This story is an old Institute for Children's Literature project which was inspired by a picture of one rabbit stealing a pie from another.

Butch McRabbit and his friend Mouse came into the kitchen one late spring morning.

"Hey Pa!" called Butch to his father,
who was sitting down in the front room with his morning paper. "Are we going to fix that old tree stump by the creek today?"

"Are we?" Mouse asked. "We were fishing there this morning."

"Not today," Mr. McRabbit said. "I have to go to town this afternoon. How was the fishing?"

"We didn't catch any fish," said Mouse.

"We almost caught one," said Butch. "But that dumb old Bubber Bunny came along and fell into the creek. He scared off all the fish. He is always doing something like that."

"That Bubber," Mr. McRabbit said with a sigh. "Can't he do anything right? What did he do?"

"He was gonna try and get his fishing pole when he ran into that old stump," said Butch. "He just went flying into the creek."

Just then, Butch smelled something very good.

"Mmmm!" he said. "Is that apple pie? I love apple pie!"

"It sure is!" Mrs. McRabbit said. "I've been baking all morning. Now you and Mouse wash up. You can have some pie after your carrots and cheese!"

The three freshly baked pies cooling on the window sill caught the attention of Miss Pigeon, who passing by, and somebody else.

"Is that apple pie I smell?" Bubber Bunny thought to himself. "Why yes it is, yes it is. I think I'll have some. Huh-huh-huh."

Bubber crept up to the McRabbit house and took a quick senaky peek to see if anyone was watching. Then he snatched a pie and took off in a flash!

What Bubber didn't know was that Miss Pigeon was just landing to chat with Mrs. McRabbit.

"Mrs. McRabbit! Mrs. McRabbit!" Miss Pigeon cried.

Quickly, Mrs. McRabbit went to the window and saw Bubber Bunny running into the woods.

"Oh dear!" she exclaimed. "That pesky Bubber Bunny has taken one of my pies!"

The noise startled Mr. McRabbit, who ran into the kitchen.

"I'll get the truck," he said. "We can get to his hutch before he does."

The McRabbits and Mouse sped to the truck and took off for Bubber's hutch. They watched the fleeing bunny from the road and then they stopped as Bubber burst through the trees towards the creek.

"I got a pie! Huh-huh!" he chuckled. "The pie is mine! Fresh apple pie! The pie is my, oops!"

Just then, Bubber tripped on a stump and went flying through the air into the creek.

Miss Pigeon was in hot pursuit as Bubber dashed into some trees just ahead of the creek bank, but she stopped too. Everyone stopped and laughed at the silly old Bunny, who was all wet and had his face filled with pie.

Bubber even laughed, but he knew he was in trouble for stealing the pie.

The next day, Mr. McRabbit made Bubber help pull out the old stump.