So now you know who little Ben is, but just the same I suppose you wonder why he would be delighted to have two rabbits call on him. Well, I'll tell you. It was because, in the first place, he knew that these two nice bunnies wouldn't hurt him, and in the second place, he wore a collar and belt of leather studded with sharp pointed tacks, which would hurt anyone who tried to catch him. "Helloa, Ben," said the old gentleman rabbit when the little mouse opened the door. "Have you any green cheese?" "Maybe, but I'm not sure. It is over two weeks since the Man in the Moon was here," answered Benjamin Meadow Mouse, for that was his whole name, you know, only everybody called him "Ben" for short, and the little mice called him "Bennie." Pretty soon he came out with a piece of cheese wrapped up in a napkin and handed it to the old gentleman rabbit, who thanked him and said: "I'm going to give a party tonight. You are invited. Come at eight and stay till late," and then he turned the Bunnymobile around and away they went. Pretty soon they passed through the wood, where Bobbie Redvest had his nest. "Come to my party tonight at eight, bring Mrs. Robin and stay till late," said Uncle John Hare, and in the next story you shall hear what happened after that. INVITATIONS You remember in the last story that Uncle John Hare was giving a party and had invited Benjamin Meadow Mouse and Bobbie Redvest, to be there early and stay till late and bring a key to his little front gate. But now that I come to think of it, I didn't tell you about the key. No, sir, I must have forgotten that. Well, you see, there was a fence all around Uncle John's house, and if you didn't have a key to the little gate, why, of course, you couldn't get in. But the old gentleman rabbit had bought a thousand keys and to every one of his friends had given one, and sometimes two, but not at the same time. "Now who else shall we invite?" asked the old gentleman bunny, as they rolled along with a laugh and a song. "Jack Sprite," answered Little Jack Rabbit. "Of course," laughed the old gentleman bunny, and he turned down the shady dell where the Jack-in-the-pulpit flowers grew, and by and by he came to the one in which Jack lived. "Oh, yes, I'll come," he said, "and I'll stay late, until the rooster crows at eight." "All right," answered Uncle John Hare, "I don't care, but don't blame me if I should fall asleep before that time," and then away went the Bunnymobile and before very long the two little rabbits met the little fairy who had once upon a time, not very many stories ago, slept in the old gentleman rabbit's bed. "Come to my party, come at eight, And bring your key to my little front gate." "I'll be there, never fear," laughed the little fairy, for Uncle John Hare was noted for his wonderful parties. "Now that makes three," said Little Jack Rabbit. "Shall we ask the Ragged Rabbit Giant?"