Right here Downy Screech Owl stopped talking. He happened to think he might say something that would get Doctor Rabbit into trouble. So he made up his mind to keep still for the present, and slip over in a little while and tell Doctor Rabbit where Ki-yi Coyote was. You see, Downy Owl didn’t know that Doctor Rabbit was awake. He didn’t know that Ki-yi Coyote had even been seen by anybody else.
Downy Screech Owl waited until Ki-yi Coyote curled himself up, as if for a nap, and then flew around to Doctor Rabbit’s back door and knocked very gently.
Doctor Rabbit opened the door only a very little crack, but when he saw who it was, he let Downy Owl in. And Downy began right away, for he was very much excited: “Ki-yi Coyote is right out there, hiding by the path, waiting for you!” he said.
But to his surprise, Doctor Rabbit answered, “I know it. I’ve been watching him all the time!”
“My, I’m certainly glad you have,” said Downy Screech Owl; “but what are you going to do?”
“Don’t talk so loud!” Doctor Rabbit warned. “I’m going to do this: I’m going to fool old Ki-yi worse than he ever was fooled before in his life. The first joke I play on him will be funny. But the second joke I play on him will take him clear away from the Big Green Woods and the Wide Prairie for good and all.”
“My goodness me!” was all Downy Screech Owl could say, he was so puzzled. “How are you going to play the jokes on sly Ki-yi, and what are the jokes?” he wanted to know.
“Never mind now,” Doctor Rabbit whispered; “you just slip back and see if Ki-yi is still there. If he is, try to keep him there.”
Little Downy Owl flew back to the tree. There was Ki-yi Coyote still lying below on the grass, all curled up just as if he were fast asleep. Downy Screech Owl looked at him for a while and then, out of curiosity, flew down on a limb a little closer. Still Ki-yi Coyote did not move, so Downy Owl flew a little closer. Just then he saw sly Ki-yi move his ear the tiniest bit, and heard him mumble something to himself. Little Downy flew up high in the tree as quick as winking.
“I’ll just wait,” he said very softly to himself, “and if old Ki-yi starts to go away, I’ll talk to him and try to keep him here until I see what Doctor Rabbit is going to do.”