Polite bunny

CHAPTER X.
COMPANY MANNERS

“Company manners you’ll not regret,

If you learn to behave,” said Aunt Etiquette;

“At home if you have good manners, you see,

You’ll also behave well in company.”

After dinner Uncle Education began to talk,

“To promote good health is my vocation,

I’m busy,” said Uncle Education;

“Good English, too, now as a rule,

I teach at home, abroad, in school;

The hours pass on, I must be swift,

I’ve many lessons to teach in thrift.”

The Bunnies whispered a little among themselves, for Uncle Education used so many big words they could not understand all he said. Aunt Etiquette spoke quietly to Polly Pick-It-Up, who whispered more than the rest. She said,

“When we are in company,

We should listen respectfully.”

Just then Teddy On Time left the room without asking to be excused, and he slammed the door after him.

Uncle Education then said,

“There’s something often to me sings,

We should have manners in little things;

I’ve often said this thing before,

We can learn to quietly close a door.”

When Teddy On Time came back he walked in front of Uncle Education who remarked quietly,

“Say ‘EXCUSE ME’, lad or lass,

When in front you have to pass.”

Polly Pick-It-Up was very bright and she said,

“I can teach one lesson soon,

Rise when any one enters the room.”

Uncle Education said if we practise good manners every day we will not need to think about manners particularly when visitors come. We will just naturally be polite and have good manners always.

At this very minute the postman brought two letters.

One was for Uncle Education saying he was needed at once in school, and the other was from Old Mother Bun saying that Father Bun would call next day for Pretty Bunny and Healthy Bunny, for Healthy Bunny had stayed on as Aunt Etiquette had politely asked him to.

Pretty Bunny sat down and cried out,

“I can’t wear a clean dress, I haven’t another;

I never told my misfortune to mother;

Will Bunny Brag never, never come

With my lost suit-case to take home?”

No one answered this for, of course, no one knew where Bunny Brag was.

Uncle Education shook hands with all his friends and said if he chanced to meet Bunny Brag he would direct him to Aunt Etiquette’s house. He said to Aunt Etiquette,

“I think you are a near relation;

Good bye, says Uncle Education.”

Aunt Etiquette bade him good bye; then Polly Pick-It-Up said,

“I, too, must travel on my way;

I thank you for a pleasant stay.”

Teddy On Time said,

“I’ve learned some things I’ll not forget;

Good bye, dear Old Aunt Etiquette.”

Here I Am, the Good Luck Bunny

Then Pretty Bunny and Healthy Bunny and Aunt Etiquette were left together, and Pretty Bunny said, “Won’t you please read us another story, Aunt Etiquette?”

Aunt Etiquette said, “I will read you a short story about “The Good Luck Bunny.”

“Once upon a time there was a Good Luck Bunny. She got up every morning with a smiling face and was polite to every one.

She always said she had better

Answer every single letter;

She travelled over and over again,

And had good manners on the train;

She always kept her bed-room neat,

To enter it was quite a treat;

At the table, at home, in school,

Politeness was to her the rule.

She met you with a smile quite sweet,

And had good manners on the street,

And though we thought her name was funny,

We always called her “Good Luck Bunny.”

One day Good Luck Bunny stubbed her toe and fell. She got up quickly saying,

“I will be brave, ’twill bring me luck,

And that’s another name for PLUCK.”

As she did not cry a bit her eyes were bright and she looked down and saw she had stubbed her toe on a bright, shining dollar, so she had money enough to take a trip.”

At this very minute in the reading of the story, Healthy Bunny’s eyes grew as big as tea-cups, and Pretty Bunny’s eyes grew as big as saucers, for they all heard some one singing distinctly,

‘Ha, ha, ha, it is so funny,

I am here, the Good Luck Bunny’.”

As the story ended, there stood the Good Luck Bunny on the door step. She brought good luck to every one wherever she went, so they were delighted to see her.

Next came Old Father and Mother Bun together.

Said Old Mother Bun,

“I wish to thank Aunt Etiquette

For care of Pretty Bunny;

To-day I brought Aunt Etiquette

A little pot of honey.”

At this very minute Old Mother Bun looked at Pretty Bunny’s soiled dress. She said,

“Pretty Bunny, right now, I guess,

You had better go and change your dress.”

Pretty Bunny started up stairs. When she got to the top step of the stair-case, she did not know what to do, for, of course, she had no clean dress to put on.

There were only Bunny Boy’s clothes in the suit-case.

The Good Luck Bunny followed her and whispered,

“Now please don’t cry, have a little pluck,

I’ve really come to bring Good Luck.”

She slipped a little key round Pretty Bunny’s neck and scampered down stairs.

At that minute Pretty Bunny got up and went into her room. She looked out the window and what should she see but Bunny Brag coming that way with the long lost suit-case.

The Good Luck Bunny had given her the key.

Pretty Bunny ran out the back door and met him and they were glad, indeed, to exchange suit-cases. He could not help bragging a little so he said,

“My clothes are better any way

Than yours, so I will say good day.”

Off he went.

Back into the house crept Pretty Bunny and put on a fresh dress and sun-bonnet, and to this day Old Mother Bun does not know why Pretty Bunny was so long changing her dress.

At last the time came to say good bye, and the visitors got in the buggy and started off, when Pretty Bunny said,

“Oh, Mother Bun, I must go back, I forgot something.”

So they stopped and let Pretty Bunny go back.

She ran up to the mirror and cried,

“I almost forgot you, that was funny,

Good bye, good bye, Looking-Glass Bunny.”

She smiled and the Looking-Glass Bunny smiled back saying,

“Whenever you want me I will come

To your own mirror, now at home.”

Next, Pretty Bunny kissed Aunt Etiquette on both cheeks, saying,

“I’ve had a good time, I’ll not forget

Lessons I learned from Aunt Etiquette.”

Next she peeped into her bed-room and a voice greeted her,

“I’m Bed-Room Bunny, I’m glad you’ve come;

I will meet you really again at home.”

Pretty Bunny shouted,

“I am so happy, I can’t tell why,

Bed-Room Bunny, good bye, good bye.”

Next she ran out, and turning, called to Shadow Bunny,

“I love you better than shining money,

Good bye, good bye, dear Shadow Bunny.”

The Shadow Bunny replied,

“I make friends with every one,

But most of all with the shining sun.”

Then Pretty Bunny called,

“Echo Bunny why, oh why, oh why,

Do I not find you? Good bye, good bye.”

Echo Bunny did not appear but called, “Good bye.”

Pretty Bunny climbed into the buggy and they rode merrily homeward.

The very first question Old Father Bun asked when they got home and sat round the fire was,

“Will some one tell me now who dares,

Who went ‘pitter, patter’ on the stairs?”

Old Mother Bun took up her work basket

And said, “My dear, I forgot to ask it.”

Healthy Bunny said, “I regret

I never asked Aunt Etiquette.”

PRETTY BUNNY SAID, WITH A LAUGH SO FUNNY,

“I THINK IT WAS THE ECHO BUNNY.”

About This Book

CHAPTER X. COMPANY MANNERS

CHAPTER X.
COMPANY MANNERS