"'Dear me, is that so, Mr. Rabbit? Now I really can't catch fish as I
used to; but it comes quite natural for me to stand on one foot. I'll
try to do you a favor some day, Mr. Rabbit.'

"Then Grandfather Stork stood up in the sun waiting for the fish to jump
down his throat, and Bunny Rabbit ran off into the bushes, laughing till
there was danger of splitting his sides; but he didn't keep it up very
long, for just then down swooped Mr. Hawk, and Bunny Rabbit came very
near taking an excursion in the air.

"As it was, Mr. Hawk dug a great hole in his back, and nipped off a
piece of his tail, before Bunny could get under a wild-rose bush where
he was safe. It was Mr. Crow who told Grandfather Stork that he had been
fooled, and the poor old fellow looked so sorrowful when he hobbled away
without having had any dinner, that I made up my mind I never would try
to play such kind of jokes."

"And you are right, Mrs. Goose," your Aunt Amy said decidedly. "It is a
very foolish practice, and often causes much trouble. Now Bunny Rabbit
really told Mr. Stork a lie, even if it was in sport, and we all know
how wrong that is."

At this moment Mr. Grander came up, and when Mrs. Goose asked how he
felt, he said:

"I'm better, thank you. That frog was tough, and, to make matters worse,
I accidentally swallowed his hat."

"You were in too much of a hurry, Mr. Gander," Mrs. Goose said sharply.
"Perhaps you was afraid you might be asked to share him with some other