Adventure of a Rabbit

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVI, Issue I, 5 January 1901, Page 47

Adventure of a Rabbit

(By

Mary Ellis.)

I am a snow white rabbit with soft, nice fur and pink eyes and ears that hear everything. I sleep n->n in n littla house made by a carpenter, but — one night—well, you shall hear all about it.

I ised to live in a bird store, where there were dozens of singing canary birds in cages; and big poll parrots with harsh and ugly voices: little pug dogs, guinea pigs and mmy rabbits. One day a little girl came into the store and stood in front of my cage for a long time. adnoring my snowwhite fur and my pink eyes. She would go away and look at the other animals and the birds, but then she would come back again. 1 was glad, f.:; I had seen other little girls take ether rabbits away, and I was waiting for my turn to come. This was sueh a sweet-faced iittl? girl that I loved her at once.

Pretty soon an old man, whose hair was white —almost as white as my cwn fur. but not so fire-, entered the store, and the little girl ran and placed her hand in his and called him “grandpa,” and told him about me. I was proud enough to hear her talk, for she said that I was the prettiest rabbit in all the world, and the sweetest and the dearest, and the nicest. Then she coaxed him to buy me. He ■smiled and patted her on one cheek and said “Yes.” Then I knew that I was sufely going with her and was very giad. She bought a basket and put me in it. biking care to have some nice. soft hay in the bottom of the basket, so

that I Mould be comfortable on the journey I was about to make. So n we were on the way. First we rode in a street ear and then came to where a big locomotive was, and the loud whistle and the ringing of the bell scared me so that I then wished myself back in the bird store with all the other animals and the birds.

We got on board of the car and I soon was rocked to sleep and didn't know anything else until 1 was in a light room, with gas burning, and there was the sweetest-faced little old lady that I have ever seen; and th re. also, was a little boy. who was ill. His back was deformed and he was obliged to lie in bed nearly all day. The little girl said that she had spent all her Christmas money to buy me, and that T was to amuse the little boy. whose name was Alfred, and that I was to be his —as long as he lived.

He smiled and kissed the little girl, who was his sister Evange'ine. T liked him so well that I did not struggle to get away when I was placed in his arms. Such a pleased look caminto his face that the little, whitehaired lady turned away, and I saw tears in her eyes, but T didn’t know why.

The next day the parrot—they had a parrot—got out of his cage and ho;>ped along to my cage and tried to peck me with his ugly, crooked b : ll, but T kept out of his way, which I was able to do very well, because the cage was large. Seeing this, the parrot went to the grate fire and picked out a piece of burning wood and dropped it on the carpet. The carpet took fire and the parrot laughed at that. The doors of

the room were closed and we were soon both nearly choked with the smoke. So was poor little Alfred.

But my brave little master crawl-si out of his bell and hunted up my cage and let me out ami opened the door, so that I ran out into the garden. Alfred cried "Fire, fire!” and the people came.

I k ,ew that Alfred had saved my life. When the smoke was gone I ran Ixick into the room and took a flower to Alfred, holding it in my mouth. Now every day 1 go into the garden and come baek with a flower, and dear Alfred has them all.

“Enjoyed your party. Bobby?” “Yes, ma.” “Well, what little girls dill you dance with?” “Oh. I didn’t dance; I had three fights down stairs with Willie Richardson. ami I licked him every time."

THEIR CHRISTMAS DINNER. “Don’t talk to me of plum puddin< for children: mine have nothing bn rich cream: just look at them.”