Tufter Rabbit and the Big Flood

Press, 22 July 1976, Page 13

Tufter Rabbit and the Big Flood

“Atishoo!” sneezed the face with shining teeth. “I’m Opossum. The wild wind blew me out of my tree. Atishoo!” “Here’s a handkerchief,” said Tufter. “but you’ll have to stay outside. You’r° too big to squeeze through my door.” “I’m cold,” moaned Opossum. “Atishoo!” “Unroll your tail towards the fire," Tufter suggested

kindly. He hurried into the kitchen. There was still some soup in the bottom of the pot. My helping, he thought sadly, as he tilted it up and scraped the last piece of carrot into Opossum’s mug.

Opossum drank it eagerly. She huddled close against the doorway and her long tail stretched near the fire. Tufter hung

his socks over it. and Rat’s cap. But he wished his stomach would not rumble. He felt very hungry.

Suddenly, Opossum sneezed again. Her back jerked and her tail swished across the room. Tufter tripped over it and fell backwards into Hedgehog. He was badly pricked. Hedgehog rolled into Rat and Rat bit Opossum’s tail.

Then there was a ruffle and a scuffle, and everyone fell over one another. They rolled under and over, and out of the burrow and down to the bottom of the bank — into the flood waters.

(Can Tufter and his friends swim? The answer will appear in the fourth part of the story next week.)