all the little creatures of the big green woods were looking toward the big elm where ki-yi coyote was hiding and were wondering what would happen.

then all of a sudden they heard big-mouthed yappy baying away out on the wide prairie. pretty soon they heard another hound baying.

it was quite true that jack rabbit had been started up at last. he had waited at the tree, and it had seemed as though nine o’clock never would come. at last when he saw yappy and his friend coming, he was really glad.

when they were pretty close, jack rabbit sprang up, put his long ears straight in the air, and away he went. you see, when he doesn’t have to run[pg 90] very fast, he keeps his ears straight up in the air; but when he has to run as fast as he can—the way he did when speedy grey hound got after him—then he lays his long ears down flat to his head. and how he does run! he looks like a streak, he goes so fast.

jack rabbit was not much afraid of yappy, because you see, yappy was only a fox hound. now a fox hound is dangerous enough at night, when he is on the trail of ray coon or o. possum, but he can’t do any harm in the daytime to swift jack rabbit on the wide prairie.

big yappy and his friend, the other fox hound, had been trained to trail, at night, nothing but ray coon and o. possum and tom wildcat. but in the daytime they certainly did like to start up jack rabbit. most of all, though, they liked to start up ki-yi coyote.

[pg 91]“there he goes!” shouted happy yappy to his friend, as jack rabbit jumped up; and away they all went. and jack rabbit, of course, led them straight away for the big green woods.

as they ran, jack rabbit kept thinking to himself, “i surely do hate to run so close to ki-yi coyote. indeed, i do! just suppose he should go after me as hard as ever he could.” then he would comfort himself by thinking, “but then, he’ll never do it with the two hounds chasing him. i’ll be all right. yes, i’ll just keep going. my, but i wish i could kick old ki-yi right on the nose as i go past him!”

but wise jack rabbit said to himself that as soon as he had started up ki-yi coyote, he would run right back to the wide prairie, where there was plenty of room, because he might need it.

[pg 92]while all the little creatures of the big green woods were looking and wondering, doctor rabbit bounded into the woods from somewhere. in a jiffy he was in his tree, looking out from an upper window.

the two hounds were coming after jack rabbit as fast as they could, yelling terribly at each other, and saying that this time they certainly would catch him.

but jack rabbit was very wise. he ran a little slower until the two hounds were fearfully close, and all the little creatures of the big green woods looking on were dreadfully scared for poor jack rabbit. in fact, mother chipmunk and sophy woodchuck began to weep, and wipe their eyes with the corners of their aprons, because they said something had surely gone wrong with jack rabbit and this was the last of him. it would be[pg 93] terrible, they said; and how would mrs. jack rabbit ever make a living for all that family of little rabbits out on the wide prairie?

the next minute jack rabbit ran straight for the big elm. he saw ki-yi coyote lying with his body close to the ground. old ki-yi coyote had seen them coming, but he thought, of course, he would just watch and see jack rabbit and the hounds go by. then suddenly, before he could realize it, jack rabbit leaped clear over startled ki-yi. “ki-yi! ki-yi!” he shouted, “i’ve brought you some company. here they are. good day! i must be going!” and away went jack rabbit out of sight.

well, ki-yi coyote was both surprised and angry. he was about the angriest he had ever been in his life. but what could he do? well, he couldn’t do a[pg 94] thing except tear out of the woods as hard as he could go. and then how all the little creatures of the big green woods did laugh, even mother chipmunk and sophy woodchuck!

now when yappy and his friend saw ki-yi coyote jump up, they shouted for joy. “woo! woo! woo!” shouted yappy gaily to his friend. “sly old ki-yi! woo, woo, woo! here he is right under our noses! now we’ll see about him! woo, woo, woo!” and away they went after ki-yi coyote. ki-yi was so mad he could have bitten a nail if there had been one handy, but, mad or no mad, he had to run as hard as he could.

now the little creatures of the big green woods all hurried to the edge of the woods and looked on as yappy and his friend started out across the wide prairie after ki-yi coyote.