all afternoon doctor rabbit watched the strange box that farmer roe had placed at the hole where ki-yi coyote had gone under the corn crib, but nothing happened. toward evening doctor rabbit came back to the little creatures waiting in the woods. he looked very wisely at them and said:

“my friends, nothing more has happened as yet, but i feel quite certain that ki-yi coyote will be caught. i’m pretty tired now and must have my supper. just as soon as it is daylight, jack rabbit and i will slip over again and watch, and see what farmer roe and his boy do about that box.”

at this all the little creatures of the big green woods began talking at once.[pg 101] then they bade doctor rabbit good-night, and went back to their homes to await the news.

the next morning they were all startled by hearing noisy blue jay shouting, “come here! come here, all of you! doctor rabbit told me to call you. old ki-yi is caught, and i can see him. i can see him!”

well, you should have seen all those little creatures of the big green woods tumbling out of their homes! stubby woodchuck came tearing out of his front door, and before he knew it, bumped into cheepy chipmunk, and knocked him over. they were both mad about it for a minute. stubby got bumped on the ear and cheepy got a bump on the nose, but in the excitement they forgot their anger and hurried to the edge of the wide prairie, where all the other[pg 102] little creatures of the big green woods seemed to be gathering.

chatty red squirrel came out of his house so fast he ran square into frisky grey squirrel, and then neighbor grey was provoked. he said he never did know a red squirrel that had any manners; but chatty red squirrel kept right on running, and so frisky grey squirrel forgot his crossness and ran too, as fast as he could, with the other excited little creatures of the big green woods.

in almost no time they all had reached the edge of the woods. then they all looked toward farmer roe’s house and the strange box.