the mahatma and the hare-第5节

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〃Not　at　all；〃　I　answered；　〃go　on；　please。　It　is　very　interesting　to
hear　things　described　from　the　animal's　point　of　view；　especially　when
that　animal　has　grown　wise　and　learned　to　understand。〃

〃Ah；〃　answered　the　Hare。　〃I　see　what　you　mean。　And　it　is　odd；　but　I　do
understand。　All　has　become　clear　to　me。　I　don't　know　what　happened
when　I　died；　but　there　came　a　change；　and　I　knew　that　I　who　was　but　a
beast　always　have　been　and　still　am　a　necessary　part　of　everything　as
much　as　you　are；　though　more　helpless　and　humble。　Yes；　I　am　as　ancient
and　as　far…reaching　as　yourself；　but　how　I　began　and　how　I　shall　end
is　dark　to　me。　Well；　I　will　go　on　with　my　story。

It　must　have　been　a　moon　or　so　later；　after　my　mother　had　given　up
nursing　me；　that　I　went　to　lie　out　by　myself。　There　was　a　big　house　on
the　hillside　overlooking　the　sea；　and　near　to　it　were　gardens
surrounded　by　a　wall。　Also　outside　of　this　wall　was　another　patch　of
garden　where　cabbages　grew。　I　found　a　way　to　those　cabbages　and　kept
it　secret；　for　I　was　greedy　and　wanted　them　all　for　myself。　I　used　to
creep　in　at　night　and　eat　them；　also　some　flowers　with　spiky　leaves
that　grew　round　them　which　had　a　very　fine　flavour。　Then　after　the
dawn　came　I　went　to　a　form　which　I　had　made　under　a　furze　bush　on　the
slope　that　ran　down　to　the　sea；　and　slept　there。

One　day　I　was　awakened　by　something　white；　hard；　and　round　which
rolled　gently　and　stopped　still　quite　close　to　me。　It　was　not　alive；
although　it　had　a　queer　smell；　and　I　wondered　why　it　moved　at　all。
Presently　I　heard　voices　and　there　appeared　a　little　man；　and　with　him
somebody　who　was　not　a　man　because　it　was　differently　dressed　and
spoke　in　a　higher　voice。　I　saw　that　they　had　sticks　in　their　hands　and
thought　of　running　away；　then　that　it　would　be　safer　to　lie　quite
close。　They　came　up　to　me　and　the　little　man　said

〃There's　the　ball；　pick　it　up；　Ella；　the　lie　is　too　bad。〃

She；　for　now　I　know　it　was　what　is　called　a　girl；　stooped　to　obey　and
saw　my　back。

〃Tom；〃　she　said　in　a　whisper；　〃here's　a　young　hare　on　its　form。〃

〃Get　out　of　the　light；〃　he　answered；　〃and　I'll　kill　it；〃　and　he　lifted
the　stick　he　held；　which　had　a　twisted　iron　end。

〃No；〃　she　said；　〃catch　it　alive；　I　want　a　hare　to　be　a　friend　to　my
rabbit；　which　has　lost　all　its　little　ones。〃

〃Lost　them？　Eaten　them；　you　mean；　because　you　would　always　go　and
stare　at　it；〃　said　Tom。　〃Where's　the　leveret？　Oh！　I　see。　Now；　look
out！〃

A　moment　later　and　I　was　in　darkness。　Tom　had　thrown　himself　upon　the
top　of　me　and　was　grabbing　at　me　with　his　hands。　I　nearly　got　away；
but　as　my　head　poked　up　under　his　arm　the　girl　caught　hold　of　it。

〃Oh！　it's　scratching；〃　she　cried；　as　indeed　I　was　with　all　my　might。
〃Hold　it；　Tom；　hold　it！〃

〃Hold　it　yourself；〃　said　Tom；　〃my　face　is　full　of　furze　prickles。〃　So
she　held　and　presently　he　helped　her；　till　in　the　end　I　was　tied　up　in
a　pocket…handkerchief　and　carried　I　knew　not　whither。　Indeed　I　was
almost　mad　with　fear。

When　I　came　to　myself　I　found　that　I　was　within　a　kind　of　wire　run
which　smelt　foully；　as　though　hundreds　of　things　had　lived　in　it　for
years。　There　was　a　hutch　at　the　end　of　the　run　in　which　sat　an
enormous　she…rabbit；　quite　as　big　as　my　mother；　a　fierce…looking　brute
with　long　yellow　teeth。　I　was　afraid　of　that　rabbit　and　got　as　far
from　it　as　I　could。　Presently　it　hopped　out　and　looked　at　me。

〃What　are　you　doing　here？〃　it　asked。　〃Can't　you　talk？　Well；　it　doesn't
matter。　If　I　get　hungry　I'll　eat　you！　Do　you　hear　that？　I'll　eat　you；
as　I　did　all　the　others；〃　and　it　showed　its　big　yellow　teeth　and
hopped　back　into　the　hutch。

