Bunny took the candle and went to the door.  There stood Doctor Cotton-Tail.

He said, “Good evening, how are the Seventeen Little Bears?  I heard they fell in the water!”

The Seventeen Little Bears stuffed their little paws into their mouths to keep from laughing, for they felt as well as ever, sitting before the fire in their little red wrappers.

Doctor Cotton-Tail took a seat by the fire and began to warm his paws, first one paw and then the other.

“Chilly spring weather, but most time to make garden,” he said.

“Chilly weather,” said Bunny Cotton-Tail.

“Chilly weather,” said Susan.

Then the most surprising thing happened!

Grandpa Grumbles shook his green cotton umbrella and out came flower seeds falling everywhere.  The Seventeen Little Bears scrambled to pick them up.

“Who will make your garden?” asked Doctor Cotton-Tail, looking at Bunny and Susan.

Bunny and Susan said, “We do not know, we are too old and stiff to make a garden.”

“You will miss the turnips and cabbages,” said Doctor Cotton-Tail.  Then he added,

“I came in a wagon, and as the Seventeen Little Bears are quite well, I can take them home.”

Then the Seventeen Little Bears began to weep loud and long.  They wept into their seventeen little pocket handkerchiefs.

Bunny and Susan said, “Never mind, dears, you can come to visit us again.”

Soon the Seventeen Little Bears were tucked safely into the wagon and Doctor Cotton-Tail took them home.

“Bless my buttons,” said Susan, “you did not finish your story Grandpa Grumbles.”

“My fur and whiskers,” said Bunny, “I should like to visit your Toy Shop!”

Grandpa Grumbles said,

     “At night I always shake my head,
     ’Tis time for all to go to bed.”

The Cotton-Tail family knew that it was no use to tease, so they went merrily to bed.

Snubby Nose set his little alarm clock.  He set it at four o’clock in the morning.  He said, kissing Tippy Toes good night, “We must get up early in the morning and make a garden for Bunny and Susan.”

CHAPTER XI

“Tinkle, tinkle” went the alarm clock next morning.  Snubby Nose put his paw on it so it would not ring too loudly.  He whispered to Tippy Toes, “Get up, it is time to make the garden.”

They took the seeds Grandpa Grumbles had thrown from his umbrella.  They planted the seeds in even rows.  They worked so fast, they had the garden planted and were back in bed by eight o’clock.

Grandpa Grumbles woke up next.  He went downstairs and out of doors.  He saw a little garden all planted in even rows.  He shook his green cotton umbrella and said,

     “Radishes it is time to grow,
     For spring has come again you know.”

Then the most surprising thing happened!