One day the Runaway Bunny woke up in his own little house and sang:
He put on his Wrist Watch for company, though he could not tell time to save his little stubby tail!
He was going hippety-hop along when he met Old Brother Bear. The Bear passed the time of day, but seemed to be in a terrible hurry and growled:
“Where are you going?” inquired the Runaway Bunny.
But Old Brother Bear only hurried on.
Next Foxy-Lox came along and chattered:
“Where are you going?” asked the Runaway Bunny.
But Foxy-Lox had no time to answer him, and went hurrying down the path without even a backward glance.
The Runaway Bunny said to himself:
“Tick, tick, tick,” went the little Wrist Watch and it sang:
“The Runaway Bunny was surprised”
The Runaway Bunny was surprised, you may be sure, and put his ear down close to the little watch to listen.
The little Wrist Watch continued:
The Runaway Bunny skipped this way and that way, and sang:
The little Wrist Watch continued:
Then the Runaway Bunny ran on faster than ever and the tiny hands of the Wrist Watch ran round its face. Before he could believe it, the Runaway Bunny was learning to tell time.
He shouted:
He learned half past and a quarter past and a quarter of the hours.
He sang merrily:
He sat down and began to eat cabbage leaves. My! how fresh and crisp they were!
He began to wonder about the animals he had met. He wondered where they could be going. Don’t you wonder, too?
All this time Old Brother Bear was on his way to the home of Father and Mother Bun. When he came in, those two old Bunnies were sitting by the fire.
“Sitting by the fire”
He took off his cap politely and said:
“Gave him a plate of cakes”
Seeing that Old Brother Bear was friendly, Old Father Bun allowed him to sit in a rocking chair by the fire. Old Mother Bun gave him a plate of cakes, smoking hot, with honey on them. Old Mother Bun said:
“Did he have long ears and a tiny tail?” asked Old Brother Bear.
“Yes, yes,” shouted Old Mother Bun.
“Did he carry a little Wrist Watch?” asked Old Brother Bear.
“Yes, yes,” shouted Old Father Bun.
Then Old Brother Bear, who was something of a joker, smacked his lips and said:
So saying, he bowed politely and walked out of the door.
Old Mother Bun remarked:
Old Father Bun’s head went nid-nid-nodding.
“Up walked Old Foxy-Lox”
Up walked Old Foxy-Lox, tapping on the window pane.
Foxy-Lox asked for cookies and honey, but Old Mother Bun would not let him in.
He went off, shouting:
“Call him back! Call him back!” called Old Father Bun, who had waked up in time to hear Foxy-Lox shout.
Mother Bun shook her head as she counted her silver spoons, saying:
Old Father Bun said:
While all this was going on, the Runaway Bunny continued to eat as much cabbage as he wanted.
The little Wrist Watch said to him:
The Runaway Bunny had really learned to tell the time. But he wanted to tease, so he said:
Then he curled up in a hole in a hollow tree and went to sleep.
All the time, his little Wrist Watch ticked busily on.
For all who wanted to hear, it sang:
That night the Runaway Rabbit cried out in his sleep: