"Now, Bunny-Boy," said his mother, "look after the house while I am
away, and mind you do not go outside, for there are boys about to-day."
"What nonsense!" thought Bunny-Boy to himself. "As if I could not run
faster than any boy. And I have been waiting for a chance to go and
see the world, so I shall go to-day."
As soon as the Bunny-Mother was out of sight, he slipped out and ran
away, this naughty Bunny-Boy, with his little white tail bobbing, and
his eyes shining with delight. "Now, I shall see what the great world
is like," he thought.
He came to a skylark sitting on her nest.
"Good-day, Lady Skylark!" he said. "I am going to see the world.
Would you like to come with me?"
"Oh dear no, indeed," said the Skylark. "I have to sit on my eggs.
Does your mother know you are going?" Bunny-Boy ran off at once. He
did not want to answer that.
He came next to a little hill, where other Bunny-Boys and Bunny-Girls
lived. They all came running out to see him, and said: "Stay and play
with us."
"No," he said; "I am going to see the world."
"Where is that?" they asked.
"Somewhere over that big fence," said Bunny-Boy. "You may come with me
if you like."
"We do not want to come," they said. "You stay here with us." But
Bunny-Boy would not stay. He ran off again. The others called out:
"We will tell your mother of you." But he only ran the faster.
He went through the big fence, and came into a field of oats. Here men
were busy cutting the oats, and Bunny-Boy was so frightened by the
noise they made that he scampered out of that field into the next.
This was a field of grass, and Bunny-Boy thought: "Now I can begin to
enjoy myself."
Just then he heard a bark, and a big dog rushed over the grass after
him. A boy came with the dog, and now poor Bunny-Boy had to run for
his life. How he did run! But the dog could run too, and he nearly
caught Bunny-Boy. His mouth, with its sharp teeth, was just open ready
to snap on Bunny-Boy's back, when Bunny-Boy saw a hole in front of him,
jumped into it, and was saved.
At the bottom of the hold he found a Bunny-house, and some kind
Bunnies, who let him stay there till the dog and its master had gone
away. Then he crept out, and went sadly home.
"I will always do what you tell me," he said to his mother that night.
"It was dreadful out in the world. I would much rather stay at home
and mind the house."