Augustus Rabbit

Southland Times, Issue 20538, 14 July 1928, Page 11 (Supplement)

Augustus Rabbit

If by any chance you had happened to walking down a cert a. n lane about the Ume of last full-moon, you may, it’ you had been an observant oerson, discerned on one side of the lane, a rabbit’s doorway, with the door flung wide open. A most shocking thing in “Bunny-land.” This doerway was the entrance to a passage, which led to the home of Mr. Augustus Rabbit. Now, if you have ever been to Bunny-land or even heard n uch about it, you would know just what that name signified. Firstly Mr Augustus Rabbit was the proud possessor of the larger t house in Bunny-land. Secondly Mr. Augustus was the equally proud possessor of the prettiest daughter in Bunny-land. Thirdly, Mr. Augustus Rabbit’s daughter, was to that arrogant gentleman’s delight, to be married that day, to the only titled bunny-man m that part of bunny-land. The last sentence explains the reason of the open doo". Mr Augustus Rabbit was really excited. , The servants of hie house hold had become so inured to the precise way tha. he always went through life, that this unexpected turn in events resulted in the fact that none of them remembered to shut the neglected door. Having seen that all preparations had been successfully planned for the wedding, Jemima’s father, Jemima being the name of Mr Augustus Rabbit’s daughter, dressed himself in his best, marshalled all the servants in|o a long coach told the driver to drive off, and followed with his daughter in an elegant carriage. As it happened they did not have to pass the door of Mr. Augustus Rabbit's home to reach the church, thus it remained unclosed. All had gone well. The marriage ceremony was nearly through, when suddenly thinking over the events of the morning, Mr Augustus Rabbit, remembered that, when on hurrying in from an errand, he had neglected to shut the door. What a shock! Indeed it was such a shock that Mr Augustus Rabbit forgot where he was, forgot the dignity of his position, in fact he forgot everything except that he had gone out, leaving the door of his house open behind him, thus breaking one of the laws of Bunny-iand. Up he jumped, raced down the aisle, out the church and up the lane, not even taking his carriage. It is well perhaps that he did forget the carriage, for the horses which led the carriage were placid easy-going creatures, which was of course necessary, as anything else would hitherto have been rather infra dig in the house of Mr .Augustus Rabbit. Still racing that now flustered gentleman, entered his house by the back, tore up the passage, and shut the front door with a bang. Just in time. The news of the open door had reached the Police station, but before the burly be-whiskered rabbit in charge had reached the houee, the door of the home of Mr Augustus Rabbit was tightly shut, just in time to evade an interview with their Police Inspector. —2 marks to Cousin Betty Wilson (14) 111 William Street, South Invercargill. —Commended. — Augustus Rabbit was a darling white fluffy rabbit belonging to the fairies. They loved him with all their hearts—those little sprites—and treated him as they would treat rheir Queen. At night they danced round him in the fairy ring in the heart of the woods. One evening, as they were dancing a li. tie lost boy stumbled almost right upon them. Of course, the fairies at once made themselves invisible and slipped away, but Augustus was left standing in the centre of the ring alone. “Oh,” cried the lost boy, whose name was Bertie Darwin, “what a dear little bunny,” and forgetting for the moment his plight, he lifted the snowy white ball into his arms. Soon sleep overtook him and he lay down on the dry leaves with the rabbit in his arms. Augustus, too, fell asleep and all through the night they kept each other warm. When morning dawned a search party took the first opportunity of searching the forest for Bertie. They at last came upon him lying beneath a tree with Augustus still in his arms. As they lifted him up he awoke and gazed out at his rescuers in amazement. “Where am I?” he asked. “You have been lost,” said his father, “and I want to know where you picked up that rabbit that you are so tenderly caressing.” Bertie related his adventures, adding, “I will never, never wander too far away into the bush again, daddy.” The fairies, when they returned home, tried to think of a plan by which they could recover their pet. They decided to steal to Bertie’s home at night and offer him a magic purse to have it back. At dead of night they stole quietly past the fairies’ waterfall, past Flower Glen, to Mr Darwin's homestead. The moon, from its starlit throne in the milky way, looked down on a very beautiful scene indeed. The rose garden at the front was bathed in a pool of silvery moonlight, while the trees at the back cast a dark shadow’ over the near part of the house, although they, themselves, were touched with silver. Creeping through the window, one of the fairies found Bertie's crib in the corner. On his bed, beside the sleeping beauty, was Augustus Rabbit—a ball of white. Waking up, Augustus saw his old friends and promised to go with them. Beside a magic purse on the bed the fairies left a note which ran thus:— Dear Little Boy—We thank you for your kindness to our rabbit, and we are taking him away, leaving in his place a magic puree which will never be empty. If you want to see your friend, the rabbit, you may come into the rose garden at night and dance with us. We have made it our newabode.—Your friends, the Fairies. —1 mark to Cousin Annie Williamson (13), Balclutha. —Commended.— One day a young rabbit poked ita nose carefully above the ground. His name was Augustus Rabbit, and he had not been to the top before, so he knew nothing of the dangers. As Augustus was basking in the sunshine he heard a human being call to his dog, and he was so frightened that he ran down the hole at once. His mother scolded him severely for going out without her. He was a saucy little bunny, however, and when he was with his brothers and sisters he bragged that he would go out again. .As it was the time for catching bunnies, Jack and his dog, Roy, were out hunting for rabbits. Next day Augustus went out again. This time he spied a paddock of turnips. He had never heard of resisting temptations, so. of course he went through the fence. Setting to work on a juicy turnip, Augustus was enjoying himself immensely when, chancing to look round, he saw Jack. Roy the dog was poking his nose in a hole and had not seen him. Augustus forgot his turnip and ran for his life. Roy saw him and gave chase. At last just as he could hear the dog’s breath close behind him. Augustus saw a welcome hole in front of him. He dived in and fell on a family of fine friends. It was a very meek rabbit that ran into his own warran that day, and I can assure you that Master Augustus always obeyed his mother after that. 1 mark to Cousin Ismay Paterson (11), Wendonside. —Commended.— One bitter September morning Toby Meredith set off to look round his traps. He had risen early, and slipped out of the house while the others slept soundly. He started off at a brisk pace across the fields towards the plantation where his traps were set. As he neared the spot where the first trap lay he heard a squeal of pain. Running towards the spot he beheld a timid little black rabbit caught by the hind leg. He looked around and then grabbing a stout stick was about to hit it on the head when looking again at the poor frightened creature his heart softened. Taking the frightened creature securely in his hands be put his foot on the spring and lifted the rabbit out of the trap i

