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Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21355, 24 December 1934, Page 7 (Supplement)

Johnny Rabbit had never had a Christmas party, in fact he had never even been to any party, so when his mother told him that she thought it would be a good idea to give one, Johnny thoroughly agreed. Mrs Rabbit thought it would be nice to have just a small party, but when it came to deciding whom they should ask, Johnny discovered that he had so many friends who simply could not be left out that the list of guests grew and grew until practically everyone in the neighbourhood—except, of course, Mr Fox and Mrs Cat and that slinky Bill Ferret and his cousin, Jack Stont-—was sent an invitation. The greatest problem was deciding what the different guests would want to eat. for, as you know, birds and animal?, like different things, and some they like a groat deal more than others. Mrs Rabbit was nearly distracted till she hit on the idea of calling en all the mothers in the neighbourhood and asking them what their children would like. That meant, of course, that all the mothers had to come back to Mrs Rabbit's place to remember things that they had forgotten to tell her when she was at their place. So poor Mrs Rabbit was busier than ever she had been in her life, and she wasn't any further on towards getting things ready for' the party. For a while her mind j seemed to be jumping up and down in the | same place, and she very nearly gave way to ] complete panic. When Mr Rabbit came home she was very short with him. She complained that a she rabbit's work was never done, with which he agreed so heartily .that she had to think hard to find out just what he,meant. Then she said she was. sick and tired of the whole business and that she was working her paws to the bone for a lot of good-for-nothings who didn't care what happened to her. Which, of course, was an exaggeration, if you know what I mean, and showed that Mrs Rabbit was a trifle" overwrought. Then she became hysterical and threw herEelf into a chair and burst into tears. Mr Rabbit was very distressed, but being a wise old chap he kept his head and thought hard. He could see that his chances of getting a bite of dinner were not very good at the moment. So Mr Rabbit put one paw round Mrs Rabbit's shoulders and smoothed her wrinkled brow with the other. "Take things dasy, old girl," he said. 'Lets see what we can do" He was just full of bright ideas. Soon he had a writing pad out and was busy jotting down a list nf the names of the guests and

what would be required for each. Mrs Rabbit bucked up like anything, and soon she was throwing in suggestions and giggling and joking as though the whole thing were not the least bit of trouble. It was easy enough to provide for the rabbits and hares: Mrs Rabbit knew all about that. It was when it came to the birds and other animals—not that Ihere were many other animals that they caied to invite—that the trouble came in. They were both starting to get worried | again, when in < rme Mrs Thrush, and thev explained their diticuliics to her. Kite soon put them right. "Why, that's rs easy as ea.i h>\ You leave the main thing to me." she said. "What you want is first o J all a large worm pio with caterpillar and lettuce salad. If Johnny will dig me plenty r.f nice fat worms I'll bake the pie the day b( fore Ihe party and you can have it cold. That will be just lovely". "Then, of com tc, you'll need plenty' of fruit," she went on. "-berries and gooseberries and raspberries- the children will love those, you know. You coti.:l make them into a fruit salad and pernaps Nanny Goat and Mrs Cow would spare you a dr ;p of cream. . Then you must have plenty to drink. The children get so hot with the excitement and running about. Make some honey-dew. I've a beautiful recipe for that; it's mostly honey and water with mint flavouring—perfectly delicious, my dear, and so inexpensive." I can't remember everything that every animal and bird had to have, but by consulting the mothers Mrs Rabbit was able to get a pretty good idea about what would sat isfy them. Then? were nice fa! hen's eggs and 1 ) rtew lor !'-"> Hedgehog family, minced in.eci tart, and liies' cream for the Frogs, wholemeal biscuits and turnip and oat patlies for Mr i:ud Mrs Ficldmouse and voting, and a slack of new-mown hay for Nanny and Billv Goat, and their kid. For rabbits and there was vee.el.able soup, carrot sotiflle. and lediicc ::nd cabbage meringue. There was, ( f curse, a Christmas cake thai contained something for everybody. Johnny wanted lo do something out of the ordinary, something original, and suddenly he had the most: magnificent idea. "Why not have a water carnival'"' he said. For there was a beautiful pond in the Rabbit garden with a little island in the middle of it. Mr and Mrs Frog didn't need any nersuading that it was a marvellous scheme, when Johnny mentioned it lo them, and Frankie and Tilly Frog hopped about with joy so much that thenmother had to tell them to go outside if they couldn't keep still. "It will be moonlight then." said Mrs Frog, "and we can make the place look lovely. We can get a heap of big glow-worms and put them on the island and have festoons of little ones on bulrushes stretched from the tops of poles to make fairy lights. T can just see it, so artistic, you know." "And what about n slippery-splash slide 9 squealed Frankie excitedly—and hip mother didn't correct him for interrupting, because it was such a lovely idea. They decided to have swimming races, and Mr and Mrs Frog and family said they would give a plain and fancy diving exhibition. Just then Mr Dragon-Fly swooped across the pond, and Johnny had another brilliant inspiration. Mr Dragon-Fly (who always liked to have his name spelt with a hyphen to distinguish him from all the other flies to whom he was very superior) said he and his family would be delighted to give flying stunts over the water—looping the loop, spiral nose-dives, and all that sort of thing. _

