It was after school one day, when all the boy and girl animals were on their way home with their books in straps², or else under their paws or wings. Jacko and Jumpo were walking along, sometimes picking up things in their front paws or their feet or their long tails, when, all of a sudden Sammie Littletail, the boy rabbit, said:

 

"Let's have a race, and see who gets to the big black stump³ first."

 

Now this black stump was in the middle of the woods, through which the children had to go on their way to and from school. The stump looked like an elephant trying to catch his tail in his trunk, but of course it wasn't really alive; only make-believe, you know.

 

"I think I can run faster than anybody," said Munchie Trot⁴, the boy pony⁵.

 

"Oh, no; I'm the fastest," spoke⁶ Bully⁷ No-Tail, the frog.

 

"We'll see," whistled Dickie Chip-Chip, the sparrow.

 

Away they started for the big, black stump, girls and boys all together. Some of them flew and some of them hopped⁸ and some ran, just as they liked. But Dickie Chip-Chip, the sparrow boy, got to the stump first, because he could go through the air like a balloon or an airship. Then they were all out of breath from the race as they came to the stump, one after another, so they sat down to rest.

 

"Well, we're all ready now, let's run some more," said Lulu Wibblewobble, the duck girl, after a while, as she looked to see if her neck ribbon had come off. So they all started to run again, just as you do when you come from school, only Jacko Kinkytail didn't race with the others this time.

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