Bumps and His Buddies
9781465668592
213 pages
Library of Alexandria
Overview
Once there was a little boy named Bumps, a name he was given because of the many times he fell down, bumping his little legs and head. He was a roly-poly little chap, a bit too heavy for his height, and when he started off to work or play he was usually in such a hurry that he tumbled over. Now Bumps lived in a wee hut ’way off in the country, with his mother, who was quite poor. In the mornings he would hustle out to chop wood and gather wild berries for their breakfast, always wishing that he could find a pot of gold to make his mother rich and happy. Finally he decided to start out into the big world to seek his fortune, and while his mother hated to have her little son leave her, she felt sure he would be successful because he had always been such a good boy. So one bright sunny morning Bumps, after kissing his mother good-bye, set out on his long journey with a rabbit’s foot in his pocket for luck and only a little lunch to eat on the way. He walked for miles and miles in the direction of the city until his little legs grew very, very tired. So he sat down to rest and to eat his luncheon, only to find that he had devoured it, bit by bit, as he trudged along. It was getting toward the end of the afternoon when he suddenly saw a little brown rabbit with a white tail hopping along ahead of him. He longed for the big gun which he had left behind in the woodshed, for he knew that he must soon have more food and he thought the rabbit would make a good supper. But just then he spied a stone with which he thought he might kill Mr. Rabbit. Bumps threw the stone with all his might, just missing him by inches, and the rabbit, instead of running away, scampered right up to him, and sitting up straight, held out one little foot. Then it occurred to Bumps that here he was carrying a rabbit’s foot for good luck, and yet he had tried to bring bad luck upon this poor little creature. With tears in his eyes he gathered the rabbit in his arms, calling him, “Dear little brown Bunny!” From that moment Bumps and the Bunny were the best of friends, and journeyed on together. It was growing dusk by this time and Bumps was so hungry that he began hunting about in his pockets for crumbs of his luncheon. When the little brown Bunny saw him do this, and also saw that Bumps didn’t find anything to eat in his pocket, he began running about, pausing every now and then to sniff the air with his little funny nose. At last he dashed off at a great pace, and Bumps saw him busily scratching and digging in the ground. When he caught up with him he saw that Bunny had uncovered a hidden basketful of the most delicious things to eat, which a picnic party had buried away in the cool, clean earth for another day’s luncheon. Bumps and Bunny sat down under a tree for supper, and Bumps fed his little friend all the lettuce out of the sandwiches.
