"all right, come along," said cocky doodle, and he started back for the old farm, followed by henny penny and the little bunny.
"where are you going?" called out mrs. rabbit from the old bramble patch.
"i'm going over to the old farm with henny penny and cocky doodle," answered her little bunny boy.
"you'd better be careful," said his mother, "the farmer might catch you."
"i don't think so, mrs. rabbit," said cocky doodle; "he's a very kind farmer." mrs. rabbit smiled, as if she only half believed the little rooster. then she turned to her little rabbit boy and said, "keep a bright lookout, and don't forget you're only a small bunny."
after that away went the three little people, cocky doodle, with his bright red comb, and henny penny in her pretty gray speckled feathers, and little jack rabbit, in his fur waistcoat, white as the big clouds that chased mr. merry sun over the bright blue sky.
"who is this little bunny?" asked turkey tim when they all came to the farm yard.
"don't you know?" answered henny penny. "why, he's the little rabbit who colors the easter eggs!"
"what!" cried a big fat goose.
"this is little jack rabbit," said cocky doodle.
"pleased to meet you," said goosey lucy. "do you paint goose eggs, too?" but before the little bunny could say yes or no, the kind farmer himself came out of the house.
"why, look who's here," he said with a smile. and such a kind smile that little jack rabbit wasn't the least bit afraid.
"he saw the hired boy steal the eggs from my nest in the corner of the old rail fence," cried henny penny.
"ha, ha!" laughed the kind farmer. "so that's where you've been laying your eggs, is it, miss henny penny?"
"cock-a-doodle-do,
she only laid a few.
but after this she'll lay the rest
within the little wooden nest
you hung upon the henhouse wall,
and tell you with her cackle-call,"
said the little rooster, for henny penny was too ashamed to speak.
then the weathercock whirled around on his big toe and, pointing at the little hen, shouted through his tin megaphone:
"why don't you stay at home and lay,
and not go calling every day?
i never leave my perch up here
no matter what the atmosphere."
