Counting The Carrots
One morning Jackson and Bear were up early and went to their carrot closets to take stock of how many carrots each had left to enjoy before they went shopping in Farmer Cox's fine fields again. To their alarm, they discovered that their cupboards were nearly bare. Knowing that Bunny ate even more juicy carrots than they did, they told Bunny that that they should all venture out together into Farmer Cox's carrot patch and keep an eye out for Farmer Cox so that they could bring home a huge load of fresh, orange stalks to restock their supply.
Now even though Bunny ate more carrots than anyone else, Bunny did not like to dig in the field to get her carrots. She preferred to play while everyone else worked in the carrot field. Thus, she collected her carrots in other ways than by hard work. "Oh, no," said Bunny, "I cannot go into the field and dig carrots today. I have much work to do here, and, besides, it is very hot in the field. It is not good to be in the boiling sun. You may end up seeing things that aren't there." Bunny did not do any hard work, of course and always managed to get out of the hard labor of working in the sun and carrying bunches of carrots home.
So off went Jackson and Bear to dig up their own carrots. Let Bunny go another time.
Soon Jackson and Bear were back with large loads of crisp carrots from the cool ground of Farmer Cox's well-watered carrot patch. Their carrot closets would soon be full of tasty carrot shoots to enjoy for many weeks.
When Bunny saw all the flavorful carrots come through the door, she said to Bear, "Would you like some help counting your carrots, Bear?"
Bear didn't count his carrots because it didn't matter. He was going to eat them all anyway. But when Bunny suggested that he count them, it sounded like an important thing to do. So he said, "Yes, Bunny, you can help me count my carrots so I will know how many I grabbed today."
Bunny said, "Okay, Bear, you count them out and hand them to me, and I will lay them on the table for you." In the mean time, Bunny had placed a secret bag under the table just out of Bear's sight. So Bear started counting his carrots. "One," said Bear, and he handed it to Bunny who laid it out on the table.
"Two," said Bear as he handed another one to Bunny. But this time Bunny put that carrot in the secret bag under the table. Bear continued to count his carrots to the end. One went on the table, and one went into the bag that Bear did not see.
"Fifty," said Bear with a big smile on his face as he gave Bunny the last carrot, which went into the bag.
When Bear finished, Bunny shouted, "Look, Bear, out the window!" Bear looked up quickly. He didn't see anything.
So he looked at Bunny and said, "Now how many carrots did I say I gave you?"
"25," said Bunny.
"Are you sure?" asked Bear. "I thought I said 50."
"No," Bunny assured him, "you said 25. Count them."
So Bear counted his carrots again, and sure enough there were only 25 on the table.
"Okay, then," said Bear. "I have 25 carrots."
"There it goes again," Bunny shrieked as she pointed at the window. Bear looked up, and a handful of Bear's carrots went down into Bunny's secret bag.
"I didn't see nothin'," Bear said. "It must have been goin' fast. Why don't you help me put my 25 carrots in my closet?"
"You mean 10 carrots. That's what you told me," said Bunny.
Bear looked down at the table. He counted them again. There were 10 carrots on the table.
"That's funny," said Bear. "I was sure there were more ..."
"Look, Bear, there it is again!," screamed Bunny.
Bear strained his eyes and turned his head looking for whatever it was that Bunny saw. But there was nothing there, including not even Bear's remaining 10 carrots that were on the table. They were now resting in Bunny's secret bag.
"Anyway, help me put my 10 carrots in the closet, Bunny," said Bear to Bunny whose big eyes looked at him as if something was wrong.
"What carrots?" said Bunny. "You don't have any carrots, Bear.I told you that you and Jackson should stay out of that hot sun. It makes you see things."
Bear kept looking all over the table and behind him for carrots he thought he had counted. But like Bunny said, there weren't any carrots. So Bear walked out the door and back to the carrot patch.
Bunny took her bag of yummy, moist carrots and stacked them neatly in her carrot closet. Then she closed and locked the door and said, "Ha, ha."
Now even though Bunny ate more carrots than anyone else, Bunny did not like to dig in the field to get her carrots. She preferred to play while everyone else worked in the carrot field. Thus, she collected her carrots in other ways than by hard work. "Oh, no," said Bunny, "I cannot go into the field and dig carrots today. I have much work to do here, and, besides, it is very hot in the field. It is not good to be in the boiling sun. You may end up seeing things that aren't there." Bunny did not do any hard work, of course and always managed to get out of the hard labor of working in the sun and carrying bunches of carrots home.
So off went Jackson and Bear to dig up their own carrots. Let Bunny go another time.
Soon Jackson and Bear were back with large loads of crisp carrots from the cool ground of Farmer Cox's well-watered carrot patch. Their carrot closets would soon be full of tasty carrot shoots to enjoy for many weeks.
When Bunny saw all the flavorful carrots come through the door, she said to Bear, "Would you like some help counting your carrots, Bear?"
Bear didn't count his carrots because it didn't matter. He was going to eat them all anyway. But when Bunny suggested that he count them, it sounded like an important thing to do. So he said, "Yes, Bunny, you can help me count my carrots so I will know how many I grabbed today."
Bunny said, "Okay, Bear, you count them out and hand them to me, and I will lay them on the table for you." In the mean time, Bunny had placed a secret bag under the table just out of Bear's sight. So Bear started counting his carrots. "One," said Bear, and he handed it to Bunny who laid it out on the table.
"Two," said Bear as he handed another one to Bunny. But this time Bunny put that carrot in the secret bag under the table. Bear continued to count his carrots to the end. One went on the table, and one went into the bag that Bear did not see.
"Fifty," said Bear with a big smile on his face as he gave Bunny the last carrot, which went into the bag.
When Bear finished, Bunny shouted, "Look, Bear, out the window!" Bear looked up quickly. He didn't see anything.
So he looked at Bunny and said, "Now how many carrots did I say I gave you?"
"25," said Bunny.
"Are you sure?" asked Bear. "I thought I said 50."
"No," Bunny assured him, "you said 25. Count them."
So Bear counted his carrots again, and sure enough there were only 25 on the table.
"Okay, then," said Bear. "I have 25 carrots."
"There it goes again," Bunny shrieked as she pointed at the window. Bear looked up, and a handful of Bear's carrots went down into Bunny's secret bag.
"I didn't see nothin'," Bear said. "It must have been goin' fast. Why don't you help me put my 25 carrots in my closet?"
"You mean 10 carrots. That's what you told me," said Bunny.
Bear looked down at the table. He counted them again. There were 10 carrots on the table.
"That's funny," said Bear. "I was sure there were more ..."
"Look, Bear, there it is again!," screamed Bunny.
Bear strained his eyes and turned his head looking for whatever it was that Bunny saw. But there was nothing there, including not even Bear's remaining 10 carrots that were on the table. They were now resting in Bunny's secret bag.
"Anyway, help me put my 10 carrots in the closet, Bunny," said Bear to Bunny whose big eyes looked at him as if something was wrong.
"What carrots?" said Bunny. "You don't have any carrots, Bear.I told you that you and Jackson should stay out of that hot sun. It makes you see things."
Bear kept looking all over the table and behind him for carrots he thought he had counted. But like Bunny said, there weren't any carrots. So Bear walked out the door and back to the carrot patch.
Bunny took her bag of yummy, moist carrots and stacked them neatly in her carrot closet. Then she closed and locked the door and said, "Ha, ha."