"Now just stand on them!" Jimmy Rabbit said at last.
And Mr. Crow stood up.
"Now walk a bit," the shoe merchant continued.
But Mr. Crow could not walk. He _hobbled_ a short distance. And then he
sank down with a groan.
"They don't hurt you, do they?" Jimmy Rabbit asked him.
And Mr. Crow shook his head. He thought he could do that truthfully. What
he felt was far worse than a mere _hurt_. It was _torture_--that was
certainly what it was.
Of course Jimmy Rabbit knew what the trouble was--or part of it, at
least. He knew that Mr. Crow's toes were doubled up inside the shoes. And
it was on the tip of his tongue to suggest to Mr. Crow that he have his
toes cut off. But a better way soon occurred to Jimmy Rabbit.
"I know you'll find these shoes very comfortable--after they're
finished," he told Mr. Crow.
"Finished!" Mr. Crow exclaimed. "Do you mean to say they're only partly
made?"
"There's just one more thing to do to them," Jimmy Rabbit explained. "The
holes haven't been cut in them yet."
"Holes!" said Mr. Crow. "What holes?"
"Why, the holes for your toes, of course!" Jimmy Rabbit answered.
"Maybe you didn't know that shoes are to be worn like that this summer.
Pages:
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67