After looking carelessly around his other traps he hurried home. After seeing that the rabbit was secure he ran inside and called to his little brother Augustus who was just coming down-stairs. “Oh, Augustus,” he cried. “Do come and see what I have here for you.” It was not long before Augustus was standing beside his brother in front of the hutch from which their last rabbit had escaped, and oh! there in front of him was a dear little black bunny—the very thing he was wishing for. “Oh, Toby, is it really for me?” he cried. “I am so happy.” (Augustus loved animals and they in return for his kindness loved him.)

He ran inside and brought mother out to see his new pet. When mother saw the frightened little thing she felt very sorry for it. “Augustus,” she said, “you must feed and look after it until its leg is better, but then you must let the poor little bunny go back to its own home.” This made Augustus feel sorry, but he loved it too much to do it any harm. In a few weeks the bunny’s leg was quite better, then Augustus with a heavy heart let it out of its little hutch. It preferred scampering lovingly about'his feet to running away over fields. Thus it shows that by kindness we will win a friend. —1 mark to Cousin Margaret Fothringham (12), Lumsden. —Commended.— Tiny Peterson whose proper name was Theodora, gazed in admiration at her beautiful present. Her cousin Augustus proudly held it out to her and asked: “What will you call him, Tiny ” “I don’t know, I’m sure,” said Tiny. “Unless I call him Mr Augustus Rabbit after you. You shouldn’t mind,” she added teasingly “because he's such a darling.” And indeed he was a darling. He had a pure white cost and lovely pink eyes and ears. Tiny was very fond of him and soon he got very tame so cho used to let him out and run around the garden. One night Augustus Rabbit was left out and Tiny went to bed. Poor bunny wandered round the garden for a while and then tried to get into his box where he had a nice warm bed in one corner. However the door was shut and Augustus Rabbit shivered as the frosty air began to penetrate his thick white coat. Then he heard a man’s step creeking round the side of the house and thinking it was Tiny’s father he ran quickly across the lawn to meet him. Augustus Rabbit started when he saw the man creeping so cautiously and when he sniffed, the man seemed quite a stranger. Still, thought he, the man might open his door for him if he went closer so that the man could see him. So Augustus hopped a few paces further and stopped in front of the stranger. Surprise and fear shot through him when instead of stooping to pat him the man tried to kick him. So bunny hurriedly sought refuge behind a tin close by. He peeped round the corner and as he dodged back to elude another kick the man’s foot struck the tin instead and made enough noise to waken the neighbourhood. The man muttered under his breath and delivering another kick in Augustus Rabbit’s direction turned to run round the house when the verandah light was switched on and Mr Peterson appeared in his dressing-gown with a levelled revolver in his hand. “Stop!” he cried to the fleeing man. “What is the meaning of this?”

