When Tom Wildcat smiled and spoke about having all those nice vegetables for dinner, Doctor Rabbit knew well enough that he didn’t ever eat any such things. No, sir; all Tom Wildcat wanted was Doctor Rabbit. But Doctor Rabbit was just as cunning as was Tom, so he said, “It’s very kind of you to invite me over to dinner, Friend Tom, very kind, I am sure; but the fact is, I won’t have time. I really am too busy.”

“A good deal of sickness in the Woods, I suppose,” Tom Wildcat said, as pleasantly as could be.

“Yes, quite a good deal,” said Doctor Rabbit; “especially a good many accidents, lately.”

Tom Wildcat was so angry for a minute[Pg 39] that he almost forgot to smile. He knew what Doctor Rabbit meant by accidents. He meant Tom’s getting his foot bitten by Farmer Roe’s big dog, and his falling into that hole. But by very hard work, crafty Tom did manage to keep on smiling as he said, “Well, I shall have to be going on, then. Possibly you can come over some other time and take dinner with me. Good morning, Doctor Rabbit!” And Tom Wildcat trotted off.

When he had disappeared, Doctor Rabbit sat down in his big chair and laughed and laughed. It would have made anybody laugh to see how hard it had been for Tom Wildcat to smile when Doctor Rabbit spoke about so many accidents lately.

There was a great deal of excitement among the little creatures of the Big Green Woods now. It was bad enough[Pg 40] to know that Tom Wildcat had come over from his hollow tree near the Deep River, but it was worse still to think that he had fallen into that hole and climbed out again.

Of cou............