Johnny could scarcely bear to wait for tha afternonn to come, and Mrs Rabbit was almost OS anx'ous. Mr lßnbbH pretended not to be excited at all. but he was. you know. At Irs! the guests began to arrive—flying, runniliL-. hopoing ami crawling. The hares and rabbits were the lust to arrive and what a crowd of them there wcc. TkcT'- had r:OVT b(Jen si ch a .-rowtl in Burrowvii.'e b r -!ore. And what a noise they made, with vV'-ryhudy trymg to spe-k at om'». and tit" erne-";'- !e: -mmg and ve'-lir.g. We!!, the party was :. gn-ai ,;.-■.;■'--. i !.-.v all tlur ouehiy enjoyed ' 1 '"" f hj: ;: dren [5 nved games till thev v.\T'.i 'ireu, and the pa: cuts sat in the shade i\nc i...-!:-vu a;.-J pJayed cards—that is. all ex..■••;.! M.e ta..:s; birds, 'vlio took it in Hirns. t<> ss m_ a m,.u tree an 1 i sop a look-out tor Mr Fox, .'.'lrs >->'" and Ox. who ivero tVarful'y jealous ar-d n.v. threato ;rd to break up tin parly. Exdy Ox .. told Ik- birds that Mn.y needn't worry, es s.e. had t,,d Mr Fox : „,d .Mis ''•■• . v.:y pi am./ and sex-rely that it any ■'< the.:; ncar he would kick them r -k tm- . .r0r.:..-'-. So tha T was that , - - Evervone was sn eMnpi.se' :i asy P. -.._: Rabbit about the Chn-imr? res ixx, rt." i.x-. quite embarrassed, but she was yer;. p.-jn. >-.. and thought that the lon- hour,- <x-" in the kitchen prepa>xm.: muxum oe .-.<•.- not st: all been wasted. lm Mixed som.'/.i .so chik.ren over-ate themselves. 1 -■■ now '': uXK>x Frog felt a little bit sick aim. too rxxen .«5..-, cream, and had to d:v ■:»•.'. ■■ x- r- •- • -■•■■> of the oolid to cool <,! l And the water care.iv-i: Wmv -.x ■x.• . wx.; And how bt.su.tit'r.L ixr poxx 1 . .•>!.■■■„ ■•- clear nxuonlkml ana 1!.. ; .-- ..\ ' .-. e. •;■ - thrilled {':■■(■ (is.rme -X.e \' "\ ;.'.% ; '7.''.".'^ '''i^TV;:':i I 'n,c'i)a' : oS; wsT V. '/. ; : '';'■■■•■» noari'v hi o'clock ■' sod ihcy.har. to <-to at '""t, very reh.teta--.li-. Kp-.-bouy ri./r.-./d •.;-._ was (he very !x ' ps: t;. .'m.-y :.;:•. ixo. _ ~ They ail uav-.- tkrc---' cDcrr- :c: si- em. . ._. - i Rabbit, anil Johnny. ar,l as w-m -,-_r. / all (-homed a- iouo a.-: -x ;■-■ <■.> ... ..: .. .? Christmas, merry Cnrxm.a.. .... -It was a Jovely port.v. Mo' h- :,'xx .1 ?-■;"? islc-pilv as T-.lr: Ti=<.bbi< tuck.,; -v.: :r - "Thank vou ever s<> imicn. _ ~,.,.. r .r.~; Rabl-it wa-- v-.-rv hs'mv r- : -• . :" . she si: hed _a Ik'le a-- sh.-"- ti-o. :; hi ■ ; trsc m- 1 mornirr rir:' s