After　that　Tom　and　the　girl　came　and　gave　us　plenty　of　food　which　the
big　rabbit　ate；　for　I　could　touch　nothing。　For　two　days　they　came；　and
then　I　think　they　forgot　all　about　us。　I　grew　very　hungry；　and　at
night　filled　myself　with　some　of　the　remaining　food；　such　as　stale
cabbage　leaves。　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。　The　fox　caught　him；　and　I　heard　her　sharp　white　teeth　crunch
into　his　bones。　The　sound　made　me　quite　sick；　and　my　mother　was　very
sad　afterwards。　She　complained　to　my　father　of　the　cruelty　of　foxes；
but　he；　who；　as　I　have　said；　was　a　philosopher；　answered　her　almost　in
her　own　words。

〃Foxes　must　live；　and　this　one　has　young　to　feed；　and　therefore　is
always　hungry。　There　are　three　of　them　in　a　hole　at　the　top　of　the
wood；〃　he　remarked。　〃Also　our　son　was　lame　and　would　certainly　have
been　caught　when　the　hunting　begins。〃

〃What's　the　hunting？〃　I　asked。

〃Never　mind；〃　said　my　father　sharply。　〃No　doubt　you'll　find　out　in
time；　that　is　if　you　live　through　the　shooting。〃

〃What's　the　shooting？〃　I　began；　but　my　father　cuffed　me　over　the　head
and　I　was　silent。

I　may　tell　you　that　my　mother　soon　got　over　the　loss　of　my　brother；
for　just　about　that　time　she　had　four　new　little　ones；　after　which
neither　she　nor　my　father　seemed　to　think　any　more　about　us。　My　sister
and　I　hated　those　little　ones。　We　two　alone　remembered　my　brother；　and
sometimes　wondered　whether　he　was　quite　gone　or　would　one　day　come
back。　The　fox；　I　am　glad　to　say；　got　caught　in　a　trap。　At　least　I　am
not　glad　nowI　was　glad　because；　you　see；　I　was　so　much　afraid　of
her。



THE　SHOOTING

I　was　quite　close　by　one　morning　when　the　fox；　who　was　smelling　about
after　me；　I　suppose　because　it　had　liked　my　brother　so　much；　got
caught　in　the　big　trap　which　was　covered　over　artfully　with　earth　and
baited　with　some　stuff　which　stank　horribly。　I　remember　it　looked　very
like　my　own　hind…legs。　The　fox；　not　being　able　to　find　me；　went　to
this　filth　and　tried　to　eat　it。

Then　suddenly　there　was　a　dreadful　fuss。　The　fox　yelped　and　flew　into
the　air。　I　saw　that　a　great　black　thing　was　fast　on　its　forepaw。　How
that　fox　did　jump　and　roll！　It　was　quite　wonderful　to　see　her。　She
looked　like　a　great　yellow　ball；　except　for　a　lot　of　white　marks　about
the　head；　which　were　her　teeth。　But　the　trap　would　not　come　away；
because　it　was　tied　to　a　root　with　a　chain。

At　last　the　fox　grew　tired　and；　lying　down；　began　to　think；　licking
its　paw　as　it　thought　and　making　a　kind　of　moaning　noise。　Next　it
commenced　gnawing　at　the　root　after　trying　the　chain　and　finding　that
its　teeth　would　not　go　into　it。　While　it　was　doing　this　I　heard　the
sound　of　a　man　somewhere　in　the　wood。　So　did　the　fox；　and　oh！　it
looked　so　frightened。　It　lay　down　panting；　its　tongue　hanging　out　and
its　ears　pressed　back　against　its　head；　and　whisked　its　big　tail　from
side　to　side。　Then　it　began　to　gnaw　again；　but　this　time　at　its　own
leg。　It　wanted　to　bite　it　off　and　so　get　away。　I　thought　this　very
brave　of　the　fox；　and　though　I　hated　it　because　it　had　eaten　my
brother　and　tried　to　eat　me；　I　felt　quite　sorry。

It　was　about　half　through　its　leg　when　the　man　came。　I　remember　that
he　had　a　cat　with　a　little　red　collar　on　its　neck；　and　an　owl　in　his
hand；　both　of　them　dead；　for　he　was　Giles；　the　head…keeper；　going
round　his　traps。　He　was　a　tall　man　with　sandy　whiskers　and　a　rough
voice；　and　he　carried　a　single…barrelled　gun　under　his　arm。

You　see；　now　that　I　am　dead　I　know　the　use　of　these　things；　just　as　I
understand　all　that　was　said；　though　of　course　at　the　time　it　had　no
meaning　for　me。　Still　I　find　that　I　have　forgotten　nothing；　not　one
word　from　the　beginning　of　my　life　to　the　end。

The　keeper；　who　was　on　his　way　to　the　place　where　he　nailed　the
creatures　he　did　not　like　by　dozens　upon　poles；　looked　down　and　saw
the　fox。　〃Oh！　my　beauty；〃　he　said；　〃so　I　have　got　you　at　last。　Don't
you　think　yourself　clever　trying　to　bite　off　that　leg。　You'd　have　done
it　too；　only　I　came　along　just　in　time。　Well；　good　night；　old　girl；
you　won't　have　no　more　of　my　pheasants。〃

Then　he　lift