THE MAGIC FLOWER
Reading edition
"Come back, come back with my pretty bird, Or I'll change you both into a snake. How dare you act like a couple of thieves And my little pet blue bird take?"
And then the witch gave a dreadful scream, and jumping on her broom-stick flew after Little Jack Rabbit and Uncle John Hare.
Now it may seem strange that a broom-stick can go as fast as a Bunnymobile, but it did, just the same. And maybe a little faster, for pretty soon the old witch was alongside and stretching out her bony hand tried to snatch up the cage with the little blue bird. But just then, all of a sudden, up came Professor Jim Crow with the magic blue flower, and as soon as he touched the little bird she changed into a lovely princess, and the old witch gave another dreadful scream and almost fell off her broom-stick. You see she was afraid of that little magic blue flower, for she knew if she came near it she would turn into a bat, and that would be the end of her. So she flew away on her broom-stick, back to her hut in the wood.
Well, by this time they had reached the funny little old man with his pack who lost no time in touching the little magic flower, when, presto! chango! as the magician says, he turned into a handsome king, and throwing his arms around the princess, cried, "My dearest daughter! At last you are free!" And then he turned to the two little rabbits and Prof. Jim Crow. "How shall I ever repay you?"
"Don't mention it again," said the old gentleman bunny. "We are all glad to have helped you; and besides, you gave us all a present."
Just then the little pig came up, much out of breath, for he had run all the way from the witch's house.
Pretty soon the king and the princess drove off in a great coach drawn by four milk white horses, after saying good-by to the bunnies, the crow and pig. And not so very long, they heard a voice singing:
"My little white dress I have washed so clean, I will iron the ruffles in between, And when the prince comes riding along, I'll sing my prettiest fairy song."
"Who is singing?" asked the little rabbit, and they stopped the Bunnymobile and knocked at the door of a little house they spied in the wood and in less than five seconds, it was opened by a little girl.
"Come in," she said, "I've never seen such nice rabbits before." And in the next story you shall hear what happened after that.