130 STORIES OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS 



could not find any one to take the message to me 

 until this afternoon. Then a Rabbit came nib- 

 bling by, and the tree told him. I saw the Rabbit 

 in the meadow, but he was so afraid that I should 

 eat him that he would not come near enough for 

 me to hear distinctly what he said. All I could 

 make out was something about 4 Tommy-Anne ' so 

 I came up to see what you wanted." 



" Why did the Rabbit think that you might eat 

 him ? Do you eat such things ? " 



44 1 have done so, but not often, for Rabbits are 

 a great deal of trouble to carve. I prefer mice, 

 nice juicy mice ; they are so much easier to eat. 

 But when are you going to have the grand Christ- 

 mas tree ? I see a tree over in the corner, but it 

 is not hung with twinkling stars, like the one I 

 saw down in the white house in the village." 



" Mine will have stars on it, too, when it is lit 

 to-morrow night. What time can you come ? And 

 don't forget to bring some of your friends with 

 you, so that we can have a real party ; not one of 

 Aunt Prue's 'two is enough' affairs." 



44 1 will come at this same time to-morrow 

 night. I am a day Owl, and my friends would 

 not care to be out late in this cold season ; they 

 might not be able to find their way back to their 

 roosts. Excuse me," said he, lurching down to 



