Doctor Rabbit and Tom Wildcat

In Short

When Tom Wildcat begins stalking the residents of the Big Green Woods, the forest animals face a constant threat to their survival. Led by the resourceful Doctor Rabbit, the small creatures unite to outwit the predator at every turn. After a series of comedic mishaps—including tricking Tom into a concealed pit and using hot salve to burn his eyes—Doctor Rabbit devises a master plan. By posting "Cat Cholera" quarantine signs on every doorstep, the animals panic the superstitious wildcat into moving far away, permanently restoring peace to their forest community.

The Story

The peace of the Big Green Woods is shattered when Tom Wildcat begins prowling the area in search of easy prey. His late-night appearance at the hollow-tree home of Doctor Rabbit marks the start of an ongoing battle of wits. Knowing better than to open his door, Doctor Rabbit trickles a blistering, hot medicinal salve onto Tom’s slightly injured paw through a window, sending the wildcat away howling in pain.

When Doctor Rabbit overhears Tom planning to ambush Jack Rabbit on the Wide Prairie, he sets off at dawn to warn his friend. Together, Doctor Rabbit and Jack Rabbit build a trap near a sunny sycamore tree where Jack often rests. They cover a deep, abandoned playhouse pit with rotten twigs and leaves. Tom Wildcat, creeping along a tree limb above what he believes is a sleeping rabbit, leaps down and crashes into the hole. Though the forest creatures gather to mock the trapped predator, Tom eventually manages to scramble out. Seeking revenge, Tom attempts to play polite and invite Doctor Rabbit over for a dinner of fresh garden vegetables, but the clever rabbit easily sees through the trap.

The forest animals continue to face close calls. O. Possum suffers a severe bout of acute indigestion from overeating and requires Doctor Rabbit's firm medical intervention. Soon after recovering, Stubby Woodchuck is pounced on by Tom Wildcat. Facing certain death, Stubby brilliantly claims that he is filled with deadly poison. Panicking at the thought of being poisoned, Tom runs in frantic circles, tries climbing a tree, and accidentally rubs his eyes with the paw still coated in Doctor Rabbit's hot salve. Blinded and screaming, Tom stumbles into the Murmuring Brook while Stubby safely escapes.

Realizing that short-term tricks are not enough, Doctor Rabbit spends days isolated in his home working on a grand scheme. Armed with a paint bucket and brushes, he creates black-lettered signs and posts them on every front door in the woods. When Tom Wildcat returns to hunt, he reads a sign on Stubby Woodchuck's house that screams: "CAT CHOLERA HERE! COME IN AND HELP!" As Cheepy Chipmunk and his wife feign terminal illness on their doorstep, a terrified Tom flees from house to house, only to find the exact same notice everywhere—even on Doctor Rabbit's door. Believing a fatal plague has wiped out the woods and infected his potential meals, Tom Wildcat sprints home in a frenzy, orders his wife Kit to pack immediately, and flees the region forever.

How It Unfolds

The Midnight Patient Tom Wildcat arrives late at night at Doctor Rabbit's treehouse, pretending he needs treatment for a sore foot. Sensing danger, Doctor Rabbit applies a burning hot salve through a window opening, sending the howling wildcat into the night.

The Pitfall Trap After discovering Tom's plan to hunt Jack Rabbit, Doctor Rabbit and Jack cover a deep pit with flimsy sticks and leaves. Tom leaps from a tree branch directly onto the hidden hole and crashes straight to the bottom.

A Blistering Escape Stubby Woodchuck is caught by Tom, but tricks the predator by feigning to be poisoned. While frantically trying to cure himself, Tom accidentally rubs the old hot salve into his eyes, causing him to yowl and crash into a stream while Stubby runs away.

The Great Quarantine Doctor Rabbit paints yellow signs reading "CAT CHOLERA HERE!" and tacks them to every door in the forest. As the animals play sick, Tom panics, believes the forest is plagued, and flees the country with his wife.

The People

• Doctor Rabbit is the clever, community-minded protagonist of the forest who uses his sharp mind and medical supplies to protect his neighbors from harm. He wants to keep the woods safe, stands up to Tom Wildcat's predatory threats, and ends up as the celebrated hero who permanently trick-drives the wildcat out of the territory.
• Tom Wildcat is the vain, persistent, and aggressive antagonist who views the smaller woodland creatures solely as his next meal. He wants to catch Doctor Rabbit, Jack Rabbit, and Stubby Woodchuck, but his own gullibility and hot temper repeatedly trip him up, leaving him terrified and exiled from the Big Green Woods.
• Stubby Woodchuck is a slow-moving, cautious forest resident who frequently finds himself in mortal danger. He wants to forage in peace, faces the immediate threat of Tom's sharp claws, and transforms into a surprisingly resourceful actor when he fakes being poisonous to save his own life.
• Jack Rabbit is Doctor Rabbit's swift and cheerful ally on the Wide Prairie. He wants to enjoy his sunny mornings without being eaten, collaborates closely with Doctor Rabbit to construct the leaf-covered pit, and succeeds in outwitting the wildcat through teamwork.

In Its Own Voice

"That salve is pretty hot, I’m afraid, but I’m quite sure it’ll cure your foot. Yes, sir, it’s pretty hot, but it’s just the right kind of salve for a wildcat!" Doctor Rabbit calls this down from his window after applying his burning remedy to Tom's sore paw.

"The fact is, you have been making a pig of yourself, and you have acute indigestion." Doctor Rabbit delivers this diagnosis to O. Possum after realizing the sick animal ate a massive multi-course meal.

"I’m going clear away from this place, and never come within ten miles of it again!" Tom Wildcat screams this to his wife Kit as he flees the forest in terror of catching cat cholera.

What It's Really About

Beneath its playful animal antics, the story explores the victory of intelligence and solidarity over brute strength. Tom Wildcat represents a physical force that cannot be defeated through violence by smaller, weaker animals like rabbits, woodchucks, and chipmunks. Instead, the narrative emphasizes that community cooperation, quick thinking, and an understanding of an enemy's psychological weaknesses—specifically Tom's vanity and fear of illness—can level the playing field. The book presents a world where trickery in the service of self-defense is a vital survival tool, demonstrating that a small community standing together can overcome an overbearing bully.

Why Read It Today

This short classic is a delightful pick for young listeners and early readers who enjoy lighthearted animal adventures in the tradition of Beatrix Potter or Thornton Burgess. The narrative moves along at an energetic pace, filled with dramatic near-escapes, humorous dialogue, and satisfying physical comedy that keeps children engaged.

Readers will find the language straightforward and accessible, though modern audiences may notice periodic expressions and simple, repetitive sentence structures typical of early twentieth-century juvenile fiction. The story's straightforward moral framework—where bullies are outwitted without severe violence—makes it a cozy, comforting bedtime read. The lasting impression is one of warmth, ingenuity, and the triumph of clever small creatures living in harmony against all odds.

<FollowUp label="Would you like to explore other classic woodland animal series from this era?" query="Recommend other public domain children's book series featuring anthropomorphic woodland animals like Thornton Burgess or Beatrix Potter."/>