THE SUGAR BARREL
Reading edition
Said Mrs. Daisy Duck one day, "The sugar all has gone away The ants have made a call I fear, And taken it away from here."
"Never mind," said Uncle John Hare, the old gentleman rabbit, "perhaps they couldn't buy any lollypops at the One-Two-Three-Cent Store."
"But what am I to do?" asked Mrs. Daisy Duck. "I must have sugar to make Angel cake."
"If that's the case," said the old gentleman bunny, "I'll motor over to Turnip City and buy some." So he and Little Jack Rabbit jumped into the Bunnymobile and away they went, and after a while, and maybe a mile, and a laugh and a smile, they stopped at the Big Grocery Store.
Now the manager of the sugar department was a very nice pig, and when he advised Uncle John Hare to take a barrel of sugar instead of three pounds for twenty-five cents, the old gentleman rabbit said all right, he would. But, goodness me. They had a dreadful time getting that heavy barrel into the Bunnymobile. But after a while they rolled it up on the back seat, and then they started off for home. But, goodness me again! They had gone but a little way when, all of a sudden, just like that, a voice sang out:
"What have you got in that barrel That sits up so straight on the seat. You'd have a close call if it happened to fall On top of your four little feet."
"Who are you?" asked the old gentleman bunny, stopping the Bunnymobile and looking all about him. But he couldn't see anybody, and neither could the little rabbit, although he put up his spyglasses and looked over the top of a tall oak tree.
"Here I am," said the voice, and all of a sudden, just like that, a big honey bee flew out of a flower.
"Ha, ha!" laughed the old gentleman rabbit, "I guess you smelt sugar. We have enough in that barrel to last for maybe a year and a day, as they say in Fairy Land."
"I will give you a box of honey for two pounds of sugar," said the bee. "Mr. Bee told me this morning that he was tired of honey in his coffee."
"Get in the Bunnymobile and come with us," said the old gentleman bunny. "When we get there I'll open the barrel and give you some." So away they went and soon they came across an old rag doll lying in the dusty road.
"Goodness me," exclaimed the old gentleman rabbit, "she must have fainted." And, sure enough, this was the case, for as soon as she was lifted into the Bunnymobile she opened her eyes and said: "In the next story I'll tell you how I was lost by a little girl with a blue sunbonnet."