The Ragged Rabbit Giant

"The Ragged Rabbit Giant" by David Cory is a charming children's story that follows the adventures of a whimsical giant rabbit who is large in size but has a heart full of kindness. As he navigates through various challenges and encounters with other characters, the tale explores themes of friendship, acceptance, and the importance of being true to oneself. With its engaging narrative and delightful illustrations, the book captivates young readers and encourages them to embrace their uniqueness while fostering a sense of community.

• Children

								
    Oh, lovely roses come in June,
    The Bubbling Brook has learned a tune,
    And all the birds on bush and tree
    Are singing songs for you and me.

“Ha, ha,” laughed Little Jack Rabbit, as he hopped over the Sunny
Meadow, “I wonder if Timmie Meadowmouse is home.”

Pretty soon the little bunny stopped before a round grass ball that
hung between three strong stalks.

“Timmie Meadowmouse!” he shouted, “come out and play!” Pretty soon a
tiny head peeked out of the grass house and a little voice answered:

“Oh, it’s you, is it?”

“Yes, it’s me,” replied Little Jack Rabbit, although he should have
said, “It’s I.” But what do we care? Teacher isn’t around and school
will soon be over and we will be in clover.

“What do you want?” asked the little meadowmouse, jumping down to the
ground. “How is Uncle Lucky?”

“He’s all right,” answered the little bunny. “Have you heard what a
dreadful time we had with Hungry Hawk?”

“No, tell me about it,” replied Timmie Meadowmouse. “Dear me, how I
do hate that wicked bird. He’s always flying over the Sunny Meadow,
looking here and looking there. But I always try to be here when he’s
looking there,” and Timmie Meadowmouse winked his eye like a wise
little mouse boy.

“Oh, we had a dreadful time the other day,” went on Little Jack
Rabbit. “Hungry Hawk almost pushed in through the kitchen door. If
Uncle Lucky hadn’t slammed it on his hooked beak, making him fast, I
don’t believe the Policeman Dog could have caught him.”

“You don’t say so,” exclaimed Timmie Meadowmouse.

“Yes, I do,” answered the little bunny boy. “And pretty soon after
we had tied the door tight so that the old hawk couldn’t pull away
his beak, the Policeman Dog arrived and arrested him. Now he’s in the
jail house in Rabbitville.”

“Then I shall have some peace for a while,” laughed the timid little
meadowmouse. “Oh, I’m so glad!” and he skipped over the meadow and
after him hopped the little bunny boy. By and by, after a while, but
not nearly a mile, they came to the Old Rail Fence, on the top of
which sat Chippy Chipmunk in his striped fur jacket.

“What makes you two fellows so frisky?” he asked.

“Oh, just because we’re happy,” answered the little meadowmouse.

“That’s it,” laughed Little Jack Rabbit. “When you’re happy your feet
just skiptoe over the ground. You almost think you’re flying.”

“Stuff and nonsense,” said a voice, all of a sudden, just like that.

Dear me, I suppose I should have kept you from worrying by telling
you right off whose voice it was that shouted “Stuff and nonsense!”

It was Grandmother Magpie’s. That’s whose voice it was. And the old
lady blackbird looked most forbidding, let me tell you. Oh, yes, she
did, and no mistake about it.

“Good morning,” said the little bunny boy.

“I hope you’re well,” cried Timmie Meadowmouse.

“It’s a lovely day,” chimed in Chippy Chipmunk.

“What were you saying about flying?” asked Grandmother Magpie, with a
toss of her head.

“Dear me, I’ve forgotten,” sighed Little Jack Rabbit. “I was so happy
a minute ago and now I’ve forgotten what made me so.”

“You haven’t answered my question,” went on Grandmother Magpie,
sometimes called Old Mother Mischief because she is always
interfering in other people’s business.

“Mother told me not to answer your questions,” replied Little Jack
Rabbit.

“What?” almost screamed Grandmother Magpie.

“Yes, she did,” went on the little bunny boy rabbit, brave as a
lion,—a little lion, of course,—not a great big one. “She said you
meddled too much with every one’s affairs.”

“Oh, she did, did she?” snapped old lady blackbird, and without
another word she flew away.

“Oh, isn’t she mad,” laughed Chippy Chipmunk.

“Serves her right,” cried Timmie Meadowmouse. “She’s the most
disagreeable thing in the whole Shady Forest.”

“Don’t forget Old Man Weasel,” said Little Jack Rabbit.

“Nor Danny Fox,” chirped Bobbie Redvest. “Guess I’ll go with you.”

“Come along,” answered the little bunny boy. “I’m on my way to Cozy
Cave to see the Big Brown Bear,” and away he hopped, lipperty lip,
clipperty clip, up the Shady Forest Trail, in and out among the
trees, through the glen and up the wooded hillside till he reached
Mr. Bear’s dwelling place.

“My, but I’m tired,” sighed the little bunny boy rabbit, seating
himself on the big wooden bench just outside the Cozy Cave. “I wonder
where the Big Brown Bear has gone,” and he looked this way and that
way, up and down, back and forth, but no big brown fur overcoat came
into view.

By and by, not so very long, the little rabbit boy bunny fell asleep.
At first he closed only one eye, his left eye. Then he opened it and
shut his right eye. After a little he closed them both for a minute,
but the next time he forgot to open them.

Dear, dear me! I hope nothing dreadful happens to Little Jack Rabbit
before he wakes up.

Pretty soon as the little rabbit slept on who should come tiptoeing
by but Old Man Weasel. Dear, dear me! No sooner did he see Little
Jack Rabbit than he tip-toed even more softly around the big tree.
Then he peeked out, first on one side and then on the other. I
suppose he thought the Big Brown Bear might be in his cave wrapping
up Lollypops and Ice Cream Cones.

By and by the old weasel grew bolder. Nobody came around and the
little bunny boy rabbit kept on sleeping, oh, so peacefully, dreaming
about red clover tops and carrot candies and ’licious lollypops and
marshmallow drops.

“Ha, ha!” cried the old weasel, softly, just to himself, you know,
as he sneaked on his tippy toes toward the Cozy Cave. “Ha, ha! Won’t
I have a nice dinner,” he whispered, smacking his lips,—yes, he
smacked them again!

“Wake up!” shouted Bobbie Redvest so loudly that Little Jack Rabbit
woke up with a start. And then right over the wicked Weasel he hopped
just like a frog and away through the Shady Forest until he bumped
right into the Big Brown Bear.

“Oh, dear, and oh, dear!” he cried. “I’m glad it’s you, but why
didn’t you come sooner?”

“Why?” asked the nice kind old bear with a good-natured grin. “Better
late than never.”

“Oh, yes, oh, yes,” answered the frightened little bunny boy rabbit.
“But if you’d only come two minutes ago I’d still be dreaming I was
eating lemon drops and lollypops, clover tops and marshmallow drops.”

“Well, I’m glad I waited,” replied the Big Brown Bear. “If you had
eaten much more you’d have been, and maybe you will be, twisted into
a double bowknot by a tummy ache.”

“What?” cried the little rabbit.

“Well, perhaps not,” laughed the big bear. “Come, turn around and go
home with me. I’ll give you a drink of Cranberry Tea.”

Then arm in arm, although of course the Big Brown Bear had to lean
way over and way down, they both went up the Shady Forest Trail till
they came to the Cozy Cave. Of course Old Man Weasel was nowhere
to be seen, although they both looked for him here and there and

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