[Illustration: 2 Troublesome Mr. Mink]
Chapter 2
Troublesome Mr. Mink
Jimmy Rabbit arrived home somewhat out of breath.
But
he was still happy, for he thought that he had shaken off
that troublesome Mr. Mink.
And he had no idea that Mr. Mink
knew where he lived.
Now, it happened that old Mr. Crow's story about
Jimmy's new tail had reached Mr. Mink's ears.
And as soon as
he heard it he had inquired where Jimmy Rabbit lived.
Mr. Crow had told him.
And he took another look at
Mr. Mink.
"I notice you've lost your tail," he said.
"Yes!" Mr. Mink answered. "Farmer Green threw an axe
at me once.
And it cut off my tail, as you see.
I left that
neighborhood then; and never cared to return to it.
But if
this young Rabbit boy has found my tail, I shall certainly
claim it at once."
So off he went. And Mr. Crow nodded his
head wisely.
It was just as he had said! There was trouble
ahead for Jimmy Rabbit
--or, you might say, there was trouble
_behind_ for him;
for it was that handsome red tail, you
remember, that was the cause of it all.
when all at once somebody else decided it
for him. For all at once a slim, red gentleman rushed at
Jimmy, crying, "Give me my tail! I want my tail!"
It was Mr. Mink! And Jimmy Rabbit ran off as fast as
he could go.
"This is my tail!" he called over his shoulder.
"I
found it. And I'm not going to give it up to anybody."
But Mr. Mink hurried after Jimmy.
To be sure, Jimmy
left him far behind. But Mr. Mink kept following.
It was very
annoying, for Jimmy knew that sooner or later that
troublesome gentleman would be on his heels again.
There was no use of Jimmy's crawling into any hole,
for he was four times as big as Mr. Mink; and, of course,
anywhere he went, Mr. Mink could easily follow.
Jimmy Rabbit didn't know what to do. Mr. Mink had
terribly sharp teeth. And he was very angry.
But Jimmy was
not angry at all. _He_ didn't want to fight.
While he was trying to think of some way out of his
trouble, something suddenly pulled him backward.
Looking
around, he saw Mr. Mink with his cruel teeth fastened in that
beautiful red tail.
"Let go of me!" Jimmy Rabbit cried.
But Mr. Mink didn't say a word. In order to speak, he
would have had to drop that precious tail.
And he had no idea
of doing that. Besides, there was nothing he wanted to say.
There was no use of his calling, "Stop, thief!" when he had
already stopped him, you know.
Jimmy Rabbit pulled with all his might. And Mr. Mink
dug his four feet into the ground and pulled with all of
_his_.
And then, the first thing Jimmy knew, he fell
forward, head over heels.
He was up in a jiffy, and off like
a flash, running like the wind.
But this time Mr. Mink did not follow.
When at last Jimmy sat down to rest he discovered why
it was that Mr. Mink had stopped chasing him.
His beautiful,
new, red tail was gone! The bit of string had broken under
all that pulling.
And now Jimmy Rabbit had no tail except his
own.
"Where's your fine, bushy tail?" Mr. Crow asked Jimmy
the next morning.
"Oh! I discovered who the owner of it was," Jimmy
said. "He came for his property; and I let him have it."
But Mr. Crow was a wise old chap.
"Did you give him the string, too?" he inquired.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: 2 Troublesome Mr. Mink]
JOEL: [ Pointing to a spot ] Well, here's your trouble.
TOM: Some of your trouble.
Chapter 2
CROW: Secrets of the Castle.
Troublesome Mr. Mink
CROW: o/` Sleeps in the pink // shaves in the dink // trying to save paper o/`
Jimmy Rabbit arrived home somewhat out of breath.
JOEL: Lucky he was running to the Breath Shop.
But
he was still happy, for he thought that he had shaken off
that troublesome Mr. Mink.
TOM: The Mink Manther.
And he had no idea that Mr. Mink
knew where he lived.
JOEL: [ As Mr Mink ] 'I'm your next-door neighbor!'
Now, it happened that old Mr. Crow's story about
Jimmy's new tail had reached Mr. Mink's ears.
CROW: And once Mr Mink found his ears boy was Jimmy going to be in trouble.
And as soon as
he heard it he had inquired where Jimmy Rabbit lived.
TOM: [ As Mr Mink ] 'Again, next-door neighbor!'
Mr. Crow had told him.
TOM: Fink.
CROW: Am not!
And he took another look at
Mr. Mink.
CROW: [ As Mr Mink ] You like what you see?
TOM: [ As Mr Mink ] You know, my spine goes all the way down.
JOEL: What?
"I notice you've lost your tail," he said.
CROW: [ Tutting ] Gambling.
"Yes!" Mr. Mink answered. "Farmer Green threw an axe
at me once.
TOM: Oh no! Farmer Green's a *hipster*?
And it cut off my tail, as you see.
CROW: The *heck*?
JOEL: Arthur Scott Bailey turned *dark* for this one!
I left that
neighborhood then; and never cared to return to it.
TOM: Yeah, I don't blame you there.
