By Ruth Plumly Thompson
Author of Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz, The Wish Express, "King, King! Double King!", etc.
Originally published in the Philadelphia Public Ledger, October 4 to
December 13, 1914.
There was once a doll named Jimmy Abraham, who was determined to see the
world. "It's all very well for you girl dolls to live quietly in the
nursery, but I must set out on my journey of adventures." Said he. So
one night Jimmy Abraham put his new suit, a clean handkerchief, his pink
pajamas, a penny and four animal crackers besides into his grip; bade
farewell to all his friends and made ready to start.
The captain of the tin soldiers presented him with his sword, the dolls
with a cardboard shield which they had fashioned from the lid of a candy
box. And thus armed, Jimmy Abraham felt able to conquer the world.
"Good-by!!" he called gaily, letting himself out of the nursery window.
"Good-by, Jimmy Abraham!" called the dolls waving their handkerchiefs.
Very carefully Jimmy climbed down the stout vine which grew under the
nursery window. He had almost reached the bottom when - a terrible beast
came rushing out of the shadows and stood with its mouth wide open,
waiting.
"Dollamercies!!" cried Jimmy Abraham, peering down at the frightful
beast - indeed such was his agitation that he nearly lost his gold upon
the vine. Quickly recovering himself, however, he tied his grip fast to a
twig, then with his free hand brandished his tin sword. "Stand out of
the way - BE OFF! - BEGONE!" he called valiantly, but the beast, with a
horrible noise, sprang up and snapped at his heels.
Jimmy shivered in all his joints. For a moment he almost wished himself
back in the nursery, but remembering that he was a brave doll starting
out on his journey of adventures, he set himself to think a way out of
the difficulty. Suddenly, Jimmy had an idea! He opened his grip and took
out one of the animal crackers and held it out invitingly. The beast
stopped snarling. Then Jimmy threw the cracker over as far as he could,
and while the beast ran to pounce upon it, he seized his grip, tumbled
down the vine and plunged into a thick bush, his china heart beating
like a Chinese dinner gong.
The frightful beast crunched up the animal cracker; then it sniffed and
snuffed around. But Jimmy kept still as a mouse, and, concluding that he
had gone back to the nursery, the dog (for the frightful beast was a
dog, my dears) trotted off.
Then Jimmy Abraham crept out of the bush, walked rapidly down the path
and out of the garden gate. He had not gone far down the dark road
before he heard footsteps pattering after him. "Dollamercies!" cried
Jimmy Abraham again. Looking over his shoulder, he caught the twinkle of
a red lantern and out of the gloom a strange figure came hurrying.
Jimmy put down his grip, grasped his cardboard shield in one hand and
his tin sword in the other and stood waiting to see what would happen.
"Good evening!" called the creature holding the lantern high above its
head. With a sigh of relief Jimmy put up his ton sword. "Good evening!"
he called politely. Who do you 'spose it was? Why, Robin Rabbit hurrying
home with a load of wood. And being the friendliest little rabbit in
the world, he invited Jimmy Abraham to spend the night with him. So they
both went on down the road together - and had soon come to the Robin"s
hose in the woods. "Wife! Wife!" called Robin, pattering down the long
hallway. "I have brought you a guest!" Then Mrs. Robin Rabbit came out
of the warm kitchen and courtesied to Jimmy Abraham until her ears
touched the floor. Off she hurried to the cupboard and brought out a
huge frosted cake and a jar of honey, and they all sat around the table
in the coziest fashion imaginable.
Jimmy Abraham told Mrs. Robin Rabbit all about his life in the nursery
and of his determination to see the world. "You have a great future in
store for you!" said Mrs. Rabbit, shaking her ears, when Jimmy related
how he had outwitted the savage dog. "I quite agree with you," said
Robin, taking off his specs. "Upon my tail I shouldn't be surprised to
see you at court before you are through with your adventures." Then they
in their turn told Jimmy all about their life in the woods and about
their friends the Charley Chipmunks and of the weekly nut parties of the
Stephen Squirrels, and in this pleasant fashion the evening soon
passed. Then Mrs. Rabbit gave Jimmy Abraham a night light and showed him
into a cozy little brown room with a couch of leaves. He undressed
quickly, put on his pink pajamas and though he was not accustomed to
sleeping under the ground, the rabbit couch was so soft, and the night
light so cheering, that he soon fell asleep and dreamed he was King of
the Wood-Folk.
