By next morning all was gone, and the big rabbit grew hungry
also. All that day it hopped about sniffing at me and showing its yellow
teeth.
"I shall eat you to-night," it said.
I ran round and round the pen in terror, till at last I found a place
where rats had been working under the wire, almost big enough for me to
squeeze through, but not quite.
The sun went down and the big she-rabbit came out.
"Now I am going to eat you," it said, "as I ate all the others. I am
hungry, very hungry," and it prodded me about with its nose and rolled
me over.
At last with a little squeal it drove its big yellow teeth into me
behind. Oh! how they hurt! I was near the rat-hole. I rushed at
it, scrabbling and wriggling. The big rabbit pounced on me with its
fore-feet, trying to hold me, but too late, for I was through, leaving
some of my fur behind me. I ran, how I ran! without stopping, till at
length I found my mother in the rough pasture by the wood and told her
everything.
"Ah!" she said, "that's what comes of greediness and of trying to be too
clever. Now, perhaps, you will learn to stop at home."
So I did for a long while.
*****
The summer went by without anything particular happening, except that my
brother with the lame foot was eaten by the mother fox. That great red
beast was always prowling about, and at night surprised us in a field
near the wood where we were feeding on some beautiful turnips. The rest
of us got away, but my brother being lame, was not quick enough.
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