"Was that you laughing?" asked the old gentleman rabbit, as he again
looked in his valise to see if he had any sandwiches there. "Was it you?"
"It was," said the cricket. "I was just going--Oh, kindly excuse me, while
I laugh again!" the cricket said, and then he laughed more jolly than
before.
"What makes you so good-natured?" asked the rabbit.
"I just can't help it," said the cricket. "Everything is so lovely. The
sun shines, and the birds sing, and the water in the brooks babble such
jolly songs, and well--Oh, excuse me again if you please, I'm going to
laugh once more," and so he did then and there. He just laughed and
laughed and laughed, that cricket did.
"Well," said Uncle Wiggily, still speaking sadly, "of course it's nice to
be jolly, anybody can be that way when the sun shines, but what about the
rain? There! I guess you can't be jolly when it rains."
"Oh! when it rains I laugh because I know it will soon clear off, and
then, too, I can think about the days when the sun did shine," said the
cricket.
"Well," spoke Uncle Wiggily, "there is something in that, to be sure. And
as you are such a jolly chap, will you travel along with me? Perhaps with
you I could find my fortune."
"Of course I'll come," said the cricket, and he laughed again, and then he
and the old gentleman rabbit hopped on together and Uncle Wiggily kept
feeling more and more happy until he had forgotten all about the
chipmunk's penny that wasn't his.
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