SALTING ITS TAIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18861, 8 November 1924, Page 4 (Supplement)

SALTING ITS TAIL.

Farmer Edwards laughed at Bonnie, who was running here, there, and everywhere after the rabbits. "It yon can pat some salt on a rabbit's tail, you can have it," he said. Bennie had uvrtr been to the country before, and he wanted to catch one ma a pet. When Bennie begged a little salt from the farmer's wife, she asked him what he wanted it for.

"To pat on the rabbit's tail!" Bennie replied. Why did she laugh like the farmer, Bennie wondered ? Bat be soon forgot everything except the plan he had made to trap a rabbit. Armed with the sdlt, he wandered on to the rabbit warren close by. Ho searched and found a big hole, and, seating himself behind a bash, waited patiently. For a long time nothing happened; then a huge rabbit ran right in front of him. He took a p inch of salt, but it had gone.

Nothing daunted, Bennie sat down and waited. Rabbit number two popped np from just under his feet, and startled him so much that, by the time he had recovered his breath, that one too was out of sight.

Bat again he sat and waited. He was thinking about taking up another hiding place when he heard the sound cf voices coming near, and- someone was speaking loudly. They were beating the bushes and making angry sounds.

"1 know it came this way. I saw it!" said an angry voice.

"What are you looking for?" asked Bennie, showing himself.

There were two big boys standing before him.

"Have you seen a rabbit pass this way ? It is limping. I threw a stone at it, but it only hurt its foot!" said one of them. "You cruel boy!" exclaimed Bennie. "How could you do it?" The boys laughed and went their' way. but Bennie was quite upset. The next moment the wounded rabbit popped out of a bush and flashed past him. "I must catch that one!" cried Bennie, and he ran after it.

The rabbit did not know that Bennie wanted to help it, and ran all tho faster —much too fast for Bennie.

It was just then that the farmers came up. Of courso Benmo told him all about the cruel boys. Ho was quite as indig nant as Bennio. "Let me know if you see them again," ho said, looking very stern, "and I'll tell their fathers."

They walked on a little, till they came to the field where the men were busy fell ing trees. "Look at that beautiful tree

they are preparing to pull," said tho farmor. "But it i 3 unsafe; when the autumn winds come it might crash and hurt someone."

But Bennie was paying no attention. He had seen crossing the field, not far from the big tree, tl)e two naughty boys, and they were holding a rabbit by its ears!

"Oh!" exclaimed Bennie, and he started off running. "Come back!" cried the farmer; "that tree is coming down." But Bennie never heard. Tho men were calling out to the two boys, and the farmer was calling out to Bennie. Tho big tree was leaning very much to one side and in a moment would be down with a crash.

Tho boys turned, just as Bennie got to them. One of tnem pulled him along with them, and the tree fell to the ground, the three boys escaping it by about two yards. "Givo me the rabbit!" cried Bennie, holding out his hand. Tho boys had had such a fright. that they gave up the poor little beast without a word.

When Bennie got back to the farm Mrs. Edwards put the rabbit to bed in one of the tame rabbit's hutches.

"Why, what's this?" she asked. "It looks like salt!" /

"It is!" said Bennio. "I put it on so that the bunny should stay with me for ever and ever."

It did. It became quite tame, and when Bennie went back to London he took it with him.