Atondido Stories
no cheese and with only a bad fright and a wet coat for his pains.
He was very cross, for he knew that Rabbit wished to do him
harm, but he kept his anger to himself. Rabbit was still eating
contentedly.
"What are you eating?" said Fox, trying to hold him in talk
until he could think of a plan to catch him. "I am eating good
ripe fruit," said Rabbit. "I am eating Indian melons." "Throw me
one," said Fox, for he was hungry. Rabbit threw him a large
round wild cucumber all covered with green prickles. "Swallow
it whole at a mouthful," said Rabbit; "it is very good that way." It
was night and the moon shone dimly through the trees, and Fox
could not see what he was eating. He swallowed the cucumber
at one gulp, as Rabbit had told him, but the prickles stuck in his
throat and he almost choked to death. And while he was choking
and spluttering and trying to cough up the cucumber, Rabbit ran
away as fast as he could, laughing heartily to himself. Fox knew
that he had been tricked again, and this time he swore he would
kill Rabbit as soon as he could find him; he resolved that when
next he saw him he would not give him a moment to live.
Rabbit hid among the dry underbrush all the next day. But
when the day went down and the sky was red in the west and
the wind was very still, he sat on a log, as was his custom, and
played softly on his flute, for he was a great player on the Indian
pipe. While he was playing, Fox suddenly came upon him una-
wares. Rabbit saw him watching him through the trees close at
hand, but although taken by surprise, he was not to be outdone.
Fox was just about to spring upon him when Rabbit said, "The
Chief's daughter has just been married to a great warrior, and
the wedding party will soon be along this way. They asked me
to sit here and make music for them with my flute as they pass
by. They have promised to pay me well, and they have invited
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