Look at the marks upon my back. You coursed me
with your running dogs. You hunted me with your hounds. You dragged me
out of the sea into which I swam to escape you by death, and threw me
living to the pack," and the Hare stopped exhausted by its own fury.
"Well," replied the Man coolly, "and suppose I, or my people, did, what
of it? Why shouldn't I? You were a beast, I was a man with dominion over
you. You can read all about that in the Book of Genesis."
"I never heard of the Book of Genesis," said the Hare, "but what does
dominion mean? Does this Book of Genesis say that it means the right to
torment that which is weaker than the tormentor?"
"All you animals were made for us to eat," commented the Man, avoiding
an answer to the direct question.
"Very good," answered the Hare, "let us suppose that we _were_ given
you to eat. Was it in order to eat me that you came out against me with
guns, then with dogs that run by sight, and then with dogs that run by
smell?"
"If you were to be killed and eaten, why should you not be killed in one
of these ways, Hare?"
"Why should I be killed in those ways, Man, when others more merciful
were to your hand? Indeed, why should I be killed at all? Moreover, if
you wished to satisfy your hunger with my body, why at the last was I
thrown to the dogs to devour?"
"I don't quite know, Hare. Never looked at the matter in that light
before. But--ah! I've got you now," he added triumphantly.
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