Jimmy arose from his couch much refreshed, and, dressing quickly, not
forgetting to put a clean handkerchief into his pocket, he went up to
breakfast. The bedrooms in a rabbit house are always downstairs, you
know. He bowed politely to Mrs. Robin Rabbit, who was setting the table.
"Well," said he, "I must now set off again upon my journey of
adventures." It was only after much coaxing that they could get him to
stay to breakfast. "Dear me! Dear me!" murmured Robin. "I had hoped to
introduce you to the King. He holds court under the oak tree at 10.
Couldn't you put off your journey that long?" Jimmy shook his head as he
finished this coffee. "Take this to the King, with the compliments of
Jimmy Abraham!" said he, and, reaching into his grip, took out another
of his precious animal crackers. Robin promised that he would, and wrote
Jimmy a leaf (the wood folk always write leaves instead of letters) to
his friend, Stephen Squirrel, and with this, his good tin sword and grip
Jimmy Abraham set out once more.
It was quite chilly in the woods, and Jimmy Abraham walked along
briskly. He hoped to reach the house of Stephen Squirrel in time for
luncheon. But suddenly he heard a noise that made his hair stand
straight on end! "INDIANS!" gasped he; "Indians!" He had just time to
jump behind a tree before at least 20 of them came rushing out.
"Dollamercies!" exclaimed Jimmy. No wonder! For by the hair those
terrible Indians dragged the most beautifulest doll you ever saw! And
while Jimmy looked on they tied her to a tree stump and danced around,
brandishing their tomahawks. They were going to BURN HER AT THE STAKE! -
that was clear. "What shall I do? What shall I do?" cried Jimmy
Abraham, for brave as he was, he could not fight 20 Indians. Then all at
once he remembered what Robin Rabbit had said of the King of the Woods
holding court at 10 under the oak tree! He also remembered having passed
the tree a few minutes before. "I'll tell the King!" choked Jimmy
Abraham in a rage, and he set off on a run toward the oak tree, the
terrible cries of the Indians ringing in his ears! Oh I hope he will get
back in time, don't you?
"Help! HELP!" cried Jimmy Abraham, rushing through the circle of strange
beasts gathered about the oak tree and knocking Hedwig Hedgehog flat
upon her quills. "Help! HELP!" and down he fell upon his china nose at
the feet of the King of the Woods.
Oh, what an excitement! "Throw him out!" "Eat him!" "Step on him!" "Skin
him!" shouted the foxes and bears, the squirrels and hedgehogs, the
rabbits and all the rest of them. "SILENCE!" thundered the King of the
Woods, who was a huge bear, and everybody grew silent instanter. "Does
anybody know this - er - thing - er - creature - who has rudely
interrupted my speech?" he roared n a terrible voice. There was a slight
rustle in the crowd, and Robin Rabbit stepped forward nervously, his
hears twitching with terror. "Help!" cried Jimmy Abraham, still prone
upon his face.
"Er - ah - uh - " stuttered Robin Rabbit hurriedly. "This, your Majesty,
is Jimmy Abraham!" Immediately the manner of the bear changed. "Jimmy
Abraham," said he in a pleased voice. "Didn't he send me that most
toothsome cracker - that delightful animal cake?"
At this encouraging speech Jimmy jumped to his feet. "Yes, yes," he
cried. "But oh, your Majesty, make haste! A band of ferocious Indians is
burning the most beatifulest doll in the world at the stake. I beg, I
entreat, I implore you to HURRY to her assistance!"
