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Sammie and Susie Littletail

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<h2> XVI </h2> <h3> SAMMIE AND THE SNAKE </h3> "Sammie," said Mamma Littletail to her little bunny boy one fine day, "I wish you would take this basket of cabbage leaves and preserved clover over to Mr. Groundhog. He was so good to let us go in his burrow that night the flood came in here that I want to do him a kindness." "Can't Susie come, too, mamma?" asked Sammie, who did not like to go through the woods alone, especially since there were so many boys wandering about on top of the Orange Mountain, now that spring was getting near. "Yes, Susie may go if she wants to," answered the rabbit childrens' mother. "Do you want to, dear?" "Oh, yes. I'll go with Sammie. But I think he ought to carry the basket." "Of course I will," said Sammie, and the two set off to the burrow where Mr. Groundhog had his home. It was not far from the underground house where the rabbit family lived, and the children soon reached it. They knocked on the door, and a voice called out: "Who's there?" "Sammie and Susie Littletail," answered Sammie. "We have some cabbage leaves and preserved clover that mamma sent you." "That is very nice," remarked the groundhog. "Come right in. I am afraid to come to the door, you know." Sammie and Susie walked in and gave Mr. Groundhog the things in the basket. Then Susie, who was very curious, asked him a question. "Why didn't you want to come to the door?" she inquired. "Because," whispered the groundhog, looking around as if he was afraid some one would see him, "I might see my shadow again, you know, and that would make winter longer than ever. You know I went out Candlemas Day and I saw it, and it frightened me so I rushed back in here, and I'm not going out again until March 16, which will be just six weeks. If I hadn't seen my shadow, winter would not last so long—at least, that's what people say. I don't know whether to believe them or not. But I am not going out again until warm weather is here, so I am very glad your mamma sent me something to eat." The groundhog gave the bunny children some bits of dried sweet potato he had put away, and they started for home. "I don't believe much in that shadow business," said Sammie, as he and his sister walked along. "How could a groundhog, seeing his shadow, make winter any longer?" "I don't know," answered Susie, "but it must be so, because every one says so; even Uncle Wiggily Longears." "I'm going to ask Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy when I get home," declared Sammie. "Come on, let's go 'round by Farmer Tooker's cabbage patch. Maybe we can find a stump or two to gnaw. I'm getting hungry. Mr. Groundhog didn't give me enough sweet potato." "Perhaps that was all he had," suggested Susie. They were walking along, through a little wood, when, all of a sudden, the two bunnies heard a hiss, just like the steam coming out of the radiator. "What's that?" cried Sammie. "It's a snake!" shouted Susie. "Look out, Sammie, or he will grab you." Sammie tried to jump out of the way, but he was too late, and the big black snake grabbed him. The snake coiled around poor Sammie, and bit the little rabbit's ear to make him keep quiet, I suppose, for Sammie was trying to get loose. "Oh, oh, oh!" exclaimed Susie. "You bad snake! Let my little brother alone." But the black snake never said a word, only he clung the tighter to poor Sammie. "Run for help, Susie!" called the little boy rabbit. "Run and ask Mr. Groundhog to come and drive the snake away!" So Susie ran as fast as she could, and did not even stop to rap on the burrow door where Mr. Groundhog lived. She went right in, and told the elderly creature that a bad snake had her little brother. "And won't you please come and get him loose?" asked Susie, who was crying. "If you shut your eyes you won't see your shadow, and be frightened. I will lead you to him." "Never mind about my shadow!" exclaimed Mr. Groundhog. "I don't care whether I see it again or not. I'll go and save Sammie Littletail, who was so kind to me." So he ran and hit the snake with a club, until it was glad enough to let Sammie loose, and it was quite time, too, for poor Sammie's breath was nearly squeezed out of him. Then Sammie, after he had thanked Mr. Groundhog, ran home with Susie. Now if you remind me of it, I shall try to tell you, to-morrow night, something about Susie and the white kittie.     <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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