The Bunnikins-Bunnies in Camp
The Bunnikins-Bunnies in Camp follows the fastidious rabbit Mr. Bobtail Fitz-Herbert Bunnikins-Bunny, a celebrated dandy of Rabbitsville's Cotton-Tail Club, and his wife Primrose (formerly Featherball), as they take their two children, mischievous Bobtail and gentle Rosamund, on a summer camping trip to the mountains for Mr. Bunnikins' health. They are joined by their friends the Gray-Squirrel family, Mr. and Mrs. Gray-Squirrel and their children Ruddy and Chippy. The journey begins with comic overpacking, as Mr. Bunnikins insists on bringing an absurd array of remedies, spare clothes, and comfort items in his knapsack, plus a hammock, a sleeping-bag, and finally a life-preserver he retrieves after the group has already stopped for lunch, convinced Bobtail will fall into any pond they camp near. The donkey Neddy hauls the overloaded cart, with the life-preserver hung comically around his neck. On the first night, Mr. Bunnikins suffers miserably from mosquito bites in his silk hammock and threatens to abandon the trip, but Mrs. Bunnikins sews him a full-body mosquito-netting nightgown, and, persuaded by Mr. Gray-Squirrel, he agrees to stay. The party travels on and settles in a picturesque glade with a brook, nut trees, and clover, converting a hollow tree into a cozy nest and an old shed into a stable for Neddy. The children play in the brook and are forbidden from the nearby pond unless accompanied by Neddy and the life-preserver. The central adventure occurs when Mr. Bunnikins, dozing in his hammock, is roused by Bobtail's cries from the pond, where a small furry creature is struggling in the water. Mr. Bunnikins rides Neddy out and throws the life-preserver to save the drowning stranger, though the effort pitches him into the water himself; Neddy tows him to shore by the ears. The rescued creature turns out to be a lost bear cub, and moments later its enormous, frantic mother bursts from the woods searching for it. Once reunited with her cub, Mrs. Bruin and her husband, Mr. Bear, are overwhelmed with gratitude toward Mr. Bunnikins for his bravery, and Mr. Bruin's attempt to lick him dry nearly terrifies the rabbit and pulls out tufts of his fur. Chilled and shaken, Mr. Bunnikins retreats home to recover with hot cayenne-pepper tea and heavy blankets. The Bears return the favor the next day with a friendly visit, bringing honey, nuts, and wild celery as gifts, startling Mrs. Bunnikins so badly that she flees to the safety of the tree-nest before realizing the visitors are friendly. The families quickly become close, with the bears inviting the rabbits and squirrels to visit their cave, and Mr. Bruin even giving rides on his broad back. A subplot follows Bobtail, who cannot resist sneaking a taste of the bears' honey jar, falls in headfirst, and must be washed clean in the brook—a soaking that leaves him with a week-long cold and a lasting aversion to honey. The rest of the summer passes pleasantly, with repeated visits between the Bunnikins-Bunnies, the Gray-Squirrels, and the Brown Bear family, who build a special nest near their cave for their new friends and extend a standing invitation to return the following year. As autumn approaches, the campers pack up; the life-preserver is given to Mr. Bruin as a parting gift (to Neddy's relief, since he disliked wearing it), and the well-fed, sluggish donkey is teased for looking like a hippopotamus after a summer of idleness. The story closes with a safe, uneventful journey home—apart from Neddy's occasional roadside naps—and a warm farewell between the Bunnikins and Gray-Squirrel families as everyone settles into their winter homes, the friendships and the promise of a return to camp intact.
By Edith B. Davidson · First published 1909 · Genre: Children's Literature, Adventure, Anthropomorphic Fiction · 8 chapters
Contents
- CHAPTER I
- CHAPTER II
- CHAPTER III
- CHAPTER IV
- CHAPTER V
- CHAPTER VI
- CHAPTER VII
- CHAPTER VIII