"What's this? What's this?" cried the King, his crown falling off with a
clatter. "Burnings at the stake! I'll have no such outrages as this in
MY woods! Come! COME! Everybody! And he dashed after Jimmy Abraham with
the rest of the woodfolk at his heels.
Horrors! As they ran through the trees they saw that the wretched
Indians ha already kindled the fire and were dancing wildly about the
dol. With a mighty roar the bear king rushed upon them and scattered
them left to right, while Jimmy plunged through the flames and dragged
the doll to safety, severely scorching his hair. When the Indians had
been chased off (and they just escaped being eaten I can tell you) the
woodfolk set about restoring the poor dolly, who was quite overcome by
her harrowing experience. Her head drooped sadly - her china eyes were
tightly closed. "I tell you," said Robin Rabbit, after they had worked a
while, "we must take her to Doctor Badger." So with Jimmy holding her
by one arm and Robin by the other, and with the King and his court
trailing behind, they set off to the badger's house.
"Bring her right in!" cried Doctor Badger, who had seen the procession
advancing from his window. The badger's house was too small to
accommodate the whole party, so the King and his court went off back to
the oak tree to finish the trials of the day, while Jimmy and Robin
carried the beautifulest dolly into the office. The doctor bustled over
to his medicine closet and brought out a bottle of green fluid. I do not
know what it was, but after three doses the dolly opened her eyes, and,
with all of them listening breathlessly, told her story. Her name, she
said, was Florabel Elizabeth, and she lived with her mistress in a white
house on the edge of the wood. A few days ago her mistress had gone
away on a visit, and while she was gone her brothers - her brothers and a
band of wicked boys from the neighborhood - had dressed themselves as
Indians, burst into the nursery and carried off Florabel Elizabeth to
burn at the stake.
"The young rogues should be hung up by the ears!" cried Robin Rabbit, while Jimmy Abraham rattled his tin sword for very rage.
"And now," sighed Florabel Elizabeth as she finished her story, "I have no place to go!"
"I shall take care of you!" cried Jimmy Abraham valiantly.
"I'll tell you," put in Robin, scratching his ear, "both of you come
along home with me, and then we can decide what's to be done." After
much discussion they finally decided that this was the best plan. The
doctor ordered his carriage, and I wish you could have seen them, Jimmy
Abraham and Florabel Elizabeth, and Doctor Badger and Robin Rabbit,
riding behind the doctor's team of hares. It was wonderful!
Well, what do you suppose? On that wonderful drive Jimmy Abraham asked
Florabel Elizabeth a question - and she must have said yes - for no
sooner had they come to Robin's house than Robin set out again and came
hurrying back with - with PREACHER MOLE - Yessir! with Preacher Mole!
Then Mrs. Rabbit all aflutter with excitement, somehow made a wedding
cake, and with her ears flip flap flopping she ran to invite all the
neighbors. And so they were married in Robin's front parlor and
afterwards all the folks who live n the wood came and brought them gifts
so that they had plenty of vases and things to go to housekeeping with.
And they went to housekeeping RIGHT AWAY in a hollow tree and Jimmy
Abraham became chief all powerful Minister of State in the Woods - and
he never went back to the nursery again.
This is all of the story of Jimmy Abraham who set out upon his journey
of adventures, except that he and Florabel Elizabeth lived happily ever
afterward.
THE FORGETFUL POET
By Ruth Plumly Thompson
Originally published in the Philadelphia Public Ledger, August 25, 1918.
The Forgetful Poet
The heat gave the Forgetful Poet a terrible toothache and he says please
to 'scuse him this week - he can't think of a single riddle.
Last week's answers were: First, thin; second, how; third, head; fourth, sinker.
There's a little red fire
In the pine tree's breast,
For a robin has snuggled
Down there to rest.
And the pine is so happy
It sways and swings,
While the little red robin bird
Sings and sings!
Copyright © 2008 Eric Shanower and David Maxine. All rights reserved.
