Well, when he came in with that bowl of salad and set it down, Mr. Turtle and Jack Rabbit said, "Did you ever in your life!" But Mr. 'Possum and Mr. 'Coon just sat and looked at it, for they thought it couldn't be true.
Then pretty soon Mr. Rabbit said that he would take back everything he had told them about his salad, and that he was coming over to take some lessons from the Hollow Tree People, and especially from Mr. Crow, on how to raise vegetables. He said that there were a good many ways to raise vegetables--some raised them in a garden; some raised them in a hothouse; some raised them in the market; but that Mr. Crow's way was the best way there was, and he was coming over to learn it. He said they must finish their dinner before dark, for he certainly must _see_ just where _all_ Mr. Crow's wonderful things came from.
Then Mr. Crow felt the gray spot on his head getting a good deal grayer, and he dropped his knife and fork, and swallowed two or three times, and tried to smile, though it was a sickly smile. He said that Mr. Rabbit was very kind, but that Mr. 'Possum and Mr. 'Coon had done a good deal of the work, too.
But Jack Rabbit said "No," that nobody but an industrious person like Mr. Crow could have raised _those_ vegetables--a person who got up early, he said, and was used to taking a little trouble to get the best things.
Then Mr. Crow went after the dessert, and was glad enough that there were no more vegetables to come, especially of that kind.
And Mr. Rabbit seemed to forget about looking at the garden until they were all through, and then he said that before they went outside he would read a little poem he had composed that morning lying in bed and looking at the sunrise across his own garden. He said he called it:
Oh, it's nice to have a garden On which to put my labors. It's nice to have a garden Especially for my neighbors.
I like to see it growing When skies are blue above me; I like to see it gathered By those who really love me.
I like to think in winter Of pleasant summer labors; Oh, it's nice to have a garden Especially for my neighbors.
Everybody said that was a nice poem and sounded just like Mr. Rabbit, who was always so free-hearted--all except Mr. Crow, who tried to say it was nice, and couldn't. Then Mr. Rabbit said they'd better go out now to see the Hollow Tree garden, but Mr. Crow said really he couldn't stand it yet, and they could see by his looks that he was feeling pretty sick, and Mr. Turtle said it was too bad to think of taking Mr. Crow out in the sun when he had worked so hard.