Part 4 (1/2)

At this point I thought that I had heard enough, and slipped ahen their backs were turned For, friend Mahat meant

About a week later I knew better still It came about thus By that ti field, had swelled into fine, large bulbs with leafy tops We used to eat the the forms You know, Mahatma, don't you, that a forround just to fit itself? No hare likes to sleep in another hare's form Do you understand?”

”Yes,” I answered, ”I understand It would be like aabout boots Mahats with iron on them which kick one out of one's form if one sits too close Once that happened to me Well, my form was under a particularly fine turnip that had soreen ones I chose it because, like the brown earth, they justthere quite soundly when my sister came and woke me

”There areout of her head with fear, for she was always very timid

”I'm off”

”Are you?” I answered ”Well, I think I shall stop here where I shan't be noticed If we begin juht run down the rows, keeping our ears close to our backs,” she remarked

”No,” I said, ”there are too ' some way off; and my sister, like a wise hare, scuttled away at full speed for the wood But I only

There was a good deal to see and hear; for instance, a covey of partridges, troubleso about when one wants to sleep, were running to and fro in a great state of concern

”They are after us,” said the old cock

”I re last year Co ones to look after?” answered the hen

”Why, if once they are scattered I shall never find theain”

”Just as you like, you know best,” said the cock ”Goodbye,” and away he flehile his wife and the rest ran to a little distance, scattered and squatted

Presently, looking back overtowards me There was the Red-faced Man whom Giles called Grampus behind his back and Squire to his face There was Giles hi a kind of stick with a slit in it froes whose necks were in the slit One of theain, for it flapped in the stick trying to fly away He held these in the hand that was tied up, and in the other, oh, horror! was a dead hare bleeding from its nose It looked uncommonly like my mother, but whether it were or no I couldn't be quite sure At least froain I suppose you haven'twhite Road, have you, Mahatma?

”No, no,” I answered impatiently, ”I have already told you that you are the first hare I have ever seen upon the Road Please get on with your story, or the Lights will change and the Gates be opened before I hear its end”

Just when I saw her I was thinking of running away, but the sight terrified me so much that I could not stir You see, Mahatma, I really loved ood deal

Well, beyond Giles ho do you think? That dreadful boy, Touns, except Giles and sole-barrelled? Then there were others whoht, and worst of all, perhaps, there was Giles's great black dog, a silly-looking beast which always see out, and to be wagging a big tail like the fox's, only black and e and one of her young ones and fleards un and fired, once, twice, and down ca one

I forgot to say that Toe, which fell dead quite close toin the air As it fell Tom screeched out--