A Story For Very Little Folk To Read No Word In It Has More Than Four Letters

: ANIMAL STORIES
: Boys And Girls Bookshelf

BY A. L. SYKES



"I want to do just as I like," said Tiny Hare to his Mama one day, as he

ran to the door of his home.



"What do you want to do, my dear?" she said.



"I do not know, but I want to do just as I like," said Tiny Hare.






"You may run out a wee bit of a way, and run and jump and play in the

sun," said his Mama.



"I do not want to run and jump and play. I want to do just as I like,"

said Tiny Hare.



"You may eat the good food that you can find near our home," said his

Mama, "but if you go far MAN may get you, or DOG may eat you, or HAWK

may fly away with you."



"I do not want to eat the good food that I can see here. I want to do

just as I like."



Papa Hare then said very low and deep, "What do you want to do, my

son?"



"I do not know," said Tiny Hare, "but I want to do just as I like."



Then said Papa Hare, "Do not wake me from my nap any more now, and when

the big moon is high in the sky, and it is just like day. I will take

you far out in the wood, and you may run and jump and play and eat, and

be very safe, for MAN will be in his home, and DOG in his, and HAWK in

hers."



"I do not want to go out in the wood, and run and jump and play when the

moon is high in the sky. I want to do just as I like."



"Do not wake me," said Papa Hare, and he shut his eyes and put his ears

down.



"Come here," said Mama Hare, "and I will tell you a tale of the cold

time of the year when snow is over bush and tree and our good food, and

what came to the hare who did just as his Mama told him not to. Step,

step, step in the snow he went till he came to the Red Fire, and--"



"I do not want to hear the tale," said Tiny Hare. "I want to do just as

I like."






"Do not wake me from my nap, then," said his Mama, and she shut her

eyes and put her ears down.



Just then Tiny Hare saw a Wind Ball roll by. A Wind Ball is the part of

one kind of a weed that is left when the weed does not grow any more,

and it is dry and like wool, and it can roll like a ball, and fly as

fast as a bird.



"I can run as fast as you," said Tiny Hare. "I can do just as I like,

and I want to get you."



On went the Wind Ball, roll, roll, roll, and on went Tiny Hare, leap,

leap, leap. Just as he was near it, the Wind Ball rose into the air, and

flew like a bird, and on went Tiny Hare, jump, jump, jump. Roll and fly,

roll and fly went the Wind Ball, and leap and jump, leap and jump went

Tiny Hare till he was not able to run any more, and his feet were sore.

He lay down to rest, but soon MAN came by, and Tiny Hare ran into a hole

in a tree, and now how he did wish that he was at home!






By and by he came out to try to hunt for his home, and DOG came by, and

Tiny Hare ran into a hole in a wall, and how he did wish he was at

home! By and by he came out to try to hunt for his home, and he ran, and

he ran, and he ran! And, by and by, he saw HAWK far up in the sky, and

Tiny Hare ran into a bush, and how he did wish he was at home.



By and by he came out to try to hunt for his home, and Wind Ball went by

once more.



"I can't get you, and I don't want to," said Tiny Hare, but the wind was

low, and Wind Ball went roll, roll, roll, slow, slow, slow, and Tiny

Hare went with it, limp, limp, limp, and by and by he saw his home. Tiny

Hare ran as fast as a hare with lame feet can run, and soon he went in

and lay down in the home by his Mama.



"I have not been good, Mama," he said very low in her ear in a way that

a tiny hare has.



"Be good now, then," she said.



"I want to," said Tiny Hare, and then he said, "Do not wake me," and he

shut his eyes, and put his ears down, and they all took a nap.