Rabbits and Rodger

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 256, 25 July 1936, Page 25

Rabbits and Rodger

“1 tell you it is cruel to cage animals.” “Jean Bristo and Buruie Lukes and Hugh Wallace and lots of others keep them!" ’

A heated argument was taking place in the toolshed. Rodger declared that it was cruel to keep rabbits in cages, while Joan, who loved her pets, asked “Why?'’ "I’m sure,” she said, “that Mrs. Lewis wouldn't, hurt a fly, and she’s got a rabbit.”

“What fun do you get out of a rabbit, anyway?’’ Rodger demanded in his matter-of-fact way. “You get up half an hour earlier than anyone else so that you can collect greens for it, and you won't like doing that when the winter sets in. Just imagine handling frosty dandelion plants. Then you are scared to let the thing out of its hutch for fear it might run away. It isn’t company for one like a dog or even a cat. I don’t see what you make such a silly fuss over it for." “I’m sure aunty bought it from a shot). I don't believe it ever was a wild oue,” burst out Joan.

"I'll tell you what we’ll do,” cried Rodger, brightening up. “We’ll let it out now, and if it hasn't run away by bed-time you can shut it up again.’’ Joan looked rather dubious, but with a little more persuasion Rodger gained his point. Thev opened the cage door and Joan waited in an agony of suspense, but nothing happened. "You see. it doesn’t want to go away,” she cried exultantly, all her fears vanishing.

“It’s frightened, that’s all,” Rodger remarked with a frown. “Come, let's go and play on Xhe other side of the house.” Half an hour later the children again approached the hutch, but the rabbit had completely disappeared. Rodger cast a hasty glance over Joan's face and began to feel a wee bit uneasy. Perhaps she was right about it, after all. “Let’s go and look for it,” he said. They hunted under every leaf and bush, but never a sign of the lost pet did they discover. Joan began to weep bitterly, and Rodger felt guiltily upset. Just ad they were about to retire indoors, having given up all hope of seeing it again, what should come popping out from under the house bpt the bunny itself. It lopped straight up to the children and began nibbling at a dock leaf which was growing at their feet. Rodger and Joan slowly turned and faced each other and then laughed heartily. Neither of them had thought of searching under the ouse. “We'll let him stay out here until tea-time, but we’ll watch him carefully,” said Joan. “See, he doesn't want to go away at all. What a pity it is I didn't let him out for, a run long ago.” Rodger agreed heartily. “Yes, that will be better tlian letting it go altogether. I don’t suppose it would know how to look after itself,” he said. Joan smiled happily, and Rodger felt so relieved because the rabbit hadn’t really run away that he gave her the bottle with the ship in, which she had coveted for months but never dared hope she might eventually own.-—Valerie (15), Palmerston North.