She went out to see the rabbit house which Rodolphus had made, and she liked it very much See wished that her mother would allow them to have a rabbit to put into it, and she said so, as she stood looking at it, with her hands behind her. “I am sorry, that mother is not willing that you should have a rabbit,” said she. “Oh, never mind that,” said Rodolphus, “I’ll have one for all that, you may depend.” ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ That evening when Mr. Linn came home from his work, he took a seat near the door, where he could look out upon the little garden. His mother was busy setting the table for tea. “Father,” said Rodolphus, “I wish you would give me a quarter of a dollar.” “What for,” said Mr. Linn. “To buy a rabbit,” said Rodolphus. “No,” said his mother, “I wish you would not give him any money. I have told him that I don’t wish him to have any rabbits.” “Yes,” said Rodolphus, speaking to his father. “Do, it only costs a quarter of a dollar to get one, and I have got the house all ready for him.” “Oh, no, Rolfy,” said his father. “I would not have any rabbits. They are good for nothing but to gnaw off all the bark and buds in the garden.” Here there followed a long argument between Rodolphus on the one side, and his father and mother on the other, they endeavoring in every possible way to persuade him that a rabbit would be a trouble and not a pleasure. Of course, Rodolphus was not to be convinced. His father however, refused to give him any money, and Rodolphus ceased to ask for it. His mother thought that he submitted to his disappointment with very extraordinary good-humor. But the fact was, he was not submitting to disappointment at all. He had formed another plan. He began playing with Annie about the yard and garden, saying no more, and apparently thinking no more about his rabbit, for some time. At last he came up to his father’s side and said, “Father, will you lend me your keys?” “What do you want my keys for?” asked his father. “I want to whistle with them,” said Rodolphus. “Annie is my dog, and I want to whistle to her.” “No,” said his father, “you will lose them. You must whistle with your mouth.” “But I can’t whistle with my mouth, Annie makes me laugh so much. I must have the keys.” So saying, Rodolphus began to feel in his father’s pockets for the keys. Mr. Linn resisted his efforts a little, remonstrating with him all the time, and saying that he could not let his keys go. Rodolphus, however, persevered, and finally succeeded in getting the keys, and running away with them. His father called him to come back, but he would not come. Rodolphus whistled in one of the keys a few minutes, playing with Annie, and then, after a little while, he said to her, in a whisper, and in a very mysterious manner, “Annie, come with me!”