The Three Foolish Bunnies

Once there were three little bunnies. These little bunnies

were very young bunnies. In fact, they had not yet left the
nest of soft grass and their mother’s fur, well hidden at
the edge of the clover field. These little bunnies were soft
gray and white with pink eyes and noses and a soft pink
lining inside each ear.

One day, Mother Bunny said to her babies, “ I must go to

pick some clover. I won’t be very far away but do not
leave the nest while I am gone. I have not heard the
farmer’s big dogs lately but one never knows when they
might pass this way.”

She washed their ears and faces and settled them down for a little nap. When she thought that they
were asleep, she hopped away to pick clover.

But as soon as Mother Bunny was gone - Pop!

Opened one pink little eye and - Peep! Opened
another. And with much wriggling and giggling,
the three little bunnies scrambled over each other
and right out of the nest.

The first bunny hopped over to some fresh green

grass and began to nibble. The second bunny
hopped over to a yellow dandelion and began to
sniff. The third little bunny just sat down in the
warm spring sunshine and wiggled his nose in
delight. Each little bunny looked at the other and
they all thought the same thought together.

“Come,” said the first little bunny, “let us see the world.”

“Mother won’t be back very soon.” said the second little bunny.

“We shall just go a little way and then come right back.” said
the third little bunny.

Then the three little bunnies began to hop down the field path
in a line, with their little cotton tails bobbing up and down
merrily. What did they know of the farmer’s hound dogs?
They had never in their life seen any dog and could not be
afraid of them, despite what Mother Bunny had said.

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They only meant to go a little way but the day was fine and a little white butterfly led them along,
singing a sweet song that only butterflies and bunnies could hear. They hopped and hopped, past
clover and vetch, past daisies and daffodils. They saw a snake peering out at them from between
some tall grass but they didn’t know who or what he was. They just hopped on and the snake did not
bother them.

The time came when their butterfly friend disappeared swiftly over the field on a dancing breeze and
they were left alone. The three bunnies stopped and looked at each other. They realized that they had
gone very far from their nest and, being so young, they did not know how to turn around and follow
the field path back again. After a few nibbles on some grass, they decided to stay right where they
were and have a nap. Surely, Mother Bunny would come to find them and take t hem home again.
So they huddled against each other and took their afternoon nap, right in the middle of the field path.

While the three foolish little bunnies were sleeping, Mother Bunny came back to her nest and was
very frightened to find her babies gone. She hopped around and around the nest, trying to find signs
of any dog or fox or human being that might have found her babies and carried them away. But the
grass was not disturbed and there was no smell other than that of her babies and herself. So, very
worried, she set off hopping down the field path in search of her naughty babies. She wanted to find
them right away and tuck them back in the nest, for she had heard the hound dogs barking across the
field by the barn. With her long ears, Mother Bunny could tell that the big dogs were still on the farm
and far enough away, but who could tell when they might decide to take a run through the fields?

Sure enough, while Mother Bunny was searching for

her babies who were still sound asleep, the farmer’s
dogs did decide to have a run in the warm spring
sunshine. They set off along the edge of the cornfield.
They did not start barking until they came to the edge
of the orchard. They began to pick up the scents of
many wild animals - squirrels and chipmunks, possums
and raccoons and the wonderful smell of rabbits. The
hound dogs were well fed and not mean tempered, but
they did like a good hunt and chase now and then. And
nothing gave them such a good run as a fresh young
rabbit.

They skirted the orchard and found the entrance to the field
path - the one leading to the clover patch. They ambled
along, sniffing the ground in all directions. Suddenly, they
picked up the scent of Mother Bunny where she had just
been picking clover. They set up a terrific barking and
howling and yapping and set off down the path.

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Mother Bunny’s ears stood straight up the first second that the dogs started to bark. She knew that
they were very close and that she and her babies were in great danger. Oh! Where were those naughty
little bunnies? She hopped down the path as fast as she could and she already knew what she would
do if the dogs caught up with her. She would run off the path and through the clover, to lead the dogs
away from where she thought her babies might be. She was a brave Mother Bunny and would rather
be caught herself than let the dogs find her babies.

The dogs found the nest and stopped there for a few minutes, sniffing wildly and pawing the nest and
ground around it. They were trying to uncover the rabbits they smelled there but he rabbits were
gone. Angry at not finding them, the dogs set off down the path, not so very far from Mother Bunny.

Mother Bunny suddenly saw her babies up ahead. They were awake now and huddled together still,
quivering with fright. They heard the dogs, too, and did not know what to do or where to run.

Just as Mother Bunny had almost reached her babies, the dogs came running around the bend.
Mother Bunny hopped up high and then dashed off through the clover. They dogs did not even see
the three babies as they turned and plunged into the clover after Mother Bunny.

Mother Bunny ran and ran. She had never run so fast in her life. She
did not think of being caught. She did not think of herself at all. She
only thought of leading the dogs so far from her babies that they would
not find their way back to them.

Mother Bunny led the dogs far, far away and her heart was glad but she
began to grow weary. She felt herself slowing down and it seemed as
if the dogs were coming closer ever minute. At last she felt as if she
might as well stop and be caught and never have to run again. Just as
she was about to give up, she saw ahead of her a very large pair of
golden ears and two bright black eyes gleaming. She heard the sound
of big hind legs thumping and she knew what she must do. She took a
great big leap to the side, using the last of her strength to do so. Then
she lay down still in the grass.

The dogs ran right past her and found themselves chasing, instead of a little white bunny, a
magnificent golden hare - the biggest they had ever seen.

The hare led them a merry chase back and forth, up and down the
field; jumping sideways and losing them for a while, then
reappearing and leading them on and on through the cornfield and the
bean patch. He led the dogs in a great circle around the orchard, far
away from Mother Bunny and the clover patch. He was so bold that
he ran straight through the barnyard. There, with a series of jumps
from side to side, he broke the trail of his scent. The dogs suddenly
became confused and did not know which way to go. Tired and
panting, they gave up. They didn’t really mind losing the hare. They
had had a wonderful run and they could try again another day.

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When the golden hare was sure that the dogs were no longer behind
him, he ran back to the field path to see if Mother Bunny was
unharmed. He found her with her babies, alternately licking and
scolding them. Mother Bunny could not thank him enough for saving
them.

The big hare told the baby bunnies to mind their mother and to grow up
to be strong and happy rabbits. Then he showed them a fine safe place
to dig a new nest and said good-bye.

The baby rabbits grew strong and bit and lived very happily by the
clover patch. They always remembered the great golden hare and they
always told this story to their own foolish little bunnies.