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“I hope my ears aren’t broken off,” sighed the poor Bunny. “This is the most dreadful and cramped place I was ever in.”

Suddenly Tom spied his two chums.

“Hi there!” he called to them. “Look what I got!”

“What?”

He took the Candy Rabbit from his pocket and held him up.

“That’s a dandy!” exclaimed Pete.

“Where’d you get him?” asked Sam.

“Oh, I borrowed him at a party,” Tom answered.

“Let’s see it closer,” begged Sam, and Tom handed over the Candy Rabbit.

“Why, he’s good to eat!” cried Sam, when he had the Rabbit in his hands. “He’s made of sugar, and he’s good to eat!”

Tom looked at Sam and then at Pete. Then all three of the boys looked at each other.

“I–I’m sort of hungry for candy,” said Pete, in a low voice.

“So’m I,” admitted Sam.

“And I guess I am, too,” declared Tom. “I didn’t know this Rabbit was good to eat. But, as long as he is, we’ll divide him up and have a regular party. Come on over on my porch, fellows, and we’ll eat the Candy Rabbit!”

Now, when the sweet chap heard this he was very much frightened. Of all his adventures this seemed the very worst!

Over to Tom’s porch went the three boys, and they sat down.

“We’ll divide this Candy Rabbit into three pieces,” said Tom. He was just going to break off one of the ears when some one came out of the house and up behind the boys as they sat on the steps.

“What have you there, Tom?” asked a voice suddenly.

The three chums turned around. It was Tom’s mother who had spoken.

“Oh, it’s just a Candy Rabbit,” Tom answered. “We’re going to eat him.”

“Where did you get him?” asked Tom’s mother. “Let me see.”

And when she saw the Candy Rabbit Tom’s mother knew at once that it was no common Rabbit, such as you may buy in the five-and-ten-cent store. The Candy Rabbit was a very fancy fellow indeed!

“Why, Tom!” exclaimed his mother.

“This Rabbit belongs to Madeline. I saw it over at her house when I called there one day. Did you take Madeline’s Rabbit when you were in her house at the party? Oh, Tom, what a naughty boy! I am so sorry!”

She reached over and took the Candy Rabbit just in time, for Tom had been going to break off the ears.

“Why did you take it?” asked Tom’s mother.

“Oh, er–just–because,” he answered, squirming around. “Dick and Arnold had something, and I wanted something in my pocket. So I took the Rabbit.”

“I must take it back and tell Madeline you are sorry, and you must tell her so yourself the next time you see her,” said Tom’s mother.

Tom’s mother took the Easter toy back to Madeline, who had just missed him, and she and all the boys and girls still left at the party were hunting for him.

“Please forgive Tom for being so naughty as to take your Candy Rabbit,” begged the boy’s mother, and Madeline said she would.

“Oh, I am so glad to have you back!” cried Madeline, hugging her Candy Rabbit.

“And I am glad to get back,” said the Rabbit, though of course he dared not speak aloud.

Madeline smoothed out the pink ribbon on the Bunny’s neck. It had been crumpled in Tom’s pocket. Then the little girl put her Rabbit away on a shelf in a closet while she helped her mother and the cook clear away the things after the party.

“Dear me, I wonder what will happen next,” said the Candy Rabbit, out loud, for he knew no one could hear him in there.

“Why, has anything happened to you?” asked a voice.

“I should say so!” exclaimed the Candy Rabbit. “But who are you, if I may ask?”

“Oh, I’m a match-safe Cat,” was the answer, and then, his eyes having become used to the dark, the Candy Rabbit saw that he was sitting near a hollow porcelain Cat, used to hold burnt matches.

“Dear me, how strange!” murmured the Bunny.