It often happens in the end
An enemy may prove a friend.
--Whitefoot.
Was ever any one in a worse position than Jumper the Hare? To move would
be to give himself away to Whitey the Snowy Owl. If he remained where he
was very likely Shadow the Weasel would find him, and the result would
be the same as if he were caught by Whitey the Owl. Neither Whitey nor
Shadow knew he was there, but it would be only a few minutes before one
of them knew it. At least, that is the way it looked to Jumper.
Whitey wouldn't know it unless he moved, but Shadow the Weasel would
find his tracks, and his nose would lead him straight there. Back and
forth, back and forth, this way, that way and the other way, just a
little distance off, Shadow was running with his nose to the snow. He
was hunting--hunting for the scent of some one whom he could kill. In a
few minutes he would be sure to find where Jumper had been, and then his
nose would lead him straight to that tree at the foot of which Jumper
was crouching.
Nearer and nearer came Shadow. He was slim and trim and didn't look at
all terrible. Yet there was no one in all the Green Forest more feared
by the little people in fur, by Jumper, by Peter Rabbit, by Whitefoot,
even by Chatterer the Red Squirrel.
“Perhaps,” thought Jumper, “he won't find my scent after all. Perhaps
he'll go in another direction.” But all the time Jumper felt in his
bones that Shadow would find that scent. “When he does, I'll run,” said
Jumper to himself. “I'll have at least a chance to dodge Whitey. I am
afraid he will catch me, but I'll have a chance. I won't have any chance
at all if Shadow finds me.”
Suddenly Shadow stopped running and sat up to look about with fierce
little eyes, all the time testing the air with his nose. Jumper's heart
sank. He knew that Shadow had caught a faint scent of some one. Then
Shadow began to run back and forth once more, but more carefully than
before. And then he started straight for where Jumper was crouching!
Jumper knew then that Shadow had found his trail.
Jumper drew a long breath and settled his long hind feet for a great
jump, hoping to so take Whitey the Owl by surprise that he might be able
to get away. And as Jumper did this, he looked over to that stump where
Whitey had been sitting so long. Whitey was just leaving it on his great
silent wings, and his fierce yellow eyes were fixed in the direction of
Shadow the Weasel. He had seen that moving black spot which was the tip
of Shadow's tail.
Jumper didn't have time to jump before Whitey was swooping down at
Shadow. So Juniper just kept still and watched with eyes almost popping
from his head with fear and excitement.
Shadow hadn't seen Whitey until just as Whitey was reaching for him with
his great cruel claws. Now if there is any one who can move more quickly
than Shadow the Weasel I don't know who it is. Whitey's claws closed on
nothing but snow; Shadow had dodged. Then began a game, Whitey swooping
and Shadow dodging, and all the time they were getting farther and
farther from where Jumper was.
The instant it was safe to do so, Jumper took to his long heels and the
way he disappeared, lipperty-lipperty-lip, was worth seeing. Whitey the
Snowy Owl had saved him from Shadow the Weasel and didn't know it. An
enemy had proved to be a friend.