45. Rabbit Tries a Game of Scratch With Wildcat

45. RABBIT TRIES A GAME OF SCRATCH WITH WILDCAT

(Tuggle collection)

The Rabbit was hopping down a trail one day when he saw a track in the sand. He looked at it and said:

"That animal has no claws like these," and he then held up one of his forefeet and looked with admiration at his claws.

Soon he overtook the Wildcat, who was sitting in the trail. "Sure enough," he said, "he has no claws. He is the animal that made the tracks. I will have a little fun out of him."

"Let's play scratch," said he to the Wildcat. The Wildcat smiled and said, "Very well." "I will have the first scratch," insisted the Rabbit. "All right." So the Rabbit hopped close to the Wildcat and gave his hardest scratch and then looked at his claws, expecting to see them full of hair, but not a single hair did he scratch out.

"Well, he has no claws and can't hurt me," thought the Rabbit, and he called to the Wildcat, "Now's your time."

The Wildcat reached out one of his forefeet and gave a quick grab at the Rabbit's back and jerked the skin from his body.

(Others say he jerked his tail off.)