But if
this young Rabbit boy has found my tail, I shall certainly
claim it at once."
JOEL: Now wait a minute, this could be *any* brutally severed mink tail Jimmy's got.
TOM: Do we know it's not the Fantastic Mister Fox's tail?
So off he went. And Mr. Crow nodded his
head wisely.
CROW: Well of *course*. [ He nods ]
It was just as he had said! There was trouble
ahead for Jimmy Rabbit
TOM: Yeah, good going stirring up the Drama, Crow.
--or, you might say, there was trouble
_behind_ for him;
JOEL: *Might* you?
CROW: Well, *you* might.
for it was that handsome red tail, you
remember, that was the cause of it all.
ALL: Ooooooooh.
TOM: Now I get it.
CROW: It's 1916, so I guess you can listen to a 78 for ninety seconds and then agree the Zimmerman Telegram looks like mischief.
when all at once somebody else decided it
for him. For all at once a slim, red gentleman rushed at
Jimmy, crying, "Give me my tail! I want my tail!"
JOEL: And I want my two dollars too!
It was Mr. Mink! And Jimmy Rabbit ran off as fast as
he could go.
TOM: [ Crying out, warning ] Tree!
CROW: Bam!
"This is my tail!" he called over his shoulder.
JOEL: There are many like it but this one is mine!
"I
found it. And I'm not going to give it up to anybody."
TOM: To any *body*, get it?
JOEL: ... No?
But Mr. Mink hurried after Jimmy.
CROW: Fair.
To be sure, Jimmy
left him far behind. But Mr. Mink kept following.
JOEL: Oh, it's not to be fair, it's to be sure.
It was very
annoying, for Jimmy knew that sooner or later that
troublesome gentleman would be on his heels again.
TOM: Arthur, why not say he was going to be on his _tail_ again?
There was no use of Jimmy's crawling into any hole,
CROW: Does it have to be useful? Can't you just crawl into any hole for the artistry of it?
for he was four times as big as Mr. Mink; and, of course,
anywhere he went, Mr. Mink could easily follow.
TOM: Have you considered just stepping on Mr Mink?
Jimmy Rabbit didn't know what to do. Mr. Mink had
terribly sharp teeth. And he was very angry.
CROW: Maybe you could be the bigger person, Jimmy?
JOEL: [ As Jimmy ] 'I *am*! I'm four times his size!'
But Jimmy was
not angry at all. _He_ didn't want to fight.
CROW: He *is* the bigger person.
While he was trying to think of some way out of his
trouble, something suddenly pulled him backward.
TOM: Oh no! Frith picked an *awful* time to talk!
Looking
around, he saw Mr. Mink with his cruel teeth fastened in that
beautiful red tail.
JOEL: Hey, stop biting yourself!
"Let go of me!" Jimmy Rabbit cried.
TOM: [ As Mr Mink ] 'Ah, just pulling your tail, kiddo.'
CROW: Pull the other one, it's got bells on.
But Mr. Mink didn't say a word. In order to speak, he
would have had to drop that precious tail.
JOEL: You gotta have your priorities straight, yeah.
And he had no idea
of doing that. Besides, there was nothing he wanted to say.
CROW: I don't know, I'd ask to see what my tail looks like from behind.
There was no use of his calling, "Stop, thief!" when he had
already stopped him, you know.
TOM: Maybe a quick J'accuse, tough?
Jimmy Rabbit pulled with all his might. And Mr. Mink
dug his four feet into the ground and pulled with all of
_his_.
CROW: You know this is what it was like when tug-of-war was in the Olympics.
And then, the first thing Jimmy knew, he fell
forward, head over heels.
TOM: Head over heels is ... standing.
He was up in a jiffy, and off like
a flash, running like the wind.
CROW: And threw open the sash.
But this time Mr. Mink did not follow.
JOEL: Can you try repeating it in different words for him?
When at last Jimmy sat down to rest he discovered why
it was that Mr. Mink had stopped chasing him.
TOM: Mr Mink saw this cat who'd accidentally got painted and ...
His beautiful,
new, red tail was gone! The bit of string had broken under
all that pulling.
CROW: Nooo! That was Mister Sparrow's string!
And now Jimmy Rabbit had no tail except his
own.
JOEL: Really, can anyone have any tail except their own?
"Where's your fine, bushy tail?" Mr. Crow asked Jimmy
the next morning.
CROW: Heh heh heh ... I'm setting him up for *such * a stinger.
"Oh! I discovered who the owner of it was," Jimmy
said. "He came for his property; and I let him have it."
JOEL: [ As Jimmy ] I don't mean in the punching way! I mean in the nice way.
But Mr. Crow was a wise old chap.
CROW: [ Coughing, to draw attention to himself ]
"Did you give him the string, too?" he inquired.
CROW: [ Exaggeratedly ] HAHA HAHA HAHAHAHAHAHA! HA Ha ha ha ... ha ha ... ha ... ha ...
[ A pause ]
CROW: Did you two not get it?
TOM: Maybe draw us a picture, Crow.
[Illustration]
TOM: Thanks.
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