THERE was once a woman who lived with her daughter in a beautiful
cabbage-garden; and there came a rabbit and ate up all the cabbages. At
last said the woman to her daughter,
"Go into the garden, and drive out the rabbit."
"Shoo! shoo!" said the maiden; "don't eat up all our cabbages, little
rabbit!"
"Come, maiden," said the rabbit, "sit on my tail and go with me to my
rabbit-hutch." But the maiden would not.
Another day, back came the rabbit, and ate away at the cabbages, until
the woman said to her daughter,
"Go into the garden, and drive away the rabbit."
"Shoo! shoo!" said the maiden; "don't eat up all our cabbages, little
rabbit!"
"Come, maiden," said the rabbit, "sit on my tail and go with me to my
rabbit-hutch." But the maiden would not.
Again, a third time back came the rabbit, and ate away at the cabbages,
until the woman said to her daughter,
"Go into the garden, and drive away the rabbit."
"Shoo! shoo!" said the maiden; "don't eat up all our cabbages, little
rabbit!"
"Come, maiden," said the rabbit, "sit on my tail and go with me to my
rabbit-hutch."
And then the girl seated herself on the rabbit's tail, and the rabbit
took her to his hutch.
"Now," said he, "set to work and cook some bran and cabbage; I am going
to bid the wedding guests." And soon they were all collected. Would you
like to know who they were? Well, I can only tell you what was told to
me; all the hares came, and the crow who was to be the parson to marry
them, and the fox for the clerk, and the altar was under the rainbow.
But the maiden was sad, because she was so lonely.
"Get up! get up!" said the rabbit, "the wedding folk are all merry."
But the bride wept and said nothing, and the rabbit went away, but very
soon came back again.
"Get up! get up!" said he, "the wedding folk are waiting." But the bride
said nothing, and the rabbit went away. Then she made a figure of straw,
and dressed it in her own clothes, and gave it a red mouth, and set it
to watch the kettle of bran, and then she went home to her mother. Back
again came the rabbit, saying, "Get up! get up!" and he went up and hit
the straw figure on the head, so that it tumbled down.
And the rabbit thought that he had killed his bride, and he went away
and was very sad.