mr. Bull-Frog that Bumper had mistaken for a queer
fish. "You upset me from that leaf and disturbed my sleep. If I hadn't
been an excellent swimmer I should have been dead by this time."

"What did I do?" asked Bumper, in surprise.

"What did you do?" was the indignant retort. "What but push that board
against my lily-pad and knock me in the water! I call that doing a good
deal."

Bumper was inclined to laugh at the angry Bull-Frog, who was swelling up
to twice his usual size and puffing out his cheeks; but he refrained from