"This closed the mouths of the envious, and when that happens, there is not much more to tell in any story." Here Mrs. Meadows paused and looked at Mr. Rabbit, who sat fast asleep in his chair. "Did he get rich and marry Geraldine?" inquired Sweetest Susan. "Why of course," replied Mrs. Meadows. "Do you reckon he'd have gone through all these ups and downs if he wasn't to marry and settle down and be happy in the end?" "Well," said Buster John, "it was a pretty good story." "I speck so," remarked Drusilla, "but dey's lots too much richness in it fer me." Mrs. Meadows laughed so heartily at this that Mr. Rabbit was aroused from his nap, and looked around in surprise. "Did I hear somebody say supper was ready?" he asked. Mrs. Meadows laughed again, but this time she glanced at the sky of Mr. Thimblefinger's queer country. It had grown perceptibly darker. Mr. Thimblefinger drew out his little watch. Mr. Rabbit closed one eye, and sat as if listening for something. "Well," said Mrs. Meadows with a sigh, "I reckon we'll have to tell you good-by for this time, but I do hope you'll come again. I declare it has been a treat to have some new somebody to talk to. By the time you get back home the sun will be setting in your country, and your folks will begin to be uneasy about you." [Illustration: BUSTER JOHN SHAKING HANDS WITH MR. RABBIT] The children were not at all anxious to go. They had had a very curious experience in Mr. Thimblefinger's queer country, and they had almost forgotten that the sun in their part of the world had a habit of going down. But they said they were ready, and then they shook hands all around. When Buster John came to shake hands with Mr. Rabbit, the latter looked at the youngster a moment. "Did you ever happen to know a colored man named Aaron?" he asked. "Uncle Aaron!" exclaimed Buster John. "Why, he lives on our plantation. He's the foreman." "Well," said Mr. Rabbit solemnly, "when you see Aaron, take his left hand in both of yours, bend his thumb back a little, and with your right thumb make this mark *. The first time he will pay no attention. Make it the second time. Then he will be ready to listen. Make it the third time. Then he will ask you what you want. Say to him that you want to learn the language of the animals." "Won't he get angry?" asked Buster John. "Try him," replied Mr. Rabbit with a cunning look. "Now, good-by!" "When you get ready to come again," said Mrs. Meadows, "just drop a big apple in the spring, and I'll be bound we'll all see it and know what it means. And when you come be sure and bring the apple. It's been a month of Sundays since I've had one." The children promised they would, and then, with Mr. Thimblefinger leading the way, they started home, which they reached without further adventure. As they stood on the brink of the spring, waving their hands to Mr. Thimblefinger, who was smiling at them from the bottom, Drusilla remarked with unction:--