condition. Fun indeed! I've no patience with such behaviour.' 'Nor I,' replied the Rabbit. 'Well, many thanks to you all, my friends, for your kind words, although I cannot feel that I deserve them, for I have done so very little; nothing that is really good, you know.' But to this his friends would not agree; and, thanking them again, the Rabbit trotted slowly home, pondering over all that had been said, and wishing he could do one really good action before his long life came to an end. On the bank, just above his burrow, was sitting a little fair-haired girl crying bitterly. The sight distressed the tender-hearted Rabbit; and although human beings were not much in his way, he could not forbear showing his sympathy in this case, by approaching the little girl, and rubbing his nose gently against her hand. She started at the touch, and gave a scream of surprise and delight on seeing the Rabbit, on whose tuft she immediately sprinkled some grains of salt, crying out gleefully, as she clutched him round the neck with the other hand, 'I've done it! I've done it! Now I've caught you, and grandmother will have something to eat.' Was this, The poor old Rabbit trembled. then, to be his end after so many happy years? Was he to turn into food for an old woman? A sad look came into his old eyes; still he did not try to escape from the child's grasp, and she, putting down her little face to his, exclaimed sorrowfully, 'Oh! but how shall I ever kill you? for you are the dearest, tamest, most loving old Bunny I ever did see; oh dear! oh dear!' 'Never mind, little girl,' said the Rabbit gently. You may do what you like with me; only-only-if your grandmother is old and ill, I am afraid she will find me very tough.' 'Yes, she is very old and ill, and she has nothing to eat. So I said I should take some salt and put it on a bird or a rabbit's tail, for I had heard that was the way to catch them; and so it is, for I caught you, you see; but— but oh! I don't think I can kill you, you dear talking Bunny.' 'Well, suppose we go back to grandmother and see what can be done.' And off they started, the Rabbit taking one last fond look at his old home, for he thought that very likely he should never enter it again. And he never did. An old, old woman was picking up sticks in front of the cottage door. 'What is that with you? I can't see very well?' she asked the little girl, peering at the Rabbit with her small red eyes. 'A creature from the forest,' answered the child. And is he to save the life of your grandmother?' The child was silent, and large tears rolled slowly down her cheeks. The old woman turned to the Rabbit. 'Are you ready to save a human life?' she asked, taking up a large knife that lay on the ground. M |