The man therefore had to stop and Mr Peterson searched him seeing he was a notorious character. The man did not have much to excite suspicion on him but Mr Peterson had reason to believe that he had plenty of stolen goods at home so he imprisoned his hands and stood watch over him until the police arrived. The next day Tiny came to see Mr Augustus Rabbit who had by now quite recovered from his exciting experience and said as she stroked his shining coat. “You’re the dearest little rabbit in the world, Augustus. And I’d rather have you than any watchdog. If it hadn’t been for you the man might have stolen -a lot of things.” “Wasn’t it lucky I shut you out but all the same I’ll never leave you out again and I’m going to give you two of the juiciest big carrots in the garden.” Mr Augustus Rabbit sniffed his velvety nose into Tiny’s hand and was well content. —1 mark to Cousin Mollie Burn (15), 94 Duke street, Gladstone. —Commended — There amongst the scrub the burrow, cosy and comfortable, belonging to “Nesamare Rabbit.” What a mischief he was to farmer Peawitt especially, stealing turnips, nibbling oats, ah! me, he was nothing but a pest. But, too this was not all; traps were often laid to catch him but cunning rabbit that he was, however, avoided these without mishap. At the entrance of the burrow, overgrown with ivy, sat huddled up in a heap, Mesamare’s nephew, “Augustus Rabbit.” He also was a mischief in all ways but was not aware when dangers were near as was his uncle. Now it happened that one fine day while out playing a thought occurred to the mind of this mischief maker, “What Is the use of being good all day,” thought the young rascal, for he was a rabbit who liked to play tricks sometimes. “Maybe Sally Owl —Mrs I mean—is going out, then I could tease her and Mrs Mouse’s children while they are visiting or shopping.” So saying he set out for Mrs Owl’s home, known as “One Free Nest,” to find her just looking about for someone to take care of her children (three of them). She asked him as he entered the nest, “Oh! August, would you mind taking care of my darlings while I am out visiting Mrs Squirrel ” “With pleasure,” answered the rascal, hiding a sly smile. In ten minutes, therefore, Mrs Owl was out of sight, that, then, was the time for Augustus to begin his pranks. First of all he asked the birdies if they would like some cake and when they opened their beaks he rudely stuck sharp pieces of stick in instead of cake, which they chewed hungrily. After a while he had some tea, adding a few pieces of cake which Mrs Owl had kindly left him. After she came home he told here he must go home then, but needless to say, he did not tell her what he had done. As soon as he got outside he did not go home but changed his course towards Mrs Mouse’s home which he reached without delay. Her children, too, were unfortunate enough to receive the same treatment from the little—in fact—big scamp. When Mrs Mouse came in, carrying a bundle of sticks, through the back door, Augustus ran out the front entrance and so escaped. Now, as we all know, the kind fairy “Elliot” comes and takes all little bunnies like “our mischief” away to warmer lands for the winter. As it happened this year when she heard what Augustus had done she was very angry and would not take him

with her, as a punishment for his wrongdoings. This made him extremely sad and sorrowful but he knew he deserved it. He had no one to play with but he had to mind Mrs Owl’s and Mrs Mouse’s children and he dared not hurt the babies. When the “Fairy Queen Elliot” came home she kissed Augustus (for he had been good) and promised to take him next time thus it was the curing of “Augustus Rabbit.” —1 mark to Cousin Arthur Strang, Alma street, Wyndham, aged 10.