"Oh, this will never do!" he cried. "I can't go on this way. If I only
had a lantern it would be all right."
Then, all at once, he heard a sort of growling noise in the bushes, and
then he heard a sniffing-snuffling noise, and pretty soon a voice cried:
"Oh, ha! Oh, hum! I smell fresh rabbit. Now, I will have a good supper!"
"That must be a savage bear or a fox!" cried the rabbit. "I guess this is
the last of me!"
Then he saw two round circles shining in the darkness, two flashing,
bright, shining things, and he was more frightened than ever.
"Oh, those are the glaring eyes of the fox or bear!" thought Uncle
Wiggily. "I'm done for, sure!"
Then something made a jump for him, out of the bushes, but the rabbit
crouched down, and the beast jumped over him. Then, would you ever believe
it? those two shining things flew nearer, and instead of being the eyes of
a fox or bear they were two, good, kind, lightning bugs, who were flitting
about.
"Oh, you'll be a lantern for me, won't you?" cried the rabbit, anxiously.
"Will you please light me out of these woods, and keep the savage beasts
away?"
"Of course, we will!" cried the two lightning bugs. And they flew closer
to the rabbit. Then the savage fox, for he it was who had made a jump for
Uncle Wiggily, was so afraid of the sparkling lights, that he ran away and
hid in the bushes, fearing he